QUAIL MOTORCYCLE GATHERING 2010: ROUNDUP

(A condensed version of this article will appear in the Quail Motorsports Gathering program this August)

As with the best of motorcycle gatherings, the second Quail began with an excellent ride in perfect weather, auguring well for the continued success of this event, now in its toddler year. If a morning lineup is any measure of success, then the variety of machinery ready to Ride was certainly impressive; 43 motorcycles arrayed on the walkway in no particular order, ranging from a ‘legal for a day’ Norton Manx racer with an open megaphone, to Craig Vetter’s recycled plastic scooter-cum-whale, to the eventual Best in Show winning BMW R50. Riders of more ‘experimental’ two-wheelers, initially nervous at a CHP escort, soon realized the good fortune of our parade leader’s protective wing, which precluded any…uncomfortable…questions about the matter of proper road equipment. Further, this meant all could enjoy the ride sans map, and revel in the sounds of singles, twins, triples, and fours, plus the visual juxtaposition of a hub-center-steered Vyrus cheek and jowl with a 1967 BSA Spitfire.

The Quail is fortunately planted on one of California’s finest motorcycle 100-mile day-rides, with Carmel Valley Road winding through intimate Oak dells along Carmel Creek, rising onto wildflower carpeted hillsides with breath-intake views of Arroyo Seco, and eventually doling us out into Salinas Valley. Steinbeck country yields flat asparagus fields vying with hill-planted grapes for River Road’s picturesque appeal, which hugs the edge of both. While skirting the nouveau appellation of the Santa Lucia Highlands, it seemed prudent both to stop at Hahn winery, and not to sample the merchandise, although quite a few saddlebags and topboxes were weighted with ammunition for the evening’s banquet.

Ducati were kind enough to loan three pre-production Multistrada 1200s for the event, on which lucky participants took turns experiencing the most civilized 140hp yet devised for cycling pleasure. A different species of Duc flew in under legendary artisan-customizer Shinya Kimura, whose hand-fabricated bodywork over an unsuspecting 997S broke new ground in his future/retro aluminum vision, and attracted admiring scrutiny during the day. The Italian marque proved a popular mule for the customizer’s craft, as a further two late model examples had been tastefully shaped to their owner’s wishes.

The 80-mile odometer mark brought the Ride through the gates of Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway, a moment eagerly anticipated by the group, as it meant free access to the track, and lunch! Quail Lodge’s executive chef Julio Ramirez joined the two-wheeled tour on his Honda, and miraculously, an elegant black-tablecloth picnic lay awaiting the hungry horde at the very pinnacle of Laguna Seca’s notorious Corkscrew. Early arrivers and support crew had a stunning view of 43 eclectic motorcycles winding their way through many track laps, while the entire Monterey Peninsula lay spread at the diner’s feet to enjoy through a fantastic meal. The adrenaline of ‘parade’ laps on such an esteemed track certainly stimulated appetites. The post-prandial jaunt over Laurales Grade on return to Carmel Valley made for an excellent digestif, leaving plenty of time to rest up before cocktail hour proper began at Quail Lodge.

Bonhams auction house, long a partner at the Quail Motorsports event, is equally committed to bringing the finest motorcycles in the world to the for the viewing pleasure of assembled guests, and the purchasing pleasure of a few! Friday evening’s cocktail party swirled amongst delectable machinery, while delicious hors d’oeuvres and champagne from sponsor Roederer Estate were a cheerily indulgent onslaught. The auction preview showcased incredibly rare machines from Europe, Asia, and America, and included small gems such as a 1957 Grand Prix Mondial with full ‘dustbin’ streamlining, big guns like the 1967 Münch Mammut with hand-hammered fuel tank, and early star power like the ex-Steve McQueen 1914 Indian boardtrack racer. The night’s banquet was surrounded by such riches, adding to an already august gathering of World Champions and legendary racers (Kenny Roberts, Wayne Rayney, Mert Lawill), big-time collectors, and rising stars of the restoration and customizing arts. Speeches were kept blissfully short, although the subject matter at hand, including featured charity Riders for Health, certainly merited attention.

