Hood ornaments have gone by the wayside for most automakers, but the heyday of chrome and glass came in the Art Deco ’30s. Several brands offered similar themes of athletic animals, famous (literal) figureheads, or the female form. Here are just seven of our favorites, we’re sure you’ll recognize quite a few.

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by Bud Wilkinson from https://www.rep-am.com

It’s stating the obvious to say that 2020 was quite a year. While the number of miles covered on two wheels may not have changed appreciably from previous years for many motorcyclists, the places traveled probably did due to the cancellation of so many motorcycle shows and other events because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In venturing out, the wise and respectful among us always carried face masks, kept group size small and kept physically distant at all times. Others acted irresponsibly and selfishly, placing themselves and everyone they came in contact with at risk.

It was while out gathering a “My Ride” classic car feature for the newspaper back in early fall that I came across a coronavirus skeptic. As I walked up the owner’s driveway, my camera bag slung over my shoulder and a mask covering my mouth and nose, he appeared out of his garage maskless. Coming to within inches of my face, he scowled and declared of COVID-19, “It’s a hoax. It’ll be gone Nov. 4,” a reference to the day after the presidential election.

Stepping back, I responded that I wasn’t there to discuss the pandemic and asked if he would please keep at least six feet away; debating in my head whether I should just turn around, walk back to the truck and drive off. I stayed and did the story.

Here it is just after Christmas, and people are still dying at a considerable rate because of coronavirus. The death toll in the U.S. is now close to 325,000. Some hoax. So many people have succumbed that we’ve become inured to the toll.

COVID-19 certainly took a toll this year on the motorcycle industry, which wasn’t exactly in sterling shape before the pandemic. Here in Connecticut, the Stamford-based “American Iron” magazine suspended publication in July, sparking outrage among readers who failed to get refunds on their subscriptions.

In Falls Village, the popular riding destination Toymakers Cafe pulled the plug in early September, leaving its many regulars bereft and clueless as to what to do and where to ride on Sunday mornings.

The pandemic has impacted the industry in other ways, too.

The promoter of the Progressive International Motorcycle Shows tour announced in late September it was moving outside – scrapping the long-running indoor tour slate in winter in favor of outside venues in warmer weather. Since the last Ride-CT column, the newly branded IMS Outdoors tour has announced its 2021 itinerary, including a visit to Brooklyn over Labor Day weekend.

Getting into mid-town Manhattan for the indoor show every December at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center was a sufficient chore. The prediction here is that Brooklyn will be a bridge too far for many riders who regularly attended the indoor show. The specific site in the borough hasn’t been announced.

Meanwhile, the pandemic has prompted Harley-Davidson to delay the unveiling of its 2021 model-year motorcycles until mid-January, and then do the reveal in an online event.

Having gotten a new CEO earlier this year in Jochen Zeitz and faced with plummeting sales, Harley-Davidson is engaged in a sizable shakeup. The number of models that the company offers is being significantly reduced and the dealership lineup is being culled.

During 2020, Hudson Valley Harley-Davidson in Nanuet, N.Y., Southampton Harley-Davidson in Southampton, Mass., Wilkins Harley-Davidson in Essex Junction, Vt., and Heritage Harley-Davidson in Concord, N.H., were among the brand’s stores in the Northeast that closed.

Consolidation continued, too, with Chad Clark and Bryan Castor buying Gengras Harley-Davidson in East Hartford and renaming it Hartford Harley-Davidson. They already owned Old School Harley-Davidson in Ellington, Conn., Spitzie’s Harley-Davidson of Albany in New York, and Sheldon’s Harley-Davidson in Auburn, Mass.

Watching Harley-Davidson’s maneuvering and speculating on its future fortunes has become something of a sport in recent years, and that will continue in 2021. While it’s hard to predict just how 2021 will play out, there already are a couple of signs representing optimism.

A new dealership selling KTM models, Colonial Power and Sport, is opening in New Milford. Another dealer in our area is planning to add more brands to its showroom next month, but can’t make an announcement until the incoming brands receive confirmation of the store’s credit line from the bank.

With vaccines for COVID-19 now being rolled out, maybe 2021 will be an improvement over the year now ending. Maybe by late summer we’ll be able to attend motorcycle shows again, be able to gather with more friends, and be able to roam wherever without quarantine or testing requirements.

