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Post by oldchopperguy on Mar 16, 2014 2:45:11 GMT -5
Obviously, I too have a soft-spot for "Old-School"... I posted this photo a while back, but it seems like it belongs here since we're reminiscing about Hogs of old... It's the only picture of me on the chopper, taken by a pal with a new "Brownie" Starflex. I couldn't afford a camera after building the old chopper.
Dang! Ya shoulda' heard them straight-pipes bark! The memory STILL makes me grin!
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I do like the old Panheads... "Old Blue" was a 1957 panhead to begin with... Last of the hard-tails. That's me, in 1962, at 16. I weighed in at 375 pounds back then... A little "stout" (those are 18" ape-hangers I'm leaning on...) but it sure came in handy kicking that beast over! And to think; now, I need a flat-floor, step-through scooter to get my arthritic 235 pounds aboard. Cheesh... You young bucks, ENJOY your youth... It doesn't last very long!
Thinking back, I was just shy of 6'3" back then. I'm just shy of 6'1" today. Lost a full 2" from a quarter-million miles on a hard-tail... And I have the back-pains to remind me. Not NEARLY as pleasant a memory as the cackle of those pipes!
New Harleys are nice, but EXPENSIVE! I've looked over the new Indian, and for not much more than HALF the cost of some current-model Hogs, AND really, truly MADE IN AMERICA... They are most appealing to those who can afford one. Though less than a Harley, they still are not cheap...
Like so many have said, "better is only relative". And each rider is different... For some, a 50cc scooter is better. For some, a 502hp Chevy-powered Boss Hoss is better. Lots of wiggle-room here!
Ride safe,
Leo in Texas
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Post by SylvreKat on Mar 16, 2014 6:49:57 GMT -5
You were quite the fellow, weren't you Leo? Me, I'd be a little nervous of getting a hot seat with that tailpipe so close to my tushy!
My Harley-friend, he just plain likes everything about his Harley. The sound, the ride, the feel. And no, that doesn't include oil leaks and whatever other dissing folks dish out. Only real issue he's mentioned is some cable needed replacing 'cause he didn't mess with changing out the fluid in it, 'cause it's a hassle. Took it to the mech last year and it wasn't much more to replace than to flush and refill it.
And no, I've no idea what cable.
But he doesn't think his Harley is better than all other bikes. He thinks my scooter is great, and likes it--but not more than his big'un.
>'Kat
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Post by JR on Mar 16, 2014 11:39:45 GMT -5
It's not that HDs suck, it's the owners where the problem is. I'm sure you meant to say it's the owners in some places or some people in general? I have read so many times about how people get labeled because of what they own, ride, eat, etc.
I'm sure there are some HD owners who don't quite act kindly toward scooters or any other type of two wheeled machine but I can find the same in Honda, Yamaha and other types of riders, no secret to this.
Maybe it's where one lives? I know where I live there is not a day goes by that I don't see a Harley/s. They ride here in large groups, this is one of the prettiest areas to ride anything. I know one thing if I'm broke down on the road and a group of Harley riders come by they will stop and help and I'm glad to see them.
Some can look a little rough, I see HD riders get labeled for what they wear? But does what one wear mean anything about the person wearing it?
I've made 5 trips to Dallas Tx. on my 250B Chinese scooter, a round trip of over 800 miles for me. I take the back roads, for the beauty and two lane roads, go through western Arkansas, eastern Oklahoma and then into Texas.
One of my favorite spots is in the middle of no where on Hwy. 259 in Oklahoma, a little truck stop. Best homemade pie and hamburgers you'll ever eat. There will never a day go by in any kind of riding weather that you "will not" see a HD or lots of HD riders there, again a awesome place to eat and I've pulled into this place many times on my cheap Chinese scooter and have always been made to feel welcome and treated well by all the HD people.
Maybe it's where you live? 
JR
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Post by rockinez on Mar 16, 2014 12:39:19 GMT -5
If all Harley riders were like OldChopperGuy there would not be a problem.
