"Cliff Vaughs, largely credited with designing and building the choppers that starred in the 1960s counterculture motorcycle movie “Easy Rider,” died Saturday at his home in Templeton, Calif. He was 79."

http://www.latimes.com/business/auto...nap-story.html

 

Aw, man. He created absolutely iconic bikes for Easy Rider; I saw Easy Rider the first time when I was a kid with my parents at the drive-in, it was those opening scenes of the camera slowly panning across Captain America, the opening credits of the bikes on the road; that's when I knew I wanted a motorcycle.

You messed me up Cliff Vaughs, and I thank you for it. Smooth roads and clear skies...

 

It's unfortunate that he never got the credit he deserved until later in his life! He designed two of the most iconic motorcycles ever built!! RIP Cliff!!!

 

Well said....
I saw EZ rider when I was also young....Man all I know is that is was Fu@#en cool!!!
Saw it in some sleazy, low down theater that probable headlined porno flicks most of the time in the south side of Chicago....a good friends dad took a car load of us "Boys".....
Things were never the same...I always remember being a "Yute" I had a lot of questions but never as many as I did after I saw that flick....
Funny...all of us guys were such a talkative bunch....BUT not a sound out of us durring that movie...Just taking it all in I guess...
Man I miss my "Yute"....If anyone finds it,,, The reward is high......

 

I remember seeing ER for the first time at a midnight movie fest at the local community college in 1972, my desire to travel on two wheels from then on was insatiable! so many moons ago..........

 

At age 12 I already had a Stars & Stripes helmet!

RIP brother.

 

That's a great read - thanks for posting.

Yup - 1970 Honda Trail 70 (brand new - best day of my life) and a stars and stripes helmet. I was an 8 year old Wyatt every weekend. Course back then I didn't factor in the whole drug dealer aspect of the character.

 

Here's a great picture of Cliff on his Super Hog chopper in the late 1960s Los Angeles. I believe he rode this bike from LA through the Deep South to show the people there what a free black man could look like.



RIP...an absolute legend.

 

........ which is waay cooler than wearing your pants on the ground, throwing gang hand signals & demanding respect like we've seen lately
.........the man's work inspired millions of dreams .... some of mine included ..... peace be upon him.

 

RIP Cliff...