The Myth of Vincent Motorcycles' Black Lightning | Robb Report

The bikes created by British manufacturer Vincent Motorcycles are some of the most sought-after collector motorcycles in the world, and the Black Lightning occupies the top rung of this hierarchy. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that when it came out, it was the fastest production motorcycle in the world, even beating out the fastest production car of the day, the Jaguar XK120.

The bike had several owners, but it was in the possession of Australian motorcycle shop proprietor and racer Jack Ehret for the longest period—47 years. During that time, it smashed the Australian Land Speed record, hitting an average of 141.5 mph, and participated in numerous races. One of the most compelling things about the bike is that it is an original, which is exceedingly rare because of the beating they usually take on the track—a legacy that is still evidenced by the wear and tear that is still visible on the bike.

Make Something Unique, Check Out Our Vintage Coin Guitar Picks

Custom Coin Guitar Pick made by Rusty Knuckles from a Half Dollar

Following the paths least traveled is always a mantra that we do our best to adhere against. Finding a unique spin on an idea or seeking out an idea that maybe goes against the grain just a bit more than something else is always where inspiration comes knocking. When creating all that exists within this whole "Rusty Knuckles" approach, it's easy to say "we" as there are folks who work within the music label and help out on varying projects, but day in and day out, it's primarily yours truly that is working up all the designs and getting things done to keep refining our approach. Many days are simply a labor of love and other days are just purely spent grinding through orders to get done to keep the lights on. Would I trade it for anything? Nope, not in the least. Do I get pissy about certain things when they just don't seem to work, but of course. But, first and foremost in our custom shop, failure is just one more step towards creating something that will stand the test of time.

In one of those long days of thinking about new concepts and ways to push our approach, a few coins were on the work desk and led to pulling out a guitar and trying to play a few good riffs. With no plastic pics readily available a quarter was put to the strings and inspiration struck. We know this is not a new concept by any means, but in our wheelhouse of custom music gear, these neat little picks are perfectly at home on our island of misfit toys. 

Through some trial and error and burning many finger tips, to correctly grind and polish these beauties, we started to find a great rhythmic approach to making them in bulk and now will be offering them in the Rusty Knuckles Etsy Store. 

Wanting a specific coin, just email us or get in touch as we are a full custom shop with a wanton approach to trying new ideas and wanting to create something new every day.

Custom Coin Guitar Pick made by Rusty Knuckles from a French 50 Franc coin

Custom Coin Guitar Pick made by Rusty Knuckles from a French 50 Franc coin

Custom Coin Guitar Pick made by Rusty Knuckles from a Half Dollar

Custom Coin Guitar Pick made by Rusty Knuckles from British Hong Kong coin

Custom Coin Guitar Pick made by Rusty Knuckles from a Saudi Arabian Ghirsh coin

Custom Coin Guitar Pick made by Rusty Knuckles

Have a Look Inside the Harley-Davidson Factory of the Yesteryear

In 1901, 20-year-old William S. Harley drew up plans for a small engine with a displacement of 7.07 cubic inches (116 cc) and four-inch (102 mm) flywheels. The engine was designed for use in a regular pedal-bicycle frame. Over the next two years, Harley and his childhood friend Arthur Davidson worked on their motor-bicycle using the northside Milwaukee machine shop at the home of their friend, Henry Melk. It was finished in 1903 with the help of Arthur’s brother, Walter Davidson. Upon testing their power-cycle, Harley, and the Davidson brothers found it unable to climb the hills around Milwaukee without pedal assistance. They quickly wrote off their first motor-bicycle as a valuable learning experiment.

Great Handmade Items Found On Etsy

The Dreaming Gypsy, handmade by Contrive to Charm on Etsy

Not a day goes by that we don't log into Etsy, check our sales and or cruise around to see the great work crafted by makers all over the world. It could be custom leather work, armor to be used for live action role playing or even custom knives. The amount of talent within the Etsy marketplace is daunting and equally exciting. Go check out some of the makers on the site and have a glimpse from some of the great items, we recently found.

