Then Came Bronson on SPEED CH.

[Jim]

Re: Factory

Originally posted by Old Dude
Jim,

I was just mentioning that the gentleman I received the decal from was employed at the factory, did not mean to insinuate that they used the decal for anything other than the TV show

Bart & Clete
Old Dude Vintage

Thanks for that clarification!


As for Michael Parks... I think I remember reading one time that he did actually ride that H-D to the show every day. (could be wrong, as it was a long time ago I read that) Also... (I taped the movie and havn't watched it yet....) BUT, I seem to remember that "Bronson" did not put the decal on the bike. The H-D was his friends (Martin Sheen) and that is how he got it.... already with the decal. I really need to watch that movie this weekend.

Jim

[LouieMCman]

Interesting web page Jack

Louie

[Fiskis]

Yes, Bronson was well recieved by all, who did not own Jap bikes like everybody else. When you spent most of your time trying to put together some prewar tin that had been shot to pieces at the front and patched together and used till it fell apart in postwar Finland, it was nice to see a Harley in action. And it was fun to look how during the impossible stunts, the bike was switched and you could see the outlines of crude offroad tires against the sky.
My funniest memory concerning Bronson was a satire in MAD. Editors impression: "Before there was two guys in a Corvette doing Route 66. Now there is one troubled young man on a motorcycle searching for his identity - that's just half as good!" In the opening scene, Mr Citizen in a car at the traffic lights asks:
"Taking a trip?" Bronson replies: "No, it's an ordinary cigarrette." I hope I still have that rag somewhere, I never throw anything...

[Jim]

Originally posted by Fiskis

My funniest memory concerning Bronson was a satire in MAD. Editors impression: "Before there was two guys in a Corvette doing Route 66. Now there is one troubled young man on a motorcycle searching for his identity - that's just half as good!" In the opening scene, Mr Citizen in a car at the traffic lights asks:
"Taking a trip?" Bronson replies: "No, it's an ordinary cigarrette." I hope I still have that rag somewhere, I never throw anything...

Funny!!! I can just see MAD magazine doing that!

Jim

[HarleyCreation]

Originally posted by Fiskis
[B]When you spent most of your time trying to put together some prewar tin that had been shot to pieces at the front and patched together and used till it fell apart in postwar Finland....

Please tell us more!

Originally posted by Fiskis
My funniest memory concerning Bronson was a satire in MAD. Editors impression: "Before there was two guys in a Corvette doing Route 66. Now there is one troubled young man on a motorcycle searching for his identity - that's just half as good!" In the opening scene, Mr Citizen in a car at the traffic lights asks:
"Taking a trip?" Bronson replies: "No, it's an ordinary cigarrette." I hope I still have that rag somewhere, I never throw anything...

That is funny!

But that was the Sixties!

Not that I remember them.....

Actually the early 70s was my heyday. But the 1960s didn't reach Wisconsin until the early 70s so that was okay too.

[Fiskis]

Originally posted by HarleyCreation


Please tell us more!

I'm afraid VL-Steve will kill me if I write any stories before the one I have promised him on the 1935 VDS that has seen so much of the important happenings in our country while piloted by Finlands most famous motorcycle cop during two decades.
Well, just a short war story then:
When our Winter War started in 1939 every man was drafted and most motor vehicles were drafted too. This man had the luck to be placed as a mc ordonnance as he was drafted together with his FD. One day he run into an ambush and thought that his war was over staring into a Red Army rifle. The three enemy soldiers turned out to be very drunk and the comedian of the bunch shot the gas tank that cought fire which was so funny, that they forgot to put another bullet between his eyes, so he pulled off. He made it a half mile or so til he had to tip the bike over and roll in the snow to put out the fire in his gasoline-soaked cloths. Fortunately he had his own winter fur riders outfit, which prevented the fire from hurting him fatally. The bike was salvaged and patched together again, but he did not see it anymore as someone else got it while he was hospitalisized.
After the war, people got what was left of their vehicles back, often in boxes. The survival rate of the smaller motorcycles was obviousely not so good, but the Harleys were strong. If I remember correctly, in 1945 there was about 100 H-D:s titled and 1949 500! The major part was put together from scrap as not a single one was imported after the war until 1952! But that's a different story.
Anyway, during the postwar years of scarsity due to paying war debts imposed by the Allieds for "attacking the Sovjet Union" and lack of currency, you were stuck with the old cars and motorcycles you had. Pretty much like in Cuba you repaired everything you could with what you had. But that's not all, snow and rain made the rust eat up what terrible road conditions did not break.
When times got better in early 1960:ies, these old motorcycles often got their final resting place somewhere in the countyside, where last used. Then after lying out-of-doors 10-15 years some enthusiastic wannabe bronson came along and started to pick up the pieces. Then he did the same thing five times in other locations, and maybe... maybe he got himself enough pieces to put together a Harley-Davidson.
Fiskis

