Old footage of back in the day and what we are into.

Posted on January 10, 2018January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

10 Jan

Well, I have seen this footage before but cannot remember for the life of me if I have Blogged about it, thats old age catching up you see.

I grew up with Motorcycles and many being just hand me downs or something I have managed to resurrect over time as I simply didn’t have the money back in the 1970’s, I left school in 1978 but in 1972 and 1974 Arthur Scargill put the Coal Miners on strike and again and a decade later, he led the union through the 1984–85 miners’ strike, a major event in the history of the British labour movement. It turned into a confrontation with the Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher in which the miners’ union was heavily suppressed.

Many people were unemployed over 3 million to be exact, and seeing as we only had 50 Million people as the population that was a huge loss in the countries earnings and it was hard to afford anything at all, especially new.

Then we discovered Hire Purchase, the never never as we called it, you can buy something new on tick and just pay for it out of your wages every month, how cool was that.

But watching this video I realized how lucky I was to have just the piece of crap bike and do my own wrenching to make it stand out from the rest but- apart from that, I wanted to be the fasted bike around and did all I can to squeeze every last possible drop of HP from my machine, no matter if it made the motorcycle regularly break down, you knew your bike and had parts to fix it.

I can relate to this Ton up crew, they may of been 10 years before me but the working class folk didnt change at all for another couple of decades, now we have a middle class and consider myself to be in that guise but I am not embarrassed at what we didnt have as I was super stoked with what I did have.

So I wanted to share a few videos with you today to show the good old British spirit and even as it may seem a little suppressed, we made the most of what we had and still do today. And below you will see some News reel that shows what went on at the Bank Holidays in Britain.

Now my Old Man is a Cockney, a bit of a hot head and was a Teddy Boy in the East End of London, Walthemstowe to be exact, a real Cockney as he was Born within the sound of Bow bells.
Now, everyone talks about the fights at Brighton with the Mods and the Rockers, its well documented indeed these days.

My old man went there once in a blue moon but would prefer to go to the other Beach resorts of Clacton on Sea or Southend on Sea, and that is where many dust ups occurred between Mods and Rockers, many big seaside resorts had these Bank Holiday brawls and many flocked to be part of it as with failing Youth clubs and strict families, Teenagers needed to blow off steam and this is what they did.

Not just them, in the 70’s and 1980’s thats what me and My Brother did too, I’d go to Brighten or up the East coast to Great Yarmouth and Mods and Rockers would get into it there, looking back I am a little embarrassed about it but its my life and my old Mans- And I wont hide the fact that is what went on in my youth, just part of life at that time I suppose.

Also we had Whitsun Holidays just like another bank holiday we would all go to the Sea Side and they were known back then as the Battle on the beaches.

So I wanted just to show a few Videos on here to give you a little understanding of what went on, its all water under the bridge and I have some fantastic mates that were Mods, we all get on but back then we were like 2 opposing football teams.

Plenty here for you to watch and take in and see if you can get your head around this rebellious era that was so much a part of my life.

Some of the videos will show real footage etc and just goes to show how the Young generation were rebelling, when positives and Negatives touch, well, of course you are going to get sparks.

And now we see more and more women riders and I really love it, my girlfriend Jennifer rides and so enjoy seeing her take off down the tarmac.

Lets get more Women on Machines its so much fun, when the two of you do the Ton.

We meet up and go on rides and even have a camp out soon at Joshua tree its going to be fun riding with my Girl.

Thanks for reading my Blog today, be safe out there and if you ever want to join us you can check out our rides on meetup.com we have one this Thursday too.

Meet & Greet

Thursday, Jan 11, 2018, 7:00 PM

11 Rockers! Went

Check out this Meetup →

Have a great Wednesday and if you want to come check us out at the 59 Club Orange County Section, it will be great to see you.

Canadian Norton Custom Brat-Scrambler is a real eye catcher.

Posted on December 27, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

27 Dec

When you think of Canada, I am sure you have passing images of Mountie’s, Moose, and the Stanley Cup in any order, well, we head on over to Edmonton, named after the City I was Born at in North London, this city has a huge passion for Motorcycles. You know when you are in that part of the globe when someone asks if you have a Loonie, you may think its a term of insanity ? Until you realize it is their Dollar coin that has a Loon bird on it.

Where’s the largest expanse of urban parkland in Canada? Nope, it’s not in Vancouver. Edmonton’s North Saskatchewan River valley parks system takes that title with a total of 7,300 hectares (you could fit about 18 Stanley Parks in there, if you squashed them). In fact, 20 back-to-back parks make up the system, which spans along both sides of the river (itself winding through the middle of the city), making this capital a whole lot greener and natural than you may have thought.

So, a perfect place for a bunch of lads named, Shaun Brandt, Randy Venhuis, and Justin Benson, of which formed their Custom Fabrication shop named Federal Moto, and a while ago turned out this amazing 850 Norton Commando.

They just wanted to try something a little different, and over in the MAPLE country there seems to be tons of Japanese Motorcycles scattered about like mattresses on the 5 Freeway here, so- they wanted to try and go with a little more Nostalgia, a bit of Brit style, seeing as a lot of their Dollar Bills still have the Queen plastered on them, they thought they would go an older style route and see what they can come up with using this old Commando as a build platform and a good challenge for these guys to see what their skill set level could accomplish.

I think many restorer’s will want to kick them right in the Rocky Mountains for cutting one of these Birmingham flyers up, but, on the other hand, there would be even more people loving the hell out of this unique machine and I for one am one of them. This is a killer looking ride that to be honest James Lansdowne Norton should of created as I for one would be all over one of these.

It takes way more thinking out of the box I believe, when you attack an Old Empire two wheeled machine and there will be many hours of head scratching and screwed up post it notes to even try to figure out where this bike is going to go creativity wise.