1936 Harley Davidson Barn Find

1936 Harley Davidson Barn Find

TRUE barn find!!! And "yes" the engine does turn. This bike has been kept in a barn for 30 years+. It is 95% original from what i can see. It has the following original parts, Frame, Fenders, Handlebars, Engine, Dash, Speedo (Corbin) very expensive, springer front end, Horn, Headlight (cycle ray), Primary cover, Tool Box, Seat, Floor boards, Rims and Tires (Firestone), they even seem to be original and from the looks of the wear on the floor boards, it doesn't seem like it was ridin much i reckin'. I've seen these bikes go for 30-40K restored and not with this many original parts. And the icing on the cake is that it comes with a 1936 California Title. Buyer is responsible for shipping and a $1000 deposit is required at end of bid. It is "BUY AS IS" Or it goes to the next bidder. Buyer is responsible for all shipping arrangements, my ZIP CODE is 92501.

Bid on this great find now

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1936 Harley Davidson Barn Find ready for a new home

Detail on the 1936 Flathead Harley

Vintage Corbin Speedometer on a 1936 Harley Flathead

An Old Style Skeleton Key Atlas Padlock Equals New Kinds Of Cool

Old Style Padlock Equals New Kinds Of Cool

Old technology can sometimes get lost in the busy nature of how fast we are living our lives. This is where an old idea can resonate like no other though. The replica Atlas padlock has a vintage feel but is all modern with its heavy features and skeleton key lock mechanism.

Preservare // Keating Wheel Company - From Vimeo

Preservare // Italian for Preserve
pre·serve verb \pri-ˈzərv\
1: to keep (something) in its original state or in good condition
2: to keep safe from injury, harm, or destruction
3: to keep or save from decomposition

For more information visit: lucentproductions.com/2014/02/12/preservare-keating-wheel-company-mini-documentary/

Preservare // Keating Wheel Company from Lucent Productions on Vimeo.

Does Your Knucklehead Have A Custom Tool Bag?

Got a 37' Knucklehead in your shop, well Hodge does and now a custom tool bag to grace the bike being built

Doing custom work for a variety of clientele is an absolutely great feeling. Much of the leather work is done via etsy or just the random email coming in through facebook or friends of friends passing the word around. Needless to say, we can't thank every single customer enough and looking forward to all the projects rolling through the shop doors daily.

Motorcycle History Could Be Yours, Rare Honda Up For Sale

1969 Honda Sandcast CB750

Bid on this rare sandcast prototype machine on Ebay


THE CB750 SANDCAST PROTOTYPE!

THE HISTORY

Many know the story of the first Superbike: when Mr. Soichiro Honda started a 4 cylinder revolution back in 1969, with his “King of Motorcycles”. It was the bike that changed motorcycling.

That CB750 featured a transverse in-line 4 cylinder 736cc engine, that produced 67 horsepower, and a top speed of 125 miles per hour.  It also came with an electric starter and a disc brake!

The first 7000 or so CB750s that came off the factory assembly line in Japan back in 1969, had engine cases that were cast in sand.

Those scarce early sandcast CB750s now regularly command high prices amongst collectors around the world.

1969 Honda CB750, one of the first super bikes

Right side view of the rare CB750 from Honda

THE PROTOTYPE

What only some sandcast aficionados know, is that before the now rare sandcast CB750s were produced in 1969, Honda determined that they first needed to build a set of “preproduction” prototypes to market their “The King of Motorcycles” to the American public.  So in 1968 they decided to build samples of this new ground breaking CB750 to unveil at their annual Las Vegas Motorcycle Dealer Show, as well as to provide eye-candy for the various trade magazines, and for promotional photography, advertisements, etc.

