The Selling of Dan O’Neill’s Motorcycle
By Ian Quinn
Earlier this spring Dan called me and asked me to do him a favour and sell his motorcycle for him. He had mentioned it earlier on to me but wasn’t quite ready to do it then. He didn’t want to leave it for Patrice to have to deal with and asked if I could just come over and get it going. Of course I said yes although the true meaning did not quite sink in at that moment.
After a day run with Brian in April, we went over to Dan & Patrices to help Dan put his battery in and get the bike going and to take some photographs of the bike to sell. Dan was using a walker at that point but was able to come down to the parking garage with us in his building and sit and direct how the battery was to be connected. As soon as we got the battery in, the bike fired right up, even though it hadn’t been started since the previous fall. We managed to get the bike and Dan up the garage driveway and took some pictures of the bike in the alley. Dan said he would send me the information on the bike and the photos so I could post them in the next Bike Trader.
By the time I got the information from Dan a couple weeks had passed and at this point I can’t help but think perhaps he was delaying just a while in case he might get well enough to ride again. He sent me the information and we agreed on that coming Friday for me to come pick up the motorcycle and bring it over to my place. I arrived at Dan’s that Friday after work with my helmet in hand. He again came down to the underground parking with me using his walker. He showed me all the tricks to starting the bike and asked me to take it on a good run. I said I would probably only go around Stanley Park but would see how comfortable I was on it. Once I was ready to go he pushed his walker over to the garage door and opened it for me. As I swung around to go up the ramp I was going to stop, but he told me to just keep going and waved me on and he would talk to me later. As I went by him and proceeded up the ramp I realized I was taking away his motorcycle to sell and what the meaning of all that was. I stopped at the top and looked back in time to see him standing at the bottom of the ramp with his walker as the garage door shut.
I took off and went down to Stanley Park and once I got to the exit to the Lion’s Gate Bridge I decided I was comfortable enough to take it on a longer ride. I went over the bridge and continued up to Cypress Bowl look out. I stopped and had dinner and made sure I gave the motorcycle a good run as Dan had requested.
The first advertisement did not get any responses mostly I presume to the listed price which I thought was high. I again wonder if Dan might have wanted to just hang onto the bike for as long as possible. Victoria Day weekend came and went, so the second advertisement did not come out for another few weeks, with a lower price. Sure enough my telephone started ringing with several inquiries the first day the ad appeared. I made 2 appointments that day for 2 people to come see the bike. The first guys that arrived were a father and son from Abbotsford. The father had just bought a new Harley Electra Glide and his 18 year old son just got his motorcycle endorsement and they were shopping for a Sportster for him. They were both very nice guys and I could tell they really thought the bike was in great shape, which it was. I let the Dad ride it around the parkade and then the negotiating started. He offered $500.00 less than what Dan was asking so I called Dan and asked and he said no, wait to see what the other guy offers. After I hung up from Dan, my phone rang and the other guy was at the front door of my building. I told the father and son that the answer was no, but if they wanted to hang around to see what the other guy did they could. At that point the Dad made another offer $250.00 higher. I phoned Dan again and he decided to accept. I had to go tell the guy at my front door that the bike had been sold. The Dad and son gave me a deposit and said they would come back the next day to pick the bike up and bring a certified cheque.
They came back the next day with a cheque and licence plate and got all the information on the bike and then the Dad rode it out of my parkade to the alley. They told me they were going to ride together on the upcoming Sunday on a fathers day run. He parked the bike and let it run while he changed into his leathers. They didn’t know I was still watching them from inside the parkade. While his Dad was putting his chaps on the son who was very excited sat on the bike and revved up the engine. He then went over to his Dad and gave him a big hug. It was very sweet and actually brought a tear to my eye. I knew as the Dad got on the motorcycle and rode away with the Son following in the car, that Dan’s motorcycle went to a very good home and would be well taken care of. Dan seemed pleased when I told him the story of who his prized Harley Sportster 1200cc went to.
May you be riding right now Dan, wherever you are.
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