True East M/C

Sullivan Street near Houston, NYC / August 2008

can't recall the name of the restaurant, but the Dos Equis' were mighty cold!

Feel better?

Stamford CT's own Colony Grill has been serving 'pizza and drinks' since 1935 and is considered the oldest continually run restaurant in the city of Stamford. Colony's specialty is ultra-thin crust pizza with variety of toppings. The most famous is their hot pepper oil pie and the 'stinger' pie, with a hot pepper atop each slice. At lunchtime, it's commonplace to see a line of take out with stacks of 4-10 pies per order. There is a dining area and a bar area. The best seats are at the bar, 'natch. There is off-street restaurant parking and bike parking in front on the sidewalk is permitted.

F I M approved.

Colony Grill is located at 172 Myrtle Avenue in Stamford, CT.

Mike Vallely returning to skate and reminisce about the Brooklyn Banks. Filmed shortly before the Banks were closed.



Speak up to save Brooklyn Banks

Info

...Spring is right around the corner.

How many guys named "Mike" can you fit into this clown car?

Thanks to Marco & FIM for the invite.

Invite is one way to look at it. Another way would would be coercion while both Marco and Mike were knocking back overpriced beer at the International Motorcycle Show. Either way, I'm happy to be contributing to the site.

- Greaser Mike

Lets assume putting a Flux Capacitor in a Delorian was possible, would you venture forth in time… Lets say 50 years. Only to find out the future of Motorsickles and Hotrods has gone the way of the Dodo.

Much like Micheal J Fox’s current health…the future looks shaky.
Suppose we get there and discover that the late 90’s Long Shiny Tribal Flamed chopper scene made a come back and is now considered classic, or dare I say nostalgic.
Kids are sanding door panels on the 2010 Camaro, that their father drove in highschool….Hell even Honda Civic Hatchbacks are now considered hotrods?

Outlook grim...but to whom?
Alot of us ride "vintage" iron and frown upon the Rubs motoring along on their decked out 2000 whatever Factory HD FLXRPDXYZ....
and with the MoCo trying to carve its nitch and exploit what we've come to love, they've since introduced a line of "Dark Customs" including the CrossBones complete with factory machine laid pinstripe....The 883 Iron, and now the 48. Some of us were hoping to see a throw back Pan perhaps? But even then, few of us would be pleased, picking it apart for having turn signals, E-Start and emissions reducing non flowing exhaust.


The MoCo has a tough road ahead of them indeed. Simply because its not possible for the factory to build a strip down, chopped out production motorcycle, for the shear fact that, stuffed suits in the government legislator have mandated things such as 02 sensors and turn signals. Strict guidelines that HAVE to be followed or it would be a sure future of empty showroom floors and chapter 11.

Most of our beefs haven't been with the machines themselves, but how the MoCo has handled its target audience. You just cant buy cool, nor can you duplicate it with commercials of skaters wearing flannel shirts and petting pitbulls, in a back alley.
Im sure the 17 year old kid, zipping around on his 1924 JD had one hand scratching his head when he first saw the Panhead motor in 1948...Big displacement engine with boy scout cooking tins as rocker boxes?
Its all a vicious cycle that will continue to repeat itself long after we are gone, but really what can you do? Yes Fuck The Factory....Support your Local Indy Shop, and Cut up that Genny Shovel... But maybe, just maybe one day your Grandson will be dragging home a barn fresh 2010 "48" Sportster....and Ask "Hey Pop didn't you have one of these" to which you'll sheepishly reply...yes

in the City last night to catch the NYC 'unveiling' of the latest in the Dark Custom series - the Forty-Eight. a good time with good friends and the open bar was a plus. too bad the hipsters had no idea who the man is. oh well. thanks to Willie G and H-D for the party...

From 77 to 79 HD tried to give these away to anyone that bought more then 2 spark plugs, and struggled with clearing them from the showroom floor at the $3595.oo asking... Meanwhile this pops up at the local indy, 31 years later for more then double. Certainly one of the factory's cooler machines... To bad its great grandson is an undeserving V-Rod bastard...

Found this in a 1975 issue of Easy Rider....The cover read
October 1975 One Dollar
"Hey do you have anymore of those 75 cent gaskets you keep in the back?"
As the magazine slips down the pants... Damn Kids!!!

Meriden is located in the middle of CT. it was a thriving manufacturing town in the 40s and 50s, supplying the war machine in WWII and later GM's New Venture plant. as manufacturing moved off shore, the town has sadly declined and remains a hard luck town. passing through the other week, I finally got to stop in to Ted's, home of the world famous steamed cheeseburger. established in 1959 (also my est. year), this tiny (tiny!) joint has been a tasty draw from near and far. the process is simple. heat an enclosed ss shelved cabinet with water over a gas stove, fill tiny trays with hamburger meat (and a slab of mozzarella cheese and onions if you like), slide the tray into the cabinet until cooked and serve on a soft vienna roll. pretty ingenious and the burgers never vary - always juicy and tender. I am a big fan of the White Castle steamed 'sliders', but Ted's has nothing in common.

The place is always packed but the tables and counter turns over fairly quickly. F I M approved.

Ted's is located at 1046 Broad Street in Meriden, CT

A man walks into a bar with a duck under one arm and a Knucklehead motor under the other...to which the bartender says...

So heres my introduction,
Born and raised in NY, seems like its been forever two wheels, art, music and a lust for Coney Island Knishes and Corner Slices of Sicilian Pizza. I wasn't born into hot rod or motorcycle royalty, as a matter of fact my father never even owned a motorcycle, but he had a knack for livin fast and mean.
Im no master fabricator, Im a mess with a paint gun, and I strip more bolts then Joan Jett's licked box. Never the less my love of motorcycles lead me down the road to a motorcycle racing career, and after traveling around the world....There really is no Place like the East Coast.
So heres my contribution to being born and bred a Right Coast nut job in a Buco Helmet!