'CHINESE RED' ORIGINAL VINCENT

Besides the super-rare Hildebrand and Wolfmüller coming up for sale at Bonhams' big Las Vegas auction on January 6, 2011, scouts have unearthed an original-paint, very rare 1952 'Touring' Vincent Rapide.  Discovered in a garage in Fresno, CA, the Vincent has only 8500 miles on the clock, and is virtually untouched.  The 'Chinese Red' paint scheme is very popular with collectors, as the Touring version of the Rapide model has 19" wheels and painted, fully valanced mudguards...more room for paint as opposed to the normal Vincent chrome steel blades.  Apparently this machine sat for nearly 50 years, untouched, and will need 'light recommissioning' to make roadworthy...ie, to find out what stopped it back then!

The bike is estimated to sell for $85-100,000, which means the reserve is probably $85k.  Not cheap, but then, not many Vincents are left in original paint, with less than 10k miles!

CATHERINE, PARIS, NORTON

Catherine, who prefers her privacy, started riding in the heady year of 1969.  She always liked motorcycles, and had a boyfriend who rode one of the first Honda CB 750s, but "he scared me, as a passenger, by going too fast.  I decided to get my own bike.  That way, I could control things." Her first choice, a Yamaha DT1 Enduro 250cc, was a bear to kickstart, even for two-stroke, but she kept it for a year...not bothering with a driver's license!

By 1971 she decided a Norton Commando 750 (above, wearing its usual chrome tank) was the bike for her, which led to a string of Commandos, ending with an 850cc Interstate electric-start, which lacked the svelte grace of the previous Roadster models and didn't stay long.  She kept that first Norton for 39 years; it endured a string of other bikes as garage-mates, including a Dresda-framed Suzuki racer (a twin-cylinder two-stroke, weighing all of 110kg), and a lot of Hondas.  The very first Gold Wing in France was hers (the importer was a friend), but Catherine found it horrible..."it was a big shit, and I sold it in 3 weeks. It always felt like it was falling over in corners, and simply wasn't fun...I preferred sporty bikes, and at the time I wanted the biggest bike of all...very American!" she laughs.  By contrast, she also had the very first Honda Dax in France, with a floral seat.

In the early 70s, many of her friends rode Harleys, but she chose a Norton. "Everybody had a Harley Davidson; it was popular to say 'I have a Harley', but my friends who owned them weren't really fond of motorcycles...they just wanted to say they had one.  They didn't ride very well, it was all for show.  
I was working for La Moto magazine in Paris, as a test rider for bikes.  I was also asked to model for a lot of ads which needed a woman on a bike.  Once, I was approached for a commercial for 'Genie' soft drinks, which was filming in that part of Spain they use for Western movies.  They needed a woman who could ride an Enduro bike, so I got the call.  It happened that Giacomo Agostini was also used for the film, so I was able to interview him at the same time.  The article was published in La Moto.  I rode with a gang who were friends with some famous people, so we were pretty visible around Paris."

Her distinctive leathers were made by Parisian Albert Hirsch, whose company 'Dada Cuirs' (Dada Leathers) made some of the finest racing and riding outfits in the world, kitting all the French GP stars from 1971-84; Bernard Fau, Jean-Claude Chemarin, Charles Krajka, and most notably, his friend Michel Rougerie, wearing Dada leathers in the fantastic film Le Cheval de Fer (check out this youtube teaser - if you haven't seen it, buy it!).  Hirsch earned his scissors at fashion houses Lanvin and Hermés, and the quality of Catherine's leathers is clear - they are still in excellent shape nearly 40 years later.

Hirsch made her two sets of one-piece leathers, one in black, the other red, with the black meant to be tucked into boots, and the red with bell-bottoms - the height of fashion.  He made the custom 'flaming Norton' logo for her chest, and Catherine's personal logo, the panther, for the back.

Catherine "considered having the panther tattooed on my arm, but walking into the parlor and seeing the tattoo artist and a very stoned customer turned me off completely, and I walked out.  Now I'm glad I didn't do it."  While she included her leathers with the Norton when sold earlier this year (they don't fit anymore!), she kept a fur-lined riding jacket; "I had Dada make the fur collar really tall so it would cover my nose while riding and keep my face warm."