What Honda sent over to the U.S. were 4 preproduction bikes:

A Candy Red prototype
A Candy Gold prototype
A Candy Dark Green Metallic prototype
And the feature of this special auction, the Candy Blue/Green prototype

These 4 special preproduction bikes were literally hand-built by Honda technicians, using many hundreds of unique one-off preproduction parts, to promote their new flagship line of motorcycles.

The unique character of these rare preproduction bikes is readily noticeable when examining each and every component part.  For example:

One-off sandcast engine covers, featuring an external “double step” on the Alternator cover
A wedge shaped transmission cover, fitting UNDER the Alternator cover
Very unusual clutch and valve covers (both appearing nothing like the street bike counterparts, and are very rough cast)
A one of a kind Billet Crankshaft (meaning it was turned and machined from one solid chunk of special steel bar)
Chrome fenders showing (under the chrome plating) engineer’s scribe marks to mark off where holes should be drilled
Hand hammered/welded exhaust pipes
One-off special cast by Keihin 26mm carb assemblies
Handmade white plastic parts throughout the motorcycle (while street version bikes have all black pieces)
Longer rear fender having brazed on turn signal stems
A 43 tooth rear sprocket (vs. 45 for production)
No handlebar kill switch
No provision for a tool tray under the seat
Sandcast “hollow” fuel tank emblems
Cast gas cap and latch
And literally hundreds more of distinctly different parts than standard, many of which are illustrated in the enclosed photos (Note: ALL vintage American Honda photos and flyers seen here are of the exact bike in this auction)

 

The Motorcyclist - April 1969 Featuring the Honda CB750

What ever happened to those rare first four hand built bikes?

The Red bike was taken to the crushers in Iowa back in the early 1990s (I know, as we got there literally days too late, coming away with only a small handful of parts from it).

The Gold bike made its way to Europe, only to be completely disassembled by its owner (who has no intention of selling) and it has remained in that state for the last 25 years or so.

The Dark Green bike has never been heard from, thus leaving this (Blue/Green) bike left of the four.

The Blue/Green prototype motorcycle featured in this auction just happens to also be the (only) one American Honda used for all of its initial promotional brochures, flyers, and sales literature. Example photos of these early promotional items can be seen here, and most easily identified by the bike's very unusual front brake caliper.

I located this Prototype motorcycle through a friend some years ago, and quickly decided that it in fact did not need “restoration”, but rather just needed to be cleaned up and put back together, as the original paint and overall condition was quite nice. It is a very strong running motorcycle.

Please view the attached photographs to see more about this extraordinary motorcycle. Note: Where you see similar components shown in the same photo, it is simply a comparison between the part from this prototype, vs. a stock CB750 part.

 

Up Front details abound and check out sexy 4 into 2 pipes

ABOUT THE SELLER:

Vic World has a passion for Honda CB750s; that revolutionary motorcycle that turned the industry on it’s ear back in the summer of ’69.  His particular area of expertise, is in the restoration of the rare early sandcast bikes, that were the first to roll off Honda’s Hamamatsu line back in early ’69.  His thirty plus years of relentless focus on this motorcycle, has earned him the moniker of “Mr. CB750.”  Vic is widely acknowledged as the premier restorer of these rare bikes and he has been written about in many trade publications, including a feature article by Mitch Boehm in Motorcyclist Retro.  His restorations are highly sought after and have been purchased by museums, including a featured exhibition in Honda’s own Collection Hall Museum in Japan.  American Honda owns a Vic World restoration, as does the Barber Museum in Birmingham, Alabama. Mr. World resides in San Francisco, where he operates World Motorcycles, a shop that specializes in the restoration of sandcast CB750s.


BIDDING:

Regarding current values of sandcast 750s:

As a point of reference, fully restored sandcasts (with a "normal" 4 digit frame number) are currently selling at just under 40,000 dollars, with 3 digit bikes (Frame numbers 999 and under) fetching a 20% premium on top of that, and 2 digit bikes fetching more.

