Speedometer: miles per hour is the number we hinge our riding to. How fast we want to go, how fast can we go, how fast we are going. 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 The Ton.
March 30, 2015
Expert
A period poster advertising the ’73 range of Triumph bikes. From the 500cc Trophy Trail
& Daytona, to the twin Bonneville and Tiger in early 750cc guise, to the big triple cylindered Trident and its Vetter-clad Hurricane. Pretty darned good lineup. The words ring true: “A whole different feeling”.
March 30, 2015
Logan’s Run
Wolverine looking dour with stogie clenched in teeth. Bonnie is the ride if choice. Perfect ink line work in this black & white illustration.
March 28, 2015
Eat Up & Ride
Our four legged furry pup from yesterdays posting leads us on to this pair of Hairy Bikers. It’s Si King and David Meyers. They present a cookbook show in the vein of Keith Floyd meets The Two Fat Ladies. Traveling the length and breadth of the British Isles in search of food delights of blighty. The two bikes here are immaculate stunners: Si is on an early Pre-Unit Bonnie and David a BSA Rocket Gold Star.
Other motos used include these mike munching Triumph Rocket 3. 2.3 liter heavyweight. John O’Groats is a short spin away.
March 27, 2015
A Dogs Life… With a Cat…
This is Smudge, a young Jack Russell who enjoys riding with her owner Rob Fuller, 50, from Hull. She enjoys her slinger stance on her pop’s chest wearing a pair of doggles to peer into the rushing wind.
Indeed she’s such an accomplished passenger that she’s toured Europe with mom Lyn on pillion too. The moto? A beefy black Triumph Tiger.
Bathroom breaks are easy too; she rests her paw on dads arm. Turning heads and making friends at home and abroad.
March 26, 2015
Ruddy ‘ard!
Inspirational words from the great IF poem by Mr Kipling. It comes in handy with vintage motorcycling. Roadside wrenching, perfect twisties, adjusting tappets, purring engine…
March 25, 2015
Burt
Another birthday today: this time antipodean fast-man Burt Munro. He of the fastest Indian fame, whereby when others look to allotments and fishing into retirement he decided to see what his 1920’s Scout could do on The Salt. The story is told excellently in the Anthony Hopkins movie for a decade ago “The Worlds Fastest Indian” a cracker of a yarn. Born in 1899 he spent a lifetime racing motorcycles. Living his life out of Invercargill way down on the South Island of New Zealand.
A great photo of him fettling his beach-rod. A world travelers Triumph sits behind.
March 24, 2015
Harvey Mushman is 85
Steve McQueen would have been eighty five today. Josh Randall, Vin Tanner, Virgil Hilts, Thomas Crown, Frank Bullitt, Henri Charriere, Michael Delaney, to name a few…
Actor, motorcyclist, coolster…
March 23, 2015
The Age of Dinosaurs
Actor Chris Pratt, also known as Andy Dwyer in Parks & Recreation, is the new lead in the latest Jurassic Park films. With some lizard chasing through lush jungle he utilizes a Triumph Scrambler to keep apace with the velociraptors.
Andy: “There’s an old saying in show business: The show must go wrong. Everything always goes wrong, and you just have to deal with it.”
March 22, 2015
Red Truck
With the heavy rains sweeping across Texas in Friday, Tim of Harris Vincent, didn’t ride in on his customized Ducati 800 Supersport (I saw photos and it was a very well executed personalized road-going sports bike). Instead he drive to work in his early 60’s Chevy C10 truck. Red with white trim its softer line hinted at an earlier body style of all curves yet whispering at the future square boxiness of trucks to be. Rounded front windscreen allows a generous view of the road ahead.
A stepside bed with pressed name drop gate completes a perfect tote for the Hill Country. How else will I get my Triumph Cub to trials courses?….
March 21, 2015
A Dash of Salt
One of the most famous motorcycling photos was taken in 1948 of a speedo suited Rollie Free lay prone along the backbone of a Vincent Black Lightning and tore along the Bonneville Salt Flats at 150.313 mph.
The image goes down in history giving Vincent the title of fastest production motorcycle in the world. The “bathing suit bike” came into the possession of Herb Harris the Austin TX collector (whose ‘shop I visited yesterday) before being sold recently for $1.1 million. His trailer is still adorned with the iconic outline.
Now that is history.
March 20, 2015
Shades of Black
There’s a hidden gem in Austin TX for those who enjoy the finest vintage motorcycles. Harris Vincent Gallery (by appointment only). A restoration garage that specializes in those wonderful British twins. Immaculate Black Lightning, patina’d Rapide, several tarped projects, a Black Prince in the shadows… A bitsa called Guido that was kicked into life with the growl like a panther on the prowl. Run by one-time attorney Herb Harris with a very capable team of mechanics headed by chatty Tim; it’s overriding mission is to ensure Phil Vincent’s machines stay roadworthy.
It’s like being in the room with immortals. These will pass down time, in the guardianship of their owners. Hopefully ALL will be occasionally taken out for a fast spin along the road letting their hefty engines stretch their legs.
The Shadow is an appropriate subject with the partial solar eclipse that occurred over northern Europe earlier today…
March 19, 2015
Blast from the past
Here is the Hinckley commemorative Bonnie called the T214 after the Allen record breaker. Color as the streamlined Lone Star streak as noted yesterday. Nice looking machine. Only 1000 to be made.
March 18, 2015
Two One Four
I’m in the Hill Country at Austin Texas. For motorcycles it brings to mind Johnny Allen’s Texas Ceegar. The twin engined streamlined Triumph that linked the Bonneville name to Triumph forever.
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