One of yesterdays photos given a little Instagram treatment: shallow depth of field creating a miniturized appearance to the Bon. Add a little faded colouring and you have a nicely detailed and completed 1:32nd Airfix kit. Plastic cement anyone? I’m sure to get first place in the diorama group…
Two, four, six or even sixteen; all road users should see each other equally. Though some more so than others, especially when it comes to two-wheelers!
Paynesville Minnesota. Zap Leather & Cycle: A rural motorcycle shop with leatherwear frontage and restoration/repair workshop behind. The owners Chuck and Tiff Koshiol gave me, my father-in-law Warren, and brother-in-law Dan their ‘nickel tour’ of the outfit. The front window display was a fifties Indian, and not your usual v-twin Springfield MA moto but actually a rebadged Royal Enfield. A taste of things to come. The back ‘shop was a great space for all aspects of two-wheeled work. On the stands was a cafe’d BMW airhead, another aforementioned Indian, a neat little flathead single of misty origin and a terrific Norton being ‘sorted’ for some lucky customer. Nice details to ensure everyday smooth running was assured. Eye Candy? Like Swiss chocolate!
Week off blogging due to family commitments.
There’ll be an intermission filled with some two-wheeled “eye-candy”.
Glorious Weather: seventies, blue skies with the odd fluffy cloud. Clear air and a breeze of the perfectly coloured chop of Lake Michigan. No better way to charge batteries up than a quick dash up the leaf lined meanders of Sheridan Road as it wanders through the affluent North Shore. You can keep yer oversized dwellings – a moto and a windy lane is all I need for a feeling of sucess! The owld gel is still runnin’ well.
Line ’em up: the guttering flame of the British motorcycle industry had a few brief flashes of warmth as the seventies ticked on. The Beatles were no more, glam rock came and went, punk gave rise to a new wave and disenchanted youth attitude. Norton Villiers Triumph group gave us the posterchild Triple and a plumper 750 Bonnie. Keep on Rolling! The Tories got in with the Iron Lady, the Sex Pistols were history and MTV switched on: the kids had a new distraction. Video, Space Invaders and a Ford Escort XR3i with spoilers as standard, alloy wheel and bucket seats. “Go on, giz a job!”.
Though the flame died the embers stayed warm with a meager glede in its core…
Who says history is Boring?
Before the temperatures got out of hand today (nineties expected and indeed reached!) I got out on the road for a spin. Perfect sky with cool air in the leafy shadows of Sheridan Road. New 12v coild giving snappy spark and the bike is running like a champ. Smiles all around!
Some would take rum, others a brandy; I’d top this little flask with Talisker, a peaty Single Malt from the craggy Isle of Skye. Face aglow from a day in the saddle through the glens and along the lochs o’ the Highlands. A late summer sun setting over the Hebrides into the North Atlantic. Sláinte!
DON’T DRINK & RIDE
Today see’s our bloke Guy haring along on a Speed Twin at some historic track meet. Bin lid is a suitable puddin’ bowl type from way back when The Empire still ruled the globe. His knee sliders look a little optimistic but I’m sure he could give this Moto a run for your money. “get kettle on lad! Make sure there’s a brew for when I get back in t’ pits!”
Punks birth can be traced back to New York in ’75 but when it arrived with a screech to the UK in Jubilee year it took on its Westwood appearance and McClaren musik with safety pinned, spike haired and tartan clad gusto! Our Louise Limb illustration takes the Silver Jubilee Triumph Bonneville special and adds an appropriate Vivienne rider.
Anarchy in the UK
Saw this listing on Craigslist today; the seller sure is having some fun with description…
Up for sale is this 1997 Triumph Adventurer 900 cc in line triple. It has two tires, a seat, and an engine filled with oil. All the stuff you would expect to find on a motorcycle. Plus it’s a Triumph, you know who rode a Triumph? Fonzie. You know what Fonzie is? Cool.
It has an after market speedometer as the factory unit broke, I have the factory one so you can add the two mileages together. It’s under 20k. It also has a two seats and a back rest that come with it. One solo seat that is on the bike and tells the world to ‘get lost, i ride alone.’ The other is for two passengers for the times you have to rely on owning a motorcycle to get into some poor girl’s pants. It has clubman bars. If you want to make this thing into a cafe racer, flip these over. Bam! Instantly leaning forward on a british bike. The pics make it look blue but it’s actually a bluish green color. Very classic looking and you’ll get compliments on the paint like you had something to do with it.
The carbs were rebuilt with new needles, emulsion tubes, and slide guides. The jets were upgraded to handle the additional air flow from the K&N pod filters. If adding a K&N filter to your car will increase horse power, you can only imagine what 3 would do. Plus they say K&N right on them, they’re awesome. You want them. I hardly blame you. The bike also has a new head light bulb. That’s a $3 value right there.
What’s the down side to owning this bike? Well, the right side fork seal is leaking. This just started, the parts are cheap and there are videos on you tube that show you how to do this. It looks to be some what a hassle but perhaps you’re the manly type that scoffs at this sort of chore. If so, this bike comes with the solo seat listed above. The other down side is everywhere you go some old guy will want to tell you about the 69 Bonneville he owned the summer he was dating Delores Hadley. She wasn’t that pretty, but she put out. I’ve heard this story a lot and I’ve determined that the bike gets a good deal of attention and that Delores got around. You’ll also have to hear from every guy on a harley that Triumphs are indeed nice bike, but just for them. I’m not sure if that’s a compliment or what. I’m not sure why they think I care.
Bike is in bolingbrook. Cash only. I’m not looking to trade for 2000 pocket knives or craigs list dental work.”
Yours for twenty three C-notes.
Harry Harrison wrote some great stories about the lighter side of galactic adventure. My favourite was the escapades of James Bolivar diGriz, Slippery Jim. Con man, thief, Corps antagonizer and darn good ducker and diver. HH passed today (87). I’ve chosen this Triumph special: it is a damn good ‘sorted’ machine worthy of a RAT! Big forks, brakes, air cooled and, I’m sure, hot cammed engine. My Bonnie dreams of bikes like this…
The craft stall that sold the CNC’d moto-motifs also had a ‘Trouble’ plate in Triumph style complete with swooping R. Some ingenious builder has adapted it to his new black Bonnie so you’d better watch out! As they say “If you go lookin’ for it…”
geordiebiker.com 