Happy holidays, one and all

(12/26/2005)

 

Very likely, this will be my last update before the new year, so let me take this opportunity to wish a happy holiday season to all my Motohistory readers, wherever you live in this small world and however you choose to celebrate the season. I am grateful to all of you who visit this site, regularly or sporadically. I appreciate your comments, your sharing, and your suggestions. I am not sure what Motohistory means to you, but for me it has become a way to learn. In the coming year, I hope you will keep teaching. Peace!

 

“Lost Munch” recreations unveiled

(12/26/2005)

 

Mike “Classic Bike” Kron, of Krautheim/Klepsau Germany, is well-known for his restoration and recreation of rare German motorcycles, such as the Hildebrand & Wolfmuller and the Mars Weiss (See Motohistory News & Views 3/8/2005). Now, Kron has completed five replicas of the rare Series 1 Munch Mammoth (pictured here), previously almost unknown among German Munch enthusiasts. Mike (pictured below with a new Mammoth replica) explains, “I thought I knew everything there is to know about the Mammoth, then I saw a photograph in a magazine of one owned by Jay Leno that was different from any I had ever seen. These early Series 1 and 2 Mammoths were built in 1967 and 1968 when Floyd Clymer was collaborating with Friedl Munch to try to launch his Indian venture in America . Only thirteen of the motorcycles were made. Clymer took nine to the United States, two were sold in France, and only two remained in Germany.”

 

Kron laboriously researched the early Mammoths for a year, and even located the two Germans who owned them. With the help of friends in the United States and the two German owners, he collected over 70 detailed photographs. Locating original parts, he created the patterns necessary to reconstruct the motorcycles. By this time, news of his project had spread among German Munch enthusiasts and a demand for the motorcycles began to emerge. Kron built five of the Series 1 machines, and has started two of the Series 2 models, which he plans to create in unlimited numbers, depending on future demand.

 

Kron says, “I call the Series 1 the 'lost Mammoth' because no German magazine ever tested or published an article about one of these machines.” His accurate recreations of the Series 1 are pictured here at their unveiling ceremony on November 11, 2005. They look exactly like the originals, but in some cases improved and modern internal parts have been used. For example, they contain a Ducati dry clutch, digital ignition, and a stronger gear box. Kron adds that his Mammoths produce a little less horsepower but more torque than the originals. The Series 1 Munch sells for 45,000 euros, or approximately $52,000 US.  The Series 2 Munch sells for 38,000 euros, or approximately $44,000 US.  When imported to America in 1967, the Series 1 Munch was priced at $4,000, a breathtakingly high price for a motorcycle at the time.  For more information on Kron's restorations and reproductions, contact him at Mike.Kron@t-online.de.

Photos provided by Mike Kron

 

Link to links

(12/24/2005)

My links page has grown to over 60 selected sites for Motohistorians.  To check it out, click here.  Let me know if you have other favorite sites you would like me to consider. 

 

Wheels Through Time presents “The Girls”

(12/24/2005)

 

The Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, North Carolina will open next April 15 a new exhibit entitled “The Girls: A Photographic History of Women in Motorcycling from 1905 through 1955.” For those of you concerned about latter-day political correctness, it should be noted that “girls” was an accepted term for adult women earlier in the century. In fact, members of the celebrated Motor Maids commonly referred to themselves and their colleagues as “girls.”

 

WTTM curator Dale Walksler says, “Women riders have always been an essential part of motorcycling history, and with this show we hope to educate our visitors about this past era and portray the influence that these women had on the sport of motorcycling.” Depicted here in a planning sketch, the exhibit will be opened with a gala event featuring special guests. It will remain open through the International Women and Motorcycling Conference that will take place June 30 through July 3, 2006 in Athens, Georgia, just a short ride south of the museum.

 

The Wheels Through Time Museum offers a stunning collection of over 250 exquisitely displayed rare and antique American motorcycles and automobiles. Called “the museum that runs,” more than 98 percent of the vehicles on display are in operating condition.  The museum's mission is to educate and inspire a diverse audience about the historical aspects of American motorcycle and automobile transportation, and pass on this history to generations to come. For information on the Wheels Through Time Museum, click here. For information on the International Women & Motorcycling Conference, click here.

