AMAZING TON UP CAFE RACERS IN STURGIS

AUTOMOTIVE WHEEL - AMAZING TON UP CAFE RACERS IN STURGIS, When photographer Michael Lichter invited me to co-curate a show of Café Racers for Sturgis Bike Week, I immediately said yes.  Id met Michael while he was the official photographer of the Motorcycle Cannonball last September, and have been constantly impressed by his good nature, the his amazing photography, and his renown in the motorcycling world.

Riding around Sturgis; Bear Butte state park - South Dakotas Black Hills are amazing

I had no idea hed been putting on exhibits at Sturgis for 12 years, as Id never been to Bike Week, and didnt follow the press surrounding the event...its safe to say Im a fish out of water among 250,000 Harley touring rigs.  But Café Racers are very much the waters I swim, and Ive long wanted to mount exhibits of motorcycles and related art...and almost as soon as he brought me on board as co-curator, hed secured a deal with Motorbooks to produce a coffee-table book (called, naturally, Ton Up!) documenting the exhibit, with my writing on the genre and its 50 year development.  My dedication to the project was secured.

Willie Gs 1975 blueprint (with talking points) of his XL- Café Racer

Michaels reputation in the Industry meant word leaked quickly of our subject matter, and Custom builders clamored to have their machines included,  among whom were Willie G. Davidson himself, who brought his Serial #1 XLCR, and his successor at H-D, Ray Drea, who built an updated version of Willies machine - his 2013 XR Café - just for Ton Up!  Also, BMW promised Ton Up! would be the US début of their Concept 90, built in conjunction with Roland Sands.

I used my contact list for the historic bikes - the BSA Gold Star, Velocette Thruxton, Egli Vincent, Tri ton, and other seminal machines, to lay the foundation for our historic survey.  While the name Café Racer conjures repeated images of English riders from the 1950s/60s - the Ace Cafe/59 Club era - the style didnt freeze in 1969. We love those Gold Stars and Tritons, but riders have carried on modifying all sorts of motorcycles with Café Racer cues for 50 years now.

The 21 Helmets display, which grew to 27 helmets!

Sorting through the dozens of bikes offere d to us, we had to set down The Rules - what makes a Café Racer.  We boiled it down to the look of a racer on the road, with clip-on bars, rearset foot controls, a humped racing seat, and performance modifications.  Every Café Racer has most if not all those boxes ticked.

Mark Mederskis low-mile, original-paint 62 Norton Manx, included as the benchmark against which all Café Racers were measured...

The point of Ton Up! was never how to make a proper Café bike - we showed examples from 50 years of Café Racing, 1962 - 2013 , to showcased the development, changes, and growth of the genre over several generations of rider/builders. A few of the machines were factory-built Cafés (BSA Gold Star, Velocette Thruxton, and Harley XLCR), but most were modified to achieve the look. The 35 bikes we eventually displayed came from England, Germany, Italy, the US, and Japan, and ranged from 1950s Triumph motors in Tritons, to 2013 Triumph, Victory, and Harley-based customs.

Kevin Dunworth of Loaded Gun Customs with his Bucephalus with unique alloy-plate chassis

As I installed the exhibit, with help from the Buffalo Chips excellent crew, I heard nary a peep of criticism for bringing an it aint a Harley collection to Sturgis for Bike Week, and when the show was up, even the most inebriated accidental viewer was agog at the display of beautiful bikes.  While 35 motorcycles and a dozen artists sounds tiny in the context of the hundreds of thousands of bikes outside, the show was too much to take in a single visit.  Each of our motorcycles deserved close study; the ideas explored were sometimes radical, and generally quite beautiful.  The exhibit was an oasis of calm in the midst of Sturgis, a pleasant spot to hang out, and thousands did just that.

