MOTOCYCLES COMIOT: THE IMPRESSIONIST'S CHOICE

Nearly the entire contents of the Musée d'Orsay has been shipped to San Francisco's deYoung Museum for safekeeping, while jackhammers do their work to upgrade the old Parisian train-station-cum-Impressionist-museum.  Not to be outdone, our sturdy replica of the Legion d'Honneur, just up the road, has the 'City of Light' show, all about late 19th Century Paris, using the remarkable contents of the Achenbach Foundation's collection of art on paper, which includes much 'commercial' work by post-Impressionist notables like Toulouse Lautrec, Alphonse Mucha, etc.The largest print on show (at some two metres tall) is an advertisement for 'Motocycles Comiot' from 1899, drawn by Théophile Alexandre Steinlen (most famous for his 'Chat Noir'), who...

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MYSTERY RACER

A curious racing motorcycle appeared in my mailbox today, of an engine configuration I've never seen.  I have an idea that the chassis is a Smith frame from Australia, which was a scaled-down Norton Featherbed built to house mainly Velocette engines for 250cc racing, and which was based on the Beasley frame from England.  That this machine uses Velocette forks, gearbox, and wheels supports the theory.  Typically, Velo MOV pushrod engines were used in such frames, often with special cylinder heads in bronze or aluminum cast by enterprising tuners such as Carey.  Some frames housed sleeved-down KTT engines, which were certainly heavy but fast and durable.Australian racers did battle far away from the epicenter of the motorcycle...

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OTHER PEOPLE'S GARAGES #6

There are garages where motorcycles rest, waiting for a spot of attention from a devoted owner, or even better, a ride in the sun.  There are garages where motorcycles rot, sitting endlessly, slowly evaporating from inattention.  There are garages full of projects, waiting for the time which usually never comes, while small parts scatter like mice under the feet of distracted owners.Some garages are palaces, some are shrines, some are nightmares.  And on rare occasions, you are led to a garage which is a haven, an evocation, rich with the possibility of adventure, where every motorcycle has a fine sheen of oil, and looks as if it has just been ridden.  And Every. Single. Motorcycle. Runs.I was treated to just such garage...

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COCTEAU, ORPHEUS, AND MOTORCYCLES

On a recent visit to the south of France, I discovered a museum devoted to Jean Cocteau, one of my favorite filmmakers, whose symobolic use of motorcycles left a deep impression on me as a young man.  The musuem, in a 17th Century fort, is charming and full of pebble mosaics Cocteau himself designed.  A new museum is being built nearby for a far more extensive collection of his work.In 1949 Jean Cocteau (above) began filming an adaptation of the Orpheus myth, set in contemporary times, with his own spin on the story which bore relevance to his own life at that moment.   Famous as a poet and playwright/producer before WW2 in France, and afterwards for his stunning adaptation of 'Beauty and the Beast' ('La Belle et la Bete', 1947...

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YAMAHA Fazer8 (2011) pictures | specs | insurance info |

YAMAHA Fazer 8 (2011) Motorcycle Pictures, Preview and Specifications.- The Fazer 8 is set up for comfortable, fast road riding wherever you take it – whether it’s a high-performance city journey or a week away exploring the continent at full throttle. The front cowl and screen add weather protection and improved aerodynamics to a powerful sports bike engine and handling package. -Motorcycle Pictures, choose by BRANDS>YAMAHA Models >YAMAHA Fazer 8 (2011)Click Thumbnail to download (size 1600 x 1200 pixels) Features >Technical SpecificationsENGINEType Liquid cooled 4-stroke,DOHCForward-inclined parallel 4-cylinderDisplacement 779ccBore x stroke 68.0×53.6mmCompression ratio 12.0 : 1Max. Power 78.1KW(106.2PS)/10000r/minMax....

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YAMAHA Fazer8 (2011) pictures | specs | insurance info |

YAMAHA Fazer 8 (2011) Motorcycle Pictures, Preview and Specifications.- The Fazer 8 is set up for comfortable, fast road riding wherever you take it – whether it’s a high-performance city journey or a week away exploring the continent at full throttle. The front cowl and screen add weather protection and improved aerodynamics to a powerful sports bike engine and handling package. -Motorcycle Pictures, choose by BRANDS>YAMAHA Models >YAMAHA Fazer 8 (2011)Click Thumbnail to download (size 1600 x 1200 pixels) Features >Technical SpecificationsENGINEType Liquid cooled 4-stroke,DOHCForward-inclined parallel 4-cylinderDisplacement 779ccBore x stroke 68.0×53.6mmCompression ratio 12.0 : 1Max. Power 78.1KW(106.2PS)/10000r/minMax....

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2011 Fazer8 YAMAHA insurance informations

Motorcycle Pictures, choose by BRANDS>YAMAHA Models >YAMAHA Fazer 8 (2011)Features and SpecificationsPictures & Specifications >Based on our successful FZ1 platform, the new Fazer 8 sports a 779cc, four cylinder engine that is tuned for plenty of low and mid range torque, making every ride an exciting experience.Just like its naked FZ8 cousin, the Fazer 8 is a brilliant "all-rounder" that can slice through city traffic or apex a series of corners on your favourite twisty road. Attitude, power, handling and style, the Fazer 8 is an everyday sport bike you will be proud to own.Fazer8 / ABS - Class, comfort, confidence – with serious power.If you’ve only got room for one roadbike in your garage, choose one that ticks all the boxes – serious performance and good...

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