Friday, August 31, 2012

Ran When Parked

1956 Triumph T110 This bike seems like a pretty cool bike for someone with the money. It's right in Flathead Rob's backyard too. Two owners in 56 years, how can you go wrong with that. Someone go buy it!



Frame

I'm planning to adapt a factory Pre-Unit rigid rear section to the Duplex front loop on my '61 T110. Ideally I would have just started with an early 50's but sometimes you can't be that picky when the right project opportunity comes along. I'm told aftermarket Unit hardtails (like the David Birds, FMW, Elswick's, etc.) bolt right up to a Duplex frame but I really want this one to look like a stock early 50's bike. The factory rigid rears are starting to get a little scarce, especially those that haven't been butchered almost beyond use. I feel a little better that I was able to find one that has already been cut, probably with the intention of doing exactly what I am hoping to do.



Here is a side-by-side photo with my friend's Pre-Unit rear section that has stock lower tubes.



I'm not the first to do this (no one is ever the first to do something with bikes this age). The following it a Duplex Pre-Unit that has had an early rigid rear modified to fit.



The spacing where the rear section bolts to the frame is wider on the Pre-Unit than the Duplex/Unit mount. I'm thinking I could just machine two 11/16" spacers to compensate. Obviously the lower mounts are going to be a little more involved. I'm hoping not to have to tear the whole bike down to the frame to mock it up. I'm thinking I might be able to use a Unit front loop for mockup.

Tanks

Hmm. I still think I'm leaning toward the '51 tank if I can save it. Am I nuts? Ultimately I want it to look like a street legal early 50's race bike.



1951 Tank



1956 Tank



I hope to adapt an early factory rigid rear. I'd love to build a set of early flat track pipes like above too.

Ran When Parked

1946 1951 Velocette MAC Gotta love the "T.T. Winners" logo.






Ran When Parked

1936 HD Knucklehead. First year Knuck. Looks like it could be original paint too. Looks like the seller is in Phoenix so one of the ABQ HD sect may know this bike. I'll have to get one of the HD geeks to chime in on how correct the '36 only parts are. They all look the same to me.



Ran When Parked

1938 BSA Y13. Seems like you don't see a lot of these BSA V-twins. Being a V-twins this would fit nicely in Knucklehead Steve's garage. Some Vincent Series A type elements (and maybe a later Vincent seat), an engine looks a little Crocker-ish and loads of BSA. Pretty cool.



Ran When Parked

1929 Excelsior Super X OHV Factory Hillclimber

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Santa Fe Concorso

Shortly after the Motorado Show I received an email inviting me to enter the Santa Fe Concorso. I had kind of forgotten about it until a friend mentioned last weekend that he was going to have a couple of bikes in the show. He said he participated last year and that the show was pretty impressive. The following is a paraphrased description from the email I received.

The Santa Fe Concorso, one of the nation’s premiere transportation events, is happening September 30th. Last year we had the Munro Special (The World’s Fastest Indian of movie fame), the Harley Davidson "Easyriders Streamliner" that holds world speed records and a great sampling of race and street bikes at our show.




This year there a two ways for motorcyclists to participate. If you just wish to enter your bike(s) in our Sunday show there is no charge to do so. Another option is full participation in the Friday night reception at the Santa Fe Airport, the Saturday Mountain Tour, including decal, and lunch for $100 as well as the Sunday show. The Sunday VIP area is available to you for a $50 fee either as a Sunday only participant or as a full weekend entrant. Food is available for purchase at other locations should you decide to pass on the Sunday VIP area option.



I'm not sure if I'll be available that weekend but if I am I plan to drop by on Sunday.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Venice Vintage Motorcycle Club

This is pretty cool.



It makes me want to ride down to the Albuquerque Motorcycle Club house and recreate some history myself. Except the lady that now lives in that house would likely call the cops and I don't need to recreate history so authentically I also wind up in jail...

Bonneville

Thanks to English Stephen for sharing this link. This photo of "Betsy at Bonneville" made me pretty nostalgic. I have to make it to Bonneville one of these days.


Knuckleheads

Attention CL and eBay sellers: All Knuckleheads DO NOT = $45,000. Thanks.



Ran When Parked

I've always been a huge fan of the Yamaha RD's. Admittedly if I had one it probably wouldn't be stock but there are a pair of nearly matching 1973 RD350's on eBay today. Even the low mileage is nearly identical (8500).

Number 1



Number 2



Monday, August 27, 2012

Ran When Parked

1959 Velocette 500 Scrambler This one is in Flathead Rob's son's backyard. Rob, you should pick it up the next time you are delivering groceries and clean laundry. I love that fender.




Triumph 500 GP





Sunday, August 26, 2012

1929 Sunbeam Model 9

Easily the most impressive motorcycle I saw this weekend.

Racers

I've been spending way too much time looking at old race bikes.



'61 TR6

Custom cut knobby, '36 Ford spare tire cover rear fender, authentic hippie flower, truck tailllight... Hillclimber? Desert sled? This bike has seen a lot of living. It really needs to see some more.



Friday, August 24, 2012

Icon XS650

BikeEXIF has a feature on Icon's new XS650 creation. As a New Mexico kid I was super impressed with the creativity of the tank graphic. Everyone probably recognizes Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow but it's the Zia/Yamaha logo that really impressed me.

Those not from New Mexico may not be familiar with our state symbol, the Zia. Those local to New Mexico who has been exposed to way too many awful Zia tattoos may well wish they weren't familiar with it either...



Most are probably familiar with Yamaha's perpetual "tuning fork" logo.



Fuse the two and you have the graphic in the Icon tank. Given the overt Southwestern religious art influence I think the idea is just clever as hell.




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