Hello all.
I'm Darwyn and I reside in rural southern Ohio I'm originally from Dayton Ohio.
My Dad bought my 1960 Super10 for my when I was in the ninth grade (83-84) to keep me out of trouble. He bought it off of a friend he worked with at Chrysler in Dayton, it wasn't running and was missing a few parts. I soon found out that info and parts were pretty hard to find on these bikes (in fact I didn't even know it was called a super 10 until a good bit later). After locating the correct service manual (the local dealer tried to sell me a manual for the Italian single saying they were the "same thing") I managed to get it started with a coil from the VW dealer! I didn't know how to ride at that point, so It idled stationary while I dreamed of burning up the back roads! I quickly damaged my clutch hub and starter gear running it without oil..... I didn't know any better. That was the last time it ran for many years.
I discovered the HHC from a classified ad in the back of a biker rag (probably iron horse) and became a member during the news letter days. I gathered some parts from the contacts I made, with dreams of restoration. Unfortunately the distractions of being a teenager won over and the Super 10 or "hummer"( as I call it) sat and gathered dust.
FFWD to '99 the hummer had been in my parents shed for many years , I decided it was time to start the restoration again, only this time I had the internet! I soon reconnected with the HHC bought a lot of parts and tried to figure out how to reassemble something I had taken apart many years prior! I made some good progress... painted it... got rechromed rims and repop spokes..... even eventually addressed the damage from running without oil. I never fired it though. Things were going pretty good, but then, life's many distractions won over again and my attention was focused elsewhere for many years.
FFWD again to 2 weeks ago! After recently seeing a nice Hummer at a car show, I decided it was time. I pulled it out of the corner and without too much trouble, It started! I reconnected with HHC again! I spent the last 2 weeks looking for parts I already have (somewhere), looking for the few parts I still need, got a chain and clutch cable from Mutt (who is awesome and ships very fast!) With haste and excitement, I got the bike ready for it's first ride since the 70's (probably).
Yesterday, I rode it for the first time ever! It wasn't far at all because the carb is a mess and a lot of other things need attention but I rode it! It was super sketchy and exciting! 60 year old square edge tires, front brake wasn't hooked up everything needs adjusted but man it was something else! I only rode for a few minutes before the float stuck and I had to push it home but this thing is going to be road worthy again!
I have dragged this bike around most of my life and it's a huge deal to have finally ridden it! I have kept it through many rough spots in life and I am very glad that I never sold or traded it off! I was 14 when I got it and I will be 54 soon! This time will be different. I want it road worthy and appearance might get addressed later. I plan to run these "hollers" with it (it's 6 miles around the block where I live).
Today I will tinker with it some more and hopefully find a missing box with my front brake parts!