Merlin Magic
THE story of Lucky Keizer’s Merlin-powered motorcycle is the stuff of Dubbo legends.
The week of the Motorbike Rally, so many people had their story about being at the famous keg-party in Lucky’s West Dubbo workshop when the 5000cc behemoth was first fired up.
Craig Bayliss was one of those lucky onlookers. Now 51, he remembers that day as one his of most precious memories.
“I was 12-years-old. My dad and Lucky were good friends and I watched this bike get built over in the shed at West Dubbo,” he said.
“On the first fire-up that day I had the job of holding the fire extinguisher for him in case anything caught on fire.
“We went straight out to a road off Minore Road, that’s where he did his first run on it and to watch him go past at about 300 kilometres an hour, on a lean because of the wind coming sideways, was incredible.”
Another memory was of the nitrous switch which was initially mounted to the bike’s handlebars.
“On that first ride, that nitrous switch was leaking so when Lucky came back and pulled up next to us his hand was frozen, so he put a set of leather gloves on and flew out there again,” he said.
Mr Bayliss said the stories of the Merlin have spread from Dubbo right across the world amongst motorbike enthusiasts on social media.
“I see the bike pop up everywhere and to know that I was there, watching it get built as a kid, is amazing.
“All the stuff that group of mates got up to together, you wouldn’t see it these days. I’ve got a million stories, it was good times and Lucky’s a legend.”
One story he shared sounds almost unbelievable, except with Lucky Keizer, nothing seems too far-fetched.
“We were going out shooting at Warren one weekend and Lucky had a tinny on the back. His car had run out of petrol and had no other way to get into Warren so Lucky fired up the gyrocopter engine he’d mounted like a fan on the back of his tinny,” he said.
“Lucky put it on full bore, jumped back in the car and got up to about 110 kilometres an hour, it pushed us all the way into town and everyone in town was just amazed, the noise, this old station wagon. We pulled up at the service station it was like it was just a normal day to Lucky.”
One bloke who was very impressed with the engineering feat which created the Merlin was AJ Lomondot who made the ride up from Orange for the Rally – we spotted him taking a selfie with the Merlin in the background.
He saw the Dubbo Photo News video post on Facebook of Lucky firing up the Merlin at the 2019 Inaugural event and said he wasn’t going to miss seeing it if the opportunity ever came up.
“It’s amazing, I saw the 2019 video and that’s the reason why I’m here, so you invited me, but couldn’t believe it until now, when I saw the actual bike,” he laughed.
“Some mates rode to Orange from Sydney and we’re meeting here in Dubbo. Only bikes can park along the street, just like Sturgis.
“Congratulations to the organisers and good on you Dubbo for hosting this event.”
Every time the Merlin was fired up it drew a crowd and event chairman Stan Single said Lucky’s bike was once again a huge drawcard.
But with a V-twin motor cut from an 80-year-old Rolls Royce Merlin engine, you have to expect not everything always runs according to plan and as well as a few dramas with the points, the spark plugs kept fouling.
The BP5HS were unavailable at lunchtime but Dubbo Photo News tracked down some BP4HS plugs at Grandeys Bike Bitz in West Dubbo and did a quick run to pick a few spares up before the shop closed.
Needless to say, owner Craig Grandey remembered as a little kid that Lucky built the Merlin just blocks from his business.