Yesterdays

For all of you lovers of antique motorcycles...WOW...check out these pages!
Just some too cool for school. Be sure to enlarge the pictures of the engine!
Man, I am in luv...again.
Now...click on the link down below...and explore the wonderful web site...man, I could make good fodder of this place!

This bike is known as The Velocette.
Too cool for school as my kid tells me...

In 1905, a German by the name of Johannes Gütgemann and a buddy by the name of William Gue start up a company in Great Britain known as: "Taylor, Gue Ltd."
Actually, by the time Gütgemann opened the doors, he had agnlized his name to John Taylor, he later formally changed his name to Goodman.

The first motorcycle by "Taylor, Gue Ltd." was the Veloce. Later in 1905, Taylor split the company to include a vein known as Veloce Ltd, which initially produced four-stroke motorcycles. It wasn't until 1913 that they produced their first two stroke called a Velocette. This name was used for all subsequent models. In 1916, John's two boys, Percy and Eugene Goodman joined the company.

The Two Strokes...
Veloce became specialized in the two stroke engine between the years 1913 to 1925. Remaining focused on the two stroke 250cc engine, allowed them to put out expensive high quality motorbikes. They garnered excellent reputations in the scrambling world during this time, entering into such competitions as the Isle of Man TT, coming home with noticeable success in these field trials. With such advanced features of their single cylinder engines, such as a throttle controlled oil pump, it's not hard to understand how they could ask the prices they did for their machines, especially since they were winning at such trials as The Isle of Man!

Through the 1920's to the 1930's, the company went through many variations, with an active R & D department: 2speed gearboxes, 3 speed...until in 1930 they came out with the GTP model. Many say the GTP was a reliable lightweight motorcycle whose power delivery rated very good overall.

Also during this time, Veloce was working hard to grow as a company. They did this by investing heavily into R & D. They soon developed what is known as the "k" series. This was the overhead camshaft, which they built into a 350cc engine. By 1925, Veloce released this engine, and while it had it's troubles (as most new designs do) once the bugs were worked out of it, (by year's end) it too was picked up by the racing community with the KTT model. Its reliability and excellent running qualities helped make it a favorite among such field events as Brooklands Races and again the Isle of Man TT race.
The company continued to produce OHC engines for their Roadsters until 1948.





The Velocette continued to produce motorcycles into the early '70's...there is a long and elite history regarding this motorcycle...do yourself a favor and check it out...

You know, Great Briton really did a lot to advance the art of the motorcycle...it don't hurt us to learn more about these great motorcycle companies!

Yesterdays

Sarting To Pack

Just a little note here, would you say I'm anxious to ride? I've already got most of my stuff packed...shit forgot the air mattress...re-roll bed pack...sigh....









Well I still have to pack a bag of undies, 2 pair pants, 2 long sleeve T-Shirts, 2 reg. T-Shirts, 2 pairs of sock, a set of hiking shoes, my hygiene stuff...that should about do me...mustn't forget camera, extra batteries, extra photo cards, battery charger...and I think I will bring along some protein bars for snack food. Road food generally sucks in my opinion. I also have my little black pillow (I've used everything under the sun for a pillow in the past...nothing beats this tiny pillow I've found, and takes up as much room as a blow dryer. I don't own one of those, but I do own a pillow.

1st Overnighter of the Season...

Man, it's coming! March 7th, I'm packing my shit and heading out. Going up to Fisherville, VA. to attend a swapmeet there.
It will be about a five hour ride there...I'll find the campground, set up camp...get comfy...I'll orginize my pictures, my thoughts, and I'll write it all down in summary form so when I return home, I can transcripe and download all the pictures...and let y'all know about the ride...the swap meet, the people I come across...how cold I think it got at night...and just enjoy being a biker...
God love bikers too ya know...and I'm gonna enjoy riding, and meeting up with some fine biker folks in VA.

Hang in there guys and dolls...By Tuesday morning you'll be reading some great biker tales of the road!

DKW

DKW...or, Dampf Kraft Wagen. A German crafted motorcycle with quite a history.
DKW started out as a factory that produced steam fittings. It's owner, Danish engineer Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen, started the factory in Saxony Germany back in 1916. In that same year, Rasmussen tried to make a steam driven car engine. He was unsuccessful in the endeavor, but by 1917 Rasmussen had made a two stroke toy engine which he called, called Des Knaben Wunsch — "a boy's desire".



Rasmussen played around with this engine, and decided to put it into a bicycle frame, calling this newly designed bicycle: Das Kleine Wunder — "a little marvel".
The automotive world considers this move to be the true start of the DKW brand. DKW and it's motorcycle engine had become the world's most popular motorcycle, thrusting DKW into the leadership in motorcycle manufacturing.



