THE BLACK BOMBER
What started off as a basic motorcycle restoration project has changed, if not my life, certainly my lifestyle. Spying an image of early model Honda CB450, I was basically smitten, and made up my mind to find one. What I would soon learn was nicknamed the “Black Bomber,” became my obsession. Completely restoring this perfect expression of 1960’s style and engineering, it immediately shifted my entire NYC experience. It opened up the city geographically, and more profoundly, opened up my social circles. The motorcycle culture that my prized vintage moto exposed me to has led to so many things I now consider important aspects of my life. It turned NYC from a metropolis of strangers, into a small town of like-minded friends with real camaraderie.
The “Bomber” has since made its rounds on the vintage motorcycle show circuit, been proudly displayed at the Handbuilt Motorcycle Show, turned a lap at the famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, was shot by the infamous Terry Richardson for the pages of Paris Vogue, led 1000 strong across the Brooklyn Bridge on the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, and turned plenty of heads all over NYC. It’s made me a pretty decent mechanic, made me lighter in the wallet, made up for its too old, too small, and too slow shortcomings with sheer eye-candy good looks, and made me a giddy as a school boy at every turn.
Read a bit more Bomber lore: “The Super Model.”
