THE VINTAGENT IN 'CYCLE WORLD'

 The October edition of Cycle World magazine is out in print, and includes my review of Falcon Motorcycle's 'Kestrel', as part of CW's 'World's Coolest Bikes' series.  Thanks to editor in chief Mark Hoyer for including the piece in this issue, and for a skilled editing job (most instructive, actually, how a few minor tweaks can integrate my florid writing style to the 'feel' of a modern motorcycle mag).

If you're not a subscriber, find it on the rack...it IS the biggest circulation motorcycle magazine in the world, so your local grocery store might have it.  Cycle World has always included a few vintage motorcycle articles among the hyperbike shootouts.  Their 'Rolling Concours' events are the best possible concept for a motorcycle show, where your show bike MUST be ridden on their day tour (75 miles or so) to be eligible for a prize...not just onto the podium!

WALL STREET JOURNAL DISCOVERS MOTORCYCLES

Indicating just how fashionable and chic vintage motorcycles have become in the wider world of design and finance, the Wall Street Journal Magazine ('WSJ' - a blatant aping of the New York Times 'T' quarterly design magazine), in their holiday 'artisan issue', has no less than three photographs of motorcycles, two of which are vintage.

First mention is seen (below), quietly, in a feature on wunderkind industrial designer Yves Behar, whose Mission One electric sportbike was débuted here. The sportbike is pictured in a kaleidescope of Yves' work, which includes the $100 'one laptop per child', which has already sold one million units. (Full disclosure; Yves is a pal of mine and is business HQ is in SF - Fuseproject - his business partner Mitchell Pergola is like family to me.) Seeing the Mission One in the conservative WSJ was an eyebrow raiser.

Mid-magazine shocked me with the top pic of Mario Moretti Polegato and his collection of vintage Moto Guzzis...Polegato happens to be the owner of Geox (the 'breathable shoe') and has a net worth of $1.5 billion (of course the article mentions his wealth - it's the Wall St. Journal!). Polegato's collection began when his father discovered a '27 Guzzi in one of the tunnels beneath thie family home, the 17th Century Villa Sandi (clearly the family had a head start on their current billions). His collection now included eight vintage motorcycles, as well as a modern Honda Gold Wing and a Valkyrie. "I like to drive motorbikes because when I use the helmet nobody knows me." When he spotted a '52 Guzzino in the shed of a local oenologist's estate "My enthusiasm surprised him, and he sold me the bike for a ridiculous price." Obviously Mario is well-bitten by the Vintage bug.

But wait! Theres' more! In their Top 10 artisanal gifts for the holidays, the Riviera Café Racer is available, without a quoted price, from Walt Siegl, who builds custom motorcycles in an 1833 New Hampshire textile mill. The pictured machine was built for Tyler Hays (the artist and furniture maker) - as Hays wanted a Harley engine, the Riviera has a Shovelhead motor with modified bodywork (that tank looks very very much like a re-badged Benelli Riverside). A former motorcycle racer from his native Europe, Siegl was a toolmaker in Austria before becoming a cultural attaché for the Austrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, then sculptor in steel in Long Island. Today his sculptures roll, and roar.

THE VINTAGENT IN 'BACK STREET HEROES'

Not that I ever thought of myself as one, but here's the text of the article from the September '09 BSH:

"Having rather late in life plunged into the deep tidal pool of internet blogging, I've become quite keen to read other people's offerenings. This is for interest and research purposes, and obviously not to see what I can steal. Honest. But, for quite some time, one of my regular haunts has been the Vintagent blog run by Paul d'Orleans, and which has been running for over three years. Paul's interest in motorcycles goes much further back in time than that (although not as far as his sometimes whimsical dress sense would indicate - he's very keen on period clothing, perhaps handed down by his grandmother who was once editor of Vogue magazine) [I don't wear my grandmother's clothing, fyi. pd'o] After starting to ride at the age of fifteen (on a Honda Express!), he's been collecting vintage motorcycles for over twenty-five years now and owns an impressive amount, including a 1921 Works-prepared Royal Enfield, a 1926 Norton Model 25, a couple of Sunbeams, a 1929 Rudge Ulster, a '33 Velocette KTT MkIV and a 1960 Velocette Venom Clubman. But he also collects books, magazines, and artwork, and it's not surprising that this should have led to the blog, which is just another form of collecting. Paul is well-known throughout the collecting world on the west coast of America where he lives, and has not only spoken at auctions but judged concours events including the renowned Legend of the Motorcycle at Half Moon Bay. This might make him sound a little precious, but Paul is far from that. His continuing passion and enthusiasm for classic motorcycles - of all eras and sizes - is clear through the Vintagent, and the items happily roam all over the world, including several British events. I want to do the Moto Melee next year. Go and look, and you'll understand why. Paul explains the appeal of the Vintagent like this: [see my 'Story of Motorcycling' statement text on the sidebar!]"