Illustration provided by the Wheels Through Time Museum

 

 

Magic Mountain goes to the National Motorcycle Museum

(12/24/2005)

 

Magic Mountain, the last and greatest of Elmer Trett's record-breaking top fuel dragsters, has been acquired by the National Motorcycle Museum, where it is now on display in Anamosa, Iowa. After three decades at the top of his field, Trett was killed aboard this machine at the age of 53 during an exhibition run at Indianapolis Raceway Park on September 1, 1996. After its restoration by the Trett Family, Magic Mountain was displayed for a period of time at restaurants in Orlando and Las Vegas before returning home to Demorest, Georgia. Feeling that the machine needed to be enjoyed by Trett's fans and the public, his widow Jackie decided recently to seek a permanent home. At the National Motorcycle Museum, it has become the crown jewel of the facility's drag racing collection.

 

Trett, born in Kentucky in 1943, started drag racing in the 1960s, moving to the top fuel class in 1976. With the support of his family/crew, which included Jackie and daughters Gina and Kelly, Trett became the first man to break 200, 210, 220, and 230 miles per hour aboard a motorcycle in a quarter mile. Trett not only dominated, but mentored the top fuel class, working tirelessly to promote the big machines by encouraging other builders and often sharing technical information with his top rivals. Shortly before his death he achieved 235 miles per hour and an elapsed time of 6.06 seconds. It was a given that Elmer Trett would be the first motorcyclist to enter the five second range when his career ended in tragedy.

 

Elmer Trett was named one of top 50 “drivers” of all time by the National Hot Rod Association, and is a member of both the Motorcycle Hall of Fame and the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame. For more information on the National Motorcycle Museum, click here. For more photos and to read Trett's full Motorcycle Hall of Fame bio, click here.

 

On display with Trett's bike are his helmet, leathers, and other memorabilia. The National Motorcycle Museum is also looking for a Kenny Youngblood print of Trett's famous 234 mph pass at Atco, New Jersey in 1994. Anyone who has such a print and will consider placing it on display should contact Jeff Wiley at JWiley@jpcycles.com.

Photo provided by the National Motorcycle Museum

 

 

Judges named for Legends Concours

(12/22/2005)

 

A star-studded list of judges for the Legend of the Motorcycle International Concours d'Elegance has been announced by Jared Zaugg, organizer of the event that will take place at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel at Half Moon Bay, California next May 6th. Heading the list is Chief Judge Mike Jackson, an organizer of the Louis Vuitton Concours in Great Britain. Others include Sammy Miller, Oriol Bulto, Bud Ekins, Charles Falco, Mike FitzSimons, Dave Hansen, Lonnie Isam, Jr., Mark Mederski, Chuck Vernon, and Jonathan White. It is expected that two more names will be added to the panel soon. For more information about the event, click here.

 

New vintage meet planned in Wisconsin

(12/12/2005)

Recently, Motohistory reported on the creation of the Vintage Japanese and European Motorcycle Club (See News & Views 10/2/2005).  The group has announced it will organize a national meet August 18 through 20 at Iola, Wisconsin, already well known for its annual Old Car Show held earlier in the year.  Plenty of swap meet spaces will be available, and vintage bike shows and live entertainment will be on the bill.  For more information, click here.

 

 

“The Scooter Bible” has arrived

(12/21/2005)

 

At the risk of becoming turgidly enthusiastic, let me say that a certain demographic (e.g. me) will snatch this fantastic book off the shelf just for the fetching photo of Sandra Dee aboard a Vespa 50 on its cover. But “The Scooter Bible,” by Michael and Eric Dregni (Whitehorse Press, 2005), is a great deal more than just sex and nostalgia. This large format (8 ½ x 10 ½ inches) 288-page book easily lives up to its title as a must-own text for any serious or casual scooter enthusiast.

