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Sep 20

Delivery and Deliverance

By General Posts No Comments

A tale of two parties to a deal and one steadfast old iron engine

Text and photos by Ujjwal Dey with illustrations from Wayfarer

An Enfield Bullet 350 finds a home after being in limbo for four stressful months. The cast iron engine with right-hand-side gear shift is a well-known legend among motorcyclists, especially purists who don’t want the brand name “Bullet” associated with run-of-mill modern designs & engines. What misadventure occurred and what new adventures await?

“First time in life I decided to purchase a used vehicle. An out of production cast-iron engine Enfield Bullet 350cc with right-hand-side gear shift which is the closest thing available to the 1955 Enfield Bullet 350 including chassis and engine design by the Britishers among other things such as dashboard, tank, hand-painted pinstripe, etc. These come with Green Tax for the alleged pollution they may or might be making. I got a fitness test certificate from the Road Transport office, where the ownership change is registered.” — Dey

Click here to read this awesome anecdote about ‘love after love’. Believe it!

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Jul 09

Granddad Breaks World Speed Record With Steam Bike

By General Posts

Graham Sykes had a passion for speed for most of his life. He has been associated with motorsports since 1979 and turns 60 years old in 2023. Even his wife is involved in the engineering efforts of this engineer.

Sykes has created a steam-powered monster named ‘Force of Nature’ which clocked a 3.878-second, 163.8 mph standing start run on a 1/8 mile. This was at Elvington Speed Week in May 2023.

This is officially a new world record for a steam-powered motorcycle. It reached an exit speed of 163.8 miles per hour.

For racing this unique creation, water is heated using hydrogenated vegetable oil, keeping the pursuit of speed as environmentally friendly as possible. The granddad rider was zooming at 180mph while doing this, but that wasn’t part of this record-breaking achievement. It may not be surprising that he was riding his own ‘force’.

Certified by the UK and ITA governing body for UK and European Land Speed Records this machine was a journey that was 10 years in the making. Sykes had already set a British national speed record in 2015 for a three-wheeled vehicle. That V8-powered three-wheeler had a top speed of 180.3 mph with an average speed of 171.4 mph on quarter mile.

With 9 grand-kids, Sykes wanted to aim for a ‘Force of Nature’ that was environmentally friendly. He has no intention to stop the pursuit of speed and action. His next goal is to surpass the milestone of 200 mph on a standing 1/8-mile run.

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May 07

Financial Weightage of Light-Weight Motorcycles

By General Posts

Volume Sales, Fuel-efficiency, On-road manoeuvrability

A decade ago, almost all manufacturers released fairly uninspired, derivative lightweight motorcycles that fit the commuter model, and sold like hot cakes irrespective of lacking common features in American bikes. Not to mention they were fugly like Satan’s spawn.

They would make the mid-weight class look like a run-of-the-mill hack job, with the primary focus on cutting costs wherever possible.

Thankfully, Royal Enfield changed all of that and stepped up its game with each new model release.

Click here to read this global report on emerging motorcycle market.

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Dec 04

BSA Scrambler At 2022 Motorcycle Live Show

By General Posts

by Janaki Jitchotvisut from https://www.rideapart.com/

It features subtle styling changes from the Gold Star on which it’s based.

In November, 2021, the revived BSA Motorcycles proudly presented its first new motorcycle in decades, the 2022 BSA Gold Star. Fittingly, the reveal took place at the 2021 Motorcycle Live show, which is the U.K.’s biggest annual motorcycle event—and which, let’s not forget, is also held in the BSA birthplace of Birmingham. The new Goldie—powered by a liquid-cooled, dual overhead cam, 625cc single—was met with a mostly positive response.

Fast-forward to 2022, and the latest edition of Motorcycle Live rolled into the NEC Birmingham events hall for visitors to see all the latest motorcycles on display. Of course, BSA was there, and of course it brought the Gold Star along. The company also brought along something new—a shiny new scrambler.

