March 1, 2013
Not the Ace of Bass but the punks punk. Malcolm MacLarens enfant terrible Sid Vicious seen here with his leather jacket and lip turned scowl hoofing along a London street seemingly atop a Honda.
Well here’s how it’s done! A strapped down Moto on a flatbed trailer… Well how else can a brazen youth barely out of his teenage angst bare his skinny pale chest and sip his beer.
As the story unfolded his spirally punk lifestyle caught up with him in a New York gaff. Nancy Spungen found an untimely demise with a single stab wound and Sid ended up on Riker’s Island. Out on bail in early ’77 he was found dead of a heroin overdose a few days later.
His final written words were apparently: “Bury me in my leather jacket, jeans and motorcycle boots. Goodbye.”
I wonder… “My Way” indeed.
Posted in 70's, Honda, Music, Uncategorized |
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February 26, 2013
To celebrate The Man in Blacks birthday here’s a very little known film that Johnny Cash wrote the soundtrack for (along with Carl Perkins and Bob Dylan). It starred Robert Redford as a happy-go-lucky racer, Big Halsy Knox, who chases the adventures offered of both track and ‘field’; he takes on a mechanic sidekick, Little Fauss, who looks up to him, and true a early 70’s buddy movie ensues.
There are allegiances made and broken; a love interest, in the form of a drop-out muse played by Lauren Hutton, as the fabulously named Rita Nebraska; and of course super racing cinematography both on-board and track-side.
But Cash’s droll voice powers through with his balladeers songs.
Rollin’ Free
Ballad of Little Fauss and Big Halsy
Happy Birthday Johnny!
Posted in 70's, Film and TV, Music, Racing |
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February 20, 2013
I titled yesterday’s blog about Aldana’s leathers and omitted an image of them! Well here he is in all his skeletal glory!
Not only a set of deathly leathers but sitting atop a big Yoshimura tuned Kawasaki Zed at Daytona.
More shots of him in action steering the big lad into corners…
These are the days of the early superbikes which, with nary a nod to the rider would spit them off if pushed too far. The engines were ahead of the frames so racing them meant nerves of steel and the skill of a rodeo cowboy. No wonder he could wear a Superman outfit when haring around a dirt oval sideways…
Well, let’s get back on track, so to speak, he still races, albeit in a senior class, and here’s a shot of him aboard a latter day Triumph Daytona 675 at a Mid Ohio race. Smooth as silk.
Legend!
Posted in 70's, Kawasaki, Racing |
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February 19, 2013
That means it’s Dave Aldana time! Racing with the best of ’em back in the seventies on the AMA Grand National Championship. An exuberant and daring style combined with a showy attire garnered him fame and success in a wide range of motorcycle races: flat track oval, speedway, motocross or road racing.
Starting out as a newcomer for the BSA team with the likes of Dick Mann, he cut his teeth on the big Rocket 3 triple; the British Superbike of its day.
Here’s a super line-up L-R: Jim Rice, Dave Aldana, Dick Mann then Mike Hailwood, and Don Emde all making up the ‘Wrecking Crew’. Then Mert Lawwill.
He went on to race smashing looking Norton’s both on dirt…
…or the road (track) the lovely John Player Norton. Truly sublime.
Here he is in good form on that Birmingham Twin. Classic Racing.
To be continued…
Posted in 70's, BSA, Norton, Racing |
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January 31, 2013
“I am the Nightrider. I’m a fuel injected suicide machine. I am the rocker, I am the roller, I am the out-of-controller!”
One of my favourite biker films is Mad Max: the fast riding scenes around the quiet narrow lanes of rural Australia, under gloomy grey skies, can quicken any moto-maniacs heart. The Toecutter (R: Hugh Keayes-Byrne) is the excellent psychopathic leader; with an appropriately cool right-hand-man, Bubba Zanetti (L: Geoff Parry). 14 Kawasaki’s K1000’s were used to full effect by the crazed gang only being chased down by Max’s 351 Ford XB Falcon with a whining blower. Or the Goose’s MFP Bike…
“Jimmy the Goose, larger than life and twice as ugly!”
