Smog Alert in Upsate New York.

[amadeus]

Today there was some heavy smog activity just south of Albany. The Spanish Motorcycle Owners Group convened for their annual smoky SMOG East soiree. for those of you who aren't in the know, spain used to export some pretty cool motorcycles. they still do but everything was better in the 1970's.

So without further ado lets take time out in our busy days to fondly recall the days of Bultaco, Ossa, Montesa, and Jane Seymour. :lust


As the faithful were still rolling in with their prized possessions in tow, some of the early arrivals signaled the start of the festivities in the time honored tradition. Smoke it.


(the sharp eye will notice the smoke ring right above the lawn chair)

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204778021-L.jpg

[amadeus]

ok starting at the beginning of the pics I uploaded, quite by chance pic 1 covers all 3 brands that carried the Spanish flag prominently back in the 70's, though the Montesa is a new millenium version of the marque.

An Ossa Super Pioneer, a Bultaco Frontera, and a Montesa trials bike.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204776966-L.jpg

[amadeus]

A very clean street legal Ossa. Note the leather tool bag on the back fender and the modern day bark busters which protect the hand grips.

that way when you whack a tree and crash your hand won't hurt. :wink

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204776975-L.jpg

[amadeus]

this may not get many peoples blood flowing but mid 1960's Bultaco's are pretty rare. and that includes the #6 bike. Nascar slang.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204777194-L.jpg

[amadeus]

more strange bed fellows. another Montesa trials and a not so spiffy Frontera.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204777203-L.jpg

[DavidTO]

Amadeus,

It's no problem, but you COULD put all these images in one post.... :dunno

[amadeus]

Gentlemen start your engines. This guy was part of the SMOG Central contingent that came from Iowa and Missouri to attend. He is the Iowan.

Note the shiny black front fender.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204777411-L.jpg

[amadeus]

Amadeus,

It's no problem, but you COULD put all these images in one post.... :dunno

thanks for that tip David.

[DavidTO]

thanks for that tip David.


:thumb

[amadeus]

right then.

I've never seen so many wodden loading ramps in one place. These boys seem to take old school to the next level. Unloading a Bultaco or two.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204777426-L.jpg

[amadeus]

another of the Mid West contingent warms up a Frontera.

no attgatt geek squads here.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204777603-L.jpg

[amadeus]

getting up to speed on the Ossa. note the nice shiny front fender.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204777806-L.jpg

[amadeus]

it was billed as a family event and this senorita added a little color to the mostly balding male I'm faster now than I was 30 years ago theme.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204778229-L.jpg

[amadeus]

the nicest bike there was this pristine Bultaco Astro Shorttrack bike.

these guys weren't impressed.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204778650-L.jpg

[amadeus]

but it certainly drew a crowd.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204779154-L.jpg

[amadeus]

Can anyone say hot damn in spanish?

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204780166-L.jpg

[amadeus]

before long it was time to start assembling for the group photo which preceded the group mayhem and carnage that would follow once 80 aging men (and a few women) entered the wooded trail on smoky poor handling over powered motorcycles.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204781968-L.jpg

[amadeus]

jostling for the front row got testy and a few fist fights had to be broken up.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204783470-L.jpg

[amadeus]

women and children got no priority.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204782474-L.jpg

[amadeus]

80 plus degrees on October 6th. We'll take it. :D

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204783233-L.jpg

[amadeus]

buenas dias!

moving right along, we'll post a few more before we start house work, which we won't do because we'll be watching Jets/Giants and the Yankee's show the Cleveland Indians what home field advantage really means.

The group, the whole group and nothing but the group. Just makes you want to run out and by the first Ossa Phantom you see doesn't it?

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204787072-L.jpg

[amadeus]

a funny story from the group shot. the guy who runs SMOG east was going over some news since he had the whole group together. sign up more members. a head count for the afternoons chicken barbacue. etc etc.

he also told the group how great the group was and to try and buy parts and bikes within the group and to not give those expletive deleteds on ebay your money. someone called out "yeah we have plenty of expletive deleteds right here who will take your money".

I guess you had to be there.

once the group shot was over the group quickly dispersed. man and woman fired those babies up and headed back for the helmets and on to the woods ride. it was like a spanish drive in showing On Any Sunday letting out.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204788464-L.jpg

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204788721-L.jpg

[amadeus]

it wasn't much of a hill but the ride began right out of the field and into the woods up said hill.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204789218-L.jpg

[amadeus]

the twin cylinder 500 cc Yankee was eligible to attend because I believe the Yankee engines were basicaly 2 - 250cc Ossa's made into a 500 twin.

