Paul d'Orléans

Nick Veasey: Beneath the Surface

Artist Nick Veasey has been messing around with x-rays ever since he was hired to x-ray a cola can for a TV show in England, when he was a relatively unknown still photographer. He took the opportunity to also shoot his shoe, and was so intrigued with the process he eventually purchased a surplus x-ray machine, and built a bunker inside a warehouse with 30" thick walls and a 2300lb lead door to keep himself safe. While medical x-ray stations have minimal beams directed at very specific, small areas, shooting much larger objects, like guns, motorcycles and even a Boeing 777 jet, meant hospital-style shielding was out of the question. To be clear, Veasey doesn't shoot a whole motorcycle in one go - he shoots it section by section, then has helpers Photoshop the pieces together into a whole. His most recent project, as reported in Wired.com yesterday, was a series of vintage motorcycles, borrowed from a local club. He also installed a handy skeleton prop on a few of the bikes, and later shot the clothing, which was all blended later. I've been a fan of his work for years, as who isn't fascinated by x-rays?

Mystery rider on a '41 Matchless G3L 350cc military bike [Nick Veasey]

Here's Veasey's artist statement from his website: "We live in a world obsessed with image. What we look like, what our clothes look like, houses, cars… I like to counter this obsession with superficial appearance by using x-rays to strip back the layers and show what it is like under the surface. Often the integral beauty adds intrigue to the familiar. We all make assumptions based on the external visual aspects of what surrounds us and we are attracted to people and forms that are aesthetically pleasing. I like to challenge this automatic way that we react to just physical appearance by highlighting the, often surprising, inner beauty.

1915 Indian Model G 682cc 'Little Twin'. [Nick Veasey]

This society of ours, consumed as it is by image, is also becoming increasingly controlled by security and surveillance. Take a flight, or go into a high profile courtroom and your belongings will be x-rayed. The post arriving in corporations and government departments has often been x-rayed. Security cameras track our every move. Mobile phone receptions place us at any given time. Information is key to the fight against whatever we are meant to be fighting against. To create art with equipment and technology designed to help big brother delve deeper, to use some of that fancy complicated gadgetry that helps remove the freedom and individuality in our lives, to use that apparatus to create beauty brings a smile to my face.

To mix my metaphors, we all know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, that beauty is more than skin deep. By revealing the inside, the quintessential element of my art speculates upon what the manufactured and natural world really consists of."

A close-up of the 1914 Indian engine, with pistons, connecting rods, and timing gears clearly visible.[Nick Veasey]

Nick doesn't just do motorcycles...some of his work explores subcultures with a wry sense of humor...[Nick Veasey]

Harley Davidson Sportster with mystery rider. [Nick Veasey]

1914 Douglas Model A 3.5hp flat twin, 500cc. [Nick Veasey]

Nick Veasey developing one of his x-rays in his studio. [Nick Veasey]

by Paul d'Orléans

The End of Motorcycles at Pebble Beach, In Verse

MIGHTY MO'BIKE HAS STRUCK OUT

Alain deCadenet aboard the ex-John Edgar, Rollie Free 'bathing suit' Vincent, one of the world's most famous motorcycles [Paul d'Orleans]

The outlook wasn't brilliant for a Pebble judge that day,
As bikes stood proudly two by two, all winners - so they say.
And then a gent claimed Gunga Din was faked up, though a looker,
And partly by a judge there, a good man who is no hooker.
But Gunga, true to Kipling's muse, did sally forth, a win,
While lovers of old Rollie Free's machine called it a sin.
That year another prize was took, a streamlined Indian,
T'was claimed to be from Burt Munro, but some said ‘guess again’.
What part was Burt's and what part new, nobody there would tell,
But surely he who built the thing is answerable to Hell.

The controversial recreation of the famous Vincent racer 'Gunga Din' [Paul d'Orleans]

A silence like a cloak covers the patrons of this game,
The millions stashed from ticket sales protecting them from shame.
A straggling few raised protest for the fakery, and more -
The bolstering of class divides was something to abhor.
Some clung yet to hope which springs eternal in our breast;
They thought, “Surely Pebble Beach will always do its best.
While motorcars are one thing, motorbikes are something new,
Perhaps a whole new game's afoot, Class X is now on view!”
The Guggenheim had sung their praise, the Art of Motorcycles;
The Legends Show had proved that bikes on grass could be delightful.

An Excelsior Super X racer, built of a mix of old and new parts, and patinated to look well-used [Paul d'Orleans]

Cycling through each country who'd built bikes in times before,
Was the theme at Pebble Beach on hallowed golf link shores.
But country categories surely limited the choices,
Unlike grouping cars by factory - Ferraris and Rolls Royces.
The country theme as annual display proved ill-considered,
Though those first few nations featured proved their bike were worthy winners.
Collectors spent a bundle prepping rare machines to show,
Like the Hildebrand and Wolfmuller that simply wouldn’t go.
The year of Italy’s display was best, with bikes after the ‘Thirties,
My MV pic was in the New York Times, ‘cause of John Surtees.

The French lineup, included several lightweights of mixed quality. This is Pebble. Fucking. Beach, people. [Paul d'Orleans]

A few years in, the choice grew thin, as was indeed the entry,
One year they featured Vietnam, with one sad rolling sentry.
The French theme fell as flat as a meringue from a hack chef,
We shan't speak of Eastern Europe's year; good possibles were left
In museums and collections far across the ocean's span,
It seems foreigner collectors did not support the plan.
“Fly in your bike, at your own cost, of course,” they all were told,
Which - from the richest of all shows - seemed brazen, crass, and bold.
American collectors had been told but did ignore it,
That racers run on pavement since the ‘Teens were most historic.
Their dirt-track kings and board track bikes were hounded to obsession,
Which meant when Pebble called ‘GP!’ there’s none in their collections.

My photograph of John Surtees aboard his World Championship MV Agusta was used in a New York Times article decrying his lack of knighthood for his double World Championship status, on cars and bikes - still the only person to have done this. [Paul d'Orleans]

There was a time not long ago when motorbikes were fashion,
And car collectors far and wide declared a new-found passion,
For motorbikes collectible, much cheaper than four wheels,
And set about to write big checks for seven-figure deals.
With polished skin and suits that cost as much as a new ride,
They suddenly appeared at auctions, advisors by their side,
Who earned commissions from the Millions in old-bike finance,
By overlooking inconvenient truths ‘bout provenance.
But 6 years on, the thrill is gone, and car folks have decided,
That tin and doors and solid floors is what gets them excited.
Organizer Sandra and her minions sniffed the trends,
So earlier this year decreed that Pebble bikes would end.

A nautical theme! Rumi made submarines and torpedos in WW2... hence the anchor logo. [Paul d'Orleans]

Oh, somewhere on a twisty road the sun is shining bright,
A motorbike is purring and the rider's found delight,
With the joy of simply riding an old bike - though valued highly -
The ownership of which marks vintagents as money-wily.
True joy from motorbikes is motion, not the money game,
Though bikes in galleries these days would not suggest the same.
Two wheels make lousy sculptures; better riding them around,
The greedy types are merely vultures, much like car guys, I have found.
The Concours thing is tempting with big money all about,
But there is no joy from Pebble — motorbikes are pencilled out.

Christine Reed graces John Stein's amazing Ducati Imola racer. [Paul d'Orleans]

Paul d'Orléans is the founder of TheVintagent.com. He is an author, photographer, filmmaker, museum curator, event organizer, and public speaker. Check out his Author Page, Instagram, and Facebook.

by Paul d'Orléans

Tutorial for the 'Car Guys': Why Bikes?

I had a conversation with Stephen Cox of Sopwith Motors a few days ago regarding the upcoming Las Vegas motorcycle auctions. Stephen and I will be filmed by NBC TV during Saturday's Mecum auction at the South Point Casino, where I'll provide 'color' commentary on the machines coming across the podium, for the first time in 5 years...at Vegas, anyway - before joining Bonhams auctions in 2010, I provided 'color' for MidAmerica auctions at their Las Vegas, Monterey, and St Paul sales in 2008/9.

A little price comparison from the upcoming Las Vegas auctions: this is an ultra-rare, 1 of 15 Vincent 'White Shadow', ie a Black Shadow which came from the factory with unpainted engine cases...[Mecum]

Stephen asked for a few reasons car collectors might be interested in motorcycles...a controversial subject among hard-core bike enthusiasts, who feel 'car people' will only raise prices, without returning energy into the motorcycle world by riding/restoring/participating in motorcycle events. That's a respectable argument, but I have a different take; building bridges to the car collecting world just might keep vintage bikes legal to ride in the future. Car collectors outnumber and outspend motorcyclists by a very large margin, and have robust organizations defending their rights to use old, polluting, and 'unsafe' cars on the road. The more 'car guys' who think bikes are cool means more people who'll get upset when repressive legislation is pending - and that seems to happen every year, somewhere. Yes, the car guys might make Brough Superiors and Vincent Lightnings into $Million motorcycles, but there are just too many old bikes out there for them all to become unaffordable.

...and this is a Vincent Rapide modified to Black Shadow spec. It's a well-sorted and reliable machine, but not a 'real' Shadow. The White Shadow on top will likely sell for ~$150k to a 'numbers freak', while this is more likely to sell for $80k less (although a discerning fan of well-known and well-sorted Vincents might pay more). [Bonhams]

Hankering for a Vincent Black Shadow over a Rapide, for example, is an emotional problem, not a rational one, a habit Karl Marx first described as 'commodity fetishism', in which our desires are projected onto objects. The truth is, 60 years down the line, there is no real difference between a Rapide and a Shadow, barring a little black paint, a big speedo, a few stampings, and $100k. Similarly, a 1936 H-D Knucklehead gives an identical ride to a '47 model, even though the first-year bike costs $100k more. I'm fine with giving over supposedly precious motorcycles to the hype-hounds and the connoisseurs, who'll duke it out in price wars, as is their wont. I've owned over 300 motorcycles since I was 15, from an original-paint 1925 supercharged Zenith-JAP, four Brough Superiors, a phalanx of pukka racing Velocettes, Nortons, Sunbeams, Rudges, etc, and a whole lot of really good bikes from Britain, Europe and Japan.