Many thanks to 'Blue' and Back Street Heroes for the nod.

SIDEBURN MAGAZINE #3

The new issue of Sideburn magazine is out, and should be available shortly... if your local doesn't carry it, you can buy a copy online here at their site. They also keep a blog, which is included on my blog list on the sidebar.

Issue #3 includes is a short piece I wrote on the history of sand racing at Daytona (pictured). The layout is great, love those period shots of manly men ruining iconic motorcycles in the abrasive grit environment.... how on earth did those exposed-rocker ohc Nortons ever survive, let alone win the race time and again. I will reprint the article I wrote (not shortened for space!) with illustrations in full later, as the history of Beach Racing is worth exploring. 'The perfect race surface, renewed daily by Nature.'

ROADSIDE REPAIRS

From Motorcyclist magazine, May 2009 issue (click on the photo for a larger image).



The scenario; Pre-'16 ride in Atascadero, 2007. My 1928 Sunbeam TT90 was running poorly and backfiring, not up to its usual peppy performance. On investigation, the inlet pushrod had worn through its hardened tip, and was making a shiny steel/grease grinding paste inside the rocker arm cup. Knowing the whole pushrod/rocker assembly would shortly be scrap, I swapped my inlet and exhaust pushrods to continue the ride...which went just fine, power restored, and the roads through the hills were magic in the Spring. I followed a Crocker through a few turns but got tired of watching his footboards scrape the road - the Sunbeam has no such issues, with racing footrests and 21/20" wheels.

Thanks to Jerry Kaplan for sending the scan!

SIDEBURN MAGAZINE #2

Issue #2 of Sideburn arrived today - it's not a chronicle of the hirsute, but a magazine dedicated entirely to motorcycles which break traction in corners. This includes vintage Dirt Track machines and their riders, Flat Track, Speedway, indoor track racing, Japanese Auto Race (which, contrary to the name, is a gambling-based motorcycle race), hotrodders like Max Schaaf, heroes of yesteryear - you name it. You have to hand it to publishers Gary Inman and Ben Part for sticking to a theme, an unusual one at that.

The objects of Sideburn's affection are almost entirely Vintage, even if reconfigured in new ways - such is the emerging ethos of whole new generation of creative motorcycle builders. Not to be confused with the Kustom Kulture Kids, with whom the Sideburn circle overlaps a bit. But not too much - don't be fooled by the nouveau typography (from the amazing Eduardo Recife of Brazil) and inclusion of cheeky photos and the odd tattoo, Gary and Ben have ridden off on entirely unique tangent. Who would have thought to devote an entire magazine to sliding motorcycles?

For example; an article about old cigarette trading cards with Dirt Track heroes from the late 1920's - that's Vintagent turf.

Another article lavishes attention on a mock Harley XRTT flat-tracker (above), built from an '84 XR1000 roadster. After detailing the time and expense taken to build this stunning bike, the owner admits it 'handled like a greased pig on a waterbed' - and sold it off in disappointment! I could add a coda; he used racing Dunlop KR180 flat-track tires, which indeed make a road bike feel squirrely....they're made for the dirt! I've ridden a road-converted XRTT with these tires, and when leaned hard over into a corner, they squirm terribly; but I'd Been Warned about them, so had an idea of what to expect - the bike was actually fantastic - smooth and progressive power, great chassis. Shame about the tires though - another case of rubber which 'looks right' but isn't.

Sideburn interviews 'King' Kenny Roberts, American racing legend, about his brief relationship with the shockingly overpowered Yamaha TZ750 flat-tracker - he calls it a 'good motorcycle', but goes on to explain that if it weren't banned shortly after his Indianapolis Mile win in 1975, the bike would have ruined the sport of Dirt Track racing. Indy was the bike's only win, and the 150mph machine with no front brake was shortly relegated to history. "You were riding a guided missile against something that's 30mph slower [the Harley XR750s], and heavier. It would have killed the racing and it probably would have killed some people... I didn't want to be dead because somebody else on one of those things couldn't get stopped." He also confirms his quote from the day, "they don't pay me enough to ride that thing."

