Searching for the Daytona Dr John missing bikes

[Tony21]

Good Morning All,

My name is Tony and I have recently been given the paperwork for the 'Daytona Dr John' register.

This register logs the owners of the 20 Dr John bikes that were produced in 1994 for the UK market.

Of the 20 bikes that were initially produced, 1 was involved in a fire and so was lost.

This left 19 bikes, and the owners are listed on the paperwork I have.

The register was stopped in 1998 when the owner who ran the register sold his Dr John.

So, I have now picked up the reins and decided to give it a go and try and find the owners.

So far I have the details of 10 owners confirmed, leaving 9 owners out there somewhere.

Three of the bikes moved into Europe, two to Belgium and one to Holland, leaving 6 in the UK, who knows where????

So, If you know of a Daytona Dr John owner please ask them to contact me so I can put them on the register for this rare and iconic bike.

My email is antony.maddox007@gmail.com or if whatsapp is better +447793085946

Kind regards,

Tony.

[Turin]

I would guess 0 for the united states, as the Daytona isn't highly valued over here.

[Cam3512]

I would guess 0 for the united states, as the Daytona isn't highly valued over here.

Excuse me???

[dxhall]

Strange, but true.  Bidding on the last two Daytonas on eBay didn’t go past $9k or so.  Neither met its reserve.  Early LeMans bikes are bringing twice that, even though the LeMans bikes are much more common.

As the owner of a Centauro and a Sport 1100, I can opine that the low prices on Daytonas are the result of (1) ergonomics which are not the most friendly and (2) fear that something to do with the four-valve heads will go wrong, and be unfixable.

If I had more room in my shop, though, I’d still be tempted to get one.

[Tusayan]

Tony, importing bikes with non-US serial numbers is a big hassle, if the bike is as late as early-90s.  Given that one could buy a standard US-version Daytona of the same year and install C-kit cams etc, I would agree that the chances of somebody importing one of the UK importers modified bikes is low.  However they are likely somewhere else and who knows who might read your post.  Hope you find them 

I don’t recall ever riding an early Daytona but I’ve owned both 1100 Sports and a Daytona RS.  The RS is a more compelling bike, feels much more exotic to ride and substantially more powerful.  However the 1100 Sport is a great bike in its own right and a well set up example handles a bit lighter than a well set up RS.

[pressureangle]

Tony,

Although this is primarily a USA website, there are a great many non-US residents here. Don't be put off.

[guzzisteve]

Just cuz the bike would be not registered for legal reasons doesn't mean it wouldn't be stashed in a collection here in the States.

I would post on other forums also. Good Luck with your search. Nice rare bike.

[Turin]

Cam, I stand by what I said. I can't figure out for the life of me why a 1000S goes for twice what a Daytona goes for.

[guzziboy66]

I think the reason a 1000s or even an early Le Mans bring more $$$ is just down to style and trends.  Look how many rerto styled V7 I's, II's & III's were sold and are selling.  Eventually old fat rich guys with 90's era nostalgia will start dipping into their IRAs and you won't be able to touch a Sport 1100 and Daytonas will become uber rare...

[Cam3512]

Cam, I stand by what I said. I can't figure out for the life of me why a 1000S goes for twice what a Daytona goes for.

Surprising.  Maybe because you have to be an orangutan to actually ride it?

[Kev m]

Surprising.  Maybe because you have to be an orangutan to actually ride it?

Ahhh, that explains your interest. Perfect bike then eh? 

[oldbike54]

 Have we located any Dr John models yet ?

 Dusty

[RHAT]

I never knew Dr. John even fooled with motorcycles

[Perazzimx14]

Excuse me???

My wife had a 1992 Daytona. Much kewler than the Omni it replaced.

[blackcat]

Surprising.  Maybe because you have to be an orangutan to actually ride it?

I can put a couple hundred miles on the Daytona and if it wasn't for neck problems I could probably go farther, but it isn't a city bike as it likes to be on long winded roads. 

IMO, it's really a better bike for 6' and taller rider.

[Cam3512]

Ahhh, that explains your interest. Perfect bike then eh? 

[Gino]

Good Morning All,

My name is Tony and I have recently been given the paperwork for the 'Daytona Dr John' register.

This register logs the owners of the 20 Dr John bikes that were produced in 1994 for the UK market.

Of the 20 bikes that were initially produced, 1 was involved in a fire and so was lost.

This left 19 bikes, and the owners are listed on the paperwork I have.

The register was stopped in 1998 when the owner who ran the register sold his Dr John.

So, I have now picked up the reins and decided to give it a go and try and find the owners.

So far I have the details of 10 owners confirmed, leaving 9 owners out there somewhere.

Three of the bikes moved into Europe, two to Belgium and one to Holland, leaving 6 in the UK, who knows where????

So, If you know of a Daytona Dr John owner please ask them to contact me so I can put them on the register for this rare and iconic bike.

My email is antony.maddox007@gmail.com or if whatsapp is better +447793085946

Kind regards,

Tony.

I know a friend of mine had his written off when it fell off a workbench, I know of 2 others in Scotland, 1 is roadworthy and the other certainly wasn’t last time I saw it.

[Turin]

Orangutan, I resemble that remark.

[DesmoDog]

Tony, importing bikes with non-US serial numbers is a big hassle, if the bike is as late as early-90s. 

