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Tuesday, August 31, 2010
The Norton Project
The Norton Project from Jamtron on Vimeo.
This is a story about how two brothers stole their father's 1969 Norton Commando, had it restored and then gave it back to him for Christmas. He had no idea.
What a wonderful story... and, actually, funny as hell.
Learn to Ride the High Mountains of Europe
My buddy TJ lived in California before returning to Germany and he's well qualified to make your dream of high mountain European motorcycle travel a reality. CK this out!
The season will soon come to a close for 2010. The usual meeting point for the training ride is this car park, left of the toll booth, where a training group of riders met, August 18th.
This is one of the photos from TJ's Grossglockner 2010 - Picasa Album.
CLICK ABOVE FLYER TO VIEW ENLARGED DETAILS
Bike Tour Germany offers high mountain training, as well as guided tours through Germany. You can also join TJ and his crew on rides to the 24 Hour Le Mans Race, the IMOT Munich Bike Show and other European events.
Leif Persson 's 500 KTM
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In 1978 Leif Persson began his work at the Husqvarna Factory in the R&D Department.
He was part of the design team for the Husqvarna 390 and 420 Automatics as well as
the Husqvarna 430 and 488.
He became the Swedish 500cc Champion in 1980 riding a Husqvarna 420 that had been modified for him at the Husqvarna Development Department.
This 1988 KTM 500 was Leif's last factory ride. The inner motor cases on this bike are sand cast, the cylinder ported and the suspension has been re-worked to Leif's
specifications. He placed 17th in the 500cc World Championships. Eric Geboers won
the Championship that year aboard a factory Honda.
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In 1978 Leif Persson began his work at the Husqvarna Factory in the R&D Department.He was part of the design team for the Husqvarna 390 and 420 Automatics as well as
the Husqvarna 430 and 488.
He became the Swedish 500cc Champion in 1980 riding a Husqvarna 420 that had been modified for him at the Husqvarna Development Department.
This 1988 KTM 500 was Leif's last factory ride. The inner motor cases on this bike are sand cast, the cylinder ported and the suspension has been re-worked to Leif'sspecifications. He placed 17th in the 500cc World Championships. Eric Geboers won
the Championship that year aboard a factory Honda.
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Monday, August 30, 2010
Perewitz, Michele Smith & Others Join Sturgis of Asia Tour
The Next Dave Perewitz Bike Night in Bridgewater, MA,Wed. Sept 8th will be the last of the season for 2010!"Jody & I are leaving in 2 weeks for Sturgis of Asia in South Korea!," Dave told friends a few hours ago. "The bikes are on their way."
People in Japan, South Korea and China will soon have a taste of the Sturgis rally without having to travel to the United States, courtesy of a new company, SturgisAsia. The first tour of SturgisAsia is Sept. 17 to 21.
The company is headed by Tom Bandy of Rochester, Minn., who has been a rally licensee for a dozen years and has been attending the rally for nearly 40 years. It has been Bandy's dream for a few years to bring Sturgis to the rest of the world. SturgisAsia will fly participants and their motorcycles to South Korea.
VIPs signed up for the first trip include custom builders Arlen Ness, Cory Ness, Eddie Trotta, Dave Perewitz and Donnie Smith, along with Harley-Davidson artist Scott Jacobs.
Also signed for the first trip is Michele Smith, who co-hosted “American Thunder” on the Speed Channel and recently co-hosted "Two Wheel Thunder" on Discovery's HD Theater.
Next year, SturgisAsia will take a group of bikers to South Korea and Japan. In 2012, it plans to visit South Korea, Japan and China. And in 2013, it will add Australia to the tour.
The program in South Korea will include a hill climb, a mini moto cross, a rock concert, a traditional Korean performance, a custom bike show and a biker fashion show, plus plenty of riding through the South Korean countryside. The tour is expected to attract tens of thousands of South Koreans, eager to catch a glimpse of American culture.
SturgisAsia will also tour a US military base in Seoul, Korea. The tour will present a Support the Troops Day for American and South Korean military. Then, accompanied by American service personnel, the tour group will ride up to the demilitarized zone.
The tour costs about $3,500 for two people, depending on travel packages. For more information, go to Sturgisasia.com
Leaf Us Alone
One of the (true), Myths in Chopper History
I remember lores like this being told more than once in the chopper magazines of yesterdays. Then, one day while checking Kid Duece's Flicker album (linked from Nostalgia on wheels blog), I found this news clipping among the old chopper photos.
Just too far out. Did any of you notice this? The address is the first clue, then check the blacked out name carefully. Richard.... I'll let you figure out the rest.
I like that they also included a description of the vehicle.
The guy just couldn't get a break.
