Sixty Years ago today....

[T. Cotten]

Uh, oh.

Today is also the 60th for the Kalashnikov AK-47.

I wonder if the new ipodwhatever will still shake the earth in sixty years.

....Cotten

[Paps]

Not like that eceptionally designed firearm did ! Everyone should own one. That's the take no crap piece. Politics are involved with why we don't use it too. Guess it depends on who your congressman is and what pork goes out for vote. Al Capone sure needed it ! He was stuck with the chincy ole Thompson. LOL Paps

[INLINE4NUT]

Cotten,Thanks for that bit of trivia! I remember a time when those were pointing @ me !Not a pleasant memory But it is a fine weapon and I would not mind owning one,for what I dont know but it sure would be fun !

[schmittm]

Keep it up Cotten and your new name around here will be "Cliff" and you'll be hanging out with Norm and Frazer. We'll probably see you on Jeopardy too; "I'll take antique motorcycles for $1000 Alex"

[scd]

Thank you HW for reminding us of the inherent danger that has surrounded motorcycles from day one. There is no way the motorcycle riding will ever be viewed as a sensible activity by the nonriding public. Aswith any activity that carries risk, many people will judge those involved to be a little off, either simply naive, or stupid, or adventurous, or downright insane, depending on the image they project.

Regarding that famous picture, I've always read how powerful the message was to the public. Maybe so, but every time I see it I can't get past how nonthreatening the guy looks. How did we get "dangerous" out of that image. I mean come on, baby face, wearing his hat screw ball...obviously not a rough tough biker.
Ha, ha.

[Paps]

I'm not so sure about the image remaining intact, at least as far as the future goes that is. Rising fuel costs are driving many people to the MC. Paps

[scd]

Paps, on deeper thought, you might just be right. In some countries where everybody rides a scooter, including stacking their entire family on a 50cc rig, I would guess it is viewed as simply the normal thing to do.
Which reminds me, I just read that a Chinese company (China South) is now the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world, some 5 million annually!!! Not many heavy weight bikes I'll bet.

[HarleyCreation]

In modern times the image of the motorcycle has changed considerably. "You Meet the Nicest People on a Honda" campaign of the 1960s and as somebody said the push-button starter (also "invented" by Honda) has a lot to do with that.

Can you imagine these older guys and gals today jumping around on a kickstarter?

Although dressed in black leather and chrome studs the modern Harley "biker" crowd is a mild bunch indeed who meet outside church or the ice cream parlour and ride (quote) "PAINFULLY SLOW" instead of painfully fast and reckless like the early guys did and who really gave the sport a black eye from "Day 1" (by my reckoning 1894/95).

Didn't Sonny Barger say that if he were starting an outlaw type club today he would shun the trendy Harleys and ride Hondas as a statement?

The observation about the bozo and the beer bottles on the ratty Knucklehead looking like a harmless buffoon and NOT a vicious threat is another point well taken.

My my how times change!

I find all this a very interesting topic....

[T. Cotten]

The public never saw a balanced picture.

Let's contrast our own retro-vision with how the '09 Scientific American journal was dotted with motorcycle ads for Curtis, Merkel, as well as DIY kits.
Early motorcyclists were also scientists.
But maybe that honestly wasn't an honored profession!

Imagine how history would be different if Henry Ford's "T" wasn't as cheap as a VL.
We know much more about the hardware than we do about the times and the people involved.

What if this clip from a post-War Kewanee Ill. club photo had been published instead? (attached).

Quite a difference in character!

....Cotten

[INLINE4NUT]

Cotten nice pic I wonder how they all acted after the pic was taken and the party started
As for the scientist....how about all those fellows who got out of an airplane and jumped on an MC now that was a real bunch of radicals !!!!!