Herding Cat | Today is playwright Sam Shepard’s birthday. Born in 1943 he acted in, wrote, directed and won numerous awards for dozens of plays. I remember him for his role in The Right Stuff as iconic supersonic pilot Chuck Yeager. Shepard died in 2017 aged 73
Space Man | peering over the ‘bars like some Ray Bradbury character a modern desert sled pilot scans a desolate horizon and aims the Triumph Scrambler towards a distant point in the future.
39 Years Ago | Recently my family acquired a stack of old Classic Bike magazines from the Eighties. A few made it back to the States from our recent trip to Scotland. Here’s a typical classified back page where information on parts, repair, sales were a key part of vintage motorcycle restoration and maintenance. Remember this is a generation before the all seeing and doing InterWeb. The monthly magazines were essential reading for the enthusiast.
Six by Nine | I managed to get a spin on the Tiger yesterday going between project locations. Weather was perfect and a quiet backroad empty of traffic.
‘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 Mouse and the Motorcycle | I need to conjure up a children’s book like this one… adventure for a diminutive rodent mammal. The original tale was written in 1965 by Beverly Cleary.
Poop-Poop | one of the great environmental books to read is Kenneth Graham’s tale from the riverbank: The Wind in the Willows. Mr Toad of Toad Hall always finds the adventurous side of life as can be seen in the latest animated offering being released this summer. In the trailer he’s haring along a country lane on a vintage motorcycle only to come a cropper.
“The Open road, the dusty highway, the heath, the common, the hedgerows, the rolling downs; Travel, change, interest, excitement! The whole world before you, and a horizon that’s always changing! ” Toad
Slartibartfast | The renowned Magrathean planet designer who won awards for his coastline design of the Norwegian fjords. These are roads I would most certainly like to travel upon with two wheels.
Today -11th March – is interstellar Towel day; being the birthday of Douglas Adams (1952-2001)
Resolute – It is typical of the New Year for us to put on the mask of Janus and look back at what we achieved (or not) the previous year and thus look forward to the coming twelve months and make a determination of what we want to achieve. Usually in an effort to better ourselves; and, in a way, make this time we have count. Me? I’m not a big one for ‘resolutions’ but it’s fun to think of things that you would like to try and do. A list you ask? Well, here goes:
I, Robot – in 2017 Yamaha displayed their autonomous riding motorcycle being hurled around a racetrack at speed. Today is the 99th birthday of science writer Isaac Asimov who created the three rules of robotics:
Vanishing Point- nice graphic used for a screenwriter school ad. Using Easy Rider as an example of ‘write your own movie!’ The artist uses a tweed garbed scholarly academian with a worried look about him riding into town on a classic Triumph Bonneville.
Reportage – here are a few choice photos from Sunday’s outing. As folks gathered there was a promise of sunshine, but it failed to emerge. The cool overcast sky was a good backdrop to the urban scenery. The numbers swelling to 700 plus, rumbling engines and rock music played over the tannoy. The Cobra Lounge serves a buffet breakfast and cold brew coffee took care of thirst and caffeine. The two-wheeled caravan too a direct route along Randolph into The Loop, horns pealing and bystanders waving. A loop up Lake Shore Drive gave the bikes a little more leg stretch as side lanes were blocked off from cars and trucks.
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride: Always Fun
Hump-Day: sometimes to leap into the leeward side of the week you need to get some air. Richard Parker the Jumping Tiger .
“Actually, it was not so much the speed that was impressive as the pure animal confidence, the total absorption in the moment. Such a mix of ease and concentration, such a being-in-the-present, would be the envy of the highest yogis” Life of Pi -Yann Martel
Silly Old Bear -“You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” Winnie the Pooh
Bear Grylls enjoying the open countryside on his Tiger.
