tuesday

"Red hair and black leather,

that's my favorite color scheme..."

Richard Thompson - 1952 Vincent Black Lightning

Lyrics:
Oh, says Red Molly to James "That's a fine motorbike.
A girl could feel special on any such like."
Says James to Red Molly "My hat's off to you It's a
Vincent Black Lightning, 1952. And I've seen you at the
corners and cafes it seems, red hair and black leather,
my favourite colour scheme." And he pulled her on behind
and down to Boxhill they did ride.
Oh, says James to Red Molly, "Here's a ring for your right hand,
but I'll tell you in earnest I'm a dangerous man. For I've fought
with the law since I was seventeen, I robbed many a man to get
my Vincent machine. Now I'm 21 years, I might make 22 And I
don't mind dying, but for the love of you. And if fate should break
my stride, then I'll give you my Vincent to ride."
"Come down, come down, Red Molly," called Sergeant McRae.
"For they've taken young James Adie for armed robbery. Shotgun
blast hit his chest, left nothing inside. Oh come down, Red Molly to
his dying bedside."
When she came to the hospital, there wasn't much left He was running
out of road, he was running out of breath.
But he smiled to see her cry, he said "I'll give you my Vincent to ride."
Says James "In my opinion, there's nothing in this world Beats a 52 Vincent and a red headed girl.
Now Nortons and Indians and Greeves won't do, Ah, they don't have a soul like a Vincent 52."
Oh he reached for her hand and he slipped her the keys,
said "I've got no further use for these. I see angels on Ariels in leather and chrome, swooping down from heaven to carry me home."
And he gave her one last kiss and died. And he gave her his Vincent to ride.

Best fucking motorcycle song ever. No contest.

Chokes me up every time I hear it, and this is a particularly good performance.

not-at-all-blue monday

It has come to my attention via an email from Paul at The Kneeslider (always available from the sidebar at right) that we have reason to celebrate. Something new and strange and wonderful has been growing in secret in Alabama for a year and its name is Motus.

Brian Case, Kneeslider contributing writer and the designer responsible for the carbon backbone, aluminum frame and absolutely sweet carbon girder front end of the Wraith model while he was at Confederate Motorcycles (below right, click to embiggen), has partnered with medical equipment mogul Lee Conn to bring us an American made V4. No, it's not gonna be a ten foot long chrome trailer queen or a peaky, high-strung $40K track bike. It's to be a purpose built, from-scratch Sport Tourer, light, agile, comfortable and with plenty of range. And aimed squarely at the FJR1300/R1200R/ST1300 market. "Case said no United States motorcycle company produces the niche market bike where base models sell in the $15,000-$20,000 range" (from the Birmingham Business Journal article linked below).

I will wait, as I must, but not happily and not without butterflies (mmm...butter) for pictures and testing and information as it appears, but I've read Brian's articles and comments for a few years and he seems a sharp fella and if he says he's gonna make “a next-generation American V4 face-melter” that's got all-day (or even most-of-the-day) comfort and appreciable distance between fill-ups I believe him. I'm pretty sure he's making exactly what I want.

Motus Article on The Kneeslider

"Recession is prime time for Motus, a local R&D company" -Birmingham Business Journal, 27 Feb. 2009