Today in motorcycle history, April 3, 2002

  And you thought some of the crap that comes out of the television "chopper" shows are bad...this is like what would happen if the Teutul's were left alone with a "Bedazzler"...

 

 

   From the joint press-release (so don't blame me):

 

Kawasaki NINJA® ZX-12R Motorcycle Gets Star Treatment
With SWAROVSKI Crystals

 

   Kawasaki, USA teamed up with Leeora Catalan, lead designer for the esteemed accessories and fashion house Noir by Catalan, to create a one-of-a-kind Kawasaki NINJA® ZX-12R motorcycle almost entirely encrusted with SWAROVSKI Crystals, some as small as 1/8" in diameter.

   The unique collaboration between the New York designer and Kawasaki motorcycles evolved when Noir and three other prestigious designers -- Narciso Rodriguez, Tarina Tarantino, and As FOUR -- were invited by SWAROVSKI to create their own unique trend interpretations for the new SWAROVSKI 2002 Crystal Novelties collection. Noir was assigned the theme "Extra".

   "To showcase Noir's design, we wanted the hottest, most futuristic sportbike out there," said Ms. Catalan. "We envisioned the crystal-sheathed Kawasaki NINJA ZX-12R as the ultimate interpretation of the new SWAROVSKI 2002 collection, as well as our own eclectic red-carpet design philosophy."

   The resulting NINJA ZX-12R motorcycle - hand-studded with over 50,000 transparent and colored SWAROVSKI crystals - will be the glittering focal point at a media launch event for SWAROVSKI's Spring/Summer 2002 Crystal Novelties Collection. The April 18 event, hosted by Nadia SWAROVSKI of SWAROVSKI Crystal at the Skybar in West Hollywood, includes a VIP guestlist of celebrities, fashion and general media, industry influentials, and other highly respected designers in the markets that support SWAROVSKI Crystals.
   The SWAROVSKI-covered NINJA ZX-12R sportbike was also showcased at an East Coast media event on April 3rd at the Hudson Hotel in Manhattan.'

 

   What's next?  A chinchilla Ducati?  A gold Harley with a sterling silver sidecar lined with velvet?

 

 

 

Today in motorcycle history, April 2, 1969

BSA's famous 1969 "Girly Advertising."

  To kick off the 1969 BSA advertising campaign,  USA BSA vice-president Don Brown got an agreement from AMA President Bill Berry to officiate record attempts with the Rocket 3 at Daytona International Speedway.  BSA leased the Speedway April 2-5 and hired Dick Mann, Yvone Duhamel, and Ray Hempstead to be the riders for the long-distance speed record attempts.  These attempts were being made because the BSA service manager, Herb Nease, said he thought the Rocket 3 bike could go as fast as 130 mph if it was set up carefully to exact factory specs.  That got Don's attention because he had a huge respect for Herb's opinion when it came to speed.  And, lo and behold, he was right, with a certified kick-ass lap speed of 131.790 mph for the 2.5 mile oval, set by Yvon.   Numerous other distance and speed records were also set, like 124.141 for 200 miles.  In those days nobody else was even close to those speeds until Kawasaki’s Z1 surpassed them at Daytona in 1972, but then only by a relatively small margin.  However, the Kawasaki records were approved by the FIM, which certified them as world records.  The BSA records were certified at the 1969 AMA Competition Congress as being set by standard production motorcycles.

1969 April 2-5 Daytona records; Motorcyclist June, 1969

The four bikes used to set the records were certified by the AMA as being absolutely to factory specifications, except they used K81 Dunlop tires front and rear.  The front ribbed tire that came standard would not have endured the heat of high speeds on that track in April.  Also, Brown had the standard handlebars replaced with shorter ones, and the front fender was removed because it didn’t allow enough clearance for the K81 tire.  That was it, and the project was a big success, according to the July 1969 Cycle Magazine.  It might not have saved the Rocket 3 from dying in the market, but it did cause the market to believe that the BSA version was faster than the Triumph version and, at that time, that was all that mattered.

 

 

 

Ogle Design toaster    On a side note - The square tanks?  BSA had its own designers at Umberslade but, for some unknown reason they retained Ogle Design, a design house located in Letchworth, to style the new triples.  Ogle had racked up design awards for toasters (which are now big collectors’ items in England) but what were their credentials for designing motorcycles?  Why did they get design awards for motorcycles that were generally disliked?  These are big mysteries still.

