Stan Dishong's 96" Overhead Cam Panhead

Here are some photos of Stan's OHC panhead from the NHRA Museum. If you live nearby its worth the $5.00 admission to see this crazy bike first hand but for those of you further away you can enjoy the pictures!

1950's Felt H-D K Model Racing Patch

Here's a cool old felt K-Model jacket patch as displayed at the NHRA Museum!


This appears to be the same brand / model patch on this old wool sweatshirt from Rin Tanaka's Motorcycle Jackets: Ultimate Biker Fashion Book!

Stan Dishong's 1937 Indian Scout Drag Bike

What a lean and mean machine that's narrow and straight as an arrow!


The BSA Bantam front end which I believe to be semi-modified, though I'm not very familiar with the Bantam other than that it was BSA's equal to Triumph's Cub, is super skinny and looks amazing!


This bike sliced down the dragstrip going 118 mph in 1955 according to the display sign!


Nice and sanitary cut-away primary for weight savings!


This tire is simply amazing as I read it was a Goodyear Sport Special with a vulcanized rubber strip on top to create the flat drag slick, or in this case, a cheater slick!


You can just make out the Goodyear scripting!


The "cheater" tread appears to be hand cut with a razor. The piecrusted sidewalls coupled with the vulcanized flat strip with slash tread marks gives this tire a wild appearance! This is supposed to be the first rear drag slick ever made for a motorcycle!


Here's the rundown from what looks to be a Hot Bike article (anybody know the date and year it was published?). Sorry for the bluriness as you may be blinded temporarily. (All photos were taken at the Pomona NHRA Museum which hopefully will still stand in existance next year.)

Garage Company's Dual Carb Panhead Drag Bike

I hadn't been on Garage Company's website in a while but saw this crazy dual carb panhead in the works on the custom bike page. The Firestone 16" drag tire reminds me of a late 50s Firestone tire used on the Revell Triumph Drag Bike model kit based on a Triumph Drag Bike from Hot Rod Magazine. The rear rim looks to be real magnesium as well. I don't know the story on this bike but it looks to be a good one. Check out Garage Company's latest at: http://garagecompany.com/ !

Old Bell Helmets Waterslide Decals

Three nice old Bell Helmets and Bell Auto waterslide decals from the NHRA museum benches!

Bobby Sirkegian's Pre-unit Rigids Drag Bikes X 3

I like the first one the best with the alloy rims, mcm rocker caps, bench seat, and huge racing cones!


Those thick gators at right look much better than the thin ones in the middle. 7" front brakes look very nice on all three!


No fender to tire symmetry here but this bike is still very nice. The rear alloy has been shoehorned with an 18" Avon Drag Slick!


Looks like the T-100 racing kit with MCM rocker caps! This bike was given the best parts and was the only one with alloy rims!


Holy racing cones Batman! These drag tips are wide, wide, open! Check the tips at left for a comparison as these guys are massive! I wonder which set came with the T-100 racing kit???


Racing cones look to be 5" in diamter. Insane!!!


All three of these bikes were show quality but I was disappointed that none of the seats or p-pads were Bates, just new repops.


Now I remember this kid as the only person to be dwarfed by a tiny pre-unit rigid race bike! He makes that front rim look like a 26" or 28" instead of a 21".


All pictures above were taken at the NHRA Museum in Pomona, CA which, according to the ticket guy, may be torn down next year with a portion of its contents going to the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. This museum is truely amazing, so if you've been there and wish to voice your opinion write to the museum (I'll add a link soon). Admission is only $5.00, which is a steal for all the drag nostalgia displayed within!

Savage Seven Sporties!

Here are a few nice sportsters from the Savage Seven and the bike in the back may be a pan or shovel but I can't tell from this angle.

Late 50's / Early 60's Suspension Football Buckets

Don't get me wrong as I'm not advocating fashion over function here but I've always liked the look of Jack Nicholson's old Easy Rider football helmet as a riding helmet.


Here's a vintage 1961 Colorado Buffaloes Riddell KRA-LITE RK-4 helmet that is beyond amazing. I think the single bar facemasks look the best!


At left is an original JC Higgin's and a repop Colorado Buffaloes 1956 Orange Bowl suspension helmet at right.


Two bar face mask at left and cooler single bar at right. I think the helmets through the early 60s have a better shape from what I've seen.


Ventilation holes at top!