Not for Sale! My favorite motorcycle, a 1933 Velocette Mk4 KTT, the 'Mule'. Maximum fun per cc. [Paul d'Orleans]

I figured out what I liked over time, and kept what works for me, which was always weighted towards the quality of the ride over ephemera like matching numbers or even provenance. I found my mismatch Manx just as fun as the one Hailwood rode, and a cobbled-from-parts Velocette Clubman as invigorating as an original-paint, one-owner bike. That might seem odd for a historian - to value the ride over the story - but for me the joy of motorcycling is in the riding, not the hoarding.

Bargains at Vegas? How about a '92 Buell RS1200, estimated at $3-4000. That's a lot of performance for very little money... [Bonhams]

Here's the text of my interview with Stephen Cox (January 5, 2014):

My true passion was for classic cars and historic racing cars... that is, until the summer of 2012 when I co-hosted Mecum's first major motorcycle auction in Monterey. That auction was my road-to-Damascus moment. My eyes were opened to the beauty, history and raw functionality of motorcycles. As we approach Mecum's biggest bike auction ever at Las Vegas on January 8-10, my plan is to drag as many of my car friends as possible into the amazing world of bikes.

I openly confess that I am not a motorcycle expert, although I play one on TV. When I need a real-life, no-kidding bike expert I call veteran motorcycle journalist Paul d'Orleans, who will co-host the upcoming Vegas auction on NBCSN with John Kraman, Scott Hoke and myself. Paul d'Orleans not only writes about motorcycles, he collects them, judges Concours d'Elegance and rides vintage bikes across the country in his spare time. The guy knows bikes. So I asked Paul for some reasons why car guys should become motorcycle enthusiasts. His response was convincing.

You can Really see everything in a 'cutaway' engine...Herb Harris is selling his exceptional collection of cutaways at Vegas...[Bonhams]

Reason Number One – You can see everything on a motorcycle.

"Unless you're a real tech head and you're going to get under the hood, cars are about shape and motorcycles are really about mechanics,” d'Orleans said. “Everything is visible on most bikes until you get to the 1980s, when there was a real trend for covering everything up.” "I think anyone who's really interested in engineering should be interested in motorcycles because they are the most pure mode of engineering. And you don't have to ride them to appreciate them. Motorcycles have been made in one form or another since 1867 so there's a lot of intriguing development that happened, especially in the 20th century.”

Office trophy? A replica 1905 Harley 'strap tank'...[Bonhams]

Reason Number Two – Bikes go places that cars can't.

Paul says, “They're more compact. You can actually keep one indoors without re-engineering your house. And if you're inclined, they are a lot of fun to ride. Even the old bikes. When you keep your expectations reasonable as far as what performance to expect, they're really rewarding.” The compact nature of motorcycles is such that I am now re-designing Sopwith's office to feature my 1971 Honda as well as a second, yet-to-be-procured two-wheeled beauty. Why put pictures of awesome vehicles on the walls when you can park one in five feet of floor space?"

Value for money? How about a '62 H-D XLCH, the fastest street motorcycle you could buy in '62, according to Cycle World, with an estimate at $13-16k. [Bonhams]

Reason Number Three – Motorcycles give you a lot for your money.

"There are lots of opportunities. If you can't afford a Vincent Black Shadow for a hundred thousand, for half the price you can get a Vincent Rapide which is almost an identical motorcycle that just doesn't have the black engine cases or a sexy name.” "If you can't afford a 1959 Bonneville which might go for twenty-five thousand, you can get a 1968 Bonneville for twelve. And if you can't spend twelve thousand for a '68 Bonneville, you can get a '68 BSA for six thousand dollars with the same engine capacity, the same performance and similar styling.”

So what's your excuse? Join us for Mecum Las Vegas on January 8-10 at the South Point hotel, or watch the broadcast on NBCSN on January 12 at 7 pm Eastern. You might just fall in love with motorcycles. I did.

Stephen Cox: Sopwith Motorsports Television Productions, Co-host, Mecum Auctions on NBCSN

by Paul d'Orléans

Peter Fonda: 'Cliff Vaughs Built Captain America'

File this one under 'better late than never': in a recent letter to Cliff 'Soney' Vaughs, actor Peter Fonda finally gives credit to Vaughs and Ben Hardy for their until-recently unknown contribution to motorcycle history - creating the 'Captain America' and 'Billy' bikes for Easy Rider. The massive wave of publicity around the sale of the claimed last extant chopper from the film (which made a claimed $1.62M at auction - the most expensive motorcycle ever sold at the time ), also seems to have inspired Fonda to properly acknowledge for the first time 'who' created the most famous motorcycles in the world.

I flew Cliff Vaughs to LA last May for a photo and interview session for 'The Chopper: the Real Story' - this was the first moment Cliff had seen this bike since 1968...[Paul d'Orléans]

Here's the letter:

"Hi Cliff,

I wanted to first let you know how grateful I and others are that you knew where to go to buy the LAPD bikes at auction. Dennis and I had no idea. You magically bought 4 bikes at $500. a piece! You again amazed us when you designed and built the bikes for approximately $1250.00 per bike. We were all in awe of yours and Ben Hardy's abilities. You built two Billy Bikes and two Captain America bikes. I remember you and your girlfriend coming to our Pando office to talk about what we were going to shoot in New Orleans.

Unfortunately,the bikes weren't ready when we began filming in New Orleans and there was no way they could have been ready based on what was involved in their design.

A decision was made by Dennis Hooper, Paul Lewis, and Bert Schneider to fire you. Unfortunately, they blamed you for not having the bikes ready after The Mardi Gras parade. Hell, we didn't even have the script ready. This decision was a very bad decision, one of which was beyond my control and I found out about it after the fact. I am very sorry. Neither did I decide to drop the sequence of the black biker gang from the script. Again Dennis's decision not mine. Money was a factor I believe.

This is a Facebook entry of mine in late September 2014: The final design of the Easy Rider bikes started with this man, Mr. Cliff Vaughs. I gave Cliff a sketch that I had drawn in Toronto Canada on September 27th 1967. It was a rough sketch of the teardrop gas tank, the high sissy bar, the big automobile rear tire, and the same rake that I had on the motorcycle from the Wild Angels. Cliff refined it with the outrageous heavily raked front forks!!! It was a bitch to ride but it looked incredible!!! Thank you Cliff!!!!

It is not too late to give you and Ben Hardy the praise you deserve in designing the iconic bikes in Easy Rider...

All the Best,

Peter Fonda"

'Captain America' by 'wet plate', shot as part of the MotoTintype project, during Cliff's brief reunion with the bike. [MotoTintype]

Not too late indeed, as Cliff is still alive [note: Cliff died in 2016 - ed.], but Ben Hardy never got the credit he deserved for his exceptional work, nor for his enormous contribution to chopper history, before his death in 1994. Vaughs and Hardy are at last acknowledged in print with my latest book, 'The Chopper: the Real Story.' The book is on the ground in Europe already, and will be distributed in the US within a few weeks (when they arrive from Germany). Feedback on the book from bike enthusiasts is excellent, and I'm proud of the hard work which went into the book, and how Gestalten laid it out.

'The Chopper: the Real Story', (Gestalten 2014), includes the story of Cliff Vaughs and 'Easy Rider' [Gestalten]

by Paul d'Orléans

Selling 'Captain America'

It's the most famous motorcycle in the world - everyone knows the bike, even if they know nothing about motorcycles or '60s counterculture. Many times more people recognize the 'Captain America' chopper than ever saw 'Easy Rider', and movie posters of Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper riding their choppers across America still adorn the walls of college dorms around the world. It's an enduring image, a romantic touchstone from an era when Freedom seemed possible via a cool motorcycle and a groovy outfit.

The iconic image of Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper in 'Easy Rider'. [Vintagent Archive]

The 'Captain America' and 'Billy' bikes were the brainchild of 'Easy Rider' Associate Producer Cliff Vaughs, and the first pair (the 'hero' or 'A' bikes) were built by Ben Hardy in LA, while a second pair (the substitute or 'B' bikes) were built by mechanic Larry Marcus at his and Cliff Vaugh's house in Santa Monica. The full story of the origin of these remarkable motorcycle will appear in October in my book 'The Chopper: the Real Story' (published by Gestalten, who also published 'The Ride'), and it's a long, complicated, and controversial saga.

The 'Captain America' chopper as photographed on Mulholland drive in March 2014 by Troy Critchlow. [Vintagent Archive]

That story isn't quite over, as what's claimed as an authentic survivor 'Captain America' is coming up for auction October 18th at the Profiles in History auction house. Owner Michael Eisenberg purchased the chopper from the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa earlier this year, and has decided to sell the machine, "It was with much deliberation and trepidation that I decided to sell it...When I came to the realization of what I actually had just sitting in my warehouse I felt it would be better served if it could once again be on public display. I also decided that a portion of the proceeds should benefit some charities, the American Humane Association and the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa Iowa so that they can continue to educate the public on the history of the motorcycle."