Tracing scooterdom from 1902, the Dregnis write in an appropriately light style, yet this book cannot be taken lightly. It exhaustively surveys the technical development and cultural significance of scooters. Nearly half the volume consists of an illustrated encyclopedia containing history, photos, and specifications for more than 500 makes and models, from the Abbottsford to the Zundapp, not to mention the Lowther Lightning, which is my pick for the bar-none ugliest two-wheeled vehicle on the planet.  In a move that will no doubt stir debate among scooter experts, the authors have created a five-star rating system to reflect a machine's desirability and subjective value.  The volume is authoritative and lavishly illustrated, containing more than 500 images, including photos, advertisements, and technical drawings.

 

Get it from Whitehorse Press for $29.95. For more information call toll free 800-531-1133 or click here.

 

 

Historical bikes go postal

(12/20/2005)

 

Next August the United States Postal Service will release a set of commemorative motorcycle stamps on the occasion of the 2006 Sturgis Black Hills Classic. The stamps will include a 1918 Cleveland single, a 1940 Indian Four, a 1965 Harley-Davidson Electra-Glide, and a classic chopper, circa 1970. For the whole story, click here.

 

Recent history for motorheads

(12/18/2005)

Looking for recent history, like who won last weekend?  Whowon.com provides a dazzling amount of information for motor sports enthusiasts, including the latest racing results and recent news releases from all leading sanctioning bodies.  If these guys can develop an easily-navigable archive, this will become an invaluable source for the historians of the future.  To check it out, click here.

 

 

The infamous TZ dirt tracker:

“The horror, the horror!”

(12/18/2005)

 

One of the great legends of dirt track racing dates back to 1975 when Kel Carruthers wrapped a tracker chassis around a Yamaha TZ750 road racing engine for Kenny Roberts. Roberts won the Indy Mile aboard the machine and subsequently declared, “They don't pay me enough to ride that thing!” The AMA acceded to his wishes by banning it. For a great story on this motorcycle, brought to you by Superbikeplanet.com, click here.

Photo courtesy of Superbikeplanet.com

 

 

Champions will gather for Team USA Speedway benefit

(12/15/2005)

 

All of America's living speedway world champions will gather on the historic RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach harbor on January 29, 2006 to raise funds for the United States speedway team. Since the FIM World Speedway Championship was created in 1936, five Americans have won the title. They include the late Jack Milne (1937), Bruce Penhall (1981 and 82), Sam Ermolenko (1993), Billy Hamill (1996), and Greg Hancock (1997). In addition, in 1983 Shawn Moran became the only American to win the FIM Long Track World Championship. All, plus Milne's championship-winning motorcycle will be on hand for a brunch and fund-raising auction to benefit the USA's world speedway program.

 

The champions will pose for a photo with Milne's championship motorcycle, and will autograph 125 numbered prints that will be offered for sale to speedway enthusiasts and memorabilia collectors. Proceeds from the print sales, auction, and other donations will be used to defray the cost of participation in the 2006 FIM Speedway World Cup, and to support individual American entries in the FIM World Junior Speedway Championships. System Edstrom of Sweden, a multi-national company that specializes in the manufacture of modular containment systems for trucks and vans, is the presenting sponsor for the event. The program, organized by Heartland Media & Events, is AMA sanctioned and will also include a vintage speedway motorcycle show displaying bikes from 1937 to the early 1980s.  Brands on display will include JAP, Harley-Davidson, Jackson-Rotrax (pictured above), ESO, Jawa, Maely, and Weslake.

 

Tickets to the brunch and charity auction are available for $70. The signed and numbered testimonial photo prints are available for $110 each. For tickets, prints, or more information click here.  For photos of some of the vintage bikes that will be on display, click here.

Jackson-Rotrax photo courtesy of the Arizona Speedway Museum.

