Source: Bike Bound
[[{“value”:”The ’32 Harley-Davidson VL of Jimmy “Daredevil” Washburn…
The Monterey 2024 edition of Mecum Auctions is fast approaching, and that means some rare and unique motorcycles will soon be crossing the auction block. One of this year’s featured listings is this 1932 Harley-Davidson VL owned, modified, and ridden by stuntman Jimmy “Daredevil” Washburn, who performed for 28 years.
Jimmy “Daredevil” Washburn. Photo: Dan Pereyra
According to The Vintagent, Washburn was “the Evel Knievel of his day,” famous for riding blindfolded, jumping his Harley over wife, and smashing through just about any kind of barrier imaginable.
“To Jimmy Washburn, going motorcycle riding is not the breezy pleasurable sensation which comes to the average motorcyclist. You see, Jimmy specializes in riding his high-powered velocipede through plate glass windows, burning walls and into brick walls!” –The Sportsman, 1941
In 1968 — three years before Washburn’s death — the San Jose News ran a feature on Washburn that delved into his origins and exploits. He got his two-wheeled start in the fruit orchards of the Santa Clara Valley decades before they were cleared and paved to make way for Silicon Valley.
“I bought an old Harley Davidson (1917) for $75. You know how I paid for it? Picking prunes at 10 cents a box… A friend of mine, Clinton Wells, taught me to ride. No king was any more proud than myself. We began traveling, riding at carnivals, etc. I learned to ‘ride the wall.’ I really had no trouble getting up. It was getting down…”
Washburn was apparently deaf from the age of 9, but that didn’t stop him from becoming one of the greatest motorcycle stuntmen ever to swing a leg over a bike. Washburn’s heyday was the 1930s, where his stunt riding outfit was alternately known as Daredevil Washburn’s Mystery Squadron, the Hollywood Death Defiers, the Hell Riders, or the Circus of Death.
Washburn and company performed at speedways all over the world, including England, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Mexico, and Canada, and Washburn won the Championship of International Daredevils in St. Louis in 1933 and 1934.
Washburn’s stunts were no act of smoke and mirrors, as his many injuries attest: a silver plate in his head, several missing toes, and burns over three-quarters of his body!
While the Mecum listing says that Washburn bought his ’32 Harley-Davidson VL new, The Vintagent turned up a different story:
“The VL started life as a $200 second-hand street bike that was stripped down to become a stunt bike. In photographs, depending on the era, the machine appears painted in different schemes, but triple white diamond flashes over black paint are the predominant motif.”
No matter how he acquired the VL, Washburn used it as a primary stuntbike for many years. The 74″ / 30-hp air-cooled side-valve flathead V-twin engine breathes through a Linkert M51 carburetor, and the bike features a chrome-plated tubular shield installed to help Washburn crash through burning walls!
The chrome fireguard in action! Photo: Dan Pereyra
The bike was comprehensively restored by Fred and the team at Fred Lange Restorations, who’ve tackled many Harley and Indian projects from this era.
“Fred Lange – Custom Bike Builder of “Pre-School” Early American made Antique Motorcycles. A place where Magic happens. Located on the Central Coast of California Specializing in the Restoration of Antique Harley Davidson and Indian Board Track Racers. Also specializing in a complete line of Replacement and Restoration parts. Resurrecting the Past and Preserving the Future“
The sale is said to come with period memorabilia, including pictures and posters relating to Washburn’s stunts and history, and the bike is estimated to go for $80,000-$100,000. That’s a bit deeper than our pockets go, but we’re happy that this piece of motorcycle history is being so well preserved. For more details or to register to bid, check out the Mecum listing.
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