Today in motorcycle history, April 1, 1986

   Having beaten the likes of Triumph, Bultaco, Maico, Greeves and CZ on the World Motocross GP circuit, Husqvarna thought it seemed it could make an easy transition into the American market where the sport of motocross was seriously lagging behind.  In January of 1966, Edison Dye imported two Husqvarna 250cc machines and gave them to Malcolm Smith and John Penton.  Then in the fall, Dye brought over someone who could fully demonstrate the potential using the proper riding style and techniques.  Torsten "Mr. Motocross" Hallman.  The Swedish Sensation won every race he entered in what became known as the '23-Moto Streak' – an exhibition of superiority that ignited Americans’ imaginations and put Husqvarna on the map in the US. 

 With racing success came sales ($$$) in America and abroad, but Husqvarna’s management was content to rest on its laurels, refusing to make a 125cc machine despite the pleading of Penton and Dye.

 

  Remember kids, management always knows what's right, never question it.

  Husqvarna began constructing a new plant for its motorcycle production, called M73, but the vision was never realized.  Swedish home-goods powerhouse, Electrolux, purchased Husqvarna in 1977.  Electrolux never really wanted the motorcycles and only took them as part of the deal and after realizing the money to be made in chainsaws, it headquartered that effort at M73.  Motorcycles were split off into their own division, Husqvarna Motorcycles AB, and transferred nearly 50 miles away to a woodshed in Odeshog.

  Soon Husqvarna became the target acquisition for CAGIVA, a conglomerate owned by the Castiglioni brothers, Gianfranco and Claudio, which made a habit of purchasing small European brands including Aermacchi, Moto Morini and MV Agusta.  A young company with grandiose visions of its role in the world motorcycle economy, Cagiva purchased Husqvarna on April 1, 1986, taking complete control three months later and eventually moving the entire operation to Varese, Italy.

Torsten Hallman

 

 

  From the moment CAGIVA took over operations of Husqvarna it was obvious that quality was not a prority.  With sales plummeting and their hard-earned reputation fading, Husky was about to enter two of the darkest decades in their history.

 

Fortunately, BMW bought Husqvarna in 2007 and began the long ride to resuming pride and honor to one of the greatest names in off-road motorcycles in history.

Today in motorcycle hstory, March 29, 1983

Tragedy strikes the Bugatti Circuit during the 1983 French Grand Prix.  During a free practice Japanese  rider Iwao Ishikawa is killed when his Suzuki collides with Loris Reggiani's Aprilia at the Virage de la Chapelle.     Sadly, the French MotoGP also claimed the life of the 1982 Champion, Swiss rider, Michel Frutschi when his Honda went down on April 3.  Both riders were in the 500cc class.         Bugatti Circuit or Circuit des 24 Heures, also known as Circuit de la Sarthe, located near Le Mans, France, is a semi-permanent race course. The track uses local roads that remain open to the public most of the year.   Le Mans is a race where up to 85% of the time is spent on full throttle, meaning immense stress on engine and drivetrain components. However, the times spent reaching maximum speed also mean immense stress on the riders.

Today in motorcycle history, March 27, 1979

                                          

 

 

  Philip Conrad Vincent dies in Ashford, Middlesex, England.  Flags are hung at half-mast at garages and racetracks around the world.

 

 

  Philip Conrad Vincent was born in Wilbraham Gardens, Fulham on March 14, 1908.  Seemingly born with an unusually keen interest in motorcycles, so keen that by the time he was 18 he had his own workshop and was designing and building his own machines.   It was there that he developed his first "Vincent Special" and at the age of 20 he had a registered a patent for his design of cantilever rear suspension.

 

  Phil formed his first company with Frank Walker and Australian Phil Irving.  Howard R. Davies, founder of HRD and winner of the 1924 Senior Isle of Man TT, was on the verge of bankruptcy and in 1928 Phil acquired the trademark and remaining HRD tooling and parts for a song. They agreed to change the company name to Vincent HRD Co., Ltd., and the logo appeared with Vincent in very small letters over the top of the bold HRD.

  In 1928, the first Vincent-HRD motorcycle used a JAP single-cylinder engine in a Vincent-designed cantilever frame.  But after the 1934 Isle of Man TT, with numerous engine problems and all three entries failing to finish, Phil Vincent and Phil Irving threw out the idea of using JAP engines and decided to build their own.  A wiser business decision may have never been made.  In 1935 the first Vincent powered motorcycle, the 499 cc Comet model was introduced. It was then followed by the ass-kickin' 998cc Series A Rapide in 1936.  As with a lot of  British manufacturers, production was halted during WWII.  At the end of the war Phil Vincent and Phil Irving designed the seriously-fast Series B Rapide model.

