Calvin & Hobbes – my favorite comic strip of ALL time is the wonderful adventures of a boy and his tiger. The world needs more insights of a curious six year old and his feline companion.
October 28, 2018
All I wanna do is…
I want to ride my bicycle- So goes the Queen song from their ’78 LP Jazz. Well, about that time riding your bike was the best thing to do! I had a couple of Raleigh’s, a chopper, a racer and friends who had BMX’s and other kinds of two-wheeled fun. Top Left is the king of kid cool: The Chopper, long seat, ape bars, three speed gear changing with central stick. Wobbly to ride by who cares! Top Center: The Grifter, heavy off road looking monster, precursor to the Bicycle Moto X of a later date. It’s rear hub made a distinctive clickety sound. Top Right: The Bomber, another weighty dreadnaught of a bike. It’s lines were driven from the US stumpjumpers being ridden in the Rockies and copied by youth sticking cow horn handlebars on their roadsters. Lower Left: The Arena, a road bike for speed, with true derailleur gearing, narrow seat and drop bars. Lower Center: BMX Burner, a true BMX offering for dirt tracks where knee and elbow padded racers could swoop berms, hit whoop-de-woos, and soar across tabletops. Lower Right The Maverick: an early iteration of the Mountain Bike craze that we’re still in to this day. It’s knobbly tires were good for muddy roads, cantilever brakes to stop on a dime, 15 gears for any adventure laden trail.
Two Wheels Good!
September 4, 2018
Survivor
The Eye of the Tiger –
“Risin’ up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I’m back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive
So many times, it happens too fast
You trade your passion for glory
Don’t lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive
It’s the eye of the tiger, it’s the thrill of the fight
Risin’ up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he’s watchin’ us all with the eye of the tiger”
August 24, 2018
Magnifying Moto’s
Close-Up – finishing off the week with some choice details of several motorbikes from last weekend. From Arial, Honda, Kawasaki, BMW, to Norton and Triumph. Some original, some personalized; from badges to pinstripes; tank, fairing, frame and fender.
August 16, 2018
Michigan Music Ma’am’s
Like a Prayer- the Queen of Pop reached the age of 60 today. Madonna has spent the last several decades rewriting the lyrical content and reinventing a visual style in the music industry. Here she pouts in true Vogue style with a BSA .
Today also sadly saw the passing of the Queen of Soul Aretha Franklin, whose voice sang across the ages from the social unrest of the Sixties, The Blues Brothers in Reagan’s 80’s, to Obama’s inauguration in 2009. R-E-S-P-E-C-T
July 12, 2018
Silver Dream Racer
Break a Leg! Period post seventies shenanigans as singer David Essex and the late great racing driver James Hunt lad it up on a Triumph T-140. Hunt broke his leg skiing thwarting a possible comeback in 80′ with McLaren.
May 21, 2018
White Lightning
Boon – gravel voiced and surly: that was the typical characters portrayed by Michael Elphick. As retired fireman in this particular role he rode around on a ’68 BSA Lightning in a Lone Ranger like fashion carrying out courier work as well as private eye shenanigans.
May 11, 2018
Two out of Three ain’t Bad
Meatloaf! – for old time sake I picked up this overplayed album from the eighties. Classic and theatrical. Perfect foot stompin’ dashboard slappin’ music when you’re stuck in Friday evening Lake Shore Drive traffic – water on the drivin’ side…
March 21, 2018
The Westland Wet
Tarzan – 1975 July 17th, here we see Shadow Minister for Industry Michael Heseltine peering at what looks like the meager leftovers of a once vibrant motorcycle industry. A two-stroke 125 Norton Villiers Triumph sitting all slick looking with nowhere to go… The setting is the Royal Automobile Club RAC headquarters in Pall Mall. NVT chairman Dennis Poole isn’t amused as he looks on. Heseltine cut a controversial swathe through British politics from the seventies to the millennium under Heath, Thatcher and Major. He could swing a mace too! He’s 85 today.
February 1, 2018
The Gordon Clan
Homage to Loewy- further examples of Alastair Laurie’s ballistic bikes. Sleek machines which practically need a pilots license for sub-orbital flight.
January 31, 2018
a dhà
Special Three – polished to a high speed. Isle of Man custom racer with blown engine from 1981 built by scot Alistair Laurie. Hailing from Dalbeattie, Dumfries in The Borders he took great pains to ensure integrity with lightness and style.
January 8, 2018
It’s a State of Mind
ATGATT – safety information poster from 1983 published by the Ministry of Transport to promote wearing the gear for to ensure protection from the elements as well as any mishap on the road. You can tell this is aimed at the British due to wet weather oriented garb. “Don’t be a bonehead!”
December 20, 2017
Tree
The Original Speed Triple – before Hinckley Triumph rolled out their bruiser 900 naked Speed Triple it was being created by Meriden enthusiasts using the Trident lump at its heart. Here’s Jock Drysdale on his roadgoing machine during, what looks like, a speedy blast through the River Cherwell’s bucolic scenery. He’s dressed for suitably healthy velocities; I think there’s a broad grin under that lid.
December 19, 2017
Jock’s Bike
Banbury Road Racing Nutcase, Ken Drysdale on his Harris Framed 1976 Triumph T160 Trident. This is a serious piece of machinery whose sole purpose is to go quick. Some details gleaned off the interweb about it:
It was the first one Norman Hyde raced in the early 80’s. Geoff Johnson won on its maiden outing to Cadwell Park where it was running at about 1000cc at the time. Ken took possession in 1996. Neil Beadling built a new 930cc engine in 2015: Carrillo con rods; Neil own Nova big-bore barrels & pistons with 9.5-1 compression; Half race cam; head ported & flowed with bigger valves fitted; breathing with three 31mm Keihin smooth bore carburetors. Power transmitted to the rear wheel through a racing clutch with 40% stiffer diaphragm springs; and a Quaife 5 speed close ratio gearbox. Proceeding brought to a stop with AP racing brakes. Everything mounted to the Harris frame, Supporting Marzocchi forks and Maxton rear suspension. Racing Avons tires shod on race specific Astralite wheels…. It was advertised for sale in May… £16,000.00
(please email clivescarfe@hotmail.com for more information)
October 25, 2017
Eat my shorts!
¡Ay Caramba! – The voice of Bart Simpson is 60 today. Nancy Cartwright vocalizes this cheeky misbehaving brat.
geordiebiker.com 