Pictures of the Week - Kelly (K-man)

Here are my Pictures of the Week as displayed on the Motorcycle Views Web site. These are taken from the Moto Pic Gallery.

See Kelly on his Honda Gold Wing.

If you'd like to see your bike as Picture of the Week, submit a picture of you and your bike along with a description of the bike.

Polar Bear Grand Tour in the Pine Barrens

Another rainy day! This is supposed to be the Polar Bear season. Even though it's now officially winter, it continues to be more like spring with 58 degree temperatures.

This was our first run to the Sweetwater Casino. It's located in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey in the middle of nowhere right next to the Mullica River. The place is big enough to hold the Polar Bears when we show up in force. They even have motorcycle parking up front on concrete -- this works fine except when the Polar Bears show up.

Here are pictures and videos from this rainy run.

Big Dog Motorcycles Recalls Bulldog, Chopper, K-9, Mastiff, and Mutt for Fender Defect

Big Dog Motorcycles has issued a recall of certain 2005 and 2007 Bulldog models, 2005-2007 Chopper models, 2006-2008 K-9 models, 2005-2008 Mastiff models and 2008 Mutt models.

On certain motorcycles, the rear fender strut attaching bolts can fail allowing the rear fender to detach from the motorcycle. This could occur without prior warning and could result in an injury or a crash.

8061 units are affected.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

Honda Recalls 2006-2007 CBR1000RR for Fuel Leak

Honda has issued a recall of certain 2006-2007 CBR1000RR motorcycles.

Certain motorcycles have an improper welded vent pipe in the bottom of the fuel tank. Due to vibration the improperly welded tanks may crack and drip fuel. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source can result in a fire.

25422 units are affected.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

Top 8 Motorcycle Views Blog Posts for 2007

The top eight Motorcycle Views Blog posts have been selected from a total of 150 posts made in 2007. These eight blog posts were chosen for a variety of reasons.

If you haven't been a regular reader of the Motorcycle Views Blog, you may be missing important information about motorcycling. You might also be missing some of the personal aspects of my life that may give you a chuckle or an insight into my take on motorcycling.

Check out my picks for the Top 8 Motorcycle Views Blog posts for 2007.

Top 10 Motorcycle Pictures of the Year for 2007 from Motorcycle Views

The top ten motorcycle pictures were picked from pictures submitted to Motorcycle Views in 2007. The pictures are not ordered.

They include four pictures of women on motorcycles, four pictures of men on motorcycles, and two pictures of motorcycles only.

The pictures were chosen for a variety of reasons. I looked at each picture, read each description, and picked those pictures that held my interest.

Check out the Top 10 Pictures for 2007.

Triumph Recalls Sprint ST and Tiger for Luggage Rack Problem

Triumph has issued a recall of certain 2004-2008 Tiger and 2005-2008 Sprint ST motorcycles.

On certain motorcycles equipped with an optional accessory luggage rack, undersized washers were used which prevents the sliding carriage from moving as intended. Reduced stability can occur if the motorcycle is ridden with the fitted accessory, exceeded maximum weight, and at speeds far in excess of the 80 mph limit warning, increasing the risk of a crash.

3698 units are affected.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

ED FOX PHOTO

Ed Fox sent one of his test shots from the SFMC 'Garage' shoot.... now I'm kind of glad I couldn't take photos with my little Canon digital Elph! The lighting accentuates the 'landscape' of the Norton, and if you click on the photo, you can read the engine number on the crankcase...and the bike is shockingly clean for not having been washed since the Legends show in '06 (yes, it was ridden since then).
My project for this winter is to remove the wheels and rebuild them using the period-correct 21" rims front and rear, which of course means new fenders and stays...but at least the bike won't bottom out so easily when I push it into the truck. It will also lighten the 'feel' when riding.

'GARAGE' MAGAZINE PHOTO SHOOT

In total contrast to my previous post on a photo shoot, Garage magazine shot a feature spread on 'motorcycling gear through the decades', using the San Francisco Motorcycle Club as their backdrop (the SFMC is the second-oldest m/c in the US, and the oldest continuously operating). This was an expensive studio shoot, with stylists, makeup/hair artists, hired models, a photographer and assistants, lots of lights and camera eqp't, and several vintage bikes as props. It hurt to be relegated to 'prop' status, but I'm always happy to help encourage the old bike scene.

Top pic is my 1926 Norton Model 25 racer, looking spooky in the dark with some up- and back-lighting on wall of the SFMC. This was 'Jimmy's bike' - it belonged to Jimmy Shaw (a 'works' rider for Norton in the 'teens thru '30's), and was a factory race machine. It was restored about 15 years ago by Ken Blake in England, then my friend Ken Boulter purchased it to settle the unpaid restoration bill(!), and he sold it to me about 8 years ago (after much needling, I assure you). It's a bit of a bear currently, as I need to rebuild the carb and replace the magneto (very hard to start), and the soldered-up gas tank is a little leaky. Still, the bike is fast, having been timed at 94mph, and handles beautifully.

