Saturday, October 30, 2010

Van Nuys Cycle 1970 Triumph Chopper



Got a NOS set of these pipes going up for bid this weekend,


along some other stuff I had to dig deep to find...

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

The horror...

Viewing Discretion Advised! Not to be viewed by children, those in bad health, or the easily offended!







Submitted by a loyal Companero. I remember seeing this bike for sale earlier this year. What a neat little survivor in such good condition. I fantasized a bit about buying it but like most guys can't afford to buy every pretty thing that catches my eye. I think it actually sold pretty cheap. Maybe that was the problem. For what it is, it has neat lines and some really cool parts. Most of the time these old customs are abused and neglected creatures in need of large amounts of funding and labor to be restored back to former glory. Here we have a near pristine survivor in perfect, putt around town condition utterly f-ct up for no good reason. The one and only reason to do something like this would be if society had completely collapsed and you needed a low visual impact to get the hell outta Dodge. I doubt this would be your first choice in transportation and truthfully I would rather go out in style, i.e. like the customs in the original Mad Max film, than commit this kind of atrocity. To keep it simple, to the person responsible for this. Sir, you are truly an ass of the highest order, and probably a daily poster on the Jockey Journal. Way cool the way he took off the original mini disc front wheel and replaced it with a 21" spool, because that's what's sick! Sweet bobber.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Don Cates MORT !! Found !!

Not long after doing the post on Don Cates MORT Triumph Trike, I got this email, and over the weekend the link to the photos below. As of now this is all the info I have. Enjoy,

"I saw the magazine article you posted on your web site and I just wanted to let you know that I worked for Don Cates while he was showing this motorcycle.

I have recently gotten in touch with Don and have acquired Mort After 40 years of being stored in a trailer.

It is my intention to perform a full restoration and show this work of art once again. I thought that you might like to know that this bike is still around and that Don will be there to support my efforts, as well as many of the original people that participated in the original build."

Big D



Note special biohazard gear used while removing the artifact from its tomb.







Original paint still on the primary cover.




Too cool. Looks to be absolutely 100% complete and original. Unbelievably untouched for being over 40 years old.


MORT wasn't alone in that trailer...


Looks like the rats ate much of the roof!






Shop vac in place of a formaldehyde machine


and the work begins...