There's the suspension inside. I had to cut some cords to get them to fit but both feel great when on and they are nice and form fitting. Not safe by any means but I would rather run one of these anyday over an old pudding bowl helmet. If nothing else, a nice joke helmet for a quick jog to the gas stop but pray you don't get hit as you wouldn't want to find out why they're called "brain buckets." When it finally comes down to it, function over fashion rules the road and a mid - late 60s Bell Star full face helmet would be my #1 choice if I could find one!


Nice old 50s drag racing helmet with football styling from the NHRA Museum!

Random Photos Circa 1965

Anybody feel like identifying the make and model of this car for fun as I'm without a clue? I like the nice smoothy rims though!


Is she in love with him or the car or both?


Schwinn's girl version of the "Stingray" or the "Fair Lady" appears here as a brand new birthday present. (These pictures are from the same album all the dresser photos came from and I thought they were pretty cool ones even though there are no bikes. Old photos definitely give you a good feel for the era!)

Ripple Exhaust Pipe Circa 1959

Here's a nice advertisement with some late 50s ripple pipe which is most likely the same era as the convoluted sections on Larry Howard's "Glittercycle" I'm guessing. I particularly like how this piece has starts and stops or ripple and plain sections mixed in! (Ad from a 1959 Hot Rod Magazine)

1960s White Cafe Leather Jackets

Two great white cafe jackets from Buco and Taubers from Rin Tanaka's 2003 Motorcycle Jackets - Ultimate Biker's Fashions book! I'm still looking for a all white or cream Bates for myself in a 40L / 40LL or 42L / 42LL.

Bates in '65!

When I bought this catalog on Ebay I was told it was early '60s and it was a bit of a let down when I found out it was from 1965. Don't get me wrong as its a rad catalog, but I was hoping for an ad for the Bates/Lee type foot clutch. The jackets are insane as always and I'm suspecting the helmets may have been manufactured by Bell. The comment on the ribbed solo seat leads me to believe 1965 may have been the first year of tuck and roll seats but I could be wrong. Lots of footpegs to choose from and I'm running the economy diamond type on the pre-unit.

Wanted: MCM / Bates / Webco Fork Slider Covers for Narrow 50's Triumph Terrier / Tiger Cub Front End

I recently picked up a pair of 1950s Triumph Terrier forks as an alternate front end with brake set-up (still running the H-D peashooter springer with the spool wheel) for my 1951 Triumph custom project and am currently looking for a pair of slider covers. These forks have smaller diameter tubing than the pre-unit ones and are the same forks as on the twin engine pre-unit drag bike posted yesterday. I believe these were made by MCM, Webco, and possibly even Bates and should conceivably hug the fork tubes similarly to the nacelle covers shown on the first photo but obviously without the nacelle top. Please let me know if you can help as I have cash ready! For an additional front end reference please check out the first two drag pre-units on this earlier post as compared to the third bike which has a standard pre-unit front end: http://nostalgiaonwheels.blogspot.com/2008/03/stretched-pre-unit-rigid-drag-bike.html

Motorcycle Show in Bakersfield

I hadn't heard anything about this show but I just received an email about it and it looks semi-interesting. Here's a link to the website: http://www.vintagecyclesonthegreen.com/

The Odd Couple

The guy on the mini-bike reminds me of Rodney on one of his wild creations. The cute girl looks like she stepped off the set of Beach Blanket Bingo! Very nice couple!

Clear Amal Float Bowl Covers!

Q: How great would it be to cast the Webco Amal float bowl extensions in clear resin and swirl in a single trail of color for a tripped out effect (on a dual carb set up of course)? A: It would blow minds!

Salty Knuckles!

The "Beast" is one awesome machine! Check out the second bike down on this earlier post: http://nostalgiaonwheels.blogspot.com/2008/05/knuckle-drag-bike.html



I believe Yoshi of Garage Company did a similar knucklehead for himself with this same tank and stance!

1/4 Mile Machines!

The "Kepaloa" pre-unit swingarm spectacular in action!



This brother is killing the competition with his nifty twin engine pre-unit!


This guy was going so fast he impaled the greyhound dog he was racing in between his two springer legs (or at least it looks that way; must be a banner on the side)!




This sportster has a great look with a tank similar to the Reyes modified mustang on the "Moon Cricket"!



