OK, I started off with a 500 (that's 30.50 in real numbers) Velocette. 2 years later, that was replaced with a 650 (40 real) Triumph. With both bikes I could go to the beach, go trail riding and hill climbing in the Whittier oil field and go pretty fast up Azusa canyon.
2 years later, the Triumph was replaced with an 80 inch (1300 in funny numbers) HD flathead and I got some cash besides. After much porting, relieving, head milling, regrinding cams, conversion from a Linkert to a Tillotson carb, stroking and boring to 94 inches (1500 in funny numbers) it was about as fast as the Triumph. But, it didn't do near as well on the trails or up Azusa canyon.
I rode mostly HD since then until I got the America, but I always missed that 650 and wished I'd kept it.