The Saturday of the actual Gathering dawned bell-clear and calm, while owners, helpers, and pushers distributed wheeled treasures across the lawn with minimal fuss - plenty of space, clear section markings, and courteous staff made it look easy. The DiCE magazine ‘Mr.T’ van offloaded metalflake booty onto a well-stocked Customs corral, an area of the lawn and the motorcycle world which is simply booming, despite economic body blows to the most visible teledrama constructors. Artisan bike builders carry on doing what they clearly love, the expertise on display simply too good for even hardened originality freaks to dismiss. The Quail was graced this year with the début of Falcon Motorcycle’s just-finished masterpiece, the Kestrel, later awarded Best Custom by Dean Micetich of DiCE.

It didn’t take long before Quail Drive itself became a motorcycle parking lot, lined along one side with several hundred bikes taking advantage of perfect weather and a rare assembly of amazing machines. Attendance figures by day’s end were roughly double those of the first year, and while it was clear the crowd had grown considerably, the lawn never felt crowded, and it was always possible to get a decent photograph of any particular motorcycle. Chef Ramirez outdid himself again filling two tents with four-star luncheon; the fried chicken, cornbread, and terrifically spiced haricots vert jostled with an outstanding fresh berry cobbler with whipped cream for plate space. Complimentary wines and champagne at the Roederer outdoor lounge proved popular, especially with the press and photographers! An occasional running commentary provided by emcees Michael Lynch and Paul d’Orléans gave a bit of color and highlight to selected entrants, as they plumbed the depths of their catalogic memories for the fine points.

A relaxed atmosphere prevailed, the wind was apparently at sea, and if the venue didn’t feel just a bit decadent my mid-afternoon, you had simply forgotten your sunblock. The awards presentation continued a theme of ‘just us motorcyclists’, with Cycle World’s Mark Hoyer giving the nod to John Stein’s Manx for the Elegance in Action trophy after watching Stein bump-start the Norton and blat down the highway on the previous day’s Ride. Legendary star of On Any Sunday, Mert Lawill awarded the ex-Kenny Roberts ‘you don’t pay me enough to ride that thing’ TZ750 Yamaha flat-tracker the Competition Sport trophy. Craig Vetter, designer of the ubiquitous Windjammer fairing and Triumph X75 Hurricane (the original ‘factory custom’), had a yardfull of grass devoted to his designs for the Honda Goldwing, Triumph, and experiments with wind-cheating bodywork, eventually awarded his Innovation trophy to the Zero electric motorcycle. Michael Lynch felt keenly the diminutive 1960 Honda CB92 (Guy Webster) deserved the Design and Style award, as the combination of high-tech and high-style were a harbinger of the future for Honda’s dominance of the marketplace.

Tim Stafford’s Best in Show 1961 BMW R50 was simply clean enough for white-glove inspection, even after 100 miles riding the previous day. While the machine itself is neither rare nor the top of its model range, the Quail judging committee felt Stafford’s dedication to and perfection of his craft, combined with his willingness to risk his handiwork on the backroads of rural California, pushed the machine forward as an example of best practices all the way around. Sometimes it isn’t the flashiest, most exotic, or most expensive motorcycle which deserves our respect, but a solid machine exceptionally cared for which shines true in a field of excellent competitors.

And next year? May the doubling trend continue! As a solid foundation has been set for the Quail Motorcycle Gathering, additional features will be added in 2011, most notably the introduction of full concours d’elegance class judging. As word of the event’s success spreads, expect ever more exotic motorcycles from ever farther afield to arrive on the lawn. Gordon McCall is dedicated to the continued growth and improved quality of the Motorcycle Gathering, and given his track record with the Motorsports Gathering, we can expect world-class motorcycling in Carmel Valley for years to come.

HOW YOU FIND THEM #18

Not many sidecars appear on the pages of The Vintagent, as the plain truth is, photos of them rarely pop up in my mailbox, and that's usually what inspires a post.  The fascination of 'Chairs' is partly their obsolescence; anyone hitching a streamlined sidecar to a modern motorcycle is indulging in sheer cussedness, but stubborn people are usually interesting, and much can be gained by hearing out a polemical rant on the joys of throwing one's body weight into corners while steering the handlebars.  I've owned a few myself, and driven many more, from a late 20's aluminum zeppelin bolted to a hotted up Norton ES2, to an elegant Brough launch, a super clean Steib attached to what else but a BMW...R25/3! They all had their charms (many more could be added to the list), even if the little Beemer nearly pitched me into a canal in Berlin, very late one night.

