28JD

[JoJo357]

I don't think it's fair to paint everyone in the '60s, and '70s in the AMCA as an O.P. motorcycle molester. Doc Patt was a chief judge, and former Prez and a staunch proponent of O.P. bikes. I joined the AMCA in the mid '70s and I remember many O.P. bikes that were the prize of collectors in those days.

Nobody is Eric, but it is a fact. Had a lot to do with the recent advent of machinist & manufactures making parts that were now available through your local motorcycle dealers/catalogs, as opposed to tracking them down at swap meets & classified.
"Necessity is the 'Mothers of Invention' ". Well, you get it--hahaha.

*M.A.D.*

[exeric]

I should add that Peter Fonda's movie, and Easyriders magazine ruined more O.P. Harleys than the AMCA could even dream of. However, the chopper fetish also saved just as many old bikes, albeit under pounds of bondo, and metalflake paint. Revisionism is a waste of time because you can't change the past.

[Steve Swan]

Nobody is Eric, but it is a fact. Had a lot to do with the recent advent of machinist & manufactures making parts that were now available through your local motorcycle dealers/catalogs, as opposed to tracking them down at swap meets & classified.
"Necessity is the 'Mothers of Invention' ". Well, you get it--hahaha.

*M.A.D.*

I agree with your comments. Not only are there many "catalog" repro parts available today that weren't available "back then," there are also artisans who reproduce parts for various machines that were not "back when." In the case of IoE Harley bikes, there are many individuals who produce parts today that were not available in days of yore, for example, Replicant Metals, The Good Old Motorcycle Parts, Company, Competition Distributing, Antique Bike, the list goes on.... And i certainly do remember some very fine examples of unmolested and relatively unmolested bikes back then that people ooh'd and ahh'd at, myself as well! And, lest we forget, there were machines in similar original condition then that were those machines here today that it would be considered sacrilege to restore. In general, not much thought was given to restoring an original machine with patina then found objectionable that would not be objectionable today. i saw that in a number of cases with Indian 4's; i was the editor of the Indian 4 Cylinder News for 14 years, 1977-1991...

[JoJo357]

I should add that Peter Fonda's movie, and Easyriders magazine ruined more O.P. Harleys than the AMCA could even dream of. However, the chopper fetish also saved just as many old bikes, albeit under pounds of bondo, and metalflake paint. Revisionism is a waste of time because you can't change the past.

As long as we're talking about customization & not Restoration, Eric. What about the numerous 'Chopper' Magazines that appeared after the 'BIG SMASH HIT'...'Easy Rider'. That movie launched a barrage of do~it~yourself Customization Butchering to the likes of what we have never seen before. Just Thank God, that those boys decided on using Pans instead of Knuckleheads--hahahaha.

*M.A.D.*

[exeric]

Customization is part, and parcel with motorcycling. I had a friend that had to have a 1977 Low Rider like the one he saw at H-Ds Daytona debut. He did get one, and within a week, had a different seat, and systematically chromed some parts, and deep-6'd other parts with custom parts he liked better. . . . He couldn't leave it alone; I always wondered why he even bought it when he could have done much of the same thing to a Super-Glide for way less money. Motorcycling is all about "individuality" which is no surprise, in that as soon as someone gets a motorcycle they want to "individualize" it into their own vision. That mentality goes back to caveman times. "Restoration" tries to find that seat that my friend sent through 10 biker's junk piles, and tries to find the right nuts, and bolts, that he replaced with chromed spiked nuts, and bolts. We will never see his 1977 Low Rider with it's original parts, but perhaps someone will do the hard work of tracking all the right stuff down and make it close to what it was.