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From: jsloan@niwot.scd.ucar.EDU (John Sloan)
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 92 17:26:13 MDT
To: sasmjw@unx.sas.com
Subject: Re: Right Coast Ride on a Spagthorpe (Part 1)


I guess I'm a little confused. I thought the some of the '85
Spagthorpes were actually late '84 models, debuting in dealers
showrooms sometime in late December. I also always heard that many of
the Spagthorpe dealers were actually dual Spagthorpe/Yugo dealers, due
to some obscure tax incentive spawned as part of the emergence of the
European Economic Community (I'm pretty sure it has something to do
with the exchange rate of the Pound versus the Simoleon), and this (and
the fall of Communism) may have contributed to their failure in the
U.S. market.

One way to be sure whether you have an late '84 versus an '85
is to check inside the cylinder walls (so I'm told) for the serial
numbers. If in the usual arabic numerals, it's almost certainly an '85,
as earlier models had celtic numerals, which were a convenience for the
itinerant workers in the Spagthorpe factory, but less convenient for
most of the intended foreign market. Among Spagthorpe collectors, I am
told however, the original celtic owners manuals are highly prized, and
owners of these rare documents are often so obsessed with them that
they have memorized the location of every vowel.

I do recall one of my late uncles waxing nostalgically about his '54
Spagthorpe "Terrier". He was tragically killed however when he traded
up to a Kawasaki Z-1 in the early 70s, a bike whose superior handling
and braking ability encouraged him to, frankly, ride far over his head.

Thanks for bring up such fond and tragic memories.

John Sloan              "Since I've given up hope,        +1 303 497 1243
NCAR/SCD                   I feel much better."       Fax +1 303 497 1137
Boulder CO 80307-3000 USA                            jsloan@ncar.ucar.edu
Logical Disclaimer:  belong(opinions,jsloan). belong(opinions,_):-!,fail.