{"id":3542,"date":"2015-07-31T14:42:32","date_gmt":"2015-07-31T19:42:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tagsrwc.com\/the_ebullet\/?page_id=3542"},"modified":"2019-06-20T16:27:19","modified_gmt":"2019-06-20T21:27:19","slug":"barneys-sidecar-express-excerpt-from-the-ebullet","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/tagsrwc.com\/the_ebullet\/barneys-sidecar-express-excerpt-from-the-ebullet\/","title":{"rendered":"Barney’s Sidecar Express–Excerpt from The eBullet"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

*********************************************<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/strong><\/em>Excerpted from Vol. 13,
\nIssue 5, the September 2013 issue of The eBullet<\/em><\/span>,
\nan online newsletter of
\n“The Andy Griffith Show” Rerun Watchers Club (TAGSRWC).<\/p>\n


\n<\/span>******************************************************<\/span><\/p>\n

**** The Mayberry Sidecar ****<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Making a Mayberry Entrance in Salida<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n

By Jim Clark<\/strong>
\nIn most other forums, this story would be all about the delicious pork barbecue I had for lunch one Thursday back in August at Buffalo Smokehouse Barbecue, a new restaurant not far from the Arkansas River on the southeast side of Salida, Colo.\u00a0 It’s possibly the best pork barbecue I’ve ever eaten.<\/p>\n

\"Home<\/a>

Home of Buffalo Smokehouse Barbecue…and so much more.<\/p><\/div>\n

Even to admit that is a mouthful coming from someone who grew up in North Carolina and now lives in Tennessee, two places that take their pork barbecue as seriously as their devotion to Mayberry and music.<\/p>\n

In any other forum, I might talk only about how owner and pitmaster Rusty Graves grew up in the South and mastered the art of barbecuing any kind of meat during decades of cooking in Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and currently Colorado.\u00a0 (He operated Buffalo Smokehouse Barbecue in Trinidad, Colo., near the New Mexico border, for many years before moving to Salida a few years ago and eventually opening his new restaurant location in July.)<\/p>\n

Rusty’s secret may be having just the right hint of Cajun flavors that add the perfect zest to his barbecue. That and knowing not to be in a hurry when cooking barbecue.\u00a0 The man also makes a mean and unexpected pineapple cobbler for dessert.<\/p>\n

The family-owned restaurant (Rusty’s daughter waited on my wife Mary and me during our visit) is perched on a hill just above US Highway 50.\u00a0 It’s a spotless and unassuming place that’s well designed to accommodate either a tranquil trickle of customers or a roaring busload.<\/p>\n

Some folks might not even pay much attention to a back corner of the restaurant next to the kitchen. A casual glance suggests that it’s just a quaintly funky little gift shop.\u00a0 But what it is, is the Cleora Museum.\u00a0 Now, Cleora was a little mining and ranching community nearby that also served as a division headquarters for the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway during a bygone era of the Old West.\u00a0 It’s a ghost of a ghost town now.<\/p>\n

Rusty’s museum has a wide variety of mining, Indian and cowboy artifacts from the days when Cleora had a little bustle to it.\u00a0 Actually, I’m just taking Rusty’s word for that.\u00a0 I barely noticed all the cowboy and Indian stuff.<\/p>\n

You see, I sought out Rusty’s place for one reason and one reason alone.\u00a0 It was a last-minute detour added to a long-planned summer vacation.\u00a0 It was destined to become a highlight.\u00a0 In fact, it’s a wonder I was able to sit still long enough to enjoy my pork barbecue plate–not to mention the pineapple cobbler with ice cream–all while knowing what was on display about 10 yards away.\u00a0 Forget the food. Forget the Indian arrowheads.\u00a0 When you walk in the door of Buffalo Smokehouse Barbecue, the greeting should be simply, “Welcome to Checkpoint Chickie!”<\/p>\n

That, Mayberry friends, is because gleaming in the corner of the Cleora Museum in the corner next to the kitchen of Buffalo Smokehouse Barbecue in Salida, Colo., is the actual 1927 Harley-Davidson JD motorcycle and sidecar from “Barney’s Sidecar” (Episode #111).<\/p>\n