Regarding the Norton...it was difficult for her to sell such a long-time friend, but she "finally found someone I felt would take good care of it" in Paris, along with her leathers... although she's keeping the beautiful hand-painted tank which adorns it for these photographs.  It's a spare, which she gave to a group of artist and musician friends in '71 to paint as they chose, and she loved the result.  A treasured possession, she declines to publicize who did the work, as the artist didn't sign it, and she doesn't want to be bothered by 'trophy hunters'.

What I can say about this tank, painted in an era of 'heightened consciousness' in Paris...it is simply sublime, one of the finest custom paint jobs on a motorcycle tank I've ever seen, very sweet in a depiction of youthful, virginal innocence, the Springtime of life.  Alas, that image was stark contrast to the reality of the time, when so many of Catherine's friends "used Everything", while she preferred the high of riding a powerful motorcycle.  Sadly, the painter died soon after the tank was finished, a victim of his own indulgence, but Catherine keeps the tank, and her memories, close at hand.

HOW YOU FIND THEM #18: AJS 'H7' RACER

There is little more exciting than finding an old racing motorcycle literally in a barn, slathered inside and out with heavy oil, a solid gold tale of racing history attached.  More problematic is the task of documenting such provenance, for while any 80 year old bike is interesting, a claim that it placed 3rd in the Junior Isle of Man TT of 1927, Jimmy Simpson aboard, is very much more interesting indeed.

This lovely AJS H7 350cc overhead camshaft machine is certainly a rare beast whether roadster or racer, and one of very few from the category 'flat tank cammies', a super exclusive club.  Overhead-cam drive was typically adopted post-1927 by the motorcycle industry; the 'saddle tank' was the fashionable thing by that date, thus only early adopters such as Velocette (1925 - 'K' model) and AJS in 1928 with their models K7 (349cc) and K10 (498cc), but in this case, the letter referred to the year of production.  At first glance, the pannier tanks look to be the real deal, a factory racing item never sold to the public, and it bears a small plaque with '27 TT', plus the number '35'.  The early André steering and fork dampers look correct, as does the rare Binks twistgrip throttle assembly, and the Lucas horseshoe racing magneto. Curioser and curioser. (Above, Simpson making minor adjustments to his mount at the TT.)

The AJS was almost unique in using the simplest method of driving cams before the advent of rubber belts; a chain drive.  There had been plenty of chain-driven OHC motorcycles, cars and airplanes previous to this, but the recently-patented 'Weller' spring-steel blade chain tensioner (see above), used under license, meant the long travel from crankshaft sprocket to cylinder head was not accompanied by chain whip, nor the need to predict thermal expansion of the engine when setting up chain tension.  In short, it made such a drive elegant, and very easy to set up, as opposed to the Velocette/Norton/Ducati shaft-and-bevel drive, which took skills to get everything shimmed up just right, and was therefore expensive to produce.

Specification of the AJS overhead-camshaft engine was fairly advanced for the day, with a proper recirculating oil pump and aluminum rocker arms, although AJS had yet to discover that a camshaft acting directly on the rocker arms had different requirements from the whippy 'knitting needles' driving standard OHV engines.  The frame was a bit 'light' for a TT race, and the Druid sidespring forks primitive in their lack of movement...and in the case of this machine, the André friction fork damper would have simply slowed down the meager 1" of motion.  The brakes are nothing to celebrate either, for while the rear will lock the wheel, the front is good for one strong squeeze, then expect nothing further!  I speak from experience, having owned a 'Big Port' ohv from 1928... That said, while the chassis was strictly traditional, these 'flat tank' AJS' steer to a hair, even if they weave a bit at speed.

