March 9, 2013
Stops anything in no time: or so goes the acronym for the trusty TR6 Triumphs used as speedy urban transport by the Metropolitan Police. Here are some such heavenly outriders giving Heavy police and security escort for America’s President Richard Nixon who drove from Claridges Hotel to No 10 Downing Street, London for his talks with the Prime Minister, Harold Wilson. The year is 1969.
Of course this was before the downward spiral of the Meriden shenanigans over the next decade; the police would then take to rotary Nortons and big faired Beemers. However these ‘post-war’ Triumphs gave a very traditional quality to the bobby-on-the-bike!
Here’s another couple of photos from these times showing a perfect line up of Speed Twins and Thunderbirds that the boys in blue loved to speed up and down the country on – when freshly laid motorways were quiet and getaway cars were slow…
Of course the moto’s were used around the world in far flung commonwealth colonies law enforcement units too.
Ah, imagine being the local officer toting around Kingston Jamaica in khaki shorts atop a sweet 500 Triumph; pop over to coral cove for a spot of fishing later on!
Posted in 60's, Photography, Triumph Motorcycle |
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March 7, 2013
A few loose end from the demise of the UK MC industry. Remember that Matchless from a couple of entries ago? Well there was a little epilogue to that story: in the 80’s one certain Les Harris took a 500cc Rotax single, slotted it into an oil carrying frame, added a few select European components and tried to ply it against the Asian offerings. However the price point couldn’t match the Yamaha SRX single. So out come the Tories extolling British Industry at its best: and who none other than Maggie and Dennis…
Give ‘er a lump of coal and Dennis a stiff drink!
Well move on a decade and the tables turn; in more ways than one: New Labour arrives and our pal Tony get ‘is leg over the smart new Daytona. Smarmy git! Glenda Jackson glowers in the background…
Posted in 80's, 90's, Photography, Triumph Motorcycle |
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March 6, 2013
the Mufflers
In Baltimore MD there’s a bunch of gals who promote two wheeled FUN! They’re called The Mufflers, a double entendre is in there somewhere! Blokeyness is forbidden and lady laughs are in; and a few Triumphs are evident in their rides, old and new.
Neat logo with road paint lines used.
Posted in Gals, Motorcycle Art, Triumph Motorcycle |
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March 2, 2013
Seeing as we’re on a music rock ‘n’ roll let’s delve into the two-wheeled antics of a pair of the fathers of rock: Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. Well Keith has always been a skinny malinty so the diminutive Triumph Cub seems like the best choice for him.
The right-wing brother of the great Christopher Hitchens said of Keith: “a capering streak of living gristle who ought to be exhibited as a warning to the young of what drugs can do to you even if you’re lucky enough not to choke on your own vomit”. His long endured reputation stretches ahead of him. But he sure can write a guitar riff or two!
Whilst he’s toting around some manorial grounds such as Stargroves. I can’t see him riding the public roads, Sir Mick take the controls of a Honda. Well ‘you meet the nicest people’. Hope he gets some satisfaction.
Posted in 60's, Honda, Music, Triumph Motorcycle |
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February 28, 2013
Steve, motorcycle, sorting, sorted!
Looks like the sublime Metisse scrambler; knobbly shod, high piped and Meriden companions behind.
Posted in 60's, Steve McQueen, Triumph Motorcycle |
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February 27, 2013
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
Posted in 60's, Racing, Steve McQueen, Triumph Motorcycle |
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February 25, 2013
Sons of the Desert: nope not a Laurel & Hardy adventure; but a jaunt across rutted, scrub patched scorched back country in SoCal or Baja. Knobbly tires shod on a tough old purely functional sled. Looks like way too much fun!
Is that an AMC Javelin poking its nose in?
Posted in 60's, Photography, Triumph Motorcycle |
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February 24, 2013
Sunday evening moto fare: as tasty as a Sunday roast, accompanied by mashed tatties, veggies with Yorkshire pudding lashed with dark gravy; here is a street going Triumph tracker ready to show off up and down the main drag. Flat soles Redwings, turnips, and an open face lid complete the leather-clad owners appearance.
A race numberplate and big Triumph tank logo adds to a racing legend.
The photo appears to be taken in Sweden, possibly Stockholm.
Posted in Tattoo, Triumph Motorcycle |
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February 23, 2013
An actor who has been taking notable strides in several great film of late: Michael Fassbender. From a younger Magneto in X-Men; Carl Jung in a Dangerous Method; Lieutenant Archie Hicox in Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds; the android David in Prometheus to name a few. Well he’s a biker too, being german-irish I believe his ride of choice is a big Beemer GS but it looks like he wouldn’t mind a mean muscular Triumph Speed Triple. He’s posing a bit too much though… Get on yer bike and ride it Mike!
Posted in Film and TV, Triumph Motorcycle |
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February 21, 2013
What a ride it would be: racing a steam train. The powerful coal driven powering along and a Speed Twin following alongside. The 1960 Evening Star 2-10-0 heralded the closing pages of the steam age, a ’60 Triumph eyes the future of road speed.
Fire up the engine stoker, keep shoveling!
Posted in 60's, Motorcycle Art, Triumph Motorcycle |
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February 7, 2013
Clean comic illustration of a draughting board where some inspired moto-engineer is dreaming up a bob-framed bike to house his Triumph twin engine. A navajo Zapotec rug underfoot give a nice backdrop to the overhead point-of-view; that particular angle chosen so the table lamp illumination lights the object of interest, that being the drawing itself. A technique that reminds me of Joseph Wright of Derby and his outstanding piece “A Philosopher Lecturing on the Orrery”;
The illustration of particular review, however, is crisply illustrated by Adam Nickel. Go look at his other motorcycle related images… nice stuff!
Here’s the Wright piece, painted in 1766 it describes, for visual explaination, the use of a lamp in place of the sun. This was novel for its time as paintings representing awe were religious in nature; here technology and science is what gives wonder to the lit faces.
Posted in Bobber, Motorcycle Art, Triumph Motorcycle |
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February 2, 2013
Proud? Certainly! Especially when your forearm is the banner for your ride of choice. Make sure the artist has a good hand and eye: a logo that is ‘off’ can look a copy. Like my new Rolax watch? Or my Somy Walkman?
Posted in Motorcycle Art, Norton, Tattoo, Triumph Motorcycle |
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January 30, 2013
British bikes and oil go well together. This time oil paints; here is a well executed Triumph portrait daubed by George Frizzell. To quote this Southwestern fella: “…biker, painter, writer…drain on society! To be continued…until I’m dead! ‘GTP'”
Posted in Motorcycle Art, Triumph Motorcycle |
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January 22, 2013
Today saw me one step closer to my US naturalization: fingerprints taken, mugshot snapped and an FBI background check commenced. So to commemorate this event here’s a shot of another Brit abroad: Hugh Laurie on his Bonnie with Stars and Stripes lidded passenger.
Hmm, I wonder… A Captain America helmet?
Posted in Film and TV, Triumph Motorcycle |
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January 10, 2013
Poster art and printmaking are in a strong resurgence right now, harking back to the heyday of poster graphics in the early Twentieth Century. Here a clean print of an orange and white stripe dress’d gal atop a sweet sky blue Twentyone ‘bathtub’. The paper colour becomes the skin, all else is tinted for detail and depth. The artist is Chris Thornley. A graphic artist who also goes by the name Raid71. This is one from his series ‘Angels from Hell’. The couple on a Bonnie is a cracker too! Great Stuff!
Posted in Gals, Motorcycle Art, Triumph Motorcycle |
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