2004 Harley-davidson Touring on 2040-motos

Moto blog

Vespa goes back to the future

IT'S been a while coming, but the gorgeous Vespa 946 - EICMA 2012's Best of Show - has finally introduced something to the two-wheeled world that our four-wheeled counterparts have had for a while.  I call this 'reverse retro-futurism' - the art of borrowing lines from models past and imbuing them with a sleek sense of future direction (as opposed to retro-futurism, the pre-1960s design trend of depicting the technology of the future. The term 'decopunk' may come close, but feel free to tell me if there's a more exact term.) It's what the New Mini and the New Beetle (both 1997 and 2012 versions) have done so well, and so successfully: building an all-new model as a tribute to a classic, something that's modern yet already timeless, with a widely-appreciated, inclusive aesthetic (and here we eliminate the Plymouth PT Cruiser from the conversation). The biking world is great at retro, indeed thrives on it, but not so good at adding in a taste of the 21st century.

Easy Rider 40th Anniversary

Peter Fonda, who played Wyatt in the 1969 cult classic, Easy Rider, was in Glendale, CA on Friday to help promote the Blu-Ray release of the film which marks the 40th anniversary.  The movie was scheduled to be shown at the Love Ride event that was canceled this year, instead the film screened at a local Harley-Davidson dealer. One of the film’s main objective was to expose violence and racism in the U.S. in a negative light but instead it seems that it was taken the wrong way with most, glorifying the lifestyle that was portrayed in the film.

Antiques Roadshow Visits Sturgis Motorcycle Museum

While on location in the Black Hills of South Dakota, PBS’s Antiques Roadshow stopped by the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum to film a segment on motorcycle toys. In the segment host Mark L. Walberg talks with vintage toy expert Noel Barrett about various American-made, antique, cast iron motorcycle toys. Barrett shares the history of these early toys, some tips about how one might tell a reproduction from the real thing, and offers his valuation on several highlighted examples. Walberg also takes a ride on a vintage Harley-Davidson Servi-Car.