The California Desert Sled: A Brief History

[@davidsmith31]

Had a 1964 Tr6 and later, a '66 Matchless G 80 CS, Both were great bikes. I still ride, KTM 200 XCW and various Hodakas. I'm 80 years old.

[@aussiedorsmith9293]

Our family moving from Toronto Ont. to Palm Desert Ca. in the summer of 67 was quite an amazing time for this then 13 yo boy. Along with just generally being stoked with the landscape I soon became familiar with motorcycles, although my riding was limited to short but fun rides on a friend’s Honda S90. Walking home from school one day and crossing through the wash I encountered a “big” bike, a Triumph, whose rider was attempting to climb the soft sanded higher far side. He was challenging himself and the machine, and while not successful after three or four tries, the sound and motion of that rider and machine was an emotional event for me, and while I had to wait a couple of years, it did help lead to my own involvement with the sport that I am so happy to still enjoy.

[@KurtfromLaQuinta]

Ah. The Whitewater Wash! That was the highway to getting to other desert cities. Or out to Indio Hills.

[@aussiedorsmith9293]

⁠That’s right! Didn’t know the name then. School bus dropped me off at 111 and Cook St. I’d walk home through the date groves parallel to Cook. Lived on Leslie Ave. Was so cool as it was surrounded by open desert with a large area of sand dunes. Seemed to go on forever then.

[@jimmyroberts7244]

My dad J.N. ROBERTS was part of the two stroke revolution in 1968, with his sponsorship from Edison Dye.

[@wheelhousegarage]

That’s incredible! I have read about your dad and seen videos of him. What an amazing legacy. Thank you so much for watching and commenting on this video!

[@519CZRacer]

Your dad is a true legend!

[@jimmyroberts7244]

@@519CZRacer Thank you, CZRacer!!

[@timfeeley714-25]

When I was 14 in 1975 and was learning to ride my first motorcycle (69 Kawasaki sidewinder) I had a black and white poster of a huge expanse of desert sand seen from the air, with a speck in the lower right-hand corner that was a guy on a motorcycle with a huge rooster tail coming out from behind it. The caption at the bottom of the poster read ( the nearest I can remember) J.N. Roberts all by himself flat out across the desert at over 105 mph on a Husqvarna. It was my favorite poster of all time. Your dad was the GOAT!

[@KurtfromLaQuinta]

@@519CZRacer Yes he was!

[@TroubadourJuggernaut]

This cat’s enthusiasm, great bikes and knowledge make it easy to “like” the video before even watching it. !!!

[@wheelhousegarage]

I really appreciate that!

[@jimirving204]

When visiting my grandparents in the mid 60's I would walk to Bud Ekins shop in Sherman Oaks, CA and drool on the new Triumphs in the showroom. A few years later I was racing in District 37 events in the Mojave desert on a 100cc Bultaco Lobito followed by a BSA 441 Victor. Next was the purchase of a Rickman Mk3 Metisse with a Triumph TR6R 650 engine which is still in my garage and still runs very well. Thank you for your video. Those were the days!

[@wheelhousegarage]

Amazing! Thank you for sharing your Desert sled experience! What I wouldn’t give to visit Bud Ekin’s shop.

[@blusnuby2]

Bud Ekins (2:31) was the fella who made the motorcycle jump (for Steve McQueen) in The Great Escape.

[@wheelhousegarage]

Indeed, it was!

[@vegasxrs9401]

During the 70s and 80s I raced the District 37 desert races on my Hodaka 90. I sized the motor one time way out on the course and was offered a tow by a Triumph 650 rider. I got quite an education that day as he towed me faster than I was racing!😮

[@tedecker3792]

Awesome story!

[@SLED649]

Great synopsis Bill! The seventies were fun! Triumphs,BSA’S & Harleys ruled the flat tracks,the deserts & road courses! Oh what a time! Thanks for keeping the old iron going!👍

[@wheelhousegarage]

Thank you so much for this kind comment and thoughtful response!