This TT Hughes racing sidecar currently lives in Ireland, and owner Gerry writes:

"Definitely not for sale, I'm afraid! Too many good memories of courting days for one thing.  A pal and I have traded this chair back and forth for a long time.  He must have got it in the '60s.  I doubt he paid twenty quid. It used to be harnessed to a 1930 [Rudge] Ulster during the '70s and '80s, but I'm thinking about hitching it to my Series C Rapide now.  Yes, I know a Coventry Eagle Flying 8 would be more appropriate, but I didn't buy one when offered many years ago!  I have a picture of this sidecar being raced on the sand in Portmarnock (Dublin) by Norton man Dixie Deane in the '20s. (At least we think it's this one, anyway.)  Incidentally, it was leased by MGM for the movie "The Playboys" - made in Ireland in the early '90s.  The chair had some serious exposure time in the movie and was graced with both Aidan Quinn and Robin Wright (Sean Penn's wife)."

The TT Hughes is the ultimate racing chair from the Vintage era, and an excellent period writeup of its attributes can be found in 'Castor's' road test of an SS100.  Most 1920s sporting sidecars are very light, and have a simple rectangular chassis with a rigid wheel (matching the rigid rear wheels of just about all motorcycles in the day), and a body mounted on four coil springs or scrolled leaf springs.  As such, they're surprisingly comfortable for the passenger, with road shocks absorbed very effectively by the undamped springs, giving a floating sensation like an old-fashioned baby buggy.  Some claim that these early 'chairs' were actually more comfortable than modern examples with swingarm suspension and hydraulic damping.  They're certainly more fun!

The Hughes is slightly different in having a frame which encircles the body front and rear, although the passenger is suspended on leaf springs as per normal.  The full 'cage' of tubing makes the TT model extremely rigid, which helps handling of a fast 'outfit' immeasurably.  While the light weight of the typical underslung-frame sporting sidecar of the 20s makes for delightful performance (my zeppelin weighed around 70lbs), they tend to flex and wobble alarmingly when pushed hard, leading to quirks in bend-taking which are best avoided.  A description from the day really tells the tale; 'Each bend became a fresh will I or won't I challenge'!  The TT Hughes really solves the handling problem, with a penalty of weight - that tubing isn't chromoly or Reynolds 531; while certainly of good quality, it more resembles the stuff which carries water to your tap!

And Gerry, methinks you should flog the Vinnie and track down that Coventry Eagle 'Flying 8' - a combination to merit attention, indeed.

CAFE RACERS: '100 YEARS OF SPEED'

For the program of the Quail Motorcycle Gathering, I penned a meditation on the Cafe Racer, a term which should encompass all 'racers on the road' from 1900 onwards, from Edwardian gents in crazy getups and monstrous mechanical contrivances, the sleek and light ferrets of the 20s, the Rockers of the 50s, to the race replicas of the 60s and onwards, and nowadays to the incredible hand-built machinery emerging from workshops around the world.    A mindset preview of CafeRacers.com!  (Which is still under development... patience).

Click on the images for a better view.  

WORLD EXCLUSIVE - FIRST RIDE ON THE KESTREL

Sometimes a scoop is a whispered favor, and sometimes you just grab it with both hands and go.
I had the great luxury of spending last weekend in the company of the whole Falcon Motorcycles ouevre; the Bullet, the Kestrel, Ian and Amaryllis, the talented trio of fabricators from Falcon, and Leif who built up the engine, at the Quail Lodge for the Motorcycle Gathering.
I've had the rare opportunity not only of having (well, hijacking) the first real ride on the Kestrel, but of watching the entire process of its development from a sketch through 'wouldn't these parts look cool if I mated them this way' to firing up the bike and easing the clutch home.

And what a thing Ian Barry has created.
It has broken the bounds of 'Custom' into some new category.  Ian Barry is no longer a Custom builder, he's graduated to a motorcycle designer, and the Kestrel is his masterpiece.

