May 24, 2014
An open house at the Triumph dealer Motoworks was attended last evening. The ride down too an hour and a half; covering the fifteen mikes from Evanston in slow/stop holiday weekend commuter traffic along Western Avenue. The Bonnie didn’t like the slow progress with her engine warming up a little too much when crawling along.
Nevertheless we got there to see the Triumph flat track racers showing off their tools: and what machines they are! Go fast, turn, repeat.
Sunset photoshoot for staff and racers both. To be competitively fast you need to have a jockey-like stature… My cooling moto looks on sweating oil weeps…
A nifty mobile workshop is an absolute necessity when hauling between oval mike venues. Nicely equipped facility here!
Gearing sir? We have you covered!
We rode back up Lake Shore Drive at dusk. A cool but invigorating haul back north. The city’s skyscrapers reflected a golden sun, beyond the deepening night swallowed the lake beyond.
Posted in Chicago, Racing, Triumph Motorcycle |
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May 22, 2014
Throwback Thursday: back in ’97 hitting the road for my return journey from Northumberland to London. My nifty Kawasaki GPZ500R. Loved that bike! Ideal for City zipping as well as weekend spins further afield.
Posted in Kawasaki, Travel |
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May 21, 2014
Baron con Snoopy and his chirruping sidekick Woodstock take to the open road in a ‘snappy’ model sidecar…
Here’s the item in real-life.
It seems having this pair as driver and chair occupant is quite popular…
Posted in Sidecar, Toy Motorcycle |
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May 20, 2014
Across America The long highways between growing cities, sprawling suburbs and the breadbasket countryside riders were taking to Triumph motorcycles to haul them across the big miles. Experiencing their land. The swift lines of the Speed Twin, Tiger, Thunderbird… The same year NASA was formed and the space race was well and truly underway.
Meanwhile the ‘other’ Triumph – Germans TWN ‘Boss’ two-stroke 200cc was shown hauling a combination through the Casbah of Marrakech.
…elsewhere Fidel tours Havana Cuba…
” …quality of life lies in knowledge, in culture. Values are what constitute true quality of life, the supreme quality of life, even above food, shelter and clothing.”
What a year ’58 must have been.
Posted in History, Motorcycle Art, Triumph Motorcycle |
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May 20, 2014
Across America The long highways between growing cities, sprawling suburbs and the breadbasket countryside riders were taking to Triumph motorcycles to haul them across the big miles. Experiencing their land. The swift lines of the Speed Twin, Tiger, Thunderbird… The same year NASA was formed and the space race was well and truly underway.
Meanwhile the ‘other’ Triumph – Germans TWN ‘Boss’ two-stroke 200cc was shown hauling a combination through the Casbah of Marrakech.
…elsewhere Fidel tours Havana Cuba…
” …quality of life lies in knowledge, in culture. Values are what constitute true quality of life, the supreme quality of life, even above food, shelter and clothing.”
What a year ’58 must have been.
Posted in Uncategorized |
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May 19, 2014
A hint of what we can expect soon… A sneak peek at the future new Triumph Cub. We’ll explore this further…
Posted in Triumph Cub |
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May 18, 2014
Yup: nice wee scoot out ‘n’ aboot th’day. A few dozen mikes under the rubber and great spring bloom abounds on the roads.
Posted in Chicago, Photography |
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May 16, 2014
Old tools have an age-worn oil-rubbed torque-nicked patina to them that makes them the best tool to have in the hand for the job. An energy of mechanics past glows from their softened edges; but hard true faces ready to bite a bolthead or twist a nut free lies in wait.
This collection of BSA wrenches look ready for action! Rust requiring an oily hand with intent and a vintage motorcycle project replete with Whitworth fastenings gets underway
Posted in BSA, Maintenance, Photography |
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May 15, 2014
Music Motorcycle: it looks like Dick and his pillion pal Dee Dee are having way too much ridin’ fun on their Bonnie whilst crooning a merry tune. Dick St John and Dee Dee Sperling was this singing songwriting duo holding court through the sixties in California.
Posted in Music, Triumph Bonneville |
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May 14, 2014
George Lucas is 70 today: I could gave imaged Endor moon speeder bikes; hot rods along Main Street graffiti style, or Indiana Jones and his pappy a la combination; but instead I found this snowy scene in Norway of Carrie Fisher napping between takes during the filming of The Empire Strikes Back. Skidoo chaise whilst the tauntauns graze… It’s my favorite of The saga in terms of story and acting.
May the Force be with you!
Posted in Film and TV, Gals |
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May 13, 2014
Perhaps my next project? A flat track Tiger Cub. Light the blue touch paper and stand well back…
Just need an oval of dirt and tip ‘er sideways.
Posted in Racing, Triumph Cub |
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May 12, 2014
We can’t let the car feel left out now can we? Here’s our ’04 Volkswagen GTI which has always been fun to drive either in the city (parking is easy) or on faster roads, as well as highway cruising. Geordie the greyhound loves to travel in the back; either peering out of the rear of this hot hatchback or curled up dozing the miles away…
Posted in Cars |
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May 11, 2014
A Reading from the Book of Armaments, Chapter 4, Verses 16 to 20:
Then did he raise on high the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch, saying, “Bless this, O Lord, that with it thou mayst blow thine enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy.” And the people did rejoice and did feast upon the lambs and toads and tree-sloths and fruit-bats and orangutans and breakfast cereals … Now did the Lord say, “First thou pullest the Holy Pin. Then thou must count to three. Three shall be the number of the counting and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, neither shalt thou count two, excepting that thou then proceedeth to three. Five is right out. Once the number three, being the number of the counting, be reached, then lobbest thou the Holy Hand Grenade in the direction of thine foe, who, being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it.”
Destination today: Antioch IL. The route taken was a very pleasant Lake County backroad called Old McHenry. Rolling horse country with spring blooming hedgerows and the far off scent of spring cut grass. Beyond that Fairfield Road aims northward to the destination. A roadside cafe offered the usual breakfast fare, I had pancakes with a side of sausage links, washed down with fresh coffee on demand. We sat outside in the warm sun with classic Johnny Cash tunes blaring over the tannoy.
The quote above is of course taken from Month Pythons Holy Grail. Religious devastating relic used against the killer rabbit of Caerbannog…
Posted in cafe racer, Music, Triumph Motorcycle |
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May 10, 2014
Fifty Five years ago: from the Tigress moped, Tiger Cub, Thunderbird, the Bonneville; all sold on the promise, and proven speed, of superiority on the road. The Record was Johnny Allen’s Devils Arrow which, under the methanol fuelling reached a two-pass speed of 193.3 mph with a 650 Triumph engine.
Posted in Graphics, Motorcycle Poster, Triumph Motorcycle |
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May 9, 2014
Four square: as the project heads into the final laps I need to get my head into its appearance. So I’m reviewing various examples of trials set up Cubs. This one has the footpeg and rear brake positioning necessary for the slow and deliberate riding: placement further back to allow a standing stance on the ‘pegs giving correct weight distribution. The kick start is also a folding bent crank to swing past these rear placed pegs. The high-mount exhaust and small ‘seat perch’ add further neat details to the proceedings. I won’t have this alloy tank, using the typical Cub tank of the period. It is a nifty looking machine!
Posted in Restoration, Trials, Triumph Cub |
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