9 replies to this topic

[Stinky]

Hi All;
A few of us were talking a couple of nights ago over an ale..
Does anyone remember a bike shop that opened in a blaze of publicity in Dee Why /Brookvale in Sydney years ago.
It was owned by a supposed Hollywood star named Ty Hardin
According to the advertising he was a great Western actor.
Very big shop for the time with all the bells and whistles of the time.
He started a race team with the riders in stars and stripe leathers and accompanying hoo ha.
Memory lells me the Sayle brothers signed with him at the outset.
He lived on the Northern Beaches and did not make any friends at all with his attitude.
i.e. 70mph through shopping centres and acts like that.
He nearly killed me one afternoon by overtaking over double lines at about 70knots with a kid about 5 years old sitting on his lap!!
The team only had a few races and nothing else was heard.
Advertising was huge for the day and from memory he had around 8 or 10 agencies.
One Friday I was driving home from work and there was this huge promotion at the shop.
The following Monday drove past and the place was empty.
Ridden into the sunset in a bit over a day!!
Know for a fact he left owing money over half the peninsula.(Rent,groceries. etc etc.)
Local rumour was that the Tax Man wanted a little chat too!!
We never heard another word about him.
Does anyone know what happened ,did he return to the States or just moved on.
Any info welcome.
Cheers.
Roger.

[tonyed]

Hi All;
A few of us were talking a couple of nights ago over an ale..
Does anyone remember a bike shop that opened in a blaze of publicity in Dee Why /Brookvale in Sydney years ago.
It was owned by a supposed Hollywood star named Ty Hardin
According to the advertising he was a great Western actor.
Very big shop for the time with all the bells and whistles of the time.
He started a race team with the riders in stars and stripe leathers and accompanying hoo ha.
Memory lells me the Sayle brothers signed with him at the outset.
He lived on the Northern Beaches and did not make any friends at all with his attitude.
i.e. 70mph through shopping centres and acts like that.
He nearly killed me one afternoon by overtaking over double lines at about 70knots with a kid about 5 years old sitting on his lap!!
The team only had a few races and nothing else was heard.
Advertising was huge for the day and from memory he had around 8 or 10 agencies.
One Friday I was driving home from work and there was this huge promotion at the shop.
The following Monday drove past and the place was empty.
Ridden into the sunset in a bit over a day!!
Know for a fact he left owing money over half the peninsula.(Rent,groceries. etc etc.)
Local rumour was that the Tax Man wanted a little chat too!!
We never heard another word about him.
Does anyone know what happened ,did he return to the States or just moved on.
Any info welcome.
Cheers.
Roger.

Ty Hardin was 'Bronco Lane'. I only ever saw him on a horse in black and white.

He has his own website with an e-mail link so you could e-mail him. Might be quite interesting

http://tyhardin.net/

[275 GTB-4]

Yes I certainly remember the big splash and a vague idea of kerfuffle that followed...

Anyone with a name like Orison Whipple Hungerford, Jr., (born January 1, 1930) is not to be trusted!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ty_Hardin

hmmmm 10 kids huh?

[Stinky]

Hi Tony;
Many thanks for that.
Had completely forgot about "Riptide."
A second rate maritime horse opera shot mainly on Pittwater and Narrabeen Lakes!!
Done by the mob that shot the original Skippy series.
Certainly hope he was paid.
I did some work as an extra in Skippy and I am STILL waiting for the dough!!
Way back when!!
Cheers.
Roger.

[picblanc]

My favorite programme as a kid Bronco Lane, that & popeye!

[SgtPepperoni]

hmmmm 10 kids huh?

With a name like Hardin, I'm not at all surprised.

[Russell Burrows]

He also set up a racing team who in '68/9 wore silver leathers. I think the bikes were Tritons, silver too of course. If memory serves one of the riders was Robert Maddern, with other being a Yank who worked at Bennett Honda and whose name now escapes me. I think the whole thing folded after a couple of meetings. Hardin drove a Mercedes sports car which he would park at all sorts of inconvenient angles out front of the Mascot shop.

Sorry Stinky, should have read your post more carefully. Too early for either of the Sayles to have been involved.

Edited by Russell Burrows, 10 March 2013 - 11:32.

[RC162]

Here's our boy !

[fil2.8]

With a name like Hardin, I'm not at all surprised.

[Stinky]

Hullo Russell;
That Mercedes you are talking about is the one he was driving (or the kid on his knee) when he nearly cleaned me up on Wakehurst Parkway.
He was well known around Mona Vale shopping centre for parking where he liked.
From memory he rented a place at Bayview.
Rather large ego I am afraid.
Cheers.
Roger.