Harley-Davidson TRIHAWK

Saw this obscurity today. More car than bike, but still interesting. 4 cyl Citroen boxer motor and transaxle up front.

Pulling out jives and jamboree handouts

                               The Ministry of Propaganda is open for business. Leaflet the Earth.

sucking in the 70's

Chopper Magazine, 75 & 79

emotional Craftsman rollercoaster

There are certain things I count on to always be there. Solid points of reference that help me get through this fly-by-night world. Christmas with my parents, the spring and fall swap meets at the speedway, fourth of July all dependable and timeless. Another stalwart anchor since my childhood is Sears and Roebuck. Since the pioneer days the Chicago institution has been the retail standard. My connection is the Craftsman line of tools.
I have always had a good, confident feeling buying them and enjoyed the returning of them even more. Lifetime warranty. Driving a tow truck, I always get the random tools when we junk the unclaimed impounds. No matter how rusty, Sears takes them in exchange for new tools.

Today I had two ratchet handles and a pair of locking pliers that were rusted solid from 6 years bouncing in the bed of the repo truck. Off the Sears Hardware.

Blazing fluorescent signs announced the store was closing. I was upset. This was a Sears Hardware, not at the mall, not filled with housewives and families. Damn it!

I went to the aisle of ratchets, stepping over clerks packing up all the inventory. The part numbers were different, but I got the closest matches to the 3/8ths, 1/4, and pliers.

The exchange went smooth and I told the cashier how sad I was to see the store shut down. Back outside I felt the handles, they didn't feel right. The castings were different and the lettering looked poor. I checked the labels.

"MADE IN CHINA"

Outrage. My feelings went from sadness to outright anger. "You deserve to be out of business!" I shouted to my empty coffee cup on the dashboard.

I know the larger sockets have been made overseas since the mid 80's, but the god damn ratchets were made 20 miles away in East Windsor. It is almost not worth returning American tools for the new, shittier Chinese junk.

Sears will die soon, killed by Wal Mart and general laziness in keeping up with market trends. Craftsman was their last good thing. Will my son ever get to feel the pride of working with tools made in his own country? I hope so.

More Corbis Bikes & Broads

                                                             Image by  Bill Phelps

                                            Scott Caan  & Sole Image by  Luca Babini

                                                             Image by Adam Hester

                                                     1971  Image by  Condé Nast Archive

                            1963. Ann-Margret  and Jesse Pearson. Image by John Springer Collection

                                          Joe Dallesandro and Jane Birkin  Image by Georges Pierre

        1965,  Hope Whittier and Andrea Kruse riding a scooter to work. Image by Condé Nast Archive

http://www.corbisimages.com/

Free Sunday

La Vida Moto

                                                           Motorcycles Every Day

Dave Bell comic

Chopper, Winter 1979

Scott Parker

 "Gearing Up,"  by Scott Jacobs, 2000

Since 1903

Hartford's Columbia Bicycle manufactured motorcycles in 1903, eventually being sold as Pope and made in a factory in Westfield, Mass. If only they still did. The factory in Hartford is still there and also a city park built for the employees by Col. Pope.

Yamaha 650 chopper

just chilling at the marina
Hallcraft wheels, Chopper Guide, 1975

Launch

Hot Bike 2 - 86

Fender Fluff 1984

Here are the fine looking bitches from the Summer 1984 issue of "In The Wind".

                                 

I dig the chick sitting backwards on the bike and the blondie in the B&W shot.