 

Visiting Peter Nettesheim's nice home for BMWs

(12/12/2005)

 

Peter Nettesheim's impeccably restored and ever-expanding collection of BMW motorcycles is deeply rooted in Germanic family and cultural traditions. Unlike many German-Americans who find their roots in a wave of immigration in the mid-19th century, Nettesheim (pictured below) traces his to 1953 when his father, Vern, arrived from Germany at the age of 25 to take a job as a truck salesman, then subsequently became the first Mercedes-Benz truck dealer in America. Peter, born in 1959, graduated from Manhasset high school in 1977, then studied mechanical engineering at Drexel University in Philadelphia. However, he completed his degree there in marketing, which seemed more relevant to the family business. By this time, his family was selling both Mercedes-Benz/Freightliner and International (later branded Navistar) trucks on Long Island, New York. Clearly, truck sales have been good to Peter, providing the resources through which he can pursue his passion for BMW motorcycles.

 

It all started when he began helping his father restore vintage Mercedes-Benzes. Nettesheim says, “My father liked the Mercedes. I learned my restoration skills from working on them, and I respected the tradition of fine German engineering and craftsmanship, but I gravitated toward BMW. M-B was thought of then as an old man's car, and BMW had a more sporty, exciting image.”

Nettesheim shifted his interest from cars to bikes for the same reasons many others have moved into vintage motorcycling. He says, “I ran out of room. Motorcycles take up less space. And, as I got involved with them, I learned they are more fun and interesting than cars.” Nettesheim's first BMW was a car purchased in the late 1970s, and his first zweirad acquisition was a 1951 BMW R51/3, acquired in the late 1980s. Later, he sharpened his focus to pre-war BMWs, and today he has over fifty, including every pre-war model except the exceedingly rare R37 and a couple of less exciting single-cylinder models. He owns three R32s, the motorcycle that created a sensation at the Paris Motor Show in 1923 and successfully launched the Bavarian engine and aircraft manufacturer into the motorcycle and personal transportation business. He also owns two R16s, a model for which less than ten are known to exist.

 

Nettesheim does not simply collect and occasionally ride BMWs; his main interest is in restoring them to a high-standard running condition. He says, “I understand the passion for riding BMWs, but I am not one of those who takes pleasure in compiling miles. I am more interested in building them than in riding them.” To undertake and house his restorations, he has created a facility that is as beautiful as the motorcycles themselves. As a self-taught machinist, Nettesheim has created a virtual historical factory on his two-acre property on suburban Long Island. Unavailable parts are machined and fabricated in his garage, then final assembly takes place in a beautifully appointed workshop (pictured above) that doubles as a museum. He says, “I may have as many as three restorations going at one time, and I do practically everything myself except the paint.”  He adds, “I can do that too, but why should I? I simply don't have the space, and there are a half-dozen guys within ten miles who can do a better and quicker job than I can.”

 

Nettesheim's shop, which was purpose-built for his hobby, has the look of a historical service station and motorcycle dealership. Out front, flanked by large double doors, are beautifully finished antique gas pumps. The 1,600 square feet of space on its lower level is filled with vintage bikes, cases of BMW artifacts, spare engines, antique riding apparel, and a few BMW and Porsche automobiles. Along the right-hand wall is a work bench, running from front to rear, providing space for at least three simultaneous restoration projects. Beneath the custom-made bench are dozens of drawers containing tools and small parts. At one end of the bench is a computer work station where Nettesheim can access a vast database for his parts inventory and the history of his collection. He maintains records on every part in stock, whether it is new-old-stock or remanufactured, and how much he paid for it. Each of his motorcycles has a detailed reconstruction and service record containing extensive notes on how it was restored and when it was last serviced. Tolerances and torque rates are recorded for all critical functions.