I remember lores like this being told more than once in the chopper magazines of yesterdays. Then, one day while checking Kid Duece's Flicker album (linked from Nostalgia on wheels blog), I found this news clipping among the old chopper photos.
Just too far out. Did any of you notice this? The address is the first clue, then check the blacked out name carefully. Richard.... I'll let you figure out the rest.
I like that they also included a description of the vehicle.
The guy just couldn't get a break.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
The Sunday Movie
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Throughout the 50's, the Catalina Grand Prix was one of the premier motorcycle races in the U.S. Once a year boats loaded with bikes crossed the channel to the small island off the California coast. Triumphs, Matchlesses, and BSA's took on the 10 mile course that ran through city streets, up into the hills, and through a golf course before heading back into Avalon to streets lined with screaming fans. This event made its mark in history and produced many stars. The Catalina Grand Prix glory days were way too short but oh so sweet.
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Catalina Grand Prix Motorcycle Races
Throughout the 50's, the Catalina Grand Prix was one of the premier motorcycle races in the U.S. Once a year boats loaded with bikes crossed the channel to the small island off the California coast. Triumphs, Matchlesses, and BSA's took on the 10 mile course that ran through city streets, up into the hills, and through a golf course before heading back into Avalon to streets lined with screaming fans. This event made its mark in history and produced many stars. The Catalina Grand Prix glory days were way too short but oh so sweet.
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Saturday, August 28, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
"Little Stevie" and "Coffin Pete" by David Mann
I especially love David Mann's early work, and love seeing artist's work that I've never seen before. So, when Joe Hurst first told me he had a original David Mann painting, I immediately thought, I can't wait to see it.
I was totally jazzed when he brought it along on our visit to the Wailing Wall.
Stevie is on the left and Pete is on the red bike. It's Pete of Pete's Panhead of Choppers Magazine Feb '69. Stevie made a deal with the devil and the devil cashed in early. Joe and his buddy Nez asked Dave to paint it.
I really dig Dave's work from this period. 1971 was the same year he started doing illustrations for Easyriders.
The painting has endured some stains over the years and Joe hoped it could be cleaned. I told him it was very likely painted with gouache (pronounced "gwash"), and since they are opaque watercolors it would probably bleed if any attempt at cleaning was made. I then added, if it can't be cleaned, it's still a totally cool piece to own.
Later, I suggested he contact Jacquie Mann to find out the media Dave used. He immediately called her and she confirmed it as gouache.
I can't leave things alone, so as an exercise/challenge , I did some Photoshop retouching.
I love night scenes. This is now one of my favorite David Mann pieces.
I was totally jazzed when he brought it along on our visit to the Wailing Wall.
Stevie is on the left and Pete is on the red bike. It's Pete of Pete's Panhead of Choppers Magazine Feb '69. Stevie made a deal with the devil and the devil cashed in early. Joe and his buddy Nez asked Dave to paint it.
I really dig Dave's work from this period. 1971 was the same year he started doing illustrations for Easyriders.
The painting has endured some stains over the years and Joe hoped it could be cleaned. I told him it was very likely painted with gouache (pronounced "gwash"), and since they are opaque watercolors it would probably bleed if any attempt at cleaning was made. I then added, if it can't be cleaned, it's still a totally cool piece to own.
Later, I suggested he contact Jacquie Mann to find out the media Dave used. He immediately called her and she confirmed it as gouache.
I can't leave things alone, so as an exercise/challenge , I did some Photoshop retouching.
I love night scenes. This is now one of my favorite David Mann pieces.
Blalock, vintage motorcycle
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By Bill Walsh
Special to the Rappahannock News
If all goes according to plan, Bill Blalock will finally get to ride a motorcycle he owned for many years without ever having cranked up the engine.
That motorcycle is one of about 80 entered in this fall’s Motorcycle Cannonball, a 17-day race from Kitty Hawk, N.C., to Santa Monica, Cal.
Blalock with the restored bike.
Blalock bought the badly neglected 1913 Excelsior in 1952 from the Washington, D.C. family of its one-time owner. That owner, a part-time racing enthusiast, had been living in a nursing home for a few years, and the bike had sat in the basement, neglected, for a number of years, Blalock said.
“[A sister] really didn’t know what it was worth and didn’t really want any money,” Blalock recalled of the purchase, and he can’t remember what he paid for it.
“It was sitting in a basement, and had been sitting there long enough that the rear stand was almost rotted off,” he said. “It was a mess.”
Blalock, founder of Blalock Cycle Co., originally in Silver Spring, Md., before its 1984 move to its present location at 170 Lee Highway in Warrenton, took it back to his shop.
