Thursday, April 19, 2012

Son of Secret Weapon. Gordon Jennings

In 1967 Cycle magazine featured a project race bike built by Gordon Jennings based on a Harley KR flathead. I have the article somewhere and I thought it was an interesting and great looking bike.They named it "Secret Weapon". For 1968, he changed focus to the new Bridgestone 350, a fast high tech rotary disc twin. The project 'Son of Secret Weapon" was spread over 3 issues, decades later it's difficult to find all three. I had read one article about their ongoing engine problems but never saw a picture of the completed project. I recently found the first installment in the March 1969 issue. In it the frame and bodywork were decribed in detail. The prototype backbone frame was by Bill van Tichelt of Van Tech Motorcycles and the bodywork by Wixon Brothers, maker of popular touring fairings at the time. I'd have to say..... it's interesting, but attractive? Wonder where it is today.

3 comments:

Holly said...

If you are interested in helping to nominate Bill VanTichelt to the AMA Hall of Fame, please contact holly@veruslawgroup.com for further information.

Unknown said...

Yes,I can only find the intial "van Tech "article... Jennings always inspired "Free Radical " thinking, regardless of project.

Mister G said...

I nearly wore out his book, Two Stroke Tuners Handbook!