CSC Blog

Just a quick shot this morning, folks, from a ride I was on many moons ago…

That’s the Bodfish-Caliente Road, which runs from Caliente (down near Highway 58) up through the hills to Lake Isabella.   It’s an awesome ride, and I’m going to be doing it later this week.  I’m the second guy from the front in this shot (I’m in the yellow Joe Rocket jacket), and if I recall correctly I was on my old Harley.

It’s still cold out here…we’re hoping for some warmer weather soon.

Ride safe…more photos to follow.

A fun afternoon today…lunch with the Geezers, a chance to look at both new and vintage motorcycles, a stop at a gun store, and a look at the latest bit of American iron at our local Chevy dealer.

Lunch with the Geezers, as you know from reading the blog, is kind of a Saturday ritual, and today was a classic.   After a cup of coffee and some conversation at Bob’s (as you know from a recent blog, Bob has a very impressive collection of vintage bikes), it was a hop in the car over to Applebee’s for lunch with all of my moto buddies.   I’m the youngest, and I haven’t been described as a spring chicken in decades.  Hence the name of this informal group – the Geezers.

The same nice young lady at Applebee’s waits on us every time and she always makes a big fuss.   I always wonder what she and the other Applebee folks chat about after we leave…a bunch of old graybeards in motorcycle gear telling tall tales.

Today was better than usual.  When the bill arrived, my good buddy Joseph did the computations (you know, the total plus the tip, divided by however many Geezers showed up that day, and we all kick in the same amount).   Marty wanted to have some fun, so after Joseph did all the above and our waitress collected the money, Marty looked at the receipt and told Joseph she forgot to include the Senior Discount (she had included it, but hey, Marty was on a roll).   Joseph took off after the waitress.   Marty got the grin.   It was fun.

On the way back it was raining.   Too cold and wet to ride or shoot, so Marty and I rolled over to a large gun store in our area…Ammo Brothers. Folks, I don’t like big chain stores, especially when they’re selling guns and ammo.   Part of the fun is buying stuff from mom and pop shops…and we’ve got a good one in our area, Bullet Barn Guns (http://www.bulletbarnguns.net), but today for whatever reason we decided to go to Ammo Brothers.

Let me tell you what these Ammo Brothers dudes are doing now…if you want to get help, you have to take a number.   Literally.  Like in a bakery.   From a little number-dispensing machine.   Then you wait until they call your number.   It’s ridiculous.  It de-personalizes the sales experience, and buying guns is like buying a motorcycle…it should be an experience that establishes a relationship.  It’s not like buying, say, a loaf of bread.

Being the compliant moron that I am, though, I took a number.   They were on No. 5.   I was No. 10.   After 20 minutes, they were up to No. 7.   I’m not even sure why I took a number…I didn’t want to buy anything and if I did, I would buy it from Bullet Barn Guns.   We bailed.

This morning I had read an article in the LA Times about Chevy’s newest performance sedan…the SS.   The LA Times was quite complimentary…they said the car was awesome.   I suggested to Marty when we were leaving the bakery…oops, I meant to say the Ammo Brothers store…that we stop at the local Chevy dealer to check out the new SS.   Marty was good with that and a few minutes later we were there.

I don’t like car dealers too much, either, and our local Chevy dealer is no exception.   The wolves were predictably lined up at the entrance, offering to help us.

“Don’t waste your time, boys,” I said, “we’re two old looky-lou geezers on Social Security…we just want to see the new SS.”

I think those guys appreciated that we didn’t waste their time.   They didn’t say anything and they didn’t smile.   It must be a terrible way to make a living.

So, on to the point of this blog…we saw the SS, it was indeed awesome, and I had my iPhone…

I like the color.  A lot.   I reminds me of the Baja Blaster, and as you know, I think any vehicle in cite-me-for-a-moving-violation red just flat works…as seen in this photo up on Glendora Ridge Road with my good buddy Carlos…

The new Chevy, while an American car, is actually mostly Australian.  The body and frame are made by Holden (a GM subsidiary) and the engine (the classic small block Chevy….last year’s Corvette engine) is made in Mexico.   I know this because it’s all spelled out on the new car sticker.