As well, a couple years ago, I sold a very low number (under Frame #20) unrestored sandcast to a collector for $75,000. This bike still was from assembly line production, using mass produced parts.
This auction is a unique, once in a lifetime opportunity to own a piece of motorcycling history. The CB750 Honda had substantially more impact on motorcycling than any other motorcycle. And this Prototype is easily what would be referred to as the Holy Grail of CB750s...The center piece of any world class collection of motorcycles.

If you are the lucky winner of this auction, you will own something that nobody else in the world owns.  There has been some strong pre-auction buzz about this bike from collectors around the world.  So, if you really want to own this bike, please bid accordingly.

Kingston Custom BMW R100/7 In Bad Salzuflen, Germany

Kingston Custom BMW at the Custombike Show in Bad Salzuflen - Germany.

Kingston Custom BMW at the Custom bike Show in Bad Salzuflen - Germany from flickr user Hans Viveen. Not too often do you see a R100/7 motor look this good in a custom bike, but damn is this a clean ride.

Grumps Garage Is The Place To Be In Southern California For Motors and Music

Feed your addiction for all things motors and music, check out Grumps Garage in Lake Elsinore, CA

One of the great aspects of running a company such as Rusty Knuckles, is all the great folks I get to meet. It could be fans of the bands or folks who purchase from us online or many of the dealers and distributors that carry our products. Each of those individuals means a great deal to us as we value our business and the reputation we choose to uphold.

On a recent and very brief trip to southern California to work on the Billy Don Burns documentary, we made time to stop off in Lake Elsinore and meet up with Mark Carrillo of Grumps Garage. Let's get right to the point, Mark is a solid dude and what he has built there on Main Street is something truly impressive. The attitude, the vibe and the overall presentation of all that is Grumps Garage is quite awesome to check out. Details about in his store layout along with his plans for promoting more shows for bands stopping in on tour. 

Do yourself a favor and dive into all that is Mark Carrillo and Grumps Garage, with a few quick questions below. We are damn proud to have the music of the bands we work with carried in his store and to hopefully get a few tours routed through the shop in the very near future.

Interior of Grumps Garage in the parts section

1. What gave you the impetus to start Grump's Garage?

Been in the hot rod parts retail side for 11 years before I started my own gig. As the time approached I wanted to do the hot rod thing, but wanted to incorporate my love for the music I had deep inside. Had known some shops to carry a few CD's and what not, but never completely focused on it.  Being in the scene and hitting shows, I always knew how key a role the music played. Wanted to focus down and be somewhat genre specific. When you think hot rod, you think 1950's rock 'n roll & rockabilly, as it is incorporated a bunch in the shows. I myself had a passion for Hank Williams and found this whole underground movement of Country music. So I created a hot rod music section that encompasses Americana/Country, Blues, Early Rock 'N Roll, Psychobilly, Rockabilly & Surf. In doing this, I instantly became the only Hot Rod Parts Shop to have a fairly complete Music Shop as well.

Old signs, gas pumps and petroliana are in abundance

Need to find out what is happening in the independent Roots and Country music scene? Call Grumps Garage

Vintage items are in abundance

2. Once you found the right location, what makes Lake Elsinore a great place to run the shop?

I studied the Inland Empire for some time to figure out where I wanted to land. Ultimately, I wanted to be centralized in the County and at the same time be fairly centered between Orange & San Diego Counties as well. Being somewhat of a Hobby Shop, needed to be accessible from many areas. Being located on a Historic Route, Route 395, also is a good advertising tool for my foreign customers as well. And lastly, being located right off of the 15 freeway enables me to have bands visit between the 2 counties I mentioned. Whether they want to do an advertised in store appearance, just visit, or decide to play one of my Saturday night shows once my venue is set...it just felt right.