This is the MotoTintype 'wet plate' photograph of the very machine at auction, from an hour spent at a roadside parking lot on Mulholland Drive in LA taking photos of the machine in company with its creator, Cliff Vaughs. Visit MotoTintype.com for more images. [Susan McLaughlin and Paul d'Orleans]

The machine at auction was apparently built from the remains of the 'B' Captain America bike by Dan Haggerty, who was the 'chopper handler' for 'Easy Rider' after Associate Producer Cliff Vaughs, along with most of the initial crew on the film (including this bike's builder, Larry Marcus), was fired as Columbia Pictures took control of the film's budget and production. The 'B' bike was partially destroyed at the end of the film, and Haggerty apparently kept the parts. The remaining 3 film bikes were stolen before the end of production, and never recovered, although pieces of these bikes have circulated through the bike collector crowd (and the rumor mill) in the 46 years since the film was made.

Press releases about the 'Captain America' sale are quoting estimates of $1Million, which seems cheap when one considers the astronomical price of far less famous Ferraris, and the rumored $1.1M sale price of the Rollie Free/'bathing suit' Vincent 3 years ago, which is also among the most famous machines in history, along with TE Lawrence's 'fatal' Brough Superior SS100 - which was offered for £2M several years ago.

by Paul d'Orléans

Behind the Scenes at the 2014 Villa d'Este Concorso

Concours d'Elegance are marvelously silly things. Lining up a bunch of expensive cars and bikes seems at times an exercise in pride (of ownership) and envy (of same), with a dressing of greed (the value bump from a win); deadly sins all. Owners sweat while judges - and who anointed them? - pronounce 'winners' and 'best of show' over a display of obsolete industrial design. I was one of those judges at the Concorso di Villa d'Este; so why did I readily accept the inviation? It was equally silly for me to fly to Italy from San Francisco for a long weekend, especially as I was scheduled to fly right back to Europe 10 days later, to show my MotoTintype photography at Wheels+Waves in France. So again, why do it?

The lineup of 1929-37 World Speed Record machines; Henne's 1937 BMW streamliner ('Henne's Egg') with the 1937 Gilera Rondine streamliner behind. The BMW provided Henne's retirement ride, and it held the record for 15 years, until broken by competitor NSU. [Paul d'Orleans]

The best concorsi are curated as exhibitions, with much thought given to the classes and categories, which vehicle goes next to the other and the story thus told. In the best case, the public is enlightened by the mix, discovering connections and influences, observing the movement of history, delivering a few 'aha' moments with the inevitable 'ahh's. They provide an opportunity to see ultra-rare machinery in the metal, and on the grass, albeit in a no-touch environment, which is understandable but frustrating at times. Then again, if everyone who so desired was allowed to caress Ernst Henne's original-condition 1929 BMW WR750, it would be worn to a nubbin by now; we all missed our chance to be flying-helmeted Heroic World Record Breakers by not being born in 1900, with prodigious natural riding talent, and in Germany. Henne was the one who did the work, so we must be content to watch; it was the same in '29.

Edgar Heinrichs, Ola Stenegard, and Stefan Schaller - BMW moto in a nutshell, with their prototype hotrod. [Paul d'Orleans]

The concorso in question is sited on one of the world's beauty spots (Lake Como), on the grounds of two fantastic old villas, neighboring Este (for the cars) and Erba (for the bikes), and has a generous benefactor (BMW) who takes care of the details, like building the interesting pavilion for the bikes, plus security, and cars/drivers to get people around, and plane tickets for mugs like me. The organization is excellent, as is the curation of the vehicles, invited according to themes; for 2014 the motorcycles fit categories of 'The Great Gatsby', 'The Elegance of Sidecars', 'First Steps from Japan', 'Sixdays in the Sixties', and 'Top in Class', plus a once-in-a-lifetime display of supercharged World Speed Record motorcycles, who battled each other between 1929 and 1937. That is, when BMW took on the world, and vice-versa, with manufacturers as large as BMW and Gilera or as small as Zenith and OEC building technically brilliant machines. It was the last truly romantic era of pan-European motorcycle speed competition, and between the builder/competitors, the speed wasn't abstract; it was personal. Seeing those 5 bikes together was reason enough to attend the show, and I was happy to do the 'work' which paid for my ticket.

Dinner with friends at Villa d'Este; entrants, judges, and BMW brass...[Paul d'Orleans]

A four-day trip to Italy leaves no time for jetlag, and I arrived Friday morning for a judge's meeting with my esteemed comrades at Villa Erba, headed up by the immortal Carlo Perelli (and here's hoping - he started working for Motociclismo in 1947!), with English journalist Mick Duckworth, BMW's head of moto-design Edgar Heinrichs, French journalist Francois-Marie Dumas, and Italian TV star Lucca Bizzarri.

The 1922 Beardmore-Precision with sleeve-valve Barr+Stroud engine (350cc) and full leaf-springing front and rear - plus that fabulous 'trout' sidecar in original condition. A technically fascinating motorcycle...[Paul d'Orleans]

I've judged with Carlo before (this was my 3rd go at the Villa), and knew my other colleagues personally, barring our celebrity judge, who was the only one of us hounded by autograph-seekers. Our proceedings were overseen by author Stefan Knittel, the mastermind behind the concorso di moto, plus our master of ceremonies Roberto Rasia dal Polo. After our jury pow-wow, it was cocktail time at Villa d'Este proper, to mingle amongst the beautiful, fabulous, and rich involved with the automobile concorso.

The fabulous 1929 Opel Motoclub with sidecar owned by Matthias Hühn. [Paul d'Orleans]

It's also BMW's moment to unveil their prototypes for the year; perfectly understandable given they've paid for the venue (and our drinks). If you've ever hankered for an electric convertible Mini, the little blue cutie which crunched silently up the gravel path was for you. The prototype two-wheeled BMW hotrod which Ola Stenegard and Edgar Heinrich cobbled up in their workshop was equally silent, although it wasn't electric - an aftermarket micro-switch had been left on overnight, and the battery was flat. So much for dramatic flourishes, but the bike looked great, and we got plenty of chance to hear it the next day.

The fantastic supercharged 1930 Zenith-JAP world record holder, from the 'scandal at Cork'...read about the scandal here. [Paul d'Orleans]

The motorcycle crowd separated off to a gigantic green chandeliered dining room afterwards, the judges and entrants and BMW's motorcycle design and museum heavyweights. I had the good fortune to sit beside Stefan Schaller, head of BMW motorrad, who asked my opinion - what did I think BMW should do next? Ever the diplomat, I replied, in a nutshell, 'Less R&D, more RSD...and where's your electric motorcycle?' I'm not sure he was pleased, but he got what he asked for...

"where's your electric motorcycle?"

Saturday morning was open to the public at Villa Erba (for the first time - and quite a crowd had queued up), while judges scanned the bikes, a less formal process than at other shows. It's expected all the bikes run, and they do, so there's no moment of tension for owners as 5 guys in blue blazers (the bikies don't wear them, but the car guys do) stand around and watch you work up a sweat. The focus of this Concorso is 'eleganza' and 'best of theme' with no points system; less subjective than it sounds, and our discussion in the judge's chamber mid-afternoon was enlightening. In a first for me, it was suggested one bike was 'too shiny' to be a winner, and that a gorgeous Brough SS100 shouldn't win because it isn't American, in the 'Great Gatsby' class (I've been overruled at a show when the chief judge simply assumed a Brough should win for Brough-ness itself, and so it did).

The Concorso at Villa d'Este; no bad angles, no bad viewpoints...
[Paul d'Orleans]

Sorting through the 'Elegance of Sidecar' class was the most difficult, as they were all brilliant, and a passionate discussion arose regarding the 'fish', a Beardmore-Precision with sleeve-vale Barr+Stroud engine with a trout for a chair! It was my opinion the sidecar outshone the condition of the bike, which was very badly faux-patinated, but then again, the bike itself was the most technically interesting machine of our judged classes (the watercooled, supercharged, DOHC, four-cylinder Gilera record-breaker wasn't judged...and besides, one already made 'Best in Show').

Daniel Kessler with his 1933 Universal-JAP 680 with groovy sports sidecar. [Paul d'Orleans]

Our judge's panel had collectively around 250 years' intensive/professional experience with motorcycles - let that sink in for a moment - and the round-table talk while sorting out winners is the real reason I come here; it's the most stimulating discussion of the year, men (yes, gents only this time) with a lifetime of passionate motorcycle study, discussing bike history, culture, and preservation in a closed room with no interruptions. It's brief (2 hrs max), heady, and I wish it happened more often, because it charges my batteries to be in such a room. As our professional obligations divert attention through the year - deadlines and events and travel - big shows like Villa d'Este and the late-lamented Legends of the Motorcycle Concours are a magnet for real devotees of motorcycling, and such a private seminar is rare indeed. We don't need much time as the 'groundwork' is long ago done - just dig into the big questions at hand - and while we don't agree on everything, we all smiled simply to be present in such company.

Test riding 'the world's most hated motorcycle' and chatting with builder David Borras of El Solitario. [Paul d'Orleans]

Post-judging left time for a free Riva water taxi to Villa d'Este, a breathtaking ride, to check out the car show going full swing. The gravel terraces easily accommodate 52 cars, with a stunning view of the lake to rest the eyes between dazzling show vehicles. There's no crowding, as there's no public entry; it's entrants and professionals only on Saturday for the car show, but on Sunday all the cars are driven to and around the expansive parklands at Villa Erba for the public's pleasure. While we motorcyclists have a charming purpose-built pavilion in a park, the 'car people' parade slowly through the Villa's outdoor café, amidst hatted ladies and summer-suited gents, potted geraniums, roses, bougainvilleas, mahogany Rivas burbling over the lake; the environment is absurdly lovely, and why the Pebble Beach crowd (and I use the term advisedly) has set its sights on Italy as the better place to go. Because it is, if you're pockets-deep into the car thing.

