Then Came Bronson

[yogidozer]

This is from another forum. Dusty, if this isn't allowed, feel free to delete it.
https://advrider.com/its-been-50-years-since-then-came-bronson-time-to-celebrate/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&utm_content=27_06_2019

[Ncdan]

I was a young feller if 16 when it came out. Watched it every week. I even remember the first one which started the theme. His buddy was killed I Nam and the buddies wife gave Bronson the Harley sportster. Good clean show, no cussing and Jim always helped some needy soul.

[davedel44]

Saw the 2 hour series pilot at LA State Rally at Valhalla MC Campground I Homer, LA.

Great show, every episode had a moral.  Even bought a watch cap to wear while riding my Honda 50.

Dave
Galveston

[Tom]

I'd love to have that Sportster.  It could "everything".   

[nc43bsa]

With the multiple "nostalgia networks" on the TV these days, I wondered why none of them have bothered to show "TCB."

[LowRyter]

I'd like to see Bronson trade his Sporty in for an Eldorado but certainly not an R69S.     Then he could really see the country.

[frozengoose]

I remember Then Came Bronson from when I was in college. After I finished, my buddy John and I went out to Colorado from the midwest, me on my BSA and him on his Triumph. While we didn't have all the adventures that Bronsen did, we still had a pretty good time, spending a month or so just tooling around in the mountains. As lame as that program may seem now, I'm sure it sure inspired a lot of folks back then, like it did me.

[oldbike54]

 Plus , Bronson could rebuild that Sportster with pliers and a stick of gum .

 Anyone know the secret about the Sportster ?

 Dusty

[nc43bsa]

Plus , Bronson could rebuild that Sportster with pliers and a stick of gum .

 Anyone know the secret about the Sportster ?

 Dusty

I only know that it magically changed into a Hodaka for the hill climb.   

[frozengoose]

Plus , Bronson could rebuild that Sportster with pliers and a stick of gum .

 Anyone know the secret about the Sportster ?

 Dusty

Don't know no Sportster secrets, but I do remember how the Harley would amazingly change to a dirt bike whenever he went off road. I wish I could do that!

[oldbike54]

I only know that it magically changed into a Hodaka for the hill climb.

 I remember it turning into a Sprint , then again I only watched about 3 episodes at a friend's house . Did watch the pilot movie recently , Miss Bedalia was certainly cute .


 

Don't know no Sportster secrets, but I do remember how the Harley would amazingly change to a dirt bike whenever he went off road. I wish I could do that!

 Turn into a dirt bike ? Wouldn't that be painful ? 



 The secret was that the Sportster was an E start model , and was always started by the button . But to make Bronson look more like a rough tough motorbike rider , using some Hollywood magic the camera made it appear he always kick started it .

 Dusty

 

[LowRyter]

Plus , Bronson could rebuild that Sportster with pliers and a stick of gum .

 Anyone know the secret about the Sportster ?

 Dusty

Bud Ekins + spare bikes, dirt bikes (Harley/Aermacchi and CZ), etc.

[Cam3512]

And what’s the attraction of riding your motorcycle through the sand and surf.

“Hey, let me rip through the salt water ocean!”  Looks cool?

[Sasquatch Jim]

 The film crew got the job of nit picking the sand and salt from the bike when ever he went on the beach or in the woods.
 And yes it did morph into a sprint with sheet metal fake V twin engine sometimes.  And his special ATGAT stocking cap did protects head.

[Lannis]

And what’s the attraction of riding your motorcycle through the sand and surf.

“Hey, let me rip through the salt water ocean!”  Looks cool?

No Bronson content, salt water rabbit trail follows.

Walking a beach on the Chesapeake Bay one day, and a feller on a CT3 175 Yamaha rides along.   There's a fun-looking sandbar about 30 yards from the beach, so he rides out to it.   About halfway there, he hits a deep spot and the water comes up over the seat.   But the Yammie keeps running (I suppose it had an air intake way hight up under the seat), with a cloud of steam coming out of the exhaust, and he makes it to the sandbar, and THEN back to the beach.