This shot is just great with the two panhead dude's awaiting their turns on the 1/4 mile. (all photos from a late 60s Motorcycle Sport Book)

Pre-Unique Paint Job

This pre-unit rigid show bike looks pretty rad and I'm especially digging on the scallopy flames with the pinstripe shadowing that almost creates a 3-D effect. By aluminzed barrel I'm assume the author means the cast barrel was simply sprayed with an aluminum coating and that this is not an alloy barrel but I could be wrong. (Picture and text come from the 1967 Motorcycle Sport Book!)

Hank Espinoza's "Old Blue" Panhead!

This picture is particularly interesting to me as this same bike was in a photo album of full dressers found at the swapmeet months ago. I'd have to say it was my favorite of the dresser photos posted earlier, primarly because of the tank molding and the wild paint job and it was rad to see the bike included in the 1967 Motorcycle Sport Book's show section! To see the previous post showing Hank's bike in full color from 1966 click on the following link: http://nostalgiaonwheels.blogspot.com/2009/03/1965-panhead-california-road-trip.html

Leaders of the Pack Comp LP

I picked this LP up at the swapmeet today. Its really nothing special and just has a bunch of oldies like "Duke of Earl" but the panhead on the front is pretty cool! I'm guessing the lp's, there are three in all, as well as the cover are from the 70's. Has anybody heard of Aguilar Cycle Sales or seen this bike in person or in any magazines as it would be interesting to view this bike its entirety!

1960s Biker Fashion!

Who knows as this could be the original owner of your pan or shovelhead? This cheeseball '60s beach towel was yesterday's garage sale find; talk about a waste of money! I think the design is pretty funny though!

Uni-Motorbike!

I picked this picture up at a garage sale today as I thought it was pretty cool. Its an obvious reprint but I'm not sure when the cycle was made, probably somewhere in the 40's or 50's judging on the pudding bowl helmet. This will be a good picture for Rodney's shop!

Selections from Mothers Choppers 1971 Catalog

Its interesting as WMO Borrani's were no longer available here in 21's as of 1971 and only in 36 holes for the 19"er. The Avon listing on the next page only had 3.0 x 21 tires and not 2.75 x 21. I wonder when they stopped making the mini skinnies?


This chart is pretty cool because I'm used to seeing the inside rim dimensions: WM0 = 1.4, WM1 = 1.60, WM2 = 1.75, and WM3 = 2.15 I think and these measurements are taken from the outside which seems like it would be a quicker way of checking at a swapmeet!


For a seat that is supposed to smuggle that opening looks more than a little obvious? I highly doubt the rider would be wanting to smuggle just tools though???

Insane Drag Strip Photos!

Thanks again to Rene from Australia for sending over this awesome link with some amazing drag bike photos: http://www.vaautoracing.org/Gallery2.html . The hot rod pictures are great as well and the last picture posted here with the pre-unit is simply ruling!

Black Angels Poster in High Definition!

I love the tag line on this film, "God forgives, but the Black Angels don't!"

Wild Angels Bikes

Here are some nice pictures of Fonda's panhead, Joint's Pan, as well as Dear John's / Henry of the Ironhorsemen's Knucklehead taken from: http://www.imcdb.org/movie_61189-The-Wild-Angels.html (A great side to look for bikes in movies I might add!)

Late 50s Bell 500-TX Helmet vs. Mid 60s Version!

I was pretty fascinated with the Bell 500-TX helmet so I did some more digging and with Tjebbe's help from ZZ-Chop I located this great helmet book! (Check out the original post if you're interested as well as for an advertisement showing the rare visor above): http://nostalgiaonwheels.blogspot.com/2009/06/bell-500-tx-helmet-is-worth-its-weight.html)
Apparently Rin Tanaka's book entitled "The Motorcycle Helmet" dates this Bell 500-TX helmet to around 1957-1958, making it one of the earliest know examples. The marbled visor was made by Cragar and is evidently mega rare as well!


First Snell logo bears no serial numbers apparently!


This one is most likely a 1958-1959 version!


Early liner is supposedly all white!


Front waterslide decal looks the same on both late 50s models!


The later 50s example shown here with the serial numbers!


The 1965 version with the metallic silver Bell sticker up front!


Even the interior styrofoam colors change with the versions!


An up close and personal with the silver metallic mid-60s Bell logo!


Liner details from Yoshi's 1969 catalog. For the late 60s 500-TX examples see the earlier post! (all information shown here was taken from Rin Tanaka's great book, "The Motorcycle Helmet" 1930s - 1990s!

