Covered Bridge – a quick stop on the ride was to see this older creek crossing located at Long Grove just off Old McHenry Road. Steel plated tire tracks and a few roofing shingles missing, I had seen better days. It is a metal half-hip pin-connected Pratt pony truss. Built in 1925.
August 1, 2017
Roof Crossing
July 23, 2017
Schnelles Motorrad
Autobahn Triumph – “It does not go 300 but for you is enough!!” This rocket-red Sprint 1050 is made for the hyperspeed roads of Germany – this bike’s owner see other deutchwagen as roadkill…
July 18, 2017
The Swallow
Jet Fighter – this day in 1942 saw the Messerschmitt ME262 become operational. It’s shark-like appearance and brute speed must have been an eye opener for the allied pilots. A far cry from the bubble car a decade later as seen in yesterday’s posting.
July 17, 2017
ME109 successor
Bubble Trouble – this bright red three-wheeler beamed at me by the side of the road today. I had to screech to a stop, park nearby and get some snaps. It’s a Messerschmitt car KR200 or Kabinenroller. Not being allowed to manufacture aircraft after WW2 these were Designed by Fritz Fend with Willy Messerschmitt only putting his name on them. 40,000 were made between 1954 and 1965. The streamlined appearance with fuselage inspired body gives it a futuristic look even today. Flying cars anyone?
July 8, 2017
Alas…
City of Brotherly Love – cool photo of a busy motorcycle workshop in the near north of Philadelphia. Yorick & Sons Moto is a full service repair and build garage. Located in the blue-collar hipster neighborhood of Fishtown. http://www.yorickandsons.com/
June 21, 2017
Sticky Rubber
Cornering Prowess – it all comes down to your tyres. This watercolour illustration has flight swept into its brushstrokes and the rider sure has a confident grin mid lean. Not sure about the little acorn touk he has perched atop his noggin.
June 12, 2017
Petrol Head
Gas Up – quick fueling stop mid-ride. Filling with 93 octane. The old valve seats would prefer leaded to protect them from regression but lower compression and trying to avoid ethanol additives help too.
June 5, 2017
Tickler
Amal – the engine is getting a new lease of life. I have acquired a pair of brand spanking new carburetors to invigorate fuel delivery making sure the motor has plenty of oomph through the rev range. These classic concentric carbs are nice clean castings, good materials, serviceable parts, anodized slides, and are practically a bolt-on and ride item. I’ve had to carry out a couple of slight adjustments for my bike but hopefully I can put the air cleaners back on tomorrow and connect the fuel tank.
May 15, 2017
Roadside Maintenance
There’s a’wys summat! When your machine is reaching half a century in age even a 100 mile jaunt can uncover a mechanical snafu. Here Dean finds that the small timing pin plug behind the cylinders decided to jump ship somewhere between Glencoe and Antioch. Upsetting pressure and spewing a fine mist of oil onto the frame he had to get a 1/2″ bolt from a Napa auto parts store to make a temporary fix.
Knowing your bike inside and out means these impromptu repairs just delay an otherwise smashing weekend ride…
April 29, 2017
Triple Power
Cubed – when Triumph emerged from the near fatal flatline in the nineties they used a modular engine design that could be shoehorned into different models. Good sturdy machines that still hold their own on the road. The Adventurous Tiger, rippled Speed Triple, and a speedy Sprint offered a British badged moto with doughty engineering.
March 14, 2017
Pi
π – defined as the ratio of a circles circumference to its diameter, this mathematical constant is ubiquitous to the universe. It also has meaning for the motorcycle from Wheels to discs, gears and cogs, dials & caps, and lights.
March 1, 2017
Woden’s Day
‘Ump Day – What do you get if you cross a Triumph and a Greeves? A Grumph! Perfect name for a mutt; even with immaculate pedigree. Offered the choice of a Rickman Metisse or this… pretty hard choice.
February 28, 2017
Liquid Engineering
Oiler – here’s a stunning graphic advertisement from a late sixties magazine with no. 1 Gary Nixon powering his Triumph flat tracker in a somewhat psychedelic manner. Castrol
February 25, 2017
Brr a bit parky out there…
After last weeks brush with spring-like 60’s temperatures the true nature of February claws its icy talons back into our locale. We’re experiencing close to single digit wind chills right now. An inventive Triumph chopper owner takes snow removal into his own hands with this street-sign homespun plow. No snow here right now… perhaps if a whiteout beckons I’ll finagle a shovel attachment onto the Cub…
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