Ted Kieper # 2

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via : www.keepercycle.com

405cc American Eagle, TT's were the most fun. 2nd year expert. I rode it in the Motordrome at Milwaukee's Summerfest in 1970 for 2 days.

Santa Fe TT 1973, Milwaukee Journal photo

Ted #3 at Aztalan 1973, Riding in the mud was alway fun and challenging.

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Tom Foster

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From his first glimpse of the lifestyle in early 70s biker films and magazines, coupled with the "Varrio" ideals of his Chino, California hometown, Tom Foster lived and breathed motorcycles and the outlaw mentality that came with them. Foster's passions rested within a lifestyle that pushed the limits of both local law enforcement and of the shovelhead motor in his first chopper. Motorcycles were about respect, brotherhood and freedom, and for Foster, they were the weapon of choice.


After years of wrenching, turning basket cases into near-death machines, Foster brought his keen eye for design and capable hands to the aerospace industry as a production engineer for Hughes Aircraft, spearheading the production of satellite network antenna systems. Days were spent in the realm of space-age technology, while long nights were dedicated to the realm of V-twin technology, chopping, twisting and giving life to his trademark, two-wheel weapons of mass destruction.



Much like a Rolex watch or an old pair of Dickies, Tom Foster strives for designs characterized by timeless and classic lines - the kind that never go out of style and celebrate function as much as form. The "Foster style" celebrates the flowing and minimalist lines of the early classic motorcycles while still reaching forward technologically. This is evidenced by Foster's "Landshark" signature style. As far as Tom Foster sees it, motorcycles are about the "go" far more than about the "show."


"Who's the bigger pimp? Not the guy cruising on the stretched, raked chopper with the massive rear tire and all the fancy paint. It's the guy spitting traffic at 90-plus and scraping it in the turns with plenty of throttle to spare. Now I can't speak for other builders, but that's who I build bikes for," says Foster.

copyright oscar2008

"It seems at some point along the way, someone decided that choppers were more an image thing to make you look cool, and all the high-speed cornering and performance riding was for sport bikes. To me, that's tragic, and it's the farthest thing from my mentality, lifestyle and riding style: splitting lanes and taking names."



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The Clash

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“When you blame yourself, you learn from it. If you blame someone else, you don’t learn nothing, cause hey, it’s not your fault, it’s his fault, over there.”

Joe Strummer of The Clash

by Eric Johnson

The Clash were an English rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk rock. Along with punk, they experimented with reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance and rockabilly. For most of their recording career, The Clash consisted of Joe Strummer (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Mick Jones (lead guitar, vocals), Paul Simonon (bass, backing vocals, occasional lead vocals) and Nicky "Topper" Headon (drums, percussion). Headon left the group in 1982, and internal friction led to Jones's departure the following year. The group continued with new members, but finally disbanded in early 1986.

Peter Howard,Mick Jones,Joe Strummer,Paul Simenon on tour, Amarillo, Texas.

The Clash were a major success in the UK from the release of their debut album, The Clash, in 1977. Their third album, London Calling, released in the UK in December 1979, brought them popularity in the United States when it came out there the following month. Critically acclaimed, it was declared the best album of the 1980s a decade later by Rolling Stone magazine.

The Clash's politicised lyrics, musical experimentation and rebellious attitude had a far-reaching influence on rock, alternative rock in particular. They became widely referred to as "The Only Band That Matters", originally a promotional slogan introduced by the group's record label, CBS. In January 2003 the band—including original drummer Terry Chimes—were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked The Clash number 30 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.


After rehearsing with Strummer for less than a month, The Clash made their debut on 4 July 1976, supporting the Sex Pistols at the Black Swan in Sheffield. The band apparently wanted to make it onstage before their rivals in The Damned—another London SS spinoff—made their own scheduled debut two days later. The Clash would not play in front of an audience again for another five weeks. Levene was becoming disaffected with his position in the group. At the Black Swan, he approached the Sex Pistols' lead singer, John Lydon (then going by Johnny Rotten), and suggested they get a band together if the Pistols ever broke up. n 29 August, The Clash and Manchester's Buzzcocks opened for the Sex Pistols at the Screen on the Green—The Clash's first public performance since 4 July. The triple bill is seen as pivotal to the British punk scene's crystallization into a movement.


