February 26, 2014
“Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world’s great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.
I am haunted by waters.”
Norman Maclean
Watching a trials moto negotiate a wet stream reminds me of a fly fisherman reading the waters of a trout plump river. A tremendous book utilizing a thread of the anglers life connecting a man and his brothers story growing up in the cool tree lined canyons of Montana. It is Maclean’s ‘A river runs through it’. A quick read but worth savoring its exquisite language that rolls softly off the page.
…it’s our pal Ewan McGregor! True Scot, and motorcyclist, fly fishing in the Yemen…
..perhaps The Triumph fly lure is needed:
Posted in Film and TV, Photography, Trials, Triumph Cub |
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February 19, 2014
Aka The Seven Samurai. John Sturges western remake of the Akiro Kurosawa classic Shinchinin no Samurai. 七人の侍
This was a big production with notable actors playing the hired guns: Yul Brynner, Brad Dexter, Charles Bronson, James Coburn, Robert Vaughn and introducing Horst Bucholtz. Eli Wallach was the antagonist Calvera running the bandits. Oh, and of course Steve McQueen.
Steve and Yul were Vin Tanner and Chris Adams respectively. A great pairing with Colt, Winchester or ‘pepper gun’.
Riding? Yep on four legs not two wheels but I bet he had a 500 Triumph desert sled handy between shoots.
V for Victory? When asked about the progress of village preparations Vin replies:
” Reminds me of that fella back home who fell off a ten-story building. As he was falling, people on each floor kept hearing him say, “So far, so good.” Heh, so far, so good.”
Posted in Film and TV, Horse, Movie, Steve McQueen |
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February 16, 2014
This iconic image from The Great Escape says it all: Hilts, Moto, Germans. Well someone in the Chicago area has s recreated Triumph TR6 TGE bike that is available for purchase.
Including HALT sign, all you’d need is a barbed wire fence and Swiss border. And somewhere to tote your baseball glove…. And wirecutters .
Back to the moto: it a very clean mechanical recreation in gunmetal grey to look like a German wartime beemer. Which is what Bud Skins did for the movie. A wee bit of artistic license to maintain coolness; I’m fine with that!
Posted in Film and TV, Military, Movie, Steve McQueen, Triumph Motorcycle |
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January 26, 2014
Yesterday we went to the Holocaust Museum in Skokie to see an exhibition about Wartime austerity in Britain. The population had to tighten their belts, utilize less, close-in, and create a stalwart ‘fortress’ as the Axis shadow grew.
The use of posters was key to promote the needs and my favorite illustrator of the time Cyril Kenneth Bird aka Fougasse created pure form and message.
At the exhibition there was some wonderful COLOUR film from the war years some showing events during The Blitz, others about rationing, and one about the plans set afoot within the defending island state as German forces were breathing down their necks. There was a few scenes of the Home Guard ( Dads Army) going through their paces across a muddy common on motorbikes to become dispatch riders.
Could be a BSA M20. Spotlessly new and ready for service.
Wonderful film.
Posted in BSA, Film and TV, Graphics, Military |
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January 21, 2014
“A bloomin’ combination Gromit!” One way to show off the town square annual display. Here’s a superb show in the guise of our plasticine pals Wallace and his trusty companion Gromit.
Welshman Mike Prankerd went a step further taking an old 500cc BSA, giving it a rich red color and bolting on a similarly colored Watsonian chair complete with stuffed hound and started haring around for public good laughs.
A cracking good show.
Finally one for the album so to speak is this cutaway diagram of the sidecar outfit in a classic technical penned illustration. This is taken from one of the light-hearted Haynes manual for Aardman contraptions used on Wallace’s adventures. It even has the folded-up aircraft piloted by Gromit as his chair is separated from his master and takes to the skies.
Nearly as good as a bit of Wensleydale…
Posted in Film and TV, Motorcycle Art, Sidecar, Toy Motorcycle, Triumph Motorcycle |
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January 20, 2014
A rather perky lad sits proudly on his masters new late 30’s Triumph 5H.
It reminded me of Nipper peering expectantly into a gramophone speaker horn listening for His Masters Voice.
Even today the graphic is recognizable for the British music industry – although a bumpy industry of late.
I like this Gromit version….
Posted in Film and TV, Music, Triumph Motorcycle |
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January 9, 2014
It was the keen eared Radar who spoke those words on one of my favorite TV shows. M*A*S*H whereby the insanity of war is given comedic status in a serious belly laughing manner. The staff of the 4077th bump through the highs and lows of a mostly forgotten Korean war.
Though it was mostly Jeeps and bubble canopied Bell choppers some promotion oriented company took it upon themselves to develop a Hawkeye Pierce motorcycling doctor.
It looks more like a cafe racer with broad fairing. He even wears his white surgical apron…whilst looking for this I happened upon a Triumph TR6 and Spitfire advertisement with none other than Alan Alda at the open topped wheel of the sunny yellow TR6.
That’s as good an endorsement that you could want for me!
