My Goodness – a stout tank’d pre-unit custom Triumph in polished aluminum and black with a white frothy head atop the pint-sized tank. Brewed in Dublin since 1759 Guinness is one of the most recognized and successful beers in the world. The iconic harp motif is modeled after the Brian Boru instrument displayed in the Long Room of Trinity Colleges Old Library and itself is a symbol of Éire.
The Cursèd Earth – one of the all time classic comic covers has Judge Dredd blasting out of the prog towards the lawlessness that was a post apocalyptic land beyond Mega City One. Outlaw biker Spikes Harvey Rotten is on his shootin’ side and the all-terrain Raider Command 2000. Which was also sold as a Matchbox toy. Artwork very ably carried out by Cliff Robinson (after Mike McMahon).
El Día de los Muertos – sideways into the corner and a toothy grin from the skulled skeleton riders. Like Hallowe’en was derived from pagan rituals The Day of the Dead has origins from the Aztecs. Beautiful artwork by David Lozeau
Technical Exploded Drawing – parts in a state of disassembly. I always like to see how the engineering draughtsman put the components together in a form so you can visualize how they fit together.
Seremos como el Che. One of the most controversial figures of the Twentieth Century Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara was assassinated fifty years ago today in Bolivia. Sometimes hailed as a complete man: doctor and economist, revolutionary and banker, military theoretician and ambassador, deep thinker and political agitator; his revolutionary thoughts and actions were contentious, both hated and revered depending what side of the aisle you sat on. Phot by Alberto Korda taken March 5 1960 Havana Cuba
Lady Stardust-
People stared at the makeup on his face
Laughed at his long black hair, his animal grace
The boy in the bright blue jeans
Jumped up on the stage
And lady stardust sang his songs
Of darkness and disgrace
And he was alright, the band was altogether
Yes he was alright, the song went on forever
And he was awful nice
Really quite out of sight
And he sang all night long
Femme fatales emerged from shadows
To watch this creature fair
Boys stood upon their chairs
To make their point of view
I smiled sadly for a love
I could not obey
Lady stardust sang his songs
Of darkness and dismay
David Bowie – Tge Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders from Mars (1972)
Repairs under Warranty – that’s what was behind the dealers doors in the 70’s. Poor management, product, and development back in the U.K. Meant shiploads of Bonneville’s, Trophy’s, and Tridents were sent ‘Statesward in various levels of quality… the red overlay hints at the bloodshed that was to be… well as they said back then: “You meet the nicest people on a Honda!”
When is a Triumph not a Triumph? When it’s a Kawasaki KZ400… some youth punk has blacked-out his little twin; draped an old anorak over the back as a saddle; and daubed the Triumph logo across its tank in red, the modern Hinckley logo mind you! Like some Lisbeth Salander (she with the Dragon Tattoo) heap- it’s both goth and grunge.
Moto Maestro – another window find in Michigan. Old flyer for the Hobart workshop.
Century Art – today would have been the great Jack Kirby’s One Hundredth Birthday. A fluid line work always added a dynamism to his creations. Known for Hulk, Thor, X-Men, and The Silver Surfer to name a few here is the cover of a collaboration with Joe Simon (Captain America) for Boy Commandos. One particular character ‘Brooklyn’ seems to be the adventurous rake with wool sweater and bowler hat. The red Harley lookalikes seem a bit garish but the energy is there!
Banner – like some horse mounted knight of yore these Triumph riders carry the pennant of moto coat-of-arms.
Badge – makers mark or manufactures marque.
Recognition and Trademark are what give these motorcycle companies a dedicated following. Signage of the machine.
Grid – a quick doodle of the Triumph twin engine. I was waiting for the fish to cook, so took the 10 minutes to do this scrappy sketch on graph paper.
It’s the Real Thing! Not quite a Hilltop of anticipated world peace, or a Pacific sunrise revelation by Don Draper, but smashing weather conditions for a cracking ride deserved an ice cold Coke. Proper stuff with real sugar, glass bottle, straw… Perfect!
Badge – colorfully embroidered patches to adorn your leather garb. These aren’t your usual gang colors but a way of celebrating your Brit ride.
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