Joshua Tree National Monument- quite a lovely road through the desert surrounded by Henry Moore-like rock formations and the sentinel Yucca that give the park its name.
February 21, 2016
Where the Streets Have No Name
February 21, 2016
Injun
1800cc motor – ample sized vee twin lump lets the bike stroll along at a good clip even two-up. Some highway miles, town bumbling and mountain ascents were all taken with great aplomb.
February 19, 2016
Indian Reservation
Picked up the big hauler today. Pulls like a train and is as comfy as a Chesterfield. After the aged but lithe Bonnie it was a little ponderous but once you swing it around along the road your muscle memory syncs in with its needs.
February 18, 2016
Palm Springs SoCal
Here we are in the hinterland of Southern California catching some winter sun, enjoying a taste of mid-century modernism and heading over to Joshua Tree on an Indian (which we’ll be picking up tomorrow).
The weather is just perfect!
October 17, 2015
Eight Ball
Another wartime doll offering Lady Luck to this Indian motorcycle rider. Olive drab with perfect decades old patina for a nostalgic ride.
October 12, 2015
Skelington Velositee…
Monkeynaut: a Etsy sourced linocut printer has an efficient graphic in B&W illustrating a bony feller racing through a poplar backed countryside.
July 1, 2015
More Goodies
there was plenty of eye candy at Motoblot. Each belonged to a dedicated owner who loves showing off their steed. Each washed to a mirror shine reflecting admirers faces in their perfectly designed curves. Each represents a history unto itself.
What was old now is new:
Indian. The new cruiser looks set for a haul along Route 66 from Chicago to Los Angeles. The old police bike would be a great ‘big road’ rider.
Kawasaki? Team Green knows about power – like this canny Eddie Lawson bicep is set for action.
The Purple People Eater: two stoke powerband terror of the seventies would scare the mane off a lion. The Mach IV
The bumblebee world traveller is the much desired BMW GS1000. Big legs for long distances.
A weary looking edge worn Beemer yearns for Barvarian strasse to plod along…
More fun than a barrel of baby sloth (look it up you’ll agree that’s a lot of fun!)
March 25, 2015
Burt
Another birthday today: this time antipodean fast-man Burt Munro. He of the fastest Indian fame, whereby when others look to allotments and fishing into retirement he decided to see what his 1920’s Scout could do on The Salt. The story is told excellently in the Anthony Hopkins movie for a decade ago “The Worlds Fastest Indian” a cracker of a yarn. Born in 1899 he spent a lifetime racing motorcycles. Living his life out of Invercargill way down on the South Island of New Zealand.
A great photo of him fettling his beach-rod. A world travelers Triumph sits behind.
March 1, 2015
Cowboys & Indians
The two major American motorcycle makers have bikes going back well into the last Century.
Here is an original condition 1915 Indian from Springfield MA. Just needs a few essentials for a go at the Coast-to-Coast Cannonball Run.
In another corner sitting idly and in more complete condition is a late 30’s/early 40’s Harley Davidson Knucklehead. My favourite Milwaukee Moto.
Again both are located in Pickers Store …. Photos by Dean Rennie.
December 7, 2014
Smokin’
One of the motorcycles at the Vroom show was a Steve McQueen owned Indian from 1939.
Beautiful classic American iron in a sky blue with black trim. Story goes Steve had it painted to match his favorite cigarettes:
Viceroy. He promoted them.in his early TV career when playing Josh Randall on Wanted: Dead or Alive.
November 1, 2014
Día De Los Muertos
The annual celebration of those departed when candy skulls and marigold adorn the gravesites of family and friends. Calacas, or skeletal, figurines denote the life of the passed living.
Though a Mexican tradition it roots stem from precolonialism Aztec culture.
February 27, 2014
to look for America
” A journey is a person in itself; no two are alike. And all plans, safeguards, policing, and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us.”
John Steinbeck (born 112 years ago today)
Steinbeck wrote of the ‘open road’ and the journey of life people made along its way. His muse was America and a colorful time in her history during the Depression; the roads were dusty, the workers dustier but the pulse keen. In his latter years he took to the highways and byways to see the state of the Union; with a trusty poodle companion named Charley by his side, and a pickup camper as his wheels and abide both.
Rocinante he named his conveyance, after the man from la Mancha’s steed, and a Quixotic journey was made in 1960 to see with his own eyes how the country was faring.
A cozy spot to journey from, free of fuss and possession. A mobile hermits cabin to journey unencumbered. It has the air of a motorcycle traveler who needs to be lightfooted ready to follow the unknown road ahead. I could see a younger Steinbeck taking a motorcycle combination on such a journey with pup passenger in the chair rambling along the old Routes from dusty town to dusty town on an Indian or Harley.
The venture could easily be adapted into a modern exploration of the country, keeping to smaller local routes, allowing time to absorb the immediate realm.
A bit too sedate… Though nice for an outing to the vintage rally… Parasol, flat-cap and plus-fours speed!
Here we go! Rocinante II
“Pack our bags Honey! We’re off exploring!”
April 22, 2012
Springfield MA to Milwaukee WI
American Iron: The swap meet was well represented with Harleys; about 80 percent was glitzy fittings for your Hydra-King-Fat-Glide, not my cup of tea; but a few older pieces caught my eye. This old tank with suicide gear knob is mechanical art to some eyes.
Elsewhere an eye-catching Indian in gloss black sat proudly. A true classic whose lines still hold their beauty. A Garbo, Grable or Gish from the age of the first talkies.
This tank shows off the shiny controls and dials, the Indian Head medallion completes the delicious detail.
Finally, there was an old Knucklehead Harley Davidson, in original condition sitting by itself drawing many onlookers. In this condition these are worth a good $45k; some would say a further $20k to restore. Me? I would get the engine running, all controls greased, new tires, an ‘oily rag’ polish and ride it the way it is; a time-worn patina that looks perfect. This is a ’39 EL. A rugged Clark Gable to match the Hollywood belle’s mentioned above.
February 11, 2012
Like Father like Son
Ed Kretz Sr. (1911-1996) the original Iron Man was a force to be truly reckoned with in the early world of motorcycle racing: his dedicated and aggressive riding style winning him numerous accolades, including the first Daytona 200 in ’37. His #38 race number becoming a common podium sight. Regarded in high esteem by his peers as well as the senior racers from the teens and twenties he dominated the scene from the late thirties, through the forties and into the fifties until his retirement in ’59. Both father and son had a ‘cycle dealership in California, first for Indian Motorcycles until ’53 then Triumph after.
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