Post your pictures from "back in the day" here. Old photos/articles only.

[Carlo]

This thread has been moved from moto-photos to our new vintage forum. If you have old pictures or copies of articles, advertisements, what-have-you, post them here.

I've got a fairly extensive collection of old magazines, which I'd like to eventually scan. That's a project that I may never have the time or energy to complete, but I have scanned some interesting stuff more or less randomly.

I've created this thread to share it in. Anyone else who wishes to post scans from thier own collections may post them here as well.

I'd like to limit posted material to really old stuff, partially because of the historical interest, but also because under the "Fair Use" rules for using copyrighted materials, it's acceptible if there's no effect on the works value, which is the case with 40-50 + year old publications.

I'd like to start out with this article from the English magazine Motorcycling from 1938. A road test of the Brough Superior SS100.

 

[Lucky_Devil]

Ever consider hooking up with these folks?

Scanning and digitizing old books, periodicals, audio, video, you name it, is what they do... to preserve it and allow access to it on the interwebs. It's actually located here in SF.

 

[Carlo]

Ever consider hooking up with these folks?

Scanning and digitizing old books, periodicals, audio, video, you name it, is what they do... to preserve it and allow access to it on the interwebs. It's actually located here in SF.

I've seen that site before. Most of what I have is stuff that's still under copyright, and wholesale scanning of entire magazines might not qualify under fair usage.
They'd be the ones to ask, though. If anyone knows for sure it would be them.

 

[Carlo]

The cover of issue #1 of Cycle World Magazine

 

[latindane]

#1

Cool to see what a sports model looked like in 1938.

 

[HeatXfer]

The cover of issue #1 of Cycle World Magazine

Any chance of seeing that 'Death Valley Run' article? CW's website doesn't have archived articles going back that far.

 

[Carlo]

Any chance of seeing that 'Death Valley Run' article? CW's website doesn't have archived articles going back that far.

Yeah, I can scan that.

I didn't know that CW had posted any archived issues. How far back do they go?
This could have an effect on the strategy here. If they've posted any of the same stuff, I may need to talk to them about permission.
Is it possible that anything over 50 years old is no longer protected? That means I can post whatever I want from 1962 and 1963 or January-February 1964...

 

[HeatXfer]

Yeah, I can scan that.

I didn't know that CW had posted any archived issues. How far back do they go?
This could have an effect on the strategy here. If they've posted any of the same stuff, I may need to talk to them about permission.
Is it possible that anything over 50 years old is no longer protected? That means I can post whatever I want from 1962 and 1963 or January-February 1964...

Thank you, that would be great!

From what I could find, the oldest readable article is from 2007 and there doesn't appear to be any real archive access on line.

 

[Overcomb3]

Wow!

I love that Brough. Thanks for a great article I never knew existed on my all time favorite bike. I believe that's the brand of bike Lawrence of Arabia died on. Not sure on that.

 

[Carlo]

I love that Brough. Thanks for a great article I never knew existed on my all time favorite bike. I believe that's the brand of bike Lawrence of Arabia died on. Not sure on that.

That's the one. I think he owned a total of five broughs over the years.

 

[Carlo]

Death Valley Run article from CW #1

Here's the Death Valley Run article, pages 42 and 43 from Jan. 1962. Issue #1

 

[HeatXfer]

Here's the Death Valley Run article, pages 42 and 43 from Jan. 1962. Issue #1

Thanks Carlo! Very cool! :thumbup:afm199

 

[Carlo]

Matchless ad from 1962

Back cover of January 1962 issue of Cycle World. This caught my eye when I was scanning the Death Valley Gypsy Tour article.
The history here is somewhat weird.
By 1962 what was left of the old Indian motorcycle company was owned by AMC (Associated Motor Cycles) in England, makers of AJS, Matchless, Francis Barnett, James, and maybe a couple of other old English companies.
In 1960 when AMC acquired the Indian name (that's about the only asset of any value that remained!), Indian dealers in the US were still selling re-badged Royal Enfields under the Indian name.
I've never heard a reason why, but AMC decided to call their Matchless motorcycles Indians in the US, but never bothered changing the old winged M Matchless badges or even pretending that they were anything but Matchless motorcycles.
This ad is from that odd period in motorcycling history. The name Apache was already pretty well known, since a Royal Enfield 700 had been sold under that name (with a gas tank badge which said Indian on it) between 1955 and 1960.
The most interesting thing about this add, though is the contest at the bottom. Matchless was planning to introduce a street legal version of their overhead cam racebike, the G50 to US buyers.
A few of these actually made it to the US, and the result of the contest was the name "Condor". The idea was quietly dropped shortly after.

