BOOK REVIEW: 'HARLEY-DAVIDSON BOOK OF FASHIONS'

Rin Tanaka has outdone himself. The master of books on vintage clothing has published the definitive history of American motorcycle gear, 'Harley-Davidson Book of Fashions: 1910s - 1950s', after he was given free access to the Harley-Davidson Museum and Archives, with over 100,000 photographs spanning their entire history from 1908 to the present. H-D was one of the first motorcycle manufacturers to hire professional photographers to document their progress, and kept photographic and documentary records of their various lines of accessories which they offered from 1914, along with the entire run of The Enthusiast magazine and contributions from various dealers, clubs, and race promoters.

With access to such a vast array of totally cool stuff, Rin couldn't fail to make an outstanding book. His specialty has been a series of obsessive picture books documenting in chronological order various styles of motorcycle jackets ('Motorcycle Jackets: A Century of Leather Design' and 'Motorcycle Jackets: Ultimate Biker's Fashions'), helmets ('Motorcycle Helmet: the 1930s to 1990s'), t-shirts (My Freedamn! 3, 4), etc. He was also granted the rights to publish recently found documentation (photos and film) of Steve McQueen's foray into the ISDT, which he published as '40 Summers Ago' (and which I also highly recommend).

One doesn't really think of 'Fashions' per se when the name Harley comes up, but Rin makes a compelling case that their extensive line of Motor Clothing, produced for the last 90-odd years, has made a sartorial impact far beyond those who simply ride H-D motorcycles. The book, which is large format (11" x 14") and beautifully printed, moves between official publications / catalog photos, and shots of contemporary riders actually using the purpose-designed clothing and accessories in races, club events, official business, and the military. Each chapter focuses on a decade (1910s, 20s, etc), and shows the evolution of 'gear' as motorcycling itself changed and conditions demanded new and better products. He also explores how customization of clothing (and by implication, the bikes too) developed from various small accessories into the blaze of Kustom Kulture in which we now live.

The 600 photographs are luscious and beautifully reproduced, and lots of surprises turn up, such as this 'Harley' Board Track racer which uses a Cyclone engine with one cylinder blanked off! Rin isn't a technical virtuoso, and misses many fascinating tidbits (like the Cyclone hybrid) in his descriptions, nor is his English erudite, but he knows his gear, and he has the eye of a designer. He's clearly had more help with the text in this book than his previous efforts (especially the 'My Freedamn!' series, which have wonderfully awful writing), as it mattered more I'm sure to H-D to have a well-written historical account. But, as you flip through the book, the images are solidly emphasized, while the text is minimal - there are times when a bit more exposition would be welcome, but in truth I imagine that few people have a total grasp over the enormity of the Archive and all the details represented.

The first edition has just come out this August, and the print run is 10,000 copies - huge by motorcycle book standards, but with H-D attached to the project, I imagine this book will sell out, as have most of Rin's other works. Cost is around $80, and dealers can be found through MyFreedamn.com, or google it!

HOW YOU FIND OTHER THINGS TOO...

Hedley Cox, who used to work for Veloce, and built the Covel twin-engined KTT racer, sent a box of old Fishtail magazines (issues 100-288 / 1971 - 97), which is the monthly Velocette Owner's Club publication. Normally, having a huge stack of old club magazines is just another way to collect mildew and Silverfish in your home, but the VOC has recently published a full index of all subjects in the magazine from issue 1 - 360, and there's a wealth of information about everything from Webb fork bushing dimensions to John Hartle on a works 500cc ISDT machine. I'll have a stack of extras now, as I was missing only 80 of the 188 issues which arrived, so if anyone wants some...

The best thing, though, is the box Hedley built for the magazines - completely old school. No fragile cardboard and bubble wrap for him - it's solidly built out of 1" thick boards! And plenty of nails and screws to hold it all together. Thanks Hedley; next time I need to ship an engine, it's the perfect size and heft.

Suzuki Hayate 125 Racing style

Suzuki Hayate 125 racing style modifies.

Sons of Anarchy - New Motorcycle TV Show on FX

Check out The Sons of Anarchy on the FX TV channel this Wednesday, September 3, 2008 at 10 pm ET. This is an original series centered around both a family that rides motorcycles and the motorcycle club family of which they are a part.

