Gets His Bike Back After 56 Year at The Bottom of a Lake....

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

A Minnesota man has been reunited with his 1938 NSU 251 OSL, nearly 56  years after the German motorcycle sank to the bottom of a lake.

In 1956, Wyman Ailie bought the motorcycle for his then-15-year-old son Dean from a farmer who brought the bike back with him from Germany during World War II. That December, Dean Ailie went for a ride with his friends and on his way home, decided to take a shortcut across the frozen surface of Big Swan Lake in Dassel, Minn.

He had taken that route safely on the way out, but the way home was a different story. The ice cracked underneath him, and rider and motorcycle fell into the water. According to reports, air trapped in Ailie's leather jacket buoyed him up to the surface where he was rescued by a pair of nearby fishermen. The NSU however was lost to the lake.



Until a few months ago that is. On Nov. 29, 2012, nearly 56 years after Ailie's episode, the NSU 251-OSL has surfaced, once again thanks to fishermen. This time, it was commercial fisher Ken Seemann, who had been seining for carp when his nets caught something heavy: an old German motorcycle.

Ailie's crash through the ice in 1956 was fairly big news for the area at the time, and it didn't take long for people to help Seemann connect the motorcycle to Ailie, now 71, who still lives nearby. Ailie was soon reunited with his beloved motorcycle.

Considering how long it sat at the bottom of the lake, the motorcycle in a surprisingly good condition. It was coated in rust, the seat had long dissolved and the fuel tank has some holes, but the cylinder was dry and the tires still contained some air.

Ailie initially wanted to keep the recovered motorcycle but Seemann and his business partner Jeff Riedermann to an associate, Ron Miller, a motorcycle collector. Ailie handed the motorcycle to Miller who plans to clean it up and display it.

[Michvalk]

That's pretty amazing! Lost by accident and recovered by accident. I would love to have a bike like that

[Joevalk]

Might have to go through the carbs

[~ Timbrwolf]

....very cool story.. 

[..]

Might have to go through the carbs

A drop or two of Seafoam and it's all good!

[R J]

That is a weid story.     I'm surprised it is in that good of shape after 56 years.

[Hook#3287]

Cool story

[MacDragon]

Great story... A full restore would be kinda cool.  Especially if Ailie could see it finished.

[flamingobabe #44]

That is a great story...but I would of kept it myself

[Oss]

great story

A fellow I did work with a few times has an old Indian that he says he found in a lake in Pennsylvania, restored it and I have seen it ridden, very nice indeed

not a comfortable ride by today's standards but wonderful to see being used

[old2soon]

That is a weid story.     I'm surprised it is in that good of shape after 56 years.

Think fresh water here as opposed to salt water. Pictures of the Edmond Fitzgerald show the ship is not deteriating very quickly at all. RIDE SAFE.

[Hooter]

That is a weid story.     I'm surprised it is in that good of shape after 56 years.

I'm surprised I'm in this good of shape after 56 years!

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

That is a weid story.     I'm surprised it is in that good of shape after 56 years.

I'm surprised I'm in this good of shape after 56 years!

I'm about 5 years behind you and I feel the same  

[Tailgate Tommy]

Cool story. I bet the board for NSU's isn't as good as this one!

[JimC]

In Wisconsin they fine you by the day when your vehicle ends up in the water. I think the local equivalent to our DNR are probably chomping at the bit to issue that citation.

Jim

[POPS 57]

Seen the bike today at the Mpls. motorcycle show. It was neat to see but the bikes it was parked with were better. Lots of old honda and other jap. bikes. And yes i was wearing a valk. shirt.