“I got married in ’55, and we had a child in ’56,” Blalock recalled. “I had taken it apart and it was sitting around in boxes,” and with a demanding business and a growing family, he didn’t have much time to work on it.
His original plan was to restore the bike and ride it.
“Usually, there are a lot of parts missing,” in a project like this, Blalock said.
“I had to re-make the rear stand. The pedals were completely worn out, but you just unscrew those, just like a bicycle. I replaced the chain with Diamond chain, which is still in business today; I was able to get the same chains that were on there. The seat . . . I was able to restore the leather on it. The gas tank had pinholes all through it, but there is a chemical that you put in as a liquid and it dries and becomes a plastic-like material... read more
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By Bill Walsh
Special to the Rappahannock News
If all goes according to plan, Bill Blalock will finally get to ride a motorcycle he owned for many years without ever having cranked up the engine.
That motorcycle is one of about 80 entered in this fall’s Motorcycle Cannonball, a 17-day race from Kitty Hawk, N.C., to Santa Monica, Cal.
Blalock with the restored bike.Blalock bought the badly neglected 1913 Excelsior in 1952 from the Washington, D.C. family of its one-time owner. That owner, a part-time racing enthusiast, had been living in a nursing home for a few years, and the bike had sat in the basement, neglected, for a number of years, Blalock said.
“[A sister] really didn’t know what it was worth and didn’t really want any money,” Blalock recalled of the purchase, and he can’t remember what he paid for it.
“It was sitting in a basement, and had been sitting there long enough that the rear stand was almost rotted off,” he said. “It was a mess.”
Blalock, founder of Blalock Cycle Co., originally in Silver Spring, Md., before its 1984 move to its present location at 170 Lee Highway in Warrenton, took it back to his shop.
“I got married in ’55, and we had a child in ’56,” Blalock recalled. “I had taken it apart and it was sitting around in boxes,” and with a demanding business and a growing family, he didn’t have much time to work on it.
His original plan was to restore the bike and ride it.
“Usually, there are a lot of parts missing,” in a project like this, Blalock said.
“I had to re-make the rear stand. The pedals were completely worn out, but you just unscrew those, just like a bicycle. I replaced the chain with Diamond chain, which is still in business today; I was able to get the same chains that were on there. The seat . . . I was able to restore the leather on it. The gas tank had pinholes all through it, but there is a chemical that you put in as a liquid and it dries and becomes a plastic-like material... read more
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Thursday, August 26, 2010
Carey Loftin
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Arguably Hollywood's greatest ever stunt rider/driver, Carey Loftin's amazing stunt skills were utilized in hundreds of Hollywood productions over a period of 50 years. Loftin began his stunt career as a member of a traveling motorcycle stunt show in the early 1930s when he was 19.
William Carey Loftin was born on January 31, 1914 in Blountstown, Florida. The son of a preacher, Carey grew up Alabama and Mississippi. He went to high school in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He began riding when he was 10 when he borrowed an old strap-drive Excelsior from a local blacksmith and proceeded to plow up a farm field with his face. In spite of such discouragement, the young Loftin continued to ride whenever he could get his hands on a machine.
The first motorcycle he owned was an antique 37-cubic-inch Indian single-cylinder that cost him the grand sum of $10.
“It was just about worth $10,” Loftin said in a 1953 interview with Cycle magazine. “There was a gutless wonder if you ever saw one. It was humiliating. Every cycle in town ran away from it, but it made a mechanic out of me.”
The piston in Loftin’s old Indian was so loose that it rattled around in the barrel and finally cracked. It was the luckiest thing that could have happened. Carey didn’t have the money to buy a new piston so he went to a junkyard to find an old car piston that looked like it would fit. When he installed it he found the car piston too tall. With youthful ingenuity he promptly filed the top off and ended up with a domed piston.
When he reassembled the bike he found the motor was unbelievably strong. His little hand-ground piston turned his clinker Indian into a bike that was so fast no one in town could catch it.
An athletic kid, Carey wasn’t content to merely ride his motorcycle. He learned to do acrobatic stunts while riding. He impressed his friends with his antics and continually pushed himself to do more difficult stunts.
In 1933, a motorcycle stunt showman named Skip Fordyce brought his barnstorming show to Hattiesburg. After Fordyce performed, one of the onlookers blurted out, “I can do anything you can do.” Fordyce looked over his shoulder and saw a long, lean, hungry looking boy who, at first glance, didn’t look like anything special. It was Loftin.
