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Here's a new topic...Try not to get nauseous.
It apparently has become popular to attend "Bike Night" at a Hooters or other modern watering hole in many cities. Austin TX has several to choose from each week. I am certainly not adverse to a cold beer on a 100 degree day, a good hamburger and a perky waitperson and have attended a couple of these last summer. The parking lot is a sea of Twin Cams (2003-2008 variety) and I have never witnessed so many neon lights emitting fruity glows from beneath tanks, seats and fenders. Big inch motor, custom built billet long bikes are also in large supply. The more bling and more outrageous and expensive a paint job is...the more attention it seems to get...matters not that it will be worth 25 cents on the dollar in a couple of years.
As an experiment only this summer a buddy of mine and I decided to try to attend each Thursday night at one location and ride a Knuck or a Pan each time. There is now starting to be a small but growing group of Shovelheads, Ironhead Sporty's and an occassional Panhead. I could care less about bolt-on billet and neon lights...but it is sporting to watch the crowd eventually notice and start to get interested in 40's through 60's American Iron. There is always a young guy on a tupperware Ninja or Busa who will talk about his Uncle or Grandpa having one of those. See... someone ignited the spark in a young kid that resulted in him becoming a rider later in life.
Each generation of riders has their own interpretation of how they wish to modify their machines....but each generation should also know why they are there in the first place....because many previous generations of riders also modified their machines.
Take a chance and ride your old Flathead Indian or Harley to a local Bike Night and share some history over a cold beer and a good hamburger....I guess we were all newbies way back at one time?
Steve Klein
It apparently has become popular to attend "Bike Night" at a Hooters or other modern watering hole in many cities. Austin TX has several to choose from each week. I am certainly not adverse to a cold beer on a 100 degree day, a good hamburger and a perky waitperson and have attended a couple of these last summer. The parking lot is a sea of Twin Cams (2003-2008 variety) and I have never witnessed so many neon lights emitting fruity glows from beneath tanks, seats and fenders. Big inch motor, custom built billet long bikes are also in large supply. The more bling and more outrageous and expensive a paint job is...the more attention it seems to get...matters not that it will be worth 25 cents on the dollar in a couple of years.
As an experiment only this summer a buddy of mine and I decided to try to attend each Thursday night at one location and ride a Knuck or a Pan each time. There is now starting to be a small but growing group of Shovelheads, Ironhead Sporty's and an occassional Panhead. I could care less about bolt-on billet and neon lights...but it is sporting to watch the crowd eventually notice and start to get interested in 40's through 60's American Iron. There is always a young guy on a tupperware Ninja or Busa who will talk about his Uncle or Grandpa having one of those. See... someone ignited the spark in a young kid that resulted in him becoming a rider later in life.
Each generation of riders has their own interpretation of how they wish to modify their machines....but each generation should also know why they are there in the first place....because many previous generations of riders also modified their machines.
Take a chance and ride your old Flathead Indian or Harley to a local Bike Night and share some history over a cold beer and a good hamburger....I guess we were all newbies way back at one time?
Steve Klein
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