Top Trump

one of the best looking bikes last weekend was this superlatively detailed late 70’s Triumph.   
Centrally mounted tachometer bolted onto the usually handlebar clamp holes. The clip-ons mounter directly to the fork tubes. The sage colored tree is a nice touch.

 Swing out kicker to clear the rearset pegs. Crinkle textured powder coating covers are a smart touch. Oil piping run in neat ship-shape fashion.   
So clean it makes my grubby oil burned motor look like a disheveled scoot…

 

Wee oil gauge… Again, blackened valve covers…nice grey tank… Everything so deliberate. Tiger head with two carbs.
  
All in all a pretty decent machine! 10/10 in my books.

  

Orange is the New Bike

  

Italian Triple. “Il Bruto” the mighty Jota in glistening orange. It had a radioactive glow in the midday sun.

 
Cleveland Cycle Works little quarter liter custom scrambler. U.S. Built small Moto with sweet styling suitable for city flitting. It’s like a new version of my Cub…. We’ll write about CCW another time.

 
Board tracker blitz: twenties Titan for zooming the banked oval. The pure engineering on these things is as brave as the riders who piloted them. 

 
Muscle Magic! Not a bike but by ‘eck it’s a steroid built machine for rippling the Tarmac and busting licenses. It has a 440 7.8l V8 Magnum engine that took the Hemi-Orange monster to Dodges swan song in the 60’s through 70’s muscle car spacerace. 

Trumpet

  
There were many Triumph motorcycles there yesterday with the new Bonneville and Thruxton well represented. Each with slight personal variations to provide an individual touch from the proud owners. From an odd decal or handlebar grips to pegs and exhaust.  it’s still a very attractive bike in stock or fettled condition… 

 

 

 

Motoblot

 
Perfect weather for the annual premiere motorbike gathering today: Motoblot. Hundreds of motos in all shapes and sizes: mostly Triumph with plenty of Ducatis, Beemers, old Hondas and a smattering of American Iron. A backing soundtrack of live rock music and burger ‘n’ beer at the Cobra Lounge pub. Pics will be posted over the next few days…

John Steed RIP

 
The Avenger boss played by Patrick Macnee always had fine clothes, finer wine and the finest women around him. My favorite was Honor Blackmans portrayal of Cathy Gale. Here she has Steed apillion on a Royal Enfield back in the day. He was the quintessential Englishman with she as the perfect Action a Woman.

Patrick Macnee 1922-2015

 
  Hugh (the other) Laurie on his chosen ride: a Triumph Bonnie. We also know him as Bertie.  

 

Wooster with indispensable essential valet Jeeves. The perfect pairing for a perfect comedy fro PG Wodehouse… 

Austrian Oak

 

Each year there is a celebratory gathering of Triumphs held in the middle of Europe. Under looming alpine peaks and cuckoo clock villages the rolling Austrian countryside sees Spaniards on Tigers, Italians on Speed Triples, Brits on Daytona’s and Germans on big touring Trophys. Triumph Motorcycles being the common denominator. Like a Tutonic Sturgis for British Iron…
 

Cafe’d Cub

 
So cool it’s as chilly as a draft whipping down from Up North. Spindly sinewy muscle ready for a lightweight rip along the B roads on a June afternoon.

Tracks in the Sand

  

We’ve all heard about the fable “Footprints in the sand”. An allegory reflecting on the journey of life with guidance for the twists and turns thrust in our way. Well here’s the Fathers Day version… Yes I know it was Papas Day yesterday but I need to get this on the blog before I forget it.

Looking back on life you see wheeled tracks of your  life’s travels in the sands of time. Early on there are a pair of them. Those double lines weaving in and out denote when your father rode with you; sometimes showing you the way ahead, other times guiding you along and further sections watching over as you speed ahead across fresh sand. Teacher, Mentor, Guide. Later on there is a single tire track weaving along representing the adventures of your own experiences as they travel across ripples, over dunes, through surf; marked by knobby fresh tires at some stretches and worn down ‘boots’ at others. You ask where he went? Well he’s earned his keep on the rugged shores and is traveling parallel to the beach on the smoother roads of life driving his Jaguar saying, “I told you everything you need; now you’ve just got to get on with the job! I’ll meet you for a fish & chip supper at the cafe up ahead!”

The Longest Day

 
Warm weather with fluffy clouds across a hazy blue sky. It would have been rude not to roll out The Bonnie and take her for a gentle cruise up north. An odd waft of cool air drifted from the Lake gave comfort to the slightly muggy atmosphere. My leather jacket had all vents open and the front zipper down somewhat. Nevertheless the feathers were ruffled and the ride enjoyed.  

Le rouge drapeu à damier

 
If you just so happen to be at the old banked racetrack in Montlhery France this weekend you could do a lot worse that go and see vintage racers haring around the velodrome. This years promotional poster is aptly graphic for a period event. Three color screen is just perfect! (Well a couple of other colors too) Red haired checker waver is suitably elegant. 

You’re busted creep!

even if you think about it! Judge Anderson is the psychic in Mega City One who goes after perp using thought alone.  

  

Of course she’s armed with a palm-print Lawgiver and powerful Lawmaster bike.

  

Don’t let those sweet blond looks deceive you she’s already in your mind messing about with any bad criminally inclined thoughts…

 

Judge Dredd will bust your ass; Cassandra Anderson will bust your brain!

 
 Latter day cover of a young cadet PSI Anderson. 

Monkee Man

  

The Nez: one of the sixties assembled pop groups to thwart Beatles domination the guitar singer songwriter Michael Nesmith enjoyed all things cool Californian. And that included his love for Triumph motorcycles. 

Plenty of zany shenanigans on their TV show. 

And that green wool bobble hat! 

 

  

Yellow

They say you should stare at something yellow for 30 seconds each morning to start you off on a brighter note for the day ahead.    

This Triumph Adventurer Sport is a definite morale booster for any sleepy eyes.

  

Look at the stars

Look how they shine for you

And everything you do

Yeah they were all yellow

Late last night

I heard the screen door slam

And a big yellow taxi

Took away my old man

Don’t it always seem to go

That you don’t know what you’ve got

Till it’s gone

They paved paradise

And put up a parking lot.

  

  She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,

She wore her greenest gown;

She turned to the south wind

And curtsied up and down.

She turned to the sunlight

And shook her yellow head,

And whispered to her neighbor:

“Winter is dead.

AA Milne

I write on big yellow legal pads – ideas in outline form when I’m doing stand-up and stuff. It’s vivid that way. Robin Williams

  

  So we sailed up to the sun

Till we found a sea of green

And we lived beneath the waves

In our yellow submarine.  

Ago

 
Today is the birthday of multi world champion Giacomo Agostini 73. 122 GP wins, of which 15 were championships in the 350 and 500cc class. He also gained 13 TT wins on The Island. A career spanning from ’64 to ’77 he is considered to be one of the greatest. He was the MV Agusta factory rider making good use of the superlative Italuan machine on tracks around the world.