Mondo Bondo Shovel

Here's a cool raked out and heavily molded shovelhead submitted by Alex C. which nicely follows the previous post. (Article and photos from an early 1970s Choppers Magazine)

1960s Mondo Mod Poster!

Check out the cool POP art and custom cycles on this '60s teen movie poster!

Ed Thomas' '41 Knuckle Drag Bike

I'm not too keen on the Chevy powered bike at left but the knuckle on the right is pretty darn cool. I believe I have a better picture of this bike from an earlier post so when I find the link I'll add it here for quick reference! (photo comes from an early 1960s Rod & Custom Magazine)

Pre-unit Swingarm Mild Custom!

Here's a nice '58 Tiger 110 with some nice scalloping and custom two tone solo seat and pillion. Too bad it has the worst show name ever! (picture from the 1963 Cycle World Magazine show issue!)

1930 Indian Factory Hillclimber

This Indian hillclimber is an amazingly cool bike which was 1 of 4 built in 1930 according to the book American Motorcycle Classics!

Gabe has Been Shanghaied!

It is official as Gabe's panhead is finished and he is currently in route to New York where he will embark on a six month voyage aboard the Bounty. Wish him luck and follow his swashbuckling adventures at: http://oneyearbeforethemast.blogspot.com

Flawless Harley JD Racer!

Here's a great photo of a spectacular looking HD JD race bike from a Harley book called Dream Machine I picked up at the swapmeet this weekend!

Vintage Stanton Police Dept Photo

Thanks to Alex C. for submitting this great vintage photo of the Stanton PD with what appears to be panheads and servi-cars!

1958 Dragstrip Riot Movie Still - Attack of the Pre-units!

This has got to be one of my favorite early movie stills showing customized triumphs. I'm guessing the nacelled bike belongs to the guy who attacks with the pipe wrench as pictured in the movie poster below!

Angels Die Hard Lobby Cards from 1970

I think the second rider back with the headband is Gary Littlejohn but I could be mistaken!


Theres a pretty cool looking panhead at center!


Littlejohn's "Cinderella Cart" must be somewhere way back there in the ranks but I can't see it!

Customs 4 the Show & Strip!

It looks like dual Linkerts and machined lucite pegs and shifter on this highly chromed panhead!


This overhead cam conversion pre-unit looks amazing down to the cool Everoak Racemaster looking helmet hanging over the bars!


Check out the wild paint on this little buggers tank and helmet. I can't tell if these are BSAs or Triumphs from the angle but appear to be unit dirt trackers! (all pictures from the same 1965 Motorcycle book as below!)

Old Racers & Miscellaneous!

Mark Anthony, this guy has your exact same speedway seat!


Slidin' the turns 30s style!


Those Flxi side cars look like a blast on the peashooter racers!


Injuns awaiting the boards!


Upside down smokescreen! Spyhunter in the early teens! (all photos from the 1965 Treasury of Motorcycles of the World book!)

Love Cycles Merchandise

I just received my Love Cycles t-shirt in the mail today and it fits like a glove and a few stickers were thrown in as well! Jeremiah has some really cool bird deflectors for sale he just had cast up, two styles and only making 20 of each, so contact him if interested or if you're looking the right person to build your custom knuckle, pan, or shovel at http://www.lovecycles.blogspot.com !

Wild Angels Posters in High Definition!

Click on these posters to see the crisp details! Its especially nice with the first and third ones because you can really scrutinze the bikes!

1959 AMA Trophies & Award Plaques!

Here's a pretty cool little catalog for trophies of all sizes used for AMA tours and contests from 1959!

Inland Vans Berdoo

Thanks to Jeff of Los Angeles for emailing over this great website: http://www.inlandvansberdoo.com . Unfortunatley there are only about three chopper photos, if you search under the galleries section, but the vintage van pictures are amazing and this is a great photo stash to reference if you plan on building a custom 1960s van.

1970 Rolling Stones "Gimme Shelter" Poster

Here's a pretty interesting poster from the Rolling Stone's 1970 free concrete in Altamont. You can see the Hells Angels in a few of the cubes as they provided the concert security.

A Plethora of "Motorcycle Gang" Stills

The Gang in "Hi-Fi"!


John Ashley shown here in a knife fight which he ends up losing!


Girls and Triumphs!


The couple shot and pulling away at the Cafe!


Ashley's looking scared while the gal on the right has a very nice Velocette!