“Show me,” Skip said. With that Loftin disappeared. Skip continued talking with the crowd of onlookers, thinking he had called the kid’s bluff. Suddenly the kid roared back onto the field on his ancient cycle. Skip found himself watching a very solid performance as the kid reeled off a series of side stands and seat stands. Then the kid began bouncing on the seat, his feet landing in a different position with every jump. Then he bounced around and rode backwards. Then he turned the bike around and headed back toward the crowd. Skip could sense that this was to be the grand finale so he watched carefully. Suddenly the kid began jumping up and down on the seat and then unexpectedly he launched himself in the air, his body doing a complete flip and landing with his feet on the ground behind the speeding bike and holding on to the rear seat with his hands. He was steering the bike with his feet by digging in one shoe or the other. As the cycle neared Skip and the crowd on onlookers, the kid snapped forward, popped up over the rear wheel and onto the seat before coming to a perfect stop.
Fordyce hired the kid on the spot.
Loftin rode for various stunt shows in the 1930s, supporting himself during the Depression. During off times, he supplemented his income by working as a motorcycle mechanic.
“In one stunt act I was a flop man,” Loftin recalled. “The show advertised that showgoers would get to see a rider jump off a motorcycle going 60 miles per hour. If it wasn’t going at least 60 mph they were guaranteed to get their money back.”
After a stint in the Marine Corps, Loftin moved to Los Angeles in the late 1930s and took a job as a mechanic. He quickly broke into movie stunt work. Loftin's expertise with motor vehicles, including cars, trucks and motorcycles, gave him the chance to contribute his skills to numerous films from the late 1930s until he retired in the early 1990s... Read more at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
.
Arguably Hollywood's greatest ever stunt rider/driver, Carey Loftin's amazing stunt skills were utilized in hundreds of Hollywood productions over a period of 50 years. Loftin began his stunt career as a member of a traveling motorcycle stunt show in the early 1930s when he was 19.
William Carey Loftin was born on January 31, 1914 in Blountstown, Florida. The son of a preacher, Carey grew up Alabama and Mississippi. He went to high school in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He began riding when he was 10 when he borrowed an old strap-drive Excelsior from a local blacksmith and proceeded to plow up a farm field with his face. In spite of such discouragement, the young Loftin continued to ride whenever he could get his hands on a machine.
The first motorcycle he owned was an antique 37-cubic-inch Indian single-cylinder that cost him the grand sum of $10.
“It was just about worth $10,” Loftin said in a 1953 interview with Cycle magazine. “There was a gutless wonder if you ever saw one. It was humiliating. Every cycle in town ran away from it, but it made a mechanic out of me.”
The piston in Loftin’s old Indian was so loose that it rattled around in the barrel and finally cracked. It was the luckiest thing that could have happened. Carey didn’t have the money to buy a new piston so he went to a junkyard to find an old car piston that looked like it would fit. When he installed it he found the car piston too tall. With youthful ingenuity he promptly filed the top off and ended up with a domed piston.
When he reassembled the bike he found the motor was unbelievably strong. His little hand-ground piston turned his clinker Indian into a bike that was so fast no one in town could catch it.
An athletic kid, Carey wasn’t content to merely ride his motorcycle. He learned to do acrobatic stunts while riding. He impressed his friends with his antics and continually pushed himself to do more difficult stunts.
In 1933, a motorcycle stunt showman named Skip Fordyce brought his barnstorming show to Hattiesburg. After Fordyce performed, one of the onlookers blurted out, “I can do anything you can do.” Fordyce looked over his shoulder and saw a long, lean, hungry looking boy who, at first glance, didn’t look like anything special. It was Loftin.
“Show me,” Skip said. With that Loftin disappeared. Skip continued talking with the crowd of onlookers, thinking he had called the kid’s bluff. Suddenly the kid roared back onto the field on his ancient cycle. Skip found himself watching a very solid performance as the kid reeled off a series of side stands and seat stands. Then the kid began bouncing on the seat, his feet landing in a different position with every jump. Then he bounced around and rode backwards. Then he turned the bike around and headed back toward the crowd. Skip could sense that this was to be the grand finale so he watched carefully. Suddenly the kid began jumping up and down on the seat and then unexpectedly he launched himself in the air, his body doing a complete flip and landing with his feet on the ground behind the speeding bike and holding on to the rear seat with his hands. He was steering the bike with his feet by digging in one shoe or the other. As the cycle neared Skip and the crowd on onlookers, the kid snapped forward, popped up over the rear wheel and onto the seat before coming to a perfect stop.
Fordyce hired the kid on the spot.
Loftin rode for various stunt shows in the 1930s, supporting himself during the Depression. During off times, he supplemented his income by working as a motorcycle mechanic.
“In one stunt act I was a flop man,” Loftin recalled. “The show advertised that showgoers would get to see a rider jump off a motorcycle going 60 miles per hour. If it wasn’t going at least 60 mph they were guaranteed to get their money back.”
