May 5, 2013
A trip to Indiana yesterday to assist a friend of Dean’s with his Honda; it was to be taken for a tire change. Dean built a nice wide ramp for its transport which made getting it into his truck a doddle.
That Honda dealer and garage was in Merriville and was a neat setup with very friendly staff. the new CB1100 was a particularly nice looking moto: classic retro lines of a seventies superbike. They had a wall of historic photographs showing past bikers and their rides, this included a past incarnation in the sixties as a Triumph dealer. The place to go to pick up your Bonneville.
Proud owners lined up ready for a hare up to the Dunes of Michigan.
Posted in 60's, Honda, Maintenance, Triumph Motorcycle |
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March 2, 2013
Seeing as we’re on a music rock ‘n’ roll let’s delve into the two-wheeled antics of a pair of the fathers of rock: Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Well Keith has always been a skinny malinty so the diminutive Triumph Cub seems like the best choice for him.
The right-wing brother of the great Christopher Hitchens said of Keith: “a capering streak of living gristle who ought to be exhibited as a warning to the young of what drugs can do to you even if you’re lucky enough not to choke on your own vomit”. His long endured reputation stretches ahead of him. But he sure can write a guitar riff or two!
Whilst he’s toting around some manorial grounds such as Stargroves. I can’t see him riding the public roads, Sir Mick take the controls of a Honda. Well ‘you meet the nicest people’. Hope he gets some satisfaction.
Posted in 60's, Honda, Music, Triumph Motorcycle |
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March 1, 2013
Not the Ace of Bass but the punks punk. Malcolm MacLarens enfant terrible Sid Vicious seen here with his leather jacket and lip turned scowl hoofing along a London street seemingly atop a Honda.
Well here’s how it’s done! A strapped down Moto on a flatbed trailer… Well how else can a brazen youth barely out of his teenage angst bare his skinny pale chest and sip his beer.
As the story unfolded his spirally punk lifestyle caught up with him in a New York gaff. Nancy Spungen found an untimely demise with a single stab wound and Sid ended up on Riker’s Island. Out on bail in early ’77 he was found dead of a heroin overdose a few days later.
His final written words were apparently: “Bury me in my leather jacket, jeans and motorcycle boots. Goodbye.”
I wonder… “My Way” indeed.
Posted in 70's, Honda, Music, Uncategorized |
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July 3, 2012
Hondas from the seventies: a perfect machine to have as a basis for an urban totin’ cafe Moto, or a restoration for a reliable old bike that any home mechanic with a few tools and timing light can work on. Common as muck; which is good for parts; and var nigh bomb proof. It was of course the seven fifty that usurped Triumph and BSA from the ‘bike to have’ throne. Here’s a spotless early example.
It was also the miniaturization of the manufactured product pouring out of the FarEast that was also seen in the motorcycle industry with their four cylinder 350. A pocket-watch when other timepieces were wind-up Grandfather clocks! High redline, sporty power and good looks. A mini 750 for those wary of the big brothers power.
Of course their twins were seeing action too; a superbly detailed CL175 scrambler with wide bars, high pipes with filigree-like heat shielding and a ‘come ride me and smile’ attitude!
At any bike gathering of the older models just turn your head and you see ’em lined up ready to roll. Bell bottomed clad youth, with old skool Bell helmets and a SoCal tan and smile were the owners in the past; urban hipsters moving up from their single speed fixie’s are the crowd now.
Balloon Firestones, swan-neck clip-ons and pipe wrap is the way to go these days. It’s a lifestyle…
Posted in Chicago, Honda |
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June 10, 2012
Watching an old Top Gear today they had the delightful Joanna Lumley as their Star in a Reaaonably Priced Car. Though currently known as the colorful Patsy Stone on Absolutely Fabulous she was an action girl with attitude in ‘the day’. Her role as Purdy in The New Avengers was iconic due to that stylish haircut: I remember my sister wanting that very cut back then. Her mode of transport was typically a little roadster but I’ve unearthed this great shot of her on an appropriate Honda dirt bike; probably used when the TR7 got bogged down along some country lane.