Gina has been riding motorcycles for many years and has made motorcycling her full time life! She became well known among motorcycle circles as the host of a popular Radio Show in Chicago called Open Road Radio. She was well known for her “Old School” attitude as she rides an old Panhead kickstart bike.

She was featured in a book about female riders in 2009 called “Biker Chicz of North America”.

Gina has more recently been immersing herself in a give back program for Veterans called the HER project: Honor, Encourage and Recognize female veterans. She coordinates an all female bike build and then raffles the bike to be able to build another bike.

No dust under her feet, she is also developing a nutritional bar for motorcyclists called “Feel The Horsepower” with three options: 1- Biker Bar; Energy, 2-Fuel Bar; Meal Replacement, 3- Sports Bar; Electrolyte, Enzyme Replacement. — with Marilyn Stemp.

From Sam Burns

 

Hood ornaments have gone by the wayside for most automakers, but the heyday of chrome and glass came in the Art Deco ’30s. Several brands offered similar themes of athletic animals, famous (literal) figureheads, or the female form. Here are just seven of our favorites, we’re sure you’ll recognize quite a few.

Rolls-Royce Spirit of Ecstasy

Perhaps one of the most famous hood ornaments, this stunning form looks ready to take on any boulevard at great speed.

Cadillac’s Flying Goddess

Rolls-Royce wasn’t alone in placing a wind-swept woman at the leading edge of its gorgeous machines.

Chevrolet, DeSoto, and Nash all had variations on the theme, but we think Cadillac’s ever-changing goddess looked great through several iterations. The one at the top of the page is from one of Cadillac’s late ’30s V-16 flagships.

Stutz Hood Ornament

This late’20s and early-’30s ornament that topped the radiator cap of Stutz cars represents the Egyptian go of the sun, Ra. Seems proper for a convertible or roadster, no?

Willy’s Knight Hood Ornament

This guy would never make it with today’s passenger safety standards, considering he looks like he’s just itching to joust with a jaywalker.

Duesenberg Frederick Bazin Pegasus Hood ornament

This striking Art Deco Pegasus is a fitting mascot for the large, powerful Duesenbergs of the early ’30s. It’s a steed that could allow the rider brave enough to nearly take flight. Our very own ace shooter, Matt Tierney, spotted this pair of them at last year’s Arizona Auction Week.

Bugatti Dancing Elephant Hood Ornament

Rembrandt Bugatti designed the dancing elephant mascot that was used even before the distinctive oval macaron emblem that it is paired with above. The fanciful design manages to make the world’s largest land animal seem graceful.

Pontiac Chief Hood Ornament

Pontiac called upon the memory of the war chief that led the Odawa against the British with a number of emblems and ornaments before eventually switching to an arrowhead design. The hood ornament here, from 1934, depicted his whole body, lunging forward, but the chief would later become more stylized in other Pontiacs.

Check out these for additional hood ornament majesty, from the same era. Bonus points if you can name them all in the comments, and if we missed your favorite, be sure to share it with us and tell us why it’s the ultimate front-end eye candy.

–Brandan Gillogly

At Bikernet, we like hood girls and have fun with them whenever possible. Here’s a classic, that makes me smile even on a hot day crossing a desert on the Mudflap FXR.–Bandit 

It’s Touch and Go in the Badlands
by K.Randall Ball

Bandit roared down Spearfish Canyon and his mind settled with every curve and the rumble of his exhaust blasting off the sheer cliffs and Jack Pines. He came to a stretch where lush pines were knocked over like chess pawns on a polished mahogany game table.

He slowed as he rounded a curve and gazed at large, almost 200-year-old Jack Pines knocked flat, like a tabletop toothpick container run over by a truck. It seemed unnatural and freaky as he twisted his throttle and continued to roar up the canyon toward Cheyenne Crossing and his Bandit’s Cantina food truck.

It dawned on him that a recent monsoon like rain contained a tornado threat. Mother nature’s power touched down in the canyon and ripped through the trees like a drunk truck driver through fence posts. He reached back to check the strapped down cash box. It vibrated with the road’s surface but was still secure. Bandit looked ahead just as a squirrel darted into the lane.

