the trench plate diaries: 2011

Dec 29, 2011

rip 242

love ya papa bill... you were a man's man. love you like a son

never forget you. i'm inspired. see you at laguna seca sometime soon.....

242 for life

carbon yzf-R1 5PW. one of a kind

this bike is an example of what moto passion can become...

there is no other example of one like this

@155 rwhp

@375lbs wet

mike is just an an inspired example of a guy who likes bikes

ducati rear blackstone tek carbon wheel

titanium spindle nut

brembo monobloc underhung caliper and bracket

ohlins r/t forks with PVM radial caliper brackets

brembo monobloc calipers, fren tubo lines

carbon fender

HID light kit install

carbon rearview mirrors and nose section

driven billet grips

pro mack triple clamps

AIM dash and date tach

wide band commander

hyperpro damper

crg lever mounted on brembo billet master cylinder

Attack racing billet rearsets

HDR carbon exhaust

carbon belly section

carbon body panels

carbon tank

rizoma billet brake fluid resevoir

carbon hugger

next to his 996 that also a stunning build too

next to his 2004 which is also as amzing

metchamex single sided swnigarm

520 chain kit and lightened sprockets

carbon chain sprocket cover

ohlins prxls shock unit

dynojet quickshifter

pace 'pro' racing radiator with chin rad

billet scotts performance oil filter

woodcraft chain case

17 world champion titles

and as real as they get...

walter villa. barry sheene. giacomo agostini

Dec 27, 2011

1967 giacomo agostini

the G.O.A.T

giacomo agostini

67' canadian grand prix

Dec 26, 2011

2011 ultimate builder winner: la speed shop

la speed shop: 2nd year in a row

im not into blingy looking stuff

the flake in the paint is a bit much

the actual build and motor and lay out is legit

congrats to chris and la speed

Dec 25, 2011

what is a real motorcyclist?

am i?

i ride every day almost in the worst traffics and feign death every other mile.

I use my dish towels to clean my moto parts

it sometimes comes across like i care more about my bikes then my woman.

do i? answer: no comment

the truth is it's a guy like Sonny

the 1959 yds-1r yamaha i posted below was his.

in my opinion he is that real motorcyclist

he is the history: he is the legacy:

that makes me proud to be from this tribe, we, and i am in...

from a post my friend Mark, his step-son, made on the r1 forum

I've spoken about it before, but my father-in-law is Sonny Angel. He raced in Europe and the US all throughout the 50's and 60's. He served in the Navy from 1940 to 1947, worked in the Vincent factory from 1950 to 1952, hand-built the last Vincent Lightning to leave the factory, and opened his motorcycle shop in National City, CA in 1953. Cal Rayborn and Burt Monroe were shop riders for a time. He's sold nearly 40 different brands of bikes.

Sonny purchased two Yamaha YDS-1R 250cc racers in March 1960, fitted Norton Manx front brakes to each, and exported them to the Isle of Man. He became the first man to ride a Yamaha in Europe, and the first to ride the IOM on a Yamaha. He made three practice laps, averaging 114mph before the bike seized. Didn't make the race.

He also stuffed a Hilman IMP motor in a Norton International chassis the same year that Honda introduced the CB750. He hoped that Norton would see the future of the I-4 layout, and move to keep up with Japanese innovation. They turned a nose to the design, and subsequently went out of business a few years later.

Made 49 runs at Bonneville on his 1947 Vincent Rapide between 1953 and 1981. Last and final run averaged 144.97mph, just 6mph off Rolle Free's record-breaking speed.