[@LumberjackT100]

Thank you so much for the desert sled history tutorial, Bill. This old guy from the land of of mudrunners and Barkbusters has long been intrigued by western desert racing. The closest I’ve ever come was passing riders left and right across the expanse of a massive harrowed corn field aboard a 1983 Maico 250 Spider during the final run of the legendary Ashe Hill Fun Run in 1995. Thank you again for another entertaining episode. Keep up the good work.

[@wheelhousegarage]

My pleasure! Thanks for sharing your story Al! Sounds awesome

[@KenNelson-b1p]

Back in this time frame there was a desert racer that glued a piece of carpet to the top of his tank, and his dog would hop on and dig his nails into the carpet and lean into the rider to hold on while they zoomed across the desert.

[@ml5955]

They had a small book about him and his dog in the liberty at the school I went to. I think he was a member of the Innovators MC Club. I grew up in SoCal, and we’d go riding in the Mojave Desert and my dad and uncle saw him and his dog riding out there once back in the early 70’s. The rider and his sidekick was also briefly featured in the movie On Any Sunday 👍

[@thomasshane7360]

Dogs name was cookie

[@aussiedorsmith9293]

John McCown and Kookie were featured in On Any Sunday. Got to say “hi, how are you two” at the 74 VCGP, where they were camped two “doors” down from me. 👍

[@montycrain5783]

Also give some credit to Oscar winner and fellow Marine Lee Marvin, a veteran of 21 landings in the Pacific in WWII. On similar Triumph TR Trophy models, he and good buddy Keenan Wynn rode and raced alongside McQueen all over the South Western Desert as well.

[@constantinslotty5309]

Great story, thx for sharing!

[@DavidLucas-hf1cx]

I grew up in the Bay Area in a bike family.. my grandfather was wrenching as a mechanic and pit crew for his buddies winning Triumph flat track team. He ended up buying from his friend a ‘46 3T that was built into what my grandfather called a “Cow trailer”… Front fender and lights removed, front forks were tilted out, Bates bars, Avon Speedmaster upfront Dunlap knobby in the back, Cams and pistons, stock exhaust was cut and up swept into megaphones, back fender was shorten and Frenched, tank was swapped with a Mustang twin fill unit.. all painted in a crazy chartreuse and pink scalloped color scheme.. from what I can tell the bike was built somewhere around ‘48 to ‘50 she’s kind of A NorCal version of an early desert sled… and fortunately, I still have her sitting next to my ‘67 TR6 sled.. she runs like a top…

[@wheelhousegarage]

So rad! Thank you very much for sharing!

[@tedecker3792]

My first race was a 100 mile desert race called the Badlands Baja in South Dakota in 1968. I ride my Honda scrambler 350. Not exactly a true desert sled, but close!

[@Triumph-Tiger-90-Com]

Hi Bill, I had the great pleasure of meeting and interviewing Skip Vanleeuwen and Jack Simmonds some years ago, great guys sadly no longer with us, but the bikes survive. Visit the Clovis Flat Track museum in Fresno and Buddy Stubbs in Phoenix if it's too hot to ride.

[@wheelhousegarage]

That is so cool Justin! I would love to visit those places!

[@othgmark1]

​@@wheelhousegarageFlat track museum would make a great video. I can get you in for a video l expect or Chris Carter can. Incredible museum would make a great ride to video series from your place.

[@bluesmanish]

LOL- don't go to Phoenix if it's too hot to ride where you are

[@deepspoke2201]

Thanks for the desert sled history hole. My uncle raced his converted 441 Victor desert sled in many of the hare & hound races out of Barstow in the 60's & 70's. His son-in-law had a Triumph powered Rickman and later switched to a Ducati 250 when all the Husky's started eating everyone's lunch. I only had the opportunity to "race" a once during that period out at Slash X on a monocoque framed Yamaha 80 and decided it was been there done that after eating the dust of the 1000 bikes ahead of me.

