– Robin Wilfred Woods (1936-2020) was a noted ornithologist and botanist who made his career based in Port Stanley on the Falkland Islands. From extensive field work netting and ringing the birds much was learned of the avians of the South Atlantic. His narrow focused Birds of the Falkland Islands is a classic of its genre. With few finished roads across the bleak British outpost a motorcycle is a usual form of transport. Here’s Robin on a 50’s BSA roughing it over the moors near Goose Green.
The Women’s Royal Naval Service was the women’s branch of the Royal Navy. Affectionately called Wrens they provided an essential supportive role during wartime and peacetime. They rode motorcycles as couriers and messengers such as this BSA M20.
– old photo of an AA patrolman maneuvering their recovery combination through some snow drifts. Heavy insulated overalls to keep the cold at bay. My grandfather George Lawrie would have been clad as such whilst plying the roads of North Northumberland.
Slicked back hair, Raybans, leather jacket and turnip’d jeans. The BSA Gokdstar is just for effect. Smaht!
Men’s clothier Drake’s used Japanese artist Akita Sorimachi to create a number of illustrations for their advertising. Like pen and wash imagery from 50’s and 60’s magazines they evoke the seemingly relaxed sensibility of an age. The BSA Goldstar is an ideal foil for the gent in striped shirt and sleeveless vest.
Born to be Wild | Keyboardist of Californian band Steppenwolf Goldie McJohn sits on a BSA Rocket 3 whilst American Recording Studio producer Richie Polodor looks on from his Jeep. Polodor was producer for Three Dog Night who had hits such as a #1 cover of Eric Burden’s Mama told me (not to come).
Jenny Wren | A group of smiling lasses serving as Royal Navy despatch riders in WW2.
Mans Best Friend | what other color should a chimney sweeps hound be that white?
Birds of a Feather | interesting colonial imagery of some tribal leader with his feathered headdress astride the diminutive but useful 125cc BSA Bantam. Not quite in the vein of an Edward Curtis portrait but early National Geographic nonetheless.
Fi Fox | onetime Bond girl, Spectre assassin, and Italian actress Luciana Paluzzi looking surly on a golden faired BSA Lightning. Rocket launchers? Yes please!
Window Shopping | A few lads gaze longingly at a BSA Rocket Goldstar in some early 60’s motorcycle dealership showroom.
Tandragee 100 | Considered the best road race in Northern Ireland; this years offering saw our man Guy Martin take his BSA Rocket Three to victory in the Classic 1000cc class on the 5.3 mile circuit with an average lap speed of over 90mph.
‘ump Day | ‘bike is parked up; pyramid tent erected; Primus stove lit and brew on the go; time to light up and perch my’sen on this crag edge. Look up magazine advertisements for Camel Lights “It’s a whole new world” and you’ll see this adventurer getting up to all sorts in the wild corners of the world – whilst making sure his tabs are close at hand…
Friday Fun | Happy couple cavorting along under a high summer sun looking for antics and shenanigans. BSA single is the mode.
Pops – The post-war period in Japan saw a push in engine tuning to wring out any available additional horsepower to not just be faster but the fastest. This would eventually lead to the superbikes of the seventies and eighties and the current flock of hyper sports.
Leading this evolution of power and speed was Hideo ‘Pops’ Yoshimuro (1922-1995). After maintaining aircraft for the Japanese Empire during WW2 he redirected his masterful talents to the British bikes being brought to the land of the rising sun by American servicemen. This photo shows our man astride a fettled BSA preunit drag bike readying for a speed run.
Later he shifted his works and racing team to California where big reliable Japanese superbikes like the Kawasaki KZ and Suzuki GS’s went on to dominate the burgeoning AMA road racing circuit.
