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aderfp633 · Inscrit le: 27 Sep 2011 Messages: 7915 Localisation: England

Bud Ekins’ 1938 Triumph Speed handle grips Twin
Whether or not this hadn’t been for the engineer named Edward Turner, Marlon Brando probably have ridden a Harley in “The Wild One” and Steve McQueen would've ridden a Honda in “The Great Escape.” Both rode Triumphs into film and popular culture history.Inside the 1953 classic Columbia Pictures “The Wild One” Marlon Brando, aka Johnny, and the majority of of his Black Rebels MC buddies trundled around on Triumphs besides other Brit bikes even though the “bad guys”, as represented by Lee Marvin (playing negligence Boozefighters MC co-founder “Wino” Willy Forkner),motorcycle fairings, rode Harleys. Less incidentally, and here’s a certain amount of trivia…what was the category of Marvin’s gang…give up? The Beatles. No kidding as well as some think the inspiration for ones band name chosen by those four Mopheads who later produced few records. Adding fuel for the fire is the Beatles used the scene of your movie where Marvin introduces The Beatles at the beginning of The Beatles Anthology. Which includes a photo of Brando as Johnny turned up on the cover of Sergeant Pepper's Lonel SportBike Levers y Hearts Club Band. (Want more trivia? Johnny’s last name during the movie was Strabler.)Mind you,motorcycle helmets, the Trumpet Brando rode handle grips in your film was his personal bike, a 1950 Triumph rear motorcycle stand Thunderbird 6T (Lee Marvin actually desert raced his or her own Triumph Tiger Cub). There's been some confusion of what he was riding, thanks partly to some publicity still that Brando are visible astride a Matchless twin in the “M” turned ugly., the bike actually belonging to a stunt rider named Wally Albri rearsets ght. What's more everyone did actually hold the uninformed general impression everybody was riding “Hogs,” whilst the Triumph logo was visible, this being the original film in which the manufacturer's logo on motorcycles isn't blanked out. Consumers has also been somewhat misinformed while the movie’s screenplay took it's origin from a shorter story published from a 1951 issue of Harper’s magazine called “The Cyclists’ Raid” which itself scaled like the July 4th 1947 Hollister “incident” which received notoriety as a result of LIFE magazine. Initially the U.S. importers of Triumph during the time, the now iconic Johnson Motors,motorcycle stands, initially complained the film gave their product a poor name, but that perception changed radically while the movie put onto the mystique of Triumph and also to showroom sales. Apparently “The Wild One” was banned from the Triumph’s home country, England, until 1967 and then only with an X rating! Go figure.As to Steve McQueen’s famous, though thwarted, escape attempt even on a motorcycle in “The Great Escape” circa 1967, he rides a German WWII Wehrmacht gray painted 1961 Triumph TR6 Trophy Bird. As is known McQueen was a consultant rider, competing in many racing events and ready to perform lots of his well-known stunt riding. His motorcycle skills, however,got him having problems at its onset. Forexample, although he dropped outside school from the 9th grade he was later acce ducati clutch covers pted inside the Carnegie Institute of Technology, but was expelled for riding his bike through the entire halls from the College of proper Arts building. Later his film company, Solar Produ motorcycle helmet ctions, produced the big game called “On Any Sunday.” Now that’s art. McQueen’s first bike must have been a 1946 Indian Chief, only one motorcycle fairing day inside the 1960s while driving L.A. by using his fellow actor Dennis Hopper (aka “Easyriders”),he watched some off-road riders for even on a nearby steep hill. The very next day McQueen bought himself a 500cc off-road Triumph on a dealership run by the one and only Bud Ekins. Both the became fast friends, literally, with Bud introducing Steve to off-road competition, of which both excelled. To gain around his movie contracts,motorcycle fairing, McQueen raced with the pseudonym Harvey Mushman.In “The Great Escape” McQueen rode the Triumph disguised to be a product like a German DKW or NSU as utilized the Germans at the moment, but he hadn't been ready to risk his too expensive neck in the final scene when jumping the barbed wire barricade separating home from freedom in neutral Switzerland. That famous bike jump was handed to uncle and fellow bike racer/stuntman Bud Ekins. Besides becoming a top-notch competitor, taking four Gold as well as a Silver all through the 1960s ISDT events, plus winning the Big Bear Endurance, the Catalina GP and also SoCal District One plate seven times,motorcycle mufflers, Bud rode everything on two and four wheels, for