The Ace’ is a 1974 Commando that was discovered on a farm in Rimbey, Alberta, the bike did run but was about as reliable as a BSA, but the bike already had a hearty attitide and the look that the team of builders were after seemed to steer towards a Brat- Scrambler, a cool bar Hopper with an old look that could be ridden to the beach or up into the Mountains and handle the terrain with ease. So it was decided that this was the route to take, they wanted to keep the heart of the bike, the Motor, as it was from the Factory in 1974, but the rest was all up for ideas and changes and so the Journey began.

As the Idiom states, – Mighty Oaks from little Acorns Grow- and this was certainly the case with this 850cc Steed. The Bike was stripped faster than a Crook being caught at the Border and before they knew it the Skeleton of the Commando was staring right at them, but that frame? It has the thick center seam that all Nortons are known for, this really needed to be thought out as a back bone such as this would spoil the lines of the current project, so some major engineering calculations was required to be able to pull off something that was aesthetically on the money!

Running out of Cigarette packets to draw on, they had to come up with a workable conclusion, somewhat flustered and tired, these guys managed to come up wit a very cool modification that not only gave the lines of these machine a more elegant style, but it kept the rigidity that the original was designed to do. the frame was actually shortened by 18 inches or 457.2 mm for the Metric fans out there. Then a 1 inch -065 wall cold rolled steel tube was hand bent to make the hoop to tidy the back of the frame up and the beginning of this Brat-Tracker motorcycle was now well underway.

Also there needed to be what is known as an equilibrium , which in layman’s terms is ;

A state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced.
“The maintenance of social equilibrium” Balance, Symmetry, Equipoise, Parity, equality and Stability.-

They pulled that off by going for a set of 19 inch rims and shod with a set of Vintage styled Coker tires and I have to agree it does look the Status Quo.

The frame had all the tabs, brackets and nick knacks that were not going to help the machine handle or go faster, cut off, then sanded to a smooth finish, and Powder Coated Black, the bike actually had about 30 pounds or (13.6078) Kilograms removed, so now this Norton will feel so much better in the bends.

For a stylish look, a 1971 Oil tank was located and brackets were fabbed to make sure that this fitted like a factory piece, then a seat pan was hand cut, rolled and shaped to engulf the chassis with a Historic style that even the restorers may even crack a smile too.
Such neat lines on this Motorcycle.

The Mudguards are mid-50s Triumph items rescued from a junk pile, reshaped and finished in matte black and the exhaust system was another great little detail of which they located a set of 1971 Commando SS pipes and then removed about 12 inches from them and added an Old style reverse Cone Megaphone Muffler to give that Olden days gone by feel and of course sound.

The Motor itself was not bad at all, considering it had sat around for some time, but none the less, you go this far, well, in for a penny right? So Federal pulled it apart and inspected, cleaned and polished everything. They got the valves dialed in, bored the pistons, and replaced the piston rings.

“Well worth it, considering it’s got even more compression than an industrial trash compactor!”

Salvageable parts were sanded and polished in-house, with replacement items sourced through local guru John Oland. “This build would not have been possible without John’s willingness to share his knowledge of vintage motorcycles. The guy is a legend,” says Brandt..

Small bullet style turn signals were chosen and kept as minimal as possible, anything with switches, as old Brit handlebar controls were big and bulky, so they chose to go with another route and drill and fit small Micro switches and this is so tidy and looks a Million dollars. With a reworked wire harness, and a 5-3/4 Bates style headlight that was fitted as low as possible, gave this 2 wheeler a real classic stance.

Using a small anti-Gravity 4 cell battery, kept the bike away from any Bulky items and was placed neatly under the seat unit,and helping the steering, a super Low set of A10-A65 bars were placed on top of the yokes.

Another neat touch was the grips, as they were purchased from Tommaselli in Italy and used the Natural Gum series , a good choice.

Federal wanted to keep some of the original parts on the bike and the rear Hub was left stock, refurbished and painted but up front was a slightly different story-

They figured out a Tokico two-piston assembly and a Katana 750 rotor—machining a new mounting bracket for the forks.

And now this Norton will do like many do not, and thats stop, real quick!!!!

I personally like the 2 Tone leather application to the seat pan, that really does give this creation a touch of Elegance and form, and I take my hat off to that, although the rear mudguard is short.

It will stop the road grim from sending a line up your back but it may build up behind the motor as there is no guard liner, but looks great none the less.

The Gas tank was painted an off White and the famous Gold logo was added to give the bike its Original Brand back once more.

A super fun machine that if you secretly asked the old boy restorer’s,if they would dearly like to ride this around their town? I am certain.

They would be nodding their heads in excitement as it looks like a fun machine that Mr Norton should of had a go at manufacturing and with that I leave you for today and hope that this December day this Blog gave you a little bit of Summer and inspired you to get in the garage and have a go on your Motorcycle.

Blogs take me quite some time but I am sure that some of these will get some of you out there, all fired up to create a unique creation that you can be proud of and show people that this is what turns your dial too.
Thanks again for reading my Blogs at Carpy’s Cafe Racers and, if I can help with parts to full builds, just let me know OK.
Safe riding.
Peace & Grease
Carpy
714-598-8392

Ian Boyds most amazing collection of Vincents.

Posted on November 28, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

28 Nov

Well, just as you think there cant be anything else out there that will make my eyes open wide, my mouth hit the floor and just stand there trembling, but there most definatly is a really cool Museum that I hope to visit sometime, I used to live in Australia and loved the whole place, the food, the weather, the roads , the people and their passion for automotive collections.

Now if you ever get to Jurien Bay, which is about 2 hours North of Perth, then go and see Ian Boyd, as he has the largest Private collection of Vincent’s in the World. 46 in total, Holy Moly, I mean these bikes were built from 1928 up to 1955 When peter Vincent built the first model when the Ford had only just bought out the Model A.

And to see HRD’s- wow rare indeed, Howard Raymond Davies is where the Monogram derives from and to see these rare thoroughbreds is a treat indeed. Also Peter Vincent the Pioneer of these motorcycles rode his own bike to Victory at the 1925 TT at the Isle of man, stamping some authority in the 2 wheeled manufactures.