Posted in 70's, Gals, Honda |
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April 23, 2012
On my lunch break today whilst going for my regular swim I noticed a little two-wheeled jewel. Upon closer inspection I came upon this cafe’d-out Honda. And sorted to the n’th degree it was too; though not over the top but with care and deliberation to all the details. And What Details!
Taking a CB550 as the donor bike the owner has started with an overall vision that brings a holistic design that nigh-on looks like some lost production prototype fabricated to take on the rocker boys on their Triumphs, Beezas and Nortons in the sixties. Red frame and bulbous alloy tank give this moto a foundation worthy of a Brighton run. Under the surface you see the care taken to upgrade the rear swingarm from a pair of standard twin shocks to a Vincent-like double setup under the manx bumstop seat. A nicely painted Honda Motors winged logo adds to the timelessness.
Even the rear view ain’t bad either, the twin reverse cone muffler pipes must give off a good bark from the inline four; filigree openings on the rear drum both artistically lighten and cool proceedings, however this bike has a pair of discs up front to give a good anchor-like stop when needing to sharply reduce velocity. The tail light fits perfectly on the alloy hump. You can just about see the twin rear shock absorbers in this view, as well as the perfect cafe seating stance: clip-ons and rearsets here sonny!
Plenty of ‘Food for Thought’ to any future project methinks…
Posted in cafe racer, Honda |
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April 20, 2012
The Swapmeet was like a virtual museum of many marques; here a timeline of “the nicest people’s” Honda. The stepthrough 70cc mobility to the masses and London cabbies.
Another classic is the mid sixties CL77 Scrambler. 305cc brethren of the Super Hawk. Nice monochromatic colour scheme achieves a Kodak Tri-X film quality. A Henri Cartier Bresson visage of the motorcycle – Purely Classic.
With the oil crisis of the seventies well under way, the reliable mid-sized Japanese bikes came into their own, the next generation CB350 became the moto of commuters, tourers and others having their eyes opened to the open road. This tangerine model with black flash on the tank was a mini-superbike, but no lesser, sibling to the world dominating CB750. Magic stuff. Now this model is a great base for cafe racers at hipster hangouts far and wide.
Finally, the gargantuan CBX, six cylinder powerhouse of smooth behemoth-like traction. The pipework is a work of plumbing art. Six into One.
Posted in 60's, 70's, Honda |
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February 29, 2012
The wee Monkee passed away today, aged 66, though eternally youthful. Their music and zany escapades are for sure a big part of growing up and maintaining a bright view of life. Here he’s on his 60’s Honda CB450 ‘Black Bomber’.
Posted in 60's, Honda, Music |
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February 25, 2012
Lisbeth Salander the hardened protagonist of the Stieg Larsson novel “Girl with a Dragon Tattoo” played with surgical method by Mara Rooney (nominated for an Oscar for her role this year), is given a choice vehicle to scoot about on during her escapades in the movie of the same name. A sweet little black cafe racer number.
The cafe’d Honda is a CL 350 (thanks Gogglesdown for clarification); a scrambler style moto from the late sixites -early-seventies. It’s distinctive high pipes a desired look by the kids of the day. For the movie it was given a nice rough cafe treatment, knobbly front tire for the cobbled streets of Stockholm, and slick rear boot for a speedy rort along the country roads. Ace bars, flat black trim finish the goth appearance fit for Lisbeth.
Posted in cafe racer, Honda, Movie |
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October 1, 2011
Walking up to the Evanston Y for my lunchtime swim I happened upon this yellow colored gem. A C70 Honda Passport. In stunning condition. A super clean example of one of the most manufactured motorbike in history. It’s a shame more of them aren’t seen tootling about; gas mileage is measured in the hundreds!
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