Comments on: Dream Bike

By: Darren Swanson

Darren Swanson — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 02:54:47 +0000

RAY W. COURTNEY II and Nixmom,
If one or both of you would contact me, I would like to talk with you or any family members that may know about some of the work your grandfather did while at Kaiser Frazer. I know he designed body parts while there, as his name come up during some research I am doing on a vehicle that came out of the Kaiser Frazer plant in Michigan.
I’m trying to idenitfy who designed the vehicle and what the intended purpose was so that it can be completed.
Any information or help (positive or confirmed “NO, it isn’t his work”) would be a help.
You can call me at (313) 242-7001
Link to some information on the vehicle I’m researching:
http://www.forgottenfiberglass.com/?p=837

Thank you.

Darren Swanson

By: john

john — Fri, 06 May 2011 22:10:43 +0000

Nixmom Says:
I don’t know what happened to the original bike (and Jay is right, I beliebe the powerplant is Indian). I’d be surprised if the original bike ended up at the Hard Rock, as the last I heard of it, my uncle (who is now deceased) had it in his possession in Florida. It’s possible one of his sons sold it, I suppose…

Actually your right Nixmom. i remember seing a body like this on ebay for sale a few years ago, i remember it cause i was doing some research on this dreamcycle after i seen it on ebay. i remember it mentioning that the power plant was Indian in fact as you mentioned.

By: Steve

Steve — Tue, 08 Mar 2011 23:22:46 +0000

Ray,

Thanks for the update! I am really glad to hear that the bike is still around.

By: RAY W. COURTNEY II

RAY W. COURTNEY II — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 19:19:41 +0000

Ray was my grandfather,I had the privlige of riding the ENTERPRISE as a teen in tha early 60’s. The bike was changed in the late 50’s with built in saddle bags on each side of the rear wheel house, adding room for longer rides no matter what the wheather was. The HARD ROCK has a few wharehouses and one of them has the ENTERPRISE that was to be in a movie is stored in one of them. I have not been able to get a reply from them. I know it still exist due to a HISTORY documentry TV.The other 2 are stored with the family. BSA and INDIAN engines where used in them. I wish he was still around to see how many of his patiants of the bike are now used on other bikes built today.He was ahead of his times.

By: 1930 art deco Henderson | One.in.A.Million

1930 art deco Henderson | One.in.A.Million — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 16:28:29 +0000

[...] first time. And this is one of the biggest revelations of recent months. It’s a 1930 Henderson that was customized before WW2 by a fellow called O. Ray Courtney and fitted with ‘streamliner’ [...]

By: Pablo Virzi

Pablo Virzi — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 19:51:02 +0000

Well, The Hard Rock Cafe have one of this at Orlando, Florida and sell a pin with the image of Enterprise in green aqua and white with a reference about like “James Dean Motorcycle”. I saw in a website refer to Orlando Warehouse of Hard Rock Cafe about it, the article talks about this Entreprise motorcycle was driven by James Dean in a scene of “Rebel without cause” that later at edition room was discarded…

By: Chris Renham (U.K.)

Chris Renham (U.K.) — Sat, 22 May 2010 18:45:18 +0000

It definitely was on display at the hard rock in Orlando Florida.
it was green and white and I actually took a photo of it because I had never seen one before. It looked too professionally built to be a home built “special”.
Since this article whetted my appetite I have since managed to acquire a sales brochure for the machine (in the U.S.)
A fascinating machine of its time—though there was a similar machine built in Germany between the wars.

By: Nixmom

Nixmom — Thu, 13 May 2010 16:15:46 +0000

Ray Courtney was my grandfather and I remember the Enterprise well; when I was a little girl I begged him to promise me that when I was old enough, I could ride it.

I don’t know what happened to the original bike (and Jay is right, I beliebe the powerplant is Indian). I’d be surprised if the original bike ended up at the Hard Rock, as the last I heard of it, my uncle (who is now deceased) had it in his possession in Florida. It’s possible one of his sons sold it, I suppose…

By: CHRIS RENHAM

CHRIS RENHAM — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 19:21:57 +0000

THIS MOTORCYCLE WAS DISPLAYED AT THE HARD ROCK CAFE AT UNIVERSAL STUDIOS A FEW TEARS AGO. IT HADD A DUMMY SANTA CLAUS SITTING ON THE SADDLE.

CHRIS RENHAM, ENGLAND

By: Frank

Frank — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 07:43:05 +0000

Two words, Zundapp Bella

By: george

george — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 19:59:27 +0000

Maybe Jay Leno have one.

By: Jay

Jay — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 01:49:12 +0000

Very interesting. I recognize the powerplant as some model of Indian, I’ve no idea of which model. Very much ahead of the time is the long travel rear swing arm suspension. Most bikes were still short travel rears, most being plunger. It also looks like he used a center-hub to pivot the front wheel left to right, another design that even today is only used on a few exotic bikes.

Thanks for sharing.

By: william mc gowan

william mc gowan — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 06:43:35 +0000

that would fit in todays retro-lifestyle
dont you think?

By: william mc gowan

william mc gowan — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 06:41:25 +0000

well i dont cair much except man do i want one.
some one should dream up a kit for a gold wing or
some such fullsize bike for the rest of us.

By: Boogieman

Boogieman — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 04:33:38 +0000

If you want to see a sleek design on a scooter….think Salsbury……….jb

By: jason

jason — Mon, 08 May 2006 18:49:52 +0000

I wonder if you've heard fo the Defiant scooter. It's a frame you can buy and put an engine into. I think they based it on a Harley softtail but there was talk of using different engines. It makes a very big, very fast, scooter and you can then put on a body of your own making.

By: Scot

Scot — Sat, 29 Apr 2006 06:00:05 +0000

Coddington’s bike looks like a Pisticio colored Bat Cycle. I agree, the Enterprise is too cool. I hope it does still exist somewhere.

By: Len

Len — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 18:08:43 +0000

And, of course, there’s Boyd Coddington’s 1959 Impala-inspired show bike:

http://www.billetwheel.com/projects/impalabike.htm

I still prefer the Courtney Enterprise, though, it seems more “futuristic” – in a 1950’s way – to me :-)

By: harlo

harlo — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 13:38:39 +0000

if your original quandry is still troubling you, here’s your answer.. and it’s painful for me to say this.. I’ve been a devoted Lambrettista for more than 10 years and have long argued it’s advantages (streamlined! mid-mounted engined = perfect balance! more powerful! etc. )..

but as my (admittedly slow) 3 year restoration of my LI150 lammy was nearly complete, my wife picked up a ‘65 Vespa.. the thing is so ridiculously easy to work on.. and has so few pieces.. it’s definitely the easier route into scootering..