I had heard of the new HBO series, 1%, but it's going to come out much later than this one on FX. There was controversy about 1% because Sonny Barger, founder of the Hells Angels, had brought a lawsuit against HBO. The folks involved with Sons of Anarchy do not seem worried about any legal action by anyone.

Here are a couple of links to stories about this drama that some are referring to as "Easy Rider Meets the Sopranos."

http://blog.meevee.com/my_weblog/2008/08/sons-of-anarchy.html

http://vtwinshow.wordpress.com/2008/06/04/biker-wars/

The show also has its own fancy website:

http://fxnetworks.com/shows/originals/soa/#Nav/Homepage

I'm sure there will be mixed reviews on this new show. It will be portraying the lives of motorcycle riders who come from a small segment of motorcyclists. It will be dramatic and might result in non-motorcyclists tending to paint you with the same brush that the creators of Sons of Anarchy used to define its players.

This new series may not be as great as The Sopranos -- which took early barbs for misrepresenting the Italian population -- but give it a chance. It could be like most of the big screen motorcycle club movies of the past with emphasis on violence and mayhem. Then again, with the extra time accorded by episodic TV, it may allow character development so we can begin to know the people involved in the story.

I know I'll be watching. Expect a review after I've seen the pilot and one episode.

Staying calm in a time of crisis.

Lucky, from The Great Motorcycle Pizza Tour recently posted about the trials and challenges we as bikers go through in certain situations. He said, " Things work out. I've had some bad experiences (who hasn't?), but they always turn around. Maybe I'm unusually lucky - it's not just my nickname, after all."

This reminded me of the many times I've had those kind of experiences of my own.

Here is just one example of staying calm during a crises.

One day while riding my Harley, my aftermarket Kuryaken forward controls shifter peg set up separated at the front ball joint where the shifter peg meets the shift rod lever and moments later, I ran out of gas. I was stranded, alone , and felt like panicking. The stress was killing me. But instead of panicking, I calmly assessed the situation. I looked at the separated ball joint. I'm not sure if it was defective, or if it just rattled apart or what. It was now like a dislocated socket. I was able to manage to put the two pieces back together, but I could not get the separated pieces to stay together. The ball joint needed a mechanical press or something like that to get the two pieces securely and permantly put back together. Of course I had nothing like this with me on the roadside, so I combed the ditches to see what I could find to temporarily fasten the two pieces together. I found an empty paper cup and straw that someone had discarded. I took the straw and used it as a tie to hold the shifter assembly together, and was so calmed down and relieved after that, I realized all I had to do now was hit the reserve and I should be on my way. Too bad I was unaware that my battery had also died. I was realizing that this was a comedy of errors. Before I left for this ride, I knew that my battery was dying. But I took the bike out for a ride to see if I could charge it up. I never anticipated that I would have a mechanical failure, and run out of gas, causing me to have to re-start the bike along the roadside. I was however, lucky enough that I had my cell phone with me. (I never ride without my cell phone.) So, I called my wife and asked her to bring jumper cables. She said she would be there as soon as she could. Now that I knew my wife was coming to my rescue, I was calm once again. I also knew that I have a bike trailer at home, and should the battery not jump start, I could rely on that as a last resort. I wasn't about to ask Mrs. M. to unload all the stuff out of the trailer, pull the heavy trailer out of the shed, hook it up and then drive it to me, only to find out after arriving that I could jumpstart the bike & ride it home. That might piss her off and may be way more work than necessary. It was a gamble either way, but I said just the cables were fine . I could always come back with the trailer if needed. I was just thankfull she was willing to bring me cables, and a ride home if I needed it. All that was left to do was wait for her. The Mrs. finally arrived, the jumper cables were hooked up to her SUV and my bike, and I was able to jump start life back into the motor.

Alas, I was finally back on the road with my wife following me home to make sure this comedy of errors did not go any more wrong than it already had.

In the safety and calmness of my own shop garage, including the right tools, repairs were made. The ball joint coming apart must have been a fluke, or not properly pressed from the factory or something, because it is still holding just fine today. A new battery was purchased, gas put in the tank, and the bike was back on the road.
Calmness, ingenuity & perseverance prevailed. (And yeah, the cell phone and wife as back up are always a good thing.)

