the usb typewriter and bikerMetric readership explodes

Amazing things happened last night. First, I was working on a print ad for a client and finished up around 1AM. Then I got an email from an old girlfriend who keeps in touch. She sent me this:

early 1920’s royal model 10 usb typewriter

According to the builder, it’s a “groundbreaking innovation in the field of obsolescence.”

Okay, you’re thinking this is a joke but I assure you it is not. As a writer of novels, short stories and madman poetry (chicks dig it – just don’t rhyme all the freaking time), I found my best stuff has always been done on an old typewriter. When you lay it down, it’s pretty much there to stay. It keeps my thoughts focused and I believe that I am a better writer that way. I have a nice little collection of antique portable typewriters that include the uber-rare 1921 Remington Model 1 with no right shift key,

1921 remington model 1 portable

another very rare 1941 Remington Streamliner with horizontal speed lines,

1941 remington rand streamliner

and my favorite, my 1936 Royal DeLuxe portable in crinkle matte black with chrome:

1936 royal custom deluxe portable

That was Ernest Hemingway’s favorite typewriter, and you know how I dig drunken authors. It’s also the most beautiful portable typewriter ever made. My collection has a maroon L.C. Smith & Corona Sterling, a couple more Remington Model 1’s (both have the right shift key), an immaculate 1931 Remington Noiseless 7, and a giant 1929 Royal Model 10 desktop.

I have to decide which one to send to this guy at USB Typewriter so he can turn it into a computer. No more ribbons or paper. No more hammering off the letters on plastic keys every three months.

The second amazing thing that happened was this:

703 visitors came by yesterday and read 2,134 pages. Excellent!

Since moving from the old site in June, bikerMetric has been stuck at around 200 readers a day. In the past week it went over 300 but man, Monday had 387 and yesterday there were suddenly 316 more than that. I am amazed and incredibly humbled. It seems folks have been on Twitter about bM, which is nifty because I don’t use Twitter. Also, a bunch of readers came off Facebook, where I’ve been trying to make “friends.” But whatever happened, the average reader discovered more than three pages, stayed with the site for over 3.25 minutes, and you guys came from everywhere.

Sydney and London were tied and represented more visitors than any other cities. Austin always represents well (probably because I get counted six times), but next was Bangkok, Edmonton, Salem (VA), and Portland (OR). The top ten rounds out with Istanbul, the capital of Latvia, Riga (!), and New York City. Most visitors came from the States as you might expect, but the next four countries were Canada, the UK, Australia and Thailand. Germany, Indonesia, Netherlands, France and Malaysia complete the ten.

I sure hope everybody who visited for the first time comes back. bM has over 440 posts, hundreds of killer metric, European, and vintage motorcycles, and 2,000-plus total photos and images.

I’ve been receiving messages from folks telling me how much they enjoy what is laid down here and I want to thank you all. Dirk has been a great help and set me up with his buddy Chad from Tonup NC for a photo-laden piece about their recent DIY rumble, which I will get to as soon as I finish Clay’s interview. Trusty left a very nice comment yesterday on Robert Elswick’s birthday post below. Dude, your avatar is the Three of Swords but you don’t fool me. You’re the Three of Cups.

I’m the Magician. Let’s see if yesterday was a statistical anomaly or if somehow, someway, I did this whole metric bobber and chopper blog thing right. Thank you all.

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