I just can't imagine the condition that whole bike must have been after a day's ride like that.

Of course, Mr. Bronson had a whole technical crew to help out those pliers and that chewing gum .... !

Lannis

[yogidozer]

Plus , Bronson could rebuild that Sportster with pliers and a stick of gum .

 Anyone know the secret about the Sportster ?

 Dusty

You do realize Bronson and MacGyver are not one and the same, don't ya? 

[rocker59]

With the multiple "nostalgia networks" on the TV these days, I wondered why none of them have bothered to show "TCB."

There have been some times that TCB has been aired.

I watch old TV shows and Movies everyday, but honestly, Then Came Bronson is a little hard to watch.  Writing and Acting leave a lot to be desired.

I want to like the show.  But just cant dig it. 

[Lannis]

There have been some times that TCB has been aired.

I watch old TV shows and Movies everyday, but honestly, Then Came Bronson is a little hard to watch.  Writing and Acting leave a lot to be desired.

I want to like the show.  But just cant dig it.

So after you mentioned that, I started wondering if I was remembering right and I pulled up an old episode:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4bjxfz

1.  He's wearing a helmet!

2. The Sportster does a bit of dirt roading and field work that people would usually like a dual-sport for, and it didn't turn into a two-stroke Hodaka.   

3. The episode co-stars Bruce Dern and James Doohan; I can't speak for the writing, but the acting is certainly up to par.

4. It ends with Parks doing a reasonably soulful rendition of "Wayfaring Stranger" on his way to the horizon.

I think it still stands up pretty well; at least as well as "Kung Fu" for those of us who were fans at the time ....

Lannis

[rocker59]

I think it still stands up pretty well; at least as well as "Kung Fu" for those of us who were fans at the time ....

Lannis

ROFLMAO!  High bar, indeed!   

[JJ]

Watched every episode as a young lad:   

A disillusioned reporter, James "Jim" Bronson, quits his job and starts wandering the road on his Harley-Davidson motorcycle as a form of soul-searching. He meets various characters. Some he helps, others he educates.

Always remember the episode where he fixed the bent front forks with a "rock!"





"You can call me Bronson...but NOT Johnson!!" (lol) 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoYsfbq3vMc

[Tom]

AND it started on 1st kick.....all the time. 

[Shorty]

How did he ever wander so far on that peanut tank? Mine would get thirsty at about 75 miles.  I remember one episode where he and a young lady were about to wreck the bike. Rather than remedy the situation, he just yelled "High Side!", and hit the dirt.

[jcctx]

There have been some times that TCB has been aired.

I watch old TV shows and Movies everyday, but honestly, Then Came Bronson is a little hard to watch.  Writing and Acting leave a lot to be desired.

I want to like the show.  But just cant dig it.

What he said!!!

[LowRyter]

The best episode is the one with Keenan Wynn and his Rudge Ulster TT with a "Bronze Head".

IIRC, Keenan the actor actually owned the bike used in the show.

[oldbike54]

 Still better than the sons of arachnophobia .

 Dusty

[Lannis]

ROFLMAO!  High bar, indeed!   

Hey, don't be disrespecting everyone's favorite Shao-Lin priest, now.

He'd come sauntering into town, and he'd put up with some crap, then he'd get to work among the Chinese workers there, and his sleeve would slip back, and there would be those dragons branded into his forearms, and they'd realize what that meant and they'd get all amazed and respectful and tell him of some wrong that needed to be righted ...

Couldn't go wrong!   We never missed it on the dorm common room television ...

Lannis

[yogidozer]

An Ironhead Sporty is a damn good, fun bike.
Ask someone who has owned one 40 years, me 
In case anyone want to watch TCB on YouTube...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIjJB9qVORc&list=PLWixa3PxX0pjo9_qbt38EtSDzC7954Bje