Back when....???
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 23,042
Likes: 12,326
From: Arkansas
I don't know what part of the country you were in. I rode a POS Pan and it was puttin me on the side of the road all the time. I never had a bike just pass by. Someone always was willin to help if they could
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 970
Likes: 1
Yeah, I thought maybe he got that one backwards. It may be geographic, but back 35 years ago it was almost unthinkable that a biker would pass another biker broken down on the side of the road. These days, I would be surprised if it happened.
Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 507
Likes: 2
From: Florida/Jax
Not sure either but it sure seems much more convenient now a days.
I've been riding since the '60s but sold my last bike in '78 and haven't owned one since a few months ago. Still rode a bit here and then there but haven't owned one since so for the most been out of the loop kind of thing. I just got me another a few months back and all of the sudden I'm seeing the changes kind of like a Rip Van Winkle...or how ever it's spelled.
Anyhow when I was shopping around I noticed now a days the hot item seem to be the full dressers...or baggers. I remember them being thought of on the same level as the family station wagon type thing.
Not considered by most folks now a days as cycle trash just because of owning a motorcylce. Heck, I've noticed most Harley owners now a days seem to be white collar professionals. IIRC most before where blue collar workers...if some worked at all.
It do seem like most sure do like to get all duded up now a days....sure do accessroize them selves quite a bit it sems to me.
For my self I've changed too. Defintely a fair weather rider. I did enough of that when I lived up north. I'll still refuse to wear chaps and a dude rag though. Truth be told though, and secretly, but I do like chaps...mostly in cowboy movies though. Oh Lord, that don't make me a closet chap guy thing do it?
Darn...sorry for the babble guys. Most I've said in a while.
I've been riding since the '60s but sold my last bike in '78 and haven't owned one since a few months ago. Still rode a bit here and then there but haven't owned one since so for the most been out of the loop kind of thing. I just got me another a few months back and all of the sudden I'm seeing the changes kind of like a Rip Van Winkle...or how ever it's spelled.
Anyhow when I was shopping around I noticed now a days the hot item seem to be the full dressers...or baggers. I remember them being thought of on the same level as the family station wagon type thing.
Not considered by most folks now a days as cycle trash just because of owning a motorcylce. Heck, I've noticed most Harley owners now a days seem to be white collar professionals. IIRC most before where blue collar workers...if some worked at all.
It do seem like most sure do like to get all duded up now a days....sure do accessroize them selves quite a bit it sems to me.
For my self I've changed too. Defintely a fair weather rider. I did enough of that when I lived up north. I'll still refuse to wear chaps and a dude rag though. Truth be told though, and secretly, but I do like chaps...mostly in cowboy movies though. Oh Lord, that don't make me a closet chap guy thing do it?
Darn...sorry for the babble guys. Most I've said in a while.
Last edited by rafael53; Jan 21, 2010 at 10:26 AM.
Club Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 802
Likes: 3
From: Wisconsin
To start off most people stayed away from us,we were stereotyped as being the bad ***.WE were the toughest bunch of Mother Fu##kers around and were I lived most riders were in a club were you had to EARN a Patch,Now they just buy one.The women were on the P pad not riding next to us on their own bike.
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 104
Likes: 0
Old timers
Back when I learned to ride and got my license in 1970 there were few ladies riding their own. I was respected by the male bikers when they discovered I could not only handle my bike but wrench on her as well. I think back them everyone rode because they really loved the freedom- or they couldnt afford a car/truck. Now I feel a lot of riders have a bike just to show off the fact they can afford one and are more concerned about looking cool rather than being a skilled rider. Thats my theory on why theres so many bikes up to 10 years old on ebay with less than 5,000 miles on them. In my mind- real bikers dont need to join clubs, gangs etc. they ride with whomever and wherever they want to go because they love riding- not caring about looks.. or what name brand is on their clothes or even what brand is on the bike's tank.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 8,642
Likes: 6
From: Forest Lake, Mn
Not sure either but it sure seems much more convenient now a days.
I've been riding since the '60s but sold my last bike in '78 and haven't owned one since a few months ago. Still rode a bit here and then there but haven't owned one since so for the most been out of the loop kind of thing. I just got me another a few months back and all of the sudden I'm seeing the changes kind of like a Rip Van Winkle...or how ever it's spelled.
Anyhow when I was shopping around I noticed now a days the hot item seem to be the full dressers...or baggers. I remember them being thought of on the same level as the family station wagon type thing.
Not considered by most folks now a days as cycle trash just because of owning a motorcylce. Heck, I've noticed most Harley owners now a days seem to be white collar professionals. IIRC most before where blue collar workers...if some worked at all.
It do seem like most sure do like to get all duded up now a days....sure do accessroize them selves quite a bit it sems to me.
