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| "The menace is loose again running loud and fast on the early morning freeway, low in the saddle, nobody smiles, jamming crazy through the traffic and ninety miles an hour down the centre stripe, missing by inches ... like Ghengis Khan on an iron horse, a monster steed with a fiery anus, flat out through the eye of a beer can and up your daughter's leg ..." Hunter S. Thompson circa 1965.
Pictures of many of the original characters that made the Rocker Reunion Movement what it is today by their looks, presence or their skills, including; the Late Sunglasses Ron, graphic artist Tombeau, Koji Baba - the first Japanese rocker to come to London, dresser Dave Whiting, pretty faces Robin, Yasmin, Emmanuelle and Mack, rockers and teds from as far as Germany and France. Headlining star - no less than Lonnie " Bubblegum on the Bedpost " Donegan.
As an introduction to this new independent and international website for Ton-up
Boy, Cafe Racer, Rocker and 59 Club Memorabilia, we would like to thank
Len Paterson - proprietor of The Cylinder Head
Shop, founder and prime mover in The Rocker Reunion Movement for his
tireless work over 20 years in bring together rockers, tonup boys, cafe
racers new and old; especially for help in inspiring and providing
sources of information to start these pages. Len, an active Chelsea
Bridge Boy and original 59 Club Rocker in the 1960s, organised The Rocker Reunion
Club, Runs and Pissups [ or " Dances " for the more genteel clientele
... ] from the early 1980s onwards; breathing life live back into the
tradition and community of the Ton-up Boys.
While by no means the only key individual responsible for the
original renaissance of the Rocker scene - and we hope to credit those
other as time and accurate documentation allows - it was under Len's
leadership and guidance that it rose from a handful of riders heading
off to Brighton Beach from Chelsea Bridge to 12,000 strong Runs and
thousands strong Reunions.
It was Len that encouraged Mark
Wilsmore to take over and develop the Reunion Runs as well as
re-establish The Ace Cafe.
We are sure Mark remembers with gratitude the long hours he spent
picking Len's brain at the 'Mighty' South London Triumph Owners Club [
est. 1949 ]. Likewise, we remember original Rocker Derek Fox whose son's original artwork of the traditional 60's jacket badge inspired the new Ace Cafe "Rocker" logo but who was later threatened with legal action if he continued selling it. Even though he had been selling it at the Reunions since the 80s. More later.
The Rocker Reunion or Rocker Revival Movement has now spread to
become an international movement dedicated to 60's roots rock'n'roll,
cafe racers and the lifestyle of those times. It has attracted many new,
younger individuals. In truth, the spirit may have been ignored, abused,
suppressed, ridiculed or attacked - but it never went away nor died. It
never will. It remains the roots of counter culture motorcycling in the
UK and had its like movements all across Europe, America and Japan, e.g. Les
Blousons Noirs [ trans. The Black Leather jackets ] or Bosozuko [ trans. Speed Tribes ].
As our site grows, we will be publishing unseen
photographs, stories, news and information from around the world. If you
have a story or an opinion, we want to hear it.
Expect the
unexpected. The truth, not the romantic re-writes. And a few
controversies and a laugh or two as we take the inside line on those
days and now.
Its a strange thing to
remember but when we started promoting the Rocker Reunions and Pissups,
there was no support or interest from the motorcycle press at all.
Worse, the antagonism from the old British Motorcycling Establishment
towards the Rockers was still deeply embedded within the industry and
media and quite openly hostile. The Rockers were always seen as " bad
for motorcycling " from a desperate and out of touch industry rather
than ripe to be capitalised upon for their style as happened later on.
Even the hipper press saw the scene as a throw back to another era, full
of anachronistic boring old farts or grumpy old bastards; homophobes and
racists one and all. Even beyond the complete disinterest of the plastic crotch rocket
obsessed bike media, we can distinctly remember one response from the
editor of the most major motorcycle publication in the UK saying, " ... wot's that got to do with motorcycling?! " Of
course now, with new blood in editorial positions, the media are all
over themselves at the spirit of it all. |
 New - 59 Club - Father Graham Hullett ; Lifetime Achievement Tribute 2005.  For British bikers, there was only one leather jacket. And that was a Lewis Leathers jacket. As close to perfect as any cow's backside might ever be. Back in business with 100% authenticity. Great heritage section. Link above  The Tonup Club of USA. Try rolling over and clicking on the broad above. The Ton Up Club has chapters spreading States-wide. Download the Charter and get onboard now and make it International.  Funny how the Japanese can get things just *so* right and look so cool *and* ride on the right side of the road! Who else can fly a Rebel Cross, a Union Jack and a Rising Sun all at once!?! Big cafe racer scene.  The Brit Iron Rebels were established in 2004. A worldwide group of individuals focused on the preservation, restoration and promotion of true classic and retro-styled British motorcycles, related events and discussion. The BIR is a club based on the retro style of the British Rockers.  59 Club Legend France.  Peter Fischer, an influential Rocker from the time of the early Reunion days in the 80s. Funnily enough, just like British Royalty, he came from Germany. Escaping under The Wall to come to London to live the life.
 We like bikes. We like girls. We like leathers. We like oriental girls. Oriental leather girls on classic bikes. Oh dear, I think that I am going to sin.  Marlon Brando as Johnny looking, well ... Brandosexual as they used to say. The image that launched a 1,000 Schott Perfectos  The Wild One ; banned in the UK, first showing at The 59 Club.
 Pandora Pitstop looking, well ... just plain sexual as they will say for a long time to come, I fear. The image that will launch a 1,000 ..... and all on 22 BHP of throbbing 4 stroke single. Ought to be banned, probably bound and beaten first.
 Johnny ... erm, Jimmy ... no, it is Johnny ... 40th Anniversary of the death of heartbreaker James Dean 
The Royal Enfield Clubman, arguably the last authentic cafe racer still made today! The Cylinder Head Shop cannot recommend Enfield importers Wastonian-Squire strongly enough. The strength of quality and outstanding principles of the management and team is exemplary amongst the motorcycle industry.  Mitakuye Oyasin. They used to say that, " the Last Englishman alive would be an Indian ". Now we are starting to think that the Last British Rocker alive will be Japanese. More Nihonjin Rocker-style. Anyone that wears their clipons right down besides their bottom yoke is OK by us. |
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