 

[Overcomb3]

This is great stuff to see. My father in law is an old motorcycle racer & he's getting a kick outta these historical documents. I've sent him these articles & he's lovin it. He's such an interesting guy & these old articles get him talkin moto as soon as he sees them. I swear his eyes light up as he tells the stories of riding those old bikes. Makes me wanna go out and dirt ride an old BSA.:thumbup

 

[HeatXfer]

This is great stuff to see. My father in law is an old motorcycle racer & he's getting a kick outta these historical documents. I've sent him these articles & he's lovin it. He's such an interesting guy & these old articles get him talkin moto as soon as he sees them. I swear his eyes light up as he tells the stories of riding those old bikes. Makes me wanna go out and dirt ride an old BSA.:thumbup

Hey! Sit down with him and get him talking, record it and get his permission to publish! I missed my chance to record Ray Cortez (one of Dick Mann's riding buddies). He was a neighbor's dad. I used to go to bbq's at his house and loved it when he talked about riding & racing.

His perspective on those events is long gone now.

 

[Carlo]

Hey! Sit down with him and get him talking, record it and get his permission to publish! I missed my chance to record Ray Cortez (one of Dick Mann's riding buddies). He was a neighbor's dad. I used to go to bbq's at his house and loved it when he talked about riding & racing.

His perspective on those events is long gone now.

And see if he's got any old photographs of himself and his bikes from his racing days.
Scan them and post them up here.
I created this thread for two reasons, one; to share my own collection of stuff, and two; to have a place for others to share pictures and articles they may have access to.

I'd love to see what you can find.

 

[Carlo]

Cycle Magazine, Oct. 1951 Dry Lake Speed Trials

Rosamond Dry Lake in Southern California was a center for speed trials.
Here's an article featuring the 1951 event.
Back in those days, nobody used cc's to measure engine displacement.
61 cubic inches was 1000cc, 45 was 750cc, 40 was 650cc and 30.50 was 500cc.

The top record for the 40 inch class was taken by Gene Theissen from Oregon, who was a motorcycle dealer in Eugene. He had two shops, one of them sold English bikes, including BSA, and the other was the local Honda shop for many years until he retired around 2000 or so, when he sold the Honda shop. The BSA shop was closed about 10 years before he sold the Honda shop.
I knew him fairly well, because I used to buy parts from his BSA shop. He still had the record setting 650, plus a 500 that he'd raced at Daytona in the early 50's. Both bikes were displayed in the showroom of the BSA shop.

 

[Tri750]

Cool Gary Nixon story:
AHRMA weekend at Big Willow maybe 5-7 years ago, Corsa Motoclassica.
Gary and Jay Springsteen were there running a couple classes each on supplied bikes.
Gary had been a factory Triumph rider, later a Kawasaki pilot on a Z1 or KZ.

He and Springer were running the Triumph Thruxton series and by luck or whatever, the Thruxton group was in the same practice group on the Friday practice day as my class Vintage Superbike Heavy.

They were railing around nose to tail lap after lap switching off every once in a while running those things as hard as anyone could. Lapping everyone.
They blew by me top of the keyhole with Springer out front and Gary waves as they zoom by.
(First name and nickname allowed if you've been passed by a celeb racer btw)

I get back and tell the wife I've got the best seat in the house watching those guys play.

Next morning, we're at breakfast at the Hotel and I see those two with a couple other guys a few tables over eating and laughing.
I tell the wife out of the side of my mouth, and she's supportive but unimpressed. Murder. No one else to tell.
She suggests I go over and gush but I don't roll that way.

So, as they're leaving, Gary comes over to the table and says "saw you out there yesterday! Looking good!- have fun!" And leaves.

Wife says I made a futile gurgle and grunted.
Made the weekend.
When I heard he passed a couple years later, I was really hit by it.

If I've repeated this story, not sorry, get your own cool story.

 

[Carlo]

A clip from a collection of 8mm films that were collected by C. R. Saville, owner of Westside Motorcycles, the Indian dealer in Eugene, Or.
C.R. and his friend Clyde Blakely are featured here. C.R. Passed away in 2007, and Clyde passed away in 2009.

youtu.be/NHMxLCr2sfk

These stunts were performed on Highway 99 betweem Eugene and Junction City, about 10 miles North of Eugene.
C. R. told me they had to be doing about 40 mph to do the ladder trick.

 

[latindane]

So what you're saying is, Indians were the Gixxahz of the day?