Above the shop is a 1,300 square foot loft where the larger parts are kept, including wheels, exhaust systems, engine castings, frames, sheet metal, and transmission parts. It is a state-of-the-art facility that any professional restorer or commercial builder would be proud to own. But for Nettesheim, this is not a business. He says, “I have never yet sold a motorcycle from my collection. I restore BMWs for the pleasure of the process, and often I have significantly more invested in them than their market value, although the value of pre-war machines is now skyrocketing.” He continues, “BMW is a company that always worked to high standards of fit and finish with good-quality materials. This is the philosophy I like to apply to my restorations. I like the mechanical work, I try to surround myself with machines of quality, and I strive daily to improve my abilities in working on them. I love to build a 60-year-old motorcycle that will start and run as quietly, or even quieter than it was when it was brand new.” Nettesheim adds that over 90 percent of the time he spends in his shop is for maintaining his running antiques, not in restoring additional motorcycles.

 

Nettesheim's shop/museum provides a very nice home for his collection, and while it is only six years old, he has long since run out of space. Even with a half-dozen of his bikes currently located at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in Ohio, his nearly 3,000 square feet of space is not nearly enough. Some of his motorcycles, and even cars (mostly post-war models), have been mothballed and mounted on custom-built aluminum platforms that hang from the ceiling. Among these are an R69S with less than 2,000 miles, and a companion R75/5 with less than 50 miles. Both are white, unrestored originals in showroom condition.

 

Nettesheim's museum is not open to the public, though it is sometimes made a destination for special events, and has even been used as the setting for a new model press introduction by BMW Motorrad USA. He enjoys the good relationship he has with both BMW of North America and with the BMW Archives in Munich, Germany. “I have made an unselfish personal effort to bring to the public the history of BMW and am very pleased to see corporate BMW support me on many occasions,” he says. He adds, “The fantastic reaction of the public always comes as a surprise and is reason enough for me to make the effort.”

 

Those who have not had the opportunity to see some of Nettesheim's rare BMWs at the “Mastery of Speed” exhibit at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum may have another chance next July 20 through 23 at the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America international rally in Burlington, Vermont. In the works with the directors of the BMW MOA is a plan to bring over two-dozen of his bikes to the rally and show them in a museum setting. For more information on this event, click here. For more information on the “Mastery of Speed” exhibit, click here. Peter Nettesheim is always happy to give free advice and chat with others who share his passion for BMW motorcycles. Contact him at BMWMUSEUM@hotmail.com.

 

 

“Indian” too slow, says USA Today

(12/10/2005)

 

One of the first reviews of “The World's Fastest Indian” to appear in a national publication in the U.S. calls the story inspirational and Anthony Hopkins' performance engaging, but says the movie otherwise “slogs pokily along and never quite picks up speed.”

Giving the film only two stars, USA Today's review concludes, “many of the colorful folks Burt meets on his American odyssey seem like caricatures. Hopkins' stellar portrayal of Munro stands in stark relief. The actor is able to create a fiercely determined and multi-faceted man while those around him come off like cardboard cutouts.”

 

 

Motley fools with history

(12/10/2005)

 

In an on-line story entitled “Investors and the Art of Motorcycle Business,” Alyce Lomax of The Motley Fool describes Harley-Davidson as a rule-breaking company, noting its astonishing 19-years of record earnings and revenues. The story opens with a brief historical overview of the Motor Company consisting of the much-repeated mythology, namely that it all started in 1903 in a shed with “Harley-Davidson Motor Company” scribbled on the door. Lomax goes on to state, “In the beginning years, almost half of the motorcycles cranked out by Harley-Davidson were sold to the military, which shows what a technological innovation they were at the time.”  Huh?

 

The story compares Harley-Davidson's performance to that of the big three American automobile manufacturers, which clearly makes the Motor Company look good. Lomax reports nervousness among investors, but fails to mention potentially serious share holder litigation that accuses high-level insiders of profiting through an alleged process of misrepresenting product demand.

Lomax concludes, “Could Harley break the rules again? I certainly wouldn't bet against it – breaking the rules has been its middle name over the course of its history.”

 

I conclude, if you want accurate and well-documented history of the Motor Company, go to Herb Wagner (click here). If you want to turn to Motley Fool for your investment strategies, that's your business.