Collectively Ian’s museum has a net worth of over $5 million and will only get higher as these machines gain in value every year.

There’s not many people who wake up every day and eat breakfast overlooking a huge array of vintage motorbikes and vehicles. Former cray fisherman Ian Boyd built his house to accommodate his enormous collection, nearly 85 in total, and it truly is a sight to see so many vintage motorbikes lining up side by side.

Ian is a well-known character in Jurien Bay and opens up his home to bike enthusiasts from around Australia. He doesn’t advertise, it’s just word of mouth which brings people to his door.

“I love it, I am a people person and these motor enthusiasts are on the same wavelength as me. Now I’m retired it’s a great way to pass the time of day, just swapping stories,” he says.

“Most of these bikes were built between 1936 to 1955 and they are all British Vincent bikes. My favourite one used to be owned by a Siam prince who also raced cars. I reckon 800 people every year come and see my collection and I get them to sign my visitors book.”

Ian arrived in the town in 1985. He is passionate about motorbikes, there’s even an engine on his kitchen table. It’s a project he’s been trying to repair for months.

“I just cook around it,” he laughs.

“This is a great town, the beaches are safe, everyone is so friendly. Jurien Bay is paradise and I don’t want too many people knowing about this slice of paradise.”

WEST Australian Ian Boyd did not have any grand ambitions when he decided to start a motorcycle collection. He didn’t even consciously decide to focus his efforts on Vincent motorcycles. His collection started with one Vincent and, well, one thing led to another.

That was 29 years ago, when Ian was a cray-fisherman pondering how to keep busy in his retirement. He has since amassed such an extraordinary collection of Vincent motorcycles that it is regularly referred to as the best in the world.

And it’s difficult to argue with that assertion. Of all the models built by the revolutionary but sadly short-lived British high-performance motorcycle manufacturer, Ian owns at least one of every model — except one. The ultra rare White Shadow has so far eluded Ian’s reach. Only 15 White Shadows were made, and their rarity and collectability were on show last year when a White Shadow (originally painted red, on special order) sold in the USA for $434,000.

Not that anyone visiting Ian’s custom-built bike display showroom, under the main roof of his home north of Perth, is likely to complain. For the most part, visitors are gob-smacked.

Most bike collectors would give their left arm (and probably part of their right) to have just one Vincent in the shed. Ian has 39. And perhaps even more extraordinary is that you could remove all of the Vincents from Ian’s collection, and you’d still be left with a classic European bike stable to die for. (I’d been ogling the Vincents for a good 15 minutes or so before I noticed the Manx Norton — although I had noticed the 1970 E-type Jaguar).

But it’s the Vincents that steal the show. From a 1935/36 HRD TTR works bike through to Black Shadows and a Black Lightning, and on to a late 1990s RTV 1200 re-creation, Ian’s bikes tell the Vincent story from pre-birth to stardom, and then from financial oblivion to attempted reincarnation.

CAPTION: It would be difficult to name the most famous of Vincent’s bikes because almost all of them were extraordinary and all have become collectable classics. But the Black Shadow, launched in 1948 and capable of 125mph, is a star. It was, at the time, the fastest motorcycle in the world. Note the air-cooled twin front brakes (drums on both sides of the wheel) and the unmistakeable Vincent V-twin engine. All the Black Shadows supposedly had black engines — although this one of Ian’s does not. “They were short on money by this stage, and couldn’t afford the paint,” he told us. Alongside the Black Shadow is an RTV1200; an Australian effort from the late 1990s intended to recreate the Vincent by blending that great old-motor styling and best-available technology for chassis, suspension and aerodynamics. The bike worked, but the business venture didn’t. Ian’s is one of only a handful that were made before the whole idea went belly-up.

For the uninitiated, the Vincent motorcycle story is a British story — but it’s one with a strong Australian connection.

But first, let’s back up a little.

The first Vincents wore a badge that read ‘Vincent-HRD’, with the ‘HRD’ prominent and the ‘Vincent’ under-stated.

HRD were the initials of Howard Raymond Davies, a British soldier who survived being shot down and taken prisoner of war in World War One and who went on to design and sell high performance motorcycles under the HRD name.

His bikes were mostly powered by JAP engines and were successful on the racetrack. (For the record, JAP engines are not from Japan. JAP was a very English firm created in the early 1900s by a chap named John Alfred Prestwich who used his initials to name his business, as was the practice in those days.)

CAPTION: The Black Lightning was a lightweight sports version of the Black Shadow. It weighed 170kg. The folks at Vincent were cutting edge in many areas of technology, but never fell for those new-fangled telescopic forks that other manufacturers got into.

The economics did not work out for HRD and Mr H.R.Davies, and the HRD name changed hands a couple of times, ending with another Brit by the name of Phil Vincent. Now, Phil wasn’t short of a quid — his family had money from Argentinian cattle ranches, as one did — and had already built a bike of his own. He’d also designed and registered a patent for a cantilever rear suspension set-up.

But he saw the economic sense in continuing to use the HRD name, since it had established significant racetrack credibility. Phil used the name Vincent-HRD from 1928 through to 1950, then changed it to ‘The Vincent’ — mostly because the company’s marketing effort was aimed at America, and ‘HRD’ was seen to be too similar to Harley-Davidson’s ‘HD’.

CAPTION: The 500cc Vincent Grey Flash is generally known as a limited-edition race bike from 1950. Only 32 were made and, of those, just three were built to be road-going. This bike of Ian’s is one of those three and was sold new in Argentina. Note the cantilever rear suspension, a trademark of Vincent motorcycles. Company founder Phil Vincent patented the cantilever design in 1928, at age 20.

The Australian connection to the Vincent story comes from a brilliant Victorian engineer by the name of Phil Irving. Phil had a motorcycle workshop in Ballarat in the late 1920s but, when the Great Depression forced him out of business he looked further afield for opportunities. A rather unusual opportunity came along in 1930 when he found himself being the mechanic and pillion on the back of a 600cc side-valve Vincent-HRD, undertaking a UK-to-Australia-and-back promotional ride.

