Show Class Magazine - North West Issue Release Party

As promised, here are photos from the Show Class issue release at See See Motor Coffee (thanks Sydney). Awesome event at a super cool venue. It was a blast to be a part of it. Once the placed filled up it would have been tough to take photos of the bikes. As is sort of the point, all the bikes that were there are in issue #22.  Quit being cheap and go buy it!

Thanks Billy and Mark for including me & Olivia. Thanks to Joey, Sydney and Vaughn for tagging along with us.

I absolutely loved this helmet. I wonder if there's a deliberate Charles Wing Kraft influence.

Chris Sharper's killer skinny Triumph

Brampton Recreation Update

As I mentioned some time ago my old friend Michael Breeding has been working on better-than- original Brampton grider forks for several years now. He was kind enough to forward a photo and commentary following the first successful test ride.

Took a 50 mile ride today with speeds up to 70 mph. Took my hands off the bars and the Shadow kept going straight and didn't want to lean over! The assembly to the bike took more time than I would have guessed but there were no glitches. A straight forward bolt up with lots of subtle adjustments (as with an OEM fork).  This has taken years.  A very good day.

 

A very good day oondeed. Quite an accomplishment. The Brampton looks so good on his '51 test steed I'm not sure I could bring myself to reinstall the original Vincent Girdraulic.

Mike also sent me a photo of his recently completed 1928 Harley Davidson JD. As I'm sure people are painfully aware I have been absolutely smitten with JD's for the last couple of years. Needless to say I approve of the new bike.

Show Class Magazine - North West Issue #22

Issue #22 of Show Class Magazine is out. Thanks to Mark Kirkland for taking the beautiful photos. Pictures of the issue release party at See See Motor Coffee will follow soon.

Car Chasers

I was channel flipping the other night and was pretty surprised to see John Stromberg's Gilroy Indian powered custom on Car Chasers.

 
Post by The Car Chasers.

John has painted some beautiful stuff but the paint below still has to be my favorite (I might be slightly biased).

John told me his then very young daughter said my tank looked like "Princess Jewelry." These Christmas ornaments he pinstriped are pretty damn cool to.

Dirt Quake

Flathead Rob had a pretty darn good time at Dirt Quake in Castle Rock, Washington last year. The video below shot at the Norfolk event is a pretty good indicator of why.

More on the ST165

As you may or may not recall Flathead Rob and I assisted in the restoration of a 1958 Harley Davidson ST165 last year. The bike was purchased new by his wife's Uncle Wally.

I really grew attached to the bike while working on it for three major reasons:

1) The bike is a somewhat rare example of a time when economical did not equal cheap. Some of the elements that were designed to be inexpensive but functional and durable are sheer genius
2) Uncle Wally and his family are amazingly cool
3) The bike was incredibly original and had the sort of history you just die for in an old motorcycle. Add to that the fact that countless Seattle area kid's learned to ride on that bike.

 That's not to say the bike was just a toy though. Wally used it as daily transportation for years.
Rob ran into Wally's wife/widow at a family event recently and she brought along the original owners manual. We're really thankful she did as it's just a feather in the cap of the bike's history.

If you look closely at the handwritten maintenance notes you'll notice that in November 1975 (just a tad shy of it being 20 years old) the ST165 had 20,000 miles. The majority of guys I know who own HD Road Kings don't put 1000 miles a year on them...

Lloyd Ensminger 1948 Harley Davidson WR

Thanks to Flathead Rob for pointing out a post on Facebook by Lloyd's Grandson Mike. 
 
Lloyd Ensminger 1948 Harley Davidson WR - #70 Haxtun Colorado

Lloyd Ensiminger in 2008 at the Sturgis half-mile on his WR making some hot laps. He was 93 at the time and in phenomenal shape. He still had all original gear (boots, socks, pants, helmet and goggles) except for his jersey he wore while racing in the '40's and '50's.

Air Knuckle

When did you last jump 5 guys on your stock Knucklehead?

Ran When Parked

1931 Norton TT Replica CS1 International Manx OHC Racer - Pretty pricey but it is cool. I was hopelessly smitten the second I saw the hot shoe.

It would probably take a book to describe the history of this bike but it's greatest glory was in the hands of the famous Canadian racer Elwood Stilwell. Just one example of Elwood's and the bike's prowess can be taken from the National professional dirt track races at Langhorne Pa. in 1935. Elwood lapped this notoriously dangerous and tough course at over 83 miles per hour! This on a four year old bike pitted against the factory racers from Indian etc.  He finished 6th.  The gas tank is home made by Elwood and many other parts have been changed down through the years as the bike was raced into the 1960's. This bike has patina. The chain of ownership was documented by my friend Bob McCoy who I purchased the bike from about 20 years ago.Bob bought it from either Elwood directly as he was a good friend or his estate.  The photos show Elwood at the Savannah and Jacksonville races as well as on the beach before the start of the very first Daytona race  in 1937. Elwood along with a few other prominent Canadian racers raced speedway in England for a stint. ( obviously not on this bike!) I have partially dismantalled this engine to show it's condition which is excellent. Looks like a fresh rebore and no vertical rod play. Downdraught head with excellent condition correct racing bronze bodied Amal. The pillion in the main picture is not included but the ratty one with patina is!  I have been to the VMCC headquarters library in Burton UK and sadly the page with this bike has been partially torn away however it does state clearly that this bike was designated a "TT Replica" model with close ratio gearbox, racing magneto and racing carb all, of which are present. The original triple stay frame ( similar to Brough Superior and some AJS ) is there but it was changed  to the same type  form an early 30's Norton sold by Brown's Norton Toronto. Although the numbers do not match they are all authentic undoctored and period correct.