| This
section is dedicated to the legendary American marques, whose designs
and
engineering have led the way to the next century's modern motorcycle.
The
name, "Blazing Thunder," was chosen because it fully represents the
achievements
and noise they produced. Every manufacturer engaged in racing. The
fastest
bikes sold the most. As riders "Blazed," around the tracks trying to
set
new speed records the exhaust cutouts were opened for power and
that,"Thunderous,"
noise. Click on the link to see what some cutouts looked like, cutouts
.
The
very early motorcycles, known as, "Autocycles," were beefed up bicycles
with low horsepower motors. The power usually was transferred to
the rear wheel via a leather belt. This method lasted into the
second
decade. One of the most dominate retailers of this century, Sears,
marketed
their own motorcycles for almost four years.
If you are a
collector,
you will understand the hours of labor and thousands of dollars
required
to bring a motorcycle back from junkyard condition. For those of you
who
are just embarking on the arduous journey of becoming a collector, I
hope
these photo studies will inspire you. There is no substitute for real
life,
but what you will see here is the next best thing. And for the rest of
us who are content to appreciate the efforts of collectors, there is a
lot here to enjoy.
Special
Excelsior note!
I am
only working on American marques for now. Perhaps next year I will have
the opportunity to photograph some foreign marques. If anyone is
willing
to invite me, send me an email to tazbat@ancientalley.com
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