CAPTION: The Rapide was Vincent’s first 1000cc V-twin, literally made by sandwiching two 500cc singles together. Parts from the 500 and 1000 are interchangeable. The Rapide was a revelation, and catapulted Vincent beyond 100mph and into the realm of superbikes.

That gig got Aussie-Phil Irving to the UK, and also made him visible to Brit-Phil Vincent. One thing led to another and, before long, Aussie-Phil and Brit-Phil had become great mates, and Aussie-Phil found himself on Brit-Phil’s payroll. It was a successful pairing. In 1934, Aussie-Phil designed an overhead valve 500cc engine which became the basis for The Vincent Meteor and, later, the more racy Comet 500. But a greater contribution was yet to come. In 1936, or so the story goes, Aussie-Phil noticed two Comet 500 engine drawings lying on a table. The drawings were coincidentally resting in a V-formation, looking all the world like a 1000cc V-twin.

Aussie-Phil and Brit-Phil agreed mating Comets was a grand idea, and so the 1000cc Vincent motor was born, in turn giving birth to the 45-horsepower 110mph Vincent Rapide. The Rapide evolved through multiple incarnations over the years including the legendary Black Shadow and the Shadow’s high-performance sports variant, the Black Lightning, which used aluminium in place of steel wherever possible and weighed in at a startling 170kg (compared with the Black Shadow’s 208kg).

It is generally (but not universally) agreed that American racer Rolland Free was riding a Black Lightning in 1955 when, wearing not very much at all, he set a world record speed of 184.83mph at the Bonneville salt flats.

Amazingly, just as Rollie Free and that great photo were making Vincent a household name across the world, the end was nigh. Late in 1955, Brit-Phil announced that Vincent’s bike-building days were over.

(Footnote: Aussie-Phil returned to Australia in 1949 and continued in the engine-design business. He was famously recruited by Aussie motoring legend Jack Brabham in 1963 to design a Formula One engine. Aussie-Phil did just that — a three-litre V8, supposedly with BSA Gold Star cam profiles — and Jack won the 1966 Formula One Driver’s Championship and the Manufacturers’ Championship using that engine. Phil died in 1992 at the age of 89.)

Below is a few more great bikes that I would love to own just one, brilliant effort and quick the nest egg for him and his family, although I sure hope he doesnt sell them all, just a great place to go and visit for sure.

So much Classic iron is a super rare find for many of these machine, so the opportunity to go and visit Ian would be such an entertaining experience to be honest.

Just look at the great choices you could have to ride everyday, an Aladdin’s cave of awesomeness in every conceivable configuration.

Even a sprinkling of cool Automobiles too, Love the Drop head Coupe as well as the 1/4 Midget Track car.

CAPTION: Ian might be a hoarder, not a trader, but sometimes he needs to shed something. This New Zealand McIntosh-built Egli frame with 35mm Ceriani forks and Works rear shocks has become excess to requirements and Ian is trying to find a new home for it. (You’ll need to bring $6,500 with you.)

NEC BIRMINGHAM MOTORCYCLE SHOW 2017

Posted on November 26, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

26 Nov

I left the shores of Blighty back in 1997, but before that I used to regularly attend 2 brilliant Motorcycle shows back home annually, that was Earls Court in London and the NEC in Birmingham. The NEC is still banging out the shows and I feel the UK shows have more atmosphere and more Hands on for the public too.

I mean, you can still ride a trials bike or an Enduro bike at the event on a small course they set up for the public with help and advise as long as you like.

So, my Brother Mick informs me he is off to go to the show with some mates, as e also attends them shows, I asked him to take some pics.

They say a painting paints a thousand words? Not sure about a photo but no need for words else I will be here all day.

So here are a combination of photos I know you will enjoy, at least some of them for sure as they cover all tastes.

So look Below and see what you think.

Thanks Bruv.

Norton 650 Scrambler

Posted on November 17, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

17 Nov

I was reading my MCN today and at Last Norton are contemplating creating a 650 Scrambler and I think this will be a great opportunity for Back home and worldwide.

I’d love to hve a Norton Dual Sport, a very fun and ergonomic machine that would be something to see for sure, so keep your eyes peeled at the Motorcycle expos and Show circuits for this to pop up, I think it will be a real winner.

MCN report below:

By Richard Newland

Deputy Editor

Norton will reveal their intention to build a new family of 650cc parallel-twins at this weekend’s Motorcycle Live, showing renderings of a new scrambler model to canvass input from potential owners.

The desire is to launch two scrambler-styled bikes, one more road focussed, the other a more serious dual-purpose option for riders who want to get their kicks in the dirt – and ride home afterwards.

“It started off life as half of the V4,” says Norton head of design Simon Skinner. “We always knew we wanted to do a 650 parallel-twin to create a new range of bikes with a retro engine platform, and a high-performance platform, and a high-volume platform. And that would cover everything we want to do for the foreseeable future as a brand.

“The first bike that the 650 will appear in is a Scrambler type bike. The engine has been designed to have three power levels, with the top-end high-spec 175bhp supercharged version, then a normally aspirated high-performance version at 100bhp, the a low-powered one with just under 70bhp. It’s the same core 650cc parallel-twin engine with a 270-degree crank, which give it nice drive characteristic, a nice sound and a nice vibe – and matches the firing order of the Commando engine.

“It’s a very lightweight, modern parallel-twin, so it’s not like a BMW or Kawasaki mid-capacity parallel-twin. This is literally half the V4, and by losing the rear bank of cylinders we can make the bike very short, very compact. It shares a lot of architecture with the V4 engine, the cylinderhead and valvetrain are all common. The engine is very versatile with what we can do with it, and has been designed to work across a range of applications and both steel and aluminium chassis.

“The first bike will be the Scrambler version, and that will use a steel trellis frame some aluminium bolt-on sections to give it more rigidity and stiffness. It still needs to be a lightweight bike, and a Norton, but I looked back at what Norton used to with P11s and other models back in the day, and the performance was always a step up from the competition, and that’s our goal. It need to be a proper Scrambler, not something that just looks the part. It needs to be capable, and it should be a proper giggle. This is about rideability, not trying to make an adventure tourer.