At this point, we must caution you that it’s only a design concept at the moment—but this, friends, is our first look at a conceptual BSA Scrambler. According to BSA, this is the first design that was developed entirely in-house at BSA’s new West Midlands facility. While the team didn’t offer a whole lot in the way of details, since it is only a concept, it’s meant to “offer a snapshot of what the future could look like,” as well as “showcase the customization capability of BSA’s Gold Star platform.”

The BSA Scrambler concept is built around same 652cc single found in the production BSA Gold Star. If you need a refresher, that engine makes a claimed 45 horsepower at 6,000 rpm, in addition to 55 newton-meters (or 40.5 pound-feet) of torque at 4,000 rpm. It’s also mated to a five-speed gearbox.

The concept boasts a sportier look, with a particularly grippy-looking seat cover, high front mudguard, and what at least looks to be a beefier front fork setup. Without knowing more details about what, precisely, was changed, it’s difficult to offer a full assessment. The dual, slash-cut exhaust looks more modern than the extremely traditional styling found on the Gold Star—but still exits low down on the right side of the bike, instead of featuring the high-mounted routing that’s common on some other scrambler-styled bikes.

The BSA Scrambler concept rolls on a pair of Excel Takasago spoked wheels, wrapped in dual-sport Pirelli Scorpion rubber, as opposed to the Pirelli Phantom Sportscomp tires mounted on the Gold Star. There’s a bit of a bash plate mounted up front, just under the radiator—though it’s clearly not meant to be a serious off-roading machine.

What do you think of this concept? Would you like to see it come to life as a future production model? What would you change about it? Let us know in the comments!

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Go get yourself your passion — visit the Free Departments Menu at www.Bikernet.com — click to get going….

Jun 11

British Review of new Harley-Davidson Street Glide ST

By General Posts

by Geoff Hill from https://www.mirror.co.uk/

Another icon of the American dream

It weighs as much as a small tank, goes like stink and handles very nicely for such a beast, so even though it costs more than an average UK hatchback, for Harley fans it’s a metal and rubber incarnation of their mythical aspirations

I was having a beer one night in Los Angeles in 2013 with the head of Triumph USA when we got to talking about Harleys.

He’d been sent to LA in advance of that year’s launch of the Thunderbird LT, an extremely capable cruiser which Triumph hoped would convince American riders that there was more than one type of bike in the world.

On his first weekend there, his Harley counterpart took him to an open day at Bartels, the city’s biggest Harley dealership, where hundreds of riders and their families were enjoying a free hog roast, burgers, raffles, gifts, music, beer or soft drinks and test rides.

“See? This is what you’re up against. It’s not just about the motorcycles,” said the Harley guy.

I was reminded of it in 2018, when I rode a Harley from Oxford to Prague for a three-day bash to celebrate the company’s 115 th anniversary to find 60,000 Harleys and 100,000 riders and partners, all with leather waistcoats, tattoos and chains, proclaiming their particular allegiances with patches saying Naples Military Chapter, Hanoi Chapter, Jeddah Chapter and so on.

It is, of course, all harmless fun – middle-aged men who during the week are Reg in Accounts, but at the weekends become Rebel Reg, King of the Road, riding west on his iron steed into the setting sun for a burger and beer with his sweetheart in a Route 66 diner.

And while non-Harley fans who have never ridden one wrongly condemn them as basic and agricultural ridden by chaps wearing chaps with tassels, no other motorcycle make in the world earns such astonishing passion and camaraderie.

And it’s not just from patriotic Yanks – there were Harley fans there from 75 countries, all of them walking, talking expressions of an infinite yearning for the innocence of an American dream which the rest of us may think blossomed into its fullest fruition in the Fifties, then died in the Sixties and Seventies after Kennedy and Vietnam, but which was still alive in the heart and soul of everyone walking around Prague on those sunny days.

On a slightly smaller scale, my biking buddy Gareth and I rode down on his Kawasaki Versys 650 and my BMW R 850 R to the recent open day at the local dealers. It’s called Belfast Harley, and it’s in Antrim. You need to be Irish to understand that.

