Phantom Oiler Rogues Gallery: Rod Todd

BSA Gold Star rider Rod Todd  at UC Davis, a while back
goldstar.JPG (77128 bytes) I bought the 1961 Goldie from Honda of West Sacramento in the spring of 1966 for $325--I couldn't afford the Triumph I really wanted at the time. It appeared to be a semi-street legal race track refugee of the Catalina persuasion. (As if Hooligan bikes are a new concept!) I rode it on and off road for the next two years and sold it to the paper boy (a man with a real job, unlike us starving college students) for $350 in early '68.

I hand built the reverse cone megaphone in the Irrigation Hydraulics shop at UC Davis. The finish is rattle can VHT, and yes, it was wicked loud when the homemade baffle fell out, and I had a BIG ticket to prove it! It sometimes ran really good, and other times wouldn't at all.

I broke the thick, arched sole of an expensive pair of Justin cowboy boots flirting with the sweet spot in the Lucas Magdyno manual advance--too retarded and it would just Woof, too advanced and it would try to launch you into orbit.

One oil changeI found a broken valve spring piece (not from the currently installed ones) in the sump, but couldn't afford to tear it down. So I just rode it. Notice the slightly bent fork tubes! A classic love/hate motorcycle relationship....


Editor's Note:  Had one around 1969 that looked so similar to this one it could almost have been the same bike.  Mine was bought and sold again for $150!

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