The oil coating under which this racer was found means somebody cared to protect it, even if the machine sat for decades.  The current owner first encountered the AJS 5 years ago, sitting in a cattle shed in Scotland, although the owner did not wish to sell.  Five weeks ago he was passing the same farm (370 miles from home), and stopped in to ask after the bike, on the off chance.  "The old man had recently gone into an old persons home, to which his son directed me, and that was that!  He told me the bike had stood in the barn for the last 40 years; it was full of oil - the engine, tanks, every part that could hold oil did and then some...a sort of very heavy oil all over.  He said it was Jimmy Simpson's 1927 TT bike, but could not find the paper work. Still hope of this turning up."  Yes, hope will be necessary; if the story pans out, this is quite a discovery.

Addendum:  While an interesting old motorcycle, recently brought to light is a Discovery to the new owner (and the rest of the world), of course there are persons who might have seen the machine many years ago, while it was still in action.  Such is the case here: the Discovery for someone 40 years familiar with this lovely old AJS was that the coveted old girl was in the pages of The Vintagent! 

It would seem unlikely this machine was Simpson's IoM racer, as the factory built 6 or 7 pre-production Works ohc machines for their team in 1927, and Simpson would probably have been given his racing mount to do yet more competition work, after the big race.

This Ajay has had an interesting life - the former owner, in his 80s now, owned this AJS from the age of 15!  His father forbade him to ride it, but of course, he did, and on one occasion pere arrived home and noted a warm cylinder on the AJS.  He than attacked the little bike with an axe, breaking the fins off the cylinder barrel and head.  A talented blacksmithing cousin welded the cast-iron fins back onto the engine, and of course the bike survived the insult.

THE ART, AND AUCTION, OF THE MOTORCYCLE

Twelve years have elapsed since motorcycles filled the spiral of the Guggenheim museum in New York (1998), and two-wheelers have yet to see full acceptance within the Fine Arts/Fine Design establishment.  While the 'Art of the Motorcycle' show remains that museum's second-highest-attended exhibit, it was considered something of a populist sell-out at the time, especially as it pioneered an 'interested sponsor' relationship with BMW (although little discussion was published about 'named' sponsorship in general). Few critics defended the Guggenheim's Thomas Krens for hosting a major motorcycle exhibit on hallowed Art turf, unless of course they happened to be motorcyclists themselves.  Even then, the level of discourse around Motorcycles and Culture generally bordered on flippant, unless the mood was outrage.  The 'Art of the Motorcycle', imperfect as it may have been, was a vital first effort at establishing motorcycles as important within a broader dialogue on Design and Culture.

The upcoming sale of the prototype 1925 Brough Superior SS100 'Alpine Grand Sports' at Phillips de Pury, is the first instance post-AotM of a motorcycle's inclusion in a major Art or Design auction.  As such, it represents a shift in attitude within the Fine Arts auction establishment, which has been brewing for 12 years.  The closest we've come thus far was in June of 2009, when an ex-Steve McQueen 1929 Scott Flying Squirrel, painted by 'Von Dutch', was auctioned at Antiquorum in New York, within a sale of celebrity-owned watches and memorabilia.  The Scott fetched $276,000, double its estimate and SIX times what it had sold for less than two years prior, in 2007 at the Bonhams Petersen Museum sale that October ($44,460).  Interestingly, the Petersen sale included considerable McQueen and Von Dutch memorabilia as well, but failed to attract the results of the Antiquorum sale.  Begging the question...was the Antiquorum clientele so significantly different than Bonhams', or had the market for magical Steve McQueen talismans suddenly gone mad?  Considering that June 2009 was a troubling time in the global economy, and a moment generally of weakening collectible sales, I have to conclude that Antiquorum has an audience with far deeper pockets.  A specialist in fine watches, they hold the record for a wristwatch sale at auction; a unique white gold Patek Philippe which sold for just over $5M (They are also notorious for selling Gandhi's pocket watch, sandals, glasses, and bowl for over $2M).  If a wristwatch can sell for so much, can such an esteemed motorcycle be far behind? 

