CSC Blog

I’ve got two or three up my sleeve, folks (cool photos, that is)…a great one spotlighting three of my favorite people at CSC, a dynamite custom CSC gas tank, and the one I’m showing in this blog entry.   It’s totally unrelated to motorcycles,  but I know a lot of you blog aficionado guys and gals like things that go boom in the night.  

Well…check this out!

Serving as Number Two Gunner on Tredegar twelve pounder howitzer: night firing.

I wish I could tell you this photo is one I grabbed, but it’s not…it’s from my good buddy Doug, who’s another college prof.   I met Doug at an Army function at Ft. Knox, Kentucky, about 5 years ago, and we’ve been friends ever since.   Doug teaches history, and I just love that subject.     Funny how life changes…I couldn’t have cared less about it when I was going to school, but I have a deep interest in it now.   Wave a book about Theodore Roosevelt in front of me and I’m in.   The same thing is true about the Civil War.   And World War II.   And the….

Well, you get the idea.

Anyway, my good buddy Doug posted that photo on Facebook earlier today, and I immediately asked him if I could use it on the blog.   Here’s his response…

Joe, certainly, you may use the photo. A number of years ago I was in a reenactment battery called Bankhead’s Battery. The original battery was organized at Memphis in 1862 by a local lawyer and many of the officers and men were lawyers.

The battery served with distinction, but was overrun at Missionary Ridge in the Battle of Chattanooga in 1863. The tribute battery to which I belonged to has had several original guns. At one time there were two original Confederate cast tubes, the one in the photo; a 12 pounder howitzer shown in this photo. The other was a 3″ rifle cast in 1863 at Noble & Brothers in Rome, GA.  I have not been a member in recent years due to time constraints only.  I really like shooting black powder muzzle loading artillery. We were at the 100th anniversary of both Shiloh and Gettysburg.

Fascinating stuff, Professor, and thanks for letting us see that photo!

Folks, there’s more to come in the next few blogs….a custom tank, a custom bike or three, that photo I mentioned of my favorite folks, and a P-51 Greaser that Steve has on sale…so stay tuned!

In the mid-60s, the ultimate street bike was a Triumph TT Special.  

The regular Bonneville was a pretty hot number, but it came with mufflers, lights, a horn, and all the stuff it needed to be street legal.   Those bikes were pegged at 52 horsepower, and although that sounds almost laughable now (as does thinking of a 650 as a big bike), I can tell you from personal experience it was muey rapido.   I don’t believe there were any vehicles on the street (on two wheels or four) that were faster than a Triumph Bonneville.   And there was especially nothing that was faster than the Triumph TT Special.   It took the hot rod twin-carb Bonneville and made it even faster.   And cooler looking.   Those bikes will always hold a special place in my heart.

I had a spare hour a day or two back, so I did what I normally do when that happens and I’m on the road.   If there’s a dealer nearby I’ll stop in, and that’s what happened.   The dealer was Bert’s in Covina, and what do you know, they had a Triumph TT Special on display…

I didn’t have my Nikon with me, but I did have my iPhone, and like they say on the high seas, any port in a storm will do.    I asked the sales guy if I could take a photo or two, he was cool with it, and what you see above is the result.   It’s the real deal…a Triumph TT Special.

You know, I had to wonder what most folks think when they see the TT Special in that dealer’s showroom.  They sell to a mostly younger crowd (you know the type…kids who just got a licenses and go for 170-hp, 170-mph sports bikes), and my guess is they don’t really “get” the TT Special.   I sure did.   Like I said, back in the mid-60s the Triumph Bonneville ruled the streets, and the TT Special would absolutely smoke a standard Bonneville.  

Back in those days the Triumph factory rated the TT Special at 54 horsepower (as opposed to the standard Bonneville’s 52), but let me tell you there was way more than just 2 horsepower separating these machines.     The TT Special was essentially the starting point for a desert racer or a flat tracker.   They were racing motorcycles.   The TT Special was never intended to be a street bike, but some of them ended up on the street.   If you rode a TT Special…well, you just couldn’t get any cooler than that.

I only knew one guy back then who owned a TT Special (Jimmy something-or-other), and he did what guys do who wanted to put their bikes on the road…a small Bates headlamp, a tail light, and a single rear view mirror.   The first time Jimmy got stopped by a cop on that bike was because, well, he was a young guy on a Triumph TT Special.    Back in those days, that was probable cause.    After checking over the bike carefully, the police officer gave Jimmy a ticket for not having a horn.  It was what we called a “fix it” ticket, because all you had to do was correct the infraction and the ticket was dismissed.   Jimmy didn’t want to spend the money (and add the weight) that went with wiring, a switch, and an electronic horn, so he bought a bicycle bulb horn.   You know, the kind that attached to the handlebars and had a black bulb on it.   It made noise when you squeezed the bulb.   Ol’ Jimmy (old now, I guess, if he is even still around…but young then) went to the police station, honked his horn, and the police officer dismissed the citation.   With a good laugh.   It was a good story 50 years ago and it’s still a good story today.  Simpler times, I guess.

