October 28, 2013
Lou Reed 1942-2013. A true music legend passed yesterday; his music grabbed you by the throat and hammered its beat into you with piercing lyrics that had heft to them. Early work from Andy Warhols Factory with The Velvet Underground was seminal to any budding HiFi owners collection.
Backed by the indomitable John Cale, Sterling Morrison, & Mo Tucker, as well as the sultry backing vocals of Nico; their music puts the Vee in Live. Reed as a solo artist: the poet-musician with knife-edge lyrics went on to create timeless numbers which saw rerelease success two decades on. I was fortunate to see TVU in their original line-up at an unmuddy Glastonbury in ’93.
“New Sensations”, Lou Reed 1984
I took my GPZ out for a ride
The engine felt good between my thighs
The air felt cool, its was 40 degrees outside
I rode to Pennsylvania near the Delaware gap
Sometimes I got lost and had to check the map
I stopped at a roadside diner for a burger and a coke
There were some country folk and some hunters inside
Somebody got themselves married and somebody died
I went to the juke box and played a hillbilly song
They was arguing about football as I waved and went outside
And I headed for the mountains feeling warm inside
I love that GPZ so much, you know that I could kiss her.
——————
Must be the original Ninja GPZ900. Here’s mine that I owned in the mid-twothousands…
Posted in Kawasaki, Music |
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October 27, 2013
I took an opportunity with decent weather and a visit to friends a short ride down Lake Shore Drive to encourage my better half to ride pillion. A couple of sweet spots headin’ down “from Hollywood with water on the drivin’ side…”
Acknowledgments to Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah
Posted in Chicago, Gals, Music |
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October 26, 2013
Sixties duo of the moment Sonny & Cher were the darlings of love; a clean cut reaction and sober reaction to the acid dazed counterculture. TV acting a politics ensued but that’s another story not to be covered here…. However Mr Bono likes to look cool, especially when not wearing his sheepskin vest… .. Go on kick ‘er over lad!
Watch out for any trees Sonny!
Posted in Music, Triumph Bonneville |
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October 25, 2013
End o’ another week and the weekend is upoan us. So hae a braw time whurever ye are!
A pair o’ lassies on a wee Triumph Cubbie motorbike. Dinnae get yer kilt snagged an thae sprockets!
Posted in Gals, Triumph Cub |
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October 24, 2013
A combination chairs occupant needs a captain to travel and explore the highway ahead: and I have The Best! It’s our fifteenth anniversary today and we’re enjoying our ‘motorcycle and sidecar’ trip of life.. miles and miles behind and so many more ahead.
Posted in Sidecar, Triumph Motorcycle |
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October 23, 2013
We’ve covered The White Helmets display team before: those finely balanced or overladen Triumph riders of the Royal Corps of Signals. Here a few more vintage images of early thrillery . . .
Remember these are motos from the thirties so are lacking in oomph by modern standards (or even 70’s Triumph power) as well as being heavier machines… So some of these exploits need a certain level of daredevil slant.
Flying over the cars to show off gravity defying deeds too.
The wheel swap is a classic though- here caught mid heave. Keep ‘er steady capt’n!
All good stuff but the lads and lasses of The ‘ Signals still keep up their duty at the sharp end of military worldwide action setting up and maintaining critical telecommunications. Usually first in.
Here a pair hare across a Mideast desert…
Posted in Military, Photography |
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October 22, 2013
How to haul a pair of dirt bikes seventies style…Mk III Ford Cortina.
The Kawasaki’s are ready for rural green lane shenanigans. Might need some heavier rear shocks there Harry!
Growing up my pa had a yellow Mk 3. Banana yellow at that! I remember the center console eight-track playing a Simon & Garfunkel cartridge.
Posted in Cars, Kawasaki |
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October 20, 2013
Autumn weather can be questionable at times… Especially when trying to grab a late season ride. A mix of gray skies, spitting rain with an occasional breath of pale sun followed our short ride north this afternoon.
The bikes were raring to go too; seen here whilst we stop for a warming pumpkin spice latte.
Smiles abound with fall color’d roads though!
Posted in Chicago, Photography, Triumph Bonneville |
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October 19, 2013
Versatile Green Kawasaki: out and about in the South Side this travel worthy Kwak appealed to my senses. Its their middleweight parallel twin 650 with a good upright stance ready for the open road. This owner has added suitable panniers and top box for toting ‘stuff’.
Tall windscreen; big lights, twin disc front stoppers, engine guard, knuckle protectors: just needs a tankful and a tariff destination.
Its actually a nice modern iteration of the Triumph 650 Trophy of the early seventies. Or indeed the short lived, but undersung Triumph TR5T. 500cc trailie
The name Versys is a portmanteau of Versatile System: good name! Eight grand and she’s yours! Not bad!
Posted in Kawasaki, Triumph Motorcycle |
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October 18, 2013
“Gemacht in Großbritannien” as they spracht in Dusseldorf…
Photography by Tanya Chalkin
Scrambler by Triumph
Posted in Gals, Photography, Triumph Motorcycle |
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October 17, 2013
The leeward side of hump-day: given great prominence in Norse mythology to the God of Thunder – Thor. Comic book giants Stan Lee & Jack Kirby saw him and his Hammer Mjolnir, as a superb character created in 1962 to illustrate in their Marvel publications. Blonde locks, bulging biceps, strength beyond ken. You didn’t stand in his way!
So why would to take him on in a feat of strength? This biker thinks he can try this on – it’ll end in tears – on what looks like an early BSA Lightning unit twin itself the sportiest ride of the day.
Side note: the recent Movies Thor as well as The Avengers is played by Chris Hemsworth (recently seen as James Hunt in Rush)
He also knows what a cool moto is: Triumph. Here looking moody on a 60’s bobb’d bike.
Posted in BSA, Motorcycle Art, Superhero |
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October 16, 2013
A seemingly endless collection of classic Triumphs has just been revealed by US collector Robert Sullivan representing a near-perfect history of the British marque’s Meriden production.
The 98-strong fleet contains 26 variants of the TR6 Trophy, 43 different models of the T120 Bonneville; and covers models from every production year between 1936 and 1972.
Built up over the past 21 years it contains a bevy of both original and rare models, including the Tiger, Speed Twin, Trophy and Bonneville.
The collection is recorded in the book: “Ultimate Triumph Collection: One Mans Obsession” Wolfgang Publications.
I wouldn’t know where to start looking… ’57 Thunderbird, ’68 Bonnie….. Or which one to ride!
Posted in Book, History, Triumph Motorcycle |
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October 15, 2013
…motorcycles!
A graphic going around shows this classic diamond warning to car drivers… However the original has a naff bike without rider. I updated it to give it life.
A cafe’d Matchless CSR twin under speed with determined rider was necessary.
Posted in Graphics |
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October 14, 2013
The Triumph moto of the day was a 500cc single with three speed belt drive 3 1/2 HP and simple bicycle based frame geometry.
TT for Tourist Trophy as well as Trusty Triumph…
Posted in Graphics, Triumph Motorcycle, Vintage |
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