And speaking of new car stickers, the new Chevy SS is pretty nice, but this thing’s price was up there in Corvette territory.   The MSRP was just north of $47K, and the dealer had added a $2,500 “market adjustment.”

“Market adjustment” is a high-falutin’ dealership term for “stick it to ya.”   I don’t know if in the history of the world anyone has ever actually paid a “market adjustment.”   It’s just a way to temporarily shift the negotiation start point.   I don’t like it, though.  The manufacturer has suggested a retail price and asking more than that somehow just seems inappropriate.  We’d never do that at California Scooter.   It’s one of many reasons why a lot of people distrust dealers.

Not that any of the above bothered me at all.   I actually was just a looky-lou today, and I’ve been “market adjusted” to new car dealer pricing practices for decades now.   Still, it was grand entertainment and a great way to spend the day.

I think I’m going to wipe down the Baja Blaster, and if it warms up a bit tomorrow, I’ll fire her up and grab a little video.

Ride safe, folks.   ATGATT, and all that…

Folks, here are a few of my favorite Dubai build photos, with an emphasis on the paint themes…

That one above is very similar to the very first P-51 we built as Steve’s personal ride.   The Boss fully intended to keep that one, but when we put it on the blog when we introduced the 250cc line, the bike sold within minutes.   It’s a stunning look for these great street fighters, and you might be surprised at just how reasonable a custom paint job like this is.

The P-51 street fighter’s artwork (“nose art,” like our boys use to paint on their combat aircraft in World War II) is striking, too…

Here’s another Dubai bike, this time in a standard color….it’s our Military Series desert camo theme…

Another popular paint theme is the OD green we use on the Sarge.    Steve’s personal ride is the first Sarge we ever did (a CSC-150).    That bike continues to draw crowds wherever the Boss parks it.

We did a Sarge for the folks in Dubai…

And how about this….a Dubai BabyDoll!

Here’s a shot of a few of the Dubai bikes just before their test rides…

Folks, I know that if I don’t include photos with Lupe on a regular basis, I start getting the “where’s Lupe?” emails, so here you go…

And finally, my signature signoff photo…

I’m off to lunch with the Geezers in a bit, so you guys and gals stay warm and ride safe…

Later, my friends.

That’s NCO as in Noncommissioned Officer…check out this P-51 Sarge, my friends…

I love the looks of our Sarge series…a combination of California Scooter and combat…motorcycling and secret missions…riding and reconnaissance…ah, you get the idea.   It’s a great look and the above bike really caught my eye.   Steve had the spotlights done up in OD green, too, and it really works.   I still love my lipstick red Baja Blaster, but that Sarge is a visually-arresting motorcycle.

I had a real nice conversation with Barry from the San Francisco Scooter Center yesterday.   Barry put in an appearance on American Pickers when Mike and Frank bought a Vespa Ape (it’s pronounced Ah-Pay, and it’s kind of like a Vespa DeliverCycle).

Turns out Barry and I have more than a few similar interests, and we had a good chat about our other hobbies.   Cool stuff.

Well, folks, that’s it for now…I’m on my way to the plant today.   As my good friend Barry would say…ride safe and shoot straight!

When I stopped by the factory earlier, I saw this awesome P-51 Greaser being crated for its ride to Dubai. It’s a stock 250cc Greaser, but it’s still special. The Greaser is one of our best selling models, and they are just flat cool…

We sure had a lot of inputs on our caption contest for this photo I picked up a few days ago…

I think we need to move the Mensa meeting to next Friday.

All of the suggested captions were great, but my personal favorite is one that came in via email from our good buddy Tom, and it’s the one in the photo above.    Tom, call Steve for your first place prize!

It’s cold out here, boys and girls.  I made it out to the range earlier today for some trigger time, and my Subie thermometer said it was a cool 44 degrees (for southern California, that’s cold).   I called my Mom back in New Jersey and it’s actually warmer at her place than it is here!

