Media | Articles
Classic Motorcycles Lost: How the Palisades Fire Consumed a Dream
Over a half century, I’ve almost done everything I wanted with motorcycles. I built, raced, and restored them, commuted and toured, rejoiced in getting them dirty, and reveled in their preservation. Along the way I loved the great ones and loathed the lame ones. And when sleep wouldn’t come, to quiet the brain I designed the ultimate shop with a lift, benches, and tools, and I imagined which bike I’d tackle first and how I’d do it. Someday, that would be my Zen.
The time was supposed to be retirement, whenever that occurred. This is partly why I’d carefully tucked away five favorites in a borrowed garage, to await my emancipation from the working world. The oldest was a 1950 Norton International Model 30, a potent overhead-camshaft roadster resembling the English factory’s Manx racing bikes. The newest was an English/Japanese hybrid, a 1987 Harris Magnum 2 chassis housing a fuel-injected Kawasaki GPz1100 engine. In between were a 1959 Matchless G50 grand prix bike, one of approximately 180 made; a 1968 Bultaco Metralla Mk 2 sport bike; and a 1972 Bultaco Astro 250 flat-tracker. I’d collected them all over two decades.
![Norton International](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2025/01/Norton-International-%E2%80%93-Copyright-2025-Montecito-Motor-Classic-Large.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ixlib=php-3.3.0)
![Matchless G50](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2025/01/Matchless-G50-%E2%80%93-Copyright-2025-John-L-Stein-Large.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ixlib=php-3.3.0)
![Harris/Kawasaki](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2025/01/Harris-Copyright-2025-Bob-Sinclair-Archives-Large.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ixlib=php-3.3.0)
![Bultaco Metralla](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2025/01/Bultaco-Metralla-%E2%80%93-Copyright-2025-Ken-Lee-Large.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ixlib=php-3.3.0)
![Bultaco Astro 250](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2025/01/Bultaco-Astro-Copyright-2025-John-L-Stein-Large.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ixlib=php-3.3.0)
As you have probably already guessed, based on the accompanying photos, the plan went up in flames. Stored in Pacific Palisades, California, they never stood a chance when a historic firestorm ripped through the community on January 7–8, 2025. Reportedly the costliest blaze in LA history, it destroyed more than 6800 homes in a raging path of destruction from the hills through town to the Pacific Ocean. The idyllic coastal community, essentially, was gutted.
A few days later, I was able to access the property to assess the situation for this report. Properly credentialed, I cleared National Guard and police checkpoints and made my way through the devastation. Having seen aerial photos online, I steeled myself for what I might witness. What I found, though, was far more than high-altitude photos could reveal. The streets were completely deserted, with not a soul seen, excepting a few firemen and police making the rounds. “War zone” comes to mind.
![Burned garage Palisades Fire](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2025/01/Burned-Garage-Large.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ixlib=php-3.3.0)
Most houses had literally burned to the ground, with only chimneys and the occasional steel frames or garden walls remaining. Anything combustible had been incinerated. The precious few homes that remained were a mystery in that they looked all but undamaged despite being surrounded by destroyed ones—up to 75 percent of the community, by one estimate.
Marketplace
Buy and sell classics with confidence
Abandoned cars were burned out, their aluminum components like wheels melted into pools on the streets. At ground level, the carnage was breathtaking, but my mind was in another gear—grim focus and a commitment to not do anything dumb, such as tangle with a downed powerline or run over tire-flattening debris. “I’d be safe and warm if I was in LA,” sang The Mamas & The Papas in ’65. “California dreamin’ on such a winter’s day…” Not here. Not now.
Making my way slowly to the address in a nearly catatonic state, my brain struggled to comprehend what I was seeing, but I knew it was real. Along with the expensive homes (the median price in Pacific Palisades had been $4.2 million), another thing missing was color. Everything—streets, structures, foliage, dirt—was reduced to depressed shades of gray, black, or brown.
Once I reached the address where the bikes were kept, I stepped out of my car and was amazed to note almost no smell of fire. I’d been in brutally pungent fire zones before, so this was perplexing. Also curious was that so soon after the fire, clear pastel skies lazed overhead, the quiet blue Pacific shone in the near distance, and benevolent temperatures and kind sunlight mingled with barely a whisper of breeze. More unexpected was the silence, with only the distant thrum of a helicopter or fire engine on patrol.
And crows.
![Norton International melted Palisades Fire](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2025/01/Norton-in-situ-2-Large.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ixlib=php-3.3.0)
The only animals around, the birds seemed unperturbed, cawing and soaring through the area like it was just another day in a Hitchcock flick. With eyes closed, there would be no evidence of what happened here.
