Today in motorcycle history, March 20, 1970

  

  

  Fabio Taglioni makes the first sketches for the layout of what will be the new Ducati V-twin. 

   In less than a month's time his drawings were completed. By July there was a running motor and in August a complete prototype motorcycle was built. Taglioni then got Leopoldo Tartarini, the founder of Italjet, to refine the styling aspects of the new Ducati.

  The decision was made by Ducati to re-enter motorcycle competition in October. Director Arnaldo Milvio and General Manager Fredmano Spairani, bith race-nuts themselves, had encouraged Fabio to develop the 750 V-twin. In 1971 five 500cc V-twins were built to compete in Italian championship and Grand Prix events. Ducati felt that this would demonstrate the bike before a large audience and gain publicity. If they won, that was a bonus.

  Despite Taglioni's strong opposition to the idea, Spairani wanted the frame to be built by well-known British frame builder Colin Seeley. They sent some prototype crankcases for Seeley to work from and Ducati's new Seeley frame was ready in February of 1971.

   In less than six months, Fabio Taglioni and his team had designed and built their own complete bike, the industry norm at the time for concept to production was three years.









  Today in motorcycle history proudly supports the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD). www.nabd.org.uk

Today in motorcycle history, March 19, 1935

  

   

  

  Monopoly the board game turns 80.

  There now 37 versions of Monopoly. These versions include, XXXopoly, Pirate-opoly, Zombie-opoly, Ocean-opoly, Chocolate-opoly, Grateful Dead-opoly and Harley-Davidson-opoly.

  The origins of Monopoly go back to the early 1900's and a game called "Landlord's Game" invented by a Quaker named Lizzie Magie. Allegedly, the game was to teach children about the evils of property speculation.

  Since then several different people have designed various versions of the game. Charles Darrow designed the version with Atlantic City street names around 1930. He distributed it under the name Monopoly and on March 19, 1935 he sold the rights to Parker Brothers. The motorcycle connection began with John Waddington's British version when they introduced a (plastic) motorcycle token in the 1950's.

  Now there are four Harley-Davidson editions. The newest Harley version incorporates buying, selling and trading motorcycles in a quest to own the most legendary bikes in Harley-Davidson history. Collectible pewter tokens include: a leather jacket, H-D logo, boot, helmet, gas tank, and Twin Cam engine.


  Then there's the dysfunctional father-son team from "American Chopper". This set also includes six collectible pewter tokens, but they differ wildly from the H-D edition. The tokens are; Paul Teutul Sr., Paul Teutul Jr., Mikey Teutel, the Black Widow chopper, Took Bike custom wheel and a welding mask.


  Now Harley-Davidson and the Teutel's have company.  The Monopoly Empire edition features a Ducati! This game comes with tokens that represent six of the brands featured in the game: the Ducati motorcycle, a Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, an iconic Coca-Cola glass bottle, an Xbox controller, a Paramount Pictures movie clapboard and McDonald’s “World Famous” french fries.

  Watch for the Sons of Anarchy edition this summer.

  Today in motorcycle history proudly supports the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD). www.nabd.org.uk

Today in motorcycle history, March 18, 2014

  
  

  From the Daytona Beach News-Journal dated March 18, 2014, I give you...

  ...The name of a Florida man’s “Cowasaki” motorcycle is not a misspelling.

  For nearly 10 years, Orange City resident Reese Moore has been using animal bones to make his sculptures.


  “I just love working with bones,” the 65 year-old Moore told the Daytona Beach News-Journal.


  Moore started making his "bone-art" back in 1995. He decided to try to “do something cool for Halloween” for his sons and made them an 8-foot T-Rex out of animal bones. The bike project started out more like a wager, when a local bar owner said that a bone motorcycle was impossible to make. Little did he know that the artist was too ambitious to give up. 

  Moore said. “I took that as a challenge and I told him I'll build you one for Bike Week." He added, " Making a "bone-bike" I figured I would need three to four cow skulls, two to three alligator skulls, some goat, wolf, raccoon, turtle, and pig bones. And two cow’s backs for the wheels. About four days later I called him up and told him he could pick up his motorcycle.”


  Reese Moore's latest creation is for sale at Dunn's Attic & Auction House in Ormond Beach for $55,000.

  In addition to Dunn's showroom, Moore’s choppers can be found at spots like a museum in Georgia and Ripley’s Believe It or Not. 

  Today in motorcycle history proudly supports the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD). www.nabd.org.uk

Today in motorcycle history, March 16, 1949

  

  

  

   Future CHiPS star, Erik Estrada, is born Henry Enrique "Erik" Estrada in New York City.

  Starting September 15, 1977, Erik Estrada co-starred as Frank "Ponch" Poncharello in the NBC TV series CHiPs. Over the next three years the highway seemed to be paved with gold for Estrada.



  Following a salary dispute with NBC in the fall of 1981, Erik was briefly replaced for six episodes by Olympic Gold Medalist, Kim and Khloe's step-dad, actor and future step-mom, Bruce Jenner as Officer Steve McLeish.

*********************************************************************************

  Erik Estrada relishes telling the story of how he gave Ed Harris a personal training lesson on a motorcycle in 1979 when the struggling actor made a guest appearance on the show, playing a one-off bad guy on the then supremely popular California cop show.

  Estrada, of course, was nearing the height of his Hollywood ego-trip playing highway patrol man Ponch on the series.