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by Peter Fleischer from https://wreg.com

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — There are numerous groups and organizations spreading holiday cheer and helping those less fortunate this time of year, but the hosts of today’s “helping the homeless” event may surprise you.

The Memphis Motorcycle Club says they make charity and giving back a priority every year, but with the COVID pandemic presenting new challenges in caring for the homeless, they scaled up this Christmas.

“This is the first time all together as a whole that we’ve ever united as one, to pull off an event of this magnitude,” Durrell Mackey, the Chairman of the Memphis Motorcycle Club, said.

The club handed out food, gift bags and hygiene products. But they also gave away vouchers for a week’s stay at the Memphis Union Mission. In the middle of winter, with below freezing temperatures, that kind of gift can end up saving a life.

“I always think about the less fortunate. The people that don’t have families to go home to, or a warm meal, or a place to stay. So, today we’re here to make a difference,” Mackey said.

And they did make a difference, making this year’s Christmas a little merrier for dozens of people who were grateful for the helping hand.

“I’m just blessed to be able to receive some type of donation to help me get into a room,” Teresa said.

“If I hadn’t came out here, I probably wouldn’t have nothing. I thank God for being here, for them helping me out,” Libby said.

If you’re interested in helping the memphis union mission, click here.

Unbeknownst to some, certain car brands started life by making motorcycles. Take Honda, for instance, or BMW. But what if iconic car brands made motorcycles?

Budget Direct Motorcycle Insurance took six automakers consisting of two Brits, a quirky Japanese, two electrified Americans, and a French record-holder and went to work. The team specifically chose brands that you wouldn’t normally associate with two wheels, and here’s what they came up with:

1. Aston Martin Café Racer
2. Bentley Touring Bike
3. Bugatti Superbike
4. Mitsubishi Scooter
5. Rivian Dirt Bike
6. Tesla Sports Bike

Above is a preview of the Bugatti Superbike that the design team conjured up:

It’s not uncommon for carmakers to dabble in the motorcycling world. Whether talking about two wheels or four, we can’t wait to see what iconic car brands have in store for the future of mobility.

Aston Martin Café Racer Render

Aston Martin was established in 1913. The brand is best known for the DB5 grand-touring car from the 1964 James Bond film, Goldfinger. But for die-hard auto enthusiasts, Aston Martin is known for making some of the world’s most beautiful cars. The brand has recently expanded its portfolio with the new DBX SUV. Most recently, it collaborated with the English motorcycle brand Brough Superior in producing the limited-edition AMB 001, a $120,000 superbike.

Instead of creating a megabuck track star, we chose a different route and created an Aston Martin café racer. For inspiration, we fixed our eyes on the magnificent DB4 GT Zagato Continuation model, part of the $7.2-million Aston Martin DBZ Centenary Collection. For the price, you get a vintage-modern DB4 GT Zagato and the new DBS GT Zagato.

In terms of retro appeal, it’s hard to deny the DB4 GT Zagato’s meticulous coachwork. Our Aston café racer inherited the gorgeous wired wheels and round headlight design of the DB4. It also has a bulbous gas tank, circular side mirrors, and a smallish windshield to complete the retro vibe.

Bentley Touring Bike

The Honda Gold Wing is the quintessential touring bike, although Honda is not the first name that comes to mind when it comes to ‘road luxury.’ On the other hand, British carmaker Bentley is known for taking luxury to the next level, hence our rendition of a Bentley touring bike based on its newest Bentayga SUV.

Our Bentley touring bike is longer than a Gold Wing and has limousine-like proportions. It offers generous seating for two, and the pair of large saddlebags offer enough cargo room for a short, weekend getaway. All the familiar Bentley styling cues are present, including twin round headlights and a massive front grille – the latter hides a large radiator to cool the bike’s massive V-Twin motor.

Model Bugatti Superbike

Without question, the Bugatti Chiron – and its predecessor the Veyron – is the ultimate record-breaking hypercar. The Chiron remains the fastest production vehicle in the world, and it’s also one of the most expensive cars on sale today. It’s only fitting to create a superbike based on the Chiron, but we didn’t settle for the standard model.

No, we went full Monty and sought the $19-million Bugatti La Voiture Noire for our superbike. The result is ‘La Moto Noire,’ our vision of the fastest (and most expensive) superbike ever made. Bugatti’s iconic C-line forms part of the front assembly and forks of the bike, while the wheels, headlights, and exposed carbon-fiber body panels are lifted directly from La Voiture Noire.

