Photos: Silverwater Street and Custom Bike Show
Sunday, March 13, 2011 
Ahhh - Sydney's beautiful Silverwater! Well known across this wide, brown land for it's wonderful gaol, the Silverwater bike show, and... um. Did I mention the prison? I popped along yesterday with my trusty Nikon in hand to see what I could see. And what I saw was mostly Harley choppers covered in skulls, fire, and billet. Having braved hellish traffic on Parramatta Road only to arrive 20 minutes before the gates closed I was more than a little pissed off. Then like a bolt from the blue I stumbled across the fine gentlemen of the BSA Club of New South Wales and all was saved. Not only were they friendly and ready for a chat, but the bikes they were sporting were as beautiful and cool as they were collectable.
Although all BSAs pretty much rock my world, the one standout for me was the lovingly restored black-on-black 1939 350cc B26, named "Black Bess" (shown above left and numerous times below). I am a total sucker for that "everything painted satin black on an old English bike" look, and this particular example was no exception. Now being the odd-man-out does have its benefits - I think all of the BSA club members took home a trophy. When you put your five BSAs up against 100 Harleys choppers, the "Best Vintage" category is pretty much in the bag.
PS. Yes, that is a Hayabusa being ridden by dog in sunglasses. And no, I don't have any idea why either...
Reader Comments (15)
great photos!
Haha! That blue Hayabusa at the end caught me off guard. Beautiful BSA's, love the shot of the guy kick-starting it at the top.
Bluey, the dog + riders are supporters of prostate cancer awareness, and travel a lot of K's together
@ Mat - Thanks for the backstory, they look like good people.
yeah, nice shots. That dog is a legend!
Hey, I want skulls on my Harley..
No, I want flames..
Hell, give me skulls AND flames - mind you I have seen some very good smoky flames and skulls here in England
Seriously though that black BSA is nice as is that red one..
@SportsterMike The red one was a "50s TRI BSA custom 49a Thunderbird" - or at least that's what the entry form said. It was beautiful; just the right amount of ooomph. If anyone knows the owner, please get him to drop us a line...
Did a little Canine Hayabusa research; Tex & Bundy are their names. "Tex and Bundy travel Australia on their motorcycle assisting various charities with fundraising". Seem like really decent guys - if you can call a dog "decent" and a "guy". Apparent Australian authorities weren't too keen on the dog riding on the bike: http://mt-druitt-standard.whereilive.com.au/news/story/tex-and-bundy-duo-on-the-road-again/
Really like the photo treatment of these exquisite bikes-very nostalgic. I'm guessing film, but what with digital tech. these days, maybe not. How did you shoot 'em?
@rennyRacer I gave up real film about four years ago. $50 for 36 shots was just too rich for my blood. The retro effect is all Photoshop. Just google "Photoshop retro actions".
Well I didnt think much of your photos. Very hard to see what the old bikes really were, especlally 'Black bess'.
@tony downsouth Alas, that is the problem with bike shows in general - rows of bikes all lined up too close together with lots of people standing right in front of them. I've shot a few bike shows now and the only solution I have found is to shoot upwards, shoot downwards, or shoot details. Short of asking the owners if they would move the bikes to a quiet corner of the show (which they wouldn't), I'm not really sure if there is a way around it...
The Red Bike definitely has some nice styles going on! Somebody do some investigating for a closer look ..
Good shots, but a little too heavy in the effects dept, bit too much grain added and a little too much of the vintage yellowing, but apart from that very good I think.
Just a footnote. Tex and Bundy along with Jenn, fought the law and the law lost. They now have an exemption to allow Bundy the Wonder Dog to do his thing. This dog has done more kilometres than any biker I know :-) They do great work and help heaps of people.
Facebook them at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/group.php?gid=133207035096