Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Daytona Beach

I wanted to disappear this past weekend. It was sort of a last minute thing so I drove instead of rode, but I visited a few beaches down the east coast (USA) and spent some extra time in Daytona Beach, FL, the legendary location for motorcycle sand racing. Daytona Beach is the only beach where you can still drive (and ride) on the sand beside the shore. While there I happened by Robison's Motorcycles (also known as Robison's Harley Davidson from 1962-1992). I wandered in just to look around and found the legend Joe Robison himself sitting there on a couch, enshrined by walls of motorcycle racing glory. I asked if they minded if took some photos and they immediately offered me a tour of the entire shop including the back areas where the speed bikes of yesteryear were brought in during the days and nights before the big races to be carved, molded, and cast into the iron racing demons of the historic sand tracks. Looking at that endless beach, I ached to grab my own bike and tear out along the water's edge with nothing in my way... into oblivion.

Here are some vintage photos of Daytona motorcycle racing from the old days of Life Magazine .
Below are my own photos of my visit.










1956 Harley Davidson


Joe Robison, 1964

1956 Harley


Whoa wait, a Triumph in a Harley shop?

3 comments:

  1. Great stuff! Used to live near Daytona and have been up and down the beach many times...

    Got my HMT t-shirts today. Look great! Thanks!

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  2. By strange coincidence I was in Daytona Beach Sunday and went driving on the beach! Speed limit is 10 mph. It costs $5 to get onto the sand and (they don't tell you this but) passing is strictly forbidden. I swung out around a slow moving SUV at about 10 mph and found myself talking to the Beach Patrol. Officer let me off...

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