“It’s that rat circus out there, I’m beginning to enjoy it. Look, any longer out on that road and I’m one of them, a terminal psychotic, except that I’ve got this bronze badge that says that I’m one of the good guys.”
There’s also a new Mad max film coming out soon, Tom Hardy playing the titular role; hopefully it’ll live up to this early classic venture. I’ll revisit this one again though… those big Zed’s are a powerful good moto!
Posted in 70's, Cars, Film and TV, Kawasaki |
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January 19, 2013
Real life action for boys: a Royal Signal Corps rider bursts through the cover amidst a ring of fire. We’ve covered them before in this blog but I love the period appearance of this magazine. It was the end of old money 1s6d is the new 7 1/2pence.
Posted in 70's, Military, Motorcycle Art |
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January 17, 2013
Mountains and Motorcycle: this just cropped up on the Interweb of late. A short film from National Geographic in 1976 filmed quite expertly by Yvon Chouinard. It shows John Cunningham riding across the moors and glens of the Highlands towards an icy escapade on the big bad Ben Nevis.
It’s tricky to see the model but it’s a Triumph with pre-unit engine. But the clip-ons, big tank, and able handling on the single lane roads show a serious rider. His wooly had is tied on with string… No lid for this jock; he’s ‘ard!
He even catches the Ballachullish ferry across Loch Leven. The Bens of Lochaber loom behind. He tramps up the slopes to the looming Ben Nevis and heads up at speed over lower snow covered rocks, donning his crampons when the grade gets more serious. A pair of technical ice tools and his front points the only precarious purchase. But a sure placement of all makes this movement look all too easy.
After storming up to the summit he descends at a knee-popping pace back to the Triumph and torts off to the nearest ‘establishment’ to enjoy a warming dram or two and most likely a noisesome céilidh.
John Cunningham on Ben Nevis
Posted in 70's, Film and TV, Travel |
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January 16, 2013
Earlier this week I managed to watch the new Dredd movie outing: this one with the appropriately stoney faced Karl Urban (Eomer of LotR) as the man with the badge. It was a grim, ultraviolent tale of a dystopian future Mega City with a population on the edge. They kept the story tight to limit the characters background explanations; concentrating the story on a City-Block drug bust. There was some good Lawmaster riding action on the streets too: his single sided swingarm ride could chase down the worst of ’em. One aspect of the film was the use of Carlos Ezquerra’s original vision of JD, a lean, mean lawman who isn’t to be messed with. No eagle shoulder patch, but that seemed kinda superfluous anyway. Cassie Anderson as a rookie on her street assessment added good depth; especially with her psychic abilities.
Great Stuff!
Posted in 70's, Film and TV, Motorcycle Art, Superhero, Uncategorized |
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January 13, 2013
I had change from my ten pence for a black-jack, a kola-cube and a sherbet filled flying saucer. But I got the latest edition of Action! This week’s edition included a story based on a UK where adults have all been wiped out leaving everyone under the age of 18 in charge of their destinies. Lord of the Flies meets Grange Hill (the early years). There was a lot of yob culture represented in the anarchy.
So the motorcycle was used as gang ‘steeds’, the hog riders running over the opposing groups, ransacking territory, cracking skulls, quite literally. The newspapers, Esther Rantzen and other wardens of cotton wool had a field day!
How did they get away with this? Boys aged between 8 and 15 were craving this each week! And it’s not putting a good face to bikers either.
Petrol bombs, and other terrorist methods were illustrated each week. This story was the nail in the coffin for Action; they’d stepped over the line – reflecting a world out of control; inner city schools were scary enough, but without authority to contain, the result was carnage.
Great illustration by Mike White of what looks like a Triumph in darkened silhouette as the rider is run-down by a transit van. Obviously kids: don’t try this at home!
