6th Street Specials - April 18

Wednesday April 18

Another friend from the old days tells me to come over, once my foray into the Strand bookstore is over. Sean lives in The East Village with his wife Kyoko, and we go for a walk in the neighbourhood. Which of course is being gentrified too. Still there's a number of excellent murals, and the Britbike oriented motorcycle shop is still there too, looking as scruffy as ever. A couple of 1960s-70s Triumph twins with underslung TT pipes are parked outside, and inside on the upper level, more modified British twins are to be found (https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/sixth-street-specials-new-york-rock-town-cafe-nation).

The owner of the place, Scotsman Hugh Mackie, is busy working on a flattracker, and laughs when I tell of me riding the MZ across the country. Flashing a pic of my Nimbus on Fuji Speedway in Japan gets his attention, though. Nice chap, so I promise to drop by on the MZ in a couple of months.

Sean Adair posing with a Norton Commando, like the one he once rode. Of course he eventually moved on to BMW GS - three of them in fact; one got stolen, one got burned, and the last one he sold. Even if he lives in a commercial building where one can ride a large motorcycle into the elevator. 

Simple, purposeful and a bit on the rough side. 

The larger twin behind the 500 cc one has a magneto ignition.

Hugh Mackie and Fumi outside the shop (pic stolen from a story about the place).

Giger-like stair decorations. 

(Q: Giger who? A: Hans Giger, the Swiss artist behind the sets of the first Alien' movie).

This is New York advertising. Not sure if it'd work anywhere else. I just love this city....