 

New ISDE shows available on DVD
(12/7/2005)

A double-feature Video of the 2004 and 2005 International Six Day Enduros, conducted respectively in Poland and Slovakia, are now available on DVD from IGNITION3 LLC. The production team used a large crew with six cameras and helmet-mounted lipstick cameras to follow the action at both events. For more information on this 90-plus-minute documentary, click here.

 

Gavin Trippe, motorcycling's British invasion.
(12/5/2005)

Recently, I had the pleasure of introducing Gavin Trippe for his induction into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. This is a man I had an opportunity to work with on many occasions more than 20 years ago. Beyond his significant contribution to the American motorcycle sport, I have the highest respect for him as a person of good will and character. Below are my remarks on the occasion of his induction.

If you are my age you will remember – and if you are younger you will certainly have heard about the 1960s phenomenon known as the British Invasion, when American pop culture was transformed by bands like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Eric Burden and the Animals, and others.

 

Well, American motorcycling also experienced a British Invasion. It came in the form of Gavin Trippe and his associates. As with the musical movement, it transformed our motorcycle sport.

 

Gavin Trippe, born in England in 1940, came to the United States in 1969 with journalist partner Bruce Cox to found Motorcycle Weekly, a tabloid modeled after Britain's Motor Cycle News. Using the paper as a publicity tool, Trippe quickly moved into event promotion.

 

He was instrumental in getting the AMA involved in international motocross, helping design the format for the Trans-AMA series and promoting one of the first Trans-AMA events in 1970. In 1973 he brought Grand Prix Motocross to these shores, launching a 13-year run for the USGP at Carlsbad, which he persuaded ABC Wide World of Sports to televise live as one of its premier events.

 

Trippe also helped take road racing to a higher level. He was an early believer in the Superbike class, and included it in the program at the newly-opened Ontario Speedway, paying a $50,000 purse that was utterly unheard of in 1972. When Ontario closed, he moved his promotion to Laguna Seca, building it into one of the most important tracks in American motorcycle road racing. With British promoter Chris Lowe he organized the Trans-Atlantic Match Races, giving young American road racers an opportunity to see just how really good they could be.

 

Dirt track also interested Trippe, and he stepped into a declining program at Ascot Park to successfully revitalize motorcycle racing at that venue.

 

His high vision was depicted in the invention of Superbikers, a novel format designed to test the abilities of riders from various disciplines. Launched in 1976, the series played live on ABC Wide World of Sports for nearly a decade. Clearly, it was an idea ahead of its time, since Supermotard would not catch hold in Europe for another decade, and not arrive in America as Supermoto for another 20 years.

 

Undoubtedly, Gavin Trippe is one of the most influential promoters in the history of the American motorcycle sport. However, accomplishments are only one aspect of earning a place in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. Character is also important in garnering enough votes to be selected. Gavin is a man of good humor and good will, which is not always present in the world of high-stakes motorsport promotion.

 

Just a few months ago when his selection in the Hall of Fame was announced, I was talking with Gavin who still seemed a little in shock over the development. As we discussed his remarkable inventory of accomplishments, he smiled and said, “And you know, I did it all without suing anybody or getting sued.” Now that takes character!

To read the official Motorcycle Hall of Fame biography for Gavin Trippe, click here.

Gavin Trippe photo courtesy of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum.

 

Cook Neilson and the Super Glide

(12/3/2005)

 

In 1971, Harley-Davidson was a company with a doubtful future. Unable to fund the expansion required to remain competitive in an exploding market, it had recently sold itself to American Machine and Foundry. AMF indeed upped production, but quality suffered in the pursuit of quantity. The Japanese were redefining basic product concepts with innovative ideas on an annual basis, but Harley-Davidson could not equal the power and creativity of the vast engineering staffs of its Japanese competitors.  Its state-of-the-artless technology was the Shovelhead, a fourteen year old valve train mounted on a lower end that dated back to 1936. What to do?