Pre-units-a-go-go!

1961 Sporty Cafe Custom!

This bike has got to be one of the best blended custom or chopper / cafe bikes I've ever seen. Sleek styling with enough horses to leave your pals in the dust this sportster is a true winner in my book! (Thanks Rene for submitting the scan of this fine article from a late 60s Motorcycle Sport Book!)


Here's a shot of this great sporty at the show from an August 1967 Cycle World Magazine submitted by Stefan!

Selections from the "BECK" '61-'62 Catalog

The BECK logo in the early '60s!


I had no idea ANDERSON footpegs were being made this early. I thought they were just a late 60s or early 70s item. I guess this proves how much or how little I know!


The classic CMS kicker pedals being offered here in the rare WHITE and the impossible to find BLACK!


Here are those nice solid and swirly BECK grips which are so sought after today. They seem to be rarer than their CMS counterparts!


Hellings bars in various shapes and sizes!


Here's a great leather racing shirt thats extremely difficult to find these days!


MCM triumph domed rocker caps are very cool. They appear to be safety wired on or something similar which is not a bad idea as a set of four is bringing almost $500 these days. Craziness!


Those sleek pre-unit fork sliders are being offered for both standard and cub forks! Nice!


A couple of nice BECK rear tires to cover your show bike in!


I don't know the story on these barrels but I bet Paul at Show & Go does! They look pretty cool and appear to be for the t-bird hop-up by offering significant weight reduction!


The triumph custom shown here, possibly a trophy, takes the cake!

Phil Ross' Triumph Show Bike & Doug Hirschberg's Sportster

Here are are two great bikes as submitted by Rene from Australia from a late 60s Motorcycle Sport Book! Check out the superb cobbwebbing on top of the triumph's peanut tank! Enjoy!

Cool 1970's Reissue Great Escape Poster!

Here's a nice Great Escape poster with Steve Mcqueen on his pre-unit triumph.

Swingarm Pre-unit with Sky-High Bars!

After flipping through about 40 old Hot Rod and Car Craft Magazines at a local swapmeet today, sifting through for bikes, I came across this astounding Triumph pre-unit swingarm. The Flanders bars remind me of Mark Drew's set-up on the purple pre-unit but these appear even taller. Notice the narrow Flanders u-shaped risers as well! (article is from a May 1962 Car Craft Magazine if you wish to find a copy on Ebay or wherever!)

Generator Shovel Chop from 1967!

These awesome road shots with the crazy generator shovel come courtesy of Rene and his late 60s Motorcycle Sport Book! Living free and enjoying the open roads is what this couple is experiencing! This shot reminds me a lot of the DiCE cover with Scotty and his wife riding the triumph down PCH though the positions are reversed!

1953 "Hot Blood" Poster

Before Columbia changed the name to the "Wild One" the movie was originally to be called "Hot Blood." Above is a pretty cool poster from 1953 I found online.

Bruce Dern Rides in "Cycle Savages"

Here's an original movie still with Bruce Dern on his pre-unit in the Cycle Savages. Notice the panhead at far right as it appears to have an early Harley Hummer gas tank with the switches!

1958 Sporty Drag Bike!

Here's a cool clipping from a 1963 Hot Rod Magazine submitted by Pete downunder in Australia!

Frank Weston's "Mint Pearl" 45 in 1959

Here's a great shot of one of the coolest 45's ever built from a 1959 Custom Car Magazine. Its interesting as the bike is called the "Mint Pearl" here so it may have been green in its early existence! I'm guessing the solo seat verison was green and then it changed to blue with the addition of the mohair lined bench seat? Check out the link to the "Blue Pearl" post from last year!: http://nostalgiaonwheels.blogspot.com/2008/03/frank-westons-45-harley-show-bike.html

How to Steal the Girl While on Your Bike!

First off, you and your buddies ride right behind the chick and her boyfriend until she notices you. At first she may be scared and try to leave the scene!


Just be persistent and keep on her tail!


Try a little flirtatious conversation to see if she's interested!


Ok you're off your bike now and she takes notice but don't approach her until she starts to sing and dance! (If only it were that easy!) (Comic Sequence from the 1964 "Horror of Party Beach" Monster Photo Magazine)

Knuckle Streamliner Cameleon Picture

I've only seen this knuckle pictured in blue before and of course black and white in old photos. Thats one bummer about colorized pictures as sometimes they get the scheme wrong. Regardless of that minor detail I've always admired the Art Deco of this bike! (partial front cover shot of the 1955 Motorcycle Book)


Here's a great b&w picture of the streamliner from the HD Heros book!

