Get Down Shep! – Part of my youth was a biweekly watching of the children’s BBC show Blue Peter. Where the presenters got up to all sorts of studio or outdoors hi-jinx. One of the most popular was John Noakes who was on the show for a record 12 years. He Was never without his sidekick , border collie, Shep. Sadly John passed away yesterday at the age of 83. Here’s screenshots of his 1980’s show Go with Noakes where he tried his hand at trials riding across the grassy moors of the Isle of Man.
May 30, 2017
Here’s one I made earlier
May 25, 2017
Mostly Harmless
Towel Day – like the typical journey on a motorcycle; roving intergalactic travel, or even just getting through day to day life, the trip can meander quite wanderingly with little regard to the one traveling. Sometimes you just need to pack your towel, possess the all knowledgeable Hitchhiker ‘s Guide to the Galaxy, and perhaps slip a Babelfish in your ear, and head out into the wide yonder. You never know where it might take you.. indeed you may be pleasantly surprised! Towel Day is celebrated on 25th May, two weeks after the passing of Douglas Adams in 2001.
May 23, 2017
Let’s raise an eyebrow
Bond, James Bond. Sir Roger Moore (1927-2017) . Known around the globe as Ian Fleming’s spy he played that role for 7 films. As well as the cars and ladies he was also seen occasionally on two wheels. Other dashing roles he portrayed nincluded Ivanhoe, Beau Maverick, Simon Templar, and one of the Persuaders (the other being Tony Curtis).
May 12, 2017
Nikon ready
Furious Filly – in the grounds of some manor house a glamorous gal shows off her pair of go-go boots. Her pew is the unrealized Triumph Bandit, also known as the BSA Fury, a 350 contender for a mid-sized ton-capable machine planned to go against Honda’s three fifties. Alas, not to be. Though it makes good modeling props…
May 10, 2017
Weekend Goals
Midweek Blues – wish I was out on the road taking the Bonnie for a spin. Busy work means I need to wait until the weekend to get some wind to blow the old cobwebs out.
May 4, 2017
“Look sir, moto’s.”
These aren’t the bikes you’re looking for. Here’s trooper TR-595 aboard his Speed Triple on an Empries errand. Today is Intergalactic Star Wars Day ‘May the Fourth”.
May 3, 2017
The Bee’s Knee’s
Blood of Life – this gorgeous lively Norton Commando turned up on the ever fruitful interweb. It’s a smasher! Enough suitable upgrades to make it a very useable tool on today’s roads.
April 25, 2017
Two-Wheeled Philosophy
Zen & Now – one of most seminal books to some out of the seventies Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (1974) by Robert M. Pirsig became the “On The Road”of its Day. Written as an odyssey of the mind and the search for inner balance it uses a real journey with his son on a Honda CB77 Superhawk 305 from Minnesota to San Francisco. Pirsig, who died yesterday aged 88, sought the metaphysics of Quality, and questioned “what is good?” The motorcycle is the ideal forum for this exploration; be it a vintage cycle or newer moto.
April 16, 2017
850 Commando
Norton – My earliest memories of motorcycles was seeing these big beautiful machines roaring around the roads. The golden bagde quiff’d across the ebony tank and the perfectly balanced assemblage of parts are burned in my mind as the ideal motorcycle.
April 12, 2017
Cinq Moto
50-59-68-72-06-16 Five of the Best. From Ed Turners Speed Twin, through the original Bonneville’s of the late fifties, sixties, and early seventies; to the New Century Bonnie’s right up to the latest Twins. 500cc’s up to 1200.
April 8, 2017
Trishula Triumph
Black Dog – Neptunes spear was the Trident; also the sharp stick used by Triumph to win a bevy of races in the late sixties… it’s also the possible next project for Geordie Biker Workshop. I saw this one at Morries Place as a suggestion from Ed Zender. Nice powerful three cylinder tool… a seed is sown!
“Trishula” is Sanskrit for trident and was the weapon of Shiva.
April 3, 2017
B&W Dude
Straddled Strider – Proud owner and his cafe’d Triumph. Nice monochrome portrait perfect narrow depth of field and crisp focusing of subject. It looks like my bike, with big tank, however the twin disc forks and bum-stop seat are added extras.
April 2, 2017
Citrus Cycle
X-75 Redux – Here’s a good looking beast: a nineties 900 triple revisioned in the punchy orange and yellow color scheme used by Craig Vetter on the mud seventies 750 Trident.
March 30, 2017
Thursday Ride
Mœbius- famed French comic book artist Jean Giraud had an impeccable hand for vivid graphic illustration. Mostly futuristic in vision his imagination stoked the creative minds behind Alien, The Empire Strikes Back, and Blade Runner. Here his moto related style shows off his line, use of color, and balance of the everyday with fantasy. I like how he shows the literbike slightly off the ground to define speed . .ROARRRr!
March 28, 2017
Totally Negative
Motorcycle Land Art – ‘Circular Planar Displacement Drawing’ is a piece of large scale art made by Michael Heizer on a dry Nevada lake in 1970. The artist rode a motorcycle in circles allowing the tires to gouge their mark in the dirt.