Knowing that fire areas can be dangerous, I brought a respirator and goggles, heavy jeans, huge motocross boots, and leather gloves. Gearing up at the street, I looked up the long driveway toward the garage and froze. The structure was gone, as feared; only its concrete foundation remained, along with portions of its stucco walls, now collapsed. But in the middle appeared the front wheel of the Norton. It had burned on its stand and remained upright, as had the other bikes—or at least what I could see of them. Now it appeared to be looking for me.
![Norton International front wheel melted Palisades Fire](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2025/01/Norton-front-wheel-Large.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ixlib=php-3.3.0)
![Norton International cylinder cam drive melted Palisades Fire](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2025/01/Norton-Cylinder-and-Cam-Drive-Large.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ixlib=php-3.3.0)
The Norton was recognizable as an overhead-camshaft model thanks to melted aluminum castings, which revealed the straight-cut bevel gears. Also visible was the iron cylinder, but other alloy parts had either pooled beneath the bike or partially melted. Of course, organic materials such as grips and saddles were gone. Tinware like the headlight and front number plate had dropped away, and the wheel hubs and aluminum Roadholder fork had fallen to pieces. It was heartbreaking, as the bike, previously owned by noted Stanford engineer Thorwald van Hooydonk, was a concours winner.
Beside the Norton stood the poor Harris, which had been built for Bob Sinclair, former president of Saab-Scania USA. It was almost unrecognizable as a motorcycle. Its quick-fill aluminum fuel cell, inverted fork, and shock body were gone, as were the magnesium wheels. Fire found the fiberglass, naturally, and devoured it instantly. It had been so hot that the frame’s bronze-welded steel tubes had simply fallen apart as the filler melted. (For reference, silicon bronze melts at 1880 degrees Fahrenheit, while aluminum and magnesium melt just above 1200 degrees and steel at 2500–2800 degrees.) Even had I been on site, that kind of heat made the odds of defending the garage infinitesimal—it likely would have been a “your bikes or your life” situation. This saddened me because Sinclair had been a good friend, and I promised his family that I’d care for the machine after his passing in 2009.
![Harris brake rotor melted magnesium wheel Palisades Fire](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2025/01/Harris-Brake-Rotor-Mag-Wheel-Large.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ixlib=php-3.3.0)
![Harris GPz1100 engine melted Palisades Fire](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2025/01/Harris-GPz1100-Engine-Large.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ixlib=php-3.3.0)
The carnage continued with the Bultaco Metralla. Regarded as one of the brightest small-displacement street bikes of the 1960s, this Spanish two-stroke 250 was light, lithe, torquey, and impeccably styled, the organic shapes of its bodywork, engine, and exhaust blended masterfully. I’d wanted one for decades and was thrilled to land this survivor in 2022, the perfect counterpoint to a Ducati 250 Diana I’d been saving. The loose idea had been for my racer friend Randy Pobst and me to tour to The Quail MotoFest on the pair sometime. But the Bul was now scrap. Its alloy engine had melted into a blob, and the fork legs were gone, leaving the springs exposed like ancient gargoyle claws, and of course the paint, tires, and saddle were toast.
![Bultaco Metralla burned Palisades Fire](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2025/01/Bultaco-Metralla-2-Large.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ixlib=php-3.3.0)
![Bultaco Astro rear frame loop burned Palisades Fire](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2025/01/Bultaco-Astro-rear-frame-loop.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ixlib=php-3.3.0)
The news was probably worse for the Astro flat-tracker, but I couldn’t see beyond the rear frame loop, which was barely visible beneath a section of wall that had collapsed inward as the studs burned through. The dirt racer had likewise held a certain hope for me, now unfulfilled. Soon after I started racing at 18 years old, I’d been offered an Astro ride at a half-mile oval event, but honestly, the powerful bike intimidated me, and I wimped out. Likewise found in 2022, this one was going to square things up, with my intended article entitled “Meeting Darth Vader.”
Besides the ruined Norton and Harris, most depressing was the Matchless G50. An exotic overhead-camshaft British single, it was a genuine GP contender in period, equipped with magnesium engine cases, hubs, and brakes and a sensationally large aluminum tank for long races like the Isle of Man. They were well regarded but rare, and today various firms reproduce G50 engines, gearboxes, and other components for classic racing. Previously owned by South African friend Michael D’Oliveira and his father, it had a robust career there prior to my acquiring it in 2002. I failed them, too, as fire devoured the plentiful magnesium and alloy—which made up a greater percentage of this machine than the other bikes. Steel frame and mechanicals aside, the G50 had literally melted.