Mrs. M.,
I know you're reading this, so thanks for saving that day for me!

Buell Recalls 2007-2008 Blast for Fuel Leak Defect

Buell has issued a recall of certain 2007-2008 Blast motorcycles.

The fuel tank may experience some local deformation under high-heat conditions that creates contact of the tank with the cylinder head. In some of these cases, the cylinder head rubbing on the fuel tank has created a fuel leak. This could result in a crash or fire, which could cause injury or death to the rider.

1307 units are affected.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

Motion Pro Recalls Aftermarket Brake Levers for Suzuki Motorcycles

I usually only publish motorcycle recalls specific to the manufacturer but I'm making an exception in this aftermarket case involving Motion Pro and Suzuki.

Motion Pro, Inc. is recalling 10,000 aftermarket brake levers, model no. 14-0415, sold for use on certain 1999-2008 Suzuki motorcycles.

The lobe height on some of these levers are smaller and do not properly engage the stomp lamp switch which will not deactivate when the drive releases the brake lever. If this occurs, the stop lamp will remain on which could possibly result in a crash.

10,000 Suzuki motorcycles are affected.

Check out my Motorcycle Recalls feature for more details.

FIRST 4-CYLINDER RACER AT THE ISLE OF MAN

No, it wasn't Italian, or Japanese... it was Belgian. In the second Isle of Man TT, held in 1908, Fabrique Nationale de Herstal (or F.N. - still in business, but making only armaments these days) sent two of their little inline 4-cylinder shaft-drive Model F machines to the Island, and R.O. Clark managed third place in the Multi-Cylinder class (which Rem Fowler won on a Norton in 1907), averaging 37.79mph, and 90mpg! The race was held on September 22, and the 'short' St.John's course over 10 laps gave a race total of 158 1/8th miles. Harry Reed on a 5hp DOT twin was the winner of this class (at 38.57mph), while Jack Marshall won the Single Cylinder class on a 3.5hp Triumph (40.4mph).

The FN had a serious weight handicap compared to other machines, tipping the scales at at well over 300lbs, while the Triumph single was a little under 200lbs - the FN was fully 50% heavier than its competition. But, as mentioned in a previous post, weight can be roughly equated with durability, and the FNs ran smoothly and consistently through the race. These early TT races were true tests of endurance for the temperamental motorcycles of the Pioneer days, which had trouble completing ANY 150 mile trip, let alone a race. The TT course itself was unpaved, and full of hazards like horseshoe nails and stray dogs and sheep (!). Flat tires were commonplace, as were get-offs.


FN returned many times to the TT, with their last foray in 1931, using a single-cylinder purpose-built racer. Their 4 cylinder bikes were quickly outclassed in the following years, and by 1913 they could only manage 33rd and 36th place, as by now their role as 'touring' motorcycles, and luxuriously smooth ones at that, made them unsuitable as 'tourist trophy' contenders.











A little FN history; the motorcycle was designed by Paul Kelecom (pictured) in 1904 - Kelecom had been designing single-cylinder motorcycle engines for several years prior, which were used under license by a host of Pioneer manufacturers, including Triumph and Veloce. Kelecom began working for FN in 1903, and after improving their existing line of single-cylinder 300cc sidevalve engines, the management gave him a new brief - to design a four-cylinder motorcycle. All of Kelecom's design work was completed within the year, and the first prototype of this revolutionary machine began testing in 1904. Its maiden voyage was a publicity tour in November and December of that year, in which the FN engineering dep't tester, a Messr Osmont, rode through France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and back through Holland and Belgium, in bad weather and worse road conditions. The new 4 performed faultlessly, and debuted at the 1905 Paris Cycle Show. The interest and enthusiasm for this novel motorcycle is hard to describe - Kelecom had created the very first practical four-cylinder motorcycle, which had a smooth and quiet engine, with genteel road manners.

This first machine had a capacity of 362cc, using side exhaust valves and 'automatic' inlet valves (ie, weak springs, no pushrod - the engine suction pulls the valve open). It was a 'wet sump' engine, and each connecting rod had a small dipper which flung oil around the crankcase. This was also one of the first motorcycles which used a magneto rather than the horrible battery ignitions of other Pioneer machines.

