oconnorrr

[oconnorrr]

The headlight, the Firestone wheels, the vintage tank....a beautiful Soul on the road...

[oconnorrr]

1918 Harley Davidson

© renaissance motorcycle

[oconnorrr]

[oconnorrr]

[oconnorrr]

Laverda engine in a Martin frame. Built in Germany and TÜV approved

[oconnorrr]

[oconnorrr]

TO JAN COSSIERS (detail)

[oconnorrr]

https://bmwccafoundationstore.com/products/1937-bmw-world-record-motorcycle-press-photo-s-1-3

BMW World Land-Speed Record

493 cc, 1937, Germany

“The free-spirited character of innovation and experimentation that flourished during the 1920s underwent a sea change in the next decade. Whereas the machine aesthetic of the '20s was realized through a prevailing tendency toward abstraction, based on a reductive, geometric vocabulary and a utopian political agenda, the ethos of machine culture in the 1930s assumed an altogether different scale and demeanor.

Ushered in by a wave of conservative, even totalitarian, political ideology that overswept Europe, the cultural landscape shifted toward social realism, a state-controlled ideology of popular, classically inspired art and architecture that celebrated national identity through grandiose themes in works on a commensurate scale.”

http://pastexhibitions.guggenheim.org/motorcycle/index.html

[oconnorrr]

Jan Davidsz. de Heem, Festoon of Fruit and Flowers (detail), 1660 - 1670. Oil on canvas, 74 × 60cm. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

[oconnorrr]

Portrait of a Young Woman with Braided Hair

Albrecht Dürer, 1515

[oconnorrr]

/// Had a lot of fun on the Rubicon. Who wants to go on a ride next year? Maybe Utah? Colorado?

[oconnorrr]

[oconnorrr]

Apollo and Diana, Albrecht Dürer, circa 1504-05

Engraving 11.4 x 7.4 cm (4.5 x 2.94 in.) Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, CT, USA

[oconnorrr]

“It was clear that war was again brewing in Europe by 1938, and Harley-Davidson expected a call from the U.S. military to submit proposals for a new service motorcycle. The Army had already been using modified civilian VL 74 CI models with sidecars for a few years, but they weren’t considered ready for battle in Europe and other likely war fronts—like Africa—being unsuited to rough terrain and prolonged slow-speed riding. Harley-Davidson prepared versions of the EL 61 CI OHV Knucklehead and WL 45 CI Flathead’s for the Army’s rigorous new testing regimen. They competed against modified Indian 45 CI Scout and 74 CI Chief models, as well as Delco’s copy of the BMW R71, with a telescopic fork, plunger rear suspension and shaft final drive. The Army requirements included a maximum speed of 65 MPH, and the ability to stay cool when moving at a walking pace for extended periods, as on a march or in muddy terrain. In 1940, the U.S. Army approved a contract for an initial 745 of Harley-Davidson’s WLAs—WL Army. Harley-Davidson also had military contracts for many years with foreign countries, so an export version was also built to Canadian military specifications, the WLC—Commonwealth. The military WL models had a compression ratio of 5:1 on their sidevalve motors, and they produced 23.5 HP at 4600 RPM; all were equipped with an oil-bath air filter and had an improved oiling system. The WLC was soon ordered by the British (5,000 total) and South African (2,000 total) militaries, as well as the Chinese and Soviet forces. By the end of the war, nearly 88,000 of the WLA and WLCs were built, and they ended their careers almost everywhere, gaining the nickname of Liberator.This 1942 Harley-Davidson WLA Type II is the standard 45 CI model built for the U.S. Army between December 10, 1941, and February 15, 1942. It has been restored with a fresh paint job, blackout lights, an ammo box, material carrier and the oil-bath air cleaner. It’s the “bike that won the war,” still wearing its uniform.”

https://www.mecum.com/lots/LJ0617-283908/1942-harley-davidson-wla-military/

[oconnorrr]

https://www.mckeagart.com/home.html

Darren McKeag is a really incredible artist. He graduated from art school and had a bike shop with two of his buddies. They were the mechanics and he pinstriped. After so many people asked, he began tattooing. Super cool art, super cool dude.

[oconnorrr]

Brother Moto, 3/3/19

[oconnorrr]

Harley-Davidson DAH Hillclimber model

https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/harley-davidson®-dah-hillclimber-model-harley-davidson-motor-company/pQEspsP1PMhQsw