Today in motorcycle history, February 14, 1992

    


     

  "Hell's Belles" star and burlesque queen, Angelique Pettyjohn dies in Las Vegas, Nevada.



  Angelique Pettyjohn was born Dorothy Lee Perrins in Los Angeles, California, and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah.   

  Angelique gave us a long, long list of memorable characters, in both TV and film, from "The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.' to "Clambake" with Elvis Presley.  But, none stir my memory more than the exchanges between her and the late Adam Rourke ( "Hell's Angels On Wheels", "The Savage Seven") in "Hell's Belles"......

  "Tampa, how long you gonna play with that dumb-old thing?"

  "Cherry, baby, it ain't even broke in yet."

  "Well, neither am I."



  Hell's Belles - A Supercharged Triangle - Two Chicks....Two Guys....And One Out-of-Sight Cycle! 

Today in motorcycle history, February 13, 1989

      

  

  Another actor performs in the award-winning role of "the injured motorcyclist".  James Caan crashes his Harley-Davidson in Santa Monica, California.

  According to police reports, "Actor James Caan was hospitalized with broken ribs, minor facial lacerations and bruises after he crashed his new motorcycle Sunday in Santa Monica.", St. John's Hospital and Medical Center nursing supervisor Corinne Rogers said.

  Caan, 48, was applying the brakes of the new Harley Davidson when he lost control and crashed, according to Police Lt. Frank Fabrega.

  Known for playing "tough guy" characters, he once put the brakes on motorcycle riding opponents in "Rollerball", bruises in "El Dorado", had minor facial lacerations and broken bones in "Misery" and, of course, he was shot in "Godfather". 

Today in motorcycle history, February 12, 1987

  

  

  

  One time savior of the British motorcycle industry, Roger Dennistoun "Dennis" Poore dies in London at 70.

  Dennis Poore was a British entrepreneur, financier, and when the mood struck, racecar driver.  Matter of fact, he used his personal wealth to bankroll the founding, in 1950, of the racing journal "Autosport".  

  Twenty-years later,  Poore would sell off the propeller business from Manganese Bronze Holdings PLC and use the funds in a heroic attempt to stave off the collapse of the British motorcycle industry.  Buying engine manufacturers Villiers first and then Associated Motor Cycles (AMC), meaning iconic brands Norton, James, AJS, Matchless and Francis-Barnett were thereby all owned by the Manganese Bronze group.  

  BSA Group merged in July, 1973 in a government-encouraged "shotgun wedding" with Norton-Villiers as Norton-Villiers-Triumph (NVT) - with Dennis Poore as new NVT Chairman.  The pints were flowing in celebration as people remembered that Poore had rescued Norton from the brink of folding in the 1960's. Then BSA collapsed.  The celebratory pints went dry.  The motorcycle interests of Manganese Bronze and BSA were put into Norton Villiers Triumph Ltd, and the non-motorcycle interests of BSA were bought by Manganese Bronze.  With the purchase of BSA came its subsidiary Carbodies, builder of the FX4 London Taxi; the classic "black cab". 

  Then  when, without warning, in September Poore announced the closing of Meriden works effective February, 1974.  Of the 4,500 employees, 3,000 are to be let go.  Faced with unemployment and having their products handed over to a rival firm, the workers rose up.   This immediately starts an 18-month employee 'sit-in' and the closure of the Meriden plant.  By late 1973, all the Triumph models except the T120 Bonneville are discontinued.

  After disposing of the motorcycle manufacturing arms, Poore continued to head Manganese Bronze as a taxi and component manufacturer until his death.

Today in motorcycle history, February 11, 1935

  


  

  

  Vincent Eugene "Gene Vincent" Craddock is born in Norfolk, Virginia.  Juke boxes around the world shiver with anticipation of what's to come.

  Gene Craddock drops out of school at 17 and, with his parents blessing, enlists in the Navy in February of 1952.  Planning on a career in the military, he re-enlists, takes the money he gets for a re-enlistment bonus and buys a brand-new 1954 Triumph Tiger T110.  Then in 1955, during a July weekend, while still in the Navy, he's out riding his Triumph when a young woman in a Chrysler 300 runs a red light and broadsides him.  An ambulance rushes him into the naval hospital with a severely smashed (medical technical term) left leg.  By all accounts Craddock's doctors were considering amputation but he begged his mother not to allow the operation.  He was released from the Navy and was to spend the rest of 1955 in and out of the hospital.  His leg would be fitted with a steel brace, which would be a source of pain for the rest of his life.

  

  Gene Craddock became involved in the local music scene in Norfolk.  He swaps his name to Gene Vincent, and forms a rockabilly band called "Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps" (a term used in reference to enlisted sailors in the U.S. Navy). The band included Willie Williams (rhythm), Jack Neal (upright bass), Dickie Harrell (drums), and Cliff Gallup on lead guitar.

  In 1956 he wrote "Be Bop A Lula", which would draw comparisons to a fellow-motorcycle rider and future King, Elvis Presley (Rolling Stone magazine lists it as No. 103 on it's 500 Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Songs list). 

