For many riders a motorcycle is not merely a toy, but a doorway to adventure and a tool for travel, commuting and skill building. It’s a focus for intellectual growth and an opportunity for learning. That learning takes place not just on the road but in the garage, where even amateur mechanics quickly learn that the tools they hold can be as useful, enlightening and … [Read more...]
Super Rat Trident Café Racer
For Carl Bjorklund of Bellingham, Wash., the 1970 Triumph Trident basket case leaning in the corner would replace his Norton café racer . . . some day. In August 2009, a nudge from friend Young Pon got the wheels rolling. “I knew my next café racer was going to be a Trident,” Bjorklund said. “That basket and frame had been sitting for years. Young just said ‘yeah, let’s do … [Read more...]
GB1200R British-Style Custom Sportster
Brian Laine loved the idea of a low-vibration, long-distance Harley Sportster, so when the rubber-mount model appeared in 2004, he bought one. But Laine decided a few styling cues drawn from his collection of British bikes would set his XR1200R apart from the crowd. The result is a subtle custom the Arlington, Wash. native calls the GB1200R. Mechanics are all stock, but … [Read more...]
Triumph Trackmaster Street Tracker
A 1974 Trackmaster frame he scored from a U.S. Air Force man returning from England gave Jerry Ennis the last piece he needed to complete this sanitary Triumph street tracker. Ennis added a few rare nifty bits from his collection and produced a bike that drew crowds when he rolled it out April 19 at the Washington Vintage Motorcyclists swap meet in Mount Vernon, … [Read more...]
Tilting V-Max Trike by Tilting Motor Works
Bob Mighell of Stanwood, WA set out to build a machine safer than a two wheeler that could still carve the turns like a bike. He rolls out his latest version at the Cycle World show in Seattle on November 30. After years of trials with an ‘underpowered’ proof of concept machine, a three-wheeled Honda Rebel 250, Mighell (pronounced ‘mile’) has solved his power problem with a … [Read more...]
The Kneeslider – Guest Contributor Walt Greenwood
The Kneeslider welcomes Walt Greenwood to our steadily growing group of contributors. Walt found an interesting bike up in his neck of the woods and when he sent in a photo, I smiled right away and told him to put something together, I'll bet a few of you will get a kick out of it, too. His first story addresses all of those tilting 3 wheeler fans craving just a wee bit more … [Read more...]