 

Enter a young family member named Willie G. Davidson who had recently graduated from design college in California. Harley-Davidson had its big touring FL, and its XL Sportster that maintained good market share against other muscle bikes of the era, but Willie G. noted a different kind of motorcycle on the streets of Los Angeles, custom-built by owners who wanted lots of power but a leaner look and few amenities. AMF was more interested in the bottom line than in pouring money into product development, so the young designer worked with what he could lay his hands on. Essentially, he used the power train of the FL stripped of its touring features, the front end of the XL Sportster, and married them to create the 1971 FX Super Glide. The one truly original feature on the bike, its unorthodox “boat tail” seat and rear fender, was not fancied by the customer, but it was overlooked in the positive response to the bike as a whole.

 

Arguably, the 1971 FX Super Glide is the most important motorcycle of our time . . . yes, even more so than the Honda Four. The Super Glide showed Harley-Davidson how to turn a little into a lot. It showed the company how to work with what it had available, teaching techniques of mixing and matching that have helped the modern Motor Company find its voice and its identity in a bewilderingly large product line based on only three engines and five engineering platforms. Even more significant, it created a new market niche that has since been named “the cruiser” and become the largest selling niche in a historically record-high market. Every other brand has slapped on cosmetic features to try to compete with Harley-Davidson's cruisers, and many have now undertaken expensive clean-sheet product development projects aimed at actually stealing customers away from the bar and shield. Consider that Yamaha has launched a whole new brand – the Star – in pursuit of a market that traces its roots to the 1971 Super Glide.

 

Even inherently right designs can benefit from a little publicity pizzazz. For example, how much did Vincent's image benefit from that legendary photo of Rollie Free, nearly naked, stretched flat out on his way to a world speed record? Likewise, there is no doubt that the Super Glide got more attention than it otherwise might have when Cycle introduced the bike 35 years ago with a photo of its editor, Cook Neilson, roaring along, standing on the seat in Captain America regalia to match the bike's red, white, and blue livery.

 

So, when Harley-Davidson released a commemorative model of its historic Super Glide as part of a new wide-tired Dyna line for 2006, it only seemed appropriate that Cycle World, the one-time sister publication of Cycle, would call upon Neilson to evaluate the bike. The result is a ten-page spread and feature entitled "Long Road Home" that reminds us old-timers what a really skilled and insightful writer Neilson was, and still is! He recounts his experience with the first Super Glide in 1971, then comments on the ways in which the new machine has kept the good qualities of the original and improved upon its bad qualities, namely its brakes.

Neilson rides the bike from his home in Vermont to Milwaukee, where he marvels at the huge success Harley-Davidson has become, and meets with its product development staff, including Willie G., who reminisces about the first Super Glide and explains some of the planning behind its 2003 look-alike. About that meeting, Neilson says, “Believe me when I tell you that Harley-Davidson and its engineers know exactly what they're doing, they know exactly who their audience is, and their dedication to that audience and to their own heritage is absolute, unflinching and bears not a single whiff of cynicism.”

 

What Neilson did so well 35 years ago, and what he can still do today is understand and write beautifully about the relationship between a motorcycle and its rider. He writes, “All experiences with a Harley are intimate ones because of the bike's involving nature and its presence; you may be by yourself on this creature, but you're not alone. This seems particularly true at night, when the traffic fades away and the world is reduced to you, the sound and texture of the bike, the road and whatever the cone of light in front discovers.”

Cook Neilson is a life-long Harley enthusiast, but he was never one of these boneheads who says, “If I hafta explain it to yuh, yuh wouldn't understand!” Cook Neilson was always the best at articulating a motorcycling experience through the written word in a way that others could understand. It was a stroke of genius for Cycle World to call him out of retirement and place the 35-year commemorative edition of the Super Glide in his capable hands.

 

 

Coming Events

(12/3/2005)

 

For a schedule of 2006 Antique Motorcycle Club of America national meets and road runs, click here.

 

For a schedule of American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association events, click here.

 

The 2006 annual meeting of the Penton Owners Group will take place at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in Pickerington, Ohio on February 4. For a full schedule of POG events, click here.

