Vintage and classic motorcycle blog. Documentation of a life-long two wheel passion. Tales from the workshop, period photos, brochures, event reports, rides and anything else two-wheel related. Keeps me sane whilst working at sea.
Spotted outside the Hard Luck Tattoo parlour in Kingston upon Thames this shovelhead Harley chop. I guess the condition is what some might describe as 'rat'. It looks like it is in regular use though, despite the rust it's all in very functional condition and I'm not seeing how it could easily be wheeled in to shop at the end of the day. If it is a daily, then due credit to the pilot, a beast of a bike to be using in London traffic.
A two page flyer for DOT competition bikes from c1950. These bikes used the Villiers 197cc 6E motor, a competent power plant that's still popular in pre-65 trials today. DOTs were always nicely styled quality machines and they had a strong competition heritage. Note the odd megaphone end of the exhaust on the trials model.
I love to see original unrestored old bikes and I love to see old bikes in use. This Triumph T150 Trident ticks both boxes and was snapped during a recent trip up to London on a sunny Wednesday outside a pub in Weybridge. To whoever owns it, bravo.
This charming brochure is for the 'Dorway' folding sidecar. Very much a product of its times. Back in the day you weren't allowed to park on the street overnight as streetlights were turned off at midnight.
It's hard to date the brochure exactly but it is more than likely from the early twenties. Several other sidecar manufacturers offered folding sidecars. The surviving British sidecar manufacturer Watsonian's first offering was folding model from 1912.