By 1932, DKW became known as Auto Union, having joined forces with Audi, Horch and Wanderer. By 1957 Daimler-Benz bought the Auto Union brand continuing building motorycles until they sold the rights to the Volkswagon Group in 1964.



During the war years, DKW produced very famous models such as the RT 125 pre- and post World War II. After the end of World War II, it was decided that the design drawings for their two stroke engine would be doled out to Harley Davidson and BSA, this was a punishment to Germany, and was to be used as reparations. I guess it's true, "to the victor go the spoils." The HD version of the engine was known as the Hummer, and BSA called theirs the Bantam. Both of these engines are known to me, so I would guess they did pretty good off the engine designs from DKW.

BSA motorcycle, 1922

BSA motorcycle, 1922, originally uploaded by Peer Lawther.

Here's a great piece of motorcycle history...the sidecar hack.
I don't care who you are, you haven't really lived until you've ridden in a sidecar. It's actually fun. It's even more fun to watch a sidecar race...although why they would call those platforms that hang off the side of the motorcyle a "sidecar" is beyond me....

Hey check out the brakes on this BSA. wow...and the wheels! Don't you just love those spokes? What a great bike. So much about this early 20's look I love, the floorboards, check out the V-twin engine! Man oh Man...so much to enjoy here! Oh and that springer front end...sheesh...look at that great lamp? Oh my...oh my...so much more...see that cam cover? Bet that leaked oil like a sive...

Motorcycle Transportation

Motorcycle Transportation, originally uploaded by CJGilleland.

According to the poster of this picture, this is an 1885 German inventor’s idea of a motorcycle. He states the inventor attached a four stroke engine to a wooden bicycle frame and added two side wheels for stability. He states the motor had a belt of sorts which would turn the rear wheel.

Don't you think history is fickle? All the ideas that came before the so called "first" motorcycle...and we hardly ever see or hear of these pre-cursers....

Motorcycle rally, New Brighton beach, Christchurch, ca 1920

Motorcycle rally, New Brighton beach, Christchurch, ca 1920, originally uploaded by National Library NZ on The Commons.

Check this out! The New Brighton Beach Motorcycle Rally...
Ca. 1920.
Ever wonder when the biker rally really started? Me thinks that sounds like an interesting thing to start looking up...perhaps...with enough research I could come up with some plausible ideas, suggestions, or like National Geo Channel, at least come up with something that's entertaining, but won't answer a damn thing!

Whooo hooo...I think I found my subject to write on folks...hopefully in the next 2 days I will have enough information to write something that has enough mystery and intrigue to hold all our interests till the story is over?

Give me your thoughts...what cha think? You want me to "investigate" this idea? It could lead to some good stuff, or at least I could use some of my well known humor to entertain.

Looking for...

I've been on the web looking for a suitable travel log for myself. I was thinking it would be advantageous to keep a log of gas stops, what roads I've traveled between gas stops, where I ate, how I found the food, and other thoughts while stopped. Doubt if I will even mention my thoughts while riding. Those are of such a personal nature...if I'm thinking beyond my normal mode of "safety, and what's going on" around me.

I am going to be taking a lap top with me. A not so expensive "notebook" but...I do not want to be dragging that puppy out every time I stop. It makes sense to have a small notebook, where I can post my gas, the towns I stop at, what I find there, the roads I took to get there, all the hundreds of thoughts and things that are of use to the reader of these kinds of travel logs. Once stopped for the night, then the thing to do is to drag out the laptop and transcribe all the information to the laptop. Perhaps making a blog posting, or perhaps just logging it into a place, where I can go back to it in a day or two and make some kind of honorable mention in a different kind of blog that week. I dunno...

Well now here's the thing...do I spend time looking for a travel log already made up? Do I draw up my own travel and expense log by using Micro Soft tools...or do I just carry around a blank note book with me...or perhaps one of those journal books. I'm still debating. I think I'll go check out what they have over at Books a Million. They might have something that will work for my specs. I'm finicky in ways that will drive an idiot even more loony. I know what will work, and what will influence me to keep track of these things better. I'm one of those people who really hates to stop, and even when I do, it's get the gas and get the heck outta here....That's changing this season. I've decided to slow the hell way down. Take time to actually look around me and enjoy what’s there to be enjoyed.

You know, I'd like to ask you guys...have you seen a good travel log book? Have you designed your own? Do you have any suggestions? I'm not beyone asking for help from the travel weary out here in blog land. Those of you who have done this, or even just thought of doing this, and have found the "perfect" travel logging device for you?

I'm looking for some input here kiddies...boys and girls, ladies and gentlemen...
Like I've said, I think I know what I will do, but dang...if anyone has a better mousetrap than the one I've been using...I'd like to check it out...and see if it would do the trick for my circumstances...
Thanks y'all
Chessie