After a stint in the Marine Corps, Loftin moved to Los Angeles in the late 1930s and took a job as a mechanic. He quickly broke into movie stunt work. Loftin's expertise with motor vehicles, including cars, trucks and motorcycles, gave him the chance to contribute his skills to numerous films from the late 1930s until he retired in the early 1990s... Read more at the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame
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Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Gordon Osmundson Photographs'
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If you are a vintage aircraft lover you must go there and visit this fabulous page of Gordon Osmundson this photographer is great and knows how to shoot the best from those fabulous classic planes
RAF Mustang, Stead Air Force Base, Reno, Nevada, 2000
Open Cockpit, P51d, Stead Air Force Base, Reno, Nevada, 2000
Mustang #3, Stead Air Force Base, Reno, Nevada, 1999
P51d, Planes of Fame, Chino, California, 1999
1735 Horsepower, Stead Air Force Base, Reno, Nevada, 1999
all pictures copyrighted Gordon Osmundson
Cars, trains and, well, planes. It sounds simple enough, but while the photography of, first trains, and then automobiles came to me as the natural outgrowth of my interest in and experience with those subjects, the photography of aircraft came from a different source. Having photos of cars and trains, I began having art consultants ask me if I had anything on airplanes, but unfortunately at that time, I did not.
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If you are a vintage aircraft lover you must go there and visit this fabulous page of Gordon Osmundson this photographer is great and knows how to shoot the best from those fabulous classic planes
RAF Mustang, Stead Air Force Base, Reno, Nevada, 2000Open Cockpit, P51d, Stead Air Force Base, Reno, Nevada, 2000Mustang #3, Stead Air Force Base, Reno, Nevada, 1999P51d, Planes of Fame, Chino, California, 19991735 Horsepower, Stead Air Force Base, Reno, Nevada, 1999all pictures copyrighted Gordon Osmundson
Cars, trains and, well, planes. It sounds simple enough, but while the photography of, first trains, and then automobiles came to me as the natural outgrowth of my interest in and experience with those subjects, the photography of aircraft came from a different source. Having photos of cars and trains, I began having art consultants ask me if I had anything on airplanes, but unfortunately at that time, I did not.
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Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Porcupine BASH 2010 This Weekend in Chatham, Michigan
Biker-friendly Salute To Our Military - Aug. 27 to 29 in Chatham, Michigan.
Donny Hartman Band kicks off the BASH, followed by Willie Nash Band, North Country Band and the Red, White & Blues Band. Dan Lawson Band on Friday & Saturday nights.
Presented by the Porcupine Press to celebrate the 21 yr birthday of UP Magazine - humor from the Upper Peninsula "Yooper" of Michigan. $40 weekend/ $20 day passes.
------------- BRING A GIFT FOR A VETERAN TO BASH 2010 ----------
Details: BASH 2010 - Salute To Our Military Photo Album
UPDATE: News on cabins and campgrounds
The nicest place in the area is Timber View Lodge that donated lodging for all of the bands that played at The BASH - They have modern 3-BR and 5BR cabins that include cable TV and ESPN. (Which we discovered is NECESSARY to Johnny Lange, who was at the event with his Strip Club Choppers Roadhouse Tour.)
Otter Lake Campground is also within 12 miles of the event. Wooded sites, electric, showers, water available and a pump out. 906-387-4648
Ride To Nova Scotia Wharf Rat Rally
My photographer friend, Jack Mcintyre saw that as a call to action!
"The moment I heard that I emailed Chris Callen of Cycle Source Magazine and stated that I would like to go along on motorcycle with Bean’re as a Photo Journalist."
You will find hundreds of photos of Sturgis 2010 Rally, and look for photos of the Wharf Rat Rally at his photography website: BikerPICS.ORG.
Read More: Wharf Rat Rally - Sept. 1 to 6 in Digby, Nova Scotia.
Indianapolis Grand Prix Motorcycle Race This Weekend
The 23 year-old has a 77-point lead over nearest Championship rival Dani Pedrosa in the standings going into Round 11, thanks to seven wins from the opening ten races of the campaign.
Having already won in the previous U.S. round at Laguna Seca this year Lorenzo has winning form at Indy too, where he stood on the top step of the rostrum last season. The Spaniard was on the podium the year before as well and is planning a continuation of his phenomenal 2010 run this weekend.
"The first back-to-back races in the second half of the season are coming, and this first one is after a few days of holiday in the U.S. for me,” said Lorenzo. “This weekend will be the second race in this country in 2010 and I am looking forward to it because I would like to repeat the same result as I got in Laguna! I just have good memories from America, last month in Laguna and last year in Indy.”