“I will not carry a gun, Frank. When I got thrown into this war I had a clear understanding with the Pentagon: no guns. I’ll carry your books, I’ll carry a torch, I’ll carry a tune, I’ll carry on, carry over, carry forward, Cary Grant, cash and carry, carry me back to Old Virginia, I’ll even ‘hari-kari’ if you show me how, but I will not carry a gun! –” Hawkeye
P.S.
BJ Hunnicut did have a yellow moto….
San Fransisco 5426 miles
Posted in Chopper, Film and TV, Military, Toy Motorcycle |
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December 13, 2013
I’ve been revisiting the movies of French filmmaker Jaques Tati. His inventive visual comedic pieces all hold revered places in the doyens of cinematography. The last one he made was Traffic; where our intrepid pip’d protagonist Monsieur Hulot take a camping car to a car show in Amsterdam.
The posters are very evocative of the film style of the period.
His perched stance with exposed stripey socks, hat, brolly and the aforementioned pipe is classic.
One scene saw a young dutch lad roar up to his parents house on a super clean Triumph.
Hulot is trying to fix the ivy on the house by climbing up it and ending trapped upside down whilst our young bloke Paul makes a leery pass at Marie another traveler on the road trip.
The dutch fella looks kind of like a creepy Van Gogh close up; and Marie thinks likewise…
Hulot is seen behind hanging quietly. His only disturbance to the stymied scene is the occasional ‘franc ou clé’ from his pockets…
Posted in Film and TV, Graphics, Triumph Motorcycle |
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December 3, 2013
Actress, model and animal fur activist is a Triumph owner and rider. She fits her leathers very well and looks quite smart on this black Bonneville. It’s Olivia Munn.
This is post 1,000….
Posted in Film and TV, Gals, Triumph Bonneville |
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December 1, 2013
At the relatively young age of 40 actor Paul Walker was killed in a car crash in the early hours of Li’s Angeles. He’s know as the main protagonist in the road racing action movies of this posts title. Alongside the likes of Vin Diesel he would hammer around the streets of various cities in high HP cars.
He began as a qualified marine biologist maintaining that passion whilst tagging Great White sharks on survey expedition; he was also a humanitarian traveling to earthquake hit areas such as Haiti and Chile. And, like his character Brian O’Conner, could hand a car with talent.
But I found an appropriate moto themed image of well dressed Walker with matching black Bonneville taken from a French men’s fashion magazine. God Speed indeed…
Posted in Cars, Film and TV, Triumph Motorcycle |
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November 29, 2013
We did Pierce Brosnan so let’s leap to Daniel Craig’s Bond. A more real Bond, with guts, foibles, honor, grit and of course a couple of PERFECT Aston Martins. In Casino Royale he speeds about in the superlative DBS V12 the second generation DBS with sublime looks and a lion of an engine.
From the front grill lines harking back to the DB5 to the clean form of pure speed it is one if my all time favorite cars.
In the latest outing we have the classic Bond car return. The drive across Rannoch Moor and down Glencoe to the titular Bond scottish seat of Skyfall is a great image with a dour sky mirrored by that classic silver gray car.
Posted in Cars, Film and TV |
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November 28, 2013
We may as well continue this Jane’s Bond series! Next on the list is the broody Timothy Dalton he could run, jump, swim and wear a tux like the best of ’em.
However what we’re here for is the Aston Martin vehicle he uses to appropriate car chase effect with tire spikes and side mounted snow skis.
Its a mid eighties model V8 Vantage Volante in British Racing Green. Styling from the ‘Lagonda marque factory is still in its 80’s midlife crisis look; but it was flippin’ fast! Not my cup of tea in looks but at least our agent is driving around in it… The Bond outing was The Living Daylights.
“Just taking the Aston out for a spin, Q”.
“Be careful 007, it’s just had a fresh coat of paint”.
Posted in Cars, Film and TV |
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November 27, 2013
For seven movies he was the eponymous James Bond and never once drove an Aston Martin; Lotus Esprit, Citroen Deux Chevaux and a Space Shuttle. However Roger Moore also starred in a TV show with Tony Curtis and his character, Lord Brett Sinclair, toted around in a Bahaman Yellow AM DBS.
Very seventies in styling… Tony Curtis’ car was a Ferrari Dino 246 GT..
A little gem of italianna.
Posted in Cars, Film and TV |
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November 20, 2013
Actor Bradley Cooper likes his motos, especially British-made. Here spied astride a cherry red Thruxton.
Black fenders, and ‘oil’ tank side panels are a nice complement to the fuel tank.
Here’s another of him on another one. He must have one for each movie set! This has a Mad Max appearance, which, when combined with that helmet and boots adds to a determined biker stance.
Sorted!
Posted in cafe racer, Film and TV, Triumph Motorcycle |
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November 13, 2013
Vintage moto taken for a spin by our Scottish actor pal Ewan McGregor. Norton is the bike. A Jedi the rider is…
Posted in Film and TV, Norton |
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