The frame was a full cradle, which suspended the motor from twin rails. Most impressively, Kelecom used an enclosed shaft drive, with full ball bearings and enclosed crownwheels, which then as now makes the cleanest and least labor-intensive drive system. The engine was started by bicycle pedals attached to the rear wheel by a chain on the 'other' side of the bike - so the FN had a shaft AND chain... until 1913 in fact, but this held no terrors as the engine would have been very easy to spin, with very low compression and little mechanical drag from encumbrances like strong valve springs, or a gearbox. There were two brakes - a coaster-type (actuated by backpedalling) in a rear drum, and a stirrup on the rear rim, which was hand-lever operated.

Our TT machine was very likely still direct-drive, although aftermarket kits manufactured by Englishman Sydney Horstmann (OBE) provided a two-speed kit with a clutch by 1908 (he also made an overhead-cam kit for the FN, which I'd love to see). The engine capacity in 1907 was increased to 410cc, and it is likely the TT machine was overbored to nearer 500cc.
[The machine pictured is a 1905 model, in the care of the Nichols family... ca. 1973 (only 72 years young...now the bike is 103, and counting). This and other photos are from the book 'Golden Age of the Fours', by T.A. Hodgdon, Bagnall Publishing, 1973 - a very useful book, written in a folksy style, but well-researched and illustrated.]

On our way to the Harley-Davidson 105th rally

We're headed to Milwaukee tomorrow morning for the Harley-Davidson 105th rally. You can find our booth across from the Summerfest grounds (where all the music/performances will be) in the Italian Community Center lot. See you there!

Honda iCon Modifies

Honda iCon Modifies by Thailand Shop Modding

Wear a Motorcycle

What a concept! Just walk up to your motorcycle, strap it on, and move off at up to 75 mph.

One future-looking college student, Jake Loniak, has come up with a design concept and even has a realistic animation of how it might work.

Read the complete story by Annemarie Conte and Esther Haynes, view the animation, and glimpse into the future.

How prepaired for a burglary, or house fire are you?

This is clearly not directly related to motorcycling.

I recently ran across a post on Unbreakable bonds , where someone’s home was burglarized. It made me think about sharing some good advice to all my friends/readers out there in internet land.

I am an insurance adjuster, and I have a lot of claims that I handle for losses of this nature. In cases of a burglary or a house fire, you run the potential to loose a lot of personal property at once. Remembering what was stolen, or in case of a fire loss, what was burned can sometimes be difficult, especially if the list is long, let alone try to remember how much you paid for it, how old it was, where you purchased it, and trying to prove you actually owned it. My best advice to folks is to take an hour or so, get a camcorder, and do a video diary of each and every little thing that you would claim in case of a major loss. I mean everything! I know this will sound silly, but even include all of the little things like your underwear. You don't need each and every piece, but a general shot inside each drawer, etc. It gives you and the insurance adjuster a good idea of what you had, and also helps to discredit that you might be exaggerating your loss. Be sure to take close ups of model #'s on electronics, etc. This will help when looking for a comparable replacement.

Furthermore, watching the video after a loss while filling out a personal property loss worksheet with your adjuster, will help jog your memory and help you realize what might be missing that you would maybe not realize until much later when you go to look for it and use it. Many times these types of things get brought up long after the claim is settled because people forgot they had it until they went to use it and it was gone. You can’t possibly remember everything. As best as possible, getting all or most of your items listed right away without forgetting anything is important, because insurance claims do have statutes of limitations for coverage. Sometimes claims are limited to one year from the date of the loss for replacement cost coverage to apply, and two years for coverage to apply at all. Such is the case for the state that I'm in, and for the company that I work for.

Once you have the recording done and burned onto a CD, give the disk to your insurance agent to put in your file for safekeeping, or put it in a safety deposit box, or better yet, make an extra copy and do both. Saving receipts and owner's manuals is also a great idea.

Finally, remember to do an update disc about once a year. You don’t have to do the whole thing over, just video newly purchased items. Also, if you know you no longer own something previously recorded, make a verbal or written note for your file. This is also good for putting credit to your honesty in settling your claim.

