Tag: vintage motorcycles

This 1968 BSA Chopper Has Plenty Of Stories To Tell

jimmymac

Imagine the stories that former owners of this running-when-parked BSA could tell about the places they visited, the freedom they felt twisting its throttle, the thrill of ditching the cops and the look of bliss on the faces of tripping passengers while leaning on the padded sissy bar (can I use that term in 2020?). This relic deserves to be on display in The Chopper Graveyard or any motorcycle museum. Or better yet, somebody should grab this beauty, get it running and add to the stories that have already passed…

Dave Miller Benefit Face Masks Back In Stock – UPDATED

jimmymac

UPDATE AUGUST 4, 2020: So many people have continued to request the Scott Face Mask that Curt Evans (the artist behind the project) agreed to produce another batch. Here is Curt’s message and how you can get a few masks… Wow! Thanks so much for your interest in the Scott Face Mask and helping out Dave Miller’s family. We appreciate your patience. We didn’t think the response would be so great after our initial run of over 400 masks allowed us to donate over $3,500 to help his family! (Unfortunately,…

Yamaha TT500 With A One-Of-A-Kind Chain Tensioner And $3500 Asking Price

jimmymac

I like Yamaha TT500s because they are the epitome of what a run-what-you-brung dirt bike should be. It is not uncommon to see them in pickup truck beds and on trailers headed to the California desert 40 years after they were first purchased off the showroom floor. These beasts just keep on running and running and running. Even a Running When Parked TT500 shouldn’t be too tough to get purring again. But I’ve got a problem with this one. Somewhere in the bike’s past a hydraulic chain tensioner was fabricated…

What Harley-Davidson Needs To Do To Survive UPDATED

jimmymac

July 28th, 2020: Today’s article from Bloomberg News, “Harley-Davidson Investors Sour on CEO Jochen Zeitz’s Turnaround Plan” confirms what I predicted for the company’s new CEO in my story dated May 10th, 2020 (in its entirety below). After announcing its first quarterly loss in more than a decade, Zeitz’s says that he “aims to increase the brand’s desirability by putting quality ahead of quantity.” Those are not words that growth-hungry investors want to hear. Bloomberg intelligence feels that, “New management may be embracing its history and core rider demographic, while…

More Than A Motorcycle, This Honda Chopper RWP’ed Is A Labor Of Love

jimmymac

Robbin, this bike’s seller, got sick before he could finish his masterpiece. He doesn’t say how serious his illness is but I’m going to assume it is nasty to pull him away from this bike. I love it. Robbin tells you it is not a Show Bike. This is a very personal, one-of-a-kind creation that shows plenty of creativity, ingenuity and humor. I don’t know Robbin, but I’ll bet I’d like the guy if we met. I hope he doesn’t find a buyer. I want this bike to stay with…

40-Year-Old Team Suzuki Images Saved

jimmymac

While I was working at Suzuki in 1979, a few motocross team mechanics asked if I would shoot photos of them with their riders’ bikes on the grass in front of the Suzuki pagoda in Santa fe Springs. When the slides came back from the lab, they were pitch black. I had totally screwed up the exposure. I was tempted to throw them away but for some reason, I held on to them. The slides popped up again recently so I sent them to my pal Pat Carrigan. If there…

The Bike That Launched Thousands Of Racing Careers

jimmymac

There is no doubt that Hodaka motorcycles introduced a legion of riders to the joys of off-road riding. Trace the history of most American motocross stars of the 70’s and there is a Hodaka Ace 100 somewhere in the pages (usually in chapter one). This sweet example appears to be complete and I don’t see signs of abuse. The price is a little bit high but what asking price isn’t? That’s why it is called an “asking” price. This is not the first Hodaka we have featured and it won’t…

The Perfect COVID-19 Face Mask For Motocross Fans (UPDATED)

jimmymac

UPDATE JUNE 12, 2020: Sorry to inform everyone that we have sold out of the Scott Face Mask replicas. We want to thank the folks who supported the fund-raising effort for the Miller Family. I will be posting the final amount raised for the family from the mask sales in the next few weeks. But just because the masks are sold out doesn’t mean you can’t help. You can hit the following link and donate directly to the Miller Family. Check out their GoFundMe page here SAD NEWS MAY 22,…

Elspeth Beard’s Solo Global Motorcycle Adventure

jimmymac

Messy Nessy, a well-curated website you need to visit during these times, just posted a great story and interview with Elspeth Beard, who at 23 years old set off on her motorcycle, and didn’t return home until she’d traveled the entire globe. Check out the story by clicking here. Also, Messy Nessy posts “13 Things I found On The Internet Today” every Monday. I highly recommend checking in each week. There is always something very cool and unexpected in her lists.

Your Support On Friday Helps The Vicious Cycles Thanks To Bandcamp

jimmymac

I’ve wanted to write a review of the Vicious Cycles’ 2019 album, “Motorcycho” for a long time. But there’s been a problem. A friend wrote album reviews for Trans-World Skateboarding and I could always tell when she had met the band. The reviews of artists she knew personally were more positive, and I guess, less objective. That’s the problem I had writing up any Vicious Cycles release. Did I like music because I liked the band members or because I liked the music? I don’t believe anyone can write an…