The interior of the SFMC is packed full of photos, memorabilia, and trophies on the walls, with two bikes hanging from the ceiling - an Aermacchi/Harley Davidson CR flat-tracker with a custom chrome-plated frame, and 1904 Curtis v-twin in original condition. Plus, there are pool and foosball tables, and a full bar. Pretty much ideal, really. The second photo shows one of the models (Nicole) being done up beneath the Aermacchi. Third pic shows Anoush having her hair done against the backdrop of vintage racing photos - mostly of former SFMC members through the decades.



Fourth pic shows 'Slim' Jim Hoogerhyde, SFMC member and vintage racer, who's modeling a pair of odd German goggles I found on ebay. Slim let everyone into the building and hung around all day during the shoot...which might be seen as tough duty, but there were 3 beautiful women changing clothes there all day. He doesn't look bothered at all.

Next pic shows Stephanie sitting on Stewart Ingram's little Morini racer (don't know the model, but I think it's a 175cc Settebello, with cool little Fontana brakes), amongst all the light boxes and light stands, etc. The Curtis and Aermacchi can clearly be seen hanging from the ceiling. The stylist was fussing constantly over the girls, getting hair and clothing just so, as lights were adjusted and the photographer crouched all over the place taking photos. Third pic of Stephanie shows everything in place and ready; what you can't see are all the clips and clothespins which are keeping her leathers tight against her hips, and her blouse pulled back to reveal her racy curves. 'Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain!'







Next pic shows Anoush all dressed up in 40's hottie gear, and straddling 'Red' Fred Johansen's totally time-warp '47 Indian Chief . I ran out of memory on my camera... which I should explain was my cell phone! I didn't have my camera with me, but I did my best with no flash, courtesy of my Palm phone; I think it gives the whole series a moody look - sorry about the low-resolution.















Next pic shows the photographer, Ed Fox, setting up some of the lights to shoot John Goldman's '47 Bianchi, which is a totally original machine, except for the seat cover. Anoush sits before the bike in the finished shot, backlit against the wall of photographs. She's actually wearing a new Belstaff waxed cotton jacket, cut very Brando-style ('whaddya got?'). There was
another Belstaff in white cotton, which was very chic but looked pretty useless for a bike, as it wasn't waxed cotton or particularly waterproof.

I've owned Belstaff rain gear before - once it's been ridden in the rain for a few weeks, you don't want it anywhere near nice clothing, as it will leave dirty streaks! It also tends to collect cold water in the crotch after about an hour in a steady downpour... I have bitter memories of a ride through the Tatra mountains in Czechoslovakia, after leaving communist Poland (1987), being completely soaked through despite my waxed cotton gear... even the MZ I was riding (which breathed through its frame backbone!) was gasping for air and choking on the waves of muddy water thrown over us by trucks passing the other way. Luckily, I was young, and arrived safely in Vienna after 12 hours, whereupon I KISSED THE GROUND. No kidding. Then I had a beer at a MacDonalds (and I hate Mickey D - that's how bad the food was in the 80's Eastern Bloc). Sorry for the digression!








The last
set of photos involves Nicole (don't ask for her phone number, as I don't have it!) with my Norton. Top photo shows the setup with Nicole silhoutted against the dome light. Dan Stoner, editor of Garage, stands to the left. Second pic shows Nicole wearing a leather helmet and my Avionix goggles (contemporary, from France), and a sort of Art Deco blouse. The bottom pic shows her outfit better; jodhpurs, Deco blouse, leather helmet, tall boots - a nice look... motorcycles do look better with a beautiful woman next to them!

Motorcycle Pictures of the Week - VaRyder

Here are my Pictures of the Week as displayed on the Motorcycle Views Web site. These are taken from the Moto Pic Gallery.

See VaRyder with his Victory Vision Tour.

If you'd like to see your bike as Picture of the Week, submit a picture of you and your bike along with a description of the bike.

Motorcycles, Medical Problems and Christmas

I've always worn a full face helmet when riding my motorcycle. Of course, living in New Jersey kinda forces you to have this mindset since it's the law here. The only time it gets to me is when I have medical conditions that don't allow me to put the helmet on in the first place.

The first time that happened was when I had a basal cell carcinoma on my right ear that required mohs surgery to remove it. That was a major deal for me that took months to heal. I had to forego riding all that time.