I know what you’re thinking. The ol’ Presiding Goober has gotten into Colonel Harvey’s Indian Elixir.\u00a0 Or maybe he has guzzled some of the cider that Barney left at Mrs. Mendelbright’s that time or sipped the Darlings’ mulberry squeezin’s.\u00a0 Have I come to fill my vase?<\/p>\n

No. I’m dead sober. Here’s the proof.<\/p>\n

\"BarneySidecarwithAndy\"<\/a>Back when the motorcycle was used in “Barney’s Sidecar” (which was filmed in mid-November 1963 and first aired on Jan. 27, 1964), it was owned by legendary Hollywood stuntman George Dockstader.\u00a0 Though Dockstader could do all manner of stunts (working with names like Hitchcock, Eastwood and Mel Brooks), he was best known for his expertise with cars and motorcycles.\u00a0 He maintained a stable of vehicles that he would modify and supply according the needs of a particular movie or TV show.<\/p>\n

\"George<\/a>

George Dockstader as Mechanic in “Psycho” in 1960.<\/p><\/div>\n

When “The Andy Griffith Show” contacted him needing a vintage motorcycle with sidecar, Dockstader had just what they needed.\u00a0 (We aren’t supposed to notice that the cycle in “Barney’s Sidecar” was thought to have been in World War I, while this cycle was made in 1927.\u00a0 That discrepancy isn’t one that couldn’t be easily trumped by a piece of wood and Opie’s wood-burning set.)<\/p>\n

\"Jerry<\/a>

Jerry Brutsche aboard the cycle that’s about to hilariously leave Andy curbside.<\/p><\/div>\n

Not to get too far off topic, but what’s a sidecar story without a sidebar?\u00a0 The stuntman who drives the motorcycle in “Barney’s Sidecar” wasn’t George Dockstader, who wasn’t the right size to play Barney.\u00a0 Instead it was Jerry Brutsche, who was Don Knotts’s stunt double for most of Don’s career, including for all of his movies for Universal and Disney.\u00a0 Brutsche was also Irene Ryan’s stunt double for Granny on “The Beverly Hillbillies.”<\/p>\n

\"Rusty<\/a>

Rusty Graves, proud curator of Barney’s motorcycle and sidecar. A true lover of motorcycles, Rusty has been restoring and repairing antique bikes for more than 40 years.<\/p><\/div>\n

But back to the motorcycle.\u00a0 George Dockstader owned the cycle until sometime in the 1970s, when he sold it to Robert “Bobby” Falk, a good friend and longtime mechanic at Paramount Studios.\u00a0 Falk kept the cycle and sidecar in basically the condition he received them in, except for one thing.\u00a0 And that is that he eventually repainted the body of both the cycle and sidecar to be as close as he could get them to the way they had been when “Barney’s Sidecar” was filmed.\u00a0 (“Trained noticers” are sure to observe that the sign work for the emblem on the sidecar was clearly not done by Charlie Phelps, but it’s in the ballpark and nicely done. And the chain guard is painted the same as the the rest of the body now, whereas it wasn’t the same shade in “Barney’s Sidecar.”)<\/p>\n

Falk also put new black vinyl seating in the sidecar, which, of course, is what Andy was going to have Barney do with oilcloth in “Barney’s Sidecar,” so that was a decision in keeping with Mayberry.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0078\"<\/a>Other than those changes and any needed parts and repairs to keep the cycle in working order, Falk left the cycle and sidecar the same.\u00a0 He didn’t tinker with the frame or the motorcycle seat. It appears that even the tires (and especially the spare tire) are vintage, if not definitely from the cycle’s Mayberry era.<\/p>\n

\"Bobby<\/a>

Bobby Falk working on another Harley.<\/p><\/div>\n

Bobby Falk kept the cycle for about 35 years.\u00a0 The cycle continued to work in films.\u00a0 At some point (it’s not clear whether before or after Falk acquired it), the cycle and sidecar were reportedly featured in an episode of “The Waltons.”<\/p>\n

After the cycle’s use in “Barney’s Sidecar,” elements, such as some of its accessories and adornments would have changed for its “roles” in other productions that came along. Small features likely were added or subtracted according to the cycle personality needed for each film.\u00a0 But the basic cycle has remained constant, and its current form, as restored by Falk, clearly captures the essence of its Mayberry era, its shining moment.<\/p>\n