Oh yeah, in MAD it was "And then came Bombson"!

[HarleyCreation]

Originally posted by Fiskis


I'm afraid VL-Steve will kill me if I write any stories before the one I have promised him on the 1935 VDS that has seen so much of the important happenings in our country while piloted by Finlands most famous motorcycle cop during two decades.
Well, just a short war story then:
When our Winter War started in 1939 every man was drafted and most motor vehicles were drafted too. This man had the luck to be placed as a mc ordonnance as he was drafted together with his FD. One day he run into an ambush and thought that his war was over staring into a Red Army rifle. The three enemy soldiers turned out to be very drunk and the comedian of the bunch shot the gas tank that cought fire which was so funny, that they forgot to put another bullet between his eyes, so he pulled off. He made it a half mile or so til he had to tip the bike over and roll in the snow to put out the fire in his gasoline-soaked cloths. Fortunately he had his own winter fur riders outfit, which prevented the fire from hurting him fatally. The bike was salvaged and patched together again, but he did not see it anymore as someone else got it while he was hospitalisized.
After the war, people got what was left of their vehicles back, often in boxes. The survival rate of the smaller motorcycles was obviousely not so good, but the Harleys were strong. If I remember correctly, in 1945 there was about 100 H-D:s titled and 1949 500! The major part was put together from scrap as not a single one was imported after the war until 1952! But that's a different story.
Anyway, during the postwar years of scarsity due to paying war debts imposed by the Allieds for "attacking the Sovjet Union" and lack of currency, you were stuck with the old cars and motorcycles you had. Pretty much like in Cuba you repaired everything you could with what you had. But that's not all, snow and rain made the rust eat up what terrible road conditions did not break.
When times got better in early 1960:ies, these old motorcycles often got their final resting place somewhere in the countyside, where last used. Then after lying out-of-doors 10-15 years some enthusiastic wannabe bronson came along and started to pick up the pieces. Then he did the same thing five times in other locations, and maybe... maybe he got himself enough pieces to put together a Harley-Davidson.
Fiskis

Oh yeah, in MAD it was "And then came Bombson"!

That is a GREAT story!

It shows the staying power of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle, its ruggedness, and excellent interchangability of parts -- which we all find very useful at swap meets.

Was there a Finnish dealer pre-WWII or did the bikes come through a different country?

Sorry to hear the Finlanders had to pay war reparations to USSR. Not very fair after "Winter War" soviet aggression, but the Finns sure held their own with Mannerheim.

[Fiskis]

Harley-Davidson was the most common motorcycle in the 20:ies and the 30:ies. Second was Indian. Around the mid-Thirties there was some 600 Harleys titled. A few 1918 models have been found, but 1920 was common due to registration statistics and parts found. Two 1915 models are known, the other restored one was sold back to the States a couple of years ago. They were part of the motorized Imperial Russian Army and left here and confiscated during the War of Independence 1918.
Between 1939 and 1972 no Harleys were imported, except 4 Panhead sidecar units for police use during the Olympic Games in Helsinki 1952.
Well, we Finns always pay our debts even if they are not rightous. As we only finished second in that contest, the truth was dictated by the Sovjets. Now when the Union is buried and the archives are opened, you can discuss the matter more freely. But the paying of the war debts put our industry on its feet again, which was good in the long run.