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Newcomb's
Ranch
Newcomb's Ranch is a very cool restaurant
up on California's Angeles Crest Highway. Angeles Crest (Highway 2)
is a classic southern California motorcycle ride, and there are always
several interesting motorcycles in Newcomb's parking lot.
I took a camera a friend gave to me (an
older Minolta XG-1 in pristine condition) up there just to see how it
would do. I still like shooting film, and that old Minolta did a
great job. I read on Adventure Riders (a great site) that several
guys on classic bikes were riding up to Newcomb's on the last day of 2006,
so we rode over there after a breakfast ride. It was a great day and
a great way to finish a great year.
Check out our
latest published work on Newcomb's
Ranch and The
Rock Store in Motorcycle
Classics magazine.
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A Ducati Monster S4 parked in
a photographically-strategic spot. |
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Another Ducati in the Newcomb's
ranch parking lot. This is an earlier 900cc Supersport. I
think it's one of the best-looking Ducatis ever made. |
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An earlier example
of an Italian marque that become one of today's most desirable
motorcycles, the MV Agusta. This older, apparently all original MV
is a 150cc single-cylinder. |
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Here's a contemporary MV
Augusta. |
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A very cool 1978
Harley-Davidson XLCR Cafe Racer. This bike appears to be completely
original. I looked at one of these real hard at a Harley dealer in Fort
Worth back in 1978, so much so that the sales guy asked me what was
keeping me from buying it. I told him I was having a hard time
justifying spending $3000 on a motorcycle. He asked me who I had to
justify it to. It was a good point, but I took a pass. I
should have bought it.
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Another interesting and rare
machine...Yamaha's Omega-framed GTS 1000. Yamaha only made
these technically-advanced bikes in 1993 and 1994 (they didn't sell
well). Check out the unusual front suspension system.
I spoke to the owner of this one...he uses
it as a daily driver. Its paint had faded a bit and it had a
lot of miles, but it still appeared to be in great shape. It is
certainly a unique ride. |
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A British Velocette.
This is a single-cylinder motorcycle.
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This rider is adjusting the
carburetor on an early 1970s's BSA vertical twin. BSA went out of
business shortly after introducing this model. |
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Another classic British bike,
the Triumph Trophy. This is a single-carb 650cc vertical twin (their
Bonneville model had twin carburetors). I'd guess this is a '65. |
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A modern Moto Guzzi cruiser. |
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A chopped Moto Guzzi.
Check out the carbon fiber rear fender. |
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A group of riders behind a
more modern Moto Guzzi.
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This is an interesting
machine. Legally, it's considered a motorcycle (anything with less
than four wheels, at least in California, is a motorcycle). This
uses a Moto Guzzi motorcycle engine mounted at the front of the vehicle,
between the front wheels, in a reverse tricycle configuration.
This vehicle may have drawn
its design inspiration from the one below... |
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This is a gorgeous 1960s-era BMW
boxer twin in the Newcomb's Ranch parking lot. |
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A more detailed photo. |
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A more modern BMW street
boxer parked behind the above moto. These two BMW boxer twins span
nearly five decades! |
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A hooligan with a sense of
humor...it took us awhile to figure out what this one said. |
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