![Matchless front end mag brake melted Palisades Fire](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2025/01/Matchless-front-end-mag-brake-Large.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ixlib=php-3.3.0)
![Matchless alloy and magnesium engine melted Palisades Fire](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2025/01/Matchless-Alloy-and-Mag-Engine-Large.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ixlib=php-3.3.0)
![Matchless G50 melted Palisades Fire](https://hagerty-media-prod.imgix.net/2025/01/Matchless-Large.jpeg?auto=format%2Ccompress&ixlib=php-3.3.0)
All of the bikes were insured through Hagerty, and once it registered there was nothing to save, I sent photos to a claims agent, who deemed all bikes totaled and ordered checks to be issued. The process spanned 16 days from loss to payment, a far cry from the insurance mess through which so many homeowners are still wading, but it gave me a chance to inform the previous owners what had happened. Doing so helped me realize that because motorcycles are not people or pets, the loss takes on a different feel. And since I hadn’t ridden the bikes yet, it wasn’t like losing long-term companions. Instead, I felt the loss of expected future enjoyment, sadness that some classics were irretrievably gone, and regret at having failed my friends. There were no words I could use other than “I’m so sorry.” And I really am.
It’s said that when nothing else can replace a loss, money helps. Somehow, I don’t think it will that much. Although maybe I do need to find myself a midyear Sting Ray, a Jeep CJ-2A, a Taco minibike or something …
We will see.
My condolences over the thermal loss of your distinctly rare/odd edition motorcycles…
Unfortunately all machines can have an expiration date just like us humans. Some burn (like happened to you), some are crashed and get wrenched apart for spares to keep another same model running, some are just neglected until they are useless except as scrap raw materials, some are discarded in garbage dumps accompanied by household trash, some are consigned to be buried under the ground or sunk in bodies of water (rivers, ponds, lakes, etc)…
But you had insurance on them which is more than many people have had in similar situations. I had an acquaintance who lost his garage shop to welding sparks with his loss of 4 motorcycles, 2 atvs, and a classic 1960s pick up truck-all only insured for legal road use not losses. The only positive was that he owned his property outright without any loans owed so his property insurance went directly to him rebuilding his own shop and buying a replacement motorcycle and an atv.
Again, my condolences on your loss, but there’s other motorcycles waiting for you around the corner of the winding road…
Peace,
econobiker
I have been watching and seeing the burned car shells. I shocked more people did not park cars at the large parking lots. Im]n the past this has saved some big dollar cars.
I did see the Shelby, Ferrari and 300 at Mc D.
This whole thing is heart breaking as so many may never be able to return. Thanks California.
I wonder if the owners had any time to think about moving anything besides their families.
That’s true. A lot of them had literally minutes to decide what to grab & go. I’m in the National Woodie Club & know several members lived in Pac Pal & Malibu areas. I just wonder if they were able to save their woodies.My cousin lives in Altadena but her house didn’t burn, but has a ton of soot inside & will probably have to trash her furniture & carpets
What do you mean by “Thanks California” ?
I was thinking the same thing.
I think he means, “Thanks. but No thanks” it is an old saying here in UK.
He is not in the UK. It is a political comment.
Right, his comments have a habit of finding a political angle to just about everything, so that was my conclusion.
Yes, hyper, more people would have saved their cars if they took them elsewhere, but I think this is a really simplistic view of the situation. Multiple news sources on both sides of the spectrum have told stories about how people literally had minutes to leave their homes. Yes, some had the luxury of moving their cars and collectibles, but many were lucky to escape with their lives.
Once in a while it’s acceptable, or even desirable to stop being a pundit and show a little genuine, not feigned compassion. I’ll be the last to defend California on a lot of things, but not everyone can just pick up and leave.
It’s important to remember that these fires were driven by unprecedentedly high Santa Ana winds. Anyone who’s ever been in those hilly areas when just “regular” winds blow knows that they swirl and can change almost as if on a whim. Those who had a little time to remove valuables were very lucky, but many, many folks were at the mercy of those damned winds and just barely got out – and in fact, some didn’t…
Dear Mr. Stein,
That story had to be hell to live, and possibly even harder to write. Thank you for sharing it with us. As a retired rider, I choked up a bit looking at the photos. I can’t imagine how you have the courage to relate all of this so soon after the fact. I’m glad that Hagerty will write you the check, but as you’ve stated, it won’t replace a darned one of those bikes. Please accept our condolences.
DUB6 and Mrs. DUB6
I’m so sorry for your loss. Obviously, the whole “everyone is safe” applies, but after that… damn.
My heart sincerely breaks for you and your loss, as well as the overwhelming, cumulative losses of your community, due to tragic, unimaginably destructive events such as this.
