Good to hear from you again Murph and glad to see you’re still at it.
How are things Steve?.
Here’s a few “unpublished” shots of a Vinny International Rally I bumped into in PA a few weeks ago.Fantastic buncha guys,and I’ll have a few articles coming up in my next few blog posts on their bikes.Best regards to you Steve,
Murph
For those of you who don’t know of him here’s a great article over at The Selvedge Yard Article by JP
Another great Picassa gallery from the very generous SuzukiJoe.
Here’s a taste. Click the image for the link to the full gallery.
Really nice set! I love em all. I confess that I know very little about the Cooper and I thought all Rokons were the 2 wheel drive 4 strokes. Great stuff. I’m a we bit under the weather so any input from the readership very much appreciated!
Hi there,Richard Weslow here with a picture of two stroke motorcycle history,75 first year RM second bike is a 74 Rokon Sach 340 and the third bike is a 250 Cooper from Mexico.The 75 RM changed motocross as we know it with radical new look for suspension,the Rokon was a bizarre concept way ahead of its time with disk brakes and the fact its a pull start automatic snowmobile motor and the Cooper also has rich history made possible by Frank H. Cooper a macio importer that went to macio to produce a enduro bike ,after macio turned him down he then turned to Islo a small bike manufacture in Mexico where they started to produce the cooper bikes.
Be back soon I hope… blech.. being sick sucks.
Another very high resolution shot from the fine folks at Bonhams Auction house. It’s hard to believe the economy is in the tank when you see sales like this. I suppose the “real” money never stops looking for great value. Remarkable bike!
Bonhams’ sale on Sunday, 16th October 2011 at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show at Stafford was a resounding success with a sale total of £1.7million and 84% sold by value.
The top lot of the day was the 1929 Brough Superior SS100 known as ‘Moby Dick’. Hailed in its day as ‘the fastest privately owned machine in the world suitable for road use’, this magnificent motorcycle attracted multiple bidders. Tested by Motor Cycling magazine in 1931, ‘Moby Dick’ achieved a top speed of 106mph, a staggering achievement at a time when very few road vehicles of any sort were capable of reaching three-figure speeds. Further tuning of the modified 1,142cc v-twin engine later raised that figure to 115mph in top (third) gear, with 109mph achievable in second. Sold but later repurchased by the vendor’s family, Moby Dick was restored in 1998 and since then has continued to delight and amaze enthusiasts wherever it appears.
Three other Brough Superiors made it into the top ten. The 1924 980cc SS80 represented a rare opportunity to purchase one of the earliest surviving and most original examples of the model, and after spirited bidding realised £100,500 (estimate £75,000-95,000).
The 1930 Black Alpine 680 restoration project sold for £40,550 (estimate of £25,000-35,000), and the 1933 ‘11-50’ that took the ‘best original in show’ award at the BSOC Rally in 2004 fetched £34,500 (estimate £32,000-38,000).
Other significant results include a 1906 Minerva 4½hp V-Twin (£26,450), a 1911 Douglas 2¾hp Model D (£18,400), 1953 Matchless 498cc G45 (£36,700), 1955 BSA 500cc Gold Star ‘barn find’ restoration project (£8,280), a 1969 Kawasaki 500cc Mach III/H1 (£12,650), a 1972 Triumph X75 Hurricane (£24,150), and a 1979 Ducati 864cc Mike Hailwood Replica (£12,075).
Ben Walker, Head of Motorcycles at Bonhams, comments, “Restoration projects were in strong demand with some outstanding results achieved in this category. But any machine with good history and a high level of originality (regardless of condition) was keenly contested by discerning collectors and enthusiasts.”
Marc Crocetti sent in some extra pics and some background info for his Triumph 500 (that I originally grabbed from Facebook).
I am attaching some pictures of my 1971 Triumph 500 Cafe racer. I purchased the bike in several boxes, ( It had been used as a dirt bike for twenty years) and made it into my idea of a Cafe style bike. It is the first bike I have ever done and it has been a lot of fun. It took me about 5 months to build and I enjoy riding it a lot. It has been running for two years and I have put about 9,000 miles on it.
Thanks, Marc Crocetti
Thanks Marc! Great stuff and nice save!
Oilrider over on ADV rider was kind enough to let me repost this gorgeous shot. When you live in the flattest state in the union shots like this can get you envious..
Hello Steve,
I took it during a trip to the Picos de Europa in Spain in may 2011. It is on the beautiful road from Portilla de la Reina to Cain.Exactly here :http://maps.google.fr/maps?q=43.1072…src=6&t=h&z=18
A big thank you once again to Bonhams Auction House for the excellent studio shot of this very cool collectible. I’m old enough (and not too embarrassed to say) that I watched this show regularly when it aired originally. and you know, all nostalgia aside. It’s a cool bike all on it’s own. Great Stuff!
The article in Cycle World, March 2000, was written by Associate Editor, Wendy Black, who interviewed Bud Ekins and our consignor, Marshall Ehlers, of Mean Marshall’s Motorcycles of Oakland, CA, among others.
From her research, it was discovered that through the Happy Days series, there were four motorcycles in total. The first, a Harley Davidson, was deemed too much to handle on camera, and was exchanged for a Triumph. This was verified by Mr. Henry Winkler’s agent. There were three of these Triumphs used, a 1949 square-barrel, a c.1952 round-barrel Trophy, and one other. In talking to Paramount studio executives, Bud Ekins, etc., Wendy traced the story on each of these bikes: the c.1952 bike was rented from and returned to Bud Ekins who sold it to a dealer, who then passed it through a now-defunct auction company; the 3rd bike was sourced from someone other than Ekins, but was stolen from Paramount’s storage; and the 1949 Trophy was returned to Ekins, who then sold it to Marshal Ehlers of Mean Marshall’s Motorcycles, and is the motorcycle to be offered for sale at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles on November 12th by Bonhams. This is documented in the Cycle World article in 2000.
The motorcycle offered was featured in the television series, on camera, and can be seen in the attached photographs from the show, in promo shots, and was even the bike on the box of The Fonz and his Bike model kit from MPC. I have attached photos for you.
It is in original condition, as it was on the set of the television show. The kickstart was replaced for the show, as the original, non-folding type kept gouging Mr. Winkler’s leg (we all know how that feels!!), and the front fender was removed for a more aggressive look. Both of these items will accompany the bike together with an original copy of the 2000 magazine. I have attached a scan of the article.
I’ll try to get the article converted over. I actually have that cycle World issue at home.
Joe Kezman sends in a sweet shot of a cool bike! As he put it “My CL360 running good and looking good.” Yes it is Joe! Thanks for the pic!
Motorcycle Photo Of The Day 