Love Cycles UL Race Bike

I thought I took pictures of this bike but I guess I didn't so I went to Jeramiah's site and grabbed a few pictures.  This bike really inspires me.  I still have my Triumph dragster and need to get back on it.  This bike was not one of the bikes you could choose if you won the raffle which softened the blow when I did not win the raffle.  I did have my eye on Josh Conley's knuckle though !

This show made me want to get it finished and run it. 

Born Free 5

I went to Born Free today and it was quite a show.  Everything was cool until I got off the 251 and turned onto Santiago Canyon Road, the traffic was completely at a stand still.  It took 2 1/2 hours to go less than 10 miles.  I think a couple of thousand motorcycles passed me on the shoulder during that time.  That is no exaggeration!  I would have traded my truck for a Honda !  When you go to a bike show you should be on a bike.  My truck started to verheat (it was 100 gegrees out) so I turned off the AC and about that time I see three ballerinas walking up the shoulder of the highway.  We were in the middle of nowhere on the way to a bike show so the ballerinas qualified as strange  Turns out that the bike show overlapped with The Colored Run ?

I finally got to the show and it really was well put together.  I took a few pictures and will show them below.  I thought I took more so I will see if I downloaded all of them.

The invited builder bikes were very well put together.  Jeremiah Armenta of Love Cycles built a 1946 UL Flathead racer that was really something.  I also loved Josh Conley's 1946 Knuckle, Matt Olson's 1923 JD racer and the 1931 VL put together by Jason Sheets.   In all honesty all the builders turned out some amazing machines.

My favorite bike of the show was a 1907 Reading Standard board track racer, it is a neat little bike and reminded me why I love the early motorcycles, especially the racers.

Cut Down JDH Racer

 

 

Looks Like A Crocker, BUT ???

 

Kawasaki Z1 Dragster

 

Triumph By The Factory Metal Works

 

 

The 1907 Reading Standard

 

Indian Larry N.Y.C.

 

Cole Fosters Panhead...I Love This Thing !!

 

1946 Chief

 

Misc Coolness

Vincent Series A Comet

Series A Vincent-HRD singles were the model which set the Stevenage maker on the road to immortality. The story goes that the engine was designed in under four months, as Vincent was disillusioned by the performance of 'bought in' engines...
 

Arguably the ‘A’ single was the most important motorcycle in Vincent history, and tales of its conception are legendary. So the story goes, disgusted by the performance of ‘special’ proprietary JAP engines fitted in his Isle of Man TT racers during the 1934 event, Phil Vincent vowed to no longer depend on bought-in engines. In just four months, the in-house designed prototype single cylinder engine was ready for display at the Olympia motorcycle show, whereupon Phil Vincent (PCV) confidently predicted a top speed of 80mph for the cooking Meteor, 90mph for the sportier Comet and a ton for the racing TT Rep... despite the fact no engine had yet been run.

However, PCV’s confidence was proved well-placed – and there was no real surprise, as the engine was the work of well-respected Australian Phil Irving. The ‘high cam’ engine – the camshaft is set as high as possible in the timing chest, allowing short pushrods to be used; a similar set-up to Velocette’s M series – proved itself a fast and reliable unit.

The Series A single of course was doubled up to create the first Vincent (HRD) V-twin, while the Post-WWII singles (and twins) were extensively redesigned. However, without the Series A singles, then there would surely have been no Rapides, no Black Shadows, no Black Lightnings, no Gunga Din, no Rollie Free record attempt, no Nero...

The series A models are very sought after by collectors and the stigma of the Vincent single isn't as strong as it used to be here in the States.  The 500cc singles were always well thought of in England as they are reliable and great for just riding around on.  The later 500cc Comet was raced under the Gray Flash label and it was just a hotted up version of the Comet.

 

"Big Sids'" Vincati

This is the Vincati that Sid Biberman and his son Mathew built together.  A truly amazing accomplishment that married a Ducati GT chassis to a Vincent Rapide full race spec engine.  There has been much written about this bike and you may want to pick up a copy of Mathew Biberman's book "Big Sid's Vincati".  Jay leno also did a show with an interview of both Big Sid and Mathew which is worth watching.

If you haven't discovered jay Leno's Garage on line, you are missing out>

Black Lightning

The Vincent Black Lightning was essentially a made-to-order motorcycle, designed to race. As such, it was equipped with various go-fast goodies, including rear set foot controls, alloy rims and special lightweight brake backing plates. These machines did not leave the Vincent factory equipped with road-going equipment such as lights or kick starters. What makes the Lightning special is the 998cc engine, specially assembled with hand-selected racing components, including modified heads with larger intake ports and polished valve rockers, beefier connecting rods, a Lucas racing magneto, Amal TT carburetors and straight-through exhaust pipes. In all, it is thought there were only 30 “real” Black Lightning motorcycles produced.

The Great Gunga-Din Black Lightning

This is perhaps the most iconic motorcycle picture ever taken.   Rollie Free Flat Out on the Vincent Lightning at 150.313 mph in 1948