So, fast forward to the present…I fired up  the KLR this morning to ride over to the plant, and I took the long way through the mountains.   I hadn’t run the KLR in a long time and it doesn’t want to idle right, so I guess in the next week or two I’ll be tearing into the carb to clean the jets.   Good times today up on Glendora Ridge Road, but truth be told, I’d rather be on the Baja Blaster.  I’m convinced that little 150 is faster through the corners than the big KLR, and the CSC-150 sure is a lot easier to get on and get off. 

There’s a lot happening in the factory.   Steve and the crew have three really beautiful customs they were wrapping up today, but you’ll have to wait for the next blog entry to see them.  

Later, my friends…ride safe!

Similar to others, but different enough to make it very interesting, with an even deeper green and yellow….

Nothing runs like a…CSC P-51 motorcycle!

Here’s an article and a photo that caught my eye this morning…it was in the LA Times…

The ultimate Triumph: Stolen motorcycle retrieved 46 years later

By Joseph Serna, November 4, 2013, 1:55 p.m.

Cool stuff, folks, and kudos to the US Customs Service!

Our good buddy Brad recently sent this note and photo to us…

Thought you might like this pic of my bud’s kid on an early Mustang that was found and restored.   The engine was added in the early 60’s.

Wow, that is most impressive!  An Indian V-twin in a Mustang!  I’ll bet that puppy really rips!

We’ve talked about this before, and I’m still noodling alternative engines for a Frankenscooter project I might play around with.   The fact is, though, that the P-51 CSC 250cc OHC engine has a lot of power…when we were testing the prototypes I was well north of any legal speeds on the California freeway system.    I can’t tell you exactly how fast because we dialed it back just a bit on the production P-51s, but I can tell you the first number began with an “e” and it sure got my attention when I realized why I was flying by everyone else.  On those 12-inch wheels.   With the wind screaming in  my ears.   And with the bike as stable as a locomotive.   Wowee, was that ever a fun day!

Ride safe, my friends, and don’t speed.   The adventure described above was for test purposes only…

Wow, here we are in November already, with all that it brings.   We’ve already made the time change…it gets light out earlier, but this business of it being dark at 5:00 p.m….I just don’t know about that.

So Halloween has come and gone…and just in case you’re one of the three people left on the planet who hasn’t seen the Halloween pumpkin bike, here you go….

Belt drive, no less!   The pumpkin bike is pretty clever, and orange is a hot color this year.  

I think I like this one a lot better, though…

Well, folks, Thanksgiving is right around the corner….I wonder if some clever person will make a motorcycle out of a turkey!

Happy November, everyone…enjoy the cooler weather and the earlier sunrise, and ride safe!

…and to celebrate the holiday, I stopped by the shop and grabbed a photo of this beauty…

Silver works on a California Scooter, and the powerful P-51 engine and wire wheels make this one even nicer.   I like the look.   This is another one of those deals where our guys are selling these bikes two at a time.   The silver beauty you see above is shipping with a real pretty Babydoll, and both are going to a husband-and-wife team in the great state of Florida.

I had a nice conversation with Steve this afternoon…and you know what?  We’re almost sold out of 2013 motorcycles!   There are just a few more left, and then it will be a couple of months before the 2014 models are available.    If you’re thinking of pulling the trigger, there’s no time like right now!

So, how many of you are going trick or treating tonight?   I’m already dressed for it…I’m going as a motorcycle blog writer!

Later, my friends…

Hopefully, you’re not too burned out on all the VW stuff I’ve put on the blog this week.   I know I’ve posted a lot of car stuff on a motorcycle blog, but it was easy to get excited about these cool little cars.   I had a lot of fun this past weekend at the VW drags, and VWs are photogenic.    When Steve asked me about going to the VW drags, he didn’t have to ask me twice…cool cars and racing?   You bet!   Where do I sign up?

This was our booth at the Irwindale event…

Action in the booth was brisk…Steve bought along a couple of California Scooters and as you might imagine, the bikes drew a ton of attention.   The same folks who like VWs also like CSC motorcycles.   It might have something to do with the fact that both V-Dubs and Mustangs were popular in the ’50s and ’60s.   Or maybe its just that people appreciate the inherent coolness of both.

I bought a VW Beetle back in 1973 and I still believe it was one of the best cars I ever owned.   My Dad thought I was nuts when I told him I was going to buy a VW (you know, the Buy American thing).     Dad felt that way right up until the day I brought it home and we all went out to dinner in it.   That little Beetle was well built, it was comfortable, it had more room than Dad’s Chrysler, and it was fun.

When I left for my very first secret mission (and my first trip ever to Asia), Dad offered to drive the VW while I was gone.  You know, just to keep the battery charged and the carb from gumming up.    Funny thing, though…when I got back a year later my little VW had a CB radio, an 8-track cassette player, and a lot more miles on the clock.   Dad did not want to give that car up.   The Chrysler, on the other hand, had stale gas and a dead battery.   Go figure.

