Times Have Changed
Road Master
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 816
Likes: 57
From: Rijssen, the Netherlands
Back in the sixties in Europe there was a division between 'motorcycles' and 'mopeds'. The German motorbikes like Kreidler, the Austrian Puch and Zundapp were delivered with or a 70cc or even 90cc cylinder or with a 49.9cc cylinder 2-stroke. The last one was a 'moped' by law and could be riden at the age of 16.
Technically they were identical, disc brakes at front, suspension, gear box.. No difference.
Motorcycles at the age of 18. The black market for 70cc and 90cc cylinders, carburettors and exhausts was huge. The average cop could not see the difference between a 49.9cc and a 70cc, because the 49.9cc could be equipped with the same carburettor as the 70cc engine. The difference was a moped was allowed to make 30 mph and motorbikes had no limits. Of course we mounted the (illegal) 70cc and rode on motorways at 60 and even 70 mph. When stopped by the police, they investigated our bikes and could not find any difference with a motorbike. Nowadays they have mobile roller banks to measure the speed and power, electronic laser guns for catching you speeding. The old days all this stuff was absent and the police was not childish, cause they knew what was going on and they silently admired it. The 'good old days' were indeed 'good gold days' for motorcycling in Europe, for self maintaining, for increasing power and laying a technical base for the rest of your biker career. Also in riding skills.
Technically they were identical, disc brakes at front, suspension, gear box.. No difference.
Motorcycles at the age of 18. The black market for 70cc and 90cc cylinders, carburettors and exhausts was huge. The average cop could not see the difference between a 49.9cc and a 70cc, because the 49.9cc could be equipped with the same carburettor as the 70cc engine. The difference was a moped was allowed to make 30 mph and motorbikes had no limits. Of course we mounted the (illegal) 70cc and rode on motorways at 60 and even 70 mph. When stopped by the police, they investigated our bikes and could not find any difference with a motorbike. Nowadays they have mobile roller banks to measure the speed and power, electronic laser guns for catching you speeding. The old days all this stuff was absent and the police was not childish, cause they knew what was going on and they silently admired it. The 'good old days' were indeed 'good gold days' for motorcycling in Europe, for self maintaining, for increasing power and laying a technical base for the rest of your biker career. Also in riding skills.
Tourer
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 362
Likes: 3
From: on Earth
I noticed guys with big expensive bikes now treat guys with cheaper smaller bikes like **** - they dont even wave back or nod back or acknowledge you anymore when they are on their Breakout 
I got **** loads of videos of me riding waving at guys on a Breakout but none of them would wave back or say hi at stop lights
I never treat people like that when i am on my Breakout or my Panigale I dont know why guys who bought their bikes on finance feel the need to treat people like us who bought bikes with cash like ****.
I'm just saying these highly in debt guys that buy expensive bikes need to get off their high horse because when they try to upgrade their bike in 12 months time their high horse will not be worth as much as they thought and they will be deeper in debt and some day they will have to commit insurance frauds to get out of their debt.
In the good ol' days people use to give each other a wave
This is not meant at anyone who buy bikes on finance but a message to the faker posers stop acting like a douche.
I got **** loads of videos of me riding waving at guys on a Breakout but none of them would wave back or say hi at stop lights
I never treat people like that when i am on my Breakout or my Panigale
I dont know why guys who bought their bikes on finance feel the need to treat people like us who bought bikes with cash like ****.I'm just saying these highly in debt guys that buy expensive bikes need to get off their high horse because when they try to upgrade their bike in 12 months time their high horse will not be worth as much as they thought and they will be deeper in debt and some day they will have to commit insurance frauds to get out of their debt.
In the good ol' days people use to give each other a wave
This is not meant at anyone who buy bikes on finance but a message to the faker posers stop acting like a douche.
Last edited by 2015 Harley Davidson Street Bob Guy; Nov 1, 2015 at 09:23 AM.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 1,912
Likes: 123
From: Spokane, WA
I for one am glad that the decade that brought us disco and the worst cars ever made in the history of mankind is now 35 years dead.
Also in that god-forsaken decade my stepdad was a long-haired dope-smoking abusive hippie and I hated his damn guts, and still do to this day. Haven't spoken to him in 24 years and yeah, I will dance on his grave if I get the chance.
I am the first Harley owning rider in our family and darn proud of it, regardless of what moronic stereotypes that the 'old timers' here have of us who can afford the great new HD bikes. Sure beats the chit out of the rides that I had in the 70s and 80s. But I do wish that I still had the GS750 that I had in the Marine Corps in 29 Palms.
