California Motorcycle Clubs

[Chopperdave]

ok

supposedly

Bob Laidlaw, the guy that started laidlaws HD here in so cal

has a picture of a club called "the speedy shifters" and it was all guys who raced with street bikes with speedy shifters on em!
from 50 or 51

i think its a tall tale

but who knows?

[Chopperdave]

Sorry Jedd, I couldnt resist.
on the right is Herb, Herb rules, he brought his racing silk and his original Sinners banner to our party two years ago.

Super nice guy
He told us about some other clubs, one i remember was the 4 Aces out of burbank...

you know that guy on the left, some guy named Denver Dan...

[Flathead Jedd]

It took you long enough! Herb's sweater is awsome and should have been up a long time ago.

[Flathead Jedd]

I know there are other sweaters out there. Dave you've seen a few. Maike Parti has a North LA MC sweater. It's in the Harley Collectables book. I know there is a Four Aces one. Wes White at Four Aces Cycle Supply has seen it. Let's get some pics up! I want to put them together with a brief history of each club. I think this would be a good project to do, before there is no one left to remember.

[jurassic]

clubs

i am always amazed at the quality embroidery work on some of the early sweaters and patchs,nothing like you see today.no boozefighters yet.the grip twisters is a patch.

[jurassic]

warlords

this is one i really wish i knew more about.notice that the embroidery is done right to the jacket,no patch.again the workmanship is amazing .i wish i still had the whole jacket ,these guys must have had fantastic looking colors.possibly a transition from the older clubs of the 40's and 50's toward the gangs of the 60's??

[HarleyCreation]

Originally posted by Chopperdave
i agree with you...personally id rather see a 18 in the back and a 19 up front...

thats the one thing, even though i had a 51 pan with a 16 up front with no fender for years, that i cant stand anymore

the whole japanese deal is big and the 16 with the fattest rubber possible is their deal..

but

i cant deal with 16' tires anymore...
unless i am trying to be bone stock...
id even swap out the 16's for 18s on a stock rigid pan...

****, i still need to order your book!

Total agreement! I can NOT understand this modern craze of putting TRUCK tires on motorcycles! A craze which began in 1940! Clunky, ugly, and ill-handling!

Both my stock Panheads ended up running 18s front and back. Made them handle like a sports bike!

PS: The various club colors, etc. are very interesting!

[Chopperdave]

yup, i agree with the tire deal, the 19s front and rear opn my knuck are the best...

and
i just ordered at the creation!

cant wait to read it, your 31-40 book is my favorite harley book ever so i am sure ill read this one and love it!

[AdminGuy]

The 16" ballon tires were great at the time. Gravel roads were the norm. Not alot of high speed work. Tires were extra shock absorbtion.

[HarleyCreation]

Originally posted by Chopperdave
yup, i agree with the tire deal, the 19s front and rear opn my knuck are the best...

I had 19s on my VL and they were good.

and
i just ordered at the creation!

cant wait to read it, your 31-40 book is my favorite harley book ever so i am sure ill read this one and love it!

Thanks.

Since we couldn't talk to the actual guys for the 1895-1909 period like we could for the 1930-1941 period, I did extra duty digging into every old journal, photo, clipping, archive, and read old newspapers on microfilm until the eyes popped out of my head. That is how we discovered the events as they actually happened differ greatly from the long accepted "official" version.

[HarleyCreation]

Originally posted by AdminGuy
The 16" ballon tires were great at the time. Gravel roads were the norm. Not alot of high speed work. Tires were extra shock absorbtion.

That's true enough. Hap described them as "comfort producers" at the time they were introduced. But I've ridden both 18s, 19s and 16s over various terrain and never could tell that 16s produced that much more
"comfort." But the minute you slap an 18 or a 19 on the front and your bike handles so much better!

[jurassic]

patriots

patriots

[jurassic]

cobras

cobras

[jurassic]

cobras

i dont know who Mayberry was ,but he must have been pimpin' in this thing.

[Flathead Jedd]

Very nice! Thanks so much for the pics. I really appreciate you sharing with us. Any one else out there? Jurassic is carrying the conversation all by his lonesome. I know there are more club colors out there. I put up my measly one. Let's get some more. Any Boozefighters out there? I out of respect won't put your colors up, but we'd love it if you did.