September 23, 2013
The secrets out! Guy Martin has been seen taking to the dirt with the track racing supremo Valentino Rossi at his private supermotard track near his hone village Tavullia along with supermoto champ Thomas Chareyre. It was all a planned photo-op from the makers of fine leather racewear Dainese of course but nonetheless seeing greats having a blast on a dusty track is a fine thing.




Now let’s see Rossi on The Mountain Course…
…there ‘e is giving the race fans something to cheer about! #46 on his way through Whitegates heading to the hairpin.

Chance for a cuppa later chief eh?

http://youtu.be/3tjI3v58OR8
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September 22, 2013
An undoubted strong team effort from team Suzuki but given it’s Guy’s first foray into endurance racing coming second is indeed a worthy result.

An after race interview sees him knackered looking by jubilant and celebrating the obvious talent of his team.

Official Results –
1st: Kawasaki team of Grégory Leblanc, Fabien Foret and Nicolas Salchaud brilliantly won the 36th edition of Le Mans 24 Hours in 2013.
2nd: Suzuki No. 2 Team R2CL Guy Martin, Dylan Bush and Gwen Giabbani
3rd: Yamaha No. 94 Yahama France – GMT94 – Michelin Yamalube led by David Checa, Kenny Foray and Matthieu Lagrive

A well deserved cup o’ tea now lad!
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September 21, 2013
A truly evocative image of one Jim Kanka putting his Triumph 650 through its paces at the South London venue in 1971.

Crystal Palace is where I learned to ride motorcycles. It was a little Suzuki 125cc that I tore around the stadium grounds and eventual streets of Beckenham, Penge and Sidcup.

Wonderful period poster promoting the suburban speed events. The Palace was a noted venue in the race calendar for two and four wheels alike.

The circuit was used from 1927 until ’72. The final year seeing an average lap record of 103.39 mph set by Mike Hailwood.
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September 20, 2013
Comic art is one of my favorites: especially garish but graphic 70’s work. Here’s a Marvel offering much in the light of the material I grew up with such as 2000ad and Action. – Silver Jubilee celebration! Classic!

I love the rider heading towards you out of the page in true Stan Lee exaggerated dynamic fashion. You see this format elsewhere…

My favorite of all is the Judge Dress cover by Mike McMahon of a Lawmaster riding JD heading into the Cursed Earth… Drokk!

Pen and Ink wizard Brian Bolland used this perspective to good use back then also.

As Tharg would say: Zarjaz!
Posted in Graphics, Motorcycle Art, Superhero |
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September 19, 2013
As our cheeky chappie from the flats of Lincolnshire would say upon arrival to the historic racing town of Le Mans this coming weekend! He’s joining team Suzuki R2CL on the 24 hour endurance event. Trying to get speedy saddle time under his belt!

In his own words: “Top job boy! … to get a chance to do some World Endurance racing down in France is mega. It’s something I always believed would be beneficial and a lot more interesting for me than general short circuit stuff. I’m mega-chuffed and the drive to France should be a decent road trip.”

There ain’t no drystone walls inches from your speeding faceshield; but it’ll get dark before long…

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September 18, 2013
Glemseck! It’s the now annual sprint race on an old race track straight over 1/8 mile (or 200 metres in metric!) For roadworthy cafe racers. Up to three cylinders must be under 1000cc’s and four’s under 750cc. Held near Stuttgart it attracts all sorts from across the Eurozone including wor laddie Guy Martin.

The chromed tubular Manfred Rau street fighter frame gives his machine a ‘meant’ attitude.

Rau in German means ‘ruffian’; seems appropriate!
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September 17, 2013
In the throes of engine component clean, inspect, degrease, polish, measure… I need these images of assembled engines for inspiration… They look like a neat little package in this condition.. A far cry for the boxes of baggies each zip-locked and sharpie noted.

…still on the lookout for a 40 over piston…

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September 16, 2013
William H. Macy played the hapless Jerry Lundegaard in the wonderful Coen brothers film Fargo. He carried his character from bad to worse during a bungled kidnap of his wife to acquire ransom money from his father in law. Frances McDormand is the wonderful Minnesotan pregnant police chief following the case across the cold snowy wastes of the North Star State. However, here’s Bill on a sparkly Triumph Bonneville: looking a lot better than he did in the movie Wild Hogs (the less said about that little ‘gem’ the better!).

Thumbs up indeed ey! Enjoyin’ da ride dontcha no.

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September 15, 2013
These four motorcycles were sat at one corner of the car show: somewhat eclipsed by the British cars on display but in their own right can stand alone as classic vehicles of blighty. The first is a wonderfully sorted Triton, combination of Norton featherbed frame and Triumph pre-unit motor. The big Manx tank and clip-ons hints at both marques racing history.

Here’s a clean Norton Commando, great roadster of the seventies.

A contemporary Triumph next, this one a Thruxton… A machine within my reach: perhaps some day!

Lastly, but NOT leastly, the sublime Vincent Black Lightning 1953. Words escape me when looking upon motorcycle perfection… So let’s just look…

Posted in Norton, Photography, Triumph Motorcycle, Vincent |
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September 14, 2013
With numerous marques, models and mechanicals to be seen at last weekends car show I’ll conclude the week with a collage of images for your perusal.