In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked The Clash number 30 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time. According to The Times, The Clash's debut, alongside Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols, is "punk's definitive statement" and London Calling "remains one of the most influential rock albums". In Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, London Calling ranked number 8, the highest entry by a punk band. The Clash was number 77 and Sandinista! was number 404. In the magazine's 2004 list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, "London Calling" ranked number 15, again the highest for any song by a punk band. Four other Clash songs made the list: "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" (228), "Train In Vain" (292), "Complete Control" (361), and "White Man In Hammersmith Palais" (430). "London Calling" ranked number 48 in the magazine's 2008 list of the 100 greatest guitar songs of all time.


In John Robb's description, The Clash's debut established the "blueprint for the sound and the soul of what punk rock would be about.... The Clash were utterly inspirational, utterly positive, and they offered a million possibilities." Jake Burns of Stiff Little Fingers, the first major punk band from Northern Ireland, explained the record's impact:
The big watershed was The Clash album—that was go out, cut your hair, stop mucking about time, y'know. Up to that point we'd still been singing about bowling down California highways. I mean, it meant nothing to me. Although The Damned and the Pistols were great, they were only exciting musically; lyrically, I couldn't really make out a lot if it.... To realize that The Clash were actually singing about their own lives in West London was like a bolt out of the blue.

Discography :

The Clash (1977)
Give 'Em Enough Rope (1978)
London Calling (1979)
Sandinista! (1980)
Combat Rock (1982)
Cut the Crap (1985)

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The Saturday clip : Scott Pommier

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ENCO Gladiator 700 GT Biturbo

ENCO Exklusive is not as famous as a number of other German tuners but their work speaks volumes. The latest project to come from the city of Chemnitz is this ENCO Gladiator 700 GT Biturbo that's based on the Porsche Cayenne Turbo.

The Gladiator is preceded by the ENCO 550 GT Biturbo with 405kW (550hp). Thanks to larger turbos, sport catalytic convertors, an ENCO-designed sport exhaust system with manifolds and other modifications, power gains were made.

A maximum of 700 horses (515kW) has been released to accompany the 850Nm of torque sent to all four wheels. Zero to 100km/h is achieved in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 290km/h is possible. All that from a 2.5-tonne SUV. Stopping power comes from 410mmx36mm brake disks and 12-piston callipers up front and 380mmx32mm disks with 4-piston callipers at the rear. Black and red ENCO Jura alloy rims sized 11" x 23" are fitted inside 315/25R23 Dunlop Sport Maxx GT tyres.

Exterior kit includes daytime running lights, a front apron, a carbon fibre bonnet, a roof spoiler with air flow openings and side skirts. Inside there are four carbon fiber race seats (from the 911 GT3) covered in leather/Alcantara and a roll cage. The black and red theme is carried through the interior carbon fibre fittings on the centre console, door lining and steering wheel among others.

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Audi TT-RS with 460hp by AVUS

Avus Performance has unveiled a new tuning package for the Audi TT-RS.

Dubbed the "new Ur-Quattro," the car features a modified ECU, a revised turbocharger, and a high performance exhaust system with racing catalysts. While this doesn't sound like much, the changes enable the 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine to produce 460 bhp and more than 472 lb-ft (639 Nm) of torque. In terms of performance, the car accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.8 seconds and the top speed is a breathtaking 194 mph (312 km/h).

For comparison, the standard TT-RS "only" has 340 hp and 332 lb-ft (450 Nm) of torque. It runs from 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds, before topping out at an electronically limited 155 mph (250km/h).

Avus also equipped the car with an adjustable coilover suspension (€1299), a matt black vinyl wrap (€1999), and gloss black 20-inch Sportec Mono wheels outfitted with 255/30/20 Hankook S1 Evo tires.