I know this may sound like a headache, but believe me, if you ever have one of these losses, you'll be thankful you put the time in on this.

I know I spoke plenty of insurance jargon, and if you don’t understand something, please feel free to ask. You can ask me through comments, or my e-mail address is 1mrmotorcycle@gmail.com. Though I admit I don’t have all the answers, I’m happy to solicit any advice I can for free on what I do know.

Mr. Motorcycle

HOW YOU FIND THEM #10: 1950 Norton Model 7

"It's Dante from Manila...I found this unique specimen in an old auto shop. Engine number: 27531 e 12. It's an old Norton Domi Racer... I think... the gauges say so ;)"

The bike in question is a beautifully preserved 1950 Model 7 Dominator of 497cc, first of the line of Norton twins designed by Bert Hopwood, and the second year of production, the Mod 7 having been introduced to the public in late 1948 (the engine number 'E' denotes 1950, the '12' = Model 7). The frame is basically the same Garden Gate plunger as used on the Manx, with long Roadholder forks, and the petrol tank panels would originally have been painted silver over the chrome. The speedo (likely supplied by DomiRacer!) sits in a small fork-top panel, and the sheet metal looks remarkably correct. Somebody loved this bike.


These early 'iron' 500cc vertical twins are really special - the first Triumph Speed Twins and the BSA A7 share many similar characteristics, and having owned and ridden examples of each, I think they're the best of the whole twin-cylinder mania which gripped England post-war. The engines are quiet, with iron cylinders and heads, they are mildly tuned and give reasonable power, but most of all they're very smooooth and won't cause your hands to go numb or your fillings to fall out like their enlarged cousins over the years. Nice score, Dante.

Some specs on the Norton; bore and stroke are 66mmx72.6mm, 497cc, ohv vertical twin with 360 degree crankshaft throws (piston both rise and fall together, but they fire on alternate strokes - all Brit vertical twins used this except the Triumph Bandit, which was never produced beyond the prototype stage. The Bandit used a 180 degree crankshaft, where one piston is up while the other is down, as per Honda CB/CL twins). The engine produced 29hp @ 6000rpm, although you'd be truly mean to rev this lovely old thing that hard. Original cost in England was £215... and the new model was very well received by the press.

If you have a Model 7 and want company, there is a Yahoo egroup for this model.
And, thanks to youtube, below is a short video of a Model 7, which is in lovely condition.

DeluxeCAM reviewed in Thunder Press magazine

The August issue of Thunder Press says: "An Ultra-Secure feature ensures the camera’s safety against being dislodged while allowing total flexibility and pivoting to capture every possible angle while shooting. The chrome-plated mounting is easy to install, requiring no specialized tools." Read the full review here.

Variety is the spice of life.

WTF kind of bike is this????



They say variety is the spice of life. Well I guess not all of us can be content with just owning a bike for fun.



One of my friends, Scott Storms , owner/operator of Stormy Custom Bike Works actually owns this miniature Submarine, and it actually works. How cool is that!



I was at the shop a few days ago talking about what we were going to do with my license plate set up, and just had to take a few pictures, seing as it was at the shop. I had heard him talk about it several times before, but was amazed at how cool this thing really was once I got to see it with my own eyes.



He is having talks with the MN DNR, last I heard and it sounded like they were going to rent use of it once in a while.



I tried to talk him into painting it yellow. He wouldn't bite! LOL!

ROCKET CYCLES! #3: the 1970's

Nowadays it seems like rocket-powered and jet-powered motorcycles are commonplace, with the principal domain of rockets being, naturally, sprints, where such machinery holds the current world record for two-wheel speed.
Arvil Porter built several Rocket Bike dragsters around 1975, which reached speeds of 200mph in the 1/4 mile. Some interesting problems arose, not so much during construction of these specials (after all, they're basically just a rocket engine with two wheels...), but during their use on the racetrack. First, it appeared after every run that the rear wheels had been locked the entire time... which turned out to be the inverse problem of most sprinters; rather than wheelspin, they had wheel DRAG, as the wheels weren't keeping up with acceleration! When the rocket ignition button was pushed, the tires would squeal as if they were spinning under power, but they were spinning to catch up (there is no drive through the wheels on a rocket bike).
Second issue, and much more dangerous, was the g-force affecting rider consciousness during a run; ie, the riders would often pass out from their blood flowing into their legs and away from their brain...some early remedies included using duct tape very tightly on their legs! The ultimate solution was the purchase of surplus Soviet jet-fighter pilot g-suits, which pressurize around the legs to keep the blood 'up top'.
A couple of interesting websites, if you have an interest in how Archibald Low and Fritz von Opel's ideas have developed:
Great website from the designer of Evel Knievel's X-1 Skycycle, with lots of archival photos of construction and design.
Tecnologia Aerospacial Mexicana makes rocket belts (which you can buy!), and has built a rocket sprinter, among other fascinating projects.

