This is going to to be tricky. I have to convey my absolute adoration for these things, without sounding like some non-attorney spokesperson. What I appreciate about them is their purity. Their purpose-built ethos. Their rough-n-tumble, beat the snot outta’ you while you pilot ‘em, straight-up grit.
These, my friends are what I consider real-ass machines. Built by a group of craftsmen under the roof of Sports Car Restoration in Hartford CT. These things are a mixed drink with all my favorite ingredients: Bad Ass attitude, a tongue-in-cheek ode to historic vintage competition, nuthin’ to lose style, and creativity.
It’s equal parts Johnny Thunders and Ray Davies. Heroin and rolling field nostalgia. Girls and Milkshakes, skinny ties, Motown, Jazz, Northern Soul, Ace of Spades Lemmy, and a Message to You Rudy….it’s got it all…and yet these images and sounds enter my psyche without a single written word from a marketing department. That makes them (like all my favorite modes of transport) exquisitely executed. They perform an essential task: They evoke.
I’ll quote builder Marc Rosenberg in describing his own rig:
“The seat cushion is part of a Martha Stewart kitchen anti fatigue mat. The weird industrial looking end of the frame immediately behind the seat is part of the center stand from the bike. The baffles are made of pluming fixtures welded together and with holes drilled through them which were then welded inside a piece of black pipe and turned down.”
These bikes are straight up “bombs away” hit n’ run winners in my book. Not because they’re fast or flashy. Not because they’re super model fashion statements, but because they are built with love and passion. Intrinsic qualities that don’t need an advertising firm to explain them.
I’ll quote Marc again here:
“I don't need fenders, I don't need an electric starter, I don't need blinkers, I don't need real mufflers, I don't need a speedometer, I don't need traditional handle bars, I don't need mirrors, I don't need a big cushy seat, or a fairing, or storage”
That about sums it up. Purity of design. No clutter. No jewelry. No make up. In life, we often need to iron our shirts and shave….but sometimes, you just want the messed up hair of fresh sex.
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