Steve, motorcycle, sorting, sorted!
Looks like the sublime Metisse scrambler; knobbly shod, high piped and Meriden companions behind.
February 28, 2013
Focused
February 27, 2013
Dusty Trail
On the continuing theme of sun, bikes, fun and yikes; here’s our old friends Bud Ekins and Steve McQueen haring along some back roads SoCal trail.
I like to see Triumph Twins put to good use, heeled over the way physics dictate forces, speed and balsnce; knobby tyres hardly touching the gravelly path, and the riders concentrating on the way ahead. “Watch out for that ditch lad
August 24, 2012
No Jacket Required
After yesterday’s shirtless shot here’s just the jacket to address the issue. A retro ISDT item. 48 chest size pleeze!
Sussudio!
August 23, 2012
Harvey Mushman in the Sun
Our Main Man the eternally Cool Mr McQueen takes a break from some desert racing with his doughty Tri-Twin. Sunny SoCal skies warm the scene.
April 6, 2012
Neunelfer
Ferdinand Alexander ‘Butzi’ Porsche (1935-2012), son of Ferry Porsche, and grandson of Ferdinand Porsche and who established the Porsche Design House passed away today in Austria. His most important creation was the perfect lines of the 911. Arguably one of the greatest cars of all time.
This was also a car that the speed-hungry Steve McQueen owned. The classic 1972 911S model. Which incidentally was sold last year for $1.25m. The sublime grey colour scheme enhances the timeless form. All aspects of it are perfection of curved lines (The Marilyn Monroe of autos?)
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The old way of forming the visually tactile lines of a car: clay modelling: the designer himself at work.
March 25, 2012
Eighty Two
That’s how old Steve McQueen would have been yesterday; and he probably would have looked like Henri Charriere who he was cast as in Papillon, when he came out of isolation for the second time. However his youthful craggy face and blue-eyed twinkle as well as laid back demeanor is how he’ll always be remembered. Here’s a hand drawn card for him.
March 16, 2012
Der König reitet schnell in das Holz
A superb image of McQueen as a ’64 ISDT rider taking his TR6R Trophy steed through its paces along a wooded gravel trail in East Germany. The concentration is intense.
February 23, 2012
Mag McQueen
This months edition of Motorcyclist was waiting for me in the mail slot… On the cover none other than Triumphs limited model run of their T100 McQueen special. Only 1100 of these will be built: resplendent in black trim wheels, olive drab tank and plush ‘ISDT ready’ single seat. Border fences to jump anyone?
February 9, 2012
Ed Kretz Jr.
Son of Ed ‘Iron Man’ Kretz Sr. here is Ed Jr. riding Steve McQueen’s Triumph from the ’63 ISDT in the same race two years later; this time on the Isle of Man. Steve was filming The Cincinnati Kid and couldn’t attend, so he allowed Ed to race in his place. It turned into a muddy rout with the US team being thwarted by the typically wet British weather half way through.
January 26, 2012
LEGO – The Great Escape
Growing up this would have fit the bill in so many ways: LEGO was my favourite toy, The Great Escape my favourite film and motorcycles my favourite in all. I’m not so sure of the KTM derived orange dirt bike though; a nice blue drab german Beemer would be a better look.
January 11, 2012
To Wax Lyrical
De rigueur of the Triumph rider in the past; when roads were quiet lanes and the speed limit was a little over 42 mph, the jacket of choice for a Brit Iron moto was a heavy cotton waxed jacket such as the Barbour. A cloth cap and goggles usually finished the look.
… roll-on the sixties and a certain International Six Days Trial. Our Man McQueen and the rest of the US team doffed a Barbour to compete in the rain and mud of on and off road motorcycling competition. Belstaff make a modern version of it too, as well as a contemporary wax jacket by Aerostich, the Falstaff. That Thunderbird 6T looks pretty spiffy too!
January 8, 2012
“Take That! Steve McQueen!”
A dusty desert scene, knobbly shod Tiger and an air of coolness. Here’s that Brit-pop idol ’emulating’ McQueen. A determined face whilst manhandling an airborne, speeding bike would have achieved a better look.
December 9, 2011
Like Steve McQueen…
Sheryl Crow knows how to write a good song or two. Here’s a still from her video for the title track from her C’mon, C’mon album.
“Like Steve McQueen
All we need’s a fast machine”
December 2, 2011
McQueen and his Moto
Our Man McQueen seen here with an intense look waiting for some desert scramble to commence. Beat-up helmet, goggles to keep the dust out of his eyes, old trusty leather jacket and an electrical tape #152. His bike of choice for these SoCal weekend races was typically a Triumph TR6 650cc sled.
The bike was set up with high open pipes, a large air filter and deep cushy seat; to negotiate the rocks, sand and bumps respectively!
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