Alternate pastime | I’ve been told to take up something ‘safer’. Perhaps knitting. I could take up knitting.
June 4, 2019
Slav Deda
Ink’d grandpappy | One of the fellow adventure riders at the weekend was a fella from Montenegro; now a BMW GS owner from Chicago he had some cool ink on his forearm. Inspired from a family photograph of his grandfather who rode Dniepr’s in the Croatian army back in the fifties. Good composition and image.
May 14, 2019
Ralph
The Mouse and the Motorcycle | I need to conjure up a children’s book like this one… adventure for a diminutive rodent mammal. The original tale was written in 1965 by Beverly Cleary.
April 9, 2019
Read all over
Pre Unit | Black & White graphic depicting a late 50’s twin cylinder Triumph engine. Nice clean artwork.
April 1, 2019
4/1
April First | Triumph Motorcycle Ltd are advertising a stunt experience recreating the epic border fence jump. Like Ekins/McQueen you’ll escape a German platoon but instead of careening into the second fences barbed wire, you’ll land in a ball pit cheered on by spectators.
March 25, 2019
For want of a spade
Kustom Kat |For over five decades the custom motorcycle scene has been dominated by one name Arlen Ness. He passed away over the weekend leaving a void in the genre. Taking the laid-back Californian attitude and rebuilding bikes into crazy vestiges of their former self he would use mostly Harley Davidson’s to create multitudes of choppers, bobbers, and, like this Triumph, diggers. This latter style was a needle thin profile with stretched out forks – highly impractical but look beautiful. Arlen Ness 1938-20019 RIP
March 21, 2019
Thinkin’ ’bout the times you drove in my car.
Badge | The story goes that when Eric Clapton was putting the finishing touches to a George Harrison written piece he thought the middle bridge was labeled ‘Badge’ hence the Cream song got its name. George played backing guitar under the name “L’Angelo Misterioso”. This bikers vest is covered in Triumph embroidered patch badges.
March 16, 2019
The luck o’ the Irish
Sergeant Murphy | the stereotypical Irish American Motorcycle cop from the imaginative busy busy world of Richard Scarry was always zooming around on his red bike wearing a white crash helmet ‘lid’. I grew up with these books with a diverse animal citizenry. Happy St Patrick’s Day! The Chicago River is green here in the Windy City.
February 18, 2019
A Trick of the Tail
But is it Art? Our feline friend finds a comfy perch to snooze the day away on. Or perhaps reckons the seat makes a decent scratching post. Nevertheless tabby complements this custom ‘flat packer’ two wheeled piece of furniture by Italian designer Joe Velluto.
February 5, 2019
Arcade Games
TRON – here’s a blast from the past. Early CGI from 1982’s outing into the realm of the program and user. Light Cycles race for domination of the grid with wall like trails. Jeff Bridges played main character Flynn in his typical laconic style.
January 11, 2019
T-Shirt temptations
Tee Triumph – once relegated to undergarment duty the ubiquitous t-shirt has become the mainstay of casual clothing. Whether the plain white tee as worn by US sailors in WW2 or the black concert tee adorning teens at their bands live show. Me? I’m fond of a soft cotton ‘shirt emblazoned with my favorite motorcycle marque. There are more and more out there every year. Vintage graphics work the best.
January 10, 2019
Vignette
Miniature Portrait- Before the advent of photography people would have a small painting of their loved one prepared and mounted in a suitable pendant. Here is someone’s rendition of a Triumph Trident T160.
January 7, 2019
Whittled
Woodworking Wonder – Russian Carpenter Yuri Hvtisishvili has created a marvelous full size replica of a Soviet era IZH 49 out of pine & beech. With superlative expertise in sawing, planing, routing, augering, chiseling and sanding; it’s a wonderful expression in wood.
January 6, 2019
Do or Do Not… there is no Try
Resolute – It is typical of the New Year for us to put on the mask of Janus and look back at what we achieved (or not) the previous year and thus look forward to the coming twelve months and make a determination of what we want to achieve. Usually in an effort to better ourselves; and, in a way, make this time we have count. Me? I’m not a big one for ‘resolutions’ but it’s fun to think of things that you would like to try and do. A list you ask? Well, here goes:
- Write/Illustrate a children’s book.
- Ride the Triumph Tiger more.
- Sketch more.
- Ride the Lake Michigan loop.
- Fettle the Bonneville for occasional vintage runs.
- Get the Cub out onto some off-road shenanigans.
