Motorcycle Scene on Belknap Street,
Fort Worth, Texas

By Bev Bowen

Apparently a professionally-offered photograph, this photo had the following stamp on the back:

Here we see George Fasig Indian Motorcycles Shop next to Ft. Worth Cycle Company, the latter offering primarily BSAs. Carlton Williamson identifies the two men in front as Marvin Bell (proprietor of FWCC) and George Fasig (l-r).

At that time, Indian had fallen on bad times and was not offering new machines. Vincent enthusiasts will be interested to know that Fasig's business, because of the agreement with Indian, was also a Vincent shop. Parked in front one can see r-l an Indian Chief, with two Vincent Twins close by, the one Black Shadow heavily modified and raced by Carlton Williamson (among others), who not long after this picture was snapped purchased the store from Fasig, becoming a very young motorcycle store owner at the tender age of 17! Other bikes in the photo appear to be an Ariel Square Four and a couple BSA machines. Not sure about the brand of motorbike on the pole! :)

Just a couple years later, Fasig and Bell collaborated in preparation of a Model 88 Norton to set a record at Bonneville, ridden by the enigmatic Philip Fagan, motorcycle racer, ballet dancer, actor, Andy Warhol friend and Far East adventurer.

Photo courtesy of Joyce Rainey - her late husband Charles Rainey owned a modified 1947 Series B Rapide Vincent Twin.