Rocket Powered Vehicles is a website of Ky Michaelsong, who has built rocket bikes and cars since the 70's, including one built for 'Super Joe' Einhorn (shown above), and the 'Human Fly', shown in flight below, jumping over 27 buses in 1977.

ROCKET CYCLES! #2: Archibald Low

Record-breaking, while a logical use of a rocket-assisted motorcycle, isn't the only possible venue... in the 1940's 'Professor' A.M. Low thought speedway racing in England could use a little boost, and arranged a demonstration at Wembley track, with 90,000 people watching.

British motorcycle racer Bill Kitchen (see photo - looking bemused) was protected by a steel shield over the top of the rocket bodies; the speedway JAP motorcycle used four solid-core rockets, angled downwards (to prevent lift-off, no doubt). Kitchen used switches on the handlebars to ignite the candles, and said 'acceleration was absolutely terrific' when the rockets lit off.





Archibald Montgomery Low was a pioneer of rocket exploration, and is considered the father of radio guidance systems for rockets, planes, and torpedoes. He was a fascinating character; in 1904, when he was 16 years old, he invented the first 'pre-selector' gearbox. In 1914, he invented an early form of television (which he called TeleVista, or 'seeing by wireless'). In 1917, during WW1, he created an aerial drone plane for the Royal Flying Corps, which was radio controlled and intended as a guided bomb - during this experiment he also built the first electric/gyroscopic plane control system. Also in 1917, he created a radio-controlled rocket. In 1916, he published a book, 'The Two Stroke Engine, a Manual of the Coming Form of Internal Combustion Engine'...which I've ordered - it's still in print... try bookfinder.com for a new reprint, or an original. He authored something like 40 other books on technical matters, and a few sci-fi titles and held nearly 100 patents.

While the British military authorities thought him something of a crank, the Germans realized how dangerous his inventions could be... so after trying twice to kill him (first using an assassin with a gun, then a strychnine-laced cigarette), they used his research during the 1930's to create their 'V' bombs.

In the 1920's, one of Low's projects which came to commercial fruition was a scooter, built by the Low Engineering Company, with funding from Sir Harry Norman (no relation to Norman motorcycles); several patents from around 1922/3 indicate that the scooter would have had a monocoque chassis of pressed steel panels (as shown, from his patent application of 1923, and looking remarkably like the Ascot-Pullin motorcycle of the 1928), possibly with 'sprung wheels'... I'm still looking for some photos.

Low was a Brooklands habitue in the 20's, and gave a 'Professor Low' cup for a 3-wheeler handicap race on July 29, 1922. He was Chairman of the ACU for 24 years.... certainly a fellow who deserves a bit more attention, or maybe a feature length film starring Russel Crowe... I'll add more information as I find it.

Yamaha Nouvo Elegance Extreme Modifies

Yamaha Nouvo Elegance 135 cc Extreme Modifies

DeluxeCAM gets a mention in IronWorks Magazine

The DeluxeCAM motorcycle camera mount was elected a "Budget Boosting Bolt-on" in the Sep/Oct issue of IronWorks Magazine (page 30). For details about the camera mount, click here.

ROCKET CYCLES! #1: Fritz von Opel

It's summertime, and a young man's fancy turns to... attaching rockets to his motorcycle! Except, in each of these cases, a middle-aged man is actually behind the project, which lends a Freudian question mark to their motives...

