'Healesville, 1956' photo by Tony Banda 1925 - 2000 (Tonin Lush) State Library of Victoria [Healesville is in Victoria; bikes are Puch?; photo is in copyright but can be used]
Hello, It did not matter what I did in the darkroom, color was there, for me and the owner. But, it was not for the editors of the magazines. “Why don’t you add color to the photographs…” I even had it printed and mounted on a redwood slat old wooden frame with the custom motorcycle floating in the center of the 11 x 14 print. “Sorry, not enough color on the bike…” Jnaki So, when I went back to the interview again, I had photos of the owner’s girlfriend with a colorful leather fringe jacket and matching tall boots with a short skirt. Now, that was color. But, alas, the magazine had the photo and now, it is gone. The details of the flames were outstanding. Pinstriping outlines on a wild design with purple faded into blue with red highlights. The pearl paint was a great contrast and made the custom bike stand out on the streets and in shows. YRMV
'An Abingdon-King Dick Motorcycle owned by J. A. Mitchell of Croydon' - State Library of South Australia
My panhead was in Easyriders decades ago and the pictures were taken at a studio in Burbank. The photographer took rolls and rolls of pictures from every conceivable angle and the photos turned out exceptional as far as I was concerned. When the magazine hit the shelves, I had to laugh to myself. In the reflection of the tank was the other end of the studio and door... not a soul noticed.
Hey S6, Very nice custom motorcycle... good stuff on the build and popular stance... I never did studio photo shots. My studio was the great outdoors and I selected the majority of places I knew in So Cal, near to the owner's house or bike location. But, there were several times that we were lost for a location for a colorful background shot and the owner's friend down his street had one in his back yard. I knew it was going to be a hard sell for a full color feature, being dark brown. So I needed some place to highlight the custom motorcycle and paint array. I had selected a huge green grass park and the day was sunny, so that would have given it some contrast to "up" the color features. Jnaki But, the owner told me to meet him at his friend's house just around the block from the bike's location. I ended up with a wonderful photo and later, when I gave him a thank you color print mounted on a floating handmade frame, it looked as if the bike was "floating in air" surrounded by the 2 inch deep frame. Note: The lowered drag bike look was starting to take shape in the performance bike field. It was a movement to take, over the tall seat and shoulder height, ill handling handlebars and raised front ends. More of a drag bike in a custom field... Yes!
'Frank Pratt on motorcycle with sidecar, no 14, in race at Phillip Island' circa 1925-1940; photo by Charles Daniel Pratt; State Library of Victoria (the bike is a Sunbeam)
Probably the same Sunbeam racing sidecar outfit shown in the Phillip Island photo posted previously: 'Sunbeam motorcycle with sidecar' - photo by Charles Daniel Pratt. Second photo: 'Charles Pratt with motorcycle, Princes Highway, near Cann River, Victoria, July 1931'. Both bikes are Sunbeams. [Maximum magnification of the racing sidecar original library image shows that the bike's front tyre is a DUNLOP CORD WIRED TYPE and the sidecar tyre is a 'GOODYEAR BALLOON ALL WEATHER 3.50-19] It looks like the road sidecar outfit is the same one as the racing sidecar outfit - with a different sidecar body - as both are wearing the same front number plate.
I won't mention the years because both bikes are slightly newer than '65. They're also both Yamahas and the second one is a tiny two stroke...
Hello, This Harley had a wonderful black paint, but from 20 feet away, the golden orange flames stood out and the two color white-grey pinstriping made the flames stand out quite well. It was one of the first Harley custom motorcycles built for performance with America Racing front wheels, custom machined, Airheart disc brakes and a performance S&S side draft carb. Jnaki The era was moving from the long front end, hi rise handlebars and tall rear rider support to the low slung, powerful motors, upgraded suspension and stopping power as well as still being a custom motorcycle for the street cruises.
The Jalopy Journal
