About a year ago my wife and I were planning our great trip to the west coast. Riding two-up around and beyond the hilly streets of San Fransisco was one of the highlights. Not quite Steve & Jaqueline taking a break from filming Bullitt but close!
November 16, 2015
Good Memories
September 8, 2015
The other Laurie [sic]
Hugh that is. Looking cool indeed on his Triumph Scrambler and sporting a McQueen tshirt.
July 14, 2015
Diorama
Neat little 1:24 scale model of Steve McQueen spluttering through the East German mud aboard his Tr6 #278.
July 4, 2015
The Fourth of July
The Star Spangled Banner: a strong symbol to many and flown proudly on this day.
I’m wearing my #278 ISDT tee which was Steve McQueens race number in the 1964 International Six Day Trials Where he bore the flag for the U.S. Team. In the parade through East Germany’s Erfurt he held Old Glory in what he considered one of his proudest moments. Bud & Dave Ekins, John Steen and Cliff Coleman marched with him.
May 5, 2015
Diggin’ Life
Desert Sled in oil. Fag loosely attached to his bottom lip our Triumph racer Steve McQueen takes a rest at some fast ‘n’ dusty event in SoCal mid-sixties. The Moto looks spare and ready for gravelly action.
“Diggin’ Life” – original oil on canvas painting (28″ x 37″) by Tom Fritz www.FritzArt.com
March 24, 2015
Harvey Mushman is 85
Steve McQueen would have been eighty five today. Josh Randall, Vin Tanner, Virgil Hilts, Thomas Crown, Frank Bullitt, Henri Charriere, Michael Delaney, to name a few…
Actor, motorcyclist, coolster…
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.
December 2, 2014
There are bad cops and there are good cops – and then there’s Bullitt.
When in San Francisco I HAD to go to a few select locations of one of my favorite Steve McQueen movies: Bullitt.
The iconic car chase shows off the stunt drivers craft as well as this city of inclines all too well. I enjoyed going through the streets on foot, by tram, motorcycle and car. Though none as rapidly of Frank Bullitt.
I wished I could have rented a ’68 fastback ‘stang!
“Look, you work your side of the street, and I’ll work mine.”
November 7, 2014
The It Girl
A fashion shoot where cool meets beauty atop a Triumph. Jean Shrimpton the original supermodel celebrates her 72nd birthday today. Here is an image from a February ’65 Harpers Bazaar with Steve.
Photography by Richard Avedon. “Set your Nikon to 1/125th and f1.4 and smile baby, smile!
October 8, 2014
Smokin’
Nope, it’s not a tire burnout. Though a steroid made Speed Triple is good at that…
and no, it ain’t a pack of Marlboro…
I have a good bellow of white smoke from the Bonnie when kicked over and started from cold. A little burning oil and condensation, but it revs strong. It needs a good run. Light anyone?
June 23, 2014
Get the kettle on!
Tea goes hand in hand with motorcycling. Perfect for quenching a thirst after a good ride. Here’s Steve enjoying a cuppa whilst filming a tunneling scene in the Great Escape. Niele looks on.
Our man Martin is a big tea drinker. Famous for having a waam mug o’ chai always handy. Overalls and V12 Vantage Aston Martin seal the deal for enjoying the good things in life.
Of course cafe (PR. caff) racers hare between the edge of town ‘greasy spoons’ and the mobile transport cafes spaced along the A roads of England. Here’s a perfect one complete with outdoor seating and fluttering flags.
It’s not their outward appearance that draws the clientele. As long as the brew is warm and wet, the food freshly cooked, then you’re set!
“The Greezies”: egg, sausage, bacon, beans, mushrooms, black pudd’n; and a slice (white bread with marg). All washed down with a tea! Perfect! Back on the road to head home…
Classic period shot of a Triumph Cub rider at The Sunset.
February 21, 2014
Friday’s Equation
Easy arithmetic and a sum worth aiming for. Well the end of the week IS The Great Escape!
“American moonshine: don’t smoke right after you drink it!”
February 20, 2014
ISDT ’64
Fifty Years Ago…
Photo of USA Team Triumph Riders #278 – Steve McQueen and #276 – Cliff Coleman at the International Six Day Trials. Usually this event is seen in black and white but these images in living Kodachrome give this a vigor that feels younger than the half century of time passed. The Triumph Trophy #278 itself is at Johnson Motors in California.
Here’s the bike post trials… All photos by François Gragnon
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