Today in motorcycle history, Janury 12, 1964

  Elvis Presley arrives on his 1957 Harley-Davidson FLH at RCA's Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, at around 6:30 p.m to begin recording.

  Elvis decides that he and everybody else is hungry and starts off this 5 hour session by sending out for a take-out order for all. After re-recording "Ask Me" and "Memphis Tennessee", from the May 1963 session, he delivers a moving performance of "It Hurts Me".

  This ballad would remain a personal favorite for several years, the 1957 Harley-Davidson panhead would remain a personal favorite right up until he died.

Today in motorcycle history, January 11, 2004

The 2004 Cycle World International Motorcycle Show makes it's stop at the Convention Center in Washington, DC, giving the Capital motorcycling population their first look at the 2-wheeled marvel,  the Triumph Rocket III.

  It appears to have very little in common with the 740cc, air-cooled, Amal-powered  BSA Rocket-3 where the name was borrowed from.  This version has a boastful 2,294 cc (140 cubic inch), fuel-injected, 12-valve,  DOHC, liquid-cooled, shaft-drive straight three, 140 bhp @ 6000 rpm.  It is 98" long and 38" wide (not for the short-legged), 774 lbs (wet) with 6.3 gallon fuel capacity.

 Triumph's hard work paid off with the critic's at least,  being awarded Motorcycle Cruiser Magazine's 2004 Bike of the Year and Motorcyclist's 2004 Cruiser of the Year.

 The 2004 Rocket III is one of the newest models to be on exhibit at the UK National Motorcycle Museum.

  Yesterday, January 10, I wrote about the only known Leo Motorcycle that was to be auctioned at Bally's Las Vegas by Bonham's Auction House. Much to my surprise it sold for only $27, 600, yet at the auction a 1978 Ducati NCR, frame no. DM860SS088923 engine no. 090013, sold for $69,000.
   Being the caring sort I am, I just thought I'd let everyone know.