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Harry Rannaker


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#1 max01

max01
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Posted 02 January 2010 - 21:01

Good Evening Gents,


Reading through the various threads triggered my memory, when my Dad bought the first Ford Thames we had, he bought it from a Gentleman callsed Harry Rannacker, please excuse the spelling it may not be correct, I remember being maybe no more than 5 or 6 years old, whilst picking up the massive van as it appeared then, we had a look at Harrys 125 Maico, road racing bike, Harry had a debilitating bone condition, that meant starting the bike could result in bone damage. The bike was yellow and pencil thin, I seem to recall looking it up in Dads books as a WD125, he was also elevated in my schoolboy world when he mentioned many names he had raced against such as Fred Launchbury.

I often wonder what happend to Harrys bike, the last I remeber was as a teenager, he became infirm and his garden was overgrown with derelict car projects. I am sure Tony Smith raced a similar bike, but it was 30 plus years ago, I do remember Harry racing at Silloth, as when we went there in our new Thames many people came up to us asking where was Harry expecting to see him in the van.

Any info will satisfy my curiosity, next time I am home in the UK I shall asK Les Trotter, I am sure Les will know or Roy Dixon his mechanic, both of whom used to take me racing when I was 16 and not old enough to drive, in the thames.


Happy days.

Mark

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#2 max01

max01
  • New Member

  • 13 posts
  • Joined: December 09

Posted 02 January 2010 - 21:46

[quote name='max01' date='Jan 2 2010, 21:01' post='4061906']
Good Evening Gents,


Reading through the various threads triggered my memory, when my Dad bought the first Ford Thames we had, he bought it from a Gentleman callsed Harry Rannacker, please excuse the spelling it may not be correct, I remember being maybe no more than 5 or 6 years old, whilst picking up the massive van as it appeared then, we had a look at Harrys 125 Maico, road racing bike, Harry had a debilitating bone condition, that meant starting the bike could result in bone damage. The bike was yellow and pencil thin, I seem to recall looking it up in Dads books as a WD125, he was also elevated in my schoolboy world when he mentioned many names he had raced against such as Fred Launchbury.

I often wonder what happend to Harrys bike, the last I remeber was as a teenager, he became infirm and his garden was overgrown with derelict car projects. I am sure Tony Smith raced a similar bike, but it was 30 plus years ago, I do remember Harry racing at Silloth, as when we went there in our new Thames many people came up to us asking where was Harry expecting to see him in the van.

Any info will satisfy my curiosity, next time I am home in the UK I shall asK Les Trotter, I am sure Les will know or Roy Dixon his mechanic, both of whom used to take me racing when I was 16 and not old enough to drive, in the thames.


Happy days.

Mark


Frank Whiteway just lives a couple of miles away, I will ask my Dad to let him know about the forum I am sure Frank has many stories from the Manx and TT.

Mark