Bikers, Rookies and Geeks

Just sitting here musing about the Biker scene, from the 1950's to the
current day and time.. whew.. That's a lot of musings, isn't it ?

We've all watched the great movies of the '50's era . where Marlon Brando
and company invaded a small town and terrorized them .. We've seen the films
where Peter Fonda rode his custom ride across the country.. and so on..

We've read about the exploits and awe that groups like Hell's Angels
instilled on Americans, everywhere.. No one has been immune and everyone,
whether they'd sat on one of these two wheeled monsters, or not.. has heard
about Hell's Angels, Boozefighters .. Bandidos and other clubs of reknown..
Some of us .. who were of age, during that time .. actually knew some of the
personalities that contributed to the folklore.. hmmm.. not many of us left,
but a few.. Most of us left, who were around at the time, didn't ride.. but
we saw a lot of those events that have become so infamous.. Damn.. wasn't
that one helluva time to be alive ? Yeah.. it really was..

Many of us didn't get into the motorcycle scene until later in our lives..
That was shortly after the ground floor had already been established, but
yet.. it was a long time ago.. We've seen motorcycles which could not be
imagined during those early years, being sold by dealerships all over town..
The early shops seemed to be a run down .and ramshackle building which no
one else wanted to put a business in.. Or.. someone might have a garage
where his buddies would come to, to use the tools and swap enough parts to
keep that old sled running.. I'm reasonably sure that many lies were also
swapped and stories were shared.. Quite a bit of beer was consumed and more
than one joint was shared, as well..

The fancy and impressive motorcycle came along and things began to change..
Even the types of people who were dedicated to their motorcycles began to
evolve.. We began to see things on display in these motorcycle stores, that
we'd never dreamed would be sold in such a place.. Sex appeal began to
attract an expanded market place .. The ladies began to get involved with
the machines, so loved by their husbands. Motorcycle social clubs began to
be organized and in the style of the Hell's Angels, Boozefighters and
Bandidos..the loyalty of their memberships were so compelling, that if one
wasn't a member of one of the clubs, he just wasn't "happenin"

The motorcycles evolved, also.. They were no longer two wheels with an
engine.. that demanded constant repair to keep it running.. Back in the
day.. a run consisted on average of just a few miles and it required
accompanying vehicles carrying tools and a supply of replacement parts..
Back in the day, however.. an emergency repair could consist of a bent nail,
a piece of wire with tools like a small hammer, crescent wrench and a pair
of pliers.. Points, condensers and such could be bought in any auto parts
store and usually were some kind of chevy or ford components.. The chase
vehicle on the ride would carry a can or two of gas and a few cans of motor
oil.. In an extreme emergency.. siphoning hoses could be used to siphon up a
coke bottle full of oil from several different bikes and the same hose could
share up enough gasolene to get in someplace..

Nowadays.. our dealerships display a multitude of ladies apparel, jackets,
chaps and goodies that are sexy.. Cigarette lighter, ashtrays and various
other doodads are readily available, as well.. If you are in need of some
insignificant little part, to make a minor repair to that shiny marvel of
chrome and engineering genius, that part will have to put on order .. It
will take from two days to two months for that parts department to get it..
Dammit.. everything we need, is somewhere else.. If these folks are in the
motorcycle business, why don't they have parts for that sucker that we
bought from them.? I don't need none of that ladies underwear, my
wife/girlfriend wears bloomers or some such.. Beside .. if she wants
something like that, she can go to K-Mart, Sears or Target to buy it..
Dammit .. I don't want her in my motorcycle store shopping for lingerie,
when I gotta fix that damn thing..

Then we get to the present day bikers.. Some old boy comes into some good
credit or a chunk of money.. Now's the chance.. he gets himself on down to
the local dealership, plunks down his money and rides out on that shiny, new
marvel of the motorcycle industry.. All of sudden.. he discovers that damned
thing ain't as easy to ride as it looks like when he's been watching all
those road hands pass him on the way to work.. With all his childhood
experiences on his scooters and bicycles, he's straddled up on a rumbling
monster of technology that's going to kill his silly ass.. Besides .. he
can't even hold that sucker up when he stops for a redlight.. Not to mention
all those damned cars out there that have him in the crosshairs..
Whoa..what's all this about, anyway ?

