1952 photo of Mom and Dad on his bike

[shapemaster]

Testing an image

[Lannis]

Good old days!   Good old Hydra-Glide - King of the road back then; not a lot of people had those, not like today.

Those smiles are as genuine as they get!

Lannis

[Triple Jim]

They don't make solo seats like that any more.

[shapemaster]

Yep, Dad road that from Champaign, Illinois to New London, Connecticut while in the Navy from 1952 to 1954.

He sold this bike to buy Mom her wedding rings.

Dad road 950 miles in less than 24 hours to get back to his Navy base.  He was riding Iron Butts before they were popular.

He wouldn't let me get anywhere near a motorcycle.  I was 45 years old before I began riding.  Have ridden hard to make up for all the years I wasn't allowed.

[El Pescador]

Awesome photo.  Thanks for sharing.

[oldbike54]

Testing an image

                                                                                  Hipsters ?

  Great picture , thanks .

  Dusty

[John Ulrich]

Now that put a big smile on my face!!!!   

Thanks for posting this....who's next with a similar post?

[Lannis]

Now that put a big smile on my face!!!!   

Thanks for posting this....who's next with a similar post?

I can't offer a picture of Mum and Dad - I can offer an old picture of me on that same bike - a hand-shift Hydra-Glide .....



Lannis

[sturgeon]

Not a bike, although I suppose an Italian airplane engine might have been involved. Mom in the early 1930's.

[oldbike54]

Not a bike, although I suppose an Italian airplane engine might have been involved. Mom in the early 1930's.

 Apologies beforehand ... but Mom was



                                                                              Really HOT ! 

 What a great smile 

  Dusty

[sturgeon]

 Apologies beforehand ... but Mom was



                                                                              Really HOT ! 

 What a great smile 

  Dusty

No need to apologize. She was hot, all 4'11" of her!
And a son saying that is probably worse 

[oldbike54]

No need to apologize. She was hot, all 4'11" of her!
And a son saying that is probably worse 

 Phew , thanks for taking that in the spirit it was given , thought for a moment I might have to nuke myself  Not for a moment does this indicate Mom Shapemaster wasn't pretty danged cute herownself 

 Good thread fellas 

  Dusty

[sturgeon]

Well, I was gonna click on the Report To Moderator link, but I figgered that wouldn't have done much good 

[groundhog105]

What a great bunch of pictures. My Dad, now 89, talks wistfully of his rides on his Indian Scout in the early 50s especially when I take off on my bike trips. 

[PeteS]

Very cool pics guys. 
My very first motorcycle ride was on my uncles bike just like that. I was about 7 and sat in front of him on the huge saddle. I was hooked much to chagrin of my mother.  The rest is history. I wish I had a photo.

Pete

[Aaron D.]

Wonderful photos, thank you so much for posting! Makes a fellow long for days gone by, long before a man's days.

There's a '49 Panhead for sale near here at a shop, $25,000. 

[Lannis]

There's a '49 Panhead for sale near here at a shop, $25,000.

I'd buy that before I'd spend the same money on a new H-D.   And ride it further, probably .....

If we turn this into "Who's got the hottest Mom from before electricity?", you guys are going to lose .... 

Lannis

[Aaron D.]

If I hadn't bought the Scout I'd likely be over there now.

[hooah54]

really good thread

[oldbike54]

Well, I was gonna click on the Report To Moderator link, but I figgered that wouldn't have done much good 

 It would have embarrassed me no end , and Rocker would have given me "the call" 

  Dusty

[lucydad]

Wow great pictures, thanks for sharing!

I WANT that motorcycle hat!!

[Daniel Kalal]

who's next with a similar post?

I'll offer three.

Left to right: My dad, his best friend Bob, his sister (my aunt) and her best friend Lucy.  My aunt is the only one of the four left, and she hasn't changed much.  The white EL belonged to Bob.


And a photo from about the same time as the above; this EL was my dad's (also named Bob).


This is my grandfather (my mother's father) holding Skippy.  The UL is P.D. issued.

[oldbike54]

 OK Deke , was the EL named Bob , or was that your Dad's name  Great pics 

  Dusty

 Oh wait , were the bike and Dad both Bobs 

[Daniel Kalal]

Oh wait , were the bike and Dad both Bobs...

Evidently, in the 1930s most boys were named Bob...

[Lannis]

This is my grandfather (my mother's father) holding Skippy.  The UL is P.D. issued.

That's a sharp-looking uniform ... bet it took some doing to keep it "in shape"!

The other thing I want to know is ... how did these guys in aviator caps and police covers keep their hats on while they were riding?    There was a bit of buffeting behind those barn-door windshields .... and when you have no windshield, the wind can choke you with the strap trying to pull the helmet off your head ......

Lannis

[Texas Turnip]

I'll see if I can find a pic of my first Harley 74 when I was 16 in 1959. The bike was in my name as was the 1949 Chev I bought when I was only 15. Dirt roads. Gravel roads. Safety gear? M/C endorsement was unheard of and for some reason I'm still around.

Tex

[Lannis]

I'll see if I can find a pic of my first Harley 74 when I was 16 in 1959. The bike was in my name as was the 1949 Chev I bought when I was only 15. Dirt roads. Gravel roads. Safety gear? M/C endorsement was unheard of and for some reason I'm still around.

Tex

Well, yeah ... but it's a little late to hear from the people that AREN'T still around from banging their head falling off a Harley when they were 15 ....

Don't worry, though ... any "culling out" is going on now with kids riding 4-wheelers on and off the road like young maniacs, no license or helmet or anything.    Lots of it around here ....

Lannis

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

My Aunt Violet with Uncle Gary's Harley, in 1961.



My Great Aunt Columbia (far right) posing on a Harley, in an orchard near Hancock, MD. 1928 as far as we can figure.

[krglorioso]

My Aunt Violet with Uncle Gary's Harley, in 1961.



My Great Aunt Columbia (far right) posing on a Harley, in an orchard near Hancock, MD. 1928 as far as we can figure.

Dusty is sure to like those George Roeder Flat Track bars on the bike in the lower photo!

Ralph

[oldbike54]

  Ralph , #94 did run some unusual bars for sure 

  Dusty