“It’s not going to be a cheap bike, but you’ve got to be able to ride it through mud, bash it about, drop it, and pick it up and carry on. It’s got to be a pure and honest bike that can do what it looks like it’s capable of doing.

“One of the stipulations for the design,” says Garner, “is that if I’m out greenlining or in a gravel pit mucking about and I drop it, I want to be easily able to pick it back up on my own and carry on with my ride. It has to be durable. It’ll all be honest, with items like the bash guard being able to do the job, rather than just being there for show. The bike should last a long time, because it’ll be made with proper components.”

“The chassis and geometry is all our own,” says Skinner. “The more off-road focussed version will get a longer swingarm for more capability off-road. We’re certainly intended to offer both versions from birth, a street scrambler version, then a more off-road capable desert racer. The rears will be 17in on both models, and the more road biased bike will get an 18 in front, while the more off-road bias one will get a 19in.

“The tricky part is getting the styling right. I’ve looked back through the old Norton models, and penned some designs with a lot of those traditional styling cues, and they just don’t look right on this. The hard part is paying homage to the heritage, without being old-fashioned, or retro – it’s got to be an authentic Norton, but it’s got to be modern.

“This is an everyday Norton,” says Garner. “It’s honest and faithful, and the sort of bike I’d use as an all-year-round ride. You can imagine someone buying the V4, then having this as their everyday bike – with switchable ABS and traction control – and that’s what it’s for. In volume terms, we expect this to be our biggest seller, and we’re targeting a £10k target for the base model and around £12k for the higher-spec version. And if this bike is a success, it’ll enable us to build the 650 sportsbike – hopefully within a year of the scrambler going on sale.”

Norton 650 supersport in development

Even more exciting for those who yearn for a V4 RR, but are unlikely to ever raise the funds needed to buy one, Norton also confirmed that the Scrambler model will be followed into production by a sportsbike version using the same 650 parallel-twin. But don’t’ start thinking this is a budget clone of a Ninja 650, this is a proper TT lightweight destroyer.

Weighing in at a projected 140kg, and developing over 100bhp in standard trim – with the possibility of a supercharged version even further in the future that could see the output rise to 175bhp – it will redefine how we think about parallel-twin 650 sportsbikes forever – and should they choose to campaign it in the TT Lightweight, it’s nice to dream that we might see a Norton winner on the island at its debut.

But faired sportbike versions are still a long way off, so there’s no point putting one on this year’s Christmas list. Save it for 2018’s letter to Santa, for a 2019 delivery.

Norton thinking big

A little while back Norton struck a deal with Zongshen to licence their new 650cc engine platform, which also enabled Zongshen to distribute the bikes in China. As part of the deal Zongshen would be producing new bikes using the Norton engine, but nothing would be branded Norton. Now Norton have set their international sights even further by singing a joint venture agreement with Motoroyale, the motorcycle arm of Indian business group Kinetic.

Unlike the deal with Zongshen, the new joint venture will build the current range of Nortons and any future models in at Kinetic’s plant in Ahmednagar, India. These models will then be sold in India and all over Asia by 2018, although bikes destined for other markets will still be built in the UK. Kinetic have been producing motorcycles in India since 1972 and current import MV Agusta and SWM to the region.

SO- Lets wait and see what happens, I for one and very eager to sling my leg over this steed and see what it has to offer, be great to see the Noton again, I mean hey, they started in 1898 for Gods Sake.

The 1898 James Lansdowne Norton (known to all as ‘Pa’) founded Norton as a manufacturer of “fittings and parts for the two-wheel trade.” By 1902 the first Norton motorcycles were being produced using French and Swiss engines. … By the mid 1930sNorton was producing over 4,000 road bikes annually.

Vintage Hill Climbing Photos

Posted on November 9, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

09 Nov

Hey Gang

I am a little bit tight on time today for a Blog, but what I thought that I would do is add some cool pics of Vintage Motorcycles having a go at Hill Climbing, this has been popular since the 1920’s and they still run the Widow Maker today.

There is something about Motorcycles and Hills I have always been intrigued by, as a Kid I would have crappy cheap bikes but I would try and go up any hill many wouldn’t and sometimes, just sometimes i would succeed and that would make me personally feel like the King of the mountain.

I love seeing old Photos of Vintage bikes having a go at the Big Widow Maker, Man and Machine against Gravity, and its such a super spectator sport too and we need more of it.

Below silent 16mm footage.

Things have changed as in the newer machines but they still have a go and many do not make it, so, to see Motorcycles from the 20’s 30’s and 40’s having a go is great.

I mean today, it must be like riding a Cadillac in comfort compared to back in the day, took more guts than today too and many, this was their only means of transport too.

We lived in a flat part of the UK , so finding hills was bloody hard, sometimes you made your own but if I had a hat on right now, I would take it off and tip it in the direction of those crazy Bikers back in the day, full bore and grit ya teeth.

I mean No Guts No Glory was the order of the day back then, can you imagine how their bodies felt the next day from trying to Conquer this bloody great steep incline.

Amazing stuff, no protection, just a Flat cap and a lot of Bravado, seriously cool people back in the day and No Ego’s. at all.

I still love watching it, no idea why they do not televise it much as I am certain people would watch as even today it is just man and machine against the big Hill.

Most of the time there is No prize money, just a few bragging rights if you were one of the lucky ones to get over the top, few did I am sure but All were 100% Committed for sure.

Hopefully there is an event on in your neck of the woods, make sure you support it as these days it is a very hard event to find and we really should have more of this, but land is hard to find compared to back in the day.

This guy doing his best Elvis impersonation is a Classic.

This is one of the best shots ever, the guy is way up on the front of his running boards, love the Paratrooper Boots, Big Cuff jeans and Leather Jacket, so Black Rebel Motorcycle.