The electronic age is amongst us, now and it seems like every geek that
working for one of those computer places has been surfing the 'net, while
his boss isn't looking.. All those sites that describe them and has those
pictures of motorcycles on the site, are an attractive source of time
passing time.. Next thing we know, these guys hit the dealership to make the
purchase... who the hell could resist, anyway ?

Now.. we got a dukes mixture on two wheels.. We got a bunch of those old
hands that have been piddling with motorcycles for most of their lives.. We
got a group of yuppies with more money than sense..And a bunch of geeks that
have trouble chewing gum and walking ..Somebody said.. "If you are on two
wheels, you can't be all bad".. so, everyone is welcome and happy..
Especially those dealers..

All of a sudden, Joe Public has a near miss or something with one of these
"bikers" and the attention gets intense.. Something has to be done about
those guys on bikes, sheesh they are dangerous.. The public get organized to
do something about all this swarm of motorcycles on the public thorofares
and next thing we know, all kinds of laws go on the books to protect the
public and those bikers, from themselves..

Some old boy decides that a lot of money could be made in the protective
clothing and safety equipment for motorcycles and another industry is born..
Another dude decides that someone needs to send all those yuppies and geeks
to school and educate them about how to ride those damned things, anyway..
Another industry is born.. Some of our states have even passed some laws
that require riders to attend those schools, before they'll get a motorcycle
endorsement on their licenses.. Aw well, guess the state needs a piece of
the action, too..

Many of those geeks and yuppies decide that the old fool that's been
piddling with motorcycles for most of his life has been doing it all wrong..
Just take a look at that idiot, he just ain't got no taste for fashion or
anything.. what the hell could he know.. That moron don't wear a helmet and
his britches don't match his t-shirt.. What a disgrace to the designer
brands.. right ? Never mind that the old fool can take that motorcycle
apart and put it back together in his sleep.. Just because he's rode that
thing all over the world without so much as a skinned elbow, he needs to be
wearing a $400.00 designer helmet with matching body armor.. and boots..
Besides all that, he ain't never been to school for biker education
classes.. By God, that dude needs to conform or get off the road.. One of us
geeks/yuppies needs to teach him how to ride a freaking motorcycle.. Besides
...these satellite motorcycle industries needs the money..

Well .. boys and girls.. that's about it, in a nutshell.. Let's just call it
progress and technology.. I'll buy that..

Your Friend in Irving
Bill Walker

 

hmmm.. Good post JailCall, my friend.. I ride with the ghosts from my past,
every time I get on this old Vulcan.. <grin> As you get older, like me..
those ghosts grow in number and I count my blessings to have known each one
of them.. Along with all of them and a lot of good fortune, I've survived
over all these years and I'm grateful.. That and $1.35 will buy me a cup of
coffee in most good coffee shops.. LOL..

I do miss those days when we could enjoy our freedom and pleasure on these
things.. That was a time when things were not so complicated.. Some of the
riders I met up with on this latest trip to Arizona were more concerned with
which bikes they could outrun or out perform.. Some of them were more
concerned about their electronic gizmos their rides were equipped with..
Hell.. if they didn't know where they were going and how to get there,
what'd they leave home for ? The sterios had some problems and the two up
wasn't getting sound quality that she wanted to listen to.. Or..the CB radio
was cutting out.. something was terribly wrong.. Sheesh.. one of the reasons
why I ride is to get away from most of the silly conversations and noise in
everyday life.. I don't have to ride a motorcycle in that blast furnace heat
to listen to it.. sheesh...

Those old ghosts are always with me, though.. Someway .. they'll let me know
in time.. there is some kind of danger out there for me to be on the lookout
for.. Somehow.. they'll tap my shoulder to tell me.. "Slow down, Walker,
that semi is about to lose that load he's hauling" or there is loose gravel
ahead of me...

When you pass that graveyard where your Dad is resting, give him a little
wave and salute.. He's riding with you, now.. He'll be looking out for you
until you join him on that highway that he owns.. So will all those friends
of his.. Take care my friend, sure hope I didn't bore you too much with my
ramblings..

Your Friend in Irving
Bill Walker

 

I'd sure hate to try to argue that one.. LOL.. Honda and their marketing
sure made an impact on the motorcycle world, alright.. Up till then, most
people would just kinda admire and drool over those Harley's and such, when
they'd see them on the road.. Everyone wanted one, but they were mostly
occupied with raising families and making a living.. "Someday" was about as
close as they'd come to it..

Honda came into the market and made it possible to put one of their bikes in
everyone's driveway.. didn't they ?