Now, I found out that I have two more basal cell carcinomas, one on my forehead and one behind my left ear. All this occurring during the prime Polar Bear Grand Tour riding season. I happen to run their Web site and I go to all the runs to take pictures for the site. Needless to say, I will probably go another two months without being able to put the helmet on again. Worse than that is that the healing of the one on my forehead is slow with a big black scab that is quite unsightly in public. And, of course, I have so many functions to go to and I have no way to hide the healing. I'm either embarrassed when people see me or find myself constantly trying to explain the medical problems. I seem to be cursed to have all these maladies so prominent on my head and also unable to hide them with a helmet or even to ride my trike. I guess all those years toiling in the sun while I worked in the corn fields nearly 50 years ago have finally come back to haunt me.

Now I find out that after the surgery on the left ear that the pathologist's final report indicates that they may not have got all of it and I have to undergo radiation -- perhaps as many as 20 visits. Turns out that one of the members of my Gold Wing chapter heads a team at my hospital that does the treatments. At least I have someone in my corner.

All this is going on right now but still the Polar Bear pictures have to be taken and I need to be at the runs. I do have a couple of backups who can take pictures and they have come in handy in the past. But, I like to go to the runs as much as I can. This week the run was to Snydersville, PA to Schoch's Harley-Davidson and I was determined to go.

Turns out that many family events were also going on this weekend. On Saturday, we drove to our son's home for a combined birthday party and tree trimming party. I heard that there would be about 10 little kids there to celebrate the second birthday of my granddaughter. I think it was actually closer to 20 kids. After that we drove farther north to my other son's home where we ended up babysitting for the other five of our grandchildren (all under 10) and then staying overnight. The next day, we had breakfast, said our good-byes to all the kids and grand kids and headed down route 80 to Snydersville, PA for the Polar Bear run.

It was a day that was overcast, cold, and threatening rain or snow. We were in the car so we didn't much care. When we arrived, there was a smattering of bikes in the parking lot. As I walked around the parking lot with my camera, I didn't notice as many bikes coming in. Apparently, the threat of bad weather had reduced the attendance. Maybe we got 100 bikes. Normal would have been 400-500. Anyway, I did get some pictures and three videos. Check out the Polar Bear Grand Tour - Schoch's Harley-Davidson/Buell Run for pictures and captions.

After the run, we drove home and had a couple of hours of free time before we had to attend our Gold Wing Chapter's Holiday party. It was fun as usual but I did have the usual set of medical questions. At least I was with friends. I spoke with the member who heads the radiation team at the hospital and he offered me his personal help. That was very comforting and appreciated.

I also had to part company with my 1994 Chrysler today. It's been sitting in my driveway most of the time for the last two years since I bought my new Honda Accord. It was time to use it as a donation to one of my favorite charities, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. I had arranged with JDRF.org for the auto donation and the big flatbed arrived this afternoon to cart it away. The end of an era. Getting to be too many of those recently. At least I won't have to worry about hitting it every time I back my car out and I also won't have to move it so I can get my motorcycle trikes out of the garage.

I guess I'm a rambling man today but that's what's been happening. The calendar is almost completely filled with events for the next month. My wife is having physical therapy while I'm going to be busy with radiation treatments. Christmas is coming and I haven't been out doing much shopping or even leaf raking. I was told that retirement meant I would be busier than when I was working. I'm getting that in spades.

HOW YOU FIND THEM # 3

I've kept mum about two Vintage gems arriving from faraway lands, until the deals were secure and the bikes paid for. How I found each of them is exemplary of how to find a Vintage motorcycle today. The first bike is a 1925 Sunbeam Longstroke, which popped up on Mark Upham's website, British Only Austria.

Having found my favorite Sunbeam, a '28 TT90, some years ago out of Yesterday's in Holland, I have been hankering for an earlier sports/racing model, with a sidevalve engine. Frank Mace in England had been kind enough to allow me to ride his '23 Isle of Man TT Sunbeam (original condition, still wearing its IoM number plates) many years ago, although I found the experience somewhat frightening at the time (a combo of narrow muddy roads, dummy-rim brakes, and a quick machine).



Ever since, I have kept in the back of my mind a desire to live with and get to know such a machine, never having owned a sports flathead from the period in which they were relevant (late 'teens thru early 20's). Mark, who is always a reasonable dealer, was willing to work with me on price and payment, easing the pain of our rapidly deteriorating dollar. It should be here in early January.
Robert Gordon-Champ calls the Longstroke, "...the high point of the 'motor bicycle'. As the 'twenties progressed, weight and complexity crept in. If you can, try to ride one of these to taste the magic of a great design". (ref; 'The Illustrated History of Sunbeam Bicycles and Motorcycles'). This model is a replica of the Sunbeam which won the French GP in 1923.