Filmfax Magazine - June/July 1991 - Issue No. 27

I had no idea at first notice but after reading the article I was informed that Russ Tamblyn, pictured here on the unit trumpet with dished tank I might add, played Riff in the West Side Story. I learned something!


Russ Tamblyn as Jet's gang leader Riff in West Side Story at far right with tan jacket and blue t-shirt!


Here's a nice shot of bikes from the Wild Angels.


A nice riding shot from the Wild Angels. Though the pictures in this magazine are small there are many photos of old biker movie stills and a pretty comprehensive article on most of the noteworthy biker movies. The only downside is the guy gives away the storyline for each movie so if you haven't seen one of them the synopsis kind of kills it for you.


Arriving at the graveyard in the Wild Angels.


The Black Souls surrounding a Stomper in the Glory Stompers.


Here's a nice generator shovel from the Savage Seven. I'd have to say this magazine has some cool articles in it. There is another one that reviews about four - five old Davie Allan fuzz and psychadelic m/c movie soundtracks. I picked this copy up on Ebay for $3.50 and you can find one in that range if interested!

The Bell 500-TX Helmet - Worth its Weight in Gold!!!

As far as I know the Bell 500-TX helmet was first produced in 1962 but I've been watching the 1968 examples like the one shown here on Ebay. It boggles my mind that these helmets sell between $850 - $2,045 ($2,045 is what the pictured helmet sold for). I was told these helmets are more form fitting and don't appear like a huge egg on your head, thanks Tjebbe, but man does that justify the exorbitant prices they fetch? I can't say as I've never owned or tried one on but there has to be something special about these gems in order to grab over a grand each, even with a shot lining. Also, it appears the white ones are the most sought after but I've only seen white and orange. If anyone knows the secret behind these helmets please fill me in!






This 1968 500-TX sold on a Japanese helmet site was considered MINT; it has the foam piece on top. Geez, I wonder what it went for??? Acutally, I was doing a little reading online and saw that the 500-TX was the first helmet to get the Snell rating, however I'm doubtful that milestone plays much of a factor in its high value???
Here's a link to an earlier post of 500-TX that I thought to be late 50s but according to Bell it could only be as early as 1962 but as you will see it has very cool Bell and Bates waterslide decals on it: http://nostalgiaonwheels.blogspot.com/2008/06/1959-1960-bell-helmet-distributed-by.html



The two photos above come from an early 60s car accessory catalog I picked up at a local swapmeet today. The helmet pictured appears to be the same vintage as the one in the link above!

Random Biker Movie Photos!

Though not shown here (though possibly in the background on the 6th photo down) I'd really like to find movie stills of Gary Littlejohn's panhead from both Cycle Savages and Savage Seven! Keep your eyes peeled! Also check out the Choppers LA jacket in the first Black Angels photo! (Check link for Roth Choppers LA poster photo: http://nostalgiaonwheels.blogspot.com/2008/10/roths-choppers-magazine-select-biker.html )
(All pictures from http://www.moviegoods.com )

Daytona - Racing on the Beach!

Here are some of the great action shots when Triumphs, Nortons, and HD WR Race Bikes ruled the beach! (photos come from the 1955 Motorcycle Book)

Original Late 80s Santa Cruz Jim Phillips "Screaming Hand" Hooded Sweatshirt

In my years hunting for vintage threads this sweatshirt has to be one of the best finds to date. Jim Phillip's iconic "Screaming Hand" logo in a light purple on a medium blue sweatshirt. Of course its a bit short for my monkey arms but I'll make do with the Frankenstein fit on this one! NFS!

Hell on Wheels M/C Rally & Beauty Pageant - June 20th

If you're interested in checking this bike / beauty show out visit the Hell on Wheels website at: http://www.hellonwheelsmc.com . I was asked to help spin records so I will be one of the DJ's.

The Tropical Cyclettes M.C. / M.F.

Two mirrors to help protect that prudy face!


The proof is in the pudding--which happens to be this classy Knuckle! (pictures come from the 1955 Motorcycle Book)

The 1950's Avon Tire Selection

Here we have the Avon Supreme, Gripster, Speedster (Speedmaster predecessor), and what appears to be the Trials Sport. Nice looking tires!