Posted in 70's, Motorcycle Art, Uncategorized |
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January 12, 2013
Before 2000AD, the sci-fi comic which has starred the iconic Judge Dredd since 1977, there was a short lived publication called Action. It was written for the male UK youth of the day; pre-punk, mid-Labour meltdown, post 60’s pop. An aggressive line up of killer sharks, football hooligans, anarchy on the streets; it only lasted 36 editions before it was shut down for its ultra-violent content. It mimicked what movies of the day portrayed: Jaws, Rollerball, Dirty Harry to name a few. It did however cut the teeth of writers and illustrators who went on to great effect in 2000AD: sub-editor Steve MacManus (who became Tharg the Mighty during that titles ‘golden era’ in the eighties), writers John Wagner and Pat Mills, and the fantastic penmanship of the likes of Carlos Ezquerra (who devised the appearance of Joe Dredd) and Dave Gibbons (the artist for Alan Moore’s Watchmen).
Digging through the numerous stories motorcycles take a leading role in the action: one classic story is Death Game 1999. A futuristic ice-hockey/pinball mix played with motorcycle riding convicts. The body count was the spectators interest, not the score. One final episode covered blatant violent artwork with a large BA-ROOM. (what makes a sound “ba-room?”). Cinders, tire studs and speed: that’s Action. Massimo Belardinelli’s artwork is too sublime to censor with letter-noise.
This was an obvious precursor to Harlem Heroes and it’s spinoff Inferno; itself heading down the violence-game route a few years later. I’ve covered these here.
More tomorrow! Only 7p at your newsagent!
Posted in 70's, Motorcycle Art |
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January 8, 2013
The great Ziggy Stardust of Martian Spiders fame is 66 today! That’s right David Jones, aka David Bowie has a birthday celebration today so we’ll see how the sad clown fits into the moto-world… For starters he IS the sound of the 70’s defining a look and music that moulded the next generation, or two, or three, in a refreshing style of glam, punk, funk, soul and rock all together and all alone. His alter ego persona over the decade would allow him to reinvent his ideas, always staying a step or two ahead of everyone else.
Here’s a super image from his early career, sitting around with Lou Reed & Mick Jagger, while Lulu looks on (she is of course a Lawrie so there’s a family connection somewhere!)
Of course he has so much to look back on with his 66 years; here he is as the titular Thomas Jerome Newton in The Man Who Fell to Earth.
Posted in 70's, Music |
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January 7, 2013
Engineering Balance: a simple composition of engine, tank, exhaust & carb. This is the original appearance of the early 70’s Bonnie. Mustard yellow is a particular taste but good for its era.
Go Triumph! go!
Posted in 70's, Motorcycle Art, Triumph Bonneville |
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January 3, 2013
I forgot to post this last year when all of the Diamond Jubilation hullaballoo was going on… well here it is: the original silver celebration Triumph. A limited edition red, white (well silver really) and blue seven fifty Bonnie. That’s Ma’am as in jam, not as in farm… or so they say!
“I should like to be a horse” Elizabeth Windsor
Posted in 70's, Motorcycle Poster, Triumph Bonneville |
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December 28, 2012
Assembly Required: here are a few evocative shots of the Meriden factory line where the 750’s are being built. The last embers of a decades long industry. A tough time for the strong British manufacturers; cars and bikes alike.
Elbow grease and graft. Making products that go around the globe.
Posted in 70's, Photography, Triumph Motorcycle |
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December 27, 2012
The day after Christmas is of course the observed holiday for tradesmen, service personnel and other workers of the world (well in some Commonwealth related countries). The day after that is all back to business for the grafters… Here are two nearly identical photos of a Triumph assembly line 3 decades apart; one lad is working on a 750 on a Meriden Co-op line, the other a beefy Thunderbird 1600 of more recent manufacture.
Factory life is an interesting aspect to review especially related to the British motorcycle industry. Next few days we’ll investigate.
Posted in 70's, Maintenance, Triumph Motorcycle |
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