Hi from Cape Town

T

The Thrasher

New Member
#1
#1
I'm ecstatic about finding this forum and hope to one day provide as much assistance as I know I’m going to need from you knowledgeable folk. My is story is this.........

I bought a Harley X90 19 years ago - yes you read right - after answering an ad for a Harley for sale at the bargain price of R500 (about $70), not knowing about the Aermacchi Harleys and expecting a V-twin. The bike was in one piece, missing a couple of parts and didn't run, but i bought it anyway figuring I’d keep it for my son one day - i wasn't even married yet and my son was only born 9 years later - how’s that for forethought.

I tried to get it running but without a Harley dealership in South Africa at the time and zero interest from the Unauthorized® workshops and no information source (www was still a pipe dream in 1991) I was becoming fairly disheartened until I spoke to a guy by the name of Paul Friebus before he emigrated (now of American Cycle Fab Inc. in Bloomsburg, PA) who put me in touch with retired traffic officer, Rodney Ford who has probably the largest collection of Aermacchi Harleys in RSA, including 2 x X90's, the only others known to exist in South Africa. Rodney made a copy of his bike's wiring loom and kindly donated a seat to the cause.......and then life got in the way!

So this is where I currently find myself. I know that if I don't get this done properly now, it'll never get done. I have more questions than answers and any assistance will be deeply appreciated.

Thanks and cheers

Brett
 
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S

supernova

Banned
#2
#2
Welcome to the sight, another International Member! Glad to have you here, you'll find some members here with X90s, those are cool bikes! You should be able to find some help! Good luck!
 
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Neck

Neck

Growing up is optional
#3
#3
Welcome to the most knowledgeable Mini Bike web site on the net! Have you seen any other kinds of Minis in Cape Town?
 
T

The Thrasher

New Member
#5
#5
Thanks for the welcome(s) guys.

Neck, apart from the 3 X90's between Rodney and myself the most prolific minibike models seem to be the Honda Minitrail and ST70 and even they are very thin on the ground and sought after. Since the early '70s the majority of brands other than the Japanese Big Four never saw the light of day in South Africa unless individually imported.

x-90 rider, thanks for the offer, i'll be asking some questions once i get into the rebuild. I am at the moment taking stock of parts to be purchased/ repaired and intend putting up a build log at some stage so taking photos as well.
 
dave dickson

dave dickson

New Member
#6
#6
Brett,
Welcome Aboard!!! Truely a remarkable story, I hope your build goes well, I'm sure if you need any help, you've come to the right place! Pictures of your build and progress would be nice, it's always great to hear from someone from a different country, kind of makes you think the world is getting a little smaller.
dave
 
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