December 23, 2015

Nine of the Best?

  
On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me:

Nine Rockets rockin’ 

Eight Dommies roarin’ 

Seven Comets thumpin’ 

Six Lightings flashin’ 

Five Golden Stars!

Four AJ’s harin’ 

Three Cafe’s brewin’ 

Two Bonnie’s beltin’ 

And a Vincent doin’ the ton along the A3!

December 22, 2015

RGS to Scale

   
A neat looking plastic model kit: which includes two bikes. One in red, the other chrome. These are the superlative early sixties Rocket Gold Star from BSA. 

 
Each comes on its own molded set. You can see frame, wheels, engine, tank, pipes, bars…

   
 
Box back assembly instructions are fairly basic and no decals.

 

5’6d from your local hobbyist shop. 

December 21, 2015

Dark Night of Winter Solstice

What better way to celebrate the shortest day with a Shadow? Black Shadow that is…

   
This week has seen an unprecedented three Vincent’s for sale on EBay. Lots of money being thrown about too. One currently at $100k, another close to that; both runners and looking good.

 
There is also a barn find project that hasn’t run for forty odd years. Reserve not met at $38k… You’d be dropping another ten grand on it as well to get ‘er up and running.

 
I’d better stick to Triumphs….  This X75 in the UK… Now for £25k… Bargain!

  
 

December 20, 2015

Under the Tree

 
  Some form of two wheeled transport is always wished for at Christmas. If I was a young ‘un back in the early sixties I want one of these. Red Triumph Thunderbird inspired pedal motorbike. I bet many a motorcyclist started out like this! Pillion capabilities too. 
 
This one was sold recently on EBay for $175. 

December 19, 2015

Hear me ROAR!

  

  

December 18, 2015

The Force Awakens

   
I can remember the excitement I had as a six year old watching the original Star Wars. The ships, the light saber fights, the bad guys and the plucky heroes. Last night I went to see a midnight show (first night mind you) of the new George Lucas/JJ Abrams film. All I can say is outstanding. Everything anticipated and more. A little of the old, with a healthy dose of the new and a future of possibilities. The heroine is a scavenger called Rey played wonderfully by Daisy Ridley. 

 
We meet her haring across the arid landscape of  Jakku aboard her blunt nosed speeder bike. 

The Force is strong with this one!

December 17, 2015

Fixed

  
One of my old trusty fixed gear bikes.. Now long gone after an abrupt meeting with a car door. It was a steel framed Schwinn and 27″ wheels the rear being a flip flop fixed gear on one side and freewheel the other. Great for nipping around the City and up and down the Lakefront.

December 16, 2015

The Man who remembered the Future

Today is Philip K. Dicks birthday. Born 1928 -died 1982. Actually born here in Chicago.  

 
A prolific writer of novels and short stories he invented an alternate reality of parallel worlds. Always thought provoking, always surprising. I can imagine his cats curled up next to his typewriter as he turns his enigmatic mind into prose.

December 15, 2015

мотоцикл 

   
Mototsiki as they would say in St Peterburg. Scot Johnny Stuart (1940-2003) was a preeminent expert on all things pre C 20th Russian: its objects, design and associated historical particulars. However rather than tooling around on a grumpy Ural combination he tore up the London streets near Sotheby’s on Triumphs.

 
He also penned the tome “Rockers: Kings of the Road”. Allegedly the most shop lifted book in 90’s London… About the leather clad, cafe racing boys of the sixties.

 До свидания. 

(Da svidaniya)

December 14, 2015

Mister!

   

Sled, desert sled that is. Steve McQueens desert sled. Hot SoCal day and a race across the dusty scrubland is anticipated. Here in Illinois it’ll soon be cold, icy and unrideable; bah, humbug!

Hey! 

December 13, 2015

Here I go out to sea again

  
Back in the eighties British music had a hint of dour feeling with such acts as The Smiths, Echo and the Bunnymen, New Order.   

Colin Vearncombe also known as Black had a hit with A Wonderful Life. The Liverpudlian sang this minor key ode to Thatchers dream using a very effective black & white video filmed on the seafront of Wallasey. One frame shows a small BSA C11 rolling along the promenade. 

December 12, 2015

Kid on a bike

  
Inspire and allow others to aspire. Even when you can’t reach the bars you can know that one day you will…

December 11, 2015

F-f-f-Friday

  
Fairing Fun: faded mag advert with long coated rider cutting a stylish dash with a streamlined nosepiece. Bubble visor and smart Italian boots. That coat will flutter madly though…

Frivolous-Feasting-Fabulous-Flapping

December 9, 2015

Jack of All Trades

  
A 2000 model Sprint adorned with an unfurled flag in apparent flutter across the side of this mile muncher. The George Cross, Saltire, & Paddy’s Cross make up the union flag.

Bike needs horizon and rider.

December 8, 2015

The Doctor

Dr Who. The classic Timelord from Gallifrey usually utilizes his TARDIS to careen about space and time.  

 
However when on the ground at a particular era the it seems a Triumph Scrambler becomes his wheels of choice.