From 1920 through 1924, Ace motorcycles were built in a ... - WebRing

Joe Stephan – Ace Mechanic Copyright © 2000 by Joe Stephan
“It’s too bad Bill didn’t come along Doug,” Doc said referring to his brother.
Red’s Henderson Dealership
“He would have enjoyed this.” Doug agreed. “That’s Red with Reickert in their…”
“Yeah, when they had the…” Joe began.
“The Harley dealership I guess it is.”
“No, they had the Henderson dealership.” Joe corrected.
“Henderson? Oh, okay!” Doug deferred. “He said that he never got along with him.”
“You know why don’t you?” Joe asked. “He was sort of a cheapie. He wouldn’t—”
“Charlie was—” Doug was cut off.
“This guy that Red went in business with, on Germantown Avenue here in Philadelphia, he
was a fellow that worked in a meat place. This was Red—”
“Well this is his shop in Reading,” Doc tried to correct Joe.
“No, this is Philadelphia here.” Both Joe and Doug replied in unison.
“He sold a lot of Hendersons to the park police.” Joe continued. “But they never got along
good because this guy was cheap as anything.”
“That was the guy Red didn’t get along with?” Doc asked Doug.
“Yes,” Doug replied.
“What was his name?” Doc asked.
“Reichert!” Continuing with other pictures, Doug pointed. “Here’s a nice picture of Red.”
“Even towards the end of the time he was in business, I used to see him on the streets of
Reading.” Doc recalled. “I guess he had a car, but he always drove—like going up town to the
bank or for groceries—drove the Harley and sidecar.”
“He was the Harley dealer in Reading.” Joe stated.
“On Skuylkill Avenue,” Doc added. “I was in his shop many times in Reading. We used to
talk. When he found out that I had a Henderson, I was his buddy then. But, he couldn’t help
but say, ‘Well the Henderson’s great, BUT!’ Then he talked about Ace.”
“That’s my…I have a ’21 Ace at home.” Doug was showing Joe more photos.
“This is the kind when I first went there…this is the kind they used to send out. No lights or
anything on them.” Joe said.
“Red said that he was going to buy me a can of paint for it.”
Racing Giants
“My hat’s off to Red.” Joe went on. “Nobody, I found, could ride like him. I saw a lot of
fellows in my time. I even knew Ralph Hepburn—that got killed in an automobile race in
Indianapolis—I knew him. And I knew Jim Davis.”
“You knew a lot of guys. Jim Davis is still around!” Doug told him. “He’s doing very good.”
“Do you know that Jim Davis?” Joe asked Doc. “Jim Davis and the other one that was…
There were three of them. There was Ludlow. Do you remember Ludlow?”
“Freddie Ludlow.” Doc told him. “He went 129 MPH on a Henderson on a board track.”
“He was a good driver.” Joe remembered. “He became a policeman in California.”
“Yeah, that’s right! Yes he did!” Doug joined. “And then there was Joe Petrali.”
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