 

The Manx Grand Prix Riders Association will hold its annual Moto Nostalgia Evening in Shrewsbury, Shropshire on February 18. For more information, click here.

 

Mark Brelsford, the AMA's ever-popular 1972 Grand National Champion, will be the guest speaker at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum breakfast at the Holiday Inn in DeLand, Florida on March 10. For more information, click here.

 

The All-American Indian Motorcycle Club will hold its Spring Breakfast Meet May 6 and 7 in Massillon, Ohio. For Information, call Rocky Halter at 330-832-1989 or click here.

The British and European Classic Motorcycle Day will take place May 21 at Butler 's Orchard in Germantown, Maryland. For more information, click here.

 

AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days will move to a little later in July this year, taking place at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on July 28 through 30. For more information, click here.

 

The Second Annual Vintage BMW Motorcycle Owners International Rally will be held July 28 through 30 at Lexington, Ohio in conjunction with AMA Vintage Motorcycle Days. For more information, click here.

 

The Ohio Valley BSA Owners Club will host its 2006 swap meet and Can-Am Vintage Trial on June 3 and 4, 2006. Its summer rally will take place August 23 through 27. For more information, click here.

 

The Michigan Norton Owners will host the 31st Annual International Norton Owners Great Lakes Rally at Mancelona, Michigan July 17 through 21. For more information, click here.

 

The BSA Owners Club International Rally will take place August 12 through 19 in Brimfield, Massachusetts. For more information, click here.

 

Classic scooter enthusiasts have more opportunities to have fun in the coming year than you can shake a Vespa at. For a vast array of events, click here.

 

The Shop in Ventura, California has released its 2006 schedule of events. It includes a motorcycle swap meet, March 12; the Kustom Car, Motorcycle, and Surf Event, May 6; the Annual Antique Motorcycle Show and Swap Meet, June 18; The Kustom Kulture Festival, September 2 and 3; and the Dave Mann Chopper Fest and Motorcycle Swap Meet, December 10. For more information, call Harry at 805-650-6777.

 

Vintage Motorcycle Enthusiasts offers a great calendar of events for riders in the American Pacific Northwest. For more information, click here.

 

A hundred-thousand spectators are expected to gather at the town of Northwich in Great Britain to see the 2006 Thundersprint, scheduled for May 7. For more information, click here.

 

Motogiro d'Italia will take place May 15 through 20, beginning in Rimini. For more information, click here.

 

Motogiro USA will move to Vermont this year and will take place September 15 through 17. For more information, click here.

 

Latvia's Round Kurland Rally will be held July 14 through 16. For more information, click here.

 

The Art of the Motorcycle Exhibition, which recently completed a six-month run in Memphis, will open at the Orlando Museum of Art on January 22. It will run through July 23, 2006. For more information, click here.

For the sixth year, the National Packard Museum in Warren, Ohio will devote most of its floor space to a Spring motorcycle exhibition.  This year's show will be entitled "Motorcycles in the Movies," running from January 7 through April 15.  For more information, click here.

 

The 2006 AMA/FIM International Women and Motorcycling Conference will take place June 30 through July 3 in Athens, Georgia. For more information, click here.

 

 

It's Nixon again!

(12/2/2005)

 

After 37 years, Gary Nixon, the AMA Grand National Champion in 1967 and 1968, has won another national title in AMA-sanctioned competition. Nixon, who was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998, won his past and current titles aboard Triumphs, a brand that disappeared from then returned to the U.S. market in interim. Gary's new title is 2005 AHRMA Formula Vintage Champion. His battles with Jay Springsteen have brought a lot of excitement to AHRMA road racing.

Nixon photo provided by the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association.

 

 

Penton book may go out of print

(12/1/2005)

 

“John Penton and the Off-Road Motorcycle Revolution” was my first book-length project. Published in 2000, it has gone through three printings, the last of which is down to only about 100 unsold copies. The publisher is unlikely to print it again, so it is moving toward collectible status. Motohistory still has copies available. To purchase on line or to download a printable order form, click here.