Audrey

via this isn’t happiness

Interview with Chris Hunter – Bike EXIF

The two bike sites that I love to visit have just collided.  Pipburn has an interview with Chris Hunter, creator of BikeEXIF.  A thoroughly enjoyable read with plenty of interesting questions asked by Scott of Pipeburn.

Hunter comments on the lack of imagination of current Japanese bikes, life in his new home in New Zealand and offers a few predictions of future classics.  Head over to the interview here.

Chris Hunter on his Moto Guzi V7.

Around Vietnam on a Vespa

I don’t normally post much stuff about scooters but these images really caught my eye as they had a freshness and a real sense of adventure.  These photographs are from a cool little blog about an epic trip from Saigon to Hanoi by a group of Vietnamese vespa riders.  Images by photographer Qskulls.

 

via The Scooterist

Wings

via tokyo-bleep

Destino – Custom Bobber

I heard a beautiful rumble tonight of a v-twin engine as I was driving home from the city (Melbourne) and I turned around and saw this stunning bobbed out bike from Destino.  These guys are based in Wilberforce, NSW and specialise in custom order bikes.  This one  had a two tone paint job, drag bars, fat rear tire and side mounted plates, and boy did it look fun to ride.  I tried to snap a photo of it myself but it was too dark.  However, I did manage to find some pictures of it on their site.  I certainly hope to come across this bike again… maybe capture some better photographs of it.

“You’re gonna love it”.

I have finally made the upgrades to my 2009 Triumph Bonneville!  My main aim was to slim the bike down and give it the cafe racer look that it deserves.  I found the parts from four different suppliers in three different countries!  Gone are the stock lights, replaced with the oval cat-eyes tail light and mini bullet indicators.  The rear indicators are relocated to the shocks.  This has significantly cleaned up the rear and generally slimed down the look of the bike.  The clubman handlebars are from Royal Enfield and it has neither rise nor fall, giving me a more agressive riding position, but it is kinder to the wrists than clip-ons or other clubmans.  Lastly I found bar end mirrors from Moto-Deluxe on ebay which I have been very impressed with as they vibrate less than my Napoleon mirrors.  Overall, I am absolutely in love with the new look of the bike.

I had the parts installed by my mechanic Brett from Madbiker in addition to my regular service.  He texted me back with this message, “Your bike is ready & you’re gonna love it..”.  Right he was.

This is what it looked like before…

Scott Pomier stills.

via this isn’t happiness.

The Highest Pass

I’ve heard about the bike tours you can take up the Himalayas on Royal Enfields a couple of years ago and I’ve wanted to go ever since.  Now I can at least experience the adventure in more passive sense though this new documentary, “The Highest Pass”.  The metaphor of life as a journey takes a more focused view through one of the riders, Anand, who has been prophesied by his guru that he would die in an accident in his twenties.  He is 27 years old in this trek up the highest ridable road in the world

To have and to hold

via motoguru

Life Magazine: Hell’s Angels 1965

Life magazine photographer Bill Ray and writer Joe Bride spent a few weeks in 1965 to document the life of the Hell’s Angels.  Catapulting down endless highways on Harley Davidsons, braving police confrontations, their images and words gave insight into a secretive and often dangerous society built around lawlessness and bucking the status quo.  Nearly all of these images were never published until now.  Check out the images and stories at the Life Magazine site.

Modern Motorcycle Company

Here is a gorgeous poster series from Modern Motorcycle Company in Collingwood, near Melbourne’s CBD.  These two toned images are screen printed locally and produced in limited editions.  The blue and red colours of these vintage images are a nice touch, moving away from nostalgia to present the idea that these machines were creations of innovation.  Check them out in their ebay store while stocks last.

Derringer Cycles

Derringer Cycles created this magnificent road machine for Restoration Hardware.  Honda built 50cc engine, kevlar reinforced racing tyres, copper rivets and many other beautiful detailing come together to create a very desire worthy bike; chiming back to a bygone era when motorcycles were first conceived.  Check out their collection for other designs and perhaps imagine owning one of these custom creations.

via blessthisstuff.

Solus

A dream night time ride on the cafe’d Yamaha SR500.  Video by Ricki Bedenbaugh.

Lone rider

A rather cinematic photograph from Alex Wein.  Via bettertoreigninhell

Kawasaki ZRX 1200 DAEG

Trying to convince my friend to buy this bike so I can ride it.  This is the new Kawasaki ZRX 1200 DAEG, with fuel injection and improved brakes and suspension.  Cosmetically it is very similar to the original ZRX 1200R.  The fact that they are still building this bike (even if it is just in Japan only) is testament to the appeal of the unique retro design and its brute power.  Honestly, I’d be happy to ride the old version just the same.

Black Beauty

Via motoguru

Honda FTR – Cambodia

Just came back from Cambodia and bike riding in Phnom Penh is quite an experience.  There is absolutely no opportunity to gain speed as the cluttered traffic never seems to pass 60kmph.  Instead, the vehicles move as one large organism, with drivers and riders seemingly making their own paths and lanes everywhere.  It’s chaos but everyone seems to understand how it works.  Most locals rode scooters between 90cc to 125cc but the one bike that stood out for me was the Honda FTR 223.  A gorgeous stock flat tracker, not enormously powerful but perfect for dodging traffic and traversing the poorly kept Cambodian roads.  This version never came to the US nor Australia which is  a real pity.  Here are a couple that I snapped along my travels.  I can imagine it wouldn’t take too many mods to really make this bike a stunner.

Gravity

Something…

There is something both magical and frightening about this image…

via chicksonmotorcycles

Details

via motoguru