Spindrift Shadows – low arctic sun, hazy frozen sky and wisps of ice particles wash across some upper latitude highway. Make sure you’re wrapped up and heated devices and garnets are switched to ‘Sahara’. This looks cool – literally and figuratively.
Oily hands and a 10mm socket – just read about the passing of the creator of the global mechanics phenomenon, known as the Haynes Workshop Manual, John Haynes (1938-2019) aged 80. The step-by-step photographic and illustrative descriptions of dismantling and reassembly was conceived whilst he was a public schoolboy recording the renovation of an Austin Seven into an Austin Seven ‘Special’. The first published book in ’66 was for an Austin Healey Sprite. Hundreds of manuals for cars and motorcycles later the library stretched from the Solo’s Millennium Falcon, Kirk’s Enterprise to NASA’s Space Shuttle, and Apollo.
Cactus Cavorting- winter has descended again in the Midwest so some imagery of warmer 2-wheeled adventure can feed the riders soul. Here is Julian Heppekausen on his ’66 T120, called Terry, belting down the Baja Peninsula.
Marcus Motorcyclist – lead singer of folk rock musician troupe Mumford & Sons enjoys Triumphs old and new. His distinctive raspy voice is a perfect accompaniment to the upbeat music that husband performs. Lookin’ cool MM!
Oxblood Docs – whizzing hardtail bobber being piloted by a bandana masked gal who wears jeans under her skirt. Badass! A Wild Cat indeed! Old time Triumph twin motor with a surefooted attitude.
Apple – lookin’ like it’s come straight from an orchard this custom Triumph has a decidedly cool hardtail vintage appearance. Head turning for sure.
D-I-Y Sometimes you need some ken to be familiar with your interest. A ubiquitous Haynes Service & Repair Manual is an essential reference tome for any self respecting biker.
TRON – here’s a blast from the past. Early CGI from 1982’s outing into the realm of the program and user. Light Cycles race for domination of the grid with wall like trails. Jeff Bridges played main character Flynn in his typical laconic style.
The Day The Music Died – Sixty years ago today a small aircraft took off from Mason City Iowa flying into winter conditions with poor visibility and crashing near Clear Lake killing all on board. Of course this was Buddy Holly 22, Richie Valens 17, and JP Richardson (The Big Bopper) 28; as well as the pilot.
Waylon Jennings gave his seat up on the flight to Richardson.
In regards to Buddy and his love of motorcycles; here in Jennings’ words:
“They loved Marlon Brando in ‘The Wild One,’ and when they got to Dallas…they decided on the spur of the moment to buy motorcycles and drive back home on them.” Waylon recalled. “They took a cab into the city and walked into a Harley-Davidson shop. They had their eyes on a trio of 74-inchers, but the proprietor didn’t think they had any money and treated them like a bunch of bums. ‘Hell, you boys couldn’t even begin to handle the payments on that.
Then they went over to Miller’s Motorcycles, which specialized in English bikes. There, Joe B (Maudlin, the Crickets’ then-bass player), and J.I. (Allison, the drummer) bought a Triumph each, a TR6 and Thunderbird, respectively, while Buddy picked out a maroon and black Ariel Cyclone, with a high compression 650cc Huntsmaster engine. They paid cash, bought matching Levi jackets and peaked caps with wings on them, and rode home through a thunderstorm.”
One Two Three – here we are in midwinter and the riding season is months away. A plan needs to be put in place to get each of my Triumph ready for their particular outing requirements. The Cub to take to some off road trails in Wisconsin; the Bonneville for some local riding and vintage shows; and the Tiger for long stretches of American highways and backwaters.
Dare to be Different- traveling across Rajasthan, avid adventurer Sonia Jain enjoys the versatility of the Triumph Tiger to broaden her travelers horizon. The thinking gals Enfield Bullet!
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