When I first saw the Bullet while judging at the 2008 Legends, I thought it was a well-executed Custom, worthy of praise, and thus tolerable to a Vintagent who had little interest in the genre per se, but certainly an appreciation of good workmanship and passion.

The Kestrel is different.

Ian Barry has shown there is Vintage blood running in his veins, plus something else, but I'll let history name that.  Mark my words, it will.  I'll stake a claim here and now that the Kestrel has broken out of the Custom shell, and has become something completely new.  This man and his team made a Motorcycle the world will have to reckon with.

I was interviewed last week for Wired magazine about the new Brough Superior project, the technical issues to overcome when building a contemporary motorcycle from an old design.  We spoke at length about modern materials and old skills required to make an air-cooled engine with limited lubrication run well and durably.  I mentioned the ethos of George Brough, which was to build a 'money is no object' motorcycle to his exacting standards, and how the new Brough Superior is built to such a standard.  The reporter asked if any other manufacturers used this credo today.  I had to think hard, as of course, no production motorcycle can be built to such standards with any hope of financial survival.

The only people with the dedication to build completely over-the-top motorcycles in terms of labor cost are making Customs these days.  Not the bolt-up or raked-out variety, but the true artisans who spend countless hours pursuing their unique vision of what a motorcycle can be.  Kimura, Nogata, Barry, and a handful of others.  The outer form may be similar to other machines; the great qualitative difference is Time.  No shortcut in machining or bolting on a stock part can replace hundreds or thousands of hours of skilled handwork.  It's a difficult path to walk, and there's no guarantee that even those established in this rarified air can remain there indefinitely, as economic realities, like the weather, are not subject to our will or wishes.

Having had the great luxury of observing the Kestrel's full spectrum of development from idea to metal, I  'knew what to expect' when the machine was finally unveiled.  And when I saw the post-painting photos, I thought it very well done indeed, but was hoping for a little more flash.  After all, it was supposed to be a Custom.

That statement may come as a bit of a shock to my friends at Falcon, but I hope they understand.  I've made a point in the last 25 years to own the motorcycles which I thought were the most beautiful in the world, and my standards have been high; four Broughs, and a lot of racing bikes -  Nortons (Manx, Inters, flat-tankers, twins), Velocettes (KTTs from '29-'49, Thruxtons et al), Sunbeams (TT90, Longstroke), Scotts (ex-Works '29 TT), BMW (R63, R68, R69, R51racer), Rudge ('29 Ulster).  A supercharged Zenith for cryin' out loud...something like 300 bikes passed through my garage in that period.  What I couldn't find or afford, I borrowed rides on, some of which I've been privileged to share via The Vintagent's 'road test' series.

So I spent more time with the Kestrel, and each time I looked I found something new.  A funny little gearbox adjuster, with positive stops and a brace to prevent any axial play. An internal throttle which exits through the end of the clip-on handlebar, with a knurled cable adjuster fixed unobtrusively in place. The little locking levers on top of the TT carbs, which adjust the idle speed.  The brackets which hold the two pannier tanks together, which are...turnbuckles... and adjustable to be sure the tanks will fit together just so. An articulated shifter mechanism which mimics the fine bones of the inner ear.

And gradually, I was awe-struck.

The Kestrel isn't a first-look or a ten-foot motorcycle, it's a third look machine, or a fifth.  Like a work of fine art, it needs to be lived with to soak it in.  It rewards time with time, those thousands of hours spent on its creation slowly leak back out, if you let them.  It's a monumental achievement, and among the most beautiful two-wheelers ever made.

Stick it on a shelf with a 1926 SS100, the blown AJS ohc twin, the NSU Rennmax, the icons, the great ones. If I were a wealthy man, I would buy the next Falcon.  As it is, we'll just have to wait and see how the Vincent 'Black' Falcon turns out.  Ian may make better machines in the future, or lesser, but we have the Kestrel, and it is the new standard.

