Sunday 31 July 2011

Huntsman Motorcycle Show 2011

After such a disappointing summer for weather  - it was great today to get some sunshine, and so riding my 1977 XLCR and armed with my Pentax and a 14mm lens - I set off to the annual Motorcycle Show at the Huntsman in Eridge.

This is a great annual event with live music, a BBQ, real ale and some great old bikes all ridden there - not a trailer in site.  Here are some of my favs including my XLCR.






Thursday 28 July 2011

Road Trip to Devon

In anticipation of a wonderful English Summer I arranged a weekend road trip to Devon with three local mates on their sportsters (inc XR1200), and a friend who was over from Denmark, who I loaned my Caesar Racer IV too - I rode my 1970 FLH with the Shovelhead in it.

Torquay is a favourite place of mine to go to - at 250 miles from home its the right distance for a trip and the coastal ride from Bournemouth is a treat, taking in places like Lyme Regis. We stay in Torquay for 2 nights and on the Saturday between we took all the little lanes and coastal roads down to Salcombe, and then back across Dartmoor, for a leisurely 160 mile ride.  Big nights out on the town  - great riding and company what more can you want from a weekend!

Tuesday 5 July 2011

Bill Davidson at Warrs

It was great to get a call this week to go to Warrs  (Europe's oldest Harley Dealer) to meet Bill Davidson, great-grandson of company co-founder, William A. Davidson, who is now responsible for the Harley Museum in Milwaukee.  He has been over on a tour and it was great to have a chat up on the roof of the dealership in Chelsea with a few other lucky folks.  I bought my FXD new in 1999 from Warrs which became the Caesar Racer, and my grandfather bought his Harley from there too in the 1930's, so I have always been fond of the place.




Warrs have a lift so they can get bikes up on the roof too, and on display was a fantastic build by Charlie Stockwell of a bike for Evisu Jeans, featuring their denim in nice details like cable wrap.  But the highlight for me was the exquisite engraving of the engine by an old engraver who worked for Holland and Holland (Gunsmiths) the resultant metal was then nickel plated.  The bike has now been sold to F1 Driver Jensen Button, whose lovely girlfriend was there as well.