We arrived to find the expected chapter members with their patches, leather and denim and tattoos, and a small woman looking slightly terrified as she tried to reverse her large Road Glide into a parking space.

“Help, I’m going to fall over!” she muttered. We strode manfully over to help, and she finished the job and got gratefully off.

“I’ve only had it two weeks. It’s very heavy, but I love it when it’s moving,” she said.

“Just don’t stop, then,” I said helpfully, and Gareth and I went inside to see Wilmer the boss about the two bikes we were going to take out for a test ride – Gareth the Pan America and me the new Street Glide ST.

ROAD-TEST REVIEW:

The ST is basically a standard Street Glide on steroids, with the 1868cc engine thrown in the bin and replaced by a 1923cc version, increasing the power and torque from 93bhp and 117 ft lb to 103bhp and 124 ft lb.

And, er, the price from a sharp-intake-of-breath £25,795 to a get-me-to-the-defribillator-on-time £27,795. No wonder Harleys are mostly sold on PCP. Still, they hold their value, so you get a good deal when you trade them in for a new one after three years.

The standard Glide is a beefy 375kg wet, and although the ST has shaved off 6kg to 369kg, that’s like a sumo wrestler claiming he’s gone on a diet by only having 10 chickens for lunch instead of 11.

I was just glad I wasn’t a small woman trying to reverse it as I trundled carefully out of the car park and opened the throttle.

Well, heavens to Betsy, that’s impressive. In spite of weighing the same as a small tank, it soared towards the horizon with surprisingly alacrity, helped by a bottomless well of creamy torque and a solid but precise gearbox which was light years away from the agricultural clank factories of Harleys of old.

With that weight on board, handling is never going to be quicksilver, but it’s agile enough for such a big beast, allowing you to dip and sway through A-road bends with happy precision, particularly as the Showa suspension is set firm for good handling, although at the expense of comfort on rough roads, as I found when it bottomed out on one bouncy stretch and left my spine an inch shorter.

The Brembo brakes haul it in so briskly and smoothly that, unlike most big Harleys, I didn’t need to call on the rear brake for assistance when steaming a bit hot into a corner.

As for the details, the mirrors are excellent, the traditional analogue dash is supplemented by a large TFT screen for the entertainment and comms systems, and the speakers in the fairings are pointless, like all speakers on all bikes anywhere.

The batwing fairing and sliver of screen, meanwhile, do a surprisingly good job of keeping the wind at bay, since I still have nightmares of a turbulent 90mph dash through France at night on a Harley with a batwing fairing while wearing an open-face helmet and shades.

So if you’ve got the dosh and like the whole Harley social thing, it’s significantly better than the standard Street Glide.

Oh, and Gareth loved the Pan America, so he got on the Versys and rode home to tell his wife that they’re selling the house, her mother, the dog and the camper van.

I haven’t heard from him since, so he’s probably buried in a shallow grave in the garden, and if anyone’s looking for a tidy used Versys, get your people to talk to my people about his wife’s people.

SPECS (price in British Pounds currency)
Harley-Davidson Street Glide ST
Engine: 1923cc air-cooled V-twin
Power: 103bhp @ 5,450rpm
Torque: 124 ft lb @ 3,500rpm
Colours: Black; grey
Price: £27,795

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Feb 01

Black Biker History

By General Posts

Here is a photo of Bessie Stringfield on her (from what I can tell anyways) 1940 61-cubic-inch Harley-Davidson OHV. Also known as the Knucklehead.

Recognizing Black History Month 2022
by Nick Resty and Mama Tried

I do not claim to be an expert on any historical MC stuff, but I have always found it fascinating.

Being a guy who tries to emulate what others have done in the past, I have always found it to be important and respectful to learn the history of the source of my passion.

One aspect of chopper history that has always fascinated me are the black chopper builders and motorcycle clubs. That being said, I’ll just spout off things that I have learned through my chopper years thus far.

