Today in motorcycle history, November 7, 1980

     

 

 The "King of Cool", Steve McQueen, dies.

 

  I realize it's November 8 but, I was busy yesterday and everyone should know a little about Steve McQueen so, did you know...he was born Terence Steven McQueen in Beech Grove, Indiana,  moved to his great-uncle Claude's farm in Slater, Missouri, then moved to L.A., back to Slater, then he packed-up and joined a circus for a short time, quit the circus and moved back to L.A. (I know, I know, but circus-L.A. comparisons are too obvious, sorry).

 

  Did you know he was an ex-Marine?  That McQueen designed and patented the bucket seat shell for the Mustang he drove in "Bullitt" (Patent #USD219,813)?  That he earned money by competing in weekend motorcycle races at Long Island City, (Queens) with Robert Culp in  the early '50's? 

 

  His passion for dirt-bikes led to him racing in the Baja 1000, the Mint 400 and the Elsinore Grand Prix.  In 1964, with Bud and Dave Ekins, he represented the United States competing for the Silver Vase award  in the International Six Days Trials (ISDT) in Erfurt, East Germany.  With all the accolades laid upon him one of proudest moments was of being inducted in the Off-road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1978. 

 

   He had a vast collection of motorcycles, including a 1920 Indian Power-Plus "Daytona" racing bike, 1923 Indian Chief with matching "Princess' sidecar, 1934 Indian Scout, a WWII Indian 741, a 1929 Harley-Davidson Model B,  an almost unheard of Triumph Bonneville "Scrambler" and an English-built Matisse. To name but a few.

 

  As much as he loved bikes he loved flying, owning, among other aircraft, a 1945 Stearman, tail number N3188, (his student number in reform school), a 1946 Piper J3 Cub, and an award-winning 1931 Pitcairn PA-8 biplane, flown in the US Mail Service by famed World War I flying ace, Eddie Rickenbacker. 

 

  The Stones thought him cool enough to name him in song.  On  the lp, "Goat's Head Soup", "...Star fucker, star fucker, star fucker, star fucker star/ Yes you are, yes you are, yes you are/Yeah, Ali MacGraw got mad with you/For givin' head to Steve McQueen".

 

  In 2012 Triumph released a T100 Bonneville "Steve McQueen Edition". The bike was modeled after the TR6 Trophy he rode in "The Great Escape".

 

  There you go.