Sideburn's photos and layout are fun and cheeky - kudos to Ben for the art, and Gary for the writing. If you're interested, order a copy here. They also keep a blog of the same name, which is worth a gander.

Below is a youtube video of Max and Jasin Phares during the Sideburn photoshoot in Oakland, having fun sliding their custom Knuckleheads in an empty/gravelly parking lot.

'THE VINTAGENT' IN 'CYCLE WORLD ONLINE'

From CW Online today:

ABOVE AND BEYOND
The Modern Vintage Bike Enthusiast.
02.09.2009

Passion in life is a great thing. In the vintage-bike world, passion usually runs pretty deep, but one of the most enthusiastic and knowledgeable old-bike lovers I know is Paul d'Orleans. He's a globe-trotting, bike-researching, book-reading and vintage-bike trading maniac with an awesome blog page.
Paul (shown on a Velocette KTT) was a multiple offender on our Infineon Raceway (nee Sears Point) Rolling Concours event, always "rolling" out something racy and exotic and, best of all, really old, like his 1928 Sunbeam TT90 racer that won Best Vintage. But he shows up just about anywhere there is motorcycle stuff going on, from auctions to the Legend of the Motorcycle Concours to the annual Velocette Club rally.
The fundamental motto in all his vintage-bike dealings is "Ride them as the maker intended," which is noble, indeed. It is easy to get lost on his blog site, with entries that range from the clothes old-time riders wore to racing histories to tire technology to modern electric "motor" cycles. Totally worth checking out, but don't forget to come back to cycleworld.com!

—Mark Hoyer

Mark Hoyer - a man with access to any and all new motorcycles - is secretly a Vintagent, and a Velocette enthusiast, having twice attended the Annual V.O.C. North America summer week-long rally. We've spent a bit of time together sorting out our bikes by the side of the road....

RIDE 'EM, OR HIDE 'EM?

A bit of controversy was stirred up by the article in Motorcycle Classics magazine regarding my '33 Velocette KTT MkIV... a fellow named Richard Ong, who has been in the classics 'scene' since the bikes were new, had harsh words for me. It was generous of editor Richard Backus to print my response in the same issue, to give both sides of the story. (Click on the image above to read the letters).
I respect that Mr. Ong knew Eddie Arnold (who built 'the Mule' in its current state) and has high regard for Eddie's workmanship and development (as do I - in fact no one has a closer relationship with his handiwork). The motorcycles in my care tend to be ridden quite a bit, and the motorcycles I seek out are the ones I'm really curious to ride. If I can't ride it, or the machine doesn't live up to my standards, it goes to a new home.
Every collector has a different relationship with the motorcycles in his/her garage, and I know I fall on one end of the spectrum, but we're all interested in the same thing; preservation, appreciation, and enjoyment.

HOT BIKE JAPAN - ISSUE 103, Sep. 2008

JJ, from Vintage Motorcycles Online, mentioned he was going to Japan on a business trip. 'Bring back some cool Japanese motorcycle magazines!' I asked, and he amply supplied me with the latest issues.
Japanese motorcycle publishing is so intriguingly different than US or European print, but in ways which are hard to define. The first impression is of heft - the paper stock is thick and glossy, and the photo quality is superb. There is an integration and celebration of 'lifestyle' with content, which includes blurring the edges between journalism and commerce - sometimes it's hard to discern where the ads begin. There's also a lack of machismo; even though Hot Bike is basically a 'Custom Culture' magazine, there are goofy photos of Japanese owners gleefully showing off their custom Harleys.

The great coincidence, and why I'm mentioning this magazine in particular, is coverage of several local events, including a ride with our SF based AMCA chapter (Yerba Buena), and the Legends of the Motorcyle Concours (highlighting the customs of Shinya Kimura).

In the top photo at the Legends, my '33 Velocette KTT and '28 TT90 Sunbeam are lined up on the grass after the Legends ride on Sunday. The lower page shows our break at Alice's Restaurant on Skyline Blvd, and I'm in the far right corner beside my Sunbeam, with, Kim and Pete Young behind the bike.

Rick Najera, president of the Yerba Buena chapter, and his '55 Harley Panhead 'Martha', on which he rides to events all over the country, are featured in a spread on unrestored (or at least, un-chopped!) bikes. The page shown includes some of the other relics in his basement; it looks like one of my 'other people's garages' posts, using a much more talented photographer. It's a nice shot of Ricky as well.