The Riva water-taxi service between the two Villas... [Paul d'Orleans]

Sunday morning the top 3 bikes of each category were lined up on the red carpeted bandstand at Villa Erba, and we judges had a chance at the microphone to explain our thoughts to an audience. The 'silly' part is that, of course, all the bikes entered in the Concorso were worthy of red-carpet treatment, but we had a job to do, and the winners were spectacular. Our 'Best in Show' was a surprise this year, because it wasn't on the carpet as a category winner - the glorious red-tyred Opel/Neander outfit was ridden up the gravel path at the last minute, a dramatic flourish, which also (truth be told) gave us an extra slot in the winner's circle for the too-good sidecar class.

I think it's safe to say Villa d'Este has the best programs of any concours - hardback, with separate books for cars and bikes. [Paul d'Orleans]

The remainder of the day was spent milling around the cars which now occupied the grounds of Villa Erba, and, my job done, catching up with far-flung friends. Two 'side exhibits' at the Villa included a Maserati anniversary cluster, and a platform with customized BMW motorcycles (customs at Villa d'Este!), reflecting BMW's foray the past two years into collaborations with various small workshops. Last year the Roland Sands 'Concept 90' débuted here, and this year a dozen bikes were on show, including 'Sonic Seb's Lucky Cat Garage dustbin sprinter (seen in action at Wheels+Waves) and El Solitario's 'Impostor', which I dubbed 'the world's most hated motorcycle' for an upcoming article in Cycle World, and is more popularly known as the 'flying shopping cart'. BMW was brave to display it (in the far-back corner), although they haven't braved it in their press announcements. Then again, you never know what you'll get back when you hand a bike to Spanish anarcho-artisan David Borras.

A bit of downtime/boat time with BMW's Ola Stenegard, David Borras of El Solitario, and yours truly. [Paul d'Orleans]

That night the car concours announced its winners at a black-tie dinner, with a substantial fireworks display at the end, reflected in the lake's waters. Bikers aren't invited, so I had a no-tie dinner in Cernobbio with friends, and enjoyed the spectacle from nearby, while soaking in a last bit of Como's magic.

Peter Abelman aboard his '59 Yamaha YDS1, yes, at Villa d'Este, smoking where the patrons can't....[Paul d'Orleans]

The 'Great Gatsby' lineup, all American twins and fours, plus the odd Brough...[Paul d'Orleans]

Best at the Lake, or just best of the best, the original-paint 1929 BMW WR750 in all its sensual glory. [Paul d'Orleans]

Terribly crowded around the Maserati brigade...well, not. This is as crammed as it gets at Villa d'Este, except for the bars, which take a fight to get at; a thirsty crowd...[Paul d'Orleans]

Most amusing car was this fabulously lowbrow green '72 Fiat Aster 132 Zagato coupe, complete with a box of 8-track tapes on the passenger floor. [Paul d'Orleans]

The Flash Gordon bodywork of the 1937 Gilera supercharged record-breaker, which did 170.27mph that year on the Brescia-Bergamo autostrada. [Paul d'Orleans]

by Paul d'Orléans

Starting Small: a Home-Made Electric Moped

I bumped into Nathan Jauvits on a San Francisco sidewalk, and was intrigued by his moped, the first home-made electric two-wheeler I've run across. The chassis is based on a '78 Puch Magnum, but an off-the-shelf electric motor and a power pack built by Nathan transforms the machine into something far from the buzzy, smoky original - an example of which I 'accidentally' purchased at the Bonhams Las Vegas auction - that will teach me to gesticulate in the front row!

Dr Nathan Jauvits with his as-yet-unnamed electric Moped. [Paul d'Orleans]

Dr. Jauvits, an engineer for product designers New Deal Design (who packaged the Lytro variable-field camera), also added a regenerative braking system to the moped, which has a range of 20 miles using a high-output motor which no young man could resist ('It beats all the cars at traffic lights')...I reckon with a less powerful motor and a lighter throttle hand, more miles could be squeezed out of that battery pack. The moped, which he's yet to name, can be plugged in anywhere for a recharge, and he hopes to market a version when the bugs are worked out.

I'd consider this conversion for my Puch Magnum... [Paul d'Orleans]

When I queried him about the safety issues with a completely silent 35+mph moped, he pointed at the speakers atop the battery pack, 'I let my iTunes announce me'...which is probably beats the open expansion chambers used by Moped Army regulars. The electric moped apparently requires no driver's license or road registration, falling into the same legal category as the ubiquitous NYC delivery-guy electric bicycles.

Spotted on Valencia St in San Francisco - can't beat the backdrop! [Paul d'Orleans]

[Editor's postscript Oct 2021: Who knew in 2013 that electric mopeds and scooters would overtake our major cities, and sell in their millions in China due to changes in regulation? Eight years later, small electric scooters are everywhere on the streets of every major city, providing easy, inexpensive, and fun mobility options. And Dr. Jauvits? His concept became Monday Motorbikes, which he nurtured for several years before moving on to other electrification projects.

And a reminder, the Vintagent's first feature story on electric motorcycles was a premier of the world's first electric superbike, the Mission One designed by Yves Behar, way back in January 2009!]

Paul d'Orléans is the founder of TheVintagent.com. He is an author, photographer, filmmaker, museum curator, event organizer, and public speaker. Check out his Author Page, Instagram, and

by Paul d'Orléans

A Truly Global Custom Scene

Valen and his Motorcycle

The back story: I was asked by Remo Chen, a student at San Francisco's Academy of Art, to sit for a video interview for her broadcast journalism class, as she needed a subject who's 'living an interesting lifestyle'. I've had plenty of goodwill, good advice, and outright financial support while making The Vintagent the free and groovy motorcycle hang it has become, so I'm always happy to pay back the goodwill in any way I can. While Remo's interview was fun, the tables were turned when she explained how she'd found me - her boyfriend in Chengdu, China, is an avid motorcyclist, and had recently completed his first custom motorcycle build. Much like back in 2010 when I discovered the 'Chai Racers' in Mumbai, this was the first I'd heard of a Custom scene in China (as my head is mostly in the Vintage world), and when Remo showed me photos of the bike, I suggested we introduce Valen's work via The Vintagent. The following is Remo's account of photographer Valen Zhou's first Custom. The good news? He's already working on another...

"This is my boyfriend’s first handmade motorcycle. This HONDA CB125 is from the first generation built in cooperation with a Chinese motorcycle company. He spent about 3 months rebuilding this awesome thing, and he thinks this is still not good enough.

When he was young, about 3 or 4 years old, his father gave him a toy motorcycle. He didn’t know what it was, just that it had two wheels and could move, so he liked it. The first time he saw a real motorcycle was in his grandpa’s neighborhood garden. It was a foundry product, Chang Jiang 750, made from the BMW design. He was so curious. Did the engine still work? What did that sound like? Who bought this? And what was the story about the man who had it? With the increase of age, he became so obsessed with motorcycles that he bought a Chinese Honda on his 16th birthday. He still can remember the feeling of freedom when he got on that bike for first time.

He likes old things, because they always have a lot of stories to tell. When you come to understand old things, you know the quality of living and thought in that period. He can buy a motor anywhere he wants. Each motorcycles has its own story about the man who used to own it and ride it. It’s like a connection between the old owner and the new owner. Maybe the owners change but the stories are still there. If you want to get close to them, you can find so many surprises in them.

He has an anxiety disorder, and building the motorcycle helped make him feel calm. The motorcycle helps him deal with anxiety, and he can fall asleep at night, also doesn’t feel nervous anymore. He said one day he would build a motorcycle for himself and give it his own story. When he gets old, he can tell his son or daughter the whole story about his first handmade bike. And he has done now. I feel the motorcycle is like his soul mate. He can ride it to anywhere he wants to go. He can share anything with them. So the motorcycle feels like another him to me. From the first time we saw her, the motorcycle has been part of the story of our life. He took her apart, and then put her together, gave her a brand new life.

At the beginning of my boyfriend’s story, there was a little boy who just wanted a bike to ride, but now the boy has grown up and found his own life style with his motorcycle. The story never ends, we never know what will happen next, and that why he keeps chasing his dream of motorcycles."

by Paul d'Orléans

'The Loveless': Way Beyond Torn Up

The Loveless remains much as its title suggests – unloved and unknown outside a core few who consider it an amazing motorcycle film. The first-time feature for Kathryn Bigelow, who went on to earn two directing Oscars for her meditations on US/Middle East relations (The Hurt Locker and Zero DarkThirty), The Loveless bombed at theaters when released in 1981, but showcased Bigelow’s genius twenty years before the Academy realized who they were dealing with.

Willem Dafoe in his first feature film role, as Vance, the ultracool leader of a motorcycle group traveling from Detroit to Daytona in 1959. [The Loveless]

Ms Bigelow, who co-directed with Monty Montgomery, had clearly studied Kenneth Anger shorts during her film school days, as The Loveless is a visual homage to Anger’s uncanny eye; he understood better than anyone at time - and schooled generations of filmmakers and ad men – that the cine-camera has the power to transform any object into an Icon. While Scorpio Rising brewed up a mind-altered gay/Satanic/biker bacchanal (fueled by the first explicit use of powdered amphetamine in a biker film), Anger’s raw honesty (these were his gay biker buddies in real life) is locked and loaded in Bigelow’s hands for a shotgun blast at Happy Days (the #1 TV show at that time) and Reagan-era lobotonostalgia.

Willem Dafoe on a c.1955 Harley Panhead 'Hydra Glide'. [The Loveless]

The storyline is a Southern highway collision of Easy Rider with the Wild One, upping the ante on both films with talk of jailhouse ‘joybangs’, and Faulknerian family drama. The film opens with WillemDafoe as Vance, in his first big screen role (after being fired from Heaven’s Gate!), an intimidating, greasy, and ultrasexy biker sleeping like Satan in the wilderness, right beside his Panhead.

