Friday, November 30, 2012

Dream Bikes






Via the Amazing Rick Willmore photostream. Rick is from Papakura, New Zealand. 

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Velocette Venom Thruxton





With its Amal GP carb (requiring a special cut out in the fuel tank), big valve head with downdraft inlet tract, rear sets, clip ons, close ratio 4 speed gear box, alloy rims and big front brake, the Thruxton was the ultimate incarnation of the might Velocette Venom and the last of the big British singles.

Introduced in 1965 and named after the Thruxton 500 endurance race in honour of the racing success that Velo achieved there, it is also worth mentioning at this point that a Velocette Venom Clubman still holds the 24 hour average speed record for a motorcycle, which was set in 1964 at Montlhery under truly incredible circumstances (read here with Paul D'Orleans for more information).





Thank you to the wonderful Megadeluxe for the reminder about the fantastic machine.

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René Burri

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René Burri is a Swiss photographer best known for his portraiture of Pablo Picasso and Che Guevara as well as his images of Brazilian cities. A member of Magnum Photos since 1955 (full member since 1959) his beautiful black and white images are something that I aspire to creating.






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In Cold Blood

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"In Cold Blood" is a 1966 novel by Truman Capote about the brutal murder of the prominent Clutter family in rural Kansas, the pursuit of the suspects, eventual capture and trial. Considered by many to be the first non-fiction novel and telling the story from multiple angles including those of the killers, it is one of the most captivating books I have read by one of the truly great authors.

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Neil's Norbsa Sidecar





A picture of Neil as a Sidecar Racer when he was young and silly. This picture was taken in the early seventies at Cadwell Park. He is on the sidecar and the driver is the late, great, Des Brocklehurst. The engine was one they had built themselves and was a 750 Bsa/Norton. They won this particular race.

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Renault 5 Turbo Group B






The Renault 5 Turbo was introduced as a road car in 1980 and won the Monte Carlo Rally on it's first competition outing in 1981 at the hands of Jean Ragnotti. It was a force to be reckoned with during the golden age of rally known as group B, even against the 4 wheel drive legends of the Audi Quattro and Lancia Delta S4.





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Bowie Knife




Wheatley Bros Sheffield antler handled Bowie knife. Source 

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The Villa Kiani





Iranian architect, Makan Rahmania has completed designed a beautiful villa which is located in Mohammad Sharh, Karaj-Iran. He designed this villa incorporation with Kamran Heirati. The villa design which called the Villa Kiani is a luxury villa design. They designed this villa in Mohammad Sharh region, an area near Karaj City in Iran. Source

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Brys Bonnal Photographer





Naturalist: Born in Laghouat, Algeria at the heart of the Sahara in 1966, Brys Bonnal has pursued his love of the study of the wildlife and the protection of nature from an early age.

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

750cc Streetfighter Extraordinaire

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Billow 1970 Commando | 750cc Streetfighter Extraordinaire

As seen on NYC Norton blog – Peter Billow initially came to NYC Norton for a simple motor build of a 750 Commando he’d acquired, delivering parts to us in milk crates. From there developed a wonderful amalgam of Peter’s aesthetic vision and NYC Norton’s focus on tuning and performance. The final result is… Badass. We’re fortunate to have many bikes come through our shop doors, but without question, this bike has more hair than any other we’ve seen that still retains a license plate.

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No Comment





A U.S. Marine shows a message written on the back of his flack vest at the Khe Sanh combat base in Vietnam on Feb. 21, 1968 during the Vietnam War. The quote reads, “Caution: Being a Marine in Khe Sanh may be hazardous to your health.” Khe Sanh had been subject to increased rocket and artillery attacks from the North Vietnamese troops in the area. (AP Photo/Rick Merron)

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Saltwater Crocodile





The saltwater crocodile, also known as the estuarine or Indo-Pacific crocodile, is the largest of all living reptiles. This is a formidable, opportunistic and adaptable predator who has a considerable range. It is found in suitable habitats from Northern Australia through Southeast Asia to the eastern coast of India, historically ranging as far west as off the eastern coast of Africa and as far east as waters off of Japan.

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Where i would like to be Today





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Monday, November 26, 2012

Cyril Smith a Tragic Race Star





Former Desert Rat Mr Smith was twice mentioned in wartime despatches and photographed with Field Marshal Montgomery for his work venturing into German minefields to recover knocked-out British tanks. Always a keen motorcycle racer, he finished second in the 1952 Swiss Grand Prix, three weeks after breaking his collarbone and fracturing his skull while practising for the Belgium Grand Prix.

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Saturday, November 24, 2012

Taureau de Combat





The Spanish Fighting Bull (Toro Bravo, toro de lidia, toro lidiado, ganado bravo, Touro de Lide) is an Iberian heterogeneous cattle population. It is primarily bred free-range on extensive estates in Southern Spain, Portugal and Latin American countries where bull fighting is organized. Fighting bulls are selected primarily for a certain combination of aggression, energy, strength, and stamina.

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Friday, November 23, 2012

1974 RR350 Racer




Pictures © Nick Keating

As a collector of antique motorcycles Nick Keating's dad has brought in some pretty cool bikes over the years, this one, a 1974 Harley Davidson Racer is one of 26 originally made, and one of only a couple still known in the world. With thoughts of selling it soon, Nick and his Dad found an abandoned factory for an impromptu photo shoot.

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Philip Johnson Glass House




Pictures source : strollingaroundny

Philip Cortelyou Johnson was born in Cleveland, Ohio in 1906. Following his graduation from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design in 1943, Johnson designed some of America’s greatest modern architectural landmarks. Most notable is his private residence, the Glass House, a 47-acre property in New Canaan, Connecticut.

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Alexander McQueen Boots





Alexander McQueen High top leather boots in dark brown. Round toe. Tonal panel with three pin buckle closures at ankle. Elasticized panel at inner side. Tone on tone stitching. Leather upper, leather sole. Made in Italy.

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DB Le Mans





The DB Le Mans (later also sold as the René Bonnet Le Mans and René Bonnet Missile) is a fibreglass-bodied two-door sports car with front-wheel drive, built in France from 1959 until 1964. Originally equipped with Panhard two-cylinder boxers, the cars built by René Bonnet had Renault four-cylinder engines. The car, with pronounced tailfins and more comfortable than previous efforts by DB was aimed squarely at the US market.

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Thursday, November 22, 2012

Oil Stained Brain Custom Motorcycle Exhibition





On November 3rd and 4th Melbourne played host to the first ever Oil Stained Brain custom motorcycle exhibition. The exhibition was a showcase of 24 backyard built custom motorcycles, a low brow art exhibition and a series of motorcycle short films and documentaries from around the world. With over 2000 people passing through the doors over the 2 day event and a sell out launch party the exhibition was a resounding success and plans are already in place for 2013.

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