Salinas CA: a festival of racing excitement for all at the inaugural TT Pro motorcycle races at the short track oval set up in the Salinas Rodeo, Monterrey Co. From the flyer a car and bike show will be there, centered around plenty of sideways action from guys who know what to do on two wheels. The annual Latino Festival will have music dancing and partying. Wish I was there!
Classic 3 colour screen print poster promotes the event.
Young whippersnapper actor Shia Labeouf adds excitement to his movie star life with a 900cc Thruxton.
On screen he has been seen taking the great Indiana Jones as pillion passenger in the last Harrison Ford epic. I think that bike was a dolled-up latter-day HD; well he’s trying to look tha part in a Marlon Brando ‘Wild One’ manner… shoulda been a Triumph though!
The owner has been found of a Harley-Davidson that drifted to Canada after being swept out to sea in the 2011 Japanese tsunami. Details from the motorcycle’s licence plate helped to locate Ikuo Yokoyama.
According to CBC News, Mr Yokoyama lost his home and three family members in the tsunami. The shop that sold the motorcycle to Mr Yokoyama is now hoping to ship the Harley-Davidson back to Japan and restore it.
The Harley-Davidson motorcycle was discovered by Peter Mark on 18 April on the coast of an island in British Columbia. Mr Mark said it was caked with “a lot of corrosion, a lot of rust”, but that he could see the manufacturer’s distinctive logo.
Ikuo Yokoyama told Japanese TV he had bought the bike five years ago
The Canadian realised that the bike could be part of the tsunami debris after he noticed that licence plate was from Miyagi prefecture, the area hardest hit by the March 2011 disaster.
Mr Yokoyama’s bike was inside a large white container he was using as a storage shed, which eventually washed away, leaving the bike partially buried in sand.
“This is unmistakably mine,” Mr Yokoyama told Nippon TV when shown photos of the motorcycle. “It’s miraculous.”
He told the Japanese TV station NHK that he wished to thank the man who found it personally.
In February, US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) officials said currents would carry much of the debris 4,000 miles (6,400km) to the coasts of Alaska, Canada, Washington and Oregon between March 2013 and 2014.
Lighter items, such as buoys and bottles, have been among the first to wash ashore on the continent. Last month a football found in Alaska was returned to its owner and a derelict fishing boat was sunk by USCG due to its endangering shipping lanes off Alaska.
Bobber Gal: early days for a biker lass’ freedom. Headscarf keeps the hair in check when scooting along, leather jacket, denim. This 40’s Speed Twin with gently swept back ape bars a suitable steed for the day.
Rockabilly Rider: The Homewreckers front man Danny Dean takes his early rock music seriously, especially when sporting a greased pompadour to his rocker bike like this Triumph. You could take this puppy down for a rumble along Beale Street to Sun Studios for a session with your Gretsch, Double Base and Drum backed band of anti-establishment misfits.
Ozzy’s son Jack proudly stands by his sharp looking Thruxton. Black on Black colour scheme in keeping with family values notably Pappa Osbourne’s band “Black Sabbath”.
Not being Paranoid or anything; but Brit Iron seems more appropriate for an old rocker than a chopper.
Deconstructed Triumph: yes you can take it apart to see how it works but can you then put it all back together? Here’s a chap with a taste for simian and a future of blood, sweat and gears tears. It reminds me of a classic image of the extremely clever french visual comic actor Jacques Tati.
L’Ecole des facteurs. Mais la bicyclette est dans les morceaux…
Bob-a-Job: a worried looking Sponge Bob protects this lass’ noggin from a few bumpy lanes when cavorting along on this modified Troompitt. It’s been bobbed in genuine fashion but with a dirt twist. nb. a ‘bob’ is a shilling : 12d [old pence] ~ 5p [new pence]. This was ‘earned’ for the cub-scouts doing odd jobs around the neighbourhood during “bob-a-job week” (or around the doors). The rev-counter is mounted in an interesting manner.