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Post by JR on Mar 16, 2014 13:09:41 GMT -5
If all Harley riders were like OldChopperGuy there would not be a problem. If all people were like oldchopperguy they would be no problem.  |
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Post by spandi on Mar 16, 2014 13:17:52 GMT -5
If all Harley riders were like OldChopperGuy there would not be a problem. I would say if ALL riders were like OCG things would be a lot nicer all way round. Unfortunately that isn't reality. Besides why single out Harleys? Trust me, there are PLENTY of Vespa, Ducati, and other "Brand name" snobs to go around. IDK how some people think they're "special" by purchasing something, but there it is. |
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Post by urbanmadness on Mar 16, 2014 13:24:15 GMT -5
I've seen it here.... the local scooter club won't even look at you if you are not riding one of the italian brands.... Because of there snobery, I won't have anything to do with them, even tho I now ride an italian bike... It's just not the kind of folks I want to hang with.
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Post by spandi on Mar 16, 2014 13:29:45 GMT -5
I've seen it here.... the local scooter club won't even look at you if you are not riding one of the italian brands.... Because of there snobery, I won't have anything to do with them, even tho I know ride an italian bike... It's just not the kind of folks I want to hang with. Hear hear sir, hear hear. |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Mar 16, 2014 14:42:58 GMT -5
Hey there guyz and galz...
Many, MANY thanks for the compliments. In all humility, most riders of my era really WERE like me. We weren't special, just respectful. We may have looked rough, and we didn't take a lot of crap, but we were absolutely friendly. We had road-pals riding everything... Harleys of course, but Triumph, BSA, Norton, Royal Enfield, Indian, and the occasional "new-fangled" Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki or Bridgestone. The Japanese invasion had just begun... OH! And of COURSE there were always a few pals on Cushman, Vespa, Lambretta scooters, and a couple of "strange" rides like Jawa, Sears, Whizzer, Harley "Topper" or "Hummer" etc.
Looking through my stash of nostalgia, I found a painting you may get a kick out of. In the early sixties, a local paper did a piece on our club "The Rolling Lords" of which I was elected "Prez." by virtue of having the fastest bike... LOL! The cub reporter did not bring a camera (cameras were expensive... LOL!). He was totally knocked out by our pal "Tiny"... At 6' 10" and 650 pounds, he was hard to ignore... Cheesh, did I feel SMALL next to him or WHAT?
I didn't have a camera, so I painted his picture for the paper... Things WERE pretty "loose" back then, but it gave me the opportunity to make him a little prettier than he was in person...  screenshot toolThe most interesting "factoid" about Tiny wasn't his size, but rather his choice of ride... He formerly rode a "shotgun" Harley (a WWII 45" flathead with a 74 knucklehead motor) but fell in love with the then-new Hondas. His favorite ride: a Honda 305 Scrambler. Amazing that little bike would handle his girth! And it did so EASILY! Tiny could tighten or loosen lug nuts with his fingers and make them squeak. He worked the Chicago auto show once, lifting the new Corvette up on 2 wheels, to show the "lightweight" fiberglass construction... He could start "Old Blue" with his hand, sitting on her... He could lift a big-block V8 engine and tranny out of a junk car with his bare hands, by standing on the fenders... But he was more at home giving little local kids rides on his bike, or giving a gentle "nose-nose" to a fragile kitten cuddling in his beard.
Truly a gentle giant, Tiny is gone now, as are those fabulous "Leave it to Beaver" days. But it's fun to remember. Harley guys were mostly like us back then. It was just before America discovered drugs and all the nonsense that goes with that lifestyle. Life suddenly got complicated after the Viet Nam era. Some things good, some not so good. Anyway, ride what you like (and can afford... LOL!) I sure do! And keep the shiny side up, the greasy side down, and we'll catch ya' on the flip... Leo (gettin' old) in Texas
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Post by rockinez on Mar 16, 2014 17:22:49 GMT -5
I grew up in an independent Harley repair and used bike shop my dad owned. I am vintage 1953.
I was used to crooks and cops drinking beer together while shooting the breeze with my dad.
The guys were good ol' boys for the most part. Most were WWII vets. The shop was neutral ground. The fridge was always full of free beer for customers.
When I left home in 1972, my friends still came over to hang out at the shop with my dad and the guys.
That is how I remember Harley guys. This status thing that is happening now most likely has more to do with keeping score than anything else. Some people are competitive in every part of their lives, including their ride.
The guy that has a Harley 45, a Harley 71, a Honda 650 Dream, and a few scoots in his garage, is going to be a lot more interesting than the guy that only rides his 2 year old BMW on weekends in my experience.
Personally, I wave to all riders, regardless of what I am riding. Not everybody waves back, but that is OK.
