(Ride to) the REVolution

[Anonymous]

#4359

So I took a few photos at the destination of the recent Otago ride. Image quality is variable (it was dark in the exhibition, some of the pics were taken on a cellphone, I'm a crap photographer, take your pick). Links below the images are to the hi-res version, for those with bandwidth to burn and nothing better to do. Caption quality is all my fault, I can't do justice to Otago Museum's excellent efforts so I'm not even going to try.Oh yeah, baby...[img]https://googledrive.com/host/0B3VJU-Mz26_ENHN1eC1BWnRudWc/Revolution motorbike display 001.JPG[/img]https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3VJU-Mz26_EaFBXSUtqcUUxSU0/edit?usp=sharingA proper R6, from back in the days that the modern incarnation wasn't even a twinkle in a piano-maker's eye:[img]https://googledrive.com/host/0B3VJU-Mz26_ENHN1eC1BWnRudWc/Revolution motorbike display 006.JPG[/img]https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3VJU-Mz26_ERVJ0dy1tVEtVU0E/edit?usp=sharingI'm thinking Velocette had it pretty much right when they built this beauty:[img]https://googledrive.com/host/0B3VJU-Mz26_ENHN1eC1BWnRudWc/Revolution motorbike display 008.JPG[/img]https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3VJU-Mz26_Ed1JlSmUtMjBQWG8/edit?usp=sharingIt's a boxer twin, but even by Airhead standards the brakes are non-existent. Note how radical 90 degree rotation of the engine allows room for an assortment of dangerous belts, chains and gears. Flying Fay rode this machine to numerous speedway victories before being banned from competition, presumably for emasculating a generation of flat cap wearing would-be cinder track aces. She switched to four wheels, said "I'll probably give up racing the day I meet a man harder to handle than a racing car", and died single. Legend.[img]https://googledrive.com/host/0B3VJU-Mz26_ENHN1eC1BWnRudWc/Revolution motorbike display 011.JPG[/img]https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3VJU-Mz26_EYkU5ZWRkNjlNSXM/edit?usp=sharingThey didn't pay Kenny Roberts enough to ride the thing; it scares me just looking at it.[img]https://googledrive.com/host/0B3VJU-Mz26_ENHN1eC1BWnRudWc/Revolution motorbike display 027.JPG[/img]https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3VJU-Mz26_EaTJiR0NHMGRuUVE/edit?usp=sharingHoly metalflake, Batman! Pass the flares - it was the wankel era, even if rotor tip seal warranty claims threatened to sink the big S.[img]https://googledrive.com/host/0B3VJU-Mz26_ENHN1eC1BWnRudWc/Revolution motorbike display 033.JPG[/img]https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3VJU-Mz26_EY2pHdm1VRThucW8/edit?usp=sharingOh yeah, baby. They don't have to be fast, they just have to be right...[img]https://googledrive.com/host/0B3VJU-Mz26_ENHN1eC1BWnRudWc/Revolution motorbike display 014.JPG[/img]https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3VJU-Mz26_EZ2o1WkJHY21UQ28/edit?usp=sharingTo be continued...

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