May 8, 2015

Starry Starry Night

  

Just listed….. Gonna sell my kidney….. Or my soul…. 


“Offered for auction is a restoration project from HARRIS VINCENT GALLERY, in Austin, Tx.  This motorcycle is a completely non-matching bike!  The purpose of it being rebuilt is to move outside the traditional lines of VINCENT sales and offer a just-restored bike to riders who want to have the “Vincent Experience” and not but put into poverty!  The engine cases are not sanded or polished, but exactly as made a half-century ago.  The outer cases are the original polish and we haven’t redone them so they’re like it was when sold (plus 60 years of patina!)

The engine unit is a 1949 VINCENT H.R.D. engine, completely restored by us.  The transmission has new internal components.  New pistons, bearings, valves all combine to produce a solid and fresh VINCENT for the successful bidder.

Maybe you never had a VINCENT and want to try one.  This will be the bike for you and if they’re not for you, so what!  You aren’t locked into a big auction house to sell it.  It’s a rider’s bike.  New tires, new bearings, fresh seat, rewly overhauled, genuine SMITHS Rapide correct speedometer, new grips, built to ride.  Sure, we do show – winning restorations and our bikes win the big shows.  But, we like to see guys enjoy our bikes and on this one, we know you will.  

Engine number is: F10AB/1/1432. upper frame number is R3495 and there is no number on the rear from number because we had to replace the lugs.

The Rapide does not come with a title but it does come with a bill of sale.  This is motorcycle is a really nice rider and a great motorcycle to enjoy.”

 

  

 

May 7, 2015

always good for a quote

  

“We make a living by what we get,
but we make a life by what we give.” 


— Winston Churchill

May 6, 2015

George Motorcyclist

 Yup, he’s the other Geordie Biker. Our Mr Clooney turned 54 today. Likes his motos too! His cool demeanor makes him a favorite with moviegoing fans. He makes gray look good, well we’re all heading that way at some point. 

May 5, 2015

Diggin’ Life

  

Desert Sled in oil. Fag loosely attached to his bottom lip our Triumph racer Steve McQueen takes a rest at some fast ‘n’ dusty event in SoCal mid-sixties. The Moto looks spare and ready for gravelly action. 

“Diggin’ Life” – original oil on canvas painting (28″ x 37″) by Tom Fritz www.FritzArt.com 

May 4, 2015

May the Fourth

  

Han Solo captain of the Millennium Falcon; could be taking to the cosmos again soon with his sidekick Chewbacca the wookie. Here he is under Californian sun on a 90’s period Daytona. Chunky motorcycle for the iconic action hero.

 

..who has been Indiana Jones in other capers; and Sean Connery was his pop. Here the two archaeology professors ride combination style. Sean isn’t quite as whiskered as Chewie!

May 3, 2015

Diner Stop

  

May has well and truly dug it’s teeth into spring! The weather is simply perfect for riding. 70’s with hints of cool air off the lake under clear blue skies. Back roads up through Lake County with trees tinged in fresh green leaf shoots. You can smell growth as the back roads lanes skirt the oak woodland. Emily’s Pancake House in Zion for egg skillets filled grumbling bellies. A grand few miles under the rubber.

May 2, 2015

Geoff Duke rip

  

The passing today of one of motorcyclings greats. Lancastrian Duke was a dominating figure in the fifties on the GP circuit as well as the Isle of Man TT. No better picture of him that taking a Manx Norton at speed in front of s cheering crowd. 

1923-2015

May 1, 2015

Lady in Red

  

A nice mile-worn Lewis Leathers jacket goes with a Triumph rider like cheese and pickle between slices of bread. Horiko on her immaculate ’48 Speed Twin  and matching red accessories certainly looks the part. The Dominator jacket she’s wearing… £775.  

April 30, 2015

Yossarian Lives!


“That’s some catch, that Catch-22,” he observed.
“It’s the best there is,” Doc Daneeka agreed.

  

Joseph Heller May 1 1923-December 12 1999

April 29, 2015

poppin’

  

Wheelies, stoppies and all of the other balance necessitated shenanigans that stunt riders do. Also make the bike look like a crowd pleasin’ zany bright, zoom and boom machine. 

  
It’s the hip-hop of observed trials riding.

April 28, 2015

Vitamin C

my next Meriden project will be a tracker for sure.  

 

The orange tang colored frame gives this suitable spare example a fiery look. Carbon black TT pipes, chunky tires on alloy rims, medium rise bars. Cool tiger tee shirt too. Let’s file this image…

April 27, 2015

Eat Your Greens

A British Racing Green color scheme looks like the way to go… Silver mudguards, blackened frame and a verdant tank.  

It fits with the grassy slopes the tires grip to ascend and descend…   

Golden logo glimmers in the sunlight…

    

Some go for the white fenders. Here this leading link fork has a Greeves air to the proceedings.

 

Green frame a little too much. 

  
This older fixed frame is a nice balance.

April 26, 2015

Colours 

  

Starting to consider a color scheme for the Cub. This one is looking good. Classic red topped tank, silver mudguards and black elsewhere. 

April 25, 2015

Cub Update

It’s been a little while since we’ve seen this little fella on the blog. Some crucial body parts have been hard to come by. However I have both fenders, a short period trials seat, a clean tank. Looks nearly roadworthy! Exhaust pipe on the list next then the all important ignition set up – the pulse itself.  

 

April 24, 2015

the Seaside

  

Beach Babe: a box brownie snap of someone’s love. Both two-legged and two-wheeled. Back when you just drove down to the waters edge and had a ride along the damp sand. You can smell the salty air and feel the gritty sand in your toes.