Bill Walker

 

Actually, yuppies (if you can call them that...long ago) have been riding
Harleys as long as Harleys have been sold.

Ford made cars and trucks affordable and made
motorcycle-as-mainstream-transportation obsolete. Motorcycles became objects
of enthusiasts...those that could afford one.

How many times have you seen vintage pictures of a guy on a bike wearing a
suit and tie?

 

Who pointed that out, Chubby ? hmmm.. I haven't noticed that anyone has
even acknowledged all that "it's for the best" bullshit of yours.. <evil
grin> I do hear a lot of "the good old days" though.. Pussies like you
aren't anything to point to and say "that's better"

Motorcyclists are

That's sure no thanks to the Albert Nuricks that are trying ride their
crotch rockets, is it ? The ones who are responsible for the motorcycling
life you enjoy so much.. if you ever learn to ride one, that is.. are those
Biker who ride to the state capitol and fight for legislation that benefits
everyone on a bike.. They are the ones that you holler about being outlaws
and outcasts.. **** you, Nurick

 

I know that's true! I, for one, have a billet aluminum chrome plated
cigarette lighter on my bike that I bought for $100.

I said to myself "$100 bucks for a cigarette lighter?! You gotta be shitting
me! (but *I* *must* *have* *one*!).

 

Nah.. Nurick is talking about all those pictures that were taken in January
when Bikers from all over Texas went to Austin to fight for the rights of
motorcyclists Nurick isn't smart enough to realize that many of the State
Representatives and Senators from his own area, are members of TMRA 2 and
support their issues.. Somehow.. Nurick has become a majority of one, in his
mind.. Everyone else is delusional..

Bill Walker

 

Ain't that the gospel truth.. LOL

Bill Walker

 

Hot dammit, Waco.. I want me one of them... LOL

 

hmmm.. When was it that Albert Nurick decided to get involved in motorcycles
? Course, I'm sure you were kinda behind the curve..weren't you ?

 

Damn Nurick .. this little old thread I posted, has hit you pretty close to
the house, hasn't it ? hmmm... Parts of it did describe you, I guess..
even though I didn't have you in mind when I wrote it..hahaha

 

(Bill Walker writes)
‘‘Just sitting here musing about the Biker scene, from the 1950's to
the current day and time.. whew.. That's a lot of musings, isn't it ?
We've all watched the great movies of the '50's era . where Marlon
Brando and company invaded a small town and terrorized them .. We've
seen the films where Peter Fonda rode his custom ride across the
country.. and so on..’’

I, bjay, snipped some, but enjoyed all)
On down you commented about when the yuppies types, started buying
Motorcycles. I think they actually contributed a good deal to our
pleasures of the current times.
I think, the soCalled yuppies came along about 1990, or earlier.
Honey, and I were in Hot Springs about 92. And we just happened to be
there during a HOG Rally.
I hadnt owned a Bike since about 88 at that time. Well sir, we were so
impressed with all the new motorcycle apparel.
How good the Bikers looked in the complete leather, on down. Most of
those Harley riders, probably were in their 40's and up to around 50 yrs
old, it looked to us.
About 3 years ago, I got back in the saddle again. And I couldnt wait
to get me the Leather goods. I enjoy wearing the leather. I am a cold
weather motorcyclist, I rode a little yesterday, and it is entirely too
hot for me. I won't be riding out of town till september.
Back in my hayDay, no one wore leather, hardly. it was Blue Jean
jackets. I wore one of my AF Flight Jackets.
I didn't have a faring on my first Wing, nor did I have Bags. I had a
regular size Wind Shield and a sissy bar.
Tony and I loaded up camping gear, and packed a Boy Scout type pack that
had the bars enforcements, and rode to Colorado. We tied our sleeping
bag on, where we could lean against it. heehee!
A few in those days, wore somekind of Company Logo Jackets, I think.
Our first rain gear, were black leaf bags, but later did better.
Bill, your article here, made me have video flash back of me and my
friend Big Tony.
One time, going into Memphis, about three tough looking (they thought)
old club bikers came up behind us. They were mostly riding the Little
ole 1000 Sportsters.
They insenuated with a hand jester,that we should pay attention, and Big
Tony, from Greenwood Miss, looked over at me, and pointed let's Go.
I was on my GL1000, and he on his 900
Kawasocki. Well sir, we jestered back at em, and hooked em'. We merely
tootled on. That was that.
We noticed quite a bit of smoke behind us, as they disapeared in our
mirriors.
We were on our way to Knoxville to find a KOA, by 6:00 pm., didnt have
time to chat with the Biker friendlies of Memphis.
(bjay)

 

hehehe.. That's what I thought.. It's that imaginary majority that you think
you live in..