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1947 Water Cooled Drake Harley Davidson

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via : the kneeslider

A couple of years ago, there was a midget racer with a Drake water cooled Harley Davidson engine for sale. The car looked really nice but you could barely see the engine. I just noticed, there is another one of these for sale, but this time the car is all apart and the engine is shown very clearly.


The cylinders are completely covered in water jackets with all of the associated plumbing necessary to carry the coolant. You have to wonder, with all of the strict emission controls on engines these days and the difficulties that come with keeping an air cooled engine clean, maybe Harley could just go back to the Drake. Sure would save on engineering costs. ... Only kidding!








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RSK (Type 718)

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via : hillmanimages.com


Porsche Type 718 RSK
The further development of the 550 with much nicer lines but the same form factor was the Type 718 RSK which first appeared in 1957. It had the same wheelbase as the 550A but a lower body. The earliest versions had vertical fins on the rear fenders.

- Chassis 718-005
- First in class 3rd overall, driven by Behra/Herrmann at the 1957 Le Mans.
- This car was originally fitted with fins.

Models still racing:

- The rear suspension was coil over dual action Koni shocks.
- Tubular steel frame with aluminum body skins.

Monterey Historics, 2000.

No. 17. Eduardo Baptista. Seen at Monterey Historics, 2001.

You must take time to visit this fabulous website, you're a Porsche lover or not but this guy is amazing.
All pictures copyright hillmanimages




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Davida

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This article was written by Nick Berkeley, a freelance journalist and photographer based in England and a longtime friend of Hell For Leather.


Less well known - but of increasing significance - is the extent of Davida's relationship with safety. There's still an assumption that open face helmets are little better than a chamber pot when it comes to protection. These days the Davida style comes with safety: their Jet (the top of the range model) has the same EEC accreditation as the most expensive full face helmet out there, and the company comply with national standards worldwide.


Like several other notable British companies, Davida's manufacturing roots can be traced back to the '70s and the emergence of unwieldy Japanese behemoths on our unsuspecting highways, laying the foundations of the superbike technology that has dominated motorcycling ever since. Stopping and turning 'em was quite another matter: enter Harris and Spondon in the UK with bespoke frames to contain the Zeds and big CBs. Plus one David Fiddaman. Fiddy and a couple of mates - including Alan Davenport, currently head of design at Davida - started fabricating swing arms in a shed next door to his mum's house in the Wirral, on the other side of the tracks to the docks.

Mike Hailwood, Tommy Robb, Jim Adams. Hutchinson 100 Silverstone 1959. Photo: Nick Nicholls. Collection. Mortons Media Group Ltd

By the early '80s, Japan was experiencing domestic demand for traditional pudding basin lids: it was one of those curious retro fashions that the Japanese suddenly and inexplicably take to with fanatical enthusiasm. There was no credible home grown product in the land of the rising sun, but the market was there. Fiddy started exporting another manufacturer's helmet to fill the gap. Before grasping the real opportunity: manufacturing them himself. Davida was suddenly a viable business.


The same basic principals are followed to this day. The shells are sub-contracted out to specialist GRP manufacturers; glass reinforced plastic making is a tricky business requiring highly specialized plant. The foam likewise; Davida add to the manufacturer's quality control procedures by testing the materials themselves (finished helmets are regularly submitted to the appropriate authorities for ongoing testing, a requirement of the EEC standard). What happens in Birkenhead is that the shell, the foam, the liner and the leather are put together to create the product, which is completed by the artwork - all done by hand, in-house. You can order your own bespoke paint job, or choose from the thirty or so classy designs available for each product. The resurgence of retro in Europe and the expanding cafe racer scene in the States have cemented Davida's place in the pantheon of biker ware: the lids are also very popular with riders of contemporary Italian nakeds. Their range is complimented by an array of eye-ware: goggles, open face visors, shades with interchangeable lenses.