Pals from prison: Lawrence Matarese as LeVille, Danny Rosen as Ricky, and composer Philip Kimbrough as Hurley. [Jeannette Montgomery Barron]

‘I wasn’t going to be no man’s friend today’, the movie begins, and he shortly proves his point when encountering the mythic Thunderbird from American Graffiti - with, appropriately, a flat tire – complete with a round-heeled beauty waiting for a Real Man to rescue her. Vance is a real man all right, and sees through George Lucas’ cliché-laden script, taking his payment from the Thunderbird goddess in a way we don't see coming.

The late NYC novelist Tina L'Hotsky as Sportster Debbie: 'Do I look affected?' [Jeannette Montgomery Barron]

Vance’s gang soon appears, complaining that a primary chain has snapped; they need to make repairs, so are stuck in a no-name truck-stop town in Florida, en route to Daytona for the bike races. We learn the gang is recently sprung from prison, and tension quickly builds with the locals, echoed by Robert Gordon’s smokin’ Rockabilly soundtrack, as he plays himself, sort of, as Davis, well amped on ‘vitamins’ poured – in a quote from Scorpio Rising – from a salt shaker. The dialogue is as curt and as stylized as the art direction, loaded with Americana and period quotations; yes, you’re in 1962 America … where lynch-mobs cool off with a Coke and a smile.

Prison habits die hard; Willem Dafoe (Vance) and the underage Marin Kanter (Telena) get to know each other in the Notell Motel. [The Loveless]

Vance is soon distracted by a sexy little vixen in a red Corvette, the seriously underage Telena (Marin Kanter, next seen in The Fabulous Stains), who reveals the car as a guilt-gift from her father (J.Don Fergurson as the deliriously despicable Tarver). When Vance meets Telena, the film explodes with shotgun blasts, incest, boys with pink underpants, murder, drag races, strippers, and suicide.

A Coke, but no smile? Iconic American symbols saturate the film, and rockabilly legend Robert Gordon provides much of the soundtrack. [Jeannette Montgomery Barron]

Somehow, Bigelow and Montgomery managed to keep these B-movie Bikesploitation plot points firmly steered towards the Art House, while the whole wicked machine flew right over the heads of critics and unsuspecting viewers alike. It still does. The Loveless is triple-clever, deserving multiple viewings to savor the spare dialogue, gorgeous visuals, amazingly hot Willem Dafoe, and superb soundtrack. Watching it, you’ll feel just like Sportster Debbie after a drunk trucker goes down on her – unwashed and nasty, but knowing it was good.

Veteran character actor J.Don Ferguson as Tarver: 'We all got to get some on us, sometime'. [The Loveless]

Robert Gordon goes ape shit in a critical scene, but not is all as it appears to be in this small Southern town... [The Loveless]

by Paul d'Orléans

Occupy Pebble Beach!

[This article was commissioned by The Automobile in 2013 - the best old-car magazine in the world. The text reflects my distaste for the event, and editor Jonathan Rishton chose to print it as written, saying, "Thanks for the report. It is superb - one of the best, most insightful and honest things we'll have ever published. Thanks so much." Nothing has changed at Pebble since then, except the raising of ticket prices, and the elimination of motorcycles. Enjoy the read - it's a scandal!]

Exotic car design emphasized swelling curves from the 1920s onwards, but erotism became an explicit goal only in the 1950s. [Paul d'Orleans]

Welcome to Pebble Beach, a grand celebration of the important things in life; status, wealth, tiered access, covetousness, and the need for a good hat. The Devil is at play on that green seaside lawn, tempting car enthusiasts worldwide towards the very worst reasons to enjoy old automobiles, and having quite a successful run at it. Just as Capital currently reigns unchallenged over our globe, so Pebble is the acknowledged King of Concours d’Elegance. Pebble Beach Sunday has become, in a world of exciting youth culture battling threats of economic, environmental, and military calamity, a strange 1% Otherworld, a money-cushioned respite from reality, for a mere $225 admission ($275 at the gate).

The Paul Poiret-designed interior fabric for Voisin cars - not to be viewed on psychedelic drugs! [Paul d'Orleans]

D’Elegance it is not, unless your definition includes constant elbow-bashing and the impossibility of getting a clear photograph of a car you like…at least Pebble’s photo-bombers are well dressed, and if you’re crafty, will include a revealingly dressed trophy wife. Huzzah. I find it hard to find joy in this event; the cars are magnificent, the best examples of over-the-top design in the world without question, but surely I am not a voice in the wilderness in finding it crass, materialistic, horribly boring and an overcrowded clusterfuck.

*'If you come any closer, I'll whack you with my vintage stacked-agate walking stick.'* [Paul d'Orleans]

Let me rephrase that: Pebble Beach is no joy to attend as a citizen, although one is pampered as an entrant. The price of admission to that club varies by your ambition and your pocketbook; a savvy choice of an obscure but important vehicle might not be expensive at all – you may already own one – but positioning yourself for an ‘invitation’ is another matter, and will require connections to the right people. Or at least, in the four-wheel categories… a back door has opened in the last 5 years for collectors of important motorcycles, which are only as expensive as good cars were 25 years ago; ie, generally under $100k.

"In the Springtime, a young man's fancy turns lightly to thoughts of abolishing the tax on Capital Gains" [Paul d'Orleans]

That will change of course, but for now, if you’re really hankering to stand beside a vehicle all day, waiting for judges to pore over your machine, then waiting some more to find if you’ve placed, then a motorcycle is the way to go. This year would have been the perfect opportunity, actually, as the motorcycle theme was ‘French’. If you’re not from that country, I challenge you to name more than four French motorcycle manufacturers. Don’t feel bad, neither could the Pebble organizers, who failed to round up prime examples of French engineering prowess - the exotic overhead-cams, the racers, the multi-valves, the incredible range of ‘firsts’ from the early years, when France dominated vehicular achievement on land and in the air. No significant history was in evidence.

Too much love; over-rubbed in sensitive places? [Paul d'Orleans]

The earliest two-wheeler on the lawn was the only good reason to visit Class X; the 1929 Majestic was a unique example (and likely a fake), having an American four-cylinder Cleveland engine completely enclosed in Deco-sausage bodywork, with car-like hub center steering; a two-wheeled Facel Vega. The Majestic was produced 63 years into the lineage of French motorcycling (a genre they invented, after all, in 1867), which leaves a whole lot of unexplained history in a tiny field of only 9 motorcycles. It was simply embarrassing. I say let’s just forget this pathetic attempt at ‘inclusion’; motorcycles ARE the new black, but nobody’s wearing black at Pebble. Or perhaps, let’s ask Karl Lagerfeld to curate the next motorcycle exhibit, and cut the pretense to relevance, or History, or whatever.

Birds shedding feathers. [Paul d'Orleans]

The automotive display included a stretch of competition-minded Porsche 911s to celebrate that squidgy little darling’s 50th birthday, and I must say we’ve grown old well together. It’s lovely seeing full-scale the Corgi Porsches I vroomed as a lad, although if one took a 20 minute drive from the golf club lawn, one could see, hear, and smell some of the very same cars being hammered around Laguna Seca raceway in the Monterey Historics, where megamillion Ferraris are spun into barriers and semi-genteel Aston Martins bash each other’s noses. The damage inflicted on these glorious beasts is costly, like every one of the 40,000 spectators lighting a joint with a $10 bill. Still, I’d rather watch the beasts howling and writhing and stressing themselves, than parked on a lawn.

Our man Alain deCadanet 'splaining an Alfa 8C, an example of which he's owned for donkey's ears. [Paul d'Orleans]

An excellent Pebble development is the ever-expanding ‘preservation’ classes (L-1 and L-2, pre- and postwar), which means somebody at Pebble has heard the clarion call of the Oily Rag. Hallelujah. My favorite rust-bucket was an original-paint Voisin, complete with dents, which was dutifully polished all day long, one assumes to help remove more areas of paint for the ‘perfect patina’. The interior, I was assured, was in the original leather, and not the eye-watering Paul Poiret Art Deco mescaline nightmare found in every single restored Voisin; they’ve really come out of the woodwork since winning ‘everything’ in the past 2 years.

Further over-loved; a Voisin in original paint, but perhaps not original interior? Although it was old... [Paul d'Orleans]

I was slightly vexed by an Aston Martin DB5 in supposedly original paint, its anthracite grey exterior looking fairly immaculate barring rubbed-thru patches where clearly ‘over-loved’ by the polishing rag…or was this new paint, artfully distressed? The thought disturbed me, the more so when I overheard a Preservation class entrant describing the purchase of a junked car’s faded leather interior, which he placed in his own car, as it looked better. Creatively ‘original’, but certainly not ‘preserved’, unless we count an aggregation of vintage parts as ‘original’ in toto…at which point, there’ll be no need to lock up the guns, my mind will have already been blown.

Pebble is an opportunity for period-correct dress, and matching your vehicle, in the true historic spirit of the Concours d'Elegance of the 1920s. [Paul d'Orleans]

It’s a not-joke that only black cars win Best in Show at Pebble Beach [2015 too! - pd'o], and this year was no exception; the 1934 Packard 1108 Twelve Dietrich Convertible Victoria was the first American car to win the grand prize since 2007. It was big and grand and utterly unique, partly because America was starving at the time, out of work with a 40% unemployment rate. Brother, can you spare a coachbuilt Packard?