[@lakota240]

outstanding, thank you, being a child of the '60's this was an unaffordable (California) dream'in, now that I can afford one, this is much needed information

[@wheelhousegarage]

So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for watching!

[@countermoonman]

In the early 70’s here in Orange County Cal. i went to Jr High with a kid that belonged to a motorcycle racing club called the “Sled Riders” they did CRC races here in So. Cal. motocross/hare scrambles/ desert races, his name was Jimmy Helms, I think the famous Jim Fishback, he raced desert and motocross was also a member.

[@wheelhousegarage]

So cool! Thanks for sharing your story

[@TheStevemcqueen68]

Bill Just a great break down on desert racing and on how it all got started. It would be great .if you could do a follow up on some of the riders from back then , 50s and 60s such a great time for desert racing, Thanks KIWI

[@johnglasgow4176]

I had a 1958 TR6 with a white tank like the one behind you they were killers to ride that was 1966 thanks

[@garrywalton]

just come in from starting up the T100 in desert sled trim... although it only gets to ride through mud here in wet old England!! What a pleasure to remind ourselves what we love about these bikes.... now I need to get my beer :)

[@wheelhousegarage]

Woo hoo!

[@MM-xr6tz]

We need a feature length film Bill. 👌 60 minutes of rad bikes would make for an epic Saturday.

[@jontg429]

Always great waking up on a Saturday to a new Wheelhouse Garage episode!

[@Mr.WChemistry]

Favorite subject of all time. British bikes on the west coast. You got both my bikes in the history TR6C and a P11A. If I’d only been born 15 years earlier

[@nicholasparkin6979]

Thanks Bill. Great info.Was a very special time before the 2 strokes. Nick UK.

[@wheelhousegarage]

Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the nice comment

[@bradsanders6954]

At a certain point, the Greeves would take the top 15 spots in so cal desert racing. The leading link ft end was the bomb. Big fat 19" front tire mostly. The 360 engine was a greeves made engine much better than the old villiers engine greeves used before. Ive got a time capsule 360 Greeves Challenger in my dining room, pearl white/black/lots of chrome/ but otherwise all stock from 1968. It is a cool bike.

[@duncanmachell4044]

What a great history show , as a brit we have nothing like dessert racing in our past . Over the years it has been awesome to discover this , like some of the other comments it would great to see a longer episode dedicated to the dessert sled and racing. All the very best from the 🇬🇧 keep up the great work , I am looking forward to future episode's, p.s. do you ship t shirts to the 🇬🇧

[@wheelhousegarage]

Thank you so much for watching and for this great comment. I do ship shirts to the UK! You should be able to see the shipping price in the checkout screen.👍

[@mikecampell]

Loved those old school racers, they were a handful.

[@wheelhousegarage]

Yeehaw!

[@agrajag868]

Yep, on any Sunday, Malcolm and friends.

[@KellyBarron-c2k]

Very interesting and informative video. You touched on Steve McQueen and Bud Ekins. Perhaps a video about them, their friendship, including Bud’s brother would be interesting as well. Enjoyed!

[@wheelhousegarage]

I would love to do a video on that! Those guys are my heroes and there’s is a lot to talk about. Thank you for this helpful comment!

[@caseyhansen4567]

Dave Ekins has been a family friend. His Daughter lives near by in santa clarita

[@johnmorris482]

A couple of Triumph dealers offered highly modified twins. Ted Lapadakis and Bud Ekins come to mind, but I'm sure there were others. I don't recall that BSA, Matchless or other brands had that advantage. Catalina was a Grand National, not a Grand Prix. Steve McQueen wasn't really an influence when he was riding Triumph. Bud Ekins influenced many from the Hollywood crowd much more.

[@TroopThrowback]

When did bud work for Johnson motors? I wasn’t aware.

[@johnmorris482]

@@TroopThrowback that was wrong, brain misfire...

