Erik Buell!!!! Am I allowed to say Erik Buell in here?

 

Being a Actor or Actress that had lots of money and a motorcycle hobby does not make one note worthy as a biker. Just a person that could afford to buy a lot of toys.

Being a Wall Street wiz, having money, same.

Being a TV host, musician, same lots of money and affording all the bikes you want, is only being famous for what they do to make money and how they spend it.

Same for racing bikes as cars. It's a business where as there era fades so do they from pulic consciousness. Very few sports figures are remembered by later generations. What sports figures have stood the test of time as Babe Ruth.

Evil Kenevil is gone. People recognize his name and associate it with motorcycles. People not alive then still asociate his name with bikes. Motorcycles were his primary source of recognition.

Actors are recognized for being actors not riding bikes. Forbes for being rich and having a magazine. Lots of people have been menioned here that their primary recognition is what they did for a living, not their bike hobby. There are many that don't know about these people's bike hobby.

People remember James Dean as the actor that died young in a car crash. Yes he liked cars, liked speed, but did nothing automotive noteworthy to be remembered by.

Because Ann Margret looked good on a bike, so what. She looked good no matter where what when how why. She looked good in "Grumpier Old Men" at 70 then a lot of 20 year olds. Same thing people remember her as a actress that sang danced and look good.

Jay Leno has not been albe to make a living from collecting motorcycles. He has just made a lot of news spending a lot of his money on his hobby from his craft as an entertainer.

Entertainer is his contribution to society. How many people here would of care to hear about his hobby if it was collecting stamps instead?

 

William S Harley collected stamps.

 

No. Buell's are just today's Edsel. The bike that people didn't want to buy in large enough numbers to stay in business.

A bike builder that would of not won unless the rules were adjusted so his bikes could win.

He tried his best. But as in many things, World Series, bxing match, America's Cup, you don't get no ring, you get nothin' except the label loser because you came up short.

Not many people can get into the game. So give him that much. Still his effort winds up in the lost column.

 

Agreed. Hands down the most recognized person associated with a motorcycle. RIP Evel Knievel.....still to this day, no one has even bocked at the idea of jumping the snake river....

 

An that bit of knowledge does not impress me. In the so what column.

 

Then it's settled...

Evel was the coolest man ever to throw a leg over a Mobike ...

You'll get no arguments from me..

Most of my scars and broken brones were "influenced" by Mr. Kneivel ...
(His son is a toolbox though !!! trying to cash in on his dad's work..)

R.I.P The coolest man on two wheels ...

The sad reality is that we will probably never have another "american hero" like that.

 

The University of Oregon Duck.

 

Clark Gable also rode.

And perhaps the greatest RACER of all time Mike Hailwood!!

Harley racers; Jay Springstein, Bart Markel

 

I'll agree that the famous biker is per generation. It also has to be broken down by genre as well. Jay Springsteen hasn't been mentioned yet. He was a flat track legend on Harley's XR750. "King Kenny" has to be the most famous road racing legend. In the dirt, Dick Burleson, aka "King Richard" was an Enduro champion. I was glad to see that Wired ***** put in a mention of some famous Motocross racers, which I totally agree with and add Tony Destafano, Preston Petty, and myself as the most famous Motocross racing DNF ha ha. Everyone I mentioned above (except me, of course) is an AMA Hall of Famer.

There are famous people who ride also (another genre). Peter Fonda, Steve Mcqueen, Elvis. I don't think the rich actor biker wannabe's who buy a $75k customized chopper then pose for pictures on it deserve to be included.