The cold weather notwithstanding, it was still good for the old 1911, and I had a lot of fun punching holes in paper with it and my .45 ammo reloads…

I get to the range about once a week, and the last time I was out there, I was really surprised.   I would have thought these guys were done looking for love this late in the year, but this fellow was out and about…

He was a fast mover, and no, I didn’t shoot at him (other than with my camera, that is).   This spider was a man on a mission…he was moving along briskly and apparently had no desire to pose so I could get a good photo.   I tried to make him stop for a better shot.   My approach?   I  put my foot in front of him.   That was not a particularly bright idea, which I kind of realized when he climbed right over my shoe!   After I stopped screaming I set the camera at a high ISO to speed up the shutter and rattled off a bunch of shots, and that one above is the best of the bunch.   You gotta love our California tarantulas!

That’s it for now, my friends.   As always, ride safe!

My good friend Tim posted this on Facebook a short while ago…a shot inside the BMW factory, and I’m guessing it’s from the 1950s or 1960s…

Cool stuff, folks.

Here’s something you don’t see every day…a P-51 250cc CSC motorcycle in desert camo!

This beauty is part of the Dubai contingent, and I can picture it zooming about…I’ve never been to Dubai, but the color and the exotic locale conjures Lawrence of Arabia visions.   

More to follow, folks…

Folks, see our Facebook page and give us your thoughts on the caption for  this photo! 

Steve grabbed this photo of yours truly perched on top of a brand new P-51 Sarge headed for Dubai earlier today…

Folks, these puppies are fast!   Keep an eye on the blog…I’ll put a few more photos up in the next day or so…

On a ride with Bob, somewhere in Mexico...

Let’s see…the subject of this blog is a partial display of my friend Bob’s vintage BMW collection, but I can’t jump right into it.   I need to first tell you a bit about how I came to know Bob. 

I guess it all starts with my buddy Marty.    I first met Marty through sort of an arranged marriage.   And I have to go back even further to tell that story.   So maybe it doesn’t start with Marty…it starts with Al.  

Al is my gardener.  Before you go making any value judgments about me or Al, you need to know I live in So Cal and I don’t like messing with the lawn.  Like everybody out here, I have a gardener.   My gardener has also become a good friend.  

Al is an interesting guy.   He’s rich.   No kidding.   If you’ve ever read The Millionaire Next Door (a fascinating book), Al is the exact kind of guy the book describes.   Al is a workaholic, and while doing his gardening thing, he noticed houses in the neighborhood that were not kept up.    When Al saw this, he approached the owners, he asked if he could tend to the yard, he heard the hard luck stories about why the yards fell into disrepair, and he wound up buying more than a few of those houses.  Now he has lots of houses, a few apartment buildings, and a hotel.   But he likes gardening, and I’ll see him once a week cutting my grass along with his helpers.  Al is a great guy and it’s fun chatting with him.  

During one such chat several years ago, Al recommended that I meet the judge who lived up the street from me.   Seriously, a real judge, and Al told me that the judge also rode motorcycles.   Al even gave me his phone number.     I didn’t do anything with it, though.  

All right, fast forward a bit.   I was home recuperating from a surgery that laid me up for a few weeks about a dozen years back, and with nothing better to do (Facebook and blogging hadn’t been invented yet), I passed the days watching TV.    One of the shows was a special on the Daytona Bike Week, and part of that was a feature about five guys who rode their motorcycles from Pomona to Daytona.   One of them was a judge.   Whoa, that sounds familiar.   How many judges can there be in Pomona who ride motorcycles?

I searched for the number Al had provided a year or so earlier, I found it, and I called Marty.   That was the start of a great friendship and a lot of great motorcycle adventures in three different countries.  

After we’d been on a few rides, Marty told me I had to start attending the First Church of Bob.   Uh oh, I thought.   A religious pitch.   I wasn’t expecting that.    That wasn’t what Marty had in mind, though.  Turns out that the First Church of Bob was the weekly Saturday morning gathering at Brown BMW, our local BMW dealership founded by…you guessed it, Bob Brown.   Bob became a riding buddy and I joined Mr. Brown and others (along with Marty) on a lot of great moto adventures.  

