Back when....???
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 2,932
Likes: 32
From: Broomfield, CO
First bike was a Harley Ironhead Sportster in 1973. Rode with a club that he many different brands of bikes in the club. Got hassled by the cops and weren't as welcomed in places like now. Had to learn to wrench on your bike and the dealerships didn't have tee shirts, gloves, etc. My jacket was denim and not leather, and didn't know what rain gear was. If it rained, you just got wet and rode until you just couldn't ride anymore. No credit cards for gas or motels. If you ran out of cash, someone would always "give you $5.00 for food and gas.
Road Warrior
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,745
Likes: 1
From: A house.
This brings back sweet memories - days before back pain, riding in the frigid cold, leaning hard against the wind. Getting drenched in the down pours, if you were lucky finding an overpass to duck in to wait it out. Oh let's see, setting the dwell on your points with a matchbook cover, checking for valve problems with a dollar bill at your exhaust pipe... yeah, we were more intimate with our bikes; I miss those days...
Cruiser
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 218
Likes: 1
From: Las Vegas Nv
Got a Bsa in 69 and a new XLH in 1973.
The details
1. Long hair and a fit body that was used to work, fight , intimidate and live
2. Different women / girls, wanting to ride and party, no disease like today
3. Rock Bars with good Rock Bands and concerts of the likes of ZZ Top, Seger etc
4. Club runs
5. Pride in maintaining the Harley, your signature
6. FUN everyday
7.Like said previously, better uniform side by side riding
8.Winter layover, beer, BSin, more planning for the bike and upcoming season
9.No pressures like today, at least if you paid attention and avoided ****.
10. Did I say Fun?? It was!! Hopefully Biker Heaven is like those days.
Today's riders ARE not the same, a sign of evolution and the times, but they will live longer ( maybe
)
But the bottom line is enjoy yourself especially while your young, it is a precious gift, take care of yourself, stay true to your principles and bow to no man, Take your scoot out for a ride and just cruise, taking in the moment and remember , you will be glad you did.
Of course Ph**k A holes and idiots you cannot change, they are just not worth it, time is too precious. But it the need arises, Do punch the A h*le in the face, it builds character and teaches people not to push you. Just watch your limitations, some situations are best to just walk away.
And as you walk down the road of life, smile at the amazing gift God has granted you, as an American, lucky enough to have the privilege to live in this country during these times is like winning the lottery of life. Be grateful and live your life large, you will not regret it when you get to be my age.
P.S I LOVE MY 03 Duece , I feel 21 everytime I take it out!
The details
1. Long hair and a fit body that was used to work, fight , intimidate and live
2. Different women / girls, wanting to ride and party, no disease like today
3. Rock Bars with good Rock Bands and concerts of the likes of ZZ Top, Seger etc
4. Club runs
5. Pride in maintaining the Harley, your signature
6. FUN everyday
7.Like said previously, better uniform side by side riding
8.Winter layover, beer, BSin, more planning for the bike and upcoming season
9.No pressures like today, at least if you paid attention and avoided ****.
10. Did I say Fun?? It was!! Hopefully Biker Heaven is like those days.
Today's riders ARE not the same, a sign of evolution and the times, but they will live longer ( maybe
)But the bottom line is enjoy yourself especially while your young, it is a precious gift, take care of yourself, stay true to your principles and bow to no man, Take your scoot out for a ride and just cruise, taking in the moment and remember , you will be glad you did.
Of course Ph**k A holes and idiots you cannot change, they are just not worth it, time is too precious. But it the need arises, Do punch the A h*le in the face, it builds character and teaches people not to push you. Just watch your limitations, some situations are best to just walk away.
And as you walk down the road of life, smile at the amazing gift God has granted you, as an American, lucky enough to have the privilege to live in this country during these times is like winning the lottery of life. Be grateful and live your life large, you will not regret it when you get to be my age.
P.S I LOVE MY 03 Duece , I feel 21 everytime I take it out!