For my self I've changed too. Defintely a fair weather rider. I did enough of that when I lived up north. I'll still refuse to wear chaps and a dude rag though. Truth be told though, and secretly, but I do like chaps...mostly in cowboy movies though. Oh Lord, that don't make me a closet chap guy thing do it?
Darn...sorry for the babble guys. Most I've said in a while.
I've been riding since the '60s but sold my last bike in '78 and haven't owned one since a few months ago. Still rode a bit here and then there but haven't owned one since so for the most been out of the loop kind of thing. I just got me another a few months back and all of the sudden I'm seeing the changes kind of like a Rip Van Winkle...or how ever it's spelled.
Anyhow when I was shopping around I noticed now a days the hot item seem to be the full dressers...or baggers. I remember them being thought of on the same level as the family station wagon type thing.
Not considered by most folks now a days as cycle trash just because of owning a motorcylce. Heck, I've noticed most Harley owners now a days seem to be white collar professionals. IIRC most before where blue collar workers...if some worked at all.
It do seem like most sure do like to get all duded up now a days....sure do accessroize them selves quite a bit it sems to me.
For my self I've changed too. Defintely a fair weather rider. I did enough of that when I lived up north. I'll still refuse to wear chaps and a dude rag though. Truth be told though, and secretly, but I do like chaps...mostly in cowboy movies though. Oh Lord, that don't make me a closet chap guy thing do it?
Darn...sorry for the babble guys. Most I've said in a while.
Uhhhh, Whodahell said they WEREN'T ???????
You can stock it:
You can 'custom' it:
And you can "cube" it:
But at the end o' the day, the DAMMT thing is STILL a station wagon !!!!!
i wondered about that too.. read my comment on page 6. no disrespect meant
Road Master
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 1,070
Likes: 2
From: Lafayette, LA.
I remember if you could put more than 30K miles on a bike without having to go into the engine it was unbelivable. They usually wore out at around 20K. We would keep them running the best we could.
I remember going to the Harley SHOP (it wasn't a mega store but just a shop) on Saturday morning and passing a bottle of Jack around while drinking coffee on a showroom floor that consisted of nothing more than 2 used bikes and 2 or 3 bikes being wrenched on. There was the owner and 1 mechanic. The service area was the size of a small garage and the parts counter seperated the show room if you could call it that and the service bay. Everyone knew everyone by name and I don't remember ever seeing a new Harley on the floor. The shop was downtown in a seedy neighborhood.
I was riding a Triumph back then and no one cared. Learned a lot about wrenching from that bike and the old shop. I read the owner of that old shop passed away a couple of months ago. Brought back a lot of memories.
I remember going to the Harley SHOP (it wasn't a mega store but just a shop) on Saturday morning and passing a bottle of Jack around while drinking coffee on a showroom floor that consisted of nothing more than 2 used bikes and 2 or 3 bikes being wrenched on. There was the owner and 1 mechanic. The service area was the size of a small garage and the parts counter seperated the show room if you could call it that and the service bay. Everyone knew everyone by name and I don't remember ever seeing a new Harley on the floor. The shop was downtown in a seedy neighborhood.
I was riding a Triumph back then and no one cared. Learned a lot about wrenching from that bike and the old shop. I read the owner of that old shop passed away a couple of months ago. Brought back a lot of memories.
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i hope you guys dotn midn the input of a "new generation rider"
man reading som of your guys stories and i gotta say some of your expieriences with " new generation riders" have me befuddled to tsay the least.
now i aitn been riding for 25+ years, hell i think i got maybe 10 years of legal streeet riding under my belt at 29 years old now. and in those years i aint never expierienced anythig nyou guys seem to mention. now i may be differnt then some of these other "new generation riders* but all the guys i ride with are the same as me and in around the same age bracket.
some of us youngins would fit in fine way back when.. we aitn all pussified metrosexual officer workers who couldnt change a plug if there life depended on it
but carry on i am enjoyin your stories
man reading som of your guys stories and i gotta say some of your expieriences with " new generation riders" have me befuddled to tsay the least.
now i aitn been riding for 25+ years, hell i think i got maybe 10 years of legal streeet riding under my belt at 29 years old now. and in those years i aint never expierienced anythig nyou guys seem to mention. now i may be differnt then some of these other "new generation riders* but all the guys i ride with are the same as me and in around the same age bracket.
some of us youngins would fit in fine way back when.. we aitn all pussified metrosexual officer workers who couldnt change a plug if there life depended on it
but carry on i am enjoyin your stories
Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 507
Likes: 2
From: Florida/Jax
Damn.....I take it they still do. The very few guys that I knew that owned one use to say they had to dress up and clean up before riding one....doing the Sunday go to meeting thing.