The paint seems to be original everywhere except the tank, which has been repainted at some time, hopefully to fix any leaks! I won't be doing any cosmetic work to this bike, as I think it looks perfect with its period patina, although I might 'age' the petrol tank to match the frame and mudguards, using some of the techniques gleaned from Mike Smith (buffing down 'wear spots' using pumice powder, creating white streaks near the filler cap with methyl alcohol, rubbing off some of the gold leaf pinstripe where knees would have touched the metal, etc)

The period racing shot shows the Austrian racer von Nodherny, on a similar Longstroke (a slightly earlier model, as evidenced by the dummy-rim brakes - '25 was the first year of drums at the front), after a race in 1924. He looks wonderfully Teutonic with his slicked-back hair and aristocratic features. Where is his monocle?



The second bike is from an elusive source; word of mouth, from halfway around the world. My friend Pete Young has been searching all over the world for a Pioneer Velocette (I think two are confirmed to exist, with a rumor of a few more), and tends to find gentlemen with very large collections. A fellow in Western Australia told Pete that while he didn't have a Velo, he had many other Pioneer and Veteran bikes for sale, in various states of repair or decay. Pete forwarded some photos to me, and in the background was an early saddle-tank Rudge, with the characteristic twin-filler gas and oil tanks, and straight pipes of a Vintage period racing machine. I inquired, and was told that the machine was not for sale, but that I would be kept in mind just in case....
a few prodding emails later, and a lot more haggling about price, and we struck a deal. The bike is a '29 Rudge Ulster, which is the first year of this model, created initially as a replica of Graham Walker's works racer, winner of the Ulster GP at an average speed of 80mph (the highest avg speed of any international-level road race at that time). The '29 Ulster was almost a unique model, as the engine is still oiled using a total-loss system (oil is pumped into the engine, but not returned to the oil tank; 'a constant supply of clean oil'), and in '30 they moved to a dry-sump engine with a proper oil pump. The '29 is closest to that original racer, for as far as I can tell, later Ulsters didn't use double-sided tank fillers; this bike has a filler cap on each side of the petrol and oil tanks, for use on all types of racing circuits - Isle of Man bikes always have only left side fillers, as bikes come into the pits with mechanics on their left (click on 3/4 view pix for details).
The Ulster grew into Rudge's hot sports/touring machine in later years, but they also offered a TT Replica model, which was a genuine racing machine, with many differences from the Ulster (extra stiffening ribs on the crankcases, twin-filler gas and oil tanks, etc).


The bike is amazingly standard for something so old and still in use - the former owner used to race it in hillclimbs, and said it would 'pull' any 650 twin at the time, as it is so light and powerful. As the bike has been repainted at some point, and the fenders are likely later, pattern items, I'll probably paint and plate everything to give it the look it deserves. Below is a pic of Graham Walker's bike as it exists today - that's the goal!

Motorcycle Pictures of the Week - Harleymike56

Here are my Pictures of the Week as displayed on the Motorcycle Views Web site. These are taken from the Moto Pic Gallery.

See Harleymike56 on his Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200. Mike is also a member of my Motorcycle Views Forum.

If you'd like to see your bike as Picture of the Week, submit a picture of you and your bike along with a description of the bike.

Motorcycle Santa - The Game

Recently, I mentioned in this blog that I had written five children's stories about a special character, Motorcycle Santa. I have just finished writing the sixth story in this series. It's based on a true incident in my life. I hope you'll enjoy this story of a little girl who is awakened by the arrival of Motorcycle Santa as he is placing gifts under her tree. Santa agrees to open one present for the girl to get her to go back to bed. The girl startles Santa by devising a game that uses the gift in a new way. I hope you enjoy "Motorcycle Santa - The Game."

Polar Bear Grand Tour Meets the Winter Head-on

A winter storm was approaching the PA, NJ, NY region this morning. Since I was still unable to put a helmet on owing to my two recent surgeries and I also had two of my grandchildren spending Saturday and Sunday with us, I was not going to the Polar Bear Grand Tour run to Montgomeryville, PA.

I had already made arrangements with my backup, Bill, to take pictures at the run. When I got up today, there was a quarter inch of snow on the ground in NJ and the temperature was about 36 degrees. It felt good not going out and attempting to travel the 60 some miles to Montgomeryville. But, I knew that many Polar Bears would be making the trek so I looked forward to receiving the download from Bill later this evening to see just what it looked like over there.

Bill tells me that eight bikes showed up and two were sidecar rigs. The rest were cars, trucks, and SUVs carrying other Polar Bears. See for yourself by viewing Bill's pictures and reading my captions. Check out the pictures from the Montgomeryville, PA run.

Motorcycle Pictures of the Week - Jeff

Here are my Pictures of the Week as displayed on the Motorcycle Views Web site. These are taken from the Moto Pic Gallery. See Jeff on his Harley-Davidson FXRS.

If you'd like to see your bike as Picture of the Week, submit a picture of you and your bike along with a description of the bike.