I'm writing about this because I know we love history on this site, and figured you guys would enjoy this story. Hopefully you will find this interesting.
So I'm on eBay looking for stuff as I do daily and I see some Yamaha TZ250 EPM wheels for sale, new in the box. Wow. Now I wouldn't mind using a rear Yamaha wheel as I've seen plenty of Ducati's with those rear wheels. Unfortunately the box said 3.5 inches but the wheel said 3 inches. Wouldn't work for me, but I started a correspondence with the guy as he had other EPM's. He thought he had a Ducati Pantah wheel. I noticed he was in Brooklyn, where I was born and raised, as well as being where the EPM distributer was back in the day. I asked if he would mind my coming by to take a look, he responded sure. I always enjoy going back to Brooklyn, but the traffic stinks. He was in an area known as Park Slope. One of my favorite areas in Brooklyn. Beautiful old Brownstones and architecture. Also near the Grand Army Plaza library, the Brooklyn Botanical gardens and Brooklyn Museum. All wonderful places to visit. I pulled up to a block full of old 3 story Brownstone's, but nestled among the row homes, was a 6 foot wrought iron gate and roll up garage door with a sign that said 'Elevator repair'. To the side, a steel door which I entered. Right away my eyes were darting all around as I saw a lot of EPM wheels in all forms, Dusty, dirty, and the smell of mildew in the air. I knew I was in the right place, and made the right decision to come visit. This was the EPM distributers warehouse!
The building went through some changes over the years after it was the EPM warehouse. Carpenter shop, Elevator shop etc. The young guy working to clean the place out for his uncle couldn't have been nicer. He was kind enough to show me around the place and I was in my glory. Aside from the wheels other parts were scattered about. A lot of rusty, neglected stuff. Although the gentleman showing me around didn't know much about motorcycles, he had a very sympathetic view of what he was doing and was trying to salvage and preserve what was there. As I turned the corner of the L shaped shop, I was greeted by a dusty and neglected 750 GT bevel. Still a beautiful bike (not for sale). I asked him to clean it and cover it as it would help and he agreed. In an area that was in the process of being cleaned a pieced of cardboard on the floor had two motorcycle bottom ends. I immediately said 'those are Yamaha TZ 750' he said 'really?' I started to explain to him what a TZ750 is and started looking around some more. Even more excited I saw a frame, then a swingarm, again TZ750, boxes of cylinders and heads. I pulled our a chunk of metal and showed him how it mounted to the front of the frame (it was a tach subframe). On and on I found more parts for the TZ, original mono shock, Lectrons, wheels etc. I advised him to put all the parts together someplace dry. I will probably go back and help him put all the parts together. My enthusiasm rubbed off on him and we had an interesting afternoon. He had found three Pantah wheels and had put them aside for me. I bought them. He was more than fair. His uncle was also a photographer and had pictures of the Ducati factory during the early eighties. He was an excellent and talented photographer. EPM used his pictures for there catalog. Unfortunately a lot of the pictures were water damaged, but still a treat to see. I will write more if you guys like when I make my next trip. Lou

Zween!

Thanks for sharing, Lou.

Lou " Indiana Jones" into the tomb of hidden motorcycle treasures!!!!!

Don't know how I missed this post Lou. That must have been neat. Sorta like American Pickers. Let us know what neat oily things show up. MikeV

Dearest Lou, sometimes you find yourself in the right place at the right time, surely these opportunities to find hidden treasures are less and less frequent, but they still happen, the beautiful thing about this whole story is that it happened to the right person, we have a saying that goes:
you just have to talk, he who has the ears to listen.
We look forward to new images!

Wow Lou what a find, you were the best person to visit that place, not many people would be able to help him identify parts, he had enough knowledge now that he won’t be taken advantage of!
Paul

Thank you. Those are very kind words. It's not me, it's the Golden Rule 'treat people the way you want to be treated'. I might go back this weekend. Lou

Please, go back and get some more treasures. MikeV