Reflecting on his success last season and with plans for continued success this year Lorenzo continued: “Last year was amazing, but this time I don't need to take too many risks. We can avoid it! Indy is a track that I like a lot and it has amazing history. The team and I are planning to continue our great season there this weekend."
Source: motogp.com
Monday, August 23, 2010
Award Winning Motorcycle Blog?
About a week ago, I got an email saying I was voted a Top Motorcycle Blog. I don't know how it happened or how legit it really is. I since noticed that some of the other winners have posted a badge.
Update.
I myself joined in and posted the award only because some good blogs were on the list and doing it. That made me think just maybe, the award had the possibility of validity.
I've revised this post and removed the badge since I've now heard some not so great things about the folks giving out these questionable awards.
I really wasn't so naive that I didn't suspect it was likely just a way for them to get a link. after all, every week I probably receive 1 or 2 emails that are basically trying to do the same thing.
Update.
I myself joined in and posted the award only because some good blogs were on the list and doing it. That made me think just maybe, the award had the possibility of validity.
I've revised this post and removed the badge since I've now heard some not so great things about the folks giving out these questionable awards.
I really wasn't so naive that I didn't suspect it was likely just a way for them to get a link. after all, every week I probably receive 1 or 2 emails that are basically trying to do the same thing.
Festival of Jurby
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By: John Gregory via : www.isleofman.com
Thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts and families are expected to descend on Jurby Airfield this Sunday (August 29) for the Festival of Jurby.
Last year marked the inaugural festival which attracted more than 8,000 visitors and featured vintage motorcycles and other vehicles as well as attractions for all the family. It was the biggest single spectator attraction of the year.
This year the organisers are predicting in excess of 10,000 people attending the festival and have completely revamped the event to cope with the huge numbers.
It has been organised by the Isle of Man Vintage Motorcycle Club.
Secretary of the club Tony East said: "We were completely overwhelmed by the number of people last year."We thought we might attract a couple of thousand visitors if we were lucky, but we totally under-estimated how popular the event would be."
The events committee of the VMCC Isle of Man came up with the idea of holding a gathering similar to the well established VMCC Festival of 1,000 Bikes held annually at Mallory Park.
Tony added: "We were well organised and we had lots of exhibitors and an enthusiastic group of people at VMCC who worked hard and who believed in the festival, but the number of people who arrived was just amazing... Read more
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By: John Gregory via : www.isleofman.com
Thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts and families are expected to descend on Jurby Airfield this Sunday (August 29) for the Festival of Jurby.
Last year marked the inaugural festival which attracted more than 8,000 visitors and featured vintage motorcycles and other vehicles as well as attractions for all the family. It was the biggest single spectator attraction of the year.
This year the organisers are predicting in excess of 10,000 people attending the festival and have completely revamped the event to cope with the huge numbers.
It has been organised by the Isle of Man Vintage Motorcycle Club.Secretary of the club Tony East said: "We were completely overwhelmed by the number of people last year."We thought we might attract a couple of thousand visitors if we were lucky, but we totally under-estimated how popular the event would be."
The events committee of the VMCC Isle of Man came up with the idea of holding a gathering similar to the well established VMCC Festival of 1,000 Bikes held annually at Mallory Park.
Tony added: "We were well organised and we had lots of exhibitors and an enthusiastic group of people at VMCC who worked hard and who believed in the festival, but the number of people who arrived was just amazing... Read morefollow the Link http://www.mgpfestival.com/
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Sunday, August 22, 2010
The History And Future Of Tattoos
GILL MONTIE'S WORLD FAMOUS TATTOO
MANIA drew capacity crowds every day at Broken Spoke Campground during the 70th Anniversary of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally - Aug. 7 to 15 in Sturgis, South Dakota.
VIKINGS
It is very likely that the vikings were tattooed. An Arabic scribe in the year 1100 reported meeting some Vikings he thought were "very rude, dirty - and covered with pictures."
SAILORS
Sailors on their ships returned home with their own tattoos, usually very basic designs of flowers, hearts, mermaids, ships, anchors, snakes, birds, and names. They also had tattoos to mark their voyage around the Horn of Africa, considered a life challenge.
CRIMINALITY
It is very likely that the vikings were tattooed. An Arabic scribe in the year 1100 reported meeting some Vikings he thought were "very rude, dirty - and covered with pictures."
SAILORS
Sailors on their ships returned home with their own tattoos, usually very basic designs of flowers, hearts, mermaids, ships, anchors, snakes, birds, and names. They also had tattoos to mark their voyage around the Horn of Africa, considered a life challenge.