Bottom pic shows one of our Yerba Buena day rides in the East Bay, to the town of Port Costa, which is essentially a bar at the end of a good motorcycle road. I wasn't able to make this ride, but the lower right photo shows some of our members, crusty lot that they are. Brian Stearns, who sold his 50-miles-from-new '49 Triumph Speed Twin at the Monterey Auction, is on far left. The bottom left photo shows Rick with Max Schaaf of the 4Q Conditioning blog, whose amazing garage I featured in a previous post.

If you're a Harley fan, a subscription to Hot Bike will set you back $187.50/year in the US...such is the price of quality paper stock.

PHOTO SHOOT UPDATE - 'MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS' MAGAZINE

Waaay back in November I wrote about a photo shoot with photographer Nick Cedar for Motorcycle Classics magazine... and the July/August issue is finally on the stands, with an article entitled 1933 Velocette: 'The Little Mule'. It's a nice article, written by Margie Segal (who rides her Norton Commando on all our Vintage events), and the photographs of the bike came out beautifully - you hardly mind that the bike is slathered in oil. The story makes me out to be a bit of a nutcase, which of course must be true! A nice touch: they posited a photo of The Mule belting around a corner, above a shot of Noel Pope on a MkIV KTT at Brooklands in 1934 (see last pic)- had I known there would be a comparison, I would have crouched down!

The article is four and a half pages long, and includes a bit of Velocette history, plus a some technical info on the 1933 KTT mkIV Velo, which is a 400cc (cheater) ohc single-cylinder former racer, now roadster (although there hasn't been much of a transition, barring the new numberplate and a mirror).

This bike was one of 4 KTTs imported to the USA from 1929-49, the others included:
KTT102 (a Mk1) imported by 'Oglasud' of New York in Nov. '29,
KTT454 (another MkIV) at Otto Ling &Sons of New York on Dec. 4, '33,
KTT929 (a MkVIII) was sold to Western Motorcycles of Oregon on Apr.4 '48.

KTT 470 was imported to 'Macks' Motorcycles, in Everett, Massachusets, on May 19, 1933. It was sold as an 'engine only', presumably to hot-up someone's dirt racer or even KSS. The chassis in which it is currently installed has no numbers...our local Department of Motor Vehicles had a difficult time wrapping their minds around that, but I explained that racers often used their engine number as the ID for the bike. Which they accepted. And now it's street-legal, using the original factory equipment, plus a dummy taillight and the mirror.


The Mule has become like a second skin to me (albeit a very oily one!), and can be 'thought' in any direction you might need to go, changing lines as necessary to avoid potholes and rough surfaces. Former owner Eddie Arnold built it for Vintage racing in the late 1970's; it's been modified in the engine department with lighter flywheels (7lbs taken off), a home-made cam, 79mm Norton piston (74mm is standard - hence the 400cc), honking great 1 5/16" TT carburetor. Plus, the entire front end is from a MkVIII - with a magnesium front brake and forks with rubber stops and a 'guided' fork spring (which keeps the spring from oscillating/breaking under heavy use, making for more controlled action over bumps).
If you ask nicely, I might let you ride it.

'GARAGE' MAGAZINE UPDATE

Back in December 2007 I wrote about a photo shoot for Garage Magazine, which included my 1926 Norton Model 25, graced by Nicole in period garb. Issue #17 of Garage is now available, and the photo looks great in the magazine - the Norton is the only bike in the article which is recognizable; the balance of the photo essay, "Just a Little Bit of History Repeating", is understandably focussed on the models.

Top photo; the cover of the magazine features Dita Von Teese lounging against Jay Leno's (replica) Bugatti Atlantique...shape on shape on shape. Fascinating car; the body was originally made of magnesium, so the panels were rivetted rather than welded, giving an overall aircraft-construction look, with a long raised seam along the back of the car, like a fin. Three were originally built; Ralph Lauren has one, supposedly another real one still exists, and the rest are replicas.

Garage magazine has no nudity, but you still might want to hide the mag from the kids... Actually, I find Garage to be the most readable of the 'Kustom Kulture' rags, and some of the subject matter is fascinating and well researched. Mixed with the girlie fluff, of course.

Middle photo is a scan from the magazine, bottom photo was taken by me on my phone, as I had forgotten the real camera! Still, the ultra-low resolution gives a bit of atmosphere to the shot.