Triumph!

 It is hard to believe that this bike is manufactured by the same  company as the red one below!
And they were rebuilt by the same man here in Hendersonville.

OK, this blogger has a bit of a confession to make. I am kind of new to European Bikes, especially Vintage and Classic ones. So, please if you see a motorcycle on this blog which mis-identified, or merely know something about it, feel free to post a comment!

A little from the Meltdown

This was the raffle prize, the grand epitome of what the weekend was all about. Ton Up Highlands (check'em out on FaceBook https://www.facebook.com/tonuphighlands) did the work on the bike.

So, you need to visualize this a little.

The rally had been going on all day, the sky was bright and motorcycles shiney and spectacular. Around 5:30 the drawing for the prize was to be held. Before the drawing though, they had been giving out prizes for various categories of motorcycles. The Trophy was pretty cool, too.

The trophy, not the beer, that is. 

A any rate, 5:30 was rolling on and time to pull the ticket for the bike. Everyone was looking up at the quickly clouding and threatening sky, wondering which was going to happen first---the clouds or the raffle winner.

The dude won the raffle and everyone started to flee to their respective places. I knew I would not be able to hobble fast enough to my van before the sky let loose---I decided to check out the host facility, Southern Appalacian Brewery. So had most of every one there!

About the time I made it into the Brewery/bar, I barely squeezed in, the sky opened up with the fury of frustrated Mother Nature. For about ten minutes, we could not even see the other side of the alley.

Because of the confusion of the storm, I was unable to get a pic of the winner and his machine. Yet the experience was fun and bikes inspiring.

olc

Meltdown '16

I am gonna get some more up here but for now...

Sliding Rockers Band

These guys rocked the house. Check out their FB Page https://www.facebook.com/The-Sliding-Rockers-711398878924620/?fref=ts

 Off top the right you see a really cool guy. His name is Washboard Larry. There is a story here that I want to learn.

These guys rock!

olc

Choking' it

Here is a choke from an Old BSA

What do ya' think?

Black Mountain City Limits

First there was a bass.

Then the man who makes the music sound so good.

This is a beautiful instrument to look at

And when it is played by a guy who knows, every one knows.

Now, every country rock band needs a bango, or "Banger" as Some call it. This one really rocks!

Especially when this guy has ahold of it.

What is a good band from Black Mountain gonna do with out a fiddle playin man?

Here is a still life of just the fiddle, look at the head!

These guys rocked out the Greenhouse Moto Cafe the first night I went by. I talked Jeff into letting me take a few pictures of his place and the band and this is what he got for a start!

O yeah, here is one more for the road.

Let us know what you think!

olc 

Alfa Romeo Giulia 1600 Series, 1964

Sometimes more than classic bikes come to the Greenhouse Moto Cafe. This is an 1964 Alfa Romeo. It is jet black and I felt a Black and White photo would do it the most justice.

What do you think?

olc

Meltdown Vintage Motorcycle Show 2016

It is happening this weekend!

Here is the schedule: http://www.meltdownvintage.com/pre-registrationschedule.html



I will be at the Greenhouse Moto Cafe takin' Pictures of the Motorcycles and those riding them. Friday night.

There is this place, and it is called The GreenHouse Moto Cafe, you are here and I suspect we know why you are here. We like motorcycles and we like good music and great local beer. The Greenhouse Moto Cafe is the place to go for all of that! Especially if you like vintage and European motorcycles. And this blog, Greenhouse Moto Cafe, is going to show some of the bikes, people and bands who play there.

Now why an I volunteering to create and produce and maintain this blog, you ask? Why do any of us do anything, is my answer. More specifically, we look for and find our motivation to do everything we do. In this case, I am passionate about motorcycles and learning and photography. Just as importantly, I am a writer who wants to chronicle the machines Jeff has collected. Each one of those machines has a history and they are all beautiful.

When Jeff was putting his place together, I would drive by and see motorcycles suspended on the clear glass walls. Of course this piqued my curiosity. So, I stopped by one Sunday afternoon and we talked. 

I told him about my camera and how it needed to record his place. Then I introduced the idea of this blog. So, I told him the purpose of it, in addition to having a place for people to see what Jeff has done, is a place to showcase my photography. Also, we will encourage comments and suggestions from all of you readers and riders on topics to research and write about.

On this site we will give brief histories of the bikes, with a few pictures of them. We will also have a record of musical events and bands. In addition, we may do profiles of locals who have something to say about British and European motorcycles.

Now, a little about me. I ride and love the fun of the mountains. Some of us ride merely to go from one place to another, on a vacation or weekend break from the working grind. While doing daily chores on my bike is profoundly easier, more fun maybe, I ride for the excitement of the machine and road ahead. I ride because the freedom of the open road with limitless possibilities is profoundly enticing. 

I am a photographer. These two obsessions combine well. Add to them, my delusional need to write and you have blogging opportunities. I have a couple of blogs out there. One of them is designed for my photojournalistic side: (http://thewonderinglenzofolc.blogspot.com). This one follows me as I create some images which I feel may be of interest to viewers of the blog. One of the others show cases some of my thoughts.  I have political points of view which I share. However, most of the time I will merely ramble on down thought streams and how they flow through my echoing antechamber of cognitive, or semi cognitive grey matter. Sometimes I’ll just write about my last ride (http://one-lone-castaway.blogspot.com).  

So please read on and enjoy the pictures here and if you feel bored have a look at some of the other places I have created.

Enjoy the road ahead, and learn from the one behind.

olc

Greenhouse Moto Cafe

Jeff Herold, retired salesman and a man with a passion for vintage and European bikes and good beer, has moved to Western North Carolina where there is ample supplies of both. He and his wife Lee, moved to the area from someplace south of here with a vision, a desire and need to do something with his collection of vintage BSA, Triumph and Moto Guzzi motorcycles.

Mills River has so much to offer, farms, schools, great views to enjoy, roads to conquer...and farms. Farms that are working and ones whose farmers have found another road to travel. This is where we find The Greenhouse Moto Cafe, at 4021 Haywood Rd. in Mills River, NC. 28791.

The old Carolina Roses Greenhouse is a great place to house his eclectic collection of British and European vintage motorcycles. This is where vision and location collide in a "Far Side" meets "Land of the Lost” kind of place. An open  hall with fine craft beer, live music, art oddities with an offbeat and campy atmosphere. Our iPod is playing everything from Les Paul to Johnny Cash, and don't be surprised to hear some Elvis Costello and Elvis Presley! That is of course when live music is not being heard.

Come by and visit. Have a look at some unique motorcycles and have a beer. Also, listen to local bands play… and talk about your last ride, or your next one with a wonderful mix of locals and riders.