Hell on Wheels MC Blog

Hell On Wheels is Vintage Motorcycles, Rides. Friends. Service. Parts. Art. Clothes. Music.



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Friday, October 26, 2012

Lonely at the top...


Tomorrows the big day. We ran a couple of practice runs yesterday, made one, failed one... The track will be groomed, watered and ready for us on Saturday. We have it set up like a mini pikes peak, there's a little technical run with a couple of drops and turns before you hit the big hill. Every one's timed and the fastest one to the top gets the trophy. 

Check the entry form for class details.

For address and directions go to http://www.glenhelen.com/.

Gates open at 9 for sign ups, first race at high noon.

See ya there,



Saturday, October 20, 2012

Almost there!


Just a week to go til the Haloween Hillclimb, don't forget to submit your entry forms to hellonwheelsxxx@msn.com, If you'd rather mail them then send them to

J Tulinius
523 S Illinois st
Anaheim, CA, 90720

 Just make sure they get to us before september 26th, We won't be able to receive any entry forms by mail or email after the 26th. We will be accepting forms at the track on the 27th.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

This Saturday..


The AMA Pro Racing Flat Track Finals are once again returning to Southern California and the historic Pomona Half-Mile at Fairplex Saturday October 13, 2012. Here the motorcycle world’s greatest riders will once again face off shoulder to shoulder and bar to bar at speeds of up to 130 mph on Pomona’s famed half-mile oval! The bikes are as hot as the drivers as some of the greatest brands will be represented, Harley Davidson, Ducati, KTM, Kawasaki and more!
This night of intense, ground-pumping action will crown the two Champions of the AMA Pro Racing Flat Track Series. Both the Harley-Davidson Insurance Grand National Champion and the Motorcycle SuperStore.com Pro Singles Championship will be decided on this incredible night of racing.

Monday, October 8, 2012

Happy Sad Hungry Well-Fed

The new Smilling Face Down album "Happy Sad Hungry Well-Fed" is available now at  Cd Baby
With SFD's fourth album, "Happy Sad Hungry Well-fed", the band has taken yet another turn in their evolving sound. The guys have gone through some rough times since the last album but keep their heads up and the music flowing. Just like life, these songs reflect the ups and downs, the good and the bad. Where the last album, "An Adorable Mess", told stories of others' lives and misfortunes, the new SFD album is more personal and the stories the songs tell hit closer to home. Some of the songs rock a little harder, but you will still find some of the trademark SFD catchy pop songs in the vein of the prior albums.


Go to the SFD website for more news and upcoming shows...

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Get yer costumes ready...


It's less than 3 weeks til the Halloween Hillclimb, since a few of you of asked the hill will be Vintage Friendly and makeable on most bikes, you won't need a specialized hillclimber. The classes will be the same as the rally.

Vintage Mini Bike (pull start)

Vintage Mini Bike (kick start)

Vintage Bikes, '74 & earlier

Modern Bikes, '80 & later

Vintage Hooligan: Pre-Unit Singles, Open Twin

Modern Hooligan: Dual Sport, Classic '75 - '79

All participants will be timed. The hill will have  a couple of technical parts including a turn and a jump (you can roll it) quickest guy, girl, wolfman, obscure deity to the top wins, simple!

For your entry you will get a couple of runs at the hill.

As always there will be prizes for each class, as well as best costume. We will also be holding this years calendar release party.

Go here  for your entry forms and mail them to:

Jeff Tulinius

523 S Illinois Street
Anaheim, CA 92805

Checks payable to Jeff Tulinius

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Took the long way to work..

Took a ride with Mike, Greg and the guys up through the Glendora ridge to Mount Baldy this Morning..


Over 200 curves in 12 mile , so I'm told..

Friday, October 5, 2012

Tom Whites Early Years of MX Museum...

Took a trip down to the Early years of Motorcross museum last night, Tom White opens his private museum up once a year to raise money for the highhopes head injury center. Here's a few of the bikes, the museum is well worth a visit. More info can be found here..




 MONARK 500- Motocross - 1959


Sweden was a major presence in early motocross, noted both for its talented riders and groundbreaking machinery, and Sweden’s Monark is one of the rarest motocross machines from the 1950’s and 1960’s. The marque enjoyed great success in the International Six Days Trials and achieved its motocross zenith in 1959, when Sten Lundin rode an Albin-powered Monark to the FIM World 500cc Motocross Championship.
From its birth in 1913 to its demise in 1975, Monark specialized in chassis and suspension development. The company relied on power from engine suppliers that included Albin from Sweden, Sachs from Germany, and Morini from Italy.

An intense rivalry between four-stroke bikes from Sweden and Great Britain raged throughout the early 1960s, but gave way to the other side of the Iron Curtain in 1966, when East German Paul Friedrichs captured the FIM World Championship on a Czech-engineered two-stroke CZ.


 
I'd vote for him...