In 1928, Fritz von Opel, founder of the Opel car and motorcycle works, began experimenting with attaching rockets to his racing cars, a special high-speed train car, an airplane, and a Neander/Opel motorcycle. The bike in question was a MotoClub 500SS (Opel bought out Neander and badged the bike as their own), to which 6 solid-propellant rockets (with a thrust capacity of 66lbs combined) were attached. The rider activated the rockets with a foot pedal, after using the motorcycle's engine to reach 75mph; Opel calculated that 220km/h (132mph) was then possible. The World Motorcycle Speed Record in 1928 was held by O.M. Baldwin on his 996cc Zenith- JAP, at 124.5mph (taken at Arpajon, France).
On May 19, 1928, the machine (dubbed 'the Monster', for obvious reasons) was demonstrated at the Hamborner Radrennbahn, so much smoky effect, before a crowd of 7000.

Note in this photo that a dozen rockets have been added - doubling the capacity from the above photo. It was thought the machine would be used for a world's land speed record, but obviously, strapping on rockets isn't a guarantee of success even in a straight line... German authorities thought so as well, and forbade the use of the rocket-cycle for a speed attempt on the grounds of safety. Opel had success with his other rocket-propelled experiments (the car and airplane - -RAK1- especially), so was satisfied to lay the motorcycle aside after a few demonstration runs.
[This info comes from a fantastic book; 'Opel-Motorrader aus drei Jahhrzehnten', 2001, by Jurgen Noll, published by Heel]

DOT Vs. Snell approved helmets

What is the difference between Snell and DOT approved helmets?

This is really interesting. I thought you should know.

First off, for this post anyway (SMF) will refer to the Snell Memorial Foundation, NOT Stupid Mother F*cker. LOL!

There are two key differences between a DOT and Snell approved helmet.
First, is the testing standards the helmets go through, and second, is the verification of the results.

The Snell Memorial Foundation (SMF) was founded in 1957 just after William Snell, A.K.A. Pete, died from massive head trauma from a race car accident. (SMF) is a non-profit organization that focuses on learning more about the components of head injuries, & how to prevent them by using helmets. Through their research (SMF) has developed the Snell standard for approving helmets. It is continually tested and updated every five years.

Although both testing processes are very similar, (SMF) requires their certified helmets to withstand a greater impact and absorb more force than the DOT approved helmets.
Both (SMF) and DOT standards drop the head forms on flat and round shaped anvils in order to simulate different types of impacts. However, Snell also uses an edged anvil that specifically tests the integrity of the helmet's shell.

DOT and Snell test each helmet two times at four different impact zones. DOT drops their helmets from 6 feet on the flat anvil and from a 4.5 feet on the round anvil. Snell drops the helmets from 10 feet and 7.5 feet on both anvils, which simulates a more severe impact.

While there is no guarantee that a DOT approved helmet has actually been tested, the purchase of a Snell approved helmet ensures that the product has been evaluated under scrutiny. A Snell-certified helmet also meets and exceeds the DOT standards.

BRNO GP, 1972

This interesting film, 'Untamed Wheels', was forwarded to me by Elizabeth McCarthy, who had a special relationship with Mike Hailwood; he narrates the film about a very hot 1972 GP in Brno, Czechoslovakia, featuring Agostini, Read, and Saarinen - a mix of MV Agusta and Yamaha, among other contenders. Ago crashes his MV in the 350cc race, and they cart his bike off by sticking a broom handle through the rear wheel. Saarinen's wife Soli gives pit signals in her bikini. Read says he 'never wants to work that hard again'. And a short segment with a camera on Ago's MV is a treat. Enjoy the groovy music! And click on the icon for 'full screen' (that's the little rectangle-within-a-larger-rectangle)...

Motorcycle Helmets and helmet laws

I've been looking around for a while now for just the right motorcycle helmet. I want the "look" as well as comfort, and function. There are a million styles. Let the journey begin.

Yeah you heard me, I'm giving in and buying a brain bucket.

On my internet quest, I stumbled upon this great site that has a detailed map and breakdown of helmet laws, and provision's per state. (U.S. Only). Sorry if you are one of my non U.S. visitors.

For those who tour regularily, or not so regular, it may be something you want to check out. I thought this was too good not to pass on.

Check out the helmet law page link that I found.

This is a good one to add to your favorites, unless of course you always wear a helmet anyway.