AtDtDA(34): R.U.S.H.

[Dave Monroe]

   "Six or seven cyclists in leather fatigues that time and terrain
had only made more stylish ..." (AtD, Pt. IV p. 951)


"leather fatigues"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_safety_clothing#Leathers


R.U.S.H.

708; "Rapid Unit for Shadowing and Harassment" - motorcyclist crew in Vienna

http://against-the-day.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=R

Rush is a Canadian rock band comprising bassist, keyboardist, and
vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist
Neil Peart. Rush has become known for the instrumental virtuosity of
its members, complex compositions, and eclectic lyrical motifs drawing
heavily on science fiction, fantasy, and individualist libertarian
philosophy, as well as addressing humanitarian and environmental
concerns. Following the deaths of his wife and daughter, Peart
embarked on a self-described "healing journey" by motorcycle in which
he traveled extensively across North America. He subsequently wrote
about his travels in his book Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing
Road. Their 1975 album Caress of Steel contains a track called Under
the Shadow

http://against-the-day.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=ATD_695-723#Page_708

The Canadian band Rush (see note p. 708, and [2]) has a song on the
1981 album Moving Pictures called YYZ (Why Yz-les-Bains?). (YYZ is
actually the airport code for Toronto, Canada).

These leather-clad bikers also evoke the angels of death in Cocteau's
"Orphée" (see the entry above). As Death's minions, they literally do
her dirty work, running over the unsuspecting soon-to-be-deceased.

http://against-the-day.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=ATD_946-975#Page_951


Mihály Vámos

Hungarian name, but vámos is also Spanish = go!

http://against-the-day.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=ATD_946-975#Page_951


"smoked goggles"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Through_a_Glass_Darkly

1 Corinthians 13:12 contains the phrase

βλεπομεν γαρ αρτι δι εσοπτρου εν αινιγματι

rendered in KJV,

"For now we see through a glass, darkly."

which refers to mirrors, not lenses, and which has inspired the titles
of many works.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1_Corinthians_13#.22Through_a_Glass.2C_Darkly.22


"'Szia, haver'"

Hungarian: Hello buddy!

http://against-the-day.pynchonwiki.com/wiki/index.php?title=ATD_946-975#Page_951


Puchs

Puch was a manufacturing company located in Graz, Austria. The company
was founded in 1889 by the industrialist Johann Puch and produced
automobiles, bicycles, mopeds, and motorcycles....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puch
http://www.puch.at/


FNs

FN (Fabrique Nationale de Herstal) was a Belgian company established
in 1899 to make arms and ammunition, and from 1901 to 1967 was also a
motorcycle manufacturer. FN manufactured the world's first four
cylinder motorcycle, was famous for the use of shaft drive in all
models from 1903 to 1923, achieved success in sprint and long distance
motorcycle racing, and after 1945, also in motocross....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FN_(motorcycle)
http://www.fnherstal.com/


"'Messages from the Venice station stopped arriving one day, and since
then we've operated independently'"

Cf. The Chums of Chance ...