When asked why he chose to include his SS100 in the Phillips de Pury auction, the current owner stated, 'I've been wanting to do this for years; Broughs have far transcended their original purpose as a motorcycle, and should be included in a major Design sale.  I've known Marcus Tremonto for years, he is the absolute expert on 20th Century Decorative Art and Design... I wish I knew as much as he's forgotten!  Phillips has an fabulous new facility on 57th and 5th in Manhattan, and their last big Art sale totalled $137M, so this auction should be quite something.  If nothing else, it will give everyone something to think about.  Friends say 'if it fails to sell, the bike will be tarnished', but that's rubbish...if the Brough falls on its face, it will stay at my house.  Eventually it will ring the bell.'

Phillips de Pury is bolstering inclusion of the Brough in their 'Design Masters' sale with fully 10 pages of lavish photographs, more than double the visibility granted other Design greats in the catalog: Le Corbusier, Jean Prouvé, Robert Mallet-Stevens, etc.  The Alpine Grand Sports is the highlighted feature of the sale, and nearly double the nearest sale estimate, $350,000 for a Marc Newson futuristic aluminum 'Orgone stretch lounge' of 1993.  Clearly, Phillips is banking heavily that the time is ripe to place George Brough within the pantheon of all-time great Designers.

A serious re-appraisal of Motorcycles within our capitalist society will of course include a fight for ownership of the agreed 'finest' examples.  These are the rarest of the rare, and the pattern has already been established within the motorcycling community itself.  Just as with paintings or other Design items, the notion of an object's 'value' is intimately connected with its sale price, and as the eyes of well-heeled Art collectors turn towards two wheels, there will be a serious rise in prices for significant racing machines and legendary road bikes. It is inevitable. 

Dedicated motorcyclists who covet rare machines will decry the continuing trend of top-tier machines floating away from the reach of their checkbooks.  Yet, even with waves of speculation during the past two 'bubbles' of the 1980s and 2000s, the price of excellent but relatively high-production bikes has remained under $30,000; affordable, if not cheap... the price of a new all-options Harley Davidson.  The cost of a restored 1969 Triumph Bonneville will continue to reflect more on the labor and quality of the restoration, than on wild excesses of a speculator's market...at least while the economy is depressed. As time passes, the relative glut of old motorcycles, versus the number of willing owners, will also conspire to keep prices of 'common' bikes moderate. Thus, we may dream of owning a Brough Superior, Crocker, or racing BMW, but will have to content ourselves with a Matchless Model X, Indian Chief, or BMW R69S.  Fair?  Well, I'd dearly love a Rembrandt too...

Photos:
Top; Francis Dixon and George Brough prepare for the Alpine Trial of 1925.
Second; Brough, Dixon, and Eddie Meier, Austrian Brough Superior importer, Alpine Trial, 1925.
Third; former owner of 'HP2122' AGS prototype, Prince Chagla of India.
Fourth; from the Philips de Pury catalog.
Fifth; George Brough at speed during the 1925 Alpine Trial.
Last; from the Philips de Pury catalog.

MARIE THERESE VON HAMMERSTEIN

Every picture may tell a story; some pictures need a novel.  In this instance, that novel has been recently written, 'The Silences of Hammerstein' (Hans Magnus Enzesberger, 2009), part biography and part speculative fiction, an effort to grapple with a particularly puzzling, heroic, and frustrating chapter of German history.  The charming young woman pictured in 1933 aboard her motorcycle is Marie Therese von Hammerstein, whose father, Kurt von Hammerstein, happened to be head of the Wehrmacht (German army) at the end of the Weimar Republic, just before Hitler's rise to power.

Whatever stereotypes or prejudices her parentage might conjure would be entirely misplaced; Kurt von Hammerstein was a fascinating character, a man of strong opinions and succinct words, a friend of progressive trade unions, an aristrocrat, and an outspoken opponent of Adolf Hitler.  He also praised laziness in intelligent men, feeling that such fellows bring 'clarity of mind and strong nerves to make difficult decisions'.  He parented a large brood of remarkable, strong-willed, and free-minded children, all of whom made, or attempted to make, their mark on German history.