[@TroopThrowback]

@@johnmorris482 no problem. I’m no historian but try to learn where I can. My fathers shop parts manager in the 70s and 80s was Clyde Earl from JoMo. Wish I knew more.

[@TroopThrowback]

@@johnmorris482 wasn’t the original name Catalina Grand Prix in 1951 but when the French heard about it they threw a fit? Officially afterward it was “grand national” but unofficially still called “Catalina Grand Prix”. thegrandfathersofmotocross.com/1952-5-3-web-ok-catalina-1st-nicholson-del-8-dnf/

[@mikemcnevin1785]

As always, great video and info! Thanks!!

[@brianking1138]

Great brief history lesson.

[@weemsmotorco]

Nailed It!

[@wheelhousegarage]

Thanks Jared!

[@xt225]

Great stuff again Bill.

[@wheelhousegarage]

Thanks again!

[@MonsterIsOutOfCtrl]

Always looking forward to buy a road legal desert sled in Italy... Very uncommon type of bike here, the Brits bikes usually are restored and expansive, so to me is not a good option, maybe I should find a Ducati scrambler and modify it, my father had a 350 modified back in the days

[@lukemullender308]

How about an episode on Nick Nicholson Motors... I've been waiting patiently for you to pull out a 360 Challenger or 380 Griffon 😊

[@wheelhousegarage]

I need to get a Greeves on the show for sure! I was very close to once, but it wasn’t quite running right. I’ll make it happen soon.

[@TroopThrowback]

@@wheelhousegarageyes do! I’ve got one I need to restore with my sons while they’re still at home.

[@i.c.really150]

Might research a group called the Checkers.

[@wheelhousegarage]

They deserve a whole video on their own!

[@samjoentess9168]

Nice

[@WilliamsThomas-d3m]

Like your content. Never too hot to ride. You wait till it gets 100 before you get started for training purposes.

[@airspro5666]

Good stuff , thanks…

[@andymale1489]

Hi, I love your Channel and content, I have a matchless g12 csr, but no deserts!! Would like your advice to turn it into a desert racer! Like how can I get a sprocket over original to add on for desert, what can I do for suspension, any ideas who can supply a belly pan? And nibbles? Any help appreciated new to this have bike and kindness!!!?

[@kenarmann4555]

Great job Pal, thanks for keeping this stuff alive! Stop by again sometime if you want to check out my P11.

[@craigbuchan316]

Great vid. Although had to laugh at your ability to omit the "J " word when talking about the introduction of the two strokes in the late 60`s and early 70`s⛩

[@bluesmanish]

Good video! Are these bikes you showcase all yours?

[@mysticmusic6045]

we just drove through Murphys yesterday and saw a Montessa for sale by the side of the road. Was that yours?

[@agrajag868]

It is and always will be, the closest to flying on the ground.

[@wheelhousegarage]

Amen!

[@chrisbaucom4832]

100%

[@wheelhousegarage]

🙏

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

No sound on the video I had to put on the closed caption to know what you were saying

[@wheelhousegarage]

Sorry, Frank. I haven’t heard this from any other viewers though.

[@garyhull5617]

I had a sled when I was young..... It failed to perform in an actual desert. I came away unimpressed.

[@dakotadale567]

Camera overheating in about 7 minutes. Must own a Fuji x-100 series.

[@wheelhousegarage]

How did you know?!?! 😆😆

[@dakotadale567]

@@wheelhousegarage i use the same camera for a majority of my photography. Such a phenomenal camera that just does not tolerate video. That being said keep them up. Discovered this channel a couple weeks ago and am hooked.

[@averagegearreviews4109]

Who do you think you are? Keenan Wynn! There's a guy

[@wheelhousegarage]

Had to look him up😁

[@TroopThrowback]

@@wheelhousegarageoh now you should be embarrassed. Where’s your copy of “Triumph in America” gathering dust?