Wife and I had to go up to Galesburg today, and I though my local RE Dealer was just up the road another 30 or so miles - so why not pay him a visit. The dealer is Hanna City Power and Equipment, Rick is his name.
When we walked through the door I spotted a dark blue Electra sitting there in all its disk-braked shininess. So all my attention went to the Electra. After a few minutes of me fawning and drooling, my wife asked me what the red bike next to it was. Well, I didn't know. It was an RE, but not like any I had seen on the net. So I asked Rick.
Rick said it was a brand new 2006 Sixty-Five. It had the old classic iron engine, dual leading shoe front brake, an actual low speed mixture adjusting screw, a really weird way of holding the rear fender on, grease zerks, and only a center stand that turns out to be a bit of a strain.
I was totally prepared to love any bike with the new aluminum engine. But I just couldn't make myself do it. We started up the 65. That was it! I was hooked! I was screwed! There was no way I wasn't buying that bike.
I asked Rick to total up the bike and a few accessories for me so I could see the big picture. The accessories I wound up ordering were; the free flow muffler, two new main jets appropriately spaced, an 18 tooth counter shaft sprocket, rear rack, small wind screen, front fender pedestrian slicer (what a name!), and I think that's about it.
Rick gave me a price I thought was decent, so we went for it. We agreed I would pick up the bike and the parts that had come in somewhere in the middle of January. I'll get it home somehow.
When Spring gets here, I'll probably order in some cables, bulbs, tubes, points and condensers and what other parts I need to make me feel secure.
I am so totally happy that I found this bike and went for the classic engine. Now that I've told you my story of todays adventures, would some of you be good enough to tell me what exactly a Sixty-Five is? Is it still a Bullet? What's the story on this bike?
Whew, that's alot of typing. I'll stop now.