CRIMINALITY
Tattoos did not enter the mainstream of society in most areas of the world until recently, within the last 50 years. For a long time, tattoos were popular only among sailors and criminals. In prison, tattoos - professionally done and homemade - embody what the prisoner is missing: Autonomy and Identity. In many prisons, any new tattoos are strictly forbidden.
THE ULTIMATE SYMBOL - Tattoos are the ultimate symbol of gang members, a permanent mark that shows total commitment to the gang. The tattoos reveal lots of things: who you are, what gang you're in, your beliefs (racist, etc.), what you have done, where you have been, how many years you have been in jail and even the fact that you have killed. Teardrops under the eye as well as spider webs on the elbows are known to symbolize people killed.
Somewhere between outlaw and mainstream, tattoos became a major symbol of the life-style enjoyed by bikers. The iron horse riders, like the American Indians began expressing what was on their heart and in their souls through the tattoos on their bodies. Brotherhood, Freedom, Hero, Nature, Rebel, Soldier, Warrior. - Such as this tattoo underway by Albertino Feghaly.
Modern day cartoons often pay tribute to their origins in the world of tattoo designs and drawings. Cartoon characters are also in popular demand as tattoos - such as this Spiderman tat by world famous Gill "The Drill" Montie.
Friday, August 20, 2010
The Johnny & Jay Sturgis 70th Report
Here's a news report from Johnny Lange and Jay Barbieri - Sturgis Turns 70
THE GRAND DADDY OF RALLIES IS ALIVE AND WELL. The annual Sturgis rally promised to be big and it exceeded expectation. Estimates put attendance at 600,000 and from what we experienced that was accurate. The weather was great and the vendors were busy. This might not be an indicator of an economic recovery but it’s for sure that bikers are sick of sitting home and being afraid to enjoy the life style we all love. It’s never been about money. Enough bad news from CNN all you need is some gas and a tent. The bars, restaurants, hotels, campgrounds and concerts were all rockin.
Kid Rock, Bob Dylan , ZZ Topp, Ozzy Osbourne, STP and Guns and Roses jammed their greatest hits to crowds in excess of 20,000, at several points in the show everybody fired up their bikes at once… Ahh that sweet sound mixed with smell of gasoline and smoke from campfires, the perfect combination’
The Strip Club Choppers Roadhouse was located at the Legendary Buffalo Chip and the party never stopped, The Chip, as it is affectionately referred to, is the essence of Sturgis itself, camping, bars, concerts, food, girls, vendors etc., encompasses the true biker life style. Hat’s off to Rod “Woody” Woodruff and his daughter Toni for making it the place to be! We were so blown away by this venue that we signed a five-year deal to appear there.
Many people cannot afford to attend multiple rallies, so if you can only get to one a year make it Sturgis. Oh yeah and the riding is as good as it gets with, Mount Rushmore, Devil’s Tower, Crazy Horse, the Badlands, Custer State Park and more are only a few hours away.
As always visit us at www.stripclubchoppers.com and come see us at: The Freeport Blues Festival in Freeport Texas on September 3rd to the 5th, The Texas Rally September 9th to the 12th in Somerville Texas, The Lake Of The Ozark’s Bike Fest in Missouri from September 16th to the 19th and the Thunder Beach Rally in Panama City Florida from September 30th to October 3rd.
Jay Barbieri and Johnny Lange have been traveling together all season, shooting episodes of the new "Two Wheel Thunder" TV Show that airs Monday Nights on Discovery's HD Theater.
Johnny and the Strip Club Choppers Roadhouse freightliner have just rolled into Michigan.. and you can hang out, listen to some tunes and ck out their products at the Porcupine Bash, Aug. 27 to 29 at the fairgrounds in Chatham, MI in the upper peninsula.
Kid Rock, Bob Dylan , ZZ Topp, Ozzy Osbourne, STP and Guns and Roses jammed their greatest hits to crowds in excess of 20,000, at several points in the show everybody fired up their bikes at once… Ahh that sweet sound mixed with smell of gasoline and smoke from campfires, the perfect combination’
Many people cannot afford to attend multiple rallies, so if you can only get to one a year make it Sturgis. Oh yeah and the riding is as good as it gets with, Mount Rushmore, Devil’s Tower, Crazy Horse, the Badlands, Custer State Park and more are only a few hours away.
As always visit us at www.stripclubchoppers.com and come see us at: The Freeport Blues Festival in Freeport Texas on September 3rd to the 5th, The Texas Rally September 9th to the 12th in Somerville Texas, The Lake Of The Ozark’s Bike Fest in Missouri from September 16th to the 19th and the Thunder Beach Rally in Panama City Florida from September 30th to October 3rd. 