The best bit is that you can contact Davida and send em your own design: not only it cracking value, your lid will benefit from the very latest paint technology, materials and a degree of quality control seldom found in the world of custom spraying. It is impossible to imagine Arai or Shoei offering the same service, or bettering the finish.

Nick Berkeley



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Scott Pommier

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slo ride Clayton riding Panhead

Scott Pommier’s interest in photography began when he started using his mother’s semi-automatic SLR to take pictures of his friends skateboarding.

Indian chief polaroid

Since then, he has shot covers for every major skateboarding publication and now divides his time between his position as a senior photographer for SBC Skateboard magazine, a variety of editorial and commercial jobs, a book project to be completed next year, and spending more hours either behind the wheel or in front of the computer than he ever imagined possible.
Scott is currently a Venice, California resident.

Darren burnout dirtbike

Chasing Thunder

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The Boozefighters

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by Eric Johnson

The Boozefighters

It was 1946 when an individual named Willie Forkner crashed through a fence during a race in El Cajon, California and joined in the fun. The club he was in did not find it funny so they kicked him out.

Some original Boozefighters members

Well Willie took it in stride and went about finding other outcast veterans who found life back in the States overwhelmingly dull. He didn't have to look long or far. Fatboy Nelson, Dink Burns, George Menker and more than a few others were ready for a change in some of the formalities of the clubs at the time.
It is said that the club was actually formed at the All American Bar, in the blue-collar town of South Gate in Los Angeles. A fitting name for a group that consisted of many Veterans of the great War, they had been there, done that so to speak and the quiet life just wasn't in them...

A REAL motorcycle ! 1946 FL Knucklehead...

So “Wino” Willie Forkner joined these men together and formed "The Boozefighters" (BFMC). The group pushed the limits of their bikes and themselves, racing to extreme speeds and pushing the danger envelope. As the group's name suggests, you can be sure there was no lack of the forbidden fruits of hops, barley, and wine. This combination of speed and liquor helped the Boozefighters obtain a less than desirable reputation with the common folk.

Just Rob, some hot chic as well as Boozefighters and the general public
stop by the Russellville bar on one of our Poker Runs.

The media took that reputation to the next level when the BFMC attended the infamous Hollister, CA Fourth of July party of 1947. The party got out of hand when some juiced up members of the BFMC were arrested for drinking and street racing. That incident provided much of the inspiration for the film The Wild Ones, which starred Marlon Brando. In fact, Wino Willie was believed to be the inspiration for "Chino," Lee Marvin's character in the film. Together the Hollister “riot” and the film jump started the outlaw motorcycle club scene.




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The Legend of the Making of Rendezvous

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by Eric Johnson


The backdrop…
The film Rendezvous features a white knuckled eight-minute drive through Paris in the early hours of the morning (05:30hrs), accompanied by sounds of a high-revving engine, gear changes and squealing tires. It starts in a tunnel of the Paris Périphérique at Porte Dauphine, with an onboard view from an unseen car exiting up on a ramp to Avenue Foch. Well-known landmarks such as the Arc de Triomphe, Opéra Garnier, and Place de la Concorde with its obelisk are passed, as well as the Champs-Élysées. Pedestrians are passed, pigeons sitting on the streets are scattered, red lights are ignored, one-way streets are driven up the wrong way, center lines are crossed, the car drives on the sidewalk to avoid a garbage truck. The car is never seen as the camera seems to be attached below the front bumper (judging from the relative positions of other cars, the visible headlight beam and the final shot when the car is parked in front of a curb on Montmartre, with the famous Sacré Cœur Basilica behind, and out of shot). Here, the driver gets out and embraces a young blonde woman as bells ring in the background, with the famous backdrop of Paris.