OK, enough love poem, clearly I'm smitten.  I was also the first person to RIDE the Kestrel for any distance, as it was finished a day before the Quail with many, many sleepless nights spent fabricating the pieces in the previous months.  The 'World Exclusive' etc wasn't my intention, I simply found myself having been granted permission to try the Kestrel, with a running engine between my legs, and an open lawn.  'First gear is really tall' is all Ian said, but I knew the clutch was built for triple the horsepower, so a little slippage wouldn't harm things.  As I blatted the throttle and a glorious rasp barked from the two-into-one open megaphone (hand shaped by Ian into a fish mouth), it occurred to me that a ride around the golf course, fun as that sounds, wouldn't tell me what I needed to Know.

Does it work?  Or like Mona Lisa, is it a lovely work of Art?  I had reconnoitered the field access a bit earlier by riding my late-entry (ie, no entry, and at noon) '28 Sunbeam TT90 from the street onto the lawn, and thank you Courtney Porras for telling Quail security that I could 'do whatever I want'.  Give a man an inch!  Thus I knew it was perfectly possible to ride the bike straight from the grass to the road, and nobody would stop me.  Up the grassy slope - road clear - and off I went, first right, to all smiles from the hundreds of motorcyclists parked up along the street, and back again to the left, where the highway beckoned.

The private drive of the Quail is a couple of miles long, and has a mix of bends and straights, before connecting with legendary Carmel Valley Road.  The TT carbs weren't 100% sorted (I had been warned of this earlier), so the engine stumbled just off idle, then cleared up as the revs rose.  It was easier just to twist the throttle and have at it, let the machine have its head, while risking my own.  No, I wasn't wearing a helmet (one doesn't, typically, when emcee of an event) or gloves, but this was the Moment, and I was taking it all the way.

Full throttle through the gears, but the engine had less than a mile on it, so no need to find top speed.  That will happen at Bonneville this year, anyway; not my job.  Around the bends, with a few bumps and undulations and a rising throttle, the Kestrel behaved flawlessly, and I watched the forks Ian built move up and down smoothly.  While cranked over, the bike felt rock solid, yet light, nimble, and flickable.  The brakes were really good, better than any of my drum braked machines anyway; the clutch was light, the gear selection with that delicate shifter mechanism was easy and positive.

Surprise, the Kestrel is easy to ride, no excuses necessary, it works beautifully as a motorcycle, and felt for all the world like the big brother of my favorite bike of all time, 'The Mule', my '33 Velocette KTT - a truly magic machine which will leave my hands when they've gone cold.  I would have liked a longer ride, but I was aware that the Kestrel isn't mine by a factor of 200,000, and would be missed if I didn't get back soon.  Plus, we had strayed onto the public highway, and were illegal in ways foreign even to my lax standards.  So a victory lap around the grass was in order, and the smile hasn't left me yet.

TIME WARP TIGER 100 ON SALE AT QUAIL

While the rest of the world was busy hacking itself to bits in 1940, American motorcycle 'Class C' racing carried on until deep in 1942 while we distracted ourselves from joining the fray.  While England and the Triumph factory specifically were occupied with military production, the lure of cash from abroad for a special racing model must have been impossible to resist.  Plus, helping competitors abroad was not yet forbidden, and the Competition Department surely relished the chance to build one last racing machine before the grim reality of a new war in Europe took hold.

Thus in March of 1940, Rody Rodenberg, a well-known racer from Indiana, ordered a new 500cc Tiger 100 to full racing specification from the Triumph factory, which was to include open megaphones, rearset footrests, a BTH racing magneto, a TT carb with rubber-mounted remote float, 8:1 compression pistons, a bronze cylinder head, and a specially-tuned motor 'guaranteed to provide 120mph top speed'. Destined for 'Class C' (production) racing and an eye to the high speed beach race at Daytona, political events finally caught up with the Triumph, and it sat out the war in Rodenberg's garage.

When officially sanctioned racing resumed in 1947, the Tiger was finally raced at Daytona by Lowell Rettinger, who went on to win the Peoria TT on the machine that year.  Rodenberg used the Triumph at Daytona in 1948, and it won a 5-Mile national race at Iowa City in 1951.  It appears the Tiger was put away shortly afterwards and simply preserved unscathed, for it remains in exactly as it finished its last race, in remarkably original condition.