  "I remember he didn't know how to ride a bike at the time," says Estrada. "Ed asked me, 'How do I ride this?' I told him it was easy, that I had never ridden a bike before until I came onto CHiPs."  (Estrada underwent an intensive eight-week course, learning how to ride.) His advice to Harris: "Don't look down and stay in first gear or second gear. Just go slow," Estrada recalls. "He did really well. He rode that bike. And he's gone onto a great career." Estrada's other rules of the road: "Sit up straight, don't slouch and smile."

  "There's only two kinds of motorcycle riders," Estrada says. "Those who have been down and those who are going down."


  On August 6, 1979, Estrada became one of the "...those who are going down." when he was seriously injured while filming a scene on the set of CHiPs, fracturing several ribs and breaking both wrists after he was thrown from his KZ1000C Police bike.

  CHiPs was eventually canceled on July 17, 1983. 

******************************************************

  In the early 90's, Estrada played the role of Johnny, a Tijuana trucker, in the Televisa telenovela, "Dos mujeres, un camino" ("Two women, one road"). Originally slated for 100 episodes, the show went to 400-plus episodes and became the biggest telenovela in Latin American history. In 1995, he made a special guest appearance as his alter ego Ponch in Bad Religion's music video "Infected" and then in the Butthole Surfers's video for "Pepper".

  Erik Estrada now is a full-time deputy sheriff in Bedford County, Virginia and rides a Harley-Davidson Road King with the Blue Knights International Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club. But he does have an original Kawasaki KZ900 from the show, a gift from the Teamsters as a parting show of thanks. Seriously.

  Today in motorcycle history proudly supports the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD). www.nabd.org.uk

Today in motorcycle history, March 12, 1926

  

  

  

  Two-time Speedway World Champion Freddie Williams is born in Port Talbot, Wales.

  Freddie Williams began his Speedway career, like so may other riders returning from WWII, competing as a grasstrack racer. After attending training sessions at Rye House Stadium in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire, he was signed by Alec Jackson, manager for the Wembley Lions.

  Williams would ride for the Lions his entire 10-year career, a career that saw him become the first British rider to win two Speedway World titles, in 1950 and 1953.

  Freddie was a classmate of Richard Burton, and they played together on the school rugby team.

  Did you know: In 2000 female unemployment in Port Talbot was around 45%. WTF.

  Today in motorcycle history proudly supports the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD). www.nabd.org.uk

Today in motorcycle history, March 11, 1992

    

  
  

The Swedish trombonist Christian Lindberg releases his "Trombone Odyssey" CD, which includes "Motorbike Concerto" by Jan Sanstrom.

  The Live performance...

  Lindberg's world premiere of Jan Sandstrom's "Motorbike Concerto" serves as the guideline for how the piece should be performed. The audience sits facing the stage and the orchestra tuning. Suddenly, there is a loud rumble, Lindberg, clad in red leathers and straddling a white Harley-Davidson rolls onto the stage. Wasting no time, the orchestra begins with haunting chords, shrieking lower and lower, and the concerto begins.




  The CD...


1) Ballade for trombone or tenor sax & small orchestra (arr. from 'Ballade for trombone or tenor sax & piano')

2) Concerto for trombone & orchestra: I. Lento espressivo, molto rubato

3) Concerto for trombone & orchestra: II. Largo, molto cantabile

Additional Track Information Trombone Odyssey album for sale

4) Concerto for trombone & orchestra: III. Allegro grazioso

5) Concerto for trombone & orchestra: IV. Allegro

6) Symphony, for trombone (or cello) & orchestra (or piano): I. Maestoso

Additional Track Information Trombone Odyssey CD music

7) Symphony, for trombone (or cello) & orchestra (or piano): II. Agitato

8) Symphony, for trombone (or cello) & orchestra (or piano): III. Allegro deciso

9) Concerto for trombone & orchestra 'Motorbike Concerto': I. Introduktion

Additional Track Information Trombone Odyssey buy CD music

10) Concerto for trombone & orchestra 'Motorbike Concerto': II. Floridas Djungler

11) Concerto for trombone & orchestra 'Motorbike Concerto': III. Bergen i Provence

12) Concerto for trombone & orchestra 'Motorbike Concerto': IV. Australiens Regnskogar

Additional Track Information Trombone Odyssey songs

13) Concerto for trombone & orchestra 'Motorbike Concerto': V. Final

  Considered by many to be one of the best trombonists of all time, Christian Lindberg is first one to be able to maintain a successful full-time performing career as a soloist. This is only one of the over 60 CD's he has recorded.

  Today in motorcycle history is a proud supporter of the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD). www.nabd.org.uk

Today in motorcycle history, March 10, 2005

  
 

  

  The 2005 AMA/Prostar: Dynojet Horsepower Challenge is held in Valdosta, Georgia.

   And the winner is..... 

  In the Import Unlimited class - Hank Booth of Great Falls, Montana. Hank's highly modified 1999 Suzuki 1300GSXR Hayabusa with an NLR turbocharger cranked out a mind-boggling 701.32 horsepower.

  Richard Peppler, of Ontario, Canada came in second with 559.02 horses, and Glen Bertagnoli coming in third with a 445.16. All of the top three competitors were using the Suzuki Hayabusa engine.



  Highlights of other classes were Kent Stotz with 210 bhp on a turbo powered Honda in the Imported V-Twin Cruiser Open class while Don Smith tweaked his 600cc Suzuki to produce a respectable 118 bhp.




  Bragging rights in the Domestic Motorcycle Class went to Weston, Florida resident Kevin Kelly who managed to get his Harley to produce 247 bhp in the V-twin Unlimited category, narrowly ahead of Nick Trask of Phoenix, Arizona whose Harley generated 228 bhp.

  Today in motorcycle history is a proud supporter of the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD). www.nabd.org.uk