Juerg Vollmer

«Rockers vs Mods» is a tribute to the 1960’s British...

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 23:25:23 +0100

«Rockers vs Mods» is a tribute to the 1960’s British rivalry between the Mods & Rockers. Still has the Anglophile essence, but is infused with a very Texas vibe with great music and jackassery of the best kind. Cafe & European Bikes butting heads with Italian Scooters, always makes for a lot of fun.

Françoise Hardy – French singer, actress and iconic figure in...

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 22:21:55 +0100

Françoise Hardy – French singer, actress and iconic figure in fashion, music and style – on the Cover of «Salut les Copains», the magazine of the 1960’s in France.

Published in «Goddesses of Our Youth», a month-long (Tumblr-)homage by Newmanology and David Cowles to the female celebrities of the 1960s and 1970s who inhabited our adolescent and teenage minds and hearts.

Porsche 356 Cabriolet of 1962 with Emergency light and Warning...

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:39:41 +0100

Porsche 356 Cabriolet of 1962 with Emergency light and Warning siren, originally a Traffic car from the Highway patrol in Zurich / Switzerland. Photographed at the Arosa Classic Car 2011, the car is now owned by the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart.

1500 km across the frozen Siberian wilderness on old school...

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:07:13 +0100

1500 km across the frozen Siberian wilderness on old school Ural motorbikes, from Irbit to Salekhard – the only town in the world that is located right on a Polar Circle.

15 crazy teams are on the road (if they find a road) from 11th - 24th February 2012.

Here’s the the first TV report from Irbit. One of the highlights in just two kilometers, when a driver smiles at the TV cameras – and forget the road. He decided to test the bike off road by jumping a 2ft wall and heading down a slight bank into a pile of snow.

Valentine’s Day honoring the early Christian martyr named...

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 08:06:24 +0100

Valentine’s Day honoring the early Christian martyr named Saint Valentine. It was first established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards. Today, it is celebrated in over 100 countries around the world, mostly of the Western society.

A motorcycle road safety from 1955, made by the Liverpool...

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:04:59 +0100

A motorcycle road safety from 1955, made by the Liverpool Motorcycle dealership Victor Horsmans. It is filmed in and around The Wirral and Liverpool City Centre. The film features various riders such as Nobby Clark, Bill Quinn, Eric Wilson, Keith Walker and Ken Morris who all seem to be local Merseyside riders, well known in the TT ISDT etc.

Ein historischer Lehrfilm zur Sicherheit von Motorradfahrern im Strassenverkehr, 1955 vom Liverpooler Motorradhändler Victor Horsmans gedreht. Der Film zeigt damals bekannte Fahrer wie Nobby Clark, Bill Quinn, Eric Wilson, Keith Walker und Ken Morris, die alle aus der Region um Liverpool stammten.

Fantastic painting by an unknown Russian (?) artists: The...

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 09:46:31 +0100

Fantastic painting by an unknown Russian (?) artists: The post-apocalyptic Moscow and the Kremlin after a global catastrophe. The four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter.

Anyone know the artist?

Fantastische Gemälde eines unbekannten russischen (?) Künstlers: Das post-apokalyptischen Moskau und der Kreml nach einer globalen Katastrophe. Die vier Jahreszeiten: Frühling, Sommer, Herbst und Winter.

Kennt jemand den Künstler?

The Orange Solar Concept Tent (designed in association with the...

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 13:35:20 +0100

Solar Tent by Day

Solar Tent by Night

The Orange Solar Concept Tent (designed in association with the US-product design consultancy kaleidoscope) is covered with fabric solar panels allowing you to make sure your essential gadgets can always be kept charged.

The Tent Concept harnesses solar energy by using photovoltaic fabric around the top of the tent (upper photo). This power is then channelled down to a wireless charging pouch where you can place your phone and other similar gadgets to keep charged. The fabric that captures the energy also moves to match the direction of the sun to harness it’s rays at all times of the day.