Also in that god-forsaken decade my stepdad was a long-haired dope-smoking abusive hippie and I hated his damn guts, and still do to this day. Haven't spoken to him in 24 years and yeah, I will dance on his grave if I get the chance.
I am the first Harley owning rider in our family and darn proud of it, regardless of what moronic stereotypes that the 'old timers' here have of us who can afford the great new HD bikes. Sure beats the chit out of the rides that I had in the 70s and 80s. But I do wish that I still had the GS750 that I had in the Marine Corps in 29 Palms.
Last edited by Nickatnyt; Nov 1, 2015 at 07:17 PM.
Cruiser
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 197
Likes: 23
From: Edmonds Wa
I got out of school in 69 if you were caught with an open container they would take ALL your beer or even give you a ride home .if you had pot you go straight to jail now I have 13 pot stores and 2 bars between my house and the old cycle barn in Lynnwood What a long strange trip its been:>
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,853
Likes: 429
From: E-town, Alberta
I can't speak to "the good old days" as I was 6 when the 70's ended but I couldent agree more about someone mentioning way less traffic. My city broke 1 mill a few years ago and it now takes me an hour from one end to the other where it used to take me 20, 10 on the bike 20 yrs ago. I miss those days
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Banned
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 3,775
Likes: 503
From: Garrote, California
Back in the sixties in Europe there was a division between 'motorcycles' and 'mopeds'. The German motorbikes like Kreidler, the Austrian Puch and Zundapp were delivered with or a 70cc or even 90cc cylinder or with a 49.9cc cylinder 2-stroke. The last one was a 'moped' by law and could be riden at the age of 16.
Technically they were identical, disc brakes at front, suspension, gear box.. No difference.
Motorcycles at the age of 18. The black market for 70cc and 90cc cylinders, carburettors and exhausts was huge. The average cop could not see the difference between a 49.9cc and a 70cc, because the 49.9cc could be equipped with the same carburettor as the 70cc engine. The difference was a moped was allowed to make 30 mph and motorbikes had no limits. Of course we mounted the (illegal) 70cc and rode on motorways at 60 and even 70 mph. When stopped by the police, they investigated our bikes and could not find any difference with a motorbike. Nowadays they have mobile roller banks to measure the speed and power, electronic laser guns for catching you speeding. The old days all this stuff was absent and the police was not childish, cause they knew what was going on and they silently admired it. The 'good old days' were indeed 'good gold days' for motorcycling in Europe, for self maintaining, for increasing power and laying a technical base for the rest of your biker career. Also in riding skills.
Technically they were identical, disc brakes at front, suspension, gear box.. No difference.
Motorcycles at the age of 18. The black market for 70cc and 90cc cylinders, carburettors and exhausts was huge. The average cop could not see the difference between a 49.9cc and a 70cc, because the 49.9cc could be equipped with the same carburettor as the 70cc engine. The difference was a moped was allowed to make 30 mph and motorbikes had no limits. Of course we mounted the (illegal) 70cc and rode on motorways at 60 and even 70 mph. When stopped by the police, they investigated our bikes and could not find any difference with a motorbike. Nowadays they have mobile roller banks to measure the speed and power, electronic laser guns for catching you speeding. The old days all this stuff was absent and the police was not childish, cause they knew what was going on and they silently admired it. The 'good old days' were indeed 'good gold days' for motorcycling in Europe, for self maintaining, for increasing power and laying a technical base for the rest of your biker career. Also in riding skills.
Last edited by Mountain Cruiser; Nov 2, 2015 at 08:01 PM.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 11,166
Likes: 1,801
From: Puget Sound, WA.
I got out of school in 69 if you were caught with an open container they would take ALL your beer or even give you a ride home .if you had pot you go straight to jail now I have 13 pot stores and 2 bars between my house and the old cycle barn in Lynnwood What a long strange trip its been:>
I got caught doing 115 in a 35mph zone with a open beer bottle between my legs and a case in the back seat.
The stopping officer made me pour out the beer, put the case in his trunk, and told me to go home and park the car- and if he saw it gone the rest of the night he'd visit my parents and fill them in.
Then he tells me to come out to his place on Saturday and have a beer (my beer).
The same cop saw a friend of mine and I rolling down the railroad tracks sitting on a flatbed of a '38 GMC truck with the tires deflated and the idle set up so nobody was driving.
He drove along side of us and yelled to get off the damn tracks at the next intersection on his PA system.
We had a good laugh with a warning at the end- he said it was a first in his career seeing a truck roll by on the tracks with two kids sitting on a flatbed drinking beers with no one at the wheel!
Good times and would be a felony now.
Last edited by Sling Blade 14; Nov 2, 2015 at 07:53 PM.