3. With the large inventory of parts, which areas do you focus on?

While most of my inventory focuses on 1928-48 Ford Car & 1928-56 Ford Truck, I do carry a bunch of accessories that work with any ride. I am also adding in unique used items that can be restored or used as-is on ratrods. It is vitally important to be flexible and work with all car people. If someone wants to start with a ratrod and work their way up to something else later, fine. Whatever I can do to try and persuade a kid to own a piece of American history and not waste money on an import that will never retain its value.

4. Why do you think hot rod folks are so into music?

I just think that at the point in history where hot rodding was born, Rock 'N Roll was just coming to the forefront. Has gone hand in hand ever since. Today, I see a hunger in people of not only exploring the early hot rod history, but also the history of the music.

5. Tell us more about your plans for the outdoor music venue and what type of acts you are bringing to the shop.

Well, I'm always thinking of what I can do to keep my shop the most unique. At the same time, want to help spread the word of the music that encompasses my daily life. Venue? Had some good space out in the back of my shop, and decided what I thought I would enjoy. What it will ultimately end up being: A small scale 1940's Gas Station with seating for up to 80 people and standing room for another 20-25. The type of acts is easy...Country (the type I carry, not what's found on the radio), Rockabilly, Blues and some unplugged rare performances from some Psychobilly bands too. I feel that in this sort of intimate setting, the bands and patrons can create a more personal relationship.

Mark Carrillo is doing something great with his store, Grumps Garage

1931 Harley-Davidson VL Could Be Yours

Vintage bikes are an element of beauty to some, collector pieces to another and most of all if you plan to ride them regularly, be quite good with a wrench. Flathead motors have always looked great and that small power plant feels tiny in comparison to the bigger motors of today, but don't let horsepower get in the way of pure aesthetic. The older bikes had clean lines and very little extra in the way of accoutrements to clutter up their design. Seeing this bike on ebay makes me realize how I crave to have at least one Flathead and one Knucklehead in my quiver of rides.

1931 Harley-Davidson VL

1931 Harley-Davidson VL from the front

1931 Harley-Davidson VL from the right side

Perfect restoration bike

1931 Harley-Davidson VL over top view

Bid on this bike now

"Ok boys and girls, Here is your chance to own an a Antique Harley Davidson VL, that has been proven to be a great runner, as well as a show stopper. This machine would make a great contender for the 2014 Cannonball Run since it has been opened to 1936 and older bikes. Ride the cannon Ball with speed comfort this year. Its time to make way for another project, so I am offering my recently built 1931 Harley Davidson VL Bobber, in an eye-catching  paint scheme of Maroon and Cream  This VL  has a 1931 lower end, and a 1935 upper. This example was completed early in 2012. The bike has been ridden reliably as my daily rider, and has been on a few road runs, as well as to some cruise nights, and is fully operational in every aspect. It is geared for the highway and has no trouble cruising at 60MPH with power to spare. The frame and forks have not been cut up or modified. This could be restored to an AMCA points bike with the addition of a front fender and a few other pieces. The bike will be sold as-is where is, and no guarantee of any kind. I am not interested in any trades. Please look at the pictures and decide that you want an antique VL Harley-Davidson before placing your bids. I will do my best to answer all your questions in a timely manner, and can send additional pictures.

Please do no ask for my reserve. I will accept a $500.00 non-refundable deposit via paypal within 24 hours of the auction ending. The balance is to be Cash, Certified Check, or Wire Transfer, within 5 business days. I will release the title and rights to the motorcycle, when I am satisfied that the funds are in my bank and have cleared. I can make arrangements for , and  have the bike shipped to you, at your expense. Please, Serious buyers only!! No tire kickers, low-ballers or photo buffs, and last but not least, have all your finances in order before bidding. Thanks for looking and Good Luck!"

1942 Civillianized Harley Davidson WLA, True Original Barn Find

"You are looking at a 1942 Harley Davidson WLA barn find. . . It has been civillianized as you can see, not all parts are for a 1942, but most everything is original Harley Davidson parts. I was going to get it unstuck, make it run & ride it as is, but unfortunately i have to part with it. It comes to the new owner with a clean title, & unaltered VIN pad, which matches the title as a 1942 Harley WLA.