If there’s anything I learned after the profound loss of my amazing wife a couple of years ago, there are no consoling words that can truly compensate grieving survivors for such violent, unwelcome catastrophes; only the passage of time with a determined, stoic sense of resilience, can enable us to find the courage to face another day, to reach and strain intentionally beyond the darkness, to find the faintest glimmer of hope and light, and begin the painful process to soothe those deep, deep wounds.
My 2nd thought, after the initial shock of the initial reports, was for all those who suffered not only personal, but material losses, affecting young and old, wealthy or not (beyond their residences and loved ones), but of those valued possessions and artifacts of all types, whether they be special vehicles, or dear animals, or unique artwork, or curated antiques, or precious heirlooms, or carefully-archived documents and collections (this list goes on and on), events of which none of us should ever casually or impudently assume we are immune.
Beautiful sentiments that touch my heart. Thank you, Mikey.
That is a great comment!
What a loss, my dear old friend John! Beautiful 2-wheeled treasures. And you were even gonna let me ride that Metralla to Laguna Seca? Or at least to Santa Barbara. So sorry, John.
So sad to see the destruction of everything here. It reminds me of the scene from Terminator 2 when LA is nuked. This will take so long to recover from fully.
Thank you very much for sharing that story. I live(d) in the burn are and have also been a lover of vintage cars and motorcycles my whole life. Once we move past the immediate human suffering that thousands of us are going through now, it would be nice to have a chronicle of so many vehicles that were historical pieces that are no more. I’m one person, and personally know of 1960’s GTO, Chevelle and a 1 of 5 in the world GT 500. I also saw peaking out of the rubble horizontal cylinders. It looks like there were at least three 1960’s collector BMW’s. There was nothing left but a hint of what they were. Who knows how many historical relevant cars and motorcycles have been turned to ash.
I always imagined that, if faced with a catastrophe, I could somehow manage to save my collection of 1930’s and ’40s jukeboxes, but when a wildfire threatened our neighborhood several years ago, we were ordered to flee the area by the fire department. There simply is no time to think, let alone rescue bulky objects. We were able to put our cat in a transport box before fleeing to safety, and then faced the hours of uncertainty, wondering if our house was one of those damaged or destroyed. Fortunately, it was spared, but that experience makes me all the more responsive to Mr. Stein’s plight. Unfortunately, bad things don’t always just happen to “the other guy”. Mr. Stein, we join you in mourning this terrible loss.
We would lose most or all of our cats. I had to take one to the vet a few days ago, and it took me nearly half an hour to find him. I would be grabbing cameras, my RAID, and my dog. Anything else would be gravy. I have a “fireproof” safe; I guess we’d find out if it works.
Your story is heartbraking. I have a collection of over 40 restored vehicles, mostly Japanese bikes that I have personally rebuilt. No money is owed on them but the value and effort invested is priceless to me. Several were redone with my sons…I am contacting Hagerty ASAP!!
Not a line you’d read here, but the typical commentary is “they are only things, it’s just stuff and can all be replaced.” No, these machines have souls — the souls of those who designed and built them, ran them and cared for them. They’re not just our stuff. We are caretakers, and we take the task seriously.
Best Hagerty ad ever.
I’ve read first hand accounts of families scrambling to save themselves as the roaring inferno attacked them. A common time frame is ten minutes total to recognize the threat, process the danger, gather family, prioritize possessions and GET AWAY. A moment of hesitation, denial or confusion could mean horrifying agonizing death. Anyone who suggests “why didn’t they just move their classic vehicles to a safe location” doesn’t understand the parameters that were at play.
I can not even imagine the spirit crushing aftermath for the survivors. I can only hope that you Mr. Stein, and they find some peace and strength, and are able to move forward.
Sorry for your losses. My father rode a “Snorton Norton” before the war.. He loved it! Our thoughts and Prayers are with you all over there in California…
I mourn your loss with you. As an owner of a Bultaco Metralla at several intervals in my life (3 projects at the moment), the empathy is acute.
And I know well the eerie desolation of an apocalyptic fire scene. A dear friend since high school lost a lifelong vintage electric guitar and amplifier collection in the Paradise firestorm, escaping only with his life, cat and a couple guitars by the door.
I chauffeured him to confirm what the arial pics showed…a perimeter concrete foundation and steel remains of speaker frame and amp chassis. The guitars left only their steel neck truss rods.
Nothing to do but ponder the frailty of life, and reflect that health, family and friends are the only wealth we have.
Forget the ‘Vette…resume the motorcycle dream!
I wonder if the 1-of, hand-built Norman Timbs Special was able to escape the wildfires this time (Hagerty Drivers Club Jan./Feb page 96). You see, on November 8, 2018 it was a victim of the Woolsey Fire in the Malibu area. It had subsequently been completely rebuilt as a result. Hopefully this time it made it out intact and its owners are safe.