Marie Therese was clearly such.  The mere fact of an aristocratic woman riding a motorcycle in 1933 is exemplary, but with such a father, her motorcycle became a tool for an entirely more serious purpose.  That General von Hammerstein survived Hitler's rise to power is remarkable, especially as he made no secret of his hatred of Hitler, and attempted to lure the Fuhrer to his fortified compound in Cologne, to kill him.  Hitler demurred every time. As Hammerstein learned of Nazi plans to arrest and kill Jews, he supplied Marie Therese with the names of the targeted, and she rode her motorcycle as far afield as Prague (still independent) to ferry Jewish intellectuals to safety.  One plucky duck.

Marie Therese and her two sisters married Jewish intellectuals and labor organizers, and of course all of them had to flee Germany by the mid-1930s.  Their father died of cancer in 1943, after being relieved of his military service by 1934. Her two brothers were involved in an attempt to assassinate Hitler on July 20th, 1944, and escaped because they knew a secret passageway used by the military which connected to the U-Bahn (subway).  They survived the war.  Other siblings had a hard time of it, as after the failed plot, her two younger siblings and their mother were interred in a concentration camp until the end of the war.

Marie Therese and her husband John Paasche fled to Japan, as Paasche had studied Asian languages in college.  They lived out the war there, 'with the police camped out across the street, watching'.  In 1948 they moved to San Francisco, where Marie Therese died in 2000, aged 90. 
Would that I had seen this photo many years ago.

'THE MEXICAN SUITCASE'

Currently on exhibit at the International Center for Photography (ICP) in New York, 'The Mexican Suitcase' refers to three cardboard boxes smuggled out of France at the beginning of WW2, likely by the Mexican ambassador, containing 126 rolls of film, lost for 70 years, from three of the most important photojournalists to cover the Spanish Civil War; Robert Capa, Gerda Taro, and David 'Chim' Seymour.  These three young and idealistic photographers entered Spain in 1936 to document the terrible struggle between the elected Leftist government, and a half-successful coup organized by General Francisco Franco, backed by a coalition of monarchists, capitalists, the Catholic church, and Fascists.

Hoping to sway international opinion through the use of their photographs, Capa, Taro (Capa's lover, see both above), and Chim took dramatic photos which changed the course of photography, if not the war.  With the mantra 'if the photo isn't interesting, you're not close enough to the battle', these three were intimately involved with the Republican soldiers fighting against the US- and Fascist-backed rebellion.  The three photographers weren't the only foreigners helping the Republicans via media accounts; luminaries such as Ernest Hemingway (below), Paul Robeson, Pablo Neruda, and George Orwell (who actually took up arms, and wrote 'Homage to Catalonia' about his experiences in the war) felt the urgency of fighting the European tide of Fascism which arose in the 1930s in Italy and Germany.

The Republican soldier riding the motorcycle was photographed by Gerda Taro (the nom de plume of  Gerta Pohrylle of Germany), and is hiding in the forest during an aerial attack by German Heinkel He51s, in the battle of Navacerrada Pass, between Madrid and Segovia, early June 1937.  This very battle is the setting for Ernest Hemingway's 'For Whom the Bell Tolls',  in which a journalist/Hemingway stand-in, Robert Jordan, is an American who travels to Spain to fight fascism.  About 2800 Americans (the 'Abraham Lincoln Brigade') did so, although I doubt any brought their motorcycles, as there was an official US embargo on providing any material aid to the Spanish, and some of the Americans were prosecuted after returning to the US.

The Harley Davidson looks to be a 'VLD' model of 1932-'36, their 74cubic inch sidevalve roadster, hardly suited to the kind of off-road work used in a military campaign... but of course, private motorcycles were pressed into service during war in Spain, and shortly after, the rest of Europe.  The Harley has a German Bosch headlamp, which may have been a convenient replacement for the original item, after damage.  No other modifications appear to have been made to the bike; Spain had no time to make specialist war equipment or even paint military machines drab or camouflage.  In his leather jacket and boots, plus beret and goggles, the rider could be any of us on his Harley, out for a spin in the woods.  But the look of anxiety on his face, keeping his hands on the 'bars, means our rider is ready to hightail it at the first sign of an incoming plane...

Thanks to JJ Ward for alerting me to these photos! For more info, please read this article in The Nation.

