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05-03-2003, 12:27 AM
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#242 (permalink) |
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ham on rye would be nice
Location: I don't even know anymore
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The Art of the Motorcycle - a Review
By Walter Kern Back in 1998, there was an exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York called The Art of the Motorcycle. I thought about going but never did. I heard that more people attended that exhibition than any other show they had ever held at the Guggenheim. The show was heavily discussed among the motorcycling community in the greater New York area. Well, I knew that they had issued a book about the show but it was expensive so I never bought it. Now, in my capacity as the Motorcycles Guide, I find that I need to know more about the bikes that shaped the history of the motorcycle. So I finally broke down and bought a copy for my library. I was pleasantly surprised. I spent the better part of a day going through the book. It's a big one and heavy. It has over 400 pages of pictures, essays, and descriptions of the 100 or so motorcycles that were on display in 1998. Later on, I'll give you the Web site address for a small piece of the show. I'll also be making the book available in my Motorcycles Bookstore. What I want to do in the remainder of this article is give you a flavor for the types of bikes in the book. I can't go into much detail. I do want to see if I can't convince you that you need to have this book. I picked a random selection of 10 bikes that interested me. These are not the ten best or anything like that. You'd probably pick a different 10. 1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmuller: This German bike was the first referred to as a Motorrad, the German word for motorcycle. It had a 1489cc engine that was the largest made for the next 90 years. It failed in 1897 when the company finally realized that the selling price was less than what it cost to make it. 1901 Indian Single: The first Indian was made in Springfield, Mass. USA by the Hendee Manufacturing Company. In 1923, as a result of a company reorganization, the company name was changed to The Indian Motocycle Company. They purposely left off the "r" to avoid copyright and patent problems. 1922 Megola Sport: This German bike had five cylinders in a star formation in the center of the front wheel. This unusual bike is featured on the front cover of the book. 1923 BMW R32: This was the original flat-twin engine with shaft drive that put BMW into the motorcycle business with a design that has continued to the end of the 20th Century. 1940 Crocker: This was called the Duesenberg of Motorcycles. It had a 45 degree V-twin that was the forerunner of the post war custom. The president of the company offered full purchase price back to anyone who was beaten on the road by a stock Indian or Harley-Davidson. 1940 Indian Sport Scout "Bob-Job": Southern California returning soldiers bought used motorcycles, not cars. They then shortened or bobbed the rear fenders and removed the front fenders completely. They were used for speed on the dry lakes. Riders bump-started them holding on to a handle on the back of the rear seat. This style then evolved into the Chopper which has chopped off fenders and trim. By then, the handle on the back of the seat had turned into the sissy bar found on choppers. 1948 Indian Chief: This bike debuted in 1922 and was the main competition to the Harley-Davidson V-twin heavyweight. It was discontinued in 1953 when the company went out of business. 1957 Harley-Davidson Sportster XL: This was the first Harley-Davidson engine to be named the "Shovelhead." It also had the name of the bike cast into the gear-case cover, last done by H-D for the Silent Grey Fellow. 1963 Honda C100 Super Cub: This bike was also called the 50 Super Cub. It established Honda's reputation in the USA. It used plastic parts for the first time to reduce weight and cost. A total of 26 million have been made since then. 1970 Honda CB750 Four: This bike used a transverse-mounted, overhead camshaft, in-line 750 four. It remains the most popular design in use today. It had electric start, hydraulic disc brakes, and sold for a modest $1500. It made motorcycling what it is today. You may remember the Poll held on this Web site to determine the most influential motorcycle built in the last 100 years. Visitors to the Motorcycles site picked the CB750 as their number one choice. Each of these bikes contributed to the evolution of motorcycling. You'll have to read the complete book to find out all the details. That will keep you enjoyably entertained for many evenings.
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I'm kind of jealous of the life I'm supposedly leading. - Zach Braff |
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05-06-2003, 11:47 PM
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#255 (permalink) |
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green
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<KWSN> there's one where they all fly into a circle and make farting sounds
<cheerios> yup <KWSN> it makes me sad <KWSN> and another one where you get George Foreman to man the orchard <KWSN> or something <KWSN> and another one where you have to drop people on sofas or they will fall and die
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Your arms are broken! |
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05-07-2003, 06:55 PM
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#259 (permalink) |
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Cosmically Curious
Location: Chicago, IL
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"The world is so exquisite with so much love and moral depth, that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there’s little good evidence. Far better it seems to me, in our vulnerability, is to look death in the eye and to be grateful every day for the brief but magnificent opportunity that life provides" -Carl Sagan |
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05-08-2003, 08:27 AM
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#260 (permalink) |
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Addict
Location: Milwaukee, WI
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What We Believe
Unitarian Universalism is a liberal religion born of the Jewish and Christian traditions. We keep our minds open to the religious questions people have struggled with in all times and places. We believe that personal experience, conscience, and reason should be the final authorities in religion. In the end religious authority lies not in a book, person, or institution, but in ourselves. We put religious insights to the test of our hearts and minds. We uphold the free search for truth. We will not be bound by a statement of belief. We do not ask anyone to subscribe to a creed. We say ours is a noncreedal religion. Ours is a free faith. We believe that religious wisdom is ever changing. Human understanding of life and death, the world and its mysteries, is never final. Revelation is continuous. We celebrate unfolding truths known to teachers, prophets, and sages throughout the ages. We affirm the worth of all women and men. We believe people should be encouraged to think for themselves. We know people differ in their opinions and lifestyles, and we believe these differences generally should be honored. We seek to act as a moral force in the world, believing that ethical living is the supreme witness of religion. The here and now and the effects our actions will have on future generations deeply concern us. We know that our relationships with one another, with diverse peoples, races, and nations, should be governed by justice, equity, and compassion. |
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05-08-2003, 01:39 PM
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#263 (permalink) |
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Pro Libertate
Location: City Gecko
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God knows whats gonna happen'
http://www.gamespyarcade.com/support/tunnel_xbox.shtml EDIT: I thought a pix of Tammi\Sophie was gonna appear 
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[color=bright blue]W[/color]e Stick To Glass "If three of us travel together, I shall find two teachers." Confucious |
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05-09-2003, 06:45 AM
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#269 (permalink) |
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Psycho
Location: Detroit
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My army will take over the world join us or be destroyed. I am the Emperor Supreme Join the Revolution! Necrophilia - The irresistible urge to crack open a cold one |
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05-14-2003, 01:06 PM
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#275 (permalink) |
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Psycho
Location: Detroit
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http://www.mikedingleyjones.btintern...evolutions.mpg
which happens to be the matrix REVOLUTIONS trailer
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My army will take over the world join us or be destroyed. I am the Emperor Supreme Join the Revolution! Necrophilia - The irresistible urge to crack open a cold one |
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05-14-2003, 11:42 PM
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#280 (permalink) |
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Eccentric insomniac
Location: North Carolina
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26. I may not be the best looking guy here, but I'm
the only one talking to you.
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"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." - Winston Churchill "All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act out their dream with open eyes, to make it possible." Seven Pillars of Wisdom, T.E. Lawrence |
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Absolutly nothinG! mY Clipboard is empty! 