Cool Toons!

H.R.D. / Vincent

H.D. Panhead

J.A.P. Speedway Bike

(All toons come from the 1955 Motorcycle Book)

Gary Littlejohn's Best Magazine Cover!

Cover shots don't get any better than this one! I think the colors are more vibrant on this Motorcycle Mechanics cover than the 1969 Motorcyclist cover and this one shows the sissy bar whereas the Motorcyclist cover appears to have edited it out. As far as the article goes there is as some coverage on Dean Lanza's "Quicksilver". Enjoy! (Check out ZZ Chop's blog as he has a fantastic modified header using this crazy cover: http://zzchop.blogspot.com/ !

Kid Deuce's Wild Flicker Photo Sets!

These panhead and trike photos above are from one of Kid Deuce's photo sets on Flicker but he has Larry Watson photos, old Teen Angels scans, as well as a slug of custom car and ranfla pictures. Do yourself a favor and check out the link: http://www.flickr.com/photos/80643375@N00/sets/

Bates in 1962!

For quick comparison with the 1954 Catalog these 1962 Bates brochure scans were submitted by Epinut! Thank you very much! If I can come across anymore Bates Catalogs or information I will post it in the future!

1970 Aussie Hot Rod Show Photos!

Here's another nice collection of photos submitted by Rene of Australia. Apparently this Australian Hot Rod Show dates back to 1970 and the pictures were published in a 1971 Aussie Custom Rodder Magazine! I love that old Ford Utility Pick-up. I think those were Australian only and called UTE's or something like similar! Thanks again Rene!

UK Drag Bikes of Insanity!

Here are just a handful of the cool drag bikes pictured on the following website for a 50th Anniversary run: http://www.ukdrn.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1154&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=NSA The JAP is my favorite but I'm pretty partial to the Triumph GP racer as well! (Link comes courtesy of Rene from Australia!)

Bates in 1954!

Here's a selection of items from the 1954 Bates Catalog I picked up on Ebay. I was surprised as there were about four (4) pages alone for just windshields. The p-pad selection is pretty cool and there were about nine (9) different solo seats but I opted to just picture the narrow varieties! Check out the scripted "m" which must be a designation for motorcycle / motorbike. Enjoy!


Bates "m" solo seat logo courtesy of Epinut!

High Resolution "Wild One" Photos!

All these great photos come from http://doctormacro1.info/ . I downsized them a bit to fit your screen but check out the website if you want to save the shots in super high resolution!

Building a Chopper / Smokestackin' Knucklehead!

What a cool panhead at left and its rad to see the rider wearing a bubble shield! This is definitely a pretty crazy Knuckle (at right) from this angle! I would love to know how high these pipes actually go? (picture comes from Rene's '67 Motorcycle Sports Book!)

I've Got the "Yellow Fever"

I had posted this picture a while back and deleted it by accident so here it is again! Thanks to Rene of Australia for this killer Honda drag bike with an even crazier name from a 1967 Car Craft Magazine!

Fully Dressed Panheads

In the '50s!

In the '70s! (Thanks to the Australian gent for these fine panhead photos!)

The Teenage Taxi!

Hopefully this guy was using his trumpet to pick up the chicks? That's one cool pedestrian slicer on the front fender! (Great picture from an Aussie friend!)

Destro Just Got a Knucklehead...

....and Serpentor's gonna be bummed! (Great picture sent from a nice Aussie bloke a while back but I forgot his name! Thank you sir!)


And of course Cold Slither will be headlining at the Cobra biker rally!

Dick Hirschberg's Knucklehead

From Rene in Australia comes this great little article on Dick Hersberg's knucklehead custom. I had forgot to post this one a while back so here's the cool little spread! (Photos and captions come from a late 60s Motorcycle Sports Book)
Here's a link to Dick's Panhead from the 1960 HRM! http://nostalgiaonwheels.blogspot.com/2008/08/pantastic.html

Norm Grabowski's Pan with Side Hack!

Norm's panhead with side car is a pretty cool rig! From the smokestack pipes to the buggy side car this machine is a winner! (Article comes from a late 60s Modern Cycle Magazine!)


Here's a picture of the Covair beast from a 1966 Motorcycle Sport Book! Here's a link to an earlier post I just found with norm flexing his Corvair Trike: http://nostalgiaonwheels.blogspot.com/2008/02/craze-dude-w-side-hack-late-60s-cycle.html