How do we know the history of the Tiger?  All of the correspondence between Rodenberg and Triumph have been retained with the racer, and are included with the machine in its sale at Bonhams on May 8th, at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering.  Factory prepared racing Triumph twins are rare, period, as Edward Turner was no fan of risking the factory's reputation on events as uncontrollable as a motorcycle race.  A factory tuned pre-war Tiger 100 with full documentation is even more unusual.  That it exists in such a beautiful state today is exceptional, and probably unique.  I envy the new owner!

If you're interested in more details on this machine, I have scans of all the factory correspondence.  

'KESTREL' IN THE LA TIMES

By Susan Carpenter, from the Los Angeles Times online:


It's been two years since Falcon Motorcycles in Los Angeles sped onto the custom scene with a high-end concept bike fashioned from old British iron. Commissioned by actor Jason Lee and unveiled at the much-loved but now-defunct Legend of the Motorcycle vintage bike show in 2008, the Bullet scavenged the engine and frame of a 1950 Triumph Thunderbird and fused it with the profile of a '20s board tracker and obscure bits and bobs to create a could-have-been bike that never actually existed.

Two years and 2,000 man-hours later, Falcon is back with a follow-up to its award-winning Bullet. It's called the Kestrel. Fashioned around the engine of a 1970 Triumph Bonneville and outfitted with hundreds of handcrafted pieces dreamed up by builder Ian Barry, the Kestrel, to be unveiled at this weekend's Quail Motorcycle Gathering in Carmel, is an evolution of the Falcon concept: one-of-a-kind motorcycles built around the engines of pre- and post-World War II British bikes.

Founders Barry and Amaryllis Knight won't disclose the price tag on the Kestrel, the second official Falcon bike. They prefer to use the term "priceless." And for good reason. Two thousand hours is more than double the amount of time it took to build the $45,000 Falcon Bullet.

And that doesn't even begin to get at the sleepless nights Barry said he spent conceptualizing his latest creation, or the cost of the vintage "donor bike" or the extensive machinery and raw materials employed to turn the Kestrel into elegant, two-wheeled art.

The cylinders of this 750 cc twin were machined in-house from a solid block of aluminum. The frame was designed and built from scratch, using silver solder for welds and an era-appropriate sweated fitting technique Barry learned from apprenticing with the man who recently restored the derelict Porsche 550 chassis Serial No. 001.

The oil tank, seat, fender, mounts, brakes and suspension were all made by hand -- formed around wooden molds or hand-carved and shaped. The metal details -- crafted in aluminum, stainless steel, copper, brass and nickel, but no chrome -- were all fabricated individually.

In fact, the only pieces sourced from existing bikes were the bottom front half of the Triumph engine and heads, a BSA transmission, the 21-inch wheel rims, the Dunlop tires and a portion of the gas tank.

"There are a lot of purists who want to see everything restored and who see custom building as a form of sacrilege, and I think it depends on how things are being done and who they're being done by," Knight said, citing George Brough of Brough Superior and Bill Lacey of Peerless, legendary builders who crafted bikes around pre-existing engines.

"It's really important to us because of the rarity and history of the engines that we're using incredible care so that in another 50 years people will look back and say, 'That's a Falcon,' " he said.

The Kestrel is the second of "the concept 10" -- 10 bikes of British provenance that will be re-engineered as bike prototypes -- had Barry lived in a previous era. Next up: A custom 1951 Vincent Black Shadow.

Barry, who is American, said his fascination with English bikes began when he was 12 and walking home from school in Northern California.

"I was literally run off the road by a pack of motorcycles," said Barry, now 37. "I heard a loud roar behind me and one after another motorcycle whipped by me.... I remember seeing Triumph, Norton, cuffed jeans, leopard print.... I had no idea who these people were, but it looked like the coolest thing I'd ever seen."

Little did Barry know that 25 years later, his own bikes would be admired as the coolest things many motorcyclists have ever seen. Bikers can see the Kestrel up close at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering this weekend.

-- Susan Carpenter

Video credit: Don Kelsen / Los Angeles Times

QUAIL MOTORCYCLE GATHERING 2010: 'KESTREL' TO DÉBUT

Falcon Motorcycles have just completed their latest impressive creation, the Kestrel, built around a highly modified 1970 Triumph Bonneville engine.  I'll have much more to say about this machine after its début at the Quail Motorcycle Gathering next weekend, when I see it complete and in the metal.