As well as capturing energy and allowing gadgets to be charged, the Solar Tent also has «glo-cation technology» by allowing users to SMS their tent which in turn, makes the tent start to glow should you loose it in a field at night or in a busy camping location (bottom photo). RFID technology is also used in the tent.

A wireless control hub sits at the centre of the system that shows what kind of energy is being generated and consumed. Information is displayed on a flexible touchscreen LCD display. The screen also provides a method to communicate back with the system in a way that allows you to set what the desired tend temperature is. When the temperature drops below a predefined value a heating element is switched on.

The Ural ST Concept is a tough, capable machine that can handle...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:02:57 +0100

Ural ST Clubman

Ural ST Bobber

The Ural ST Concept is a tough, capable machine that can handle both – city streets and dirt tracks. You can ride the Solo out of the showroom for just 7000 US-Dollar. Despite the price, the 750cc sT has 41mm Marzocchi forks and Brembo brakes.

Italian motorcycle designer Luca Bar has shown how easy it is to customize the Ural ST. He’s created a (white) Clubman and a flat-seated (blue) Bobber: «Le modifiche sono minime, ma l’estetica della ST è stata completamente trasformata.» (The changes are minimal, but the look of the ST has been completely transformed.)

It’s amazing the difference a shorter front fender, repositioned indicators and new headlights can make. The rubber pads on the tank have also gone, replaced by bold logos. The bobbed rear fender and the new seats are progressive. An exciting new old motorcycle from Russia.

The Hot-Air Balloon Festival Arosa 2012 is the meeting place of...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:09:42 +0100

The Hot-Air Balloon Festival Arosa 2012 is the meeting place of 15 hot-air balloons. The very experienced pilots take advantage of the exceptional winter climate in the Swiss Alps. The Night Glooming at the Obersee in Arosa is just a spectacle for the viewers.

The Hot-Air Balloon Festival Arosa 2012 is the meeting place of...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 17:00:53 +0100

The Hot-Air Balloon Festival Arosa 2012 is the meeting place of 15 hot-air balloons. The very experienced pilots take advantage of the exceptional winter climate in the Swiss Alps. Skiers can hear the slow «breathing» of the balloons in the multicoloured sky above them.

Half of the world’s population cooks on open fires. Often this...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:39:00 +0100

Half of the world’s population cooks on open fires. Often this cooking happens indoors, on open fires without chimneys. Open fires consume a lot of wood. They also produce smoke and other toxic gasses that dangerously pollute the air inside of these homes. The BioLite stove’s efficient process uses less than 50 percent wood of an open fire and reduces smoke emissions by more than 90 percent.

Now you can support the BioLite-project – and buy the BioLite CampStove for your adventures on the road. And believe it or not: you can charge with fire your iPhone and other USB-chargeable devices such as GPS, LED lights etc.

The BioLite CampStove, designed for outdoor adventure and emergency preparedness, makes cooking on wood as clean, safe and easy as petroleum fuels while powering electronics off-grid.

The BioLite CampStove burns sticks, pine cones, pellets and other biomass. Forget the fuel. The stove cook your meals with nothing but the twigs you collect on your journey, eliminating the need for heavy, expensive, polluting fuel.

While you cook, the BioLite CampStove transfers heat from one side of the device to the other side against the temperature gradient, the temperature difference produces electricity. With the so-called Peltier effect you can charge with fire (!) your iPhone and other USB-chargeable devices such as GPS, LED lights etc.

The Biolite CampStove is as big as a water bottle and weighs 935 grams. It costs only 129 U.S. dollars and can be preordered now. Shipping for camping season 2012.

Another good reason for buying:

The sale of the BioLite CampStove help to support the one-time market establishment costs for the HomeStove. This is not charity, but simply the capital needed to incubate self-sustained energy access for the people who need it most.

After the success of Or Glory 21st Century Rockers, acclaimed...

