‘Zines | Whatever your interest there is a magazine for it. And, in the specialist topic of motorcycling, there are sub genres covering everything from custom, classic/vintage, off road, on road, Day-to-day riding, travel & adventure. We have a great magazine store in Evanston with a great selection.
The Ton | Welsh Racer Malcolm Uphill thrashing his Triumph Thruxton around the Isle of Man circuit in 1970. Wire fencing encloses livestock fields beyond the rural road.
Air | Spring sunlight and warmth arrived today. Spinning a race bike around a sun kissed track would have been a good way to spend it. White Daytona under a bleached sky.
Niki Lauder | He won the F1 world championship in 1975, 1977 & 1984 racing for both Ferrari and Maclaren. He had a horrific accident at the Nurburgring in ’76 where a fiery crash severely burned his head and toxic fumes damaged his lungs. His rivalry with James Hunt is legendary. He died earlier today aged 70.
Grand Prix | 1947 Triumph Tiger fettled and trimmed for speed. Perfect side elevation illustration in period airbrushed monochromatic.
Gene Romero (1947-2019)
One of the top flat track racers in the late sixties and early seventies passed away over the weekend. Talented on Triumph twins around the dirt ovals and fast on the faired triples around a road track.
Tandragee 100 | Considered the best road race in Northern Ireland; this years offering saw our man Guy Martin take his BSA Rocket Three to victory in the Classic 1000cc class on the 5.3 mile circuit with an average lap speed of over 90mph.
Senna | A quarter of a century ago today we lost one of the greats: Ayrton Senna fatally crashed his Formula One car at the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy. Let’s enjoy this simple image of him getting the shopping in at Monaco on his moped. The distinctive helmet is an icon of the racing world, his racing record up to his untimely death unparalleled. A record six victories at the Monte Carlo circuit is still unbeaten. His native Brazil consider him a national hero.
Abarth | I was scootering between site visits today and when I was filling the Tigers tank up I spied this little pearl of a racer. Red Scorpion on its hood and a little extra oomph in its diminutive engine. Standing next to it I couldn’t imagine being able to get in it without my head poking through the sun roof and elbows sticking out of the windows.
‘Ump Day | It can be a tricky maneuver to maintain momentum one gains from the first half of the week to establish a decent and stable toehold into the latter half. Given a positive attitude, and topography like a hump-back bridge, one can achieve this translation with assured aplomb. Take this cove on his rigid framed Triumph; he certainly has a serious head on his shoulders, along with an appropriate cool appearance to maintain the professional air about his seemed flawless leap. He’s even smart enough to take on Ballaugh Bridge, the notorious Isle of Man TT circuit to sustain a level of grace and composure for this Wednesday transition.
Firestarter | Woke up to the sad news that The Prodigy frontman Keith Flint died over the weekend. If you were at a rave in the mid to late nineties you will have danced to their music. Fluorescent hair and wide-eyed he was the vision of a Century making a last gasp for excitement. He was also an avid motorcyclist to the point that he owned a race team – Team Traction Control – who, with Ian Hutchinson on a Yamaha R6, grabbed some wins at IofM and the Ulster GP. A lot of people said he was a friendly down to earth bloke. Sad day. RIP Keith Flint (1969-2010)
Cactus Cavorting- winter has descended again in the Midwest so some imagery of warmer 2-wheeled adventure can feed the riders soul. Here is Julian Heppekausen on his ’66 T120, called Terry, belting down the Baja Peninsula.
The Ice Man Cometh – we’re heading into an arctic blast expecting temperatures down to 27 below zero Fahrenheit which, along with the winds, will plummet the windchill in Chicagoland down into the minus fifties. Wrap up folks. Put spikes on yer tires watch out for Auld Man Winter.
Scrambling – in the Sixties the machine that dominated off road racing was the powerful twin engined Triumph. Barreling around rugged landscapes it epitomized the early scrambler Bike.