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 11,020
Likes: 3
From: Calumet City,Illinois
Back in the day you didn't have to have a lot of money to own a motorcycle,most were easy to work on,and we rode the s**t out of them !!!
Now days you better have a good job to afford a new bike,the new biker don't/won't work on or do regular mantainance on his/her bike !!!
There was a time everyone that went to the rallies rode,sit on the side of the road going to Sturgis or Daytona and watch how many Pickups with trailers with bike on them pass you !!
Also 40yrs ago you were not judged by what kind of Motorcycle you rode !!!
Now days you better have a good job to afford a new bike,the new biker don't/won't work on or do regular mantainance on his/her bike !!!
There was a time everyone that went to the rallies rode,sit on the side of the road going to Sturgis or Daytona and watch how many Pickups with trailers with bike on them pass you !!
Also 40yrs ago you were not judged by what kind of Motorcycle you rode !!!
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,785
Likes: 63
From: Eastern Washington State
Check this picture of my dad. Shoes, pants, shirt and a cloth "helmet". I'm pretty sure there was a bicycle clip on each pants leg to keep them from flapping in the wind. He wasn't in it for a fashion show and neither were any of his riding buddies. Nobody cared what you wore or looked like.
I'm continually amused at a lot of riders today who won't wear a certain style of helmet cause it makes them look like a mushroom head. People who nearly need psychiatric help from worrying about whether to wave or not. Seems like a lot of today's riders have to seek out approval from others concerning what to wear.
Yep, times have changed, people have changed, bikes have changed and reasons for riding have changed. Me? I don't care. When I feel like going for a ride I throw on my gear (whatever I feel like wearing that day) and I go my own way at my own pace and I don't give a rats patooty about what someone else might think.
I'm continually amused at a lot of riders today who won't wear a certain style of helmet cause it makes them look like a mushroom head. People who nearly need psychiatric help from worrying about whether to wave or not. Seems like a lot of today's riders have to seek out approval from others concerning what to wear.
Yep, times have changed, people have changed, bikes have changed and reasons for riding have changed. Me? I don't care. When I feel like going for a ride I throw on my gear (whatever I feel like wearing that day) and I go my own way at my own pace and I don't give a rats patooty about what someone else might think.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 23,042
Likes: 12,326
From: Arkansas
Found this on ebay last night....It'll take ya back.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWAX%3AIT
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWAX%3AIT
Club Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 30,914
Likes: 16
From: Springfield, Ohio
with the communication available now about parts, how to's, and what dealerships not to visit, you just might be right JW
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Tourer
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 325
Likes: 3
From: Indiana
2) didn't matter what you rode... you were going be on the side of the road and FIXING something....sure there were mechanics, back then.... but they were never around when you were riding.. so you fixed the bike yourself
Some of the best stories come from break downs, back then
Some of the best stories come from break downs, back then
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 990
Likes: 10
From: Redondo Beach, California
Other than a Red Yamaha RD350 that I co-owned with my younger brother for about a New York minute, (A ticket just waiting to happen) I bought my own first real street bike back in 1976 at the age of 21. It was a Black 1973 Norton 850 Commando. I still have that bike too! I rode with other friends, Dave that had a Triumph and others that had Harleys and one guy, Tom, had a 1000cc BMW and another guy, Bill, (we call him Fisheye) had a Honda CB750. Riding just to ride and enjoying the feeling of being on the open road. Hanging out with my friends and talking about Babes and Bikes and music. Nobody seemed to care what you looked like or what you rode. As the motorcycles of the day did not seem to be as reliable as todays bikes seem to be, wrenching on them was more out of necessity than anything else. I didnt make much money back in those days so I had to be able to keep that ol Norton running to go back and forth to work on. I can say that if I did have access to money, I would still have worked on my own bike. It is a kind of pride of ownership kind of thing and maybe a little bit of bragging rights too! Motorcycle riders were really not as welcome as other people were it seemed to me back then. I remember being told that there were no