Spock aka Leonard Nimoy looking quite roadworthy with his fisherman’s Aran sweater, black leather blazer and visored open face helmet (I’m not sure about the hockey-like chin strap!). Probably an episode of Mission Impossible where his character Paris was a master of disguise. Hmm…
Side Note: Today the space shuttle Enterprise, full size gliding test aircraft of the latter space worthy craft (Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Endeavour & Atlantis) was flown into JFK airport after an airborne tour of the New York City. The Enterprise got it’s name from Trekkies who demanded NASA name this shuttle after the Starship Enterprise NCC-1701. The Enterprise will be barged up the Hudson and put on permenent display atop the Intrepid.
Wanna look snappy in a three-piece suit and shiny oxfords? Well to go with that Saville Row look you need a special edition Paul Smith Triumph Bonneville. That fresh, laid back designer look matches a 60’s icon seamlessly (excuse the pun). The PS Stripes are a fashion barcode defining British creativity. His collaboration with John Bloors Bonnie begat 9 one-offs each with a distinctive look, of which two designs led to 50 production specials each: “The Multi-Union” & “Live Fast”.
Road, Speed, Sun and a Smashing Moto: here is a beautiful image extolling the virtues of the open road. A sense of freedom atop a latter day Bonnie while the world blurs by; fresh air up the nostrils smooth road under-boot. Yup, it doesn’t get much better than this!
Photography by Scott Toepfer
My Blackberry phone has a neat photo app that plays around with color, contrast and inversion. It’s this latter one with the image sent through a couple of times that gets this graphic of my Bonnie. Techmology is Kool…
On my lunch break today whilst going for my regular swim I noticed a little two-wheeled jewel. Upon closer inspection I came upon this cafe’d-out Honda. And sorted to the n’th degree it was too; though not over the top but with care and deliberation to all the details. And What Details!
Taking a CB550 as the donor bike the owner has started with an overall vision that brings a holistic design that nigh-on looks like some lost production prototype fabricated to take on the rocker boys on their Triumphs, Beezas and Nortons in the sixties. Red frame and bulbous alloy tank give this moto a foundation worthy of a Brighton run. Under the surface you see the care taken to upgrade the rear swingarm from a pair of standard twin shocks to a Vincent-like double setup under the manx bumstop seat. A nicely painted Honda Motors winged logo adds to the timelessness.
Even the rear view ain’t bad either, the twin reverse cone muffler pipes must give off a good bark from the inline four; filigree openings on the rear drum both artistically lighten and cool proceedings, however this bike has a pair of discs up front to give a good anchor-like stop when needing to sharply reduce velocity. The tail light fits perfectly on the alloy hump. You can just about see the twin rear shock absorbers in this view, as well as the perfect cafe seating stance: clip-ons and rearsets here sonny!
Plenty of ‘Food for Thought’ to any future project methinks…
American Iron: The swap meet was well represented with Harleys; about 80 percent was glitzy fittings for your Hydra-King-Fat-Glide, not my cup of tea; but a few older pieces caught my eye. This old tank with suicide gear knob is mechanical art to some eyes.
Elsewhere an eye-catching Indian in gloss black sat proudly. A true classic whose lines still hold their beauty. A Garbo, Grable or Gish from the age of the first talkies.
This tank shows off the shiny controls and dials, the Indian Head medallion completes the delicious detail.
Finally, there was an old Knucklehead Harley Davidson, in original condition sitting by itself drawing many onlookers. In this condition these are worth a good $45k; some would say a further $20k to restore. Me? I would get the engine running, all controls greased, new tires, an ‘oily rag’ polish and ride it the way it is; a time-worn patina that looks perfect. This is a ’39 EL. A rugged Clark Gable to match the Hollywood belle’s mentioned above.
Sunny skies saw me northbound on a fairly quiet Sheridan Road to get a few miles under the belt. The air temperature was a wee bit parky (high 40’s) but the sun helped spirits. A fellow rider on a nice Honda VFR shared the ride through Lake Forest for a bit.
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