Triumph: Where are Elvis' bikes?
PLEASE REPORT Recently rediscovered original checks prove: In 1965, Elvis Presley gave each member of his group of friends, the "Memphis Mafia," a Triumph for joint outings.
The British brand and the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation want to find out what happened to the nine motorcycles with the help of music and motorcycle fans. As a passionate biker, the King of Rock'n'Roll rode a motorcycle in many of his more than 30 films, including a Triumph 650 Bonneville "Desert Sled" in the 1968 comedy "Stay Away Joe" (gallery, right). The relationship between Elvis and Triumph began three years earlier.
First test with a Bonneville
In June 1965, the music legend was in front of the camera for the musical "Frankie and Johnny" at the Samuel Goldwyn Studios in Hollywood. He often spent breaks from filming with his closest friends, known as "The Memphis Mafia," at his home in Bel Air in East Los Angeles.
During this time, mob member Jerry Schilling shifted to the Robertson & Sons motorcycle dealership on Santa Monica Boulevard. There, Schilling put a down payment on a new Triumph T120 650 Bonneville (gallery at right). When Schilling brought the bike home, Elvis asked his friend to take it for a spin around Bel Air. The King was immediately thrilled and after the ride asked his travel manager Alan Fortas to get motorcycles for all the guys for rides in the area.
No official records
The story of the nine motorcycles was long considered a myth. But an archive find from Elvis' Graceland residence - the original checks made out to Robertson & Sons, signed by the musician himself - now confirms Jerry Schilling's recollection: All nine original motorcycles are currently considered lost - there are no official records of where they ended up after the summer of 1965. Triumph is now calling on fans around the world to help clarify the whereabouts of these motorcycles.
Please send any relevant information to this e-mail..
Source: auto-medienportal.net
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