Look closely at the pictures, it has the original Goodyear super eagle tires (poor condition) that hold air, it rolls nicely, the throttle works, the spark advance is movable, but needs cleaned/greased. The front brake works, has big twin rockers & brake assembly, the rear brake is free & works as well. Has 16" KH wheels, inline springer fork, correct M88 Linkert. 

Tanks look to be in good usable condition with the usual cleaning. Did not get to play with the motor or trans. The transmission fill plug is wired to the handlebar, as i received it. I was going to pull & rebuild the motor & trans & ride it as is because it is only original Harley once! Forced to part with it, but now you have a chance to build your dreams. I can be reached at slim42wl @ gmail for more pics or direct questions. Sorry, no off site deals or negotiating!"

Check out the auction on Ebay

1942 Harley Davidson WLA ready for a new home

1942 Harley Davidson WLA from the right side

1942 Harley Davidson WLA Flathead needing some TLC

1942 Harley Davidson Flathead motor ready for to be torn down and fixed up

1942 Harley Davidson WLA with original transmission

1942 Harley Davidson WLA Needs some parts but most of the pieces are there

1942 Harley Davidson WLA top view

1975 Honda CB550 Custom That Ups The Ante

There is nothing quite like seeing a bike that just makes your jaw drop. Some builds feel dated as soon as they are coming off the bike lift and others reside in a nether region where era and craftsmanship come together to breathe new life into a ride that will surely turn heads wherever it may roam. This particular bike crafted by Kevin Dinsmoor of KDI Cycles proves that melding different time periods together can work quite well.

View original post on BikeExif.com



"For a one-man band, Kevin Dinsmoor has had remarkable success. Based in the small town of Colchester in Connecticut, USA, he’s carved out a reputation as a builder of finely crafted vintage customs—like this Honda CB550F.

“The concept was hatched a couple of years ago,” says Dinsmoor, who runs KDI Cycles. “I wanted to prove to myself that I could build a bike from swap meet junk.” With $450 in his pocket, Dinsmoor bought a tired 1975 Honda CB550F, a swing arm, two wheels and a tank—all from different vendors.



Despite the budget nature of the build, Dinsmoor decided to avoid the retro café route. (“I have so many old café racers that go way too fast for the tires and brakes—and I like to ride fast!”) Instead, he decided to take the resto-mod approach.

Work started on the engine. It now has a crankshaft lightened by six pounds and balanced by APE, allowing the revs to spin up much faster. Dynoman big bore pistons bump capacity up to 605cc. Dinsmoor also swapped out the stock CB550F cylinder head for a Mike Rieck special—complete with 1 mm oversize valves, titanium retainers, and heavy duty springs.



A Web Cam #358B ‘hot street’ cam was dropped in, and a Keihin CR29 carburetor bolted on. Gases now exit via a custom Yoshimura-style exhaust. Other uprated parts include a Pamco high performance electronic ignition, a Motogadget speedo, a Barnett clutch and a custom-made transmission output shaft. The starter motor has gone, saving a few more pounds, with the space now taken by a crankcase breather.

The stock CB550F suspension has been replaced by newer components better able to handle the extra power. The front end is now from a 2003 Honda CBR900RR, and the swing arm from the swap meet, a 1995 VFR, has been modified by Pro Kart.) The rear suspension, steering damper and brakes are all from a Suzuki GSX-R750. The wheels are Marchesini, now shod with Michelin Pilot Power sportbike tires.



Dinsmoor has excelled at the bodywork, with a keen eye for matching parts or creating his own. The tank is from a 1976 Kawasaki KZ400, but the seat unit is hand-made from aluminum. The fairing comes from Glass From The Past, and sports a Honda Accord fog light. The powdercoating was handled by Competitive Edge Coatings, and the paint by K&W Custom Auto. They’ve both done a magnificent job.