Mitsubishi Scooter Render

Japanese car brand Mitsubishi is best known for the mythical Lancer Evolution series, but that was back in the early to mid-nineties. Now, Mitsubishi is part of the Nissan-Renault alliance and has ditched making rally-bred, fire-breathing sedans for practical subcompacts and SUVs. Among the brand’s offerings is the Mitsubishi Mirage, one of the most fuel-efficient, non-hybrid vehicles in the market, capable of achieving 38-43 mpg even with a heavy lead foot.

As such, the Mirage reminds us of a basic scooter. Small in size yet packing a large seat, our Mitsubishi scooter has rugged tires, comfortable suspension, and a familiar Dynamic Shield face. And like the Mirage, it gets the job done with minimal fuss. It doesn’t have a dinky three-cylinder motor like the Mirage, but it does have a dinkier 1.0-liter, single-cylinder EFI engine, and a large gas tank to deliver exceptional mileage

Rivian Dirt Bike

Rivian is making ‘noise’ with its R1T electric pickup truck and R1S SUV. Both vehicles are destined to become the first all-electric off-roaders with genuinely rugged, go-anywhere capabilities. This led us to render the future of dirt bikes or eMotorcross. Like the Rivian R1T, our dirt bike is all-electric with twin hub-mounted electric motors, a modest battery pack, off-road suspension, and regenerative charging technology.

The simple, no-frills design is a definitive nod to the Rivian R1T’s utilitarian roots. And like the R1T, our Rivian dirt bike has oval stadium lights with LED headlamps and a smallish light bar. With only two wheels, our Rivian dirt bike is incapable of making a stationary ‘tank turn’ like the R1T pickup, but it still offers massive grip and tons of torque to conquer the wild outdoors.

Tesla Sports Bike

Our Tesla sports bike is seriously threatening Bugatti’s superbike for the ‘fastest motorcycle in the world’ title. Based on the much-anticipated Tesla Roadster v2.0, our electric superbike goes as fast as it looks. But unlike the incoming Tesla Roadster with its curvy body, our Tesla sports bike has sharper lines akin to a Nighthawk stealth fighter.

The new Tesla Roadster is a quick car with three electric motors, an extended-range battery pack, and cold gas thrusters courtesy of SpaceX. Meanwhile, our Tesla sports bike has twin hub-mounted electric motors, air suspension, massive brakes, and a lower center of gravity. It’s not about how fast this bike can go, but how long you can hold on for dear life.

About Budget Direct

Budget Direct has been offering Simply Smarter insurance since 2000. They have insured over 1.5 million Australians since then. Their policies are underwritten by Auto & General Insurance Company Limited, an Australian insurance company regulated by APRA and a member of the Insurance Council of Australia. Budget Direct has won Money magazine’s Insurer of the Year award again in 2018 (they also won this prestigious award in 2017, 2015 & 2010). Also, Budget Direct is the only provider to have won the coveted CANSTAR award for ‘Outstanding Value Car Insurance’ every year since 2007. Recently adding the 2019 CANSTAR national award to its long list, that’s 13 years in a row!

https://www.budgetdirect.com.au/blog/if-iconic-car-brands-made-motorcycles.html

About NeoMam Studios

NeoMam Studios is a creative studio based in the UK on a mission to create digital content that online audiences will want to share.

It’s been one of the strangest years in our history, but when it comes to Christmas nothing ever changes. It’s the most wonderful time of the year, as Bing Crosby sang back in the ’50s, and it still is. Christmas is particularly magical when you surround yourself with wonderful folks like the members of the Bikernet Staff and contributors. It couldn’t be better to be involved with all the freedom-loving and innovative folks in this metalflake and open-road industry.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL

May your 2021 be sunny and bright–it better be.

K. R. Ball and the Redhead

by Ben Purvis from https://www.cycleworld.com

Indian firm Bajaj may be bringing back the classic American marque.