CLICK HERE To Read this Feature Article from Nick Resty & Mama Tried

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Nov 19

Discovery of huge fuel-can stash reveals 500 rare artifacts

By General Posts

from https://www.hagerty.com by Charlotte Vowden

A shedload of surprises: Discovery of huge fuel-can stash reveals 500 rare artifacts

Editor’s note: In the interests of preserving the authentic whiff of petrol that pervades this remarkable story from our U.K. colleagues, we have made only slight concessions to an American lexicon. All quotations remain untouched.

Alan Pooley’s pursuit of petroliana was purely sentimental, but the collection of more than 500 automotive artifacts that he amassed during three decades of buying for love not money is so remarkable that it could fetch up to £65,000 (roughly $88,600) at auction. Including over 250 oil cans, 60 two-gallon fuel canisters, and dozens of enamel signs, oilers, and pourers, it is set to go under the hammer later this year.

“The important thing about this collection is that it is completely fresh to the market, but the exciting bit about it is that no one really knew about it,” says Tom Godsmark, an associate and vintage specialist at Cheffins auction house, the agency managing the sale.

“It’s a big collection in terms of scale, but it’s the extensiveness that’s so interesting because it ranges from little items such as lapel badges, old match boxes, and advertising pencils for Rudge bicycles to a fully restored petrol pump.”

Among the pieces which the late Mr. Pooley carefully stored, restored, and displayed in sheds at his home in Norfolk is a two-gallon fuel can that, to the untrained eye, stands out because of the large lightning bolt and bold lettering embossed on its side. Those in the know will recognize it as one of the few surviving examples of a limited-edition run of Shell Racing cans that were produced in the 1930s. With an estimated value of £400 to £600 (approximately $545–$818), it’s one of the rarest pieces of memorabilia to have been discovered in its original condition.

An automotive body finisher by profession, Alan, who passed away in 2020, was equipped with the skills and patience to rejuvenate items in a state of distress and spent a great deal of his spare time doing so. “It could be quite a long process, but he was a master of the art and was able to bring them back up to a really good standard, it gave him a huge buzz,” explains Alan’s partner, Karin Burleigh.

His penchant for rescuing fuel canisters from ruin (originally known as “motor spirit” cans) extended to vessels produced by the Scottish Oil Agency, Mobiloil, Alexander Duckham & Co Ltd, and Anglos Taxibus Spirit. “If it wasn’t for him, some of those cans wouldn’t be in existence anymore, they would have just rusted into a little heap on the floor,” says Burleigh, who considers the “best” of the three sheds Mr. Pooley used to house his automotive memorabilia is the one in which he arranged his favorite pieces—on every available surface.

From to floor to ceiling—where oil pourers, Shell-branded hard hats, and Castrol Racing baseballs caps hung on hooks that he had fastened into the timber beams supporting the roof—Alan had curated his own at-home exhibition that showcased the containers, canisters, tins, tools, and signs that he treasured the most. “You name it, it was all there,” says Godsmark. “My first thought was Crikey! I imagine he liked going in there and just admiring it. I suspect it was a bit of a sanctuary for him.”

As a boy, Burleigh reveals, Alan cherished the time he spent with his grandfather, and as a man, the tools and Francis-Barnett water cycle that he inherited from him held huge nostalgic value. It’s this relationship and those heirlooms—which are not for sale—that she believes sparked Alan’s passion for automobilia and subsequent apprehensiveness to let any of it go. “He may have sold one or two things, but the majority stayed here,” she says. “Looking at the collection it looks like we spent our whole time at boot sales and auto jumbles, but honestly, we didn’t.”

With so many items in need of a new home, the collection will be divided into lots and auctioned gradually so as not to flood the market. “Collectibles such as gas pumps, fuel advertisements, enamel or tin signs are continually seeing a growth in value as the market continues to gather pace,” says Godsmark. “Values can be hugely varied, ranging from a few hundred pounds for a good example of an oil can right up into the tens of thousands for the best of class in petrol pumps.”

