PUR-SANG PSYCHEDELIC PROVENANCE

The ex-Jim Morrison, ex-Von Dutch 1968 Honda CL305'Pur Sang Psychedelic Provenance'... that's not a phrase often heard, but how else to describe a humble Honda CL305 'street scrambler' which was owned by the Doors' Jim Morrison from 1968-'71, which was then purchased and painted up by  'Von Dutch'?Kenny Howard / Von DutchThe internet is abuzz with the recent Craigslist discovery of the lime green Honda, and lucky owner Dan Ince did his homework, after discovering an early registration in the name of Kenneth R. Howard, better known as pinstriper and moto-painter extraordinaire, 'Von Dutch', who appears to have sprayed the Honda in his early '70s asymmetric metalflake style.  Digging deeper into the paperwork, Ince found more:...

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BONHAMS' QUAIL EXTRAVAGANZA

The Motosacoche v-twin formerly owned by Bud Ekins, and restored by 'Von Dutch' (Kenny Howard) while he worked for Ekins.  Part of the 'Eddie Rickenbacker' collection at the Bonhams Quail Lodge sale, August 16thPebble Beach Week is a financial powerhouse for US collector car auctions, as 4 big sales tease the wallets of well-heeled visitors from around the globe, each racking up mega-millions of dollars.  The inclusion of motorcycles is a recent phenomenon at this week-long party, where the very very rich mingle with impecunious gearheads, oohing and aahing over impossible arrays of glittering vehicles, on the grassy golf courses of the Quail Motorsports Gathering (Friday) and Pebble Beach (Sunday), the tarmac of the Monterey Jet...

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TINTYPES IN THE DESERT

As continued prep for the Cannonball Run in September, part of my equipe for the Velocette Summer Rally this year included a portable darkroom, plate camera, and all the chemicals necessary to make 'wet plate' collodion Tintypes on the road.  While the technique is a bit fussy, the resulting images are unique, and the process is satisfying in a way digital photography could never be.  Kind of like the fussy old bikes we're riding...My  photo-partner in this escapade, Susan McLaughlin, and her '65 Triumph BonnevilleJeff Scott, Pd'O, and the little Velo GTP two-stroke......seen better in this image.  This 1939 model is a 250cc, the last of the Velo two-strokes, which were their mainstay from 1905 until they started making...

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ARIZONA ROAMING, PART 2

As the Velocette Summer Rally continues to explore the mountains, deserts, and canyons of Arizona...

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