 

 

  Then in 1948 at the Vincent works, Great North Road, Stevenage, Hertfordshire, the liver-quivering Black Shadow was introduced.  With relatively minor modifications, such as enlarged ports, bigger carburetors and increased compression, the Black Shadow featured several other innovations, such as "Girdraulic" front forks – which were girder forks with hydraulic damping, a sprung rear sub-frame, the extensive use of aluminium alloy and a unit construction stressed engine.  It weighed in at a relatively light 458 lb, which was about the weight of a 500cc bike at the time.

 

  In 1949 the HRD logo was dropped to prevent confusion with the "HD" of Harley-Davidson in the all-important American Market.

 

  A little known fact - inspiration for the Black Shadow was Royal Air Force pilots flying over the factory, and soldiers serving in the war.  Vincent and Irving wanted to create a motorcycle that could be operated and maintained by men who had been injured in combat.  The clutch could be operated with just two fingers, and maintenance was made far easier than anything previously available. 

 

 

  1949 The Motor Cycle magazine held a competition for the first successful all-British attempt on the World Speed Record, held since 1937 by BMW at 173.54 mph.  Reg Dearden, a motorcycle dealer at Chorlton-cum-Hardy in Manchester fitted a supercharger to a brand new Black Lightning and made extensive modifications including strengthening and lengthening the frame by about 6 inches (15 cm).  Phil Vincent personally supervised the work. The result increased the World Record to 180.29 mph.

 

 

  Hunter S. Thompson once wrote that, "If you rode the Black Shadow at top speed for any length of time, you would almost certainly die."

     

Today in motorcycle history, March 26, 1971

 

  Everyone's favorite daredevil, Evel Knievel, begins a three-night stay at the Chicago International Amphitheatre.

  Evel is still acclimating himself to the Harley-Davidson XR-750 that he first used for a jump at Lions Drag Strip in Los Angeles on December 12, 1970 and now he finds himself performing 2 shows a day.  Six jumps, each one a little different than the last is what the fans are told. 

  And, once again, Evel Knievel delivers.

  By the end of the third day he clears 11 cars and 2 trucks much to the delight of the Chicago fans.    Especially one particular 13 year-old girl...

  Fortunately the nearby Stockyards are open and he gets a case of rib-eyes to take with him.  Ah, the perks of the job.  Leave some of your meat on the pavement but leave with some of theirs.

  The Chicago Stockyards closed on July 30, 1971.

  The Evel Knievel movie starring George Hamilton as Evel opens on September 10, 1971.

  The Chicago International Amphitheatre was closed and demolished in 1999.

 

The Stockyards. 

Today in motorcycle history, March 25, 1899

                                  

 

  Herbert James "Burt" Munro is born in Edendale, New Zealand.

 

  At the Bonneville Salt Flats, on August 26, 1967, with his 58 cubic-inch, 950 cc, 1920 Indian Scout, he made a one-way run of 190.07 mph, the fastest-ever officially-recorded speed on an Indian.  This record still stands today.  Burt Munro was 68 years-old and was riding a 47-year-old machine when he set the record.

  Munro bought his Indian Scout new in 1920, matter of fact, it was only the 627th Scout to leave the Springfield factory. The 37 cubic-inch, 606cc bike had an original top speed of 55 mph, but for a young Burt Munro that didn't cut it, so in 1926 he decided to start modifying his beloved Indian. 

  He spent the next 20 years working from his home in Invercargill, modifying his Indian. 

  Being a man of just modest means, but with a butt-load of talent and determination, he often made the parts and tools he needed himself.  Including casting his own barrels, pistons, flywheels, etc. He then he spent much of the 1940s and 50's, setting speed records throughout New Zealand.  All-the-while keeping his eye on Bonneville.

  His attempts, and eventual success, are the basis of the motion picture The World's Fastest Indian directed by Roger Donaldson.  Donaldson also directed the 1971 short documentary film Burt Munro: Offerings to the God of Speed.

  All-in-all, Burt made ten visits to the salt flats and in three of them he set speed records.

  In 2006, he was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

  Burt Munro died on January 6, 1978.