Panther is one of those brands that seem to have been used by a motorcycle manufacturer on almost every continent. England, France, Indonesia, Argentina, etc. […]
Hoffmann
Readers of the blog will know that the number of manufacturers and individual motorcycle models that looked like, were influenced by, copied, or that influenced […]
Hecker – From Kits to Competition
Hans Hecker was an engineer who worked on livestock equipment, and bicycles before venturing out on his own to produce motorcycle components in 1922. The […]
Maico On-Road
Maisch & Co was a family-owned business founded in 1926 in Poltringen Germany. They adopted the contraction Maico as their brand. The first two-wheeled product […]
On Getting Grounded
The theme in the garage this week has definitely been grounding. Thematic story number one took place when I found myself locked out of my […]
Diamant
Diamant began as a manufacturer of bicycles and knitting macines in Siegmar-Schonau in 1885. Like many others, they progressed to motorcycles after the turn of […]
BMW Sidecars Pre-Domination
Sidecar racing is a part of motorcycle racing in which BMW has a deep history. They dominated the sport for years and produced both machines […]
Hoarding for Gearheads
I am in possession of about a dozen brand new oil filters of various types and sizes. I know that many of them do not […]
IMME R100
IMME enjoyed a short life as a motorcycle manufacturer, lasting only from 1948 to 1951. It was neither commercially successful with its products, nor was […]
Ace is the Place
Few places currently in operation are as central to Motorcycling history as the Ace Cafe in London. Regardless of the type of machine you ride, […]
The Revival
Re·viv·al noun ri-ˈvī-vəl : a period in which something becomes popular again after a long period of time : the growth of something or an […]
Sammy Miller Museum
On previous occasions, we have commented on the tendency to locate impressive museums in nondescript industrial warehouses (see hidden treasures). In the UK, the equivalent is […]
Airhead Nation
The slogan of the Airheads, a group of BMW motorcycle enthusiasts who are partial to air-cooled models, is “Simple By Choice”. It is a reminder […]
Soul Wrenching
The realm of vintage iron encompasses a wide spectrum of interests. On one end the ownership and presentation of near perfect examples at Concours and […]
Goricke
In the late 19th century in Bielefeld Germany, Goricke came into being with a focus on bicycles, sewing machines, and milking machines. In 1903 they […]
Communing with the Committed
11:47pm. A group of about 11 riders on a variety of mostly 2 stroke machines is doing laps around the “non-family-friendly section of the camping […]
Defending Appliances
In the late 1950s through the early 1970s, light and nimble were the goals of anyone trying to produce a vehicle that stayed in motion. […]
Bright Shiny Objects
Lying on the ground on the shoulder of interstate 81 at night beneath a suddenly inoperable motorcycle, Clyde (name changed to protect the guilty) contemplated […]
Durkopp – Motorized Cycles to Mopeds
The Durkopp brand represents one of those circumstances where the path from simpler machines to more complex was More of a circle than a path […]
Runs Great, Needs Pistons
Classic Velocity Rule #43: Whether you pamper and store your vintage vehicle, or use it regularly, you will spend the same amount of time and […]