So anyway, I fell in love with Beetles.   I never had another one, but the trip to the VW meet this weekend sure has me thinking about them again.  I love their simplicity, the air-cooled boxer engine, and the look.  And I certainly saw some nice ones this weekend.   Irwindale was awash in VWs…I’ll bet more than 500 Beetles showed up.   Some were stock, most were customized, and all were muey cool.

Okay, enough about my unrequited Beetle love affair.   Let’s take a look at some of these beauties!

Here’s one of many with custom paint…

And here’s another with a custom paint job.   I really like this one.   Does the theme look familiar?

You bet…it’s our very own Sarge replicated in a VW.   Take a look at Steve’s personal California Scooter, and then take another look at the Beetle above…

If you like bright colors and pastels, you would have loved the variety of VWs on display this weekend…some were bright, some were subdued, some were shiny, some showed off their patina, and all were stunning…

The Bugs were there in lots of colors…they kind of reminded me of jelly beans.   These are cool cars and I was having a lot of fun taking pictures of them.

Check out this split window VW…I don’t know a lot about these very early ones, except that they are rare and very cool…

Do you remember the Baja Bug craze from the late ’60s?   There were a few of these dune runners in Irwindale, too…

And then there were the rat jobs and the hot rods…

Wow, lots of photos, folks.   If you want to see more VWs, quite a few of these pictures are going to be showing up on the Pro-One site, along with a lot of others I haven’t posted here.  

Okay, so enough with the VWs.  This is it for a while on the CSC blog…except, of course, for my signature self portrait…

I’m headed over to the plant later today and I’ll grab some California Scooter photos for you.   If you want to see more VW stuff, hop on over to the Pro-One web site or to our Pro-One Facebook page (and if you go to the Pro-One Facebook page, please give us a “like’).

Ride safe and stay tuned!

I recently received this nice note from my good friend Carl in Missouri, with interesting inputs about Clint Walker’s Rickman motorcycle and the Dave Mungenast Museum…

Hi Joe,

Clint Walker (the actor from the TV series “Cheyenne”) was in England filming the movie “The Dirty Dozen.”

While there he noticed and appreciated the work of the road racing Rickman frames.  He ordered one made in the style of the California desert sleds and powered by the famous Matchless 800cc Typhoon motor.  

As you can see it is a perfect example of a “Hot” sled.

We’re proud to have it on display in the Dave Mungenast Museum here in St. Louis, where we also love the custom creations from Steve and CSC. 

Carl

Hey, thanks very much, Carl.   I don’t have to tell you just how cool the Mungenast Classic Cars and Motorcycles Museum is, and as a point of reference I found this very cool article in Motorcycle Classics magazine featuring this wonderful spot.   Next time I’m out your way we’ll have to visit it together! 

Folks, if you’ve never been to the Mungenast Museum, it’s a “must see” item the next time you’re in St. Louis.  Dave Mungenast was one of the all time motorcycle greats, and the museum is his way of sharing his passion with the world.  The book about his life is absolutely outstanding, and I strongly urge you to buy it.  It’s a great read!

Nope, this blog isn’t about Muhammed Ali, Tyson, Sugar Ray, Camacho, or any of those guys.   We’re gearheads, and the focus today is on boxer engines.

The boxer engine configuration is one that has been around for a long time and it has powered quite a few cars, motorcycles, and aircraft.   The boxer name presumably comes from the horizontal motion of the pistons…they jab out (and back and forth) like a boxer’s fists.   It’s a cool designation.

If you’re a rider you probably know of the twin boxer engine in BMW motorcycles.    Other motorcycles that have used the boxer configuration include the German Zundapp, the Honda Goldwing and Valkyrie, the Japanese Marusho, and several Chinese and Russian BMW clones (the Russian Ural and at least four Chinese outfits making BMW copies).  Hey, Harley even made a boxer during World War II…it was a copy of the BMW boxer, and it would have gone into rate production had it not been for a vehicle the Army found more useful (and that would be the Jeep).

The boxer engine concept found a home in more than a few automobiles, too.   Consider the one we’re probably most familiar with…the VW Beetle.   Did you know that the Chevy Corvair had a six-cylinder boxer?   And that Subaru has both four and six cylinder boxers in its wonderful cars?  Let’s not forget Porsche…they’ve probably created the most advanced boxer engines in the world (although in my opinion Subaru’s engineering is right there with Porsche’s).

Airplanes, too, use the boxer configuration.  There are so many I couldn’t begin to describe them.     Google “airplane boxer engines” and you’ll see what I mean.

Yep, the boxer has found a home in all of these vehicles…but for our focus here, I’ll turn back to the VW drags this past weekend.   What’s cool about this photo collection is the extent to which these V-Dub owners have turned their four-cylinder boxer engines into chrome-laden jewels.   And one more thing that’s cool about the bling on these engines:   If you see any goodies you like, our Pro-One sister company can provide it.

Enjoy the glitter, folks!

Onward and upward, boys and girls…I just received a nice photo and note from my good buddy Carlos.  The photo shows a very cool Rickman desert sled with a Matchless motor, so stay tuned! 

And yes, I still have a photo or two to show you from the VW meet in Irwindale this past weekend!

Ride safe.