I do like a good comic book cover. Here’s Captain Triumph: bicep swiping punches and jodhpur winged trousers and knee-length boots. No doubt he hares about on a 30’s Triumph Twin.
Next Week: Captain Future….. Wizard of Science!
March 1, 2015
Cowboys & Indians
The two major American motorcycle makers have bikes going back well into the last Century.
Here is an original condition 1915 Indian from Springfield MA. Just needs a few essentials for a go at the Coast-to-Coast Cannonball Run.
In another corner sitting idly and in more complete condition is a late 30’s/early 40’s Harley Davidson Knucklehead. My favourite Milwaukee Moto.
Again both are located in Pickers Store …. Photos by Dean Rennie.
February 28, 2015
From the Acorn
A frame display of leather jacket patches seen by our correspondent Dean Rennie on his trip to Iowa. Each to display the wearers allegiance to the British marque. The oak leaf is perfect: an English Oak Quercus robur.
February 27, 2015
Live Long & Prosper
And so goes the salutation of the great Spock. Today saw the passing of Leonard Nimoy at the age of 83. Photo is his Mission Impossible character Paris looking logically cool.
February 26, 2015
Magnum PI
Watching an old TV show from the early eighties. Starring Tom Selleck as the titular private investigator turned Hawaiian gallavanter for thriller writer Robin Masters (voiced by Orson Welles). He gets to blast around in his employers Ferrari 308 GTS. It is the classic mid engined sports car in red.
February 25, 2015
America Pickers
von Dutch style! My intrepid roving reporter Dean Rennie was in LeClaire IA at the American Pickers store. Owner Mike Wolfe and TV partner Frank Fritz were on the hunt for a rare motorcycle. A cruiser framed item with a Volkswagen flat four engine shoehorned in. They discovered it under a dusty tarp in a barn. The VW badge remarking its provenance. Here a photo of the bike displayed at their location just north of the Quad Cities.
I like the sign hung in the window… Need one for my workshop…
February 24, 2015
La Moto au Feminin
“Rouler à moto, c’est comme écouter de la musique en stéréo, vous faites vraiment partie de l’environnement”.
That’s the words of fast femme Marianne Weber, Belgian reporter speedster who was as comfortable going rapide on a motorcycle as most of us are in a lounge chair.
Her racing steed from 1947 a Triumph 3T 350cc. One of Triumphs first post war racers.
“Riding a bike, it’s like listening to music in stereo, you are really part of the environment”. Good words.
February 22, 2015
Dem’s da Brakes.
There is a fairly straightforward brake upgrade for the seventies disc stoppers that my Bonnie has. A 12″ floating disc with cooling holes and a mount adapter for tge extra inch of lever provided. With stainless steel clad lines and a freshened up master cylinder this will certainly give superior anchoring.
February 21, 2015
Grin & Bear it.
He’ll rough it, take the back roads, eat whatever is available; but now he’s a frontman for the big bad Triumph Tiger. Bear Grylls is man versus wild and mountain, sea, desert, forest traveler extraordinaire. Good bike to choose for his lifestyle.
February 20, 2015
Black Bonnie
A Paul Simonon painting of a dour T100 Triumph Bonneville. Stealthy, gothic, oily. Looks like you could hop on her and hare off down to Boxhill. Looks like our Clash bass-man has this very machine.
February 20, 2015
Ramp? What Ramp!
Old promotional photo of a new Cub being hauled up into a van off to its owner. Nice big shop sign, pre-unit machine in the window, I can smell the scent of oily machines fresh off the boat from Meriden.
February 18, 2015
Chicago Auto Show
It’s cold cold cold here in Chi-Town. Minus five Fahrenheit tonight. So a venture to the car show down at the vast McCormick Conference Center was in order. Plenty to gawp at. Lots to sit in. Others to shy away from. The all rounder that appealed to me was the 2015 Ford F150 truck. Its aluminum chassis drops a third of a ton of dead weight and the eco-boost 2.6 v6 is meant to be a decent powerplant. Plenty of leg and headroom inside with a spacious back seat crew cab.
The Airstream will be towed ably to destinations galore!
February 17, 2015
Ideal
Daylight from all sides. Yup I’d take this space to fettle away at my moto mechanics. Bike stand, bench, tool racks. Just need a kettle…
February 16, 2015
Tiny tiny Tamiya
Model Kits. Growing up I couldn’t get enough of them! Aircraft, tanks, cars, ships. Assembly kits or scratch built. I’ll have a little dabble into this world of polystyrene glue and plastic. There’s a 1/35th BSA M20 with rider and arm waving military policeman that I’d like to acquire.
Nowadays there are upgrade detail kits that are finely laser-cut sheets of metal that add fine sparkle. Spokes, buckles, foot pegs.
Perhaps some sharp tweezers will help….
I’d better get an illuminated magnifying glass too!