Falk would also occasionally display the cycle at various locations and events.\u00a0 For example, it was exhibited at Harley-Davidson of Glendale (Calif.) for at least part of 2008 and maybe longer.\u00a0 Even after Falk retired and moved to Colorado Springs in 1996 following four decades at Paramount, he kept the cycle and sidecar until his death on February 26, 2012.\"IMG_0075\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Before he died, Falk had made his wishes known that, upon his passing, he wanted Rusty Graves, his trusted friend and fellow motorcycle enthusiast, to have the iconic cycle.\u00a0 At one time, Falk had considered other possible owners and homes for the motorcycle.\u00a0 At least two of those possibilities would indeed have been deemed very happy homes by Mayberry fans, but the cycle was destined to continue its legacy of happiness in Rusty’s care.<\/p>\n

In the end, it’s reassuring to know that Rusty Graves is now the owner.\u00a0 Like Bobby Falk before him, Rusty has chosen to have the vehicle’s title remain in George Dockstader’s name for posterity.\u00a0 The cycle and sidecar are clearly in good hands.\u00a0 Loving hands. The cycle is right at home among other beautiful cycles.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_0073\"<\/a>Andy always said the cycle belonged in a museum.\u00a0 And now it finally is.\u00a0 It may not be exactly in Mayberry, but, on the other hand, the charming little Cleora Museum in the corner next to the kitchen at Buffalo Smokehouse Barbecue in Salida, Colo., is about as close to the spirit of Mayberry as you can get.<\/p>\n

I like to think that mythical World War I veterans Al, Burt Stevens, the Milo Boys and most other folks around Mayberry would be very pleased about the cycle being so beautifully preserved and respected.\u00a0 And a final indication of that is right inside the front door of Buffalo Smokehouse Barbecue.\u00a0 That’s where they’ve placed one of those nostalgic machines that for 50 cents will mash a penny for you to create an embossed Salida souvenir.<\/p>\n

For my part, I saved the 50 cents (and a penny).\u00a0 My pilgrimage to see Barney’s motorcycle and sidecar was souvenir enough for me.<\/p>\n

Mary and I headed back to our suddenly very boring rented 2013 Ford Fusion.\u00a0 We got in the staid ingot gray sedan with all its modern comforts and amenities and headed down the steep driveway to get back on US 50.\u00a0 We paused for a moment as I recalled what Andy told Barney after he saw the cycle and sidecar for the last time. “Don’t look back.”<\/p>\n

With my eyes fixed ahead, I made the right turn to get back on US 50 going west to east, resigned in the assurance that while driving along I would have no problem pronouncing any word beginning with the letter “S” whenever I wanted.<\/p>\n

Editor’s Note: TAGSRWC’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com\/tagsrwc<\/a>) has a Photo Gallery<\/a> with some additional images of “Barney’s Sidecar” on display at Buffalo Smokehouse Barbecue.<\/em><\/p>\n

Special thanks to Rusty Graves for his hospitality and information for this story.\u00a0 And also for his indulging one particularly Gooberesque request during our visit.<\/em><\/p>\n

Update June 2019:<\/strong> Buffalo Smokehouse Barbecue and the Museum are now closed. Owner Rusty Graves plans to relocate the Museum (including Barney’s motorcycle and sidecar) down the road to Trinidad, Colo. We’ll provide an update here when the move is complete.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\""Don't<\/a>

“Don’t wear my hat.”<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Printer<\/a> Printer Friendly Version<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

********************************************* Excerpted from Vol. 13, Issue 5, the September 2013 issue of The eBullet, an online newsletter of “The Andy Griffith Show” Rerun Watchers Club (TAGSRWC). ****************************************************** **** The Mayberry Sidecar **** Making a Mayberry Entrance in Salida By Jim …<\/span> Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3542","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-special-editions","category-the-ebullet"],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tagsrwc.com\/the_ebullet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tagsrwc.com\/the_ebullet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tagsrwc.com\/the_ebullet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tagsrwc.com\/the_ebullet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tagsrwc.com\/the_ebullet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3542"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/tagsrwc.com\/the_ebullet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3542\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6949,"href":"https:\/\/tagsrwc.com\/the_ebullet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/3542\/revisions\/6949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tagsrwc.com\/the_ebullet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tagsrwc.com\/the_ebullet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tagsrwc.com\/the_ebullet\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}