FIRST 'ALPINE GRAND SPORTS' AT AUCTION

The very first Brough Superior SS100 modified for Alpine speed trials in Austria is coming under the hammer at Phillips auction house in New York,  at their 'Design Masters' sale on Dec. 15, 2010.  This machine was modified by Brough Superior chief engineer Harold 'Oily' Karslake in 1925, for George Brough himself to compete in that year's Austrian Trial (see below).  The bike was not greatly modified from standard, essentially being fitted with a lower compression ratio and more comfortable riding position, and was in full touring spec with pannier boxes and Bonniksen speedo.   That George Brough won the speed award in the event is the stuff of legend, and led to replicas of his machines being called the 'Alpine Grand Sports' model.

This is a well-documented motorcycle with an incredible provenance, having also won a Gold Medal in 1925's London to Exeter Trial...besides being George Brough's personal machine for the year.  The reserve for the sale looks to be at the $600,000 mark: if the machine meets reserve, it will be catapulted to the top of the heap for motorcycle sales at auction, and likely start a new wave of top-end motorcycle sales...at Art Auctions!  The venue in this case is well chosen; by placing the Brough in context of a 'Design' sale at a major non-motoring auction house, the seller is clearly appealing to a different audience; one with no grease under its fingernails, but who appreciate aesthetic excellence.

(above, FP Dixon, with George Brough)
Auction results for SS100s and other Broughs have bucked any trends towards softening prices, and have remained strong through the recent economic crisis.  It has been said many times that art and collectibles are currently considered a safer investment than the stock market, although prices in the fine arts world have softened for all but the most coveted 'blue chip' artists...in concert with motorcycle sales.  If this Phillips auction is successful, it will certainly bring more of the creme de la creme of motorcycling to 'art' auctions, in hopes to attract a better-heeled audience.  The same logic is applied to the inclusion of motorcycles to high-end automotive auctions ('they have more money'), although results on that front have been mixed, and no higher than a standard 'motorcycle auction'.
In any case, this will be interesting...and I'll try to be there!

Many thanks to Phillips de Pury and Co., and Brough Superior Motorcycles for the photos!

'CHAI RACERS' IN MUMBAI

Photographer Thierry Vincent (below) spent the past two years in India, documenting the changing motorcycle culture in Mumbai; his show 'Mumbaikers' is currently on view at Tendance Roadster in Paris, a Royal Enfield dealer (what else!) in the Levallois district.  Vincent's photographs offer a glimpse of an emerging world, one which we take for granted in the 'developed' countries - motorcycling as a leisure/lifestyle activity, and not a basic and cheap mode of transportation.

As India explodes into a capitalist powerhouse, a vast middle class has emerged, who have money to spare on our favorite pastime.  Okay, maybe second favorite, but I mean motorcycles of course.  Suddenly, Royal Enfields and other home-grown products (Rajdoot, anyone? - see below. How about an industrial diesel?) are viewed with new eyes, as the raw material for customization and personalization.  The patterns of modification are inspired by English Café Racers and American Customs, both of which are now global currency thanks to television shows, books, and countless photoblogs.

The first Custom builder in India (apparently), Akshai Varde (above), uses mostly Indian powerplants in his specials, entirely hand-built in a small workshop, using the most basic hand tools.  He begins with an idea  -no sketches, no bucks, no CAD programs-  and begins hammering steel sheets with to realize his desired shapes.  The same working methodology is employed to build frames from scratch or modify existing chassis - a true garage artisan.

The small capacity of his engines and obvious nods toward American Customs give an odd impression to eyes raised on Harley- or Triumph-powered creations.  In this, they are reminiscent to late 50s/early 60s Japanese motorcycles, which blended Teutonic angularity with Sci-fi film props...at least to Western observers; they made perfect sense at home. Now of course, a Suzuki Colleda is simply the height of cool.  Will this happen with nascent Indian creations?  Time will tell.

Varde's customers are often Bollywood actors, looking for a little flash, perhaps some badass cred... the popular response to his art has afforded the purchase a new workshop, double the size of his previous garage (pictured above). The newly well-heeled are looking for a status symbol...and I say this with intention, as India has very strict laws against any kind of modifications to a motorcycle.  Thus, all of the machines pictured here are completely illegal: café or chopper, they're literally outlaws.

