Schumi

Seven times Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher is in critical condition after a skiing accident in the French Alps. He’s in an induced coma with lowered body temperature to enable a speedy recovery.

He was wearing a helmet, which probably saved his life. Skiing has just become more familiar as a helmet wearing sport for personal safety.

Schumi also takes to two-wheels on occasion; gunning a bee-colored Triumph Sport in this shot. Although being one of the highest earning sportsperson he is a huge contributor to worthy causes, most notably UNICEF.

We wish him a swift and full recovery!

Advertising Vision

A simple orange window’d backdrop sets off this Tiger well. The slogan is to the point too! Speed and efficiency in a Triumphant package; letting the akimbo’d rider visit the sights of Britain.

In a similar vein this blue advert scheme gives the rider and his Thunderbird something to ponder on: Exciting is the key word here! Those integrated lines look so slick even today.

The green green grass of home lets us view a smashing ride from the pilots eye view if a crisp airbrushed photo of the 350. De Luxe? Delightful!

Shivers Icicles and Snowflakes

Icy days: it’s been dropping to waay below zero temperatures here in wintry Minnesota. Might be a bit frosty for this snowbound Cub. You’ll be needin’ some studs on the tires there pal!

Yup, both Centigrade and Fahrenheit well into double digits. Exposed flesh? Keep it covered! And don’t touch bare metal!

Here’s the Real Winterized Cub…

in Deutschland gemacht

The early break-away arm of Triumph that developed in Germany had a few smaller machines just right for the continental two-wheeled lifestyle.

It looks like Cupid’s arrow will shoot an arrow into any speedsters heart here. Crisp pen and ink graphics with speed lines, spinning wheels and a determined rider. On a lighter note: all can enjoy the range if mooed, combination or roadster and have fun at the sane time.

These engines use a split barreled single two-stroke engine. Utilizing a single combustion chamber and two pistons. The company TWR or Triumph-Werke Nürnberg AG produced these models such as the 200cc Cornet and 350cc Boss from the thirties thought to the fifties when the company was swallowed by Grundig, a typewriter manufacturer… (Now yesterday’s Cub Reporter seems apt!)

Here’s a very Teutonic machine ready for serious typing.

Still lovely graphics though on latter advertising in the sixties…

What do you call a writer of small Triumph motorcycles?

A Cub Reporter! .. Wah, waa, waa, waaaah!

One well known rookie journalist we know is young Jimmy Olsen who, as the Nikon wielding sidekick to Clark Kent, paced the streets of Metropolis. There has been a couple of storylines in DC Comics where he’s involved in a biker gang. But has also been seen to ride around on a motorcycle…

However in the more recent iteration of The Man of Steel he’s seen totin’ around the streets as some cataclysm occurs.

A day of boxes

Well, the jigsaws are made, the annuals read and the toys played with…. Yup, it’s Boxing Day. Cold Turkey leftovers and yearnings for an old James Bond movie on the telly.

Hope everyone had had a fun, family, friends, food and festive time … Now let’s get back to Fiona Volpe’s scene stealing Beeza Lightning ride in Thunderball…

Rudolf has the night off

After yesterdays advertising debacle here’s a more appropriate Santa scene. Classic 50’s illustration with our old Coca Cola St. Nick astride a lovely Beeza scudding across the snowclad rooftops of some sleepy English village. Halcyon days indeed!

Merry Christmas!

A ‘Kinda Cheezy’ Christmas

Santa whizzes around the globe on a red red Triumph. He smokes too…

Oh come all ye Faithful, Joyful and Triumphant!

GULF

The sky blue background  and vibrant orange pinstripe is always a great choice for giving your ride a historically significant color scheme. Making it a Triumph Bonneville is even better.

This owner has also created a matching lid too. Smashing!

A Knightly Motorcycle?

“Arise Sir Daytona…” Here’s a snap from the recent motorcycle show where Prince William spent a bit of time at the Triumph display.  
Could we see a moto in the New Years honors list?

Yule

The shortest day of the year: Solstice. It’s when the true rebirth of the year occurs: the Suns Triumph over Darkness. The moment has been celebrated as long as there is recorded and unrecorded history: The sun peeping through particular openings of the standing stones seem to be the epicenter of worship.

In Norse paganism yuletime was held where:

‘…toasts were to be drunk. The first toast was to be drunk to Odin “for victory and power to the king”, the second to the gods Njörðr and Freyr “for good harvests and for peace”, and thirdly a beaker was to be drunk to the king himself. In addition, toasts were drunk to the memory of departed kinsfolk. ” seems fair to me…

Vee Neck

An olive green tee complete with winning combination of a splendid latter day Bonneville and silver cup waving ‘fille belle’.

Trophy Girls: it’s nearly like warbird nose art…

Now that would make a good T-shirt; or even better tank art.

Start ’em young!

Just what you need to get into the top end so that the tappets can be adjusted: Little Fingers! This little feller is quite interested in this propped-up pre-unit Triumph engine; better than a pile of blocks or soft toys. I believe there are photos of me with such a cap and similar ‘harness’. As a lad I would have been into this thing quicker than you can pick up a screwdriver and monkey wrench.

Gypsy Rider

The speculators made their money on the blood you shed
Your momma’s pulled the sheets up off your bed
Profiteers on James Street sold your shoes and clothes
Ain’t nobody talkin’ because everybody knows
We pulled your cycle up back the garage and polished up the chrome
Our gypsy biker coming home

Sister Mary sits with your colors, but Johnny’s drunk and gone
This old town’s been rousted, which side you on?
They would march up over the hill, this old fools parade
Shouting victory for the righteous for you must hear the grace
Ain’t nobody talkin’, but just waiting on the phone
Gypsy biker coming home

Whoa!

We rode into the foothills, Bobby brought the gasoline
We stood around the circle as she lit up the ravine
The spring hot desert wind rushed down on us all the way back home

To the dead, well it don’t matter much ’bout who’s wrong or right
You asked me that question, I didn’t get it right
You slipped into your darkness, now all that remains
Is my love for you brother, life’s still unchanged
To him that threw you away, you ain’t nothing but gone
My gypsy biker’s coming home

And now I’m out countin’ white lines
Countin’ white lines and getting stoned
My gypsy biker’s coming home

Whoa!

The Boss

Knit knot not!

Wool, needles and some clicketty clacking… People looking for a hobby to do whilst watching TV or gabbing with a formed knitting group could do a lot worse than picking up this cardigan pattern and casting on to create these moto based creations. The front model is definitely boasting a Triumph on his derriere.

With a chilly winter ahead one thing that could be useful is the old ski cap.. Here Norwegian pattern with cycle motif…

But hey if you want to be stylin’ with the transport cafe crowd you need to be adorned in this ebony yarned Aran biker jacket….

Cable stitching to wipe oily mitts on …