bikes was really cool back in the 60's and 70's.i think it really started to take off back then .you had all those b-rated biker movie's people did'nt care what you rode as long as you rode. sure there was alot more patch owners back then or seemed less traffic.more laid back thing. i think all the bikes back then it did'nt matter what kind had there problems.my first harley i rode was a 63 sporster. that ran like a rocket so it seemed.it was good times trust me bikes have come along way since.

 

Personally speaking I cant go farther back than highschool around '82 when I bought a honda CB125, rode that thing everywhere. Killed many a can of busch too. My friend had an old orangeAMF dirtbike, Easyriders was my favorite mag and all harley riders were considered 1%er types.

 

Good topic. I started riding street bikes in '73.Japanese bikes were the rage, not Harleys. I rodea Sportster with anironhead motor. It soundedbetterthanthe current generation bikes.Harleys were unreliable and leaked oil, somost owners were pretty good wrenches.

As with cars, the ability to wrench is fast becoming a lost art. Nowadays, I laugh when I read or hear about someone spending big coin on blingand not a dime on a shopmanual.

Old school dealers were small andpersonable. The owner would remember your name,treat youfairly and sell you a newbike below msrp.The olddealers were true bike shops, notboutiques. When you walked in the door, you smelledoil and solvent.Besides bikes, the only items for sale wereparts, accessories andtee shirts.These were no frills shops with people who knew what they were talking about. I like the latest generation bikes, but I miss the old school dealers.

 

"Ride a harley, ride the best. Ride a mile and walk the rest". Didnt that expression come out around that time? I heard that the first time back then from a real biker on an electraglide.

 

The early 70's were when biking got big. Honda with the 4 cyl 750's and 500's were everywhere. Still had a lot of BSA's and Triump around. I think that the Honda's were the ones that got everyone riding due to Gas shortages and Honda's advertising budget. Harley's were considered junk after the bowling ball company took over. So I never saw that many on the road with the exception of a few Sportsters.

Traffic was a lot less and ridding was easier. There were fewer superslabs and the ones we had were new and lightly used. I could ride on any street and feel pretty safe that I would not be killed by an Idiot on a cell phone or playing with his GPS or IPod. I miss the 70's except the pay checks. But My Honda 500/4 only cost me $1,500.00.

 

My dad had a 71/72 something Honda CB350 he would ride to work, and sometimes I would ride on the back. I found it interesting that when fellow bikers would pass, it was the raised fist salute, I guess the prelude to "the wave".

Boy, if the forum fashion police saw what they wore back then, there'd be a whole lotta threads

 

I seem to remember more oil and grime on the engines, Mikuni, Weber and Lake injector carbs, wires hanging loose, improvised metal straps to hold things together, kick starting that took longer in the winter, loose chains and worn sprockets, no front brakes or fenders, newspaper under the leather for winter riding, wrinkle finish paint, broken spokes that didn't matter, colors on jean vests and Coors beer.

 

Im thinking 30 years ago riders didnt worry about where to plug in there cell phone on a bike.

 

AMF Harleys,the first 1000cc Goldwings,Vetter fairings to make other bikes look like a wing. The "Beast" beer,Roadrunners,Novas,everybody had a kicker (or a combo),the street two strokers were still noisey and smoking. Lite beer was kinda unheard of,cops didn't have radar,no mc endorcements on your licence,most hogs ran straight pipes,tats were only on military,1%er's,and prison guys. Truckers were cool (Smokey and the Bandit),bikers (Harley riders) were trash/trouble. Archie Bunker was king! Coor's beer was illegal in some Eastern states. And Farrahwas the babe!

 

I started riding in 61-62 school year, when I turned 16. Here in Pennsylvania, motorcycles were few and far between. I had saved all my money and bought a flatty in pieces and spent the winter putting it together, with the help of my Great Uncle.
He was a real hoot. Retired from the PA. State Police, and was one of the original troopers that transitioned from horseback to motorcycles. That man could tell some stories!!
There were no such things as helmet laws, or special license requirements for motorcycles at that time. Everybody who rode was familiar with most everyone else, and when you were out for a ride, lots of times when you saw another bike, you would not only wave, quite often you would stop toBS for awhile and checkout your rides. Seems that all pretty much stopped when the Jap bikes started getting more plentiful
I owned and rode Harleys and Triumphs all my life and never had an electric start till 1996. (new FLSTF) When they passed the helmet law I was riding a 67 Triumph TT Special with 15"Apes....see, they are nothing new, we always called them armpit coolers then....anyway, my neighbor said, you're going to need a helmet and I've got one I'll sell you. I bought this football helmet looking thing from him for $3.00, and wore it till they finally repealed the law a few years ago.
Never held a patch, and never rode with anyone much. Knew all the club riders, and they knew me...We all pretty much grew up together. We had the Pagens, and the Outlaws around this area in the 70's and 80's and a bunch of the boys I knew met with bad ends.
Damn, I feel like my Grandpa!! What's up with all this "back in the old days" stuff!!