The guys at Biltwell are at it again and thank god for that. There newest endeavor - Chop Cult - is a website dedicated to D.I.Y motorcycle community. I’ve been lucky enough to get a slight sneak behind the scenes of what they’re planning, and all I can say is you will be stoked. So what is it going to be like? This is what the guys have to say about it:

There’s nothing to see at ChopCult.com yet, but when we launch the site this summer, ChopCult will be the first news magazine, blog feed, photo dump, public forum, online classifieds, social network and e-store for people and companies who build and ride custom motorcycles. All kinds: American, Japanese, British and European. Think your favorite message board without the content Gestapo, Newsweek without the politics, Myspace without the sex predators, Flickr without the nature shots, Craigslist without the retards and Google without the Viagra banners. Just cool people, old bikes and lots of ‘em.

Go sign up for the newletter because you’re going to want to be in the know about this. I’m real glad these guys are jumping into the fray of this online community/forum/blog/photo thing because as they’ve proven before just how well they “get it”.

Sign up for the newsletter here: Chop Cult

The Rudge_Whitworth company was an established bicycle factory that entered motorcycle production in 1911. Their first machines were 499 cc IOE singles. They developed the famous Multi gear, with a possibility of up to 21 gear positions.

In 1924 the factory introduced a new range of four valve singles. In 1928 Graham Walker managed to win the Ulster Grand Prix on a Rudge, after a heroic handlebar-to handlebar battle with Charlie Dodson on a Model 90 Sunbeam. Since then the sporty Rudge models were designated “Ulster”. In the 1930 Junior TT Rudge scored 1, 2, 3 with the all new 350cc 4 radial valve. In 1931 the engine was scaled down to 250 cc and that proved to be a real winner too, judging from 1st, 2nd and 4th places plus the lap record in the Lightweight TT.

Rudge used different layouts for its 4 valve models: from 1930 onwards they used parallel inlet and exhaust valves for all Specials; the radially disposed exhausts were only used on the Ulster and racing models.

Practical features of this well-engineered machine are the enclosed fork spring, the oil bath chain primary drive in oil-tight aluminium case and the handle to that is coupled to the centre stand.
This “Special”, the touring version of the “Ulster “, is a well- fettled older restoration.

Couple shots from the 2009 Cool Breaker posted to Flickr by Dan, webmaster over at Biker Radio Magazine.

Ace Cafe - Hotrod Night - Spring Riot 2009 - Photo by Roka Kustom Kulture