instance the green 1968 Ford Mustang GT that “starred” in reference to his buddy McQueen while in the classic cop move “Bullitt.” Attractive appeared inside the TV series ChiPs and a wide selection of movies such as Blues Brothers, Electra Glide in Blue, Race while using Devil, Sorcerer and Diamonds are Forever. He was a person the Motorcycle Hall of Fame and Off-road Hall of Fame. While Steve McQueen, at 50, passed away in 1980, Bud Ekins gone to the open up racetrack on the horizon in October 2007.Thisis where this story catches at the top of the bike seen here, a detailed original 1938 Triumph 5T Speed Twin, a milestone machine in several ways. The Ekins Triumph happens to be inside the capable hands of La area Brit bike collector/restorer/rider Olaf Hassel. Olaf’s roots happen to be in Norway, but he were raised in the uk so Brit bikes are in his DNA in addition.Going down motorcycle memory lane, Olaf lets us know that in 1937 Edward Turner turned in his Ariel company i.d. for just one owned by Triumph, whichquickly realized his concept for your new 500 cc vertical twin cylinder engine, a design designed to keep pacefor nearly half a century.Triumph started manufacturing bicycles in 1885 and added an electric motor around 1902. During the late 1930s, as England and Europeheaded toward WWII, progress within the increase of new techniques and machine tools allowed for finer tolerances and therefore more precision manufacturing.Then the British company was in the motorcycle forefront utilizing their single cylinder machines because of the engine’s simplicity, less costly of production, endurance, performance and ideal handling. However, starting was difficult and vibration had been a problem. The perfect solution is? A twin cylinder engine. But various efforts failed, including Triumph's own 1933 work for balance a 650cc twin, until 1937 when Triumph acquired the particular of Turner, the designer within the famous Ariel Square Four.The truth is the manufacturer was not making it by 1936 until bought and revived by Jack Sangster, who very quickly hired Turner, the two main saving manufactured, Triumph and possibly the British motorcycle industry. While Turner started by designing 250, 350 and 500 singles for his new Triumph employers, quickly year he previously designed the brand new 500c Speed Twin which became a smashing success that turned the field on its ear and revived Triumph to international prominence. Here was a bike that weighed about 365 lb and featured a concise new design by using a narrow crankcase. From a rigid frame, the 500cc using a mild 7:1 compression ratio and fed by an Amal carb with remote reservoir pumped out 26 mph, sufficiently good to blast 90 mph in 1938 and whump the heavier competition.This excellent 1938, bearing the engine number 8-5T12877, is mostly a first example as distinguished utilizing a six-stud crankcase, a one-year only appearance, as being the following years utilized an 8-stud design so as to add further strength. Rarely seen and yet in position on that exceptionally stock machine could be the Triumph tire pump, Lucas horn and minimize chain guard. Another item of great interest is definitely the Bakelite composition steering damper, the pad just then invented through the pre-WWII 1930s.Just one part in the bike which has refinished is considered the Lucas headlight double bubble windscreen , that's been re-chromed nonetheless sports the rather ornate Lucas crest insignia besides the original and classic black-face Smith Chronometric instrument gauges. Rare as dragons teeth include the Lucas oil pressure gauge and ammeter including a inspection light that detaches from the tank and through an electrical extension line allows the sunshine for being shone over various parts of your bike during dark hours, all original equipment. Just like the Amal marked levers, of old-fashioned brass and chromed design, connected to the paint and not just plated handlebar. Also found there are the levers to affect spark and advance along with the super rare pre-war Lucas Double Mag-Dyno that you operate the equipment. Still it wears its English M.OT. license badge needed British roadway use combined with original Triumph decals and the classic triangular engine case plate inscribed with Speed Twin.Bud Ekins knew what he was contemplating as he discovered this bike much time ago in England for that reason purchased it, bringing it oh no- his L.A. shop. It then altered in 1991, intending to another collector and more 17 years later joined the stable of English thoroughbreds inhabiting Olaf’s garage. If enthusiastic about details you can contact Olaf via his email at velomadness@aol.com.Related Reading:Bob Gill Jet BikeJack Lilly’s 1939 CrockerMarty Dickerson Interview

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