Author Archive

July 6, 2020

Ride on boyo!

Smiling Hound

– Welsh singer actor Lee Evans promoting a thirties vibe in sheepskin lined belted leather coat, tall engineer boots, and over the shoulder napsack. The Vincent Comet is a suitable motorcycle prop for the magazine shoot. The vintage backdrop adds a perfect foil.

July 5, 2020

Selfie

Quayside

– a fun rear camera shot of the two of us on the harbor front. Lake Michigan stirring in a light odorous chop with a cooling air drifted over the freshwater to us.

July 4, 2020

Independence

Fourth Seven

– lovely ride up to Winthrop Harbor this evening . Quiet roads with few cars and perfect temperatures.

July 2, 2020

John ‘n’ Tom

One man and his cat

– wonderful imagined future of the mischievous Calvin and his sardonic pet tiger Hobbes on an adventurous escapade. The flights of fancy Calvins imagination drew the pair of them into are legendary in Bill Watterson’s strip published in worldwide newspapers between 1985 and 1995.

July 1, 2020

Technical Lines

Rotring

– some nice old engineering elevations and plans of a few of the cars built by Triumph in the seventies. I can envision the rows of draughting tables with sheets of vellum and tall stools.

June 30, 2020

Tiger

Calvin & Hobbes

– Everyone needs a friend in a Tiger.

June 29, 2020

The Road Beckons…

Out Ridin’

June 28, 2020

Beacon for Shipping

Lighthouse Keeper

Nice summer ride up along the Lake into Wisconsin and a stop off at Kenosha Harbor. A still water stirred by the occasional fishing boat or pleasure craft. New (to me) Aerostich jacket worked admirably in the upper 70’s temperatures.

June 27, 2020

GS Hunter

Tiger Trail

At about the same time BMW was introducing the Gelände/Straße GS range Triumph was grasping a straws during its business death throes. One model that hinted of what was to come was a slightly modified 750 Tiger named the Trail. 21” front wheel, single seat, high pipe, off road gearing. You can nearly see the looks of latter model Tigers in its DNA. Growing up I always loved the look of the dirt oriented front fender.

June 26, 2020

Waterfall

Girl on a Bike

Another motorcycle blogger is Vanessa Ruck who enjoys extolling the virtues of two-wheel travel. Particularly with an adventure bike such as the impeccable Tiger.

https://thegirlonabike.com/

June 25, 2020

35mm

Abode of the Gods

News yesterday was that the Olympus Corporation are getting out of the camera business. With the advent of ever increasing resolution and features on smart phones standalone digital photography can’t compete. So, like the advancement from film to digital, we’re starting to see the progression away from traditional photographic equipment. I still have a fridge drawer full of Ilford HP5, Fujichrome, Kodak Ektachrome… perhaps I should pick up a trusty OM-1 for old tunes sake.

Well, as George said “All things must pass”

June 24, 2020

Whatever you do, don’t call the cops…

Shakedown

Robocop actor Peter Weller celebrates his 73rd birthday today. Here he is riding pillion with Sam Elliott in another law and crime movie. Weller portrays an idealistic lawyer who teams with a veteran cop to find out the truth in a possible police corruption scandal.

June 23, 2020

What is one to do?

Ride. Ride!

Head down the road. Aim for the horizon. Take your wits, your sense of exploration and a heady dose of adventure to venture out into the yonder.

June 22, 2020

Time

Amazon deal

Picked up this great reference book of Triumph motorcycles from the last eighty odd years. All models and variations discussed in depth from the legendary Meriden examples to the current Hinckley offerings. Lots of photos and masses of written information.

The Complete Book of Classic and Modern Triumph Motorcycles 1937-Today https://www.amazon.com/dp/0760366012/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_EIw8EbMGGRAH3

June 21, 2020

Paw Broon

Generational Learning

Early memories are being shown by my father how to accomplish dexterous tasks such as repairing a flat, wiring a plug, hammering a nail or drilling a hole. It gave me the confident enthusiasm to take on tasks needing a mechanical ken or practical gumption.