back in the 50's a neighbor had a harley. they had a smell back then that i've never noticed after i began riding h d in the 70's. must have been the h d oil blends. maby some old timers can answer as to why.

you could ride a dirt bike, jeep or dune buggy on any old logging road or trail without fear of being shot or charged with tresspassing. once broke the throttle cable on my husky 360 and had to throttle by just pulling on the inner cable. the nearest way home was over a railroad trestle which ran across a lake for a couple of hundred feet. young and dumb, i made it but the thought now gives me chills.

eight years of brits, everyone was them in the 60's, unless you were on a jap bike.


first harley was a 72 kickstart sportster. you had to through lyour whole weight in to that kicker to start that thing. the rachet was worn when i got the bike and every now and then
the thing would slip when you came down on it almost bending your right knee in the wrong direction. then you laid on the ground crying for the next few minutes before tlrying again.
the 76 superglide was a dream come true for the next 29 years. i love my new road king!!!!

 

All most coughed up lung laughing , man you ain't right

 

Well, I remember, when I bought my first HD (Early shovel in a no name rigid frame), I started it up and all the guys around gave me thumbs up...
Fast forward, got a Twin cam, all stock. My wife looks at me and asks: is that thing running??????

Yes, there was a time when not every cubicle monkey, overworked family guy, weekend rebel or lawyer/dentist had to have a Harley. Bike weeks and parties weren't a family affair, brothers would pull over to help you out. A time when a disagreemetn was settled in the parking lot and nobody pulled a knife or called Johnny Law. A time when bros would ride left and right of you, at 15 MPH, and keep you in the middle because you were still shattered from the night before. A time when all those cute little smalltown ladies and the bad girls alike would give you a big smile at a red light. A time when all those nice citizens would get out of your way when you rode a motorcycle.
I had my time. I feel for the younger generation who wont.

 

Roach clip for a valve stem cap....just in case

 

Good memories. Couple more:
Having to get into neutral before stopping (still do that - old habits)
Getting the kicker stuck in the flared trousers
The smell of 2-stroke when you were running down one of those little stinkwheels and the nearer you got the bigger the smell.
Wife not complaining about the tiny pillion
Getting run out of town rather than being seen as a retail opportunity

Also did bikes used to catch fire more often back then? I think they did.

 

16" california springer front end on 650 bonnie...no front brakes...harley rear wheel...king and queen seat to hold you on...rigid frame...amal carbs for the life of me i could never get tuned...

 

I think that will become a timeless statement well spoken brother , very well spoken .

 

Running 90 wt. gear lube in the engine, cause the Harley shop was 50 miles away and I couldn't afford it anyway. Putting washers in the mouse trap on my 42 "45" cause the throwout brg was toast. Taking my future wife for a ride at the age of 16. No front brake cause the cable was broke. Reaching down to turn the magneto, cause that cable was broke also. Walking back down the hiway to find the bolts that came out of the rear hub. Going to the blacksmith shop to get split tapered collets made so the bolts wouldn't do that any more. Changing the pipes, mostly with flex pipe from the Gambles store. Painting the bike black with a brush, with enamel from the Gambles store. Putting the bike on the rear stand just to run it and watch the wheel go around.

This has been a great thread, and a great ride. Cheers everbody.

 

Getting older by the post. Ahh the memories

 

Yeah, but as a Coon ***, you USE them!

Missing LA, fo' sho'.