HUSQVARNA 500cc 4-Stroke Motocross - 1962


In the late 1950’s Nils Hedlund worked first with the Monark factory and then later with Lito to develop a start of the art 500cc motocross machine. Some similarities exist between these early machines and the BSA Gold Star. In fact, the Gold Star transmission was used in these exotic machines. Only 6 true Monarks were ever built and approximately 30 Lito’s.
In 1960 Husqvarna hired Hedlund to build race bikes for factory riders Bill Nilsson and Rolf Tibblin. Hedlund build 10 complete machines from 1960 to 61 and 6 machines in 1962. Bill Nilsson rewarded Husqvarna with the 1960 500cc World Champion and Tibblin won the 1962 and 63 World Championship for the Swedish marques. By 1964 Jeff Smith would win the 500cc World Championship on a smaller 4-stroke machine signaling the end of the 4-stroke behemoths!

 BSA Gold Star Catalina Scrambler and Chuck Minert - 1959
1959 BSA 500cc GOLD STAR "CATALINA SCRAMBLER" - DESERT, SCRAMBLES, ROAD RACING...........IT COULD DO IT ALL!

The BSA Gold Star Catalina Scrambler was the perfect machine for a rider like AMA Motorcycle Hall of Famer - Chuck Minert. Minert excelled in all types of motorcycle racing from speedway to trials, from desert racing to scrambles, and later, in motocross. In the late 50's and early 60's Minert rode a factory -backed BSA for much of his racing career and was loyal to the British brand long after the bikes were past their competitive prime.

The most important win for Minert in his racing career came in 1956 at the popular Catalina Grand Prix. Almost 1000 riders competed and the win at Catalina was so prestigious, that BSA actually named the 1969 Gold Star DBD34 after the event, thus the name "Catalina Scrambler!" The machine he rode was a 1956 BSA Gold Star Scrambler! Chuck comments, "I changed the tank to a 5 gallon, borrowed a front brake backing plate with a scoop (for additional cooling), and used a 19" front wheel instead of the standard 21" wheel preferred by the English!"

The westcoast distributor for BSA, Hap Alzina asked the factory for a replica of this bike! By the late 1950's, the US market was the strongest in the world for BSA and they followed his advice and responded with the Catalina Scrambler in 1959. The machine would go unchanged until its production stopped in 1963.

The aluminum barrel Gold Star was arguably the most successful race bike every built. It won races for over a decade in every discipline.........desert, scrambles, motocross, flat-track, and roadracing! Ultimately, the Gold Star model was replaced by the smaller (and lighter) B44 that was developed by motocross World Champion - Jeff Smith. This machine, based on the BSA 250cc model, would win its final 500cc Motocross World Championship in 1965 and would mark the end of 4-stroke domination in the premier series.



1971 Ducati rt 450

Ducati sprung to life by making a small bicycle engine to transport the war-ravaged Italian citizens. In 1946, the Cucciolo (little puppy) engine was originally sold in a box to be attached to a bicycle. Before WWII, Ducati had produced radio tubes and condensers, but thanks to the Cucciolo’s success, Ducati became a name brand motorcycle manufacturer. By 1954, Ducati was producing 120 bikes a day. Even more momentous in ’54 was the arrival of engineer Fabio Taglioni. Taglioni’s big idea was to control valve float by having the valves positively opened and closed without using valve springs. The main benefit of his desmodromic system was the prevention of valve float. Valve float can cause a catastrophic collision between the piston and valve or, at the very least, create poor valve seal. The desmodromic system eliminates valve float by using dual rocker arms on each valve (one for opening and one for closing the valve). The Ducati 450 R/T was the first and only motocross bike to be outfitted with desmodromic valves.

In 1969 a 350cc Desmo Ducati actually won the Baja 500 piloted by desert ace Doug McClure. Following this success, U.S. importer Berliner Motor Corporation requested a off-road 450cc version of the 350 TSS being sold in Europe to compete against the popular BSA 441 Victor. The 450 R/T (road/trail), as it was called, was built exclusively for the American market and was finished in brite yellow.


Matchless 500cc G85CS – 1966


4-Stroke Scrambler

Too little (or possible too much), too late. That could probably be said about the Matchless G85CS Scrambler. As one of the last models of Matchless to be made, it was the last (and best) attempt by the British to build a 4-stroke scrambler capable of beating the light-weight 2-stroke machines that were dominating the European Scrambles scene.
It’s easy to see the Rickman brothers influence in the design of the frame. The G85 was a duplex design with lightweight forks, machined front hub, magnesium rear hub, and as many lightweight fiberglass and aluminum components as possible utilized. Though Matchless claimed 291 lbs, actual weight was nearly 320 lbs, much heavier that the 2-stroke competition.
The G85CS looked and sounded magnificent, but was not particularly fast and when combined with the weight, missed the mark.



Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Dirty Girl..

Pulled this little Ducati 350 out from behind a wood shed earlier today, bit dusty but she's all there except the chain. Gave the carb a clean, there's signs of life just a bit low on compression.





She scrubbed up good, maybe we'll get her in this years calendar.


Tuesday, October 2, 2012

Jesus Of Cool...


 Nick Lowe at the Troubadour tomorrow..


See ya there?

The No Flex Norton...


This 72 Norton Commando was in the shop for a tune up and a few repairs last week, probably the best handling commando we've ever ridden..


Cleanest too..