4) What a Ride! - Franklin Pierce University

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Franklin Pierce University Fall 2014
WHAT A RIDE!
David McGraw '79 Treats Us to a Tour of Harley Heaven
By Lisa Murray, Editor
Taking to the road unencumbered, a beautiful piece of
machinery at one’s fingertips. Freedom. David McGraw ’79
loved the look and feel of a motorcycle all the way back to his days
at Franklin Pierce when he rode around the back roads and trails of the
Monadnock region. At the time, he did not imagine that his affinity
for motorcycles would become a love affair that would shape his life’s
work. David is now renowned in the world of antique motorcycle and
car restoration, and has restored more than 55 motorcycles for his own
personal collection of vintage bikes. And not just any bikes; almost all of
them are Harley Davidsons.
The Road Begins\
\
Shortly after graduating from Franklin Pierce, David restored a blue Harley
and then rode a 1967 BSA Lightning to California to join his brother,
who was living on the West Coast. The restoration work on the Harley
was a defining experience for David, sparking a long-abiding interest in
rebuilding antique bikes. David’s time in California was cut short when
his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, so he returned to the East
Coast where his parents lived to offer his support. It was at this time that
he planted his own roots.
David started an antique car and bike business with Bob Canning, who
remains his partner to this day. The business was started in a quaint town
on Cape Cod, where his family spent their summers. David was first
enamored with antique English bikes, but after spending more time on
Harley Davidsons, his true passion took hold; David made the decision
to collect Harleys, and he has never turned back. “I look for the rarest
models” David said. “They are usually all in pieces when I get them.”
David works on four or five bikes at a time. He is a treasure-trove of
information on where and when each bike was raced, who rode them, and
what features differentiate each model. He credits David Coffin, former
CEO of Dexter Corporation, with serving as a life mentor. “I learned so
much from him about how to live,” David said. Not long after he started
his business, Mr. Coffin hired him to fix his cars. The ensuing relationship
of mentorship and friendship was central to David’s life. Mr. Coffin passed
away in 2012. David remains full of gratitude, admiration, and affection for
this man, whose values and life knowledge continue to inspire him.
David also speaks with great respect about his father Donald C. McGraw
Jr. and mother Anne McGraw. “Mom made it 24 years after her initial
breast cancer diagnosis, when she was given six months to live,” David
said. “I called her ‘The Ten’ – her hair and makeup were always perfect.
Mom was very philanthropic – a true patron of the arts.”
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Harley Memorabilia . . .
. . . on the walls of David’s motorcycle collection.
Vintage
Harleys!
→
A 1939 Crocker, one of the few non-Harley motorcycles in
David’s collection. Only 60 Crockers were produced, and
only 40 are known to still be in existence. The Crocker
was viewed as a serious competitive threat to the Harley
line. Intense competitive pressures forced the Crocker
Motorcycle Company out of business.
A 1936 Knucklehead Harley – the holy grail of antique
Harley collections! This bike was the first oil recirculating
engine produced by Harley. Other defining elements
include 4-speed transmission with suicide shifter, dash
speedometer, and foot clutch. This bike set the styling for
all future Harley bikes. There were only 2,000 made in 1936.
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Franklin Pierce University Fall 2014
A 1927 Road Racer, which Harley enthusiasts have
nicknamed a "pea shooter." Harley Davidson only made
eight of these bikes in 1927. David is aware of one other
that is still in existence. This bike took David five years to
restore and is completely original.
The blue Harley that David built from scratch
after graduating from Franklin Pierce.
Anne McGraw and son David ’79.
Family values are clearly
important to David, who
cherishes both his family
of origin, and his wife and
three children, Elizabeth,
Alexandra, and David Jr.
His wife Melissa must have
had more than an inkling of
what their shared life journey
would hold when David
showed up for their wedding
on the blue Harley to the
left! They have a beautiful A 1939 Studebaker Coup Express with waterfall
home on the Cape, filled grill, straight 6 cylinder, and 90 horsepower.
David fully restored this classic vehicle, one of
with an assortment of family only 900 produced.
heirlooms and motorcycle
collectibles, including one full-sized motorcycle set high above their
family room. David Jr. followed his father’s footsteps to Franklin Pierce,
graduating last May. He plans to follow his own dreams in the field of
criminal justice. But at the time of this writing, father and son had plans
to travel together with a cadre of friends to the biggest bike rally in the
world in Sturgis, S.D., during the summer of 2014.
The Road Continues
David plans to restore and collect Harley Davidsons indefinitely, and
even dreams of opening his own Harley Davidson museum someday.
He has collected some of the rarest Harley Davidson motorcycles in the
world, including several not owned by the Harley Davidson Company
itself! One of the unique features of David’s collection is that virtually all
of the bikes start, run, and can be taken on the road.
“I like the art of the deal,” David said, with respect to collecting. “The
most fun part is the chase and the people you meet – so many fun, crazy
people! But all my motorcycle friends are also the most family-valuebased people that I know. They would do whatever you need; they’re
loyal.” If David serves as an example, Harley folks are also generous.
The Italians: Twelve ‘Italians’ are in David’s
collection. These are Harley Davidsons made
during a relatively brief time in the company’s
history, when some were produced in Italy.
David recounted how an older man, Frank Antonelli, had come to his
place to inquire about a bike he had for sale. Upon conversation, they
discovered that the bike was one that Frank had owned many years
earlier. The price of the bike proved too high for Frank, but David felt
that he should be reunited with something that had meant so much
to him. David insisted on giving the motorcycle to him despite Frank’s
protests; they finally agreed that upon Frank’s death, the bike would
go back to David. That initial encounter began a rich
friendship that lasted decades, until Frank passed
away. The bike is once again in David’s collection.
David McGraw Jr. ’14 at Commencement with mother Melissa and father David.
David, who was a business major at Franklin Pierce,
recalled his college days. “There was so much to do
there,” he said, “between hiking Mt. Monadnock
and Mt. Washington, skiing, canoeing, and going
on excursions to Keene and Boston. And it was just
fun to generally get out and explore.” And yes, he
usually did that on the back of a motorcycle.
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