The prospect of riding an unregisterable machine is daunting to a degree, and all of the 'riding' photos are taken at the crack of dawn, when little attention will be drawn to the bikes; plus, there is less traffic than the usual sardine jam typical of urban Indian roadways, making a photograph possible.  Ultimately, the solution to riding an illegal motorcycle is bribery, but I suspect the new owners are more interested in possessing a unique creation from a celebrated artisan, than feeling the diesel-choked breeze in their hair.

Speaking of diesels...in the 1960s and 80s a spate of industrial single-cylinder diesel engines were produced in India, which have become fodder for custom builders.  These machines are quite slow (80kph tops) but return amazing fuel economy (200+mpg) and stone reliability.  Concerning speed; with the country's incredible population density, there are virtually no roads on which one can ride over 50mph, so a huge, powerful engine is an exercise in futility.  In this context, a chuff-chuff diesel has a kind of slow-motion elegance, especially housed in a 'Captain India' chopper frame!  'Jatu' has ridden this machine with sleeping bag strapped to the rear fender, all across the subcontinent, thousands of kilometers at a stretch, in true 'Easy Rider' style.  Only, slow.

While all of Vincent's photos are interesting, what fascinates me is the seed of Indian-ness emerging from the adopted format of these bikes.  In these last photos, Ashkai Varde's mother, a celebrated painter, has been commissioned to paint a sutra about Hanuman (the monkey god) on a tank for a Bollywood actor.  These shots are a whisper of the Possible - what could be a genuinely native design aesthetic.  Incorporating the incredibly rich visual language of India as source material for innovative motorcycle design is a very exciting prospect indeed.

Many thanks to Thierry Vincent for allowing the use of these lo-res images, my photos of his photos, on The Vintagent.  His actual photographs are beautiful, technically very well done, and for sale!

ALDO PIGORINI

By chance, as usual, an article in the Velocette Owner's Club newsletter, 'Fishtail', featured a few scans from a 1932 Italian motorcycle magazine, 'Motociclismo'.  The concern of the scanner was the Velocette MkIII KTT shown as winner in the 350cc class of two races; my eyebrows raised when I noted the rider, 'Aldo' Pigorini, one of the Scuderia Ferrari riders in 1932 and '33.

Pigorini was very successful with the Scuderia, recording many wins on the team's Rudges (both 350cc and 500cc), and winning the Italian Championship in '34 (500cc).  His talents shone while riding his Velocette, a year before joining Enzo's motorcycle team.  The top photo shows Pigorini immediately after winning the Circuito del Monferrato race; his race average in the 350cc class beat the previous 500cc lap record!  The Velocette was a good'un!  And of course, the rider was very talented.

The theme of the second article mentioning Pigorini laments that in 1932, motorcycles had ceased to dominate hillclimbs for absolute speed.  Automobiles with 'high power to weight ratios' were suddenly able to out-speed two-wheelers up a mountain course... often with 'motorcyclists driving them'!  Well, that seems to confirm Enzo Ferrari's assumptions, at any rate, and must have figured into his thinking when forming Scuderia Ferrari 'Moto'; he had seen evidence that motorcyclists have great sensitivity to road surface and a visceral understanding of the limits of traction.  Plus, it must be added, considerable bravery...while it may have been an illusion that racing cars were 'safer' than motorcycles at the time, every competition motorcyclist of the era had an intimate knowledge of how close one's skin hovers over tarmac.

A little about the Velocette MkIII KTT on which he won the races; this is a 1932 year model, effectively the same machine as the first 'KTT' of 1929, but incorporating a few subtle changes to cam profile, oiling, brakes, etc; 350cc overhead camshaft engine, cam drive by shaft-and-bevel (later copied by Norton for the 'Carrol' motor...it should be called the 'Goodman' motor!), a beautifully balanced motorcycle with perfect handling and tireless power output.

How do I know?  I have a 1933 example...