Mars Websters Godet-Egli-Vincent

Heres a gallery of the bikes exhibited, followed by a bunch of random photos from my Sturgis expedition:

- Alain Bernard (Santiago Chopper) 1996 Moto Guzzi 1100 Patton Café

- Arlen Ness; 1987 HD-XR Ness Café

- Brad Richards (Ford Motor Co); 1999 HD Sporty TT

- Brandon Holstein (Brawny Built); 2003 HD Brawny Sportster

- Brian Klock (Klock Werks); 2013 Triumph TBird Café Storm

- Bryan Fuller (Fuller Hot Rods); 197 4 Ducati 750GT Full Sport

- Chris Fletchner (Speed Shop Design); 1965 BSA Beezerker

- David Edwards (Bike Craft editor, former Cycle World editor); 1975 Triumph T140V
                    Trackmaster Café (built by Danny Erickson)

- David Zemla ; 2003 HD 883 DZ Sportster

- Deus ex Machina; 1978 BMW R100S 

- Dustin Kott (Kott Motorcycles); 1969 Honda CB450 The 69

- Gordon McCall (McCall Motorworks); 1965 Dunstall Norton Atlas

- Greg Hageman (Docs Chops); 1982 Virago SV920

- Herb Harris (Harris Vincent Gallery); 1962 BSA DBD34 Gold Star

- Jason Paul Michaels (Dime City Cycles); 1968 Honda CB450 Brass Cafe

- Jay Hart; 1972 HD XL XLMPH

- Jay LaRossa (Lossa Engineering); 1967 Honda CB77 Lossa CB77

- Jonnie Green (Ton Up Classics); 1965/7 Triton

- Kevin Dunworth (Loaded Gun Cus toms); 1967 Triumph Bucephalus

- Kim Boyle (Boyle Custom Moto); 1971 Norton Commando Ed Norton

- Mark Mederski (National M/C Museum); 1962 Norton Manx, 1970 Velocette Thruxton

- Mars Webster; 1950 NorVin Comet, 2002 Godet-Egli-Vincent

- Ray Drea (H-D head of design); 1984 HD XR1000 XR Café

- Richard Varner (Champions Moto); 2004 Triumph Bonneville Brighton

- Roland Sands/BMW (RSD); 2013 BMW prototype Concept 90

- Shinya Kimura (Chabott Engineering); 1974 Ducati 750GT Flash

- Skeeter Todd (OCC); 1979 HD XR1000 American Café

- Steve Carpy Carpenter; 1969 Honda CB750KO Tenacious Ton

- Steve Brewdude Garn (Brew Racing Frames); 1974 Yamaha RD350 Streak

- Thor Drake (SeeSee Motorcycles); 1985 Yamaha RZ350 BH347

- Willie G Davidson (retired head of H-D design); 1977 HD XLCR Serial #1

- Yoshi Kosaka (the Garage Co); 1967 Triumph-Rickman Metisse

 - Zach Ness; 2013 Victory Judge NessCafé Victory

Id like to thank the Buffalo Chip for opening their wallet big-time to ship over 30 bikes from around the US, and paying a crew to help me push 35 bikes and plinths around a 7000 square foot hall.  It was exhausting even with the help of four strong men!  I also need to thank Keyboard Motorcycle Shipping for their amazing flexibility in picking up all the non-Cali bikes from their owners, and bringing them all in perfect condition.

Zach Ness Victory NessCafé, Shinyas Flash Ducati, and the SeeSee 21 Helmet display

Gordon McCalls 66 Norton Dunstall with the BMW/Roland Sands Concept 90

Wild variations of feminine dress - and occasional undress - at Sturgis

Brad Andrews SportyTT faces off with Mark Mederskis Norton Manx

Closeup of SpeedShopDesigns Beezerker - jewel-like precision

The full shot of the Beezerker by Chris Fletchner, the only Anglo bike customizer currently working in Japan!

Bikini Bike Wash was among the most tame entertainments in town...$20 for a wash, which seemed a bargain to me - they were doing a great job!

My 65 Triumph Bonneville; not part of the show, just a helper for an easy commute thru Sturgis traffic

If you want to go around the incredible congestion at the heart of Sturgis, there are plenty of roads through the fields and parklands, all dirt.  The Triumph didnt mind, and the Black Hills are full of wildflowers

Portable art-hanging table, a job Edward Turner never envisioned. Its easy on a Triumph!

Herb Harris BSA DBD34 Gold Star and Dustin Kotts CB450 Honda

Loaded Gun Customs Bucephalus being un-loaded, from Keyboard Motorcycle Shipping, who did a terrific job hauling 35 bikes from around the country

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One of the most popular machines in the show, judging by the reactions I gauged: the Tenacious Ton by Steve Carpy Carpenter, a very early Honda CB750 KO, but not a sandcast

Silkscreens from Conrad Leach, courtesy Subvecta Motus Gallery

A few of the 1280 people Michael Lichter and I addressed at the shows opening; kinda cool discussing Cafe Racers with Willie G Davidson in the audience!