LOL.. That's what I told the dude I took it away from.. hmmm He's a usenet
buddy of yours, as I recall...

ROTFL... Bad hair day, huh ?

 

‘‘Mr.Homa wrote:
I'll tell you one of the ways you can tell how popular motorcycles have
gotten is the price of accessories especially the dealers. Some of the
smallest and cheapest things have got the most ridicules prices.


‘‘I know that's true! I, for one, have a billet aluminum chrome
plated cigarette lighter on my bike that I bought for $100.
I said to myself "$100 bucks for a cigarette lighter?! You gotta be
shitting me! (but *I* *must* *have* *one*!).

(Wakko)


‘‘I don't think I'd told, that, naw, don't think I'd tooolllld,
thaaat’’.!. (bjay)

 

Q: what's the HD on the piece of chrome stand for ?

A: hundred dollah...

 

Fact is the people who bought Hondas back then already wanted motorcycles
but their momas wouldn't let them. The song went "No! There will be no
motorcycles in this house! You can have a Honda, but NO motorcycles!" Note
that they all bought H-Ds after moma died some 25 years later and "became
bikers" but they're still the "nicest people". No trains or diet pills at
their parties.

 

Naw. First it didn't really take off til 1990. When I bought my 1990 FLH
the dealer immediately knocked $1000 of MSRP, canceled the setup and
delivery charges and threw in the 5-year warantee. A year later you paid
full fare and a year after that there was a waiting list. Also, the shovel
wasn't bad IF you ignored folk wisdom about 90wt oil and instead used a
multigrade. The oil lines to the head were small so the top end starved if
you used too thick oil in cold mornings. My 1980 had nearly 100,000 on it
when I foolishly traded it on a Wide Glide.

Most young people wanted bikes in the 60s but their parents didn't allow it,
then their wives didn't allow it. So they hid in the can and read Easy Rider
for the next 30 years while they raised kids. Then one day they made the
last mortgage and tuition payment and not only could afford that H-D they'd
always wanted but could tell the old lady to **** off if she didn't like it.
There are a million variations on the theme but that's it in a nutshell. It
wasn't metric riders switching to H-Ds that created the boom in sales, it
was all the middle aged newbies. Did you know Easy Riders outsold all the
other bike rags combined during those years even though H-D had only a small
share of the market? Tells me 99% of their readers were just waiting and
dreaming.

 

Haw! I don't mind. If I can't reveal my idiocies here, then where better?

Besides, that lighter made it so I can finally do decent milage on the bike.
It was killing my time having to stop for a smoke.

Now....if I can just figure out how to light a cig with full gloves, I'll be
ready to take Ron Ayres (http://tinyurl.com/bbnno).

 

‘‘I know that's true! I, for one, have a billet aluminum chrome
plated cigarette lighter on my bike that I bought for $100. I said to
myself "$100 bucks for a cigarette lighter?! You gotta be shitting me!
(but *I* *must* *have* *one*!).
                                  (Wakko)

''I don't think I'd told, that, naw, don't think I'd tooolllld,
thaaat''.!.     (bjay)


‘‘Haw! I don't mind. If I can't reveal my idiocies here, then where
better?
Besides, that lighter made it so I can finally do decent milage on the
bike. It was killing my time having to stop for a smoke.
Now....if I can just figure out how to light a cig with full gloves,
I'll be ready to take Ron Ayres (http://tinyurl.com/bbnno).

(Wakko)

‘‘anuther use for the Lighter, is like my SoNlaw, Randy . He doesn
smoke but installed a Honda Lighter,for, to charge his cellular. (price
$11.95) (good idea, huh?, BJAY)

 

now that this is being inaccurately hashes out for the billionth time by
the walkers, i did the oil/filter/final drive last night. had to go to a
nearby shop to pick up a filter and some crush washers since i'd used up
my stock with the last change. still plenty of full synth motor and gear
oil. put in a call for 5 more filters and 15 more crush washers since
they are about half price of the dealership if ordered from University
Motors (ask for Gary).

Of course the swap took all of 30 minutes from tools out to tools up.

oh yeah... no catastrophic spills of hazardous waste... no lying to the
wife... no dead landscaping.