Top of the Money Tree, even in an odd shade of green; a Ferrari 250GTO in a Billion dollar lineup. [Paul d'Orleans]

Today, if the owner falls on hard times, he can always follow the path of last year’s winner, who sold his 2012 Best in Show ’28 Mercedes-Benz 680S Torpedo Roadster for a cool $8.25M on the weekend. That was nothing, of course, compared to the 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4S NART Spider, which sold for a chart-busting $27.5M…shades of pre-Crash giddiness. “It’s almost 2014: do you know where your investments are?”

The ex-John Surtees Ferrari normally found in the Barber Museum. [Paul d'Orleans]

The Centenary of Aston Martin did not pass unnoticed, and a lovely stretch of racers and roadsters were nearly camouflaged by the British racing green lawn, although the insect-yellow flash of a ’57 DBR2 kept bumblers alert. Its livery was matched by a new Aston CC100 Speedster prototype, shown in the ‘Concept Car Corral’ on the Lodge lawn, and looking a lot like BMW’s ‘328 nouveaux’ concept débuted in 2011, but sexier. Bugatti brought a special-edition Veyron for display at an invite-only party, and a pair of gilded guests had a bidding brawl on the spot, resulting in the $2.7M car which wasn’t for sale leaving the premises for nearly $3.5M. Wallets thrown at 10 paces; may the best oligarch win. The piss-taking side events like the Monterey Concours d’LeMons are looking like a better bet every year…

by Paul d'Orléans

Alberto Garcia-Alix: Wheels&Waves 2013

Renowned Madrid photographer Alberto García-Alix was a featured artist at the 2013 Wheels & Waves 'Artride' gallery exhibit in Biarritz. Of course he also brought his cameras to souther France, and shot the scene and the people in his inimitable style. He has generously offered to share his portfolio of images with TheVintagent, which is presented here with minimal comment.

Wheels & Waves founder Vincent Prat's Bonneville Triton. [Alberto Garcia-Alix]

Jerome Coste of Ruby helmets. [Alberto Garcia-Alix]

Julién Promheva, store manager of Ruby Helmets on rue Hérold in Paris. [Alberto Garcia-Alix]

El Solitario's 'Baula'. [Alberto Garcia-Alix]

Vincent Prat, founder of Wheels & Waves. [Alberto Garcia-Alix]

Thor Drake of See See Coffee and The One Show. [Alberto Garcia-Alix]

David Borras of El Solitario MC [Alberto Garcia-Alix]

Artwork by Maxwell Paternoster. [Alberto Garcia-Alix]

Photographer and Vintagent Contributor Kristina Fender. [Alberto Garcia-Alix]

Musician and artist Esther Bent. [Alberto Garcia-Alix]

Valeria Borras' customized El Solitario BMW, with artwork by Maxwell Paternoster. [Alberto Garcia-Alix]

DJ and firefighter. [Alberto Garcia-Alix]

Illegal street drags. [Alberto Garcia-Alix]

by Paul d'Orléans

Nuovo Nuovo Falcone Cafe

Just when you thought all Custom shows were tail-chasing exercises in better-bobberism, Don Cronin delivers a Moto Guzzi Nuovo Falcone updated for the 21st Century. Don's custom shop in Ireland - Medaza - focusses on Italian powerplants for his creations; Ducati, Moto Morini, Moto Guzzi.

Straight from the AMD press office, their pic of Don Cronin's 'Rondine', winner of the 2013 AMD World Championship of Custom Motorcycles, based on a Moto Guzzi Nuovo Falcone. [AMD]

While plenty of customizers have messed around with the Moto Guzzi v-twin engine, few have worked around the far more venerable flat-single design with which Guzzi established its name back in 1921, and was the mainstay of their business until the introduction of their transverse 750cc v-twin in 1967, the 'V7' - a hilarious designation from the company which famously built a racing V-8!

Love that the 'bologna slicer' flywheel echoes the Harley-Davidson wheels. [Medaza Cycles]

Cronin's 'Rondine' ('Swallow' in Italian) just won the top prize at the AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building in Essen, Germany, which is as good as it gets in the world of modified bikes. A close inspection of the machine reveals H-D V-Rod wheels and swingarm (modified), rim disc brakes, and a very café-inspired look; a Nuovo Falcone hotted up for the present, using the old workhorse engine originally pressed into service as a police and military mule, and never a sports machine. A few people have upgraded their Falcones to café style, but never quite like this! Congratulations to Don Cronin and Michael O'Shea for their build, and their win.

A gorgeous machine from any angle, the Medaza Rondine. [Medaza]

*Don Cronin aboard his Morini V-twin based custom, the* *Medaza. Wonder if he's seen* *Paladin's sketches from the 1980s*? [Stefan Syrowatka]

by Paul d'Orléans

A Visit to Verralls

I don't often get the chance to stop in Verralls in Handcross, just south of London, but it's a venerable place with a great selection of older motorcycles, and a great pleasure to visit. Ian Hatton, who took over the business when Brian Verrall died a few years ago, has been a pal since 1987, when he was a lowly mechanic on Brian's machines (and about 19 years old, while I was a lofty 25). Ian liked my painted-up Velocette jacket, and I purchased an MZ 250 from his father, which I then rode to the Soviet border and back in a great loop around Western and Eastern Europe, a trip of many thousands of miles - all on back roads, with zero mechanical trouble. That's another story, but we've since remained friends, and I've long been a fan of the business. Ian has continued Brian's policy of looking after machines they've sold - if there's a problem, they'll deal with it, usually for free (unless you run the bike without oil). Enjoy this brief tour!

It's always tea time at Verrall's. Gordon Button holds the tea while Ian Hatton chats up a customer. [Paul d'Orléans]

Stop in sometime, and have a chat with Gordon Button about his Morgan while he serves tea. [Paul d'Orléans]

1939 Coventry Eagle 148cc with pressed-steel frame. [Paul d'Orléans]

Greeves trials machine with aluminum I-Beam front downtube, leading link forks, and Villiers engine. A very early Sunbeam with leading-link front fork sits behind. [Paul d'Orléans]

A BMW R60/2 and Steib S500 sidecar, in original paint. [Paul d'Orléans]

Make mine green! A 1920s BSA sidecar attached to a big BSA v-twin. [Paul d'Orléans]

BSA Bantam motor peeks between General Post Office legshields. [Paul d'Orléans]

An esoteric but coveted machine; 1926 Rex-Acme with Blackburne external flywheel 350cc OHV motor. A perfect example of the appeal of a sporting flat tank motorcycle. [Paul d'Orléans]

The Rex-Acme was a fantastic little hot rod in the day, with a tireless Blackburne super sports engine and exceptional handling. Note the 'legs of Man' in the logo. [Paul d'Orléans]

A late 1920s Brough Superior SS80 JAP sidevalve powerplant - finned magnificence. [Paul d'Orléans]

This crusty Barbour waxed cotton Trailmaster jacket literally stands up on its own. Note the straight frame rails of a racing Cotton-Blackburne behind me. [Paul d'Orléans]

Sunbeam Model 6 with 500cc sidevalve engine; a lovely machine to ride. [Paul d'Orléans]

The other side of the Sunbeam Model 6: note the sightglass for the oil feed supply to the big end of the engine. Note the Sunbeam's lovely enclosed 'Little Oil Bath' primary chaincase, which holds its grease well. [Paul d'Orléans]

An 'oily rag' original finish 1914 Douglas in rare grey paint. [Paul d'Orléans]

by Paul d'Orléans

Prouvé, Ennui, and the Problem of Cash

I have a friend in Paris – Yves - with a lovely Jean Prouvé dining table he found cheap at the flea market (les Puces!) years ago, when Prouvé was iconic to connoisseurs, but not especially valuable. That changed; Prouvé is dead, his work is brilliant, and greed-panic is symptomatic of our 21st Century consciousness, so Yves’ dining table is worth well north of a Million, in whatever currency you care to calculate. Yet he still uses that table, every day.

Not Yves' house, but an example of a Jean Prouvé table being used as the maker intended... [Vintagent Archive]

Susan has an unusual old chest (slap your wayward mind!), painted with a strange mashup of 18th Century American folk art collided with 60s Pop Art patterns. The piece is insanely cool, and when it was appraised for insurance recently, it too rung the carnival bell above 7 figures. Susan is no fool, and knew the thing was rare, but she likes it where it sits, holding the guest linens, and has sensibly decided to carry on using a family heirloom, which she’ll pass on to her children. Her attitude is completely at odds with the ‘Roadshow/Pickers’ mindset, the modern game shows where 'Box #3' is your own damn garage. Susan is a responsible steward of the antique in question, just as were the past 15 generations of its owners.

A Hadley chest, named for the small town in Massachusetts where they were built, in shockingly modernist motifs. [Christies]

‘Stewardship’ is a word tossed around Christian think-tanks and techno-hippie chat rooms, but rarely mentioned over the oil-stained concrete on which our old motorbikes typically rest. But the term is cropping up at bike shows, in specialist media (Classic Bike Guide, Oily Rag, The Vintagent), and even at auctions, as motorcycle collecting - for many decades the purview of eccentric obsessives – slouches inexorably toward the Mainstream. A very uncomfortable shift for some, especially the Volunteers, who created a network of old bike enthusiasts, and obsessively searched the countryside for motorbikes, hoarding parts and machines beyond the point of rationality, at a time when bikes were worth sod-all.

The 1935 Koehler-Escoffier 'Monneret' pictured at the Vintage Revival Montlhéry event in Apr.2013; a unique machine with incredible history, owned by the Musée Mallartre in Lyon, France, the machine is kept in running condition and taken regularly to events. Stewardship at its best. [Paul d'Orleans]

They may have had larcenous hearts, greedily selling an SS100 for £15 back in 1949, but we laugh at their naivéte, just as our kids will laugh at us in 20 years when that same Brough tops £1M. Let us praise the Volunteers, whether their pants are secured by rope or alligator belts – I’ve met them all, and they share a common heart of gold, at least for motorcycles; they may well dislike You, as competition! While an imperfect lot, they’ve done their best to keep motorcycles out of the scrap-merchant’s destroying clutches, when they were basically worthless.