The temporary HQ of The Vintagent while installing Ton Up!, keeping all the shipping boxes straight with the art we unpacked, where the bikes needed to go, press releases, etc.  Not a bad office.

David Zemlas DZ Sportster in Michael Lichters photo studio

One of my Tintypes on exhibit, of Shinya Kimuras FireBall HD-based special, which now lives in England, so couldnt make Ton Up!

Jonnie Greens Triton, a lovely machine, and excellent example of the species

Like schools of fish they stood, waiting for their final placement, being herded from this side of the hall to the other as plinths were shifted to and fro, finalizing the layout for the show

Such variety!  Arlen Ness NessCafé, Mars Websters NorVin, Mark Mederskis Manx, Websters Godet-Egli Shadow

More variety; David Edwards Trackmaster Café, Champions Moto Brighton, Boyle Custom Moto Ed Norton, Skeeter Todds American Café, Carpys Te nacious Ton

Bryan Fullers Honda CB550 with amazing Ukiyo-E engraved bodywork and chassis

Herb Harris Gold Star with Jay Harts XLMPH and Brawny Built Brawny Sportster in back, with a Triumph tank on a Sporty - a combo Ive never seen before...

The fantastic Buffalo Chip crew who helped install the show; Everett, Kevin, Kevin, and Dave

Jason Paul Michaels (Dime City Cycles) chats with Steve Brewdude Garn...it turned out Ton Up! was a good place to introduce builders for the first time

Lovely Michael Lichter shot of filmmaker Karen Porter in front of the Ace Café, part of his display of photography, which I hung next to David Uhls fantasy painting of a Triumph-riding woman in the very same spot. 

Michael Lichter with Mars Websters Godet-Egli-Vincent in his temporary studio

Michael Lichter in action with Shinya Kimuras Flash Ducati 750 round-case

Cyril Huze stopped in to say his and discuss the show; here with Michael and the Beezerker

Michael, Willie G Davidson, Nancy Davidson, the Vintagent.

Mars Websters NorVin Comet and Bryan Fullers Full Sport Ducati 750 round-case

Wetplate shot of Ola Stenegard, BMW chief of motorcycle design, taken in Strugis: I brought my mobile darkroom hoping to shoot a few images for my MotoLand project for MotoTintype.com

Roland Sands and Ola Stenegard, in town to premier their Concept 90 BMW at Ton Up!

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Hilarious reminder of the redline on Mark Mederskis Velocette Thruxton.

My Wet Plate shot of Ray Drea and his XR Café outside the exhibit hall at the Buffalo Chip: thanks for being so patient Ray!

Ray Drea, the Vintagent, and Willie G: present and past Directors of Styling at Harley Davidson

Ray Drea and Willie G discuss Ton Up! as they exit the opening party

Wet Plate shot of Roland Sands in Sturgis, part of the MotoLand series for MotoTintype.com

Bright spot in a tough work week; Sarah Brunner of the Buffalo Chip on her Ton Up! favorite, the Champions Moto Brighton

The SeeSee Portland sisters team checking out the Beezerker, which plenty of other people checked out too!  It was the most radical expression of a Cafe Racer we exhibited in Ton Up!

Shinya Kimuras Flash Ducati in Michael Lichters studio

Brad Richards Sporty TT in the studio; a truly professional job, and no wonder, since he designs Ford trucks by day

The Buffalo Chip crew in action, giving a sen se of how easy it is to completely fill up a 7000sq exhibit hall...we were tucking bikes everywhere while sorting out the display order

1280 visitors for the exhibition opening, August 5th, 2013

Willie G Davidson with his 1975 concept for a Harley Café Racer: universally agreed as a design ahead of its time, and ahead of the capabilities of the machinery inside all that excellent styling.  His concept was right on, though: 3000 examples were sold in 1977/8, a sales failure in HD terms, but any European factory in 78 would have been thrilled with such numbers...

My Wet Plate shot of Willies Serial #1 HD XLCR, taken outside the exhibit hall, on the exit road to Sturgis, for the Mototintype.com MotoLand series

Click here for Michael Lichters gallery of the ART displayed in Ton Up!

Click here for Micheal Lichters gallery of the MOTORCYCLES included in Ton Up!

Click here for  Michael Lichters gallery of the Ton Up! Exhibit INSTALLATION



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