– Moon River fender fix. The fine dust kicks up under spirited acceleration as the Apollo 17 astronauts venture up the slope of Taurus-Littrow valley in search of geological samples. Gene Cernan and Harrison Schmidt were the last people to venture past low earth orbit nearly 48 years ago. A damaged fender was repaired by taping moon maps together and clamping them across the mesh tires.
– on our return drive from a weekend away we stopped at the hipster town of Three Oaks MI. In one of the dusty window displays at an old hardware store stands a couple of vintage bikes. A 750cc Triumph Bonneville and a Norton Commando. I’ll have a 1/2lb bag of 6d nails please!
swim out and meet the bloody thing!” Barry Sheene (1950-2003) He would have been 70 yesterday.
– on this day in 1979 a NASA probe became the first to encounter Saturn and its impressive rings. A gold anodized aluminum plaque designed by Carl Sagan, was attached to the robots body in case in some distant future should it be intercepted by some alien intelligence its graphics may explain its origins. We’ll be long gone by then… but at least in some far flung corner a little hint of our existence will be drifting about.
Early seventies chopper with hard tailed chassis supporting a banana seat and bent rebar sissy.
A young Bruce Springsteen captures the hearts of a disillusioned working class America with his music in the seventies. Lyrics that resonated and a beat that was alive. He rode motorcycles to escape the familiar and explore a country seemingly on the brink.
– Tonka Motorcycles in British Columbia used this period image for their catalogue of custom parts.
– Actor Robert Shaw taking a spin around the fishing village of Meneshma on Martha’s Vineyard which stood in for the salty fictional island location. He’s probably got a couple of bottles of scotch in the handlebar basket for an evening booze session with the locals.
– 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.
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.
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”
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
Madeline Smith & Nicky Henson taking a break from filming the 70’s comedic version of the 18th Century Henry Fielding classic novel. I don’t think the Norton motorcycle is period accurate…
The first time we were introduced to Joe Dredd. He was storming out of the comic page on his Lawmaster. 2000ad 26th February 1977
Not tobacco my friend; but a fine desert sled with a pair of rumbling exhaust pipes sat like an organs middle C. Pull all the stops out and hear it roar! ‘72 Triumph TR6