vacancies a few times when asking for a room at a hotel just because they heard me pull in on my bike. That sucks! The LEOs that I ran into seemed to be much less friendly than the LEOs that I have encountered today. I remember a time that I was pulled over by a LEO while on my Harley. I was wearing a black leather jacket at the time. The first thing he did was throw the cuffs on me before he did anything else. I ran into that same LEO a few days later while I was on my BMW and I was wearing a brown leather jacket. This time he was courteous and he treated me with respect, but I was the same guy, just on a different bike. (It must have been the black jacket) Owning a Harley was not a fad thing to do back then, to me, it was just another motorcycle choice you could make. It seems, to me, to be that it is more of a status thing nowadays to own a Harley, not that that is a bad thing. It is just an observation. To me, there are WAY MORE women owning and riding their own motorcycles now than back then and that is a GREAT thing. I attribute this to the better reliability of the newer Harleys. Thinner handlebars, no kickstarting and a lower seat height have helped this to come about and I think that this is a good thing too! Public acceptability has also helped to open the doors to a wider range of motorcyclist too! It seems to me that more and more celebrities have jumped on the Harley bandwagon in a much more noticeable way. (Although Keanu Reeves seems to be a Norton man and the Ducati also seems to be one of the bikes of choice for the rich and famous. Hanging plastic grocery bags off of my arms while I rode home are still fond memories from my past but todays riders still do it too! I rode a full face helmet in California WAY before it became mandatory and my friends rode without anything but nobody cracked wise to me about it. It was my choice to do as I liked. I do not need the government to TELL ME WHAT TO DO!
I remember using maps to get to where we were going. I like GPS better. It is not perfect but I like it.
I remember trying to find a public telephone that WORKED (and that I had the change to use it) (Hey Mister, can I have change for a dollar to make a telephone call? No! We dont make change. You have to BUY something first) [7-11 SUCKS] when I needed to call someone to come get me after one of my bikes failed. I like cell phones MUCH better. (AAA too!)
I remember when there were NO ANSWERING MACHINES! Someone either answered the phone or not. Leaving a message on a machine does not tell you if you are going to be picked up by your friend or not when you need them to come get you when your bike breaks down.
I remember kick starting my motorcycle even though it had an electric starter. 35 years later, I dont mind having an electric starter so much now.
I remember having to plan to bring along a pick up truck or two, just in case a bike broke down along the way because it was more likely that it would happen than not. Now, I went across the USA, from CA to VA and back again and never even thought about a case truck. I like reliability much better.
I really do not remember knowing ANY females owning or riding their own motorcycles. I really like it better now. Hell, the other day a LEO pulled up on a motorcycle next to me on my motorcycle and IT WAS A WOMAN! She told me that she was one of only two other female bike police officers. Now that is very cool! All in all, I like it much better now, but thats just me.
I remember using maps to get to where we were going. I like GPS better. It is not perfect but I like it.
I remember trying to find a public telephone that WORKED (and that I had the change to use it) (Hey Mister, can I have change for a dollar to make a telephone call? No! We dont make change. You have to BUY something first) [7-11 SUCKS] when I needed to call someone to come get me after one of my bikes failed. I like cell phones MUCH better. (AAA too!)
I remember when there were NO ANSWERING MACHINES! Someone either answered the phone or not. Leaving a message on a machine does not tell you if you are going to be picked up by your friend or not when you need them to come get you when your bike breaks down.
I remember kick starting my motorcycle even though it had an electric starter. 35 years later, I dont mind having an electric starter so much now.
I remember having to plan to bring along a pick up truck or two, just in case a bike broke down along the way because it was more likely that it would happen than not. Now, I went across the USA, from CA to VA and back again and never even thought about a case truck. I like reliability much better.
I really do not remember knowing ANY females owning or riding their own motorcycles. I really like it better now. Hell, the other day a LEO pulled up on a motorcycle next to me on my motorcycle and IT WAS A WOMAN! She told me that she was one of only two other female bike police officers. Now that is very cool! All in all, I like it much better now, but thats just me.