#VintageMotorcycle

I’ve found myself riding in the King of Cool’s tracks more often than I’d realized lately. First, in November while participating in the 50th running of the Lake Elsinore GP, a southern California event McQueen raced in the early ’70s under the alias Harvey Mushman and again, as I jumped the 2019 Triumph Scrambler 1200 XE on the motocross track at Wim Motors Academy this past weekend in southern Portugal. Sure, Steve McQueen may not have jumped the fence in The Great Escape, but there’s no shortage of proof that the actor competed in many off-road races and had an affinity for motorcycles, including the Triumph TR6, a bike many may view as the original scrambler. The latest iteration of Scrambler to hit the market is the new Triumph Scrambler 1200 XC & XE and it will haul the mail, on-road or off, all the while looking the part of a premium modern classic.

There’s something beautiful about taking what’s old and making it new and these five cafe racers are absolute works of art.

History has a funny way of repeating itself, and as long as you wait long enough, what’s old will eventually become new again. Right now, we’re seeing that trend in motorcycling, as models like the  Yamaha SR400,  Royal Enfield Continental GT,  BMW R nineT and  Ducati Scrambler all pay homage to days gone by. Then, of course, you’ve got those who simply refuse to let go of the past, buying 30-plus year-old motorcycles and making them their own. Hell, even the verbiage is making a comeback. Cafe Racer, anyone? Vintage motorcycling may be popular these days, but there’s one aspect of the past that should remain in the history books: safety gear. Helmets, specifically.

A 1938 Speed Twin owner probably doesn’t entrust the protection of his Coventry Triumph to a duck or gecko. A first-year model of this vintage is too rare and collectible for a common insurance agency to recognize the bike’s intrinsic value. Better off using the services of a company that specializes in motorized antiquities.