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 18:27:00 +0100

After the success of Or Glory 21st Century Rockers, acclaimed photographer Horst A. Friedrichs captures the spirit of The Rockers Jacket in modern times. First coming into its own as a symbol of youth rebellion in the 50s, the Leather jacket continues to fascinate as much for its beauty as its mythology. The leather jacket belongs to that select group of garments that can be described as iconic. No other western garment has been individualized that much, expressing the soul of who it belongs. The book features new exclusive pictures from the Lewis leathers vintage jacket collection. Iconic leather jackets never seen before, but also showing the contemporary replicas by Lewis Leathers.

Release in August 2012

«Pride & Glory. The Rocker’s Jacket»
Photographer: Horst A. Friedrichs

Standard Edition:
400 pages hardcover with jacket, 28 x 35,5 cm
95.00 €
ISBN 978-3-942597-20-3

Limited Edition with original print:
Leather-bound with studs and badges
950,00 €
ISBN 978-3-942597-21-0

Photo

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:16:56 +0100

1500 km across the frozen Siberian wilderness on old school...

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 21:34:43 +0100

1500 km across the frozen Siberian wilderness on old school Ural motorbikes, from Southern Ob River to Salekhard – the only town in the world that is located right on a Polar Circle.

15 crazy teams are on the road (if they find a road) from 11th - 24th February 2012 (generally two people per bike, three at a squeeze). The next edition of the Event will take place in the Feb of 2013.

Here’s the test run…

I confess: Shanghai isn’t my dream destination. 25 million...

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:11:01 +0100

I confess: Shanghai isn’t my dream destination. 25 million inhabitants, 2 million cars, six-lane multi-level highways …

… but discover Shanghai from a sideways look, seated in the side-car (I still prefer sitting on the bike) – that would be a good experience.

«Shanghai Sideways» offers an incredible cruise through the city and avoid traffic jams. This video is a tasty appetizer for the adventure.

Waterloo, 18 juin 1815. Après huit heures de combats intenses,...

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:32:09 +0100

Waterloo, 18 juin 1815. Après huit heures de combats intenses, la Grande Armée de Napoléon dénombre près de 9 500 morts et 32 000 blessés. La campagne alentour n’est plus que ruine. Pour Napoléon, c’est le début d’un irrémédiable déclin. Comment en est-il arrivé là ? La réponse ne plaira pas aux Historiens pourtant cet incontestable témoignage vidéo prouve que Napoléon n’aurait jamais dû aller à la mythique concentration des Eléphants à bord d’un side-car russe dénommé Ural.

Comment ça, c’est n’importe quoi?

Essai vidéo filmée par des collègues français de «Moto Journal».

My Ural on the ferry across the Lake Constance from Switzerland...

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 16:50:23 +0100

My Ural on the ferry across the Lake Constance from Switzerland to Germany. With snow and rain, we are almost the only passengers - and the visibility is zero.

In 1934 Theresa Wallach drove her motorcycle from Europe to...

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 13:40:23 +0100

In 1934 Theresa Wallach drove her motorcycle from Europe to South Africa overland. Riding «the Perfected Motorcycle» 600cc single-cylinder Panther 100 equipped with a sidecar and pulling a trailer (!) Theresa crossed desert and jungles. This epic journey was the first trip of this kind on a motorcycle combination.

Here are a few highlights, an impressive silent movie in black and white, filmed with a 16mm Cine Camera.

Warning: If you’re anything like me, reading this may make you feel like an epic under-achiever.

«KIEV dieselpunk hovercraft» von Alexey Lipatov. Der ukrainische...

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 20:34:18 +0100

«KIEV dieselpunk hovercraft» von Alexey Lipatov. Der ukrainische Designer Alexey Lipatov ist ein Künstler des Steampunk, der als literarische Strömung in den 1980er Jahren begann und sich zu einem Kunstgenre, einer kulturellen Bewegung, einem Stil und einer Subkultur ausgeweitet hat. Der Retro-Look entsteht durch die Verknüpfung futuristischer Technik mit der Ästhetik der 1920er- bis 1950er-Jahre.