Original gatefold coverThe Genuine Basement Tapes Vol. 1

Dylan's Motorcycle

Things Twice
Originally compiled: August 30, 1997
Last revised: August 30, 1997
On which model Triumph did Dylan have his 1966 accident?
From: James Hamilton (j.hamilton@cowan.edu.au)
Subject: Dylan's Motorcycle???
Date: 1997/08/08

Tommy wrote:

> It was a Bonneville TT Special, 650 cc twin. Triumph never made a
> 500 cc bike.

I wasn't there when he came off - I just know what I read. As for Triumph never making a 500cc bike, there was the Trophy (single carb). The Trophy and the Daytona (dual carb) They were produced until 1971 and as I said went under the model number T100, which was what the book said Dylan rode (Bonn 650 was a T120 and the 750 was T140).

This is not the time or place to be pedantic about such matters, however.

From: Riseth, Kim (Kim.Riseth@vg.no)
Subject: Dylan's Motorcycle?
Date: 1997/08/12

Riding Triumph 500 There is a picture of Bob riding his new Triumph motorcycle near Woodstock in 1965. The model in the picture is a Triumph Tiger 500 cc, with one carb. I don`t know if this is the motorcycle he crashed with. The motorcycle pictured in his t-shirt on the HW61 album cover is a 1965 Bonneville 650 cc (with two carbs).

The Bonneville TT Special was an off-road track-version, without lights. Triumph made 350 cc, 500 cc and 650 cc twin-cylinder models, and 750 cc triples from 1969.

I have myself a Triumph Bonneville from 1967, in the same colours and looking very much the same as Bob`s bike. Last year I rode it down to Molde in Norway (about 200 miles from where I live) for the Bob Dylan concert at the Romsdalsmuseum (together with Van Morrison). This was one week from the 30th anniversary for Bob`s motorcycle accident, so I parked my bike outside his hotel, waiting for him to spot it an come outside and ask to take a ride...

Well, Van Morrison just strolled by in the lobby, but Bob entered the hotel from the backside. J.J. Jackson and Bucky Baxter came by, and they stopped to take a look at the bike, complementing on it`s looks. J.J.J. told me that he had a Harley himself. I told them to tell Bob that he was free to lend my bike anytime he wanted, but I never heard from him....

Kim Riseth
Trondheim
Norway

From: Tricia (tricia.j@aardvark.apana.org.au)
Subject: Re: Dylan's Motorcycle???
Date: 1997/08/08

Joan Baez (in her book 'And A Voice To Sing With') says she used to ride around Woodstock on Dylan's "Triumph 350" - but what would she know, right?

Tricia


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