For a brief moment in the late 1990s the name Excelsior-Henderson was one of the hottest stories in motorcycling – a brand that was resurrected as a high-tech rival to Harley-Davidson after decades in the grave. Even if you don’t remember the furor over Excelsior in 1997, you already know how the story ends. The fact that those Excelsiors remain vanishingly rare more than two decades later reveals that the plan didn’t quite come together as envisioned. Just two years after unveiling the first bike since 1931 to wear that storied badge, Excelsior-Henderson 2.0 ended up closing its doors as well. But now it seems that the brand might be set to rise from the grave once more, this time courtesy of Indian manufacturing giant Bajaj.

Bajaj might not be a name that registers on your radar like Honda or Harley-Davidson, but it’s a behemoth of a company with a 75-year history of its own and a string of subsidiaries. It’s India’s second-largest bike company, after Hero, with the production capacity to manufacture 6,330,000 vehicles per year, most of them motorcycles. On top of that, Bajaj owns 48% of KTM, building KTMs and Husqvarnas in its plants in India, and it has a deal with Triumph to jointly develop and manufacture a new range of small to mid-sized machines in the near future. In short, Bajaj is one of the biggest players in the worldwide motorcycle market, and now it’s planning to relaunch the classic Excelsior-Henderson marque.

The news has yet to be officially announced, but Bajaj has already applied for trademark rights in various countries to use the Excelsior-Henderson name and logo on motorcycles, parts and clothing. It’s understood to have bought the brand name from Daniel Hanlon, who was one of the chief drivers behind the 1990s revival of the American brand that came so close to success. Bajaj’s interest in Excelsior is likely to stem from the fact that rival Indian manufacturers have been on a spending spree recently, snapping up famous motorcycle companies or the rights to their names. TVS, for instance, bought the remains of Norton earlier this year, and Mahindra owns the BSA brand and intends to bring it back into production in the near future. Meanwhile, Hero – the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles by volume – has recently struck a deal to develop and manufacture bikes wearing the Harley-Davidson brand name in its home market.

All of this is likely to be a response to the rapid growth of Royal Enfield, which has been Indian-owned for decades but has seen remarkable sales increases in recent years, leaving other Indian brands, which traditionally focus on smaller bikes, looking for a way to compete in the classic space.

In case you’re not familiar with Excelsior-Henderson, it started life as a merger of two bike companies (as the name suggests) back in the pioneering days of the early 20th century. Both were high-end brands with a reputation for quality, with Excelsior building 61 cubic inch V-twins from as early as 1910 and later developing the famous 45 cubic inch Super X in 1925. Henderson, meanwhile, started life in 1911 and focussed on inline four-cylinder machines. Both companies were bought by bicycle firm Schwinn – Excelsior in 1912 and Henderson in 1917 – and merged into Excelsior-Henderson, although their products remained separate. In 1931, Schwinn closed Excelsior-Henderson, refocusing on pedal-powered bikes in the face of the Great Depression.

That might have been the end of the story if it wasn’t for Daniel Hanlon’s Minnesota-based Hanlon Manufacturing Company. He saw a gap in the market for a high-spec V-twin cruiser in the 1990s and embarked on the development of what would become the Excelsior-Henderson Super X of 1998. Featuring a 1386cc (85 cu in) DOHC, four-valve V-twin with fuel injection, based on a design from British engineering firm Weslake (famous for the V12 powering Dan Gurney’s Eagle F1 cars in the 1960s, and later the Gurney-Weslake engines for Ford’s GT40s), the Super X also used unusual front suspension with massive, exposed springs. A 140-strong dealer network was established and around 1950 of the $18,500 Super X machines found buyers before Excelsior-Henderson filed for Chapter 11 in late 1999.

Although production never restarted, the Excelsior-Henderson company has remained in existence since then. An attempt was made to sell the brand and rights to its use and patents at a Mecum auction in 2018, but no buyer was found. Now it seems Bajaj has bought at least some of those rights. No doubt there will be an official announcement to confirm more details of the arrangement, but it seems that a new Excelsior-Henderson could be on the way within the next few years.

The Bikernet Weekly News is sponsored in part by companies who also dig Freedom including: Cycle Source Magazine, the MRF, Las Vegas Bikefest, Iron Trader News, ChopperTown, BorntoRide.com and the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum. Most recently Quick Throttle Magazine came on board.

Merry Christmas to all and a wonderful free-spirit new year for everyone.

Let’s party, ride free, build cool shit and go to Bonneville and the drags.

Ride fast and free forever,

–Bandit

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