How crazy is that, Sister says to his big brother, “Oh Come on Arny, take me for a ride on your motorcycle, you always promise you will”

Man, look at how high this is, and the geezer makes it too, thats a great achievement I bet, well done mate, love the Harley Club Sweater too.

Football helmet on as he digs in at the rear look at the spectators resting on the fence, all leaning uphill. LOL!

Now you all know this will not end well but 10 out of 10 for having a go, huge rear sprocket too.

Talk about Holding on until the very end, this cannot end well at all, would of loved to have seen the next few frames of this crazy Hill Climber, hope he was
after that run.

Dedication, Determination and Did he make it, all that with a Football helmet on and no front brake too.

Girl Meets Bike Movie very strange Independant Movie

Posted on September 12, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

12 Sep

I am all for Movies that have motorcycles in and saw this a long time ago but I cannot find the whole movie but, here is the trailer and thought that you may want to see this on Two Wheel Tuesday.

Instead of a wedding dress, the girl buys a motorbike that not only becomes her great love, but also the mount on which she embarks on the most difficult journey – a journey in search of herself.

A motorbike for an average citizen and consumer of pop culture is an attribute of individuals in one way or another socially maladjusted. Or it involves aggression and crime (bad gangs in sensational movies usually appear on black motorcycles) or is a tool of unrealistic and doomed to fail, a utopian escape from reality (as in the movie Easy Rider). Eric Tretbar, an American independent filmmaker, screenwriter, filmmaker and filmmaker, inspired by the story of his acquaintance who, after divorce, re-emerged with a motorcycle, has created an authorial, artistic film about a woman who finds the courage to search for his own way and life according to your rules.

Thus, he broke three stereotypes at the same time. The first, common in the cinemamainstream: women rarely do so (and usually, punished and repentant, they give up this way). The second: that in an artistic film can not show motorcycles. And third: that a motorcycle movie can not be artistic.The announcement of “Girl Meets Bike” appeared in the summer of last year on the MotoRmania portal . It raised a lot of interest, as well as some fears that the film would not duplicate the stereotype of a girl who does not have a machine and rescues her male colleagues. Not wanting to bet too much, I will mention only that since the plot deals with the beginning of a motorcycle adventure, it is not surprising that the freshwater does not deal with everything from the beginning, but the matter does not end there.

The main character, Kat, is not the only motorcyclist in this story …

The story of the rise of “Girl Meets Bike” also proves that thanks to human kindness and support, even in times of commercialization, beautiful projects can be created. Eric Tretbar finished photography in the summer and sought funds for post-production. This was achieved through the idea of social funding. On the Kickstarter portal, 182 people have declared their willingness to support the film, and since it has managed to raise the required 10,000. dollars, work on editing, sound, music could move on.

The supporters will receive a DVD with the film (when they are finished) , as well as various gadgets, such as original shirts (repainted with a garage method and packed for shipping in a small author’s room;) Eric emphasized that the fabrics and paints are non-toxic and the manufactory wind energy).

Low budget independent films rarely have language versions, but different volunteers undertake the translation of the film, it will have subtitles in Spanish, French, and even Chinese! Actor Ralf Schirg, who plays one of the main figures – Martin, has translated the dialogue into German. On the other hand, a team composed of Polish competitor Gymkhana Oscar Kubicki, Magda and me, created a Polish version of the inscriptions. Eric Tretbar, a fan of Krzysztof Kieslowski’s work, would also like to see the film on a big screen in Poland, so we hope to meet at the cinema. MotoRmania has offered the media patronage of this beautiful initiative.

Unfortunately, the premiere scheduled for the end of November has now been postponed to April-February – a lot of trouble has spawned a hurricane paralyzing New York City, which houses copyrights and recording studios where music was to be recorded (in the garage of the sixties R & B ).

(105 min / USA) – A high school shop teacher buys her first motorcycle with her wedding dress money, leading her away from her controlling fiancé into a new circle of motorcycle friends who are attracted but threatened by her new found freedom. As she learns to ride, she must interpret their offers of riding advice: are they subtle forms of control? Or crucial knowledge, without which she might get herself killed? (GirlMeetsBikeMovie.com)

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“Wisdom” by The Brian Jonestown Massacre

Glemseck 101

Posted on September 11, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

11 Sep

Our definition of the Glemseck 101 after eleven successful rounds:

The Glemseck 101 is a European »motorcycle happening« taking place in Germany with tens of thousands of visitors, guests and participants who represent the full range of the motorcycle scene and who live the »Spirit of the 101« for three entire days.

In Round 12, for three days and two hot nights, we will again revive this special »Spirit of the 101« for with loud, powerful sounds and full throttle. 2017, you will again find a grand stand at our legendary 1/8 mile and for the individual 101-sprints we are realizing new ideas – with exciting and spectacular bikes from throughout Europe plus their brands and designers. The Glemseck 101 in its 12th round will once again be »THE European Bike Festival« and »the place to be« – a happening of the wildest and best bikes, personalities and brands throughout the bike scene.

Make your own mind up, but looks like fun.

We need to have a 3 day weekend like this, on some private land where you can tun 1/8th mile and have some fun sprint racing.

Bung a few hay bales up and some speakers to let the public know who is racing what machine and where they have traveled from etc, would be a great idea.

So here are some photos that Marco Latorre took of the 2017 event in Germany.

looks like they have it every year and the meet gets bigger and bigger, one of these days I hope to travel to this as I get invites from time to time.

Just the sound of different engines revving and then taking off, whipping through the gearbox would be a cool thing to see and hear.

There could be all sorts of classes to make it fun and give you the opportunity to wring the neck out on your ride against somebody like minded.

Have a look and see what you lot think, looks like a win win to me.

I think if we ran something like this in Oct/November would be perfect as it will be overcast and not too hot.

I shall be doing a little investigating on what it would take to organize a meet such as this as I truly believe there would be plenty of interest in such an event for motorcycles.

So Monday I thought that at least you could look at a few pics and below there are a few videos to get your week off to a good start.