  Originally released as a "B-side" and aired locally but, soon the quarters began to pour into the slots of juke boxes and it caught fire on national radio stations (obscuring the original "A-side" song), and became a hit and launched Vincent as a rock 'n' roll star.

  His influence continues to be felt as evidenced by bands such as Red Pharaohs "Gene Vincent Rides a Triumph" and the BSA riding Big Tractor's "D-Cup A Lula".  In London (his much loved second home), the famous Ace Cafe holds an annual "Gene Vincent Night".

  In the word of his biography, "The Navy may have lost a sailor but, the world gained a rock 'n' roll legend."

Today in motorcycle history, February 10, 1966

  

  

   Evel Knievel and His Motorcycle Daredevils come to a nut-busting end.

  The debut of Evel Knievel and His Motorcycle Daredevils was on January 23, 1966, at the National Date Festival in Indio, California.  The second booking was supposed to be in Hemet, California, but was canceled due to a torrential downpour.  The third, and final, performance of Evel and His Motorcycle Daredevils was on February 10, 1966 in Barstow, California. 


  During the performance, Knievel attempted a new stunt where he would jump, spread eagle, over a speeding motorcycle.  Evel jumped too late and the bike hit him right in the groin, tossing him fifteen feet into the air.   He would spend nearly a month in the hospital as a result of his injuries.

  "I was sprained from the bottom of my feet to my waist."

   His "Daredevils" all quit the daredeviling act due to Evel being unable to work.

   When released, he returned to Barstow to finish the performance.  As a lone daredevil.

Today in motorcycle history, February 7, 1942

  

  


  

  

  While still at the helm of Harley-Davidson, Walter Davidson, Sr. dies in Milwaukee.

  Along with his brothers, William and Arthur, and their childhood friend William Harley, Walter Davidson, Sr. was one of the founders of Harley-Davidson and would become the company's first president. 

  Walter Davidson actually assembled the very first Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was built, but not yet assembled, by his brother Arthur and William Harley.  Legend has it that he was so excited by the new machine that he immediately left his railroad job in the southwest and found work as a machinist in Milwaukee so he could help build the business.  During the early (pre-employee) days of H-D, Walter assembled the motorcycles at night while continuing his job as a machinist during the day.

   He would give the company its first major racing victory by earning a Diamond Medal in the 1908 F.A.M. New York endurance run.  His performance in that butt-chafing run gave Harley-Davidson a great boost in name recognition and was a major selling point for a young motorcycle company trying to get a leg up. 

  Years later, as the president of Harley-Davidson, he became known for his charitable contributions but, at the same time he was known for his frugality, or cheapness, when it came to the company spending.  Once, after a business luncheon at a New York City hotel, Davidson looked at the tab, deducted his own meal and listed only the meals of his associates as a business expense.

  Davidson insisted on the highest quality standards in the motorcycles bearing the Harley-Davidson name.  He was noted for reminding his co-workers that their real employer was the purchasing public not the dollar bill.  Someone should remind Willie G.

  Harley-Davidson models up to Walter Davidson's death were - Model's 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7D, X8D, X8E, 9A, 9B, 10F, 11F, D, J, J-solo, JA, JB, JD, JDA, JDS, JE, JS, R, RL, RLD, E (knucklehead), W, WL,WLA,WLC, WLD, WR, XA and Servi-car.  Excuse me if I missed one. 

Today in motorcycle history, February 6, 1990

  

   

  Billy Idol - 'Greatest Hits' takes on a whole new meaning when he collides with a car in Hollywood, suffering a broken leg and wrist.

  Another celebrity with a bike to match their ego (too big).  While riding his 1989 Harley-Davidson, Idol allegedly ran a stop sign and hit the car about 8:30 a.m., police said.  Luckily for 1985's "Sneer of the Year", the 31-year-old woman driving the car was not hurt, Officer Don Lawrence said.

  Idol, one-time leader of the British punk band Generation X, was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he was in serious but stable condition after seven hours of surgery for a break in his right leg between the knee and ankle and a fractured left forearm. Hospital spokesman Ron Wise said the injuries were not life-threatening.

  Lawrence said police plan to file a complaint against Idol, alleging that he failed to obey a stop sign.  Hey, he's a rebel.

   

  Talking to a British tabloid reporter afterwards Billy cheerfully told them, "I had been celebrating the night before - it could have been a lot, lot worse.  My foot landed on the pavement and it tore off my heel.  But my head just missed the curb or it would have burst like a melon."

  A little punk rock trivia.....Billy Idol’s first band was actually Chelsea. In August of 1976, the kind of creepy singer, Gene October placed an ad in the British music paper, Melody Maker, leading to replies from Billy Idol (guitar), bassist Tony James and drummer John Towe. Their first gig was supporting the "avant-garde and experimental" band Throbbing Gristle at London’s ICA (Institute of Contemporary Arts). Two months later, the band split, leaving October to carry on Chelsea, while Idol, Towe and James formed Generation X.