By Joe Berk
I recently visited The Metal Tank Vintage Dirt Bikes in Glendora, California. Wow, was that ever a fun day! I met with Mark Carter (the owner) at his shop for a story I’m doing for Motorcycle Classics magazine, and I learned more about two-strokes and Husqvarna motorcycles in one day than I had in the preceding 75 years (and that’s no exaggeration). If Huskys are the topic, Mark Carter is the man to see.
I think motorcycles (especially vintage motorcycles) are art, and the bikes Mark and The Metal Tank focus their attention on certainly fall into that category. In particular, Mark and his shop restore and service pre-1983 metal tank, two-stroke, offroad Husqvarnas. Mark is an interesting guy, made all the more so by his vocalizations of various two-stroke engine anomalies. His impressions of different engine issues are phenomenal.
After spending time in the shop, Mark invited me to see his gallery in downtown Glendora. The gallery is only a block or two away from his shop. It is right in the middle of downtown Glendora, and take it from someone who knows: Glendora is one of California’s hidden gems. It’s a classic American town, and its central shopping and dining area is one of California’s best kept secrets.
The early metal tank Husqvarnas can be made street legal, but mostly they are strictly offroad propositions. Think pre-mix for the oil and gas (at a 50:1 ratio), no ignition switch, light weight, and serious performance. An ignition switch? What’s that? You want to start the bike? Give it a few kicks. You want to turn it off, hit the kill switch. Simple. Light weight. Lots of power. Big knobbies. Jewel-like, show-bike appearance. My first thought was it would be a shame to get these machines dirty. My second thought was it would be a shame not to.
Husqvarnas were favored motorcycles by guys like Malcolm Smith and Steve McQueen. They are very classy bikes, and the restorations and customs Mark creates are beautiful. Some of the machines in the Metal Tank gallery have an impressive lineage, like the one in the photo below. It is a Husky that was owned by Steve McQueen.
Another Husky in The Metal Tank gallery was signed by Billy Gray. Billy Gray is the actor who played (among other roles) “Bud” in Father Knows Best. Gray later became a serious and successful motorcycle racer.
Mark has other notable two-stroke machines in his Glendora gallery, including one of Gresh’s favorites, the Spanish Montesa.
The gallery held another motorcycle that (like me) you may never have heard of: the Lube (it’s pronounced “Lu Bay”). Lube was a Spanish motorcycle manufacturer founded in 1947. They were made in Barakaldo, Spain, they built approximately a thousand machines, and the company only lasted until 1967. Lube bikes used NSU engines manufactured in Germany. This is cool stuff. I learned a lot that day from Mark. Lube. Who knew?
It was a fun day for me. When I came home from The Metal Tank shop, I told Sue about the gallery, and she immediately said, “Let’s go.” If you’ve never been to Glendora, you should go, because you’re in for a treat. I think the best time to visit is Wednesday night. That’s when Glendora Avenue shuts down, the town hosts a farmer’s market where fresh produce vendors set up right on the street, and all the shops (including The Metal Tank gallery) and the restaurants are open. It’s a cool place to visit and a great place to have dinner.
After Sue and I visited The Metal Tank gallery, we wandered across the street for a wonderful Mexican dinner at Ramon’s Tacos y Tapas (a restaurant recommended by Mark and his wife). Our dinner was great and it was a wonderful way to wrap up an awesome day.