Johnny and the Strip Club Choppers Roadhouse freightliner have just rolled into Michigan.. and you can hang out, listen to some tunes and ck out their products at the Porcupine Bash, Aug. 27 to 29 at the fairgrounds in Chatham, MI in the upper peninsula.
Mods vs. Rockers bike rally
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By Kimberlee Love via : www.post-gazette.com
When Larry Fletcher organized Chicago's first Mods vs. Rockers bike and scooter rally in 2005 he had a wealth of experience from which to draw. Mr. Fletcher, a beer importer and vintage bike enthusiast, had organized The Brighton Bash, a vintage bike event, at his Ace Cafe Chicago in 1997, and he continued to organize vintage bike shows and ride-ins with the 59 Club Chicago throughout the next several years.
When Laura Pliskin, a freelance art department coordinator from Pittsburgh, decided to organize Pittsburgh's first Rockers vs. Mods event (Mods vs. Rockers and Rockers vs. Mods are used somewhat interchangeably) she had no experience whatsoever. What she did have was enthusiasm for the vintage bike scene -- and for Mods and Rockers culture.
Ms. Pliskin was first exposed to British Mods and Rockers online -- Mods being tidy skinny-tie, suit-jacketed scooter riders, and Rockers being rather less tidy leather-jacketed motorcyclists, so named for their love of American rock 'n' roll. Reaching their heyday in 1960s Britain, Mods and Rockers gained notoriety after several well-publicized -- some say well-exploited -- brawls were reported by the hungry British press. Ms. Pliskin devoured everything she could read about them on the Web and remembers thinking, "How amazing to have been alive during that time, when two of motorcycling's subcultures were so dedicated to their passions."
After finding that Mods vs. Rockers events were cropping up around the country, she wondered, "Pittsburgh has the vintage bike culture, so why not have an event here?" She was already a legend in her social circle for organizing outrageous theme parties, but she knew it would take more than the idea to make an event happen. Fate stepped in when a co-worker remarked that his girlfriend, Nicole White, was starting a party planning business. The two women met and bonded instantly.
Ms. Pliskin is a motorcyclist -- she rides a 1969 Honda CB350 -- and is the self-described "idea man" of the duo. Ms. White doesn't ride, and is the more grounded of the two. Ms. Pliskin says Ms. White has been instrumental in organizing the nuts and bolts of Rockers vs. Mods Pittsburgh, securing such necessities as insurance coverage... Read more
.
By Kimberlee Love via : www.post-gazette.com
When Larry Fletcher organized Chicago's first Mods vs. Rockers bike and scooter rally in 2005 he had a wealth of experience from which to draw. Mr. Fletcher, a beer importer and vintage bike enthusiast, had organized The Brighton Bash, a vintage bike event, at his Ace Cafe Chicago in 1997, and he continued to organize vintage bike shows and ride-ins with the 59 Club Chicago throughout the next several years.
When Laura Pliskin, a freelance art department coordinator from Pittsburgh, decided to organize Pittsburgh's first Rockers vs. Mods event (Mods vs. Rockers and Rockers vs. Mods are used somewhat interchangeably) she had no experience whatsoever. What she did have was enthusiasm for the vintage bike scene -- and for Mods and Rockers culture.
Ms. Pliskin was first exposed to British Mods and Rockers online -- Mods being tidy skinny-tie, suit-jacketed scooter riders, and Rockers being rather less tidy leather-jacketed motorcyclists, so named for their love of American rock 'n' roll. Reaching their heyday in 1960s Britain, Mods and Rockers gained notoriety after several well-publicized -- some say well-exploited -- brawls were reported by the hungry British press. Ms. Pliskin devoured everything she could read about them on the Web and remembers thinking, "How amazing to have been alive during that time, when two of motorcycling's subcultures were so dedicated to their passions."
After finding that Mods vs. Rockers events were cropping up around the country, she wondered, "Pittsburgh has the vintage bike culture, so why not have an event here?" She was already a legend in her social circle for organizing outrageous theme parties, but she knew it would take more than the idea to make an event happen. Fate stepped in when a co-worker remarked that his girlfriend, Nicole White, was starting a party planning business. The two women met and bonded instantly.
Ms. Pliskin is a motorcyclist -- she rides a 1969 Honda CB350 -- and is the self-described "idea man" of the duo. Ms. White doesn't ride, and is the more grounded of the two. Ms. Pliskin says Ms. White has been instrumental in organizing the nuts and bolts of Rockers vs. Mods Pittsburgh, securing such necessities as insurance coverage... Read more
Rockers vs. Mods
Where: SouthSide Works parking lot.
When: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday.
Information: steelcityrockersvsmods.com
Where: SouthSide Works parking lot.
When: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday.
Information: steelcityrockersvsmods.com
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