Made in New York too if I recall. Kind of collectible these days.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204789417-L.jpg

[amadeus]

personally I get a kick out of new school riding gear on old school rides.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204789789-L.jpg

[amadeus]

trust me. this did not end well.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204789626-L.jpg

[amadeus]

hard to see here but he had a helmet cam on the right side of his helmet.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204790262-L.jpg

[amadeus]

I soon tired of dodging cart wheeling Alpina's and Matador's from failed attempts at the hill so I moved on to get some more pics of the Astro.

he was actualy out riding the Yankees as both bike came in this truck.

note the wooden ramp..

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204790391-L.jpg

[amadeus]

trust me the Astro looked as good in person as it does here. even better.

he later claimed during a chat that it sits in a shed behind his house and that it has never been ridden since its restoration. I asked him for directions to his shed.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204790730-L.jpg

[amadeus]

in SMOG we trust.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204790799-L.jpg

[amadeus]

the Astro. it has legendary status in its niche. you really haven't lived until you've heard a 360 cc Astro with an unsilenced expansion chamber. more proof that loud pipes save lives.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204791024-L.jpg

[amadeus]

probably should have gotten a few more of this very cool Bultaco. Not sure if its a Pursang with a headlight or a Frontera. LAte 70's, just before they went out of business. frame has been painted they weren't that gaudi. :wink

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204791241-L.jpg

[amadeus]

a fairly rare Montesa 1977 ish 360 Enduro. The thing still gets up and goes trust me.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204791122-L.jpg

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204794717-L.jpg

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204794843-L.jpg

[amadeus]

the rarely seen time honored spanish two step.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204792482-L.jpg

[amadeus]

contemplating stealing an Astro.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204792635-L.jpg

[amadeus]

the troops began to filter back after the run through the woods. note the shiny front fender. :D

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204792412-L.jpg

[amadeus]

New England legends Piet Boonstra and Jim Hollerich chatting it up. Piet is 80 and has ridden to Alaska from New York more times than you have gone to Home Depot for a roll of duct tape. And he's gone as recently as 2 years ago. Ask the big horn sheep that stepped out in front of him if you don't believe me. Piet was doing it back in the 70's before the market was flooded with GPS, gore tex, 9 gallon gas tanks, heated grips, heated seats, cell phones, electric tire pumps, etc etc etc. A giant among men. He's authored 2 books. He is on the left. Nicest guy you'd want to meet. Multi Time Enduro Champion from the 50's and 60's. Rode off road after the war on a Harley with a car snow tire on it. Its all in his book The Golden Age of Enduro's.

A little plug for Piet.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204793938-L.jpg

[amadeus]

an Ossa with a Preston Petty light on the front.

Preston Petty lights are kind of like Harleys. If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand.

I still don't and I know. :scratch

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204794384-L.jpg

[amadeus]

yet another Astro shot.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204792919-L.jpg

[amadeus]

after his escape from an asylum, sometime around 1975, a man came up with a new design for rear suspension. and we wonder why Ossa went out of business...:huh

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204795997-L.jpg

[amadeus]

the Yankee on return. no longer shiny and clean but no worse the wear. disc brakes on dirt bikes were scoffed at back before Ronald Reagan took office.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204796122-L.jpg

[amadeus]

one of the downfalls of the Spanish bikes was heavy use of fiberglass for body parts. el breako. but they look good all cleaned up.



http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204795307-L.jpg

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204795515-L.jpg

[amadeus]

yet another Astro pic.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204796335-L.jpg

[amadeus]

dual spark pugs and a compression release. it doesn't get much better than that.

I spent a lot of time framing this. :wink

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204797553-L.jpg

[amadeus]

I can see the rush on red chains now.

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204797075-L.jpg

[amadeus]

ok. we'll end it with this one. took a lot more but tried to post the asthetic ones here and not bore everyone with Astro pics..


Cemoto! :thumb

http://nachtflug.smugmug.com/photos/204781946-L.jpg

[nomiles]

Outstanding pics!

Brings back a lot of memories, I can smell the Castrol R and the sound is deafening! :lust

There used to be a bazillion of those Spanish bikes here in NorCal, before that it was pretty much Greeves for 2 strokes when 'Scrambles' were called scrambles. :D

Thanks for posting. :thumb :thumb

[rabia]

:clap YAY NACHTF...I mean AMADEUS!! Great pictures, dood.

[DJ-S1]

:clap YAY NACHTF...I mean AMADEUS!! Great pictures, dood.This post is useless without an avatar. Dood.

Amadeus, cool stuff - those old bikes are sweet. Piet seems like a one of a kind man.