That brings us to the subject, finally, of today’s blog.   I hadn’t been attending the weekly lunch meetings for a while and when I started “going to church” again, I found that Bob had several of his vintage Beemers on display along the walls in the dealership.   Wowee, I thought…I have to get photos to share with you guys on the blog.   And without further ado, here we go…

This first bike is a 1928 BMW.   It’s a 500cc model, and like all of the bikes in these photos, it’s a boxer twin.  

The black-and-white paint themes on the first several bikes make these photos really pop.  This used to be the classic BMW colors until maybe the 1970s, and it works.   It’s a classic color combo. 

Bob’s dealership does a lot of police motorcycle work, and Bob will usually grab a black and white police motor that’s been turned in (I think he likes those bikes because they’re black and white, like the old Beemers).   That’s a police motor you see in the photo of Bob at the start of this blog, and no matter how many times I’ve ridden with Bob, my heart still skips a beat when I see that black and white motorcycle close behind me in my rear view mirror.    It’s also a good thing when we ride in traffic…Bob takes the lead spot and every body just sort of moves over.

Okay, back to the main attraction.   Here’s a 1936 750cc flathead BMW…

The bike above is really interesting.   It’s basically the model the Chinese copied, and there are still folks riding around on Chiang Jiang motorcycles in China that are, well, Chinese copies of the old 1930s BMW flathead.  Folks were still riding them the last time I was there.   Yep, you can go to China and buy a brand new 1936 BMW (made in China under the Chiang Jiang name).  It’s the bike my good friend Carla King rode around China for her next book.

Okay, I know, back to Bob’s bikes.   Here we go.   This BMW is a 1952 600cc model…

And this one is a 1951 600cc BMW (that, my friends, was the year I was born)…

Here’s one with a great story…it’s Bob’s personal 1961 600cc BMW…

Bob calls the bike above the original GS, and for good reason.   He rode it all the way to Cabo San Lucas back in the early 1960s.   Now you might be thinking hey, what’s the big deal.   You guys (meaning me and some of my friends) rode our California Scooters all the way down to Cabo a couple of years ago, and those were little 150cc bikes.  So what’s the big deal about riding a 600cc bike to Cabo?   It’s this, my friends…when Bob did it, there were no roads.  No kidding.    Bob rode down there on trails and for a lot of the way, by just riding along the ocean.   All the way down.  Sleeping on the beach.   Spinning the rear wheel in the sand to let the bike sink in so he wouldn’t have to use the center stand.   That, my friends, is a big deal and a huge adventure.    This guy was blazing trails in Baja while I was still in elementary school!

More good vintage stuff…here’s a 1971 R75/5 750cc BMW…

And here’s the same thing in a 1972 model…

Another beautiful BMW classic is the 1976 R90S model.   This motorcycle really turned heads when it was first introduced, and it is still a show stopper…

As you can see from the above, BMW started moving away from their black and white color combo in the 1970s.   The bikes you see in these photos are all in their stock colors.    Most amazingly, most of these bikes (including the early ones) are not restorations…they are original motorcycles!

These last two are particularly beautiful…the first is the 1000cc 1977 R100RS…

And here’s the last bike BMW did in the R100RS configuration, the 1983 1000cc model in a beautiful pin-striped pearl white color combo…

Fun stuff, boys and girls, and the results of a few minutes of shutter snapping and an enjoyable lunch with Bob and the boys hearing about these bikes.   Bob, thanks for letting us share these with our California Scooter blog buddies!

And all of you blog buddies…you might be wondering if there is more to the story than just a collection of beautiful vintage BMW bikes.    Well, maybe there is.   Steve has been talking about doing a custom California Scooter based on the old German style, and I think that would be very, very cool.   An all black bike with white pin striping…wire wheels with chrome spokes and black powder coated rims…and…well, you get the idea!

Stay tuned, my friends…as always, there’s more good stuff coming your way!