Drop me a line if you have any ideas too, the more the merrier. carpy@carpyscaferacers.com

I had better get back into the garage and knock some work out, have a great week everybody and hope you enjoy another Blog on here.

Meet Up with us through out the year and Ride.

Posted on September 7, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

07 Sep

Well, I have had a meet up for a few years now, we try and find great places to visit and ride there, it usually a fun event or something you do not often see, anyone can come out with us and thought I would share it on here, you can see the link to the meet up below.

https://www.meetup.com/Carpys-Cafe-Racer-Meetups/

I love 2 and 4 wheeled vintage stuff and if you like things from Vintage bikes, Chris Craft Boats to ww2 Airplanes, then this is the meet for you to take part in, no attitude, just great days or mornings out and something to look forward too.

So if you know of a great place to visit, i.e, a Museum, Motorcycle shop or venue, Custom car show etc, then drop us a line and we may make a big ride out of it.

Nobody races, so if you want to get your elbows in the tarmac, then carry on and we shall meet you there, we have a great bunch of people, Male and Female and different styles of bikes, but all have the same interest. Motorcycles, and if you like the same thing, we are going to get on well. A Mixture of professions too, from Teachers to Dental Specialists, thats what makes us so entertaining.

No attitudes at all. so come have have fun and see some interesting places, I am sure you will return for more.

People always seem to be happy and enjoy the ride to where ever we end up, so if you want more and even know of some cool places to check out, let us know.

You can call or even Tex me on 714-598-8392 when ever you like too.

Bonneville Salt Flats part 2

Posted on September 2, 2017January 30, 2020 by Steve Carpenter

02 Sep

OK, the previous Blog took me so long as the photos were high quality and the download time kicked me right in the Spuds, but, I have a few more photos left but these I took with my phone, so not great clarity, but wanted to share a few more photos of the great times Jennifer and I had at Speed Week in Bonneville.

Above is this A-Bone Pick up, as we all hung out outside the Nugget Casino and Hotel in the evenings, this was a super place just to have a beer and look at other peoples rides, chew the fat with many people that had traveled from all over the globe and we all had one thing in common and that was of course Speed Week.

Check out this Pick up, very cool and old school as it had swooping fenders with rear skirts, a lot of work went into this rig and I sure loved the way it sat in the weeds, great job of it.

Envious of the Hop Up coupe, just take a llok at this really Period machine, I mean sat on cross ply 16 inch Firestone’s on 40 ford steelies and unchopped too, such a treat for me to see this.

Just when you think you have seen it all, this El Gringo loco truck was just bad ass, very cool, I am sure it bumped around on the tarmac but loved the style of this pick up.

Studebaker trucks have always been cool, almost Custom from the factory, I see this has old school ribbed bumpers and sporting 2 sets of 1939 tear drop lights at the rear, tight looking rig.

My God, Drool factor is off the hook, this Brown Suede Oxide three window was the epitome of Hot Rodding, complete with Black-walls and Stainless Hair pins, I just loved looking at this, Schroeder Race track steering box too as you can see the Pittman arm hanging out the side of the cowl.

I loved this three window as it even had an original 1932 Utah License Plate, what is not to like about this really Nostalgic Hot Rod.

How about this for a sight for sore eyes and when I say sore eyes, thats from the blinding glare off the Salt Flats today, the Rolling Bones Club drove down and they took their rides onto the Lake and when they came back each night, they pulled in at the Nugget, what a super rare sight it is to see all this Hot Rods in one place and covered in salt too. GULP!

This Slammed Hemi powered 5 window was popular with many people, the owner was super cool to chat too, as were everybody at this event, something a few events dont have any more and this place was ooozing with Camaraderie.

Just look at this sight, so much rare tin and not many places you will see as many as this in one place, it was Hot Rod heaven with out a doubt and I enjoyed every minute of it.

More salt sprinkled here than a bag of English fish and chips and every one of these rides had Salt from the lake on it, it must of taken a week to get it off, sure hope it doesnt start to rust these old bodies apart.

Just another view of the behind of these great cars , I doubt I shall be lucky enough to see anything like this line up again, unless I travel to the East coast and check the “Rolling Bones” group out.

If you ever get to Speed week, you will know that the evening meet up is a great way to wind down from the Hot weather on the salt, it was still hot out here in Wendover but a cold brew helped to cool you down.

Look at this, a gasser Corvette, there is a piece of History right there, who has ever heard of a slow Corvette? So this must be a heart attack to drive about?

” Any Salt with that Sir” This pick up with Beer Barrel grill got many looks and I saw this quite a bit blapping about at the Lake in 100 degree’s +.

El Cheapo is right but I bet he had a million dollars worth of fun on the salt?

This Business coupe was tough as old boots, loved the chop and look how nice and close the rear bumper is too, so much work in this car.

This long Closed Cab pick up had a nice Black Flatty in it with Dual carbs and 36 Torque tube headers, very cool and traditional.

Oh my, this was just the coolest Roadster there, loads of Patina, loved the Canvass top, raked and chopped windshield and the commercial lights with those Tractor Firestone tires.

How could I not take a photo from the other side too, this was in the parking structure of the Nugget Hotel and casino in Wendover, what a great show there every night for speed week.

Check this ride out and it sits so well too, had more white powder over this than a cocaine addict with a sneeze! Loved the Black steelies and white walls too.

The Flying Brick seemed to get all over the place, yet hardly any salt on it, I saw this cruising all over the courses of the salt flats too.

We saw this Model A Roadster on the way up to Wendover when we stopped for some grub just outside salt lake City, I was so surprised that a show car with custom metal flake paint would dare to take their machine on the Salt, but he proved me wrong, great little ride and it was fast too.

Tough looking 5 window Model A with a small block, cal custom finned covers, Sanderson style headers and a deuce grill with Louvre’d insert was a great attraction, I really liked it.

5 window parked up was covered in Bonneville’s finest, the roof wasn’t even chopped and thats quite a rare sight theses days, I wasnt a fan of them rims or tires but, each to their own eh?