And if you detect a Ducati Paul Smart influence in the colors, you’re right. “That came from my visit to the Barber Vintage Festival, where I saw some amazing Ducks,” says Dinsmoor. The number 16 on the tail? “I raced WKA Karts for ten years, and my last number was 16. Kind of fell in line.”

For more on this lovely CB550F, head over to this build thread on the Do The Ton forum. And follow KDI Cycles’ news via Facebook."

Images courtesy of Ron Agnello, © Strongbox Photography Studios LLC. Shot at the New England Air Museum.

Old Indian Motorcycles Never Die

Old Indian motorcycles never die as this one demonstrates. Brought back to life after 40 years at Kiwi Motorcycles Riverside California 2010, this 1948 classic ticks over like a vintage clock.

Jeff Yarrington's 1972 Triumph Tiger "Tesla", From Pipeburn

See the feature on Tesla on Pipeburn, article reposted below

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"Of all the inventors that have taken their place in the annals of history, few have had quite the impact that Nikola Tesla has. Along with the many real-life inventions he patented or designed for others, Westinghouse and Thomas Edison included, there's a slew of wild rumours that have become associated with the man. Some say that he invented a machine that could display thoughts like a mental movie projector. Others say he mastered the technology to transmit electricity wirelessly like radio waves. All we can safely say now is that the man understood and saw things on a level us mere mortals could only dream of. Which brings us to the latest creation of Jeff Yarrington's Saint Motor Company. Now, we're not saying that Jeff's a mad genius or anything, but let's face it, anyone who can conceive of and build a bike like this has to be more than a little Dr. Emmet Brown upstairs, yes?"

Seat comfort? Nah, don't worry about that, might have too many folks stopping by to check the ride

Front of the bike is as eye catching as all the sides

Here's the Doc Jeff. “The Tesla Bike was a Project started a couple years ago. I had started reading about Nicola Tesla, and was amazed by his work, and what it would have meant if finished. He was doing stuff 100 years ahead of his time, literally. Anything to do with motors, generators, x-rays, lasers… it all stemmed from Tesla, but those items pale next to what his main goal was. People have tried to finish what he started, but have always stopped short.”

“I imagined if he had a taste for Motorbikes and built one what it may have looked like. I had Captain Nemo, Rocketeer, and others floating around in my head too. I tried to stay period-ish correct with details, and wanted it to look a bit more hand built, with reused parts. There are more then a few re-purposed parts mixed in.”

Never get lost with a trusty compass always on board

“First and foremost was that I always wanted to make a bike with a fin on the rear and exhaust under it and second, I had always wanted to do a construction like this. A steel bar body skeleton, followed by a skin of metal to mimic blimps a bit or old sidecars, that kind of a look.”

“Its base is a 1972 Triumph Tiger, the first year for oil in Frame. I bought the bike from the original owner who had already added the Amen tail section and chopped it up a bit. He rode it for years, and then put it away, long ago. The single boxed muffler is a first for me, I copied a flowmaster 2 in 2 out chamber design for a unique sound. The heat shields are cast iron, the copper and brass compass is the GPS, there's many little details that I tried to not be normal with, even the weld on tabs are cut to be a reminder of old.”

The bike doesn't fit into any one category, but an amalgamation of a few

“Now, it's reborn again as Tesla, a very different kind of bike. I was very lucky to have this bike be the first on my projects to be professionally photographed and have people interested in it before it was done, and help with things.”

I'd like to thank Sasha from Caferacerxxx for doing Sasha stuff, and Alicia Elfving, aka the Motolady for doing the beautiful photos, and for shooting an amazing video. Thanks.”

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Is that the Rocketeer's helmet reimagined or maybe he is the pilot.

Overview of the tank tank right front end

Really diggin' the steampunk vibe and color scheme