There will be some very impressive machinery and a great lineup of guests at the Quail, and I strongly encourage anyone who's on the fence to get off and hie down to Carmel Valley on May 8th. I'll be a guest speaker at the Friday night banquet, and emcee during the show on Saturday.

Larry Bowman (last years Best of Show with his Big Tank Crocker) is bringing a 1937 Harley El Knucklehead, 1949 Vincent Black Lightning, and 1974 Ducati 750SS. Herb Harris will show his Vincent Black Shadow built around the spare engine used in setting 8 world records at Monthlery, France in 1952, and his Works Series 'C' Black Shadow cutaway engine on a pedestal (the only one known). Danny Sullivan, the 1985 Indy 500 winner will make an appearance, the newly completed Mert Lawwill Street Tracker motorcycle will be on display, John Stein will be riding his 1961 Norton Manx on the Friday tour, as well as displaying it on the field (that's just proper), as will William Weiner on his 1959 Moto Guzzi Falcone Sport. Stewart Ingram will display his little Maserati gems; a '56 Maserati 125 L/2T and '57 Maserati 125 GTS, and Virgil Elings will trump just about everyone with his 1995 Britten V1000. A bike I can never get enough of!

Organizer Gordon McCall writes:
"Looks like we'll have 130 plus bikes on the field, and the additional Bonhams bikes up in the Ballroom, and on the balcony. Safe to say over 200 bikes all together. Looks like the 'customs' are shaping up as well, I just noticed Shinya's [Kimura] '74 Ducati, can't wait to see it!  Kenny Roberts just committed to be there, along with Wayne Rainey....still waiting on Eddie Lawson's final schedule, as well as Kevin Schwantz."

And the teaser for the Kestrel Falcon:

Image 1. The Kestrel Falcon originated with the engine of a 1970 Triumph Bonneville, which had a damaged gearbox.  Ian Barry cut this off!

Image 2. Over 2000 hours of artful machining, stretching, hammering, rolling and hand-carving have been labored into the Kestrel, intended by Barry as his swan song to a decade of building custom Triumph-specific twins. The result is a bespoke, a one-of-a-kind motorcycle; truly functional art.

Image 3. Ian hand-filed the various parts of his fabricated engine timing cover, to make sure they all fit together perfectly.

Image 4. The Kestrel gas tank was designed by Ian and then made from scratch in-house from sheets of steel.  A four-inch round circle was 'saved' front the front of the badly rusted original Triumph tank, and incoporated into the design, in order to allow the soul of the original tank to carry on.

Image 5. Falcon silver soldered every section of the the frame and girder front forks, in order to assure the strongest construction and cleanest joints.

Image 6. Apart from a few original lugs, the girder forks were made from scratch on a custom made cast iron jig table. Seen here with the front brake.

Image 7. The brake is a heavily modified and reshaped Triumph item, mated to a modified BSA brake drum.

Image 8.The oil tank was made entirely out of aluminum, and shaped around a carved wooden mould, to mirror the curve of the back wheel.

Image 9. Half of the final gas tank, shaped on an 'English Wheel' which Barry made from a salvaged piece of industrial equipment.

The Kestrel is the second of Falcon’s Concept Ten, a series of custom motorcycles designed around the engines of iconic pre- and post-War British motorcycles. The third, the Black Falcon, is already under construction with its 1951 Vincent Black Shadow engine with distinguished California racing history. Next in line is a 1967 Velocette Thruxton, one of only seven very special “Squish Head” engines made by Veloce Ltd, which led from start to finish and won the 60th anniversary Diamond Jubilee Isle of Man Production TT race. After that will come Falcon versions of a 1936 Ariel Square Four with Over-Head Cams, a BSA, a Rudge, a Norton Cammy, and a Brough Superior.

For Falcon, the Kestrel is an evolutionary leap from the Bullet, with the level of sophistication and build quality elevated to an entirely new level. Ian Barry has outgrown the customization of existing vintage motorcycles and is now designing and fabricating motorcycles from start to finish, with only a few parts not made from scratch."