Not to highjack the thread, but... Anything built in 1994 can be imported to the USA easily now. Once they hit 25 years old the DOT requirements go away - I brought a 1991 Ducati 851 into the USA a few years back and if you fill out the right forms it's simple. As long as you can prove when it was built (they go by build date, not model year) and that's earlier than the cut off, you're golden. I towed it across the border myself and was stopped at customs for under an hour. Registering it in Michigan wasn't any more difficult than if it had been from out of state, again because I had the forms filled out.

[Tusayan]

Not to highjack the thread, but... Anything built in 1994 can be imported to the USA easily now. Once they hit 25 years old the DOT requirements go away - I brought a 1991 Ducati 851 into the USA a few years back and if you fill out the right forms it's simple. As long as you can prove when it was built (they go by build date, not model year) and that's earlier than the cut off, you're golden. I towed it across the border myself and was stopped at customs for under an hour. Registering it in Michigan wasn't any more difficult than if it had been from out of state, again because I had the forms filled out.

Good input, and well worth noting.  However state law for street registration may be more constraining than Federal law for importation.  The most extreme case (to make the point) would be registering a 26 year old foreign VIN two stroke in California, it’s against state regs.

[redrider90]

I think the reason a 1000s or even an early Le Mans bring more $$$ is just down to style and trends.  Look how many rerto styled V7 I's, II's & III's were sold and are selling.  Eventually old fat rich guys with 90's era nostalgia will start dipping into their IRAs and you won't be able to touch a Sport 1100 and Daytonas will become uber rare...

I've ridden the 1000S big valve, 1990 Lemans big valve and the Dr. John Daytona and throw in a carbed 1100 Sport. At 6'5" the only bike that fit me was the Lemans. The bike I thought I wanted the most due to its awesome classic looks was the green 1000s. But the ergos killed my back. As for the Daytona,  Fran let me take it out for a ride with him back in the days of Midway Cycles in Lillington. Like Fran said owning that bike would be a good way to loose your license. 
I wish I had bought the LM V for $700 more than the Mille I bought.  I got a red Mille instead which I really like. All that said if I could have one of those bikes  today (if it fit me) it would be the green 1000S.

[Alfetta]

I never knew Dr. John even fooled with motorcycles

Only when he hooks up with Leon Redbone !

[blackcat]

I've ridden the 1000S big valve, 1990 Lemans big valve and the Dr. John Daytona and throw in a carbed 1100 Sport. At 6'5" the only bike that fit me was the Lemans. The bike I thought I wanted the most due to its awesome classic looks was the green 1000s. But the ergos killed my back. As for the Daytona,  Fran let me take it out for a ride with him back in the days of Midway Cycles in Lillington. Like Fran said owning that bike would be a good way to loose your license. 
I wish I had bought the LM V for $700 more than the Mille I bought.  I got a red Mille instead which I really like. All that said if I could have one of those bikes  today (if it fit me) it would be the green 1000S.

Yeah, you being 6'5" I bet the 1000S was pretty uncomfortable because I'm 5'7" and my knee's will start hurting me after awhile on the 1000S.   Some Ago rearsets will be going on mine in the not too distant future and that would be my suggestion to you if that bike every ends up in your garage.

I'm surprised you didn't like the Daytona or 1100 Sport. 

[Tom]

I'm 5'8".  I have no problems riding any Moto Guzzi in sporting trim.  No backaches or pains.     It's the actual seat design that creates the below the belt pain for me.     

[blackcat]

I'm 5'8".  I have no problems riding any Moto Guzzi in sporting trim.  No backaches or pains.     It's the actual seat design that creates the below the belt pain for me.     

For some reason the seat has never bothered me on the Daytona. No back or wrist problems, just my neck. And the neck issue has more to do with me than the bike.

[Tony21]

I've ridden the 1000S big valve, 1990 Lemans big valve and the Dr. John Daytona and throw in a carbed 1100 Sport. At 6'5" the only bike that fit me was the Lemans. The bike I thought I wanted the most due to its awesome classic looks was the green 1000s. But the ergos killed my back. As for the Daytona,  Fran let me take it out for a ride with him back in the days of Midway Cycles in Lillington. Like Fran said owning that bike would be a good way to loose your license. 
I wish I had bought the LM V for $700 more than the Mille I bought.  I got a red Mille instead which I really like. All that said if I could have one of those bikes  today (if it fit me) it would be the green 1000S.

Im interested to know where you rode the Daytona Dr John, this may be one of the missing 9 out of 20 bikes that i do not have on my register.
Did you ride it in Europe, UK, States?

[nc43bsa]

If it's the one I knew, it was in Lillington, North Carolina USA circa 1991.

[Tony21]

If it's the one I knew, it was in Lillington, North Carolina USA circa 1991.

I don't want to sound stupid, so there was or is definitely a Daytona Dr John in North Carolina back in the early nineties?
Black / Gold, sexy looking?

[HDGoose]

Ahhhhh...the days of Lillington. I rode Eric's Lemans while they were finishing up my 79 1000SP. That LeMans was a fun ride.

My SP was so tame....
 

[redrider90]

Im interested to know where you rode the Daytona Dr John, this may be one of the missing 9 out of 20 bikes that i do not have on my register.
Did you ride it in Europe, UK, States?

Now that the Black and Gold comes up my memory got jolted. It was probably not The Dr. John Model. I remember it being the first model imported into the States and was at Lillington NC sometime in the early 90's. They called it the Daytona by Dr. John and the giveaway for me now was that is was off red. Fran usually let me take any bike I wanted for a ride by myself but this one he came along on the ride. I wondered why?