This pick up was pretty wicked, loved the Patina and the stance, looked to have radar style 5 spokes and I bet this was a real smooth ride to where ever it drove up or down from.

I took this with my phone and wasn’t sure if it would come out any good, but am pleasantly suprised with it, this was a fun area to be in, just by the side of the Nugget Casino in Wendover.

Loved the smooth lines on the Custom Sled, this really did have a lot of work, Nosed, Decked, Frenched, you name it, funny to see the Salt around it like on the rim of a Sangria Glass.

You can beat a drum, you can beat an egg, you can beat an opposing soccer team, but you cannot beat a traditional 50’s Model A 5 window coupe, such a wicked ride I never tire of seeing.

All the way from Washington, this Highboy was a classy ride, a really nice 1932 Roadster with the deep Ford Blue gave it a Nostalgic style that is always popular no matter what year we are in.

Here is its twin Brother, No license plate else you would think this was the same ride, Instrument Dash is cool too, but, great minds think a like eh?

Now this is right up my alley, Road or Garden path, how can you not like this Roadster, the flatty sounded awesome when it pulled into the Casino parking lot, you cant beat the sound of a flatty.

Liked this Model A complete with Knock offs and traditional rear tail light , being fenderless makes this A-Bone look a lot taller as well, come in number 46 your time is up!!!!

I really did like this Roadster, the proportions were right, even the chopped Deuce grill shell was bang on the money and loved the 32 Headlights hanging from the side of the rails.

If you look behind the cars you can actually see the salt lake, so not that far away from all the action, Wendover is the place to stay if you are coming to Bonneville but, book early or camp out.

If you get to the Nugget Early, you can grab a good spot to park your ride as this is where the car show starts every night, it goes on all through the night too, always something cool to look at and everyone is super friendly too.

I was sat down at the start line on the short course, a Customer of mine that I made some Megaphones for in Lawton Oklahoma, said he would be there with his pops, its a big lake so doubt I would find him, well this chap stood next to me said. “Carpy” What the heck, he was only parked right next to us, small world eh?

If you can ever make it out to Utah, do it, its a great place to watch History happen and one of the most friendliest events on the planet, so glad that I had the opportunity to go.

Lee munro’s First run on the Indian.

This spins out at 138 MPH but gives you just an idea of what is going on inside a cage.

Well, this is how 435 MPH looks and feels, bumpy and squirley as hell.

Here is another angle from the cockpit.

89 Year Old grandpa has a go in the coupe, spins out but what a great experience for the chap.

Last Run for speed week, watch until the end as some great camera angles, loved the last bit filmed from the rear.

Spin out, sure gets Gnarly out there.

Double Indian Scout engine Motorcycle.

Lee Munro on the long course gets to 186 MPH

Here we are with a Thruxton R having a go on the salt.

So there you go, a fun time, if you can ever make it to the Salt Flats, just once, you will then totally get the experience that we did and watch History happen right in front of your very eyes.

It is something I shall never forget, Speed week was always a place I wanted to visit to watch Hot Rods and Motorcycles Race and now that empty box has a huge Tick through it.

Thanks for following my 2 day Bonneville Blog, many people let me know that they enjoyed the write up and I hope that just looking at the photos made you at least smile today.

This Brings a close to this chapter but thats not the end, as for me I am so lucky to live in Southern California, as there is a dry lake there called El Mirage thats 90 minutes from me, and will be venturing out there next month, but a fond farewell to Speed week as I now get it and hopefully one day you can get out to this infamous Lake Bed in Bonneville, Utah.

Join the SCTA and be a part of this great organisation, as well as help Save the Salt too.

http://www.scta-bni.org/

I might see you at El Mirage sometime, if you see me, come and say hello, always great to meet like minded people.

http://www.scta-bni.org/el-mirage.html

Thank you to ALL you Racers, the Teams and their hard working crew, the whole S.C.T.A org, the Bonneville Nationals inc and of course the people I met from my Old boss in Australia and my mate Shug & Ruby May, for getting there and breaking a record, what an awesome deal.

Hot Rodding started right here and thanks to people like you, it continues to grow and prosper with all your help and participation. Thanks for reading.

Bonneville Land Speed Racing is a unique sport that consists of very determined people who drive hot rods, roadsters, belly tankers, lakesters, motorcycles, streamliners, and even diesel trucks to "shoot the salt" in a simple quest to have their name added to the list of many record holders. Many years ago, the Bonneville Nationals Inc. (BNI) was formed. It's main focus would be to produce the annual "Bonneville Speed Week". The BNI hosts a spectacular week of racing each year in August, which is the highlight event of the LSR season. Speed Week consists of six days of racing (Sat - Fri), weather and conditions permitting. Entrants come from all over the world to participate in the week long event. Spectators are allowed to walk through the pits, view the vehicles, and talk to the drivers and crew members. Public parking is south of the pit area, on the west side of the race track, outside the cones. Be sure to bring a hat, dark glasses, sunscreen and shade from the sun. Don't forget a camera with lots of film/memory/tapes, because you will want to remember everything you see and hear. Binoculars are also a great idea since the race vehicles are at least 1/4 mile away as they travel down the course. The salt flats are located approximately 88 miles west of Salt Lake City, UT on I-80. The spectacular scenery and racing conditions at Bonneville make it one of the most popular areas in the world for speed. The colors, excitement, people and smells are some of the reasons we race addicts return to the salt, year after year. Better known as "Salt Fever". CATCH IT!

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Old footage of back in the day and what we are into.

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Canadian Norton Custom Brat-Scrambler is a real eye catcher.

Ian Boyds most amazing collection of Vincents.

NEC BIRMINGHAM MOTORCYCLE SHOW 2017

Norton 650 Scrambler

Norton 650 supersport in development

Norton thinking big

Vintage Hill Climbing Photos

Girl Meets Bike Movie very strange Independant Movie

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Meet Up with us through out the year and Ride.

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Norton 650 supersport in development

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