Shot in a single take, it is an example of cinéma-vérité. The length of the film was limited by the short capacity of the 1000 foot 35mm film reel, and filmed from a (supposedly) gyro-stabilised camera mounted on the bumper of a Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9. A photo has surfaced that seems to reveal an Eclair cam-flex 35mm camera with a wide angle lens, and a typical "speed rail" hard mount - no gyros - on a Mercedes. This model, which could reach a top speed of 235 km/h (146 mph), was only available with a 3-speed automatic transmission. Yet, one can hear gear changes up into 5th, as well as heel-and-toe down-shifting with a high-revving engine indicating speeds of well over 200 km/h. Calculations made by several independent groups showed that the car never exceeded 140 km/h (85 mph), while another estimated that the car had peaked at 220 km/h (136.7 mph). Lelouch himself claimed that the top speed achieved was over 200 km/h, somewhere between 230 km/h and 240 km/h.[3] It is suggested that the soundtrack was dubbed with the sound of Lelouch's Ferrari 275GTB, which has a corresponding number of gears and a V-12 sound that is quite distinct from that of any V8, including the 6.9 liter V8 of the alleged Mercedes camera car.



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Jolly Roger Motorcycle Club

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This photo, the earliest known group shot of the J.R.M.C., from the Stockinger collection, was in a group of 1944 photos. It shows the Jolly Roger Motorcycle Club on street bikes just prior to a run. Notice how young they all are. The club was formed by Highline High School graduates. There doesn’t appear to be a club uniform yet though it is possible that the weather was cold enough that they’ve covered up their club shirts (they didn’t wear back patches yet).


Notice the flyers “helmets” and goggles and one rider with the club cap. So far the only rider I’ve been able to identify is Larry “Poke” Poitras who is on the 7th bike from the left. His bike sticks out further than the rest of the lineup. Larry isn’t wearing a hat. Nearly all the bikes are Harley Davidsons though at least one Indian (3rd from left) is present.


The first bike with the custom painted tank is a 1940 flat head (probably a 45). I think the first rider is Ken Bulen and that might be Lila he’s hugging. I’m also thinking the 2nd rider is Woody Combs with his future wife. I’ll keep working on identification but that’s my working hypothesis for now. Photo was taken by Jean Stockinger who labelled it, “gang at the XXX 1944″


Our early members were all-rounders. They raced TT, did hillclimbs and road runs. They lived life to the fullest. I’m posting this photo by itself to honor this earliest known representation of the Jolly Rogers Motorcycle Club. It is an absolutely fantastic photograph and reminds us of the great history we J.R.M.C. bikers of 2009 are linked to. Next time we go for a group ride consider that we are still riding down the roads that they followed all those many years ago. You can almost hear them firing up those old American Irons and then tearing out of that parking lot and down the highway……..






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Toyota Prius by Tommy Kaira and ASI

Eco-friendly cars are the talk of the town for the moment. Every manufacturer is either producing one or planning to. Toyota is an acknowledged leader in the field with its Prius hybrid as well as others. Few respected tuners have embraced the green thing so far, unless they are based in Japan where it almost seems the government has a decree forcing tuners to work on "green" cars as well.

How else do you explain the flurry of activity coming from enviro-friendly garages around the country? This Prius done by Tommi Kaira is but one of these. It features low front lips, big front air dams shaped like those of an Audi R8, thick rims, wide side skirts and a new rear bumper. The Prius logo is missing, as is the discretion normally linked to the car. Most striking though are the four tailpipes which do not in any way suggest "green". In fact they have the opposite effect on the eye.

Cars like the GT-R or the Impreza STI are well-suited for power and body upgrades. They are expected to pollute the eardrum along with the planet, and their fans love them for it. Prius and Honda Insight are quite different simply because of the statement they make.

There certainly is a future in eco-tuning (new word for you) but no one is quite sure what it looks like. That's perhaps why cars like this one could be discarded in current tuning circles. One such tuner is Ben Schaffer, owner of Bespoke Ventures. His company is a major American/international parts distributor and marketer for top Japanese tuning brands (KenStyle, Top Secret). Schaffer's view is that eco is good yes, but it has no place in the world of powerhouses like the R35 GT-R. Moderation is the key instead of jumping on the bandwagon. He reminds his fellow competitors/colleagues not to lose sight of their core business and enthusiasm which is sports cars.

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