A 1929 Brough Superior SS100 at an English rally in the late 1970s, when such a machine could be purchased for £1500. People complained of the high and rising prices for old bikes even then! [Brough Superior Club]

Rising values, a dearth of really good unrestored machines, and a growing consciousness of the beauty of an ‘Oily Rag’ original finish, have all fertilized the understanding of Stewardship in the bike world. For whatever reason, the Magpies – hoarders of shiny things – still dominate the Automotive collecting world, which has everything to do with the Car’s social function as self-perceived penis enlarger. Strange, given that a passing Ferrari is more likely to elicit sins of covetousness and avarice, but not envy of the owner, in whom we see said member, actual size.

Looking at 1960s private adverts can be a painful experience! [Paul d'Orleans]

Motorbikes can make us feel superhuman (a necessary illusion perhaps, given their danger), and we feel pride while riding, yet we’re also aware the general population greets us with open indifference, or at worst, complete invisibility. With motorcycles Out as a symbol of social status, what’s left is a cadre of enthusiasts willing – to put it bluntly – to risk life and limb for the sheer pleasure of two-wheeling. That’s a different sort of passion than the standard Collector’s obsessions; those motivations are present too, but it’s a richer mix with bikers, who were generally seen as cranks until the 'Art of the Motorcycle' exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum. That’s probably why we’re far ahead of our four-wheeled brethren in the Stewardship stakes.

A dirty old motorcycle is rarely the answer to a midlife crisis...[Top Gear]

The trend at auction houses is clear; we are increasingly demanding machines bearing their original manufacturer’s paint job. A case in point; two identical ca.1910 Pierce single-cylinder motorcycles went for auction in Las Vegas last January, one dans son jus, the other restored, which failed to meet its $42,000 reserve. The heavily patinated Pierce, by contrast, fetched over $110,000. What Susan and Yves and the new 1910 Pierce owner understand is that the real treasure is not from the restorer’s hands, but from the maker’s workshop, unmolested. In this, they are in accord with art and furniture collectors, who are a century or two ahead of us in this game.

A tale of two Pierces; unrestored at left (sold for over $110k), restored at right (did not meet $42k reserve). [Paul d'Orleans]

The reluctance of some motorcyclists to actually Use their treasures, as our examples above continue to do, is, one hopes, merely a symptom of a sudden rise in prices. We haven’t gained proper ennui at all this money talk, which is horrifically boring. After all, we’re in this game to Ride; if we wanted to throw money around, we’d have become bankers or rappers. But you can’t ride a pile of cash down the road, and a MacEvoy Anzani 8-valve shares the greatest thing with a Honda CB72 – they’re both really fun.

by Paul d'Orléans

Biker Chic

It just keeps coming back, like Herpes, and now Biker Chic is stronger than ever! Every major fashion house has re-discovered the magnetic sexual pull of the black-clad motorcyclist, and cargo ships from China and Pakistan are foundering under the weight of thousands of cheap leather jackets headed to our shores.

Studs and studs, because bigger is better, in all things... [People]

It doesn't matter that the leather is under 1mm thick, as these jackets will never be used 'in anger', not even on a moped, because let's face it, ACTUAL motorcycling is dead as a doornail. Kids today could give a hoot about escaping their schools, parents, or towns using two wheels; they're not interested in Anything but playing with their little screens.

LiLo in black leather..ish. She's got a biker attitude, and looks like she's been chasing white lines...[God knows]

A few oddball youngsters will pick up motorcycling like a foreign language, because they're strange, or their parents ride, but in general, motorcycling has lost its mojo. The skills, fresh air, danger, and freedom granted by riding matters nought, and new bike sales graphs skid downhill like ski slopes.

But the 'Look' of motorcycling is HOT! Who needs to ride when HandM and Zara are selling such cool 'bikerish' leather? When every model is stretched across an old bike, but are never photographed handling a 500lb motorcycle...or are fakey-photographed on a 'moving' bike, while perched on a trailer!

Proper motorcycle lads, of a sort. [Antique Photo World]

[While this article hews close to the truth, it's really about April Fool's, folks!]

by Paul d'Orléans

Denis Sire; 'Baron d'Holbach'

Galerie Jean-Marc Thévenet in Paris exhibited (thru Dec.5, 2012) the work of legendary motoring artist Denis Sire, champion of inserting fantastical pinup girls into historical situations. Sire was born in 1953 at Saint Nazaire on the Atlantic coast of France, and studied art in Paris at ‘L’Ecole des Arts Appliqués. His work is most familiar to 1980s readers of Playboy and Heavy Metal magazines, and I've had a copy of his Velocette Thruxton sketch on the wall of my office for decades, admiring his outrageous mix of scantily clad femininity with hot rods, record breakers, fighter planes, and motorcycles. Meeting Sire in person last February at Rétromobile in Paris, I discovered he also possesses a unique sense of style, befitting his outré artistic ouevre.

'Gene Hartley Rides the Red Horse' [Denis Sire]

Roughly translated from the Thévenet Gallery website: 'Denis Sire has since 1980 drawn an idealized geography, whose contours include the Isle of Man, Brooklands, Indianapolis, Goodwood, Berlin, LeMans ... The exhibition presents works by Denis Sire covering the period to 1910s to the 1950s, each drawing creating legends where the artist, genius that he is, plays with context, where each element belongs, as long as Sire is wielding the pencil. A number of drawings are available on vintage paper with texts that are reinterpretations of those moments where art and machines meet historical truth.'

'Petrali Soul', Joe Petrali's Harley Davidson Knucklehead record-breaker...[Denis Sire]

'Jimmy Guthrie', the legendary Norton factory racer circa 1935 [Denis Sire]

Dennis sire with a flat-track Harley CR250... which was of course built by Aermacchi. That's an Aermacchi jet, on the shores of Lake Varese (photo from internet)
All artwork images courtesy and copyright Galerie Jean Marc Thévenet

by Paul d'Orléans

3 Days in Paris: Retromobile 2012

Retromobile's star has faded in the past two years for motorcyclists and vintage car enthusiasts, as the show's management has effectively nixed two-wheel participation in favor of more space for new car manufacturers. The increases in per-square-metre cost (previously, a lower rate applied to bike booths) have begun to squeeze out the smaller autojumble traders who previously made up a healthy proportion of the floor space at the Parc des Expositions, while the show was shortened to 5 days from the previous luxury of 10.

Stacks of gorgeousness; Bugatti Atlantique beside Hispano-Suiza mahogany boat-tail speedster at the Mullin Automotive Museum stand...[Paul d'Orléans]

The show still boasts some amazing four-wheeled machinery, although there is now only a single motorcycle-related stand (Motos Antiquas H-D), plus a few scattered bikes at stalwart BMW (who can always be relied upon to share a few factory treasures), and Skoda, who showed a 1919 Slavia made same factory back in the day. A few clubs and businesses also included a bike or two, and Artcurial Auctions had a much-improved selection of two-wheelers on offer...so all was not lost, although the Bernard Salvat-curated bike displays of past years are very much missed.

Georg Meier's famous '49', the 1939 Isle of Man TT-Winning BMW Type 255 Kompressor, at the BMW stand. [Paul d'Orleans]

As always, the biggest benefit for visitors is meeting like-minded people from other countries, and it was great to see Alain de Cadanet, Malcolm Clube, Julian Balme (who laid out the Fisken stand, and covered Salon Privé for The Vintagent in Sep 2011), Conrad Leach, the editors of The Automobile, PrewarCar.com, The Dandy, Café Racers (Fr), Octane, Retro Passion, etc, etc...

A 'Teen's watercolor of a car/motorcycle race, at the Artcurial auction. [Paul d'Orleans]

For a vintage motorcyclist, you'd need a healthy dose of car-appreciation to justify a trip to Paris for Retromobile, but the Bonhams sale and other moto-spots (see my accompanying posts) in the City of Light make a long weekend worthwhile. And, always and always, the city itself is the premier attraction, whatever the season...one can never get enough of Paris.