The eyes have it…
Top: MG MGA Le Mans
Middle: Aston Martin DB5
Bottom: Austin Healey 100

The Devil’s in the Details…
Clockwise from top right
Nash Metropolitan hood ornament
Ford Cortina Lotus
Rolls Royce Phanto II Continental
Jaguar XK120
Morgan Plus 8
Jensen 541
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September 13, 2013
On its release Enzo Ferrari called the E-Type “the most beautiful car ever made”. Many agree; me too. Its shape is one of pure perfection from all angles, all the curves flow as one in sinuous beauty.

Its aeronautical inspired streamlining derive from the eye of Malcolm Sayer 1916-1970 who’s vision derived to fine style the C, D and E Types as well as the godly XJ13 and XJS. Aircraft design borne principles were utilized to magnificent effect on the roads and race tracks of England.

A 4.2l powerplant could take a leadfoot from zero to sixty in about seven seconds topping out at a ton and a half with the 265bhp under that l-o-n-g bonnet (on a good day, with a factory fettled car).

Like the Spitfire the entire front end flipped up for adequate access to the inline six and its triplet of carburettors.
Swallow Sidecars was the original name of Jaguar cars before the war however the initials SS had different connotations after then so a 30’s model name was chosen for the new company brand. A cat was a good choice!
The Amazon? That’ll be 36D-22-36 to you sonny Jim; Norma Jean to the world.

The E-Type arrived in ’61, M.M. left us in ’62… Do you believe in reincarnation?

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September 13, 2013
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September 12, 2013
The seventies saw some garish color schemes in cars; none more so than witnessed in this Triumph Spitfire… However its speedy profile can be seen even with the open hood; a hood that flips up with the fenders giving great access to the engine area.


The fairly simple 4 speed 1.3l shown here with an immaculate example was fed with a pair of carburettors. With about 75 bhp on tap and the light frame these were nippy cars.

Teal: great color choice! And of course wire wheels were an obvious option.

Of course being a British car a well tool’d kit is required for those side-of-the-road fixes that you’d no doubt have at some point or another.

This is the trunk of an early TR3. The sharp end? Well another fine example of clean engine restoration and care. Ten out of ten. Gorgeous!

A pure white mark II has a cracking line to it too. Goggles, gloves and silk scarf de rigeur for the pilot here!

Currently my favorite Triumph car is the TR6. A bit more muscle with the 2.5l inline 6 and 150 ponies in the fuel injected home model (the US got 104bhp with a detuned carbureted engine.) And, the cockpit view ain’t that bad either. Well I probably won’t be able to afford a Porsche neunelfer but a nice clean TR6 with a few mods would suit me nicely thank you very much!


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September 11, 2013
Formed in 1924 by Cecil Kimber the British roads were introduced to the rort of the sporty two seaters by MG.

Long elegant lines, a roadster for the A and B road driver. Soft top up for drizzly weather or down to get a bit of wind through your feathers.

The long bonnet, sweeping fenders and sleek appearance look like a greyhound ready to pounce down the track.

You can strap a basket on the back to go further afield. A trip to the Cote d’Azur? Via the Alps of course! There were small cars too, the Midget; starting life as a basic roadster with a diminutive engine..


However, the sixties came and a new model was sought: the MGB which would see a fairly good run over two decades of sales. Even through the bleak British Car industry demise of the seventies; however that debacle would cause the end of that run.

That pale yellow color is pure English. Even bright under a gloomy blighty sky, with a hint of rain in the forecast. The spoked wheels with knock-off hub nut will sparkly at speed, a chrome bumper rounds of a neat package. However with a half-life of Three years in the British climate you had to enjoy it quickly.

If you didn’t want yellow or British Racing Green then orange, red or orangy red were good choices. The view from the cockpit ain’t bad either. Smiths clocks behind a smooth steering wheel, though a touch of walnut would be nice…

As time wore on a few revisions had to be made to meet certain highway regulations; one was the front bumper, it was changed to a bulky black plastic fender. These models gained the nickname Sabrina after a certain well endowed actress

Norma Ann Sykes aka Sabrina

However let’s enjoy the MG in all its glory…

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September 10, 2013
The Mini: surely Issigonis’ shining gem. And what a diamond it is too. Where the version 2.0 from the good folks at BMW has gone from strength to strength the original is a hard one to beat! Wide wheelbase with smaller wheels on the corners of a shorter chassis and that Series A Morris engine turned sideways, the smaller and very functional proportions with good handling were apparent from the get-go.

It went on to be as iconic as The Beatles in the sixties; a swingin’ time for all. The roof was oft emblazoned with the union flag. Front spots reinforced the round-eye headlights and aided nighttime driving as well as celebrated the sweeping victories of several Monte Carlo rallies through the sixties (until the French changes the rules citing uncompetitive lighting…).

Like the Morris Minor of yesterdays notes, the Mini also came in variations, a small van, the wood framed Countryman… “Ouch! You’ll gi’ yersel’ a spelk wi’ that boot youth!”

Also available was the Jeep like Mini Moke, and the sportier engines Cooper S. Racer of both two and four wheels, John Coopers collaboration with BMC to produce a highly competitive performance motor car.

The best view of a Mini! Behind its go-cart handling wheel, centrally located speedo and 360° all round clear view. One of the cars I learned to drive in was a latter model Cooper, a racing green late 80’s model. One of the best cars I ever drove.
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