Of the six vintage motorcycles found in Mr. Pooley’s collection, Godsmark tips the 1937 499cc Norton Model 18 and 1966 649cc 650SS Norton as the ones likely to attract the highest bidders due to their condition, low mileage, and thorough documentation.

Making the decision to part with Mr. Pooley’s collection has been incredibly difficult for his three grandsons, who were entrusted with its care upon his passing, and the family’s biggest hope is that each of the items will find their way to “someone who will love it like Alan did.”

Jun 02

Here is the full length Born Free movie

By General Posts

The full-length Born Free film

We just added our full-length Born Free film to the Lowbrow YouTube channel so you can stream it for free.

Born Free is happening at the end of June in Orange County, California, as is the Biltwell People’s Champ. The People’s Champ is a build-off by a bunch of talented individuals, culminating in a vote for a winner at Cook’s Corner the night before Born Free. Check out the bikes and follow along on Instagram @biltwell_peoples_champ

Stay tuned to Lowbrow for coverage of the event!

Adventure Awaits

The people below are using motorcycles in the proper fashion: excitement, adventure and passion. Get out of the house, out of your comfort zone, tag @lowbrowcustoms and hashtag #lowbrowcustoms, #lowbrowlife, #lowbroworder or #rideeverywhere for a chance to see your post highlighted here.

May 12

Dying Man’s Final Request Fulfilled By 200 Roaring V-Twins

By General Posts

200 strangers give dying man a rousing sendoff.

To many who ride, motorcycles are far more than a means of transportation. Bikes are a culture, an identity, and a way of life. Even after health issues or old age force some riders to call it quits, that passion never diminishes. Recently, as one terminally ill life-long biker prepared to say goodbye to this world, he decided his final wish was to hear the roar of an American V-Twin one last time.

61-year-old Indiana resident and cruiser enthusiast Jon Stanley—who’d previously been diagnosed with brain and lung cancer—was on his last leg, and his family sadly knew it. Stanley had recently bought himself a Harley Softail, though after taking it out on only a handful of occasions, the progression of his illness forced him to park it for good. Even though he could no longer ride, Stanley nonetheless relayed to his family that he just wanted to hear a motorcycle through his window.

Stanley’s brother-in-law reached out to a local South Bend rider named David Thompson, via Facebook, explaining Stanley’s situation and request. Not only did Thompson oblige, but he took it one step further, putting out a call to action on social media, asking other bikers in the region to join in. Just 12 hours after David was initially contacted, he and some 200 other riders were on their way to Stanley’s home.

Once there Stanley—a longtime ABATE member and military vet—was treated to his final wish, as more than a collective quarter-million CC’s of America V-Twin sang out. With the assistance of his family, Stanley was carried outside and helped into a sidecar, where he sat and enjoyed the bellow of a big-bore twin for the last time. Stanley finally succumbed to his battle with cancer later that same night, surrounded by his wife and family in his Indiana home.

Big kudos to David Thompson for getting the ball rolling on this, along with every other rider who showed up to grant a dying man—and fellow rider—his final wish. Definitely one of the more touching examples of bikers helping bikers. Ride In Peace Jon Stanley.

May 05

Lowbrow Getdown dates announced!

By General Posts

It’s almost that time again!

The Lowbrow Getdown is in it’s 11th year… but we don’t remember all of them. This year the Getdown is Friday, June 28th through Sunday, June 30th, 2019. Get all the info right here, and be sure to check out the article above or the video below to see exactly why you best get your trip planned and meet us in Ohio!

No organized bike show, no vendor booths. Just ride out, camp, swim and get wild. Each year we have anywhere from 500-1000 motorcycle enthusiasts from all over the USA and Canada join us for the most fun you can have. See you there!

Adventure Awaits

The people below are using motorcycles in the proper fashion: excitement, adventure and passion. Get out of the house, out of your comfort zone, tag @lowbrowcustoms and hashtag #lowbrowcustoms, #lowbrowlife, #lowbroworder or #rideeverywhere for a chance to see your post highlighted here.