French graphic art legend Denis Sire, true to his Celtic heritage in kilt and tam o' shanter...with Ray Bans and a Norton shirt! If you don't know Denis' work, click here. His drawing of a wildly endowed maid on a Velocette Thruxton has graced my office for over 20 years... [Paul d'Orleans]

Super-rare Wanderer eight-valve V-twin racer on the Motos Antiquas HD stand. [Paul d'Orleans]

The Wanderer 8-Valve in its entirety: a superb engine design, reminiscent of a JAP KTOR, but more valves! [Paul d'Orleans]

On the Fiskens stand; a mighty Bentley open tourer, backed by Nick Clements' (*Men's File* magazine) most recent photographs. [Paul d'Orleans]

BMW brought 3 interesting machines; the ex-Meier RS255, an R100RS which took speed records at Bonneville, and a 1983 Paris-Dakar-winning GS enduro. [Paul d'Orleans]

To the faithful, #49 is a magical talisman...Georg Meier's Isle of Man TT winner from 1938. [Paul d'Orleans]

The Avignon Motor Festival booth, with a fantastic MGC N3A roadster. The Avignon event was a huge success last year, with an exceptional display of Moto Guzzi racers and Matra cars... What will it be this year? Stay tuned! [Paul d'Orleans]

An original wooden concept study model for the immortal Citroen DS21. [Paul d'Orleans]

At the Hall and Hall stand; More and More expensive kit! This prewar V-16 Auto Union racer was the stuff of dreams. And probably a replica... [Paul d'Orleans]

The remarkable Gérin alloy structured car on The Automobile stand. Many patents granted on the amazing Gérin. The brake drums are the wheel rims... enormous. Leading-link hydraulic suspension, and a one-off engine inside. A very expensive demonstration of its 25-yr old designer's skill. [Paul d'Orleans]

Explaining the fantastic 1923 Gérin aircraft-technology car on The Automobile / PreWarCar.com stand... [Paul d'Orleans]

Crazy structure of the 1923 Gérin prototype 'car' at The Automobile stand. Built more like an aircraft with in-the-round aluminum spars (even underneath!) and steam-bent oak in their channels, on which the fabric body was tacked. So many patents in one vehicle...there was a crowd all day. [Paul d'Orleans]

The tail of a 1924 Delage V-12 racer, with an aluminum engine-turned body, shot over with clear blue lacquer. Absolutely gorgeous. [Paul d'Orleans]

At the Artcurial auction lineup, an interesting BSA B34 scrambler. [Paul d'Orleans]

V-8 power in a monoposto F1 car of the 60s. [Paul d'Orleans]

A restored 1902 Clément on the Federation of Historic Vehicles (FFVE) stand... I happen to own an unrestored version of the same. [Paul d'Orleans]

"Alas poor Yoricke; I knew him...a man of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy. He hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! My gorge rises at it. Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft. Where be your gibes now?" Artist Conrad Leach considers a memento mori, formerly found on the hood of a car... [Paul d'Orleans]

A Jaguar D-type short-nose...all tigerish in reflection. [Paul d'Orleans]

NCR-modified Ducati 900 'bevel' engine, track-ready, with a Maserati 3500GT, at Artcurial. In 1989 I very nearly traded a Brough Superior 11-50 for a champagne green Maser like this...they still fetch equivalent value today...albeit much elevated from that benign moment. [Paul d'Orleans]

A replica of the world's first electric car, from 1881, 6 years before the Daimler; the Ayrton and Perry, the first vehicle with electric lighting... [Paul d'Orleans]

Ice-racing tire studs on a Renault A110 Alpine. [Paul d'Orleans]

No smoking Gitanes around the children...plenty of families visit Rétro. [Paul d'Orleans]

Lovely 1907 FN four-cylinder on the Motos Antiguas HD stand. The first four-cylinder machine to enter the Isle of Man TT, in the very first year of its running. [Paul d'Orleans]

Fabulous, enormous 1904 Griffon poster, by pioneer motoring poster artist Hugo d'Alesi, in the automobilia section. [Paul d'Orleans]

Artcurial's greatest asset; Iris Hummel. [Paul d'Orleans]

The Automobile's editor, Jonathan Rishton. [Paul d'Orleans]

Where else would you find it? [Paul d'Orleans]

The Laurin and Klement - powered 'Slavia' on the Skoda stand, which attracted plenty of attention. Skoda began in 1895 and - like BSA, FN, Royal Enfield, etc - was originally an arms maker. Laurin and Klement built their first motorcycle (the Slavia) in 1899, and their engines were sold to many other makers. Skoda bought Laurin and Klement in 1924. [Paul d'Orleans]

My favorite moto-painting ever; by 'Lassim' from 1932, a French poster artist, but this is a one-off. Lassim was a like-minded fellow; he has peered into my head! [Paul d'Orleans]

MGC Model N3L with original paint on the tank...the aluminum chassis included the fuel and oil tanks! [Paul d'Orleans]

Hubert Auriol and Gaston Rahier's 1983 Paris-Dakar BMW GS, the winner that year. Hubert Auriol is the first person to have won this punishing event on two and four wheels...the Surtees of the desert! [Paul d'Orleans]

The nail-polish pearlescent Rumi Formichino at Artcurial. [Paul d'Orleans]

by Paul d'Orléans

Grayson Perry at the British Museum

To the pantheon of gender-bending motorcyclists - the infamous, notorious, or hidden - we must add Grayson Perry, multi-talented artist, transvestite, Turner Prize winner, and dedicated biker. I was lucky to catch Perry's show at the British Museum in London last week, 'Tomb of the Unknown Craftsman', and began smiling the moment I spotted the 'Kenilworth AM1', his custom Harley-Davidson Knucklehead, at the head of the grand curved staircase in the museum's atrium.

The entrance to the British Museum exhibit [Paul d'Orléans]

The smile never left; Perry's exhibit of selected Museum artifacts beside his sculptures, paintings, and quilts, weaves a thread of humor and unexpected meaning between the old and new artworks, as if all art ever created were, in his words, "the material culture of a bohemian diaspora, a global tribe whose merchants and witch doctors bartered with a wider population by selling artifacts invested with a special quality; the quality of art."

Grayson Perry with his 'Kenilworth AM1' custom Harley-Davidson Knucklehead, built by Battistani Customs in the UK

The 'Kenilworth AM1' is Perry's two-wheeled 'popemobile', a performance-art prop created to carry Alan Measles (Perry's 50-year old teddy bear/muse/alter ego/totem) on a pilgrimage to Germany, in a glass-sided reliquary mounted, naturally, on the 'sissy bar' of his custom Harley. The AM1 is built and painted up much like Perry's trademark 'drag' outfits, using highly saturated colors and shapes reminiscent of 'Outsider' art. The elongated pink-and-blue petrol tank is painted either side with 'humility' and 'patience', which Perry notes are the "opposite of rocker lifestyle texts."

The Harley-Davidson Knucklehead engine surrounded with 'Humility' - a quality not often associated with Customs! [Paul d'Orléans]

With a matched riding suit of bright yellow boots, an outrageous lavender Peter-Pan-collar jumpsuit, and spring-green helmet, Perry's riding ensemble creates a motorcycling image which borrows nothing from anyone or anything...there's simply nobody else on the road with the cojones to wear THAT outfit while riding THAT bike. While custom shops, tattoo parlors, and clothing outlets are busy selling 'individuality', Perry has taken a brave and lonely path, to BE an individual.

'Patience' on the far side of the Kenilworth AM1 tank. [Paul d'Orléans]

"One fact that every transvestite has to come to terms with is that a person dressed up in the clothes of the opposite sex is somehow inherently funny. I feel it has profoundly shaped my own outlook on life. I regard humour as an important and necessary aspect of art." Grayson Perry explores, via humor and an 'innocent' surrogate, a whole range of difficult subjects; religion, violence, sexual politics, poverty, and the encroaching i-vapidity of our gadget-dominated culture.

The saddle bears a likeness of Alan Measle's face. [Paul d'Orléans]

Perry began as an art-world 'outsider' himself, as a self-described 'transvestite potter' and unlikely candidate for the prestigious Turner Prize; ceramics have rarely been considered worthy of inclusion in major museums, and like motorcycles, are dismissed as 'craft'. While Perry honed his skills as a ceramicist, he explored deliberately provocative imagery with his glazes, and gained a following for the brilliance of this juxtaposition - difficult subject matter with masterful craftsmanship.

Alan Measles as Crusader on a horse, cast in bronze. [Paul d'Orléans]

Grayson Perry has always been a motorcyclist; "I’ve never owned a car. I love motorbikes. I’ve got a Harley, which is perfect for summer when you want to go slow, pose and enjoy the scenery, and a KTM, which is brilliant for getting from A to B fast when it’s wet and cold and you want to feel safe. In 1989 my wife Philippa bought me a set of motorbike leathers – the first thing I ever had made for me. I designed them to be like the Cerne Abbas giant. I used to wear them to art openings so I could go there on the bike but still feel dressed up.... Motorbikes aren’t manly. Look at mine. If a bloke has to prove his machismo with a motorbike, then he isn’t very macho.”

A transvestite with a Kalashnikov automatic rifle; Grayson Perry. [Greyson Perry]

Motorcycling, masculinity, and a therapeutic exploration of his childhood (Perry's wife Philippa is, incidentally, a psychotherapist) are clues to Perry's art at the British Museum. His father, who left while Perry was very young, was an engineer and masculine amateur wrestler, and a biker. After he left, young Perry's teddy bear - Alan Measles, a gift on his first birthday - became a complex and psychologically loaded fantasy figure, the centerpiece of his play, the hero all his masculine fantasies; undefeated race car driver, fighter pilot, war hero. The tour de force of Perry's new art is the elevation of Measles to the status of a God-in-the-Making, the centerpiece of a new cult, a future Deity to an uncreated religion. The childhood stories of the bear's battles, injuries, and ultimate triumphs, have been transformed into a narrative arc of a fictional Prophet Hero, an immediately sympathetic character (who doesn't love a teddy bear?) imbued with the magical realism of childhood - that combination of keen observation with fantastic invention.

Grayson Perry's initial sketch of the Kenilworth AM1. [British Museum]

The 'Kenilworth AM1' was sketched out by Perry, and built by 'chopper shop' Battistini's UK (who, curiously, don't claim credit for their work online, but do link to the exhibit in their blog); the project builders were Nigel Green, Anthony Foy, Adam Smith, Alan Smith, Dan Smith, and Tom Fuller. Nice work, gents: bet your other builds aren't in the British Museum!

Grayson Perry on his pilgrimage with Alan Measles, in Germany. [British Museum]

The relationship of the arts and motorcycling is a keen interest of The Vintagent, and we are ecstatic when motorcycles appear in museums, from the Guggenheim's 'Art of the Motorcycle' exhibit to the occasional, unexpected artwork featuring motorcycles, from Billy Al Bengston to Boris Anrep's tile floor murals in the National Portrait Gallery in London. Follow along on The Vintagent for content you'll find nowhere else!

by Paul d'Orléans

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