Motorcycles have long been at the epicenter of the hot rodding world. Yet too often, they get overlooked in favor of their four-wheeled counterparts. We came across a great example of some two-wheeled hot rods of the guys from Lowbrow Customs and their 2011 attempts at Bonneville to break speed records with their vintage Triumphs.
In this photo by Jon Glover, Kyle and Tyler Malinky of Lowbrow Customs sit astride their vintage Triumphs at Bonneville Speed Week 2011. Does a hot rod have to have four wheels?
In true old-school hot rod fashion, these bikes are basically stretched out frames with engines and minimal fairings. No high-tech gizmos, swoopy streamlined body panels or gyroscopes, just horsepower and nerve.
Although the video is brief, the message conveyed is complete. It captures the anticipation felt when the trailer is unloaded and preparations to challenge fate begin. The stark beauty of the landscape along with the chaos of surrounding activity seems to fade away as the concentration on the task at hand occupies the center of attention. As the clip concludes, bike and rider launch and the camera pans to a well-known quote by Hunter S. Thompson that encapsulates what many of us have felt in our pursuits of speed no matter what the venue.
The video is billed as a trailer for an upcoming short film by Jon Glover. As of this writing there is no news as to a release date. Hopefully the full film will be available soon. However, you can see some cool photos of the bikes and riders along with the video at the Return of the Café Racers website.
If you’re one of those who do not believe hot rodding is big enough to include both two-wheeled and four-wheeled enthusiasts, take a peek at the customer’s gallery page on the Lowbrow Customs website. There you’ll find a great mix of killer hot rods of all varieties that should change the mind of the stodgiest purists.