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Post by rockinez on Mar 16, 2014 17:35:03 GMT -5
I agree with urbanmadness. There are a lot of scooter snobs that just don't like China Scoots.
In San Diego there is a large scooter club. It is a cross platform club. There are a lot of folks that give me crap about my China Scoot until they find out I can also work on their scoot... Then they get friendly.
People don't realize what it takes to keep a China Scoot going. You have to be your own mechanic unless you have a fat wallet and can find someone that will actually work on something from China.
When I see a China Scoot on the road, I have a pretty good idea the rider knows a little about keeping the scoot maintained. I don't believe that when I see a new BMW, or Harley rider.
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Post by oldchopperguy on Mar 16, 2014 18:46:18 GMT -5
I had forgotten the time-honored phenomenon of the outlaw bikers hanging out with the motorcycle cops at the local HD stores. It was like that at the little shop where I got my first Hog... WOW! That was "America at its real grass roots". Like Wyatt Earp hanging at the saloon with the guys he rode with, during those times he was on the other side of the law.
When my Dad fought in the South Pacific during WWII, he told of some similar happenings. Nobody was more at odds with each other than the Japanese and American troops... Yet there were times when the fighting just got old. On one of the Philippine Islands, after long and bloody conflict, a handful of "less than hardcore" English-speaking Japanese soldiers managed to get within talking distance of my Dad's platoon.
They struck up a little truce, and every few days would sneak over and trade Saki for American cigarettes, and swap stories of "back home" in Chicago, or Tokyo, Los Angeles or Hiroshima, or whatever... The Americans got those guys to tuck empty American cigarette packs into their helmets, so they could be recognized. Then they wouldn't get shot at in the next day's battle.
It just proves that we all have SOMETHING in common if we look hard enough... Today, any of those Japanese fellows who are still around, probably ride Harleys, while the aging remnant of my Dad's troops ride Hondas...
Ride friendly!
Leo
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Post by oldchopperguy on Mar 16, 2014 18:57:11 GMT -5
I agree with urbanmadness. There are a lot of scooter snobs that just don't like China Scoots. In San Diego there is a large scooter club. It is a cross platform club. There are a lot of folks that give me crap about my China Scoot until they find out I can also work on their scoot... Then they get friendly. People don't realize what it takes to keep a China Scoot going. You have to be your own mechanic unless you have a fat wallet and can find someone that will actually work on something from China. When I see a China Scoot on the road, I have a pretty good idea the rider knows a little about keeping the scoot maintained. I don't believe that when I see a new BMW, or Harley rider.
The old Harleys were a little like Chinese scooters back then. You figured anybody riding one must at least know one end of a wrench from the other... All you had to do was squeeze the clutch lever on an old Hog with foot-shift to see if the rider knew what he was doing. If he mastered adjustment of the infamous HD "mousetrap" clutch linkage, he knew what's up! I've always thought I'd like to BUY a snob for what he's worth, then SELL him for what he thinks he's worth... LOL!Leo |
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Post by oldchopperguy on Mar 16, 2014 19:13:26 GMT -5
You were quite the fellow, weren't you Leo? Me, I'd be a little nervous of getting a hot seat with that tailpipe so close to my tushy! My Harley-friend, he just plain likes everything about his Harley. The sound, the ride, the feel. And no, that doesn't include oil leaks and whatever other dissing folks dish out. Only real issue he's mentioned is some cable needed replacing 'cause he didn't mess with changing out the fluid in it, 'cause it's a hassle. Took it to the mech last year and it wasn't much more to replace than to flush and refill it. And no, I've no idea what cable. But he doesn't think his Harley is better than all other bikes. He thinks my scooter is great, and likes it--but not more than his big'un. >'Kat That top pipe was something to watch out for... I never had a problem riding, but the passenger had to REALLY watch out. If she (most of my passengers were gals back then... LOL!) was wearing shorts, climbing on could provide a trip to the burn-unit of the nearest hospital. That close to the head, the pipe ran about 800 degrees. Sort of lends new meaning to the term "hot-pants"... EEEWWW!Keep ringing them bells! Leo |
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Post by PCBGY6 on Mar 16, 2014 20:57:12 GMT -5
OCG... Sir you could write about a glass of water or the color of dirt and make it sound interesting. I enjoy reading your short stories that you have shares with us all. I look forward to reading many more in the future.
PCB
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