Twenty Three ‘n’ Dirt

Mongrel – For Sale locally is this splendid and rugged looking Triumph Mettise in cream color. Certainly looks the part and posted for $4,800. Wanna ride like Steve McQueen?

The man who put the MPH in Triumph

Tuning Maestro – On this day in 2007 saw the passing of one of the great Triumph engine mechanics of the sixties. Jack Shemans cut his engineering teeth on Daimler cars and Armstrong-Whitworth aircraft before joining the Meriden factory of Triumph Motorcycles. In the thick of engine development he took the 500cc Tiger engined bike’s to racetrack victories such as Percy Tait’s Works 500GP seen in the posts image. Incidentally this months edition of Motorcycle Classics has a detailed article about this bike. Jack also helped beef up the horsepower of the Triples to get their Daytona successes. From the people who knew him he was a kind, generous and knowledgeable man.

It’s the Real Thing!

Enjoy Coke! A couple prepares for the off aboard their aped Triumph bobber. Complete with springer front end and tall sissy bar it has West Coast biker gang written all over it.

Here come’s the Sun

The Quiet Beatle – George Harrison would have been 75 today; whilst John & Paul collaborated to create some of the most memorable songs, and Ringo was one of the greatest drummers; it’s George whose music stays with you in a deeper more spiritual way. The triple album ‘All Things must Pass” is a mainstay of my Desert Island disk list. Here he looks happy on a Triumph Bonneville photographed by wife Pattie Boyd. “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there”

Fore!

Mashie or Niblick? What better way to head to The Links than on a trusty BSA with your dog as co-pilot? Better make sure the wheels don’t get snagged by an errant Baffing Spoon!

Rouge dans la Nuit

Red Molly – flowing crimson locks under a moonlit star-studded sky. The muse in Richard Thompson’s most known song; who was given the keys for a ’52 Black Lightning by her dying beau James Adie, as he gasps his last breath from injuries sustained from armed robbery.

Illustrator Brett Breckon from the UK has created a stunning vision of le femme Moto.

Using a process called scraperboard it is the removal of black ink to reveal a white subsurface. The dark mass of a Vincent and it’s leather-clad rider are perfect for such a media.

Ellwood

The Healing Road – I’ve just finished a very good book: Ghost Rider. Written by maestro drummer Neil Peart of Canadian band Rush, it involves the outward experience and personal introspection on a 55,000 mile journey around North America. Carried out in late 1998 and through 1999 is occurs after a double family tragedy. With a world seemingly in tatters he uses the continuous movement on his big BMW GS to keep ahead of his emotional demons. Well written and heartfelt about the experiences of the ‘open road’, his descriptions of the many 500 or mile-a-day travels make me want to get on a big bike and aim for the horizon.

Look Out!

Ogri’s Ancestor – further to the previous post here’s a series of cartoon panels, published over a century ago, illustrating the travels, or more accurately travails, of Motorcycle Mike. Quite destructive in his quest for a suitable worldly destination.

Comics

Motorcycle Mike – interesting doodle by cartoonist Frank King in a sheaf of autographs from 1915. King is known as the creator of Gasoline Alley, the second longest running cartoon strip (1918). A character in that strip was Skeezix who grew up and got old during the C20th. Motorcycle Mike was one of a number of characters developed by King in the mid teens for the Chicago Tribune.

Felix Frame Fame

Fritz the Cat – Egli frames are seen to be the perfect chassis for high horsepower powerplants such as this olympian KZ beast. The large diameter backbone and triangular geometry tubing give a stiff mount to impart the engines capabilities to the road. The cat approves in true feline curiosity.

Racing Tiger

The Beach – like the 650 Bonneville was named after a speedy run on the famous salt flats the smaller 500 Tiger was used to winning effect by Buddy Elmore in 1966 at the 3.81 mile course at Daytona. Lapping an average 96.6mph aboard a works special it inspired Doug Hele to rename the following years Tiger T100T with its twin carburetor setup after the Florida circuit. Gary Nixon took a fettled Daytona Triumph T100R to a subsequent win in ’67 firmly placing the 500cc in the annals of racing heritage. Indeed current Triumph models continue the Daytona name in true worthy machines.

Tanned

Cowhide Couple – the twosome that ride together ‘hide together. Prim pair sporting neat and stiff Langlitz Leathers. These Cascade jackets are still available from the 70 year old manufacturer. Spanking new Triumph is ‘fashion accessory’.

21-Up

The Comets Tale: ex-RAF strip at Church Lawford near Rugby saw speed events such as this drag racing in ‘65. A half liter Vincent is the perfect vehicle upon which swiss-miss Margret Reiser has a snappy launch along the quarter mile runway. Apparently she rode the Comet all the way from Switzerland.

Speed and Looks

Auto Show – pleasant evening wandering the ginormous exhibition halls of McCormick Place for the annual car show. Plenty to ogle at, sit in, inspect, consider. Here’s a small selection of some very nice items: Porsche 911 Carrera T (370); Ford GT (647); Ford Bullitt edition Mustang (475); and Stingray (750-ish). Horse power in parentheses.

Number Twenty One!

. This awesome picture was taken at Church Lawford in 1965 and “Margret Reiser, straight ahead, gets away smoothly. Margret had ridden the Comet all the way from Switzerland”.