BROUGH SUPERIOR BACK TO THE SALT

Brough Superior CEO Mark Upham at Bonneville in 2011, where the Brough reached a peak speed of 127.1mph

After a two-year hiatus spent developing a new race machine, Brough Superior returns to Bonneville for the BUB speed trials August 24-29.  Brough director Mark Upham is confident in their new attack on 10 World's Speed Records in their class, having started from a clean slate after their successful Bonneville runs in 2011, and will return with TWO Brough Superior 'SS101's for speed record work.  Pictured below is 'the second machine being road-tested, after the 5th dyno test.  We are more than happy with the results.'  

The keen-eyed will spot a twin-carb and twin-magneto setup on the new Brough Superior Bonneville racer, plus a Pendine-style fuel tank (with metal straps), and a JTOR-style engine with enclosed rockers.  The 'Castle' forks have been reinforced, and gone are the distinctive air scoops from the 2011 machine. Whether this machine is as-yet unpainted, or will be nickel plated as per the 'Works Scrapper' remains to be seen...

This is the first photograph yet released of the new Brough Superior record-breaker; Mark Upham promises "Better pictures will be available in August.  You have the first one - no one has this picture yet."  Upham continues, "We are going back to run for 10 world records this year; ITV will make four one-hour films about Brough Superior and the Bonneville challenge.  There will also be, Henry Cole will also film for the Motorbike Show and The Discovery channel.  Our rider's this year are Eric Patterson, Alan Cathcart and Henry Cole."

Brough Superior goes back to the Bonneville Salt Flats from Revival Cycles on Vimeo.

The Vintagent will be at Bonneville this August to document the action!

DOMIRACER UNDER THE HAMMER

The massive warehouse of long-time British and European motorcycle/spares/memorabilia dealer DomiRacer (also known as Accessory Mart until a few years ago) is coming up for auction.  Business founder Bob Schanz, a former editor of Cycle magazine, died in 2003, and his wife Reba continued to run the business for a further 10 years.  Its certainly difficult to fill the shoes of such an outsize personality, and if you ever did business with Bob, you know what I mean.  In the 1990s, Bob tracked me down as the owner of a particular Brough Superior 11-50, as he had the original sidecar for that machine, as noted in the Works Records; he convinced me I 'needed' to buy the chair, as it 'belonged' to my bike, even though I didn't want it - now that's salesmanship!  Due to advancing age of Reba Schanz, the family has decided to simply sell the business after 40 years in the trade.   The entire inventory plus the real estate it sits on (a 30,000 sq' warehouse) is for sale - retail value of the parts alone is $12M.
There is a liquidation of the spares and motorcycles going on NOW until May 31st - with a minimum spares lot order of ~$500.  Click here for the auction site.

Among the many motorcycles on offer is what looks like a Matchless G12CSR

For everything Unsold at the spares liquidation, there will be an auction June 11th of large lots of spares/bikes/ephemera.  For more information go to Cincinnati Industrial Auctioneers website (here).

Dick on the Rat

Not the clearest photo but a good glimpse of Chopper History 

It seems there was a back up ride (as in rat bike), on hand at the shop. Photo courtesy of Joe Hurst.

~welcome to HOODOO LAND [ART WORK]~

~welcome to HOODOO LAND 2013~

NUOVO NUOVO FALCONE CAFE

Straight from the AMD press office, their pic of Don Cronin's 'Rondine', winner of the 2013 AMD World Championship of Custom Motorcycles, based on a Moto Guzzi Nuovo Falcone

Just when you thought all Custom shows were tail-chasing exercises in better-bobberism, Don Cronin delivers a Moto Guzzi Nuovo Falcone updated for the 21st Century.  Don's custom shop in Ireland - Medaza - focusses on Italian powerplants for his creations; Ducati, Moto Morini, Moto Guzzi.  

Love that the 'bologna slicer' flywheel echoes the wheels

While plenty of customizers have messed around with the Moto Guzzi v-twin engine, few have worked around the far more venerable flat-single design with which Guzzi established its name back in 1921, and was the mainstay of their business until the introduction of their transverse 750cc v-twin in 1967, the  'V7' - a hilarious designation from the company which famously built a racing V-8!

The large-diameter discs (two up front) are clearly visible in this shot from the Medaza website. Also note the flat 'waffle box' silencer suspended from the motor

Cronin's 'Rondine' ('Swallow' in Italian) just won the top prize at the AMD World Championship of  

Custom Bike Building in Essen, Germany, which is as good as it gets in the world of modified bikes. A close inspection of the machine reveals H-D V-Rod wheels and swingarm (modified), rim disc brakes, and a very café-inspired look; a Nuovo Falcone hotted up for the present, using the old workhorse engine originally pressed into service as a police and military mule, and never a sports machine.  A few people have upgraded their Falcones to café style, but never quite like this!  Congratulations to Don Cronin and Michael O'Shea for their build, and their win.

Don Cronin aboard his Morini V-twin based custom, the Medaza.  Wonder if he's seen Paladin's sketches from the 1980s?

(Top photo c.AMD, next 3 pix c.Medaza, taken from their website)

'TOP 20' MAKES ROOM FOR TWO MORE...

My 'Top 20 Motorcycle Prices at Auction' webpage has been updated; the recent HandH sale at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, England, on April 13th brought two heavy-hitter motorcycles to the auction block; a 1948 Vincent-HRD 'Black Lighting', and a very rare 4-cylinder Brough Superior from 1932.

This 1932 Brough Superior 'BS4' with watercooled Austin 7 motor and twin rear wheels sold for £266,500 ($377,950)

The infamous 'three wheel Brough' is one of 10 produced, and this particular example is well known in the Brough Superior world, having been in Frank Solano's possession for many years.  While the watercooled Austin-engined motorcycle was intended for sidecar work, it was perfectly possible to ride the machine solo, which was Solano's preference.  He delighted in demonstrating the odd handling of the non-differential twin rear wheels - which means one of the rear wheels was usually airborne; a disconcerting feeling, as I found when he offered a ride many years ago, but the handling was perfectly safe.  Click here for The Vintagent's 2009 road test of this model.

The 1948 Vincent Black Lighting needs no introduction - one of the most sought-after motorcycles, with the most recognizable name of all.  Discovered in Argentina, it has been rebuilt to 'as new' spec.

The 1948 Vincent-HRD Lighting was found in a highly modified form in Argentina, and was brought back to 'as new' condition from a derelict state, and the oil tank/frame is from a Black Shadow.  The Vincent Owner's Club gave its blessing to the machine though, stating in effect, 'a Lightning is all about the engine', and the engine on this machine is the genuine article. Click here for The Vintagent's road test of this model.

~welcome to HOODOO LAND [ART PIECE]~

~welcome to HOODOO LAND 2013~