Author Topic: When men where men. (Read 5697 times)

steven c · « **on:** November 05, 2015, 08:33:33 AM »

Adventure bikes? AGAT? who needs that!
https://www.facebook.com/hdspringers/videos/791492817572777/

Bonafide Bob · « **Reply #1 on:** November 05, 2015, 08:50:50 AM »

Cool clip, A friend lent me the DVD of the movie those clips are from not long ago.

Bob

Guzzistajohn · « **Reply #2 on:** November 05, 2015, 08:54:25 AM »

Those dudes had some stones back in the day!

Mike Harper · « **Reply #3 on:** November 05, 2015, 09:04:47 AM »

Keenan Wynn was a good rider and a good actor as well as a nice guy.

Raced short track at Selma Calif in 1961 and he was one of the riders

Caffeineo · « **Reply #4 on:** November 05, 2015, 09:12:38 AM »

Cool video. Thanks for posting.

Sasquatch Jim · « **Reply #5 on:** November 05, 2015, 09:50:37 AM »

Me fifty years ago. I did a little off road with my 59 FLH, but most of my off road fun was on my flathead 45.
I used Dunlop K555 with every other knob patiently cut off with a knife. Stripped down it weighed less than 400 pounds.
I preferred suicide clutch for off road, simpler, less moving parts and less weight. Bates racing saddle, 400X 19 front wheel,
Smaller sprocket on engine in the primary drive. Exhaust pipes ended at the back of the engine. Ricardo heads.
In those days my legs were strong enough to get big air on a jump. Thighs were the shock absorbers on landing.
Springer fork didn't soften it much either but we didn't know any better.

Note, see the hill climb photos number 29 for a bike like mine except all black and shorter pipes & no front fender.

Penderic · « **Reply #6 on:** November 05, 2015, 09:58:02 AM »

Rare to see actors doing stunts that could injure themselves and risk the film production! $$$

"Lotsa power in these machines!"

Thanks for posting that!

oldbike54 · « **Reply #7 on:** November 05, 2015, 10:04:29 AM »

Made my eyes water just watching it

That was fun , thanks Steven

Dusty

Sasquatch Jim · « **Reply #8 on:** November 05, 2015, 10:08:43 AM »

Many years ago I saw a movie, part of which was footage of the California police riding school off road riding on hard tail Harley police bikes. That and one of the mechanics at Walter brothers Harley shop were my inspiration in my young twenties.
He competed in sidecar events and was the reason I took up hacking.

Tobit · « **Reply #9 on:** November 05, 2015, 10:41:34 AM »

Thanks for posting the clip, now I have to find the movie. Those foot clutches look like fun, in the dirt anyway.

Jim you've got quite a history as I'm sure do a lot of members here. M-60 tank stunt driver, FLH motocrosser (just kidding). Glad you're here to share the experiences.

Tobit

PeteS · « **Reply #10 on:** November 05, 2015, 10:48:23 AM »

If I am not mistaken Keenan Wynn used to ride with good friend Steve McQueen. Both pretty accomplished riders.

Pete

Lannis · « **Reply #11 on:** November 05, 2015, 02:22:36 PM »

Fun stuff. I wouldn't have ridden my old hand-shift Hydra-Glide that fast in rough stuff, too easy for that rigid rear end to start chattering and wash out, but it was just fine on dirt and gravel roads. MOST local roads were dirt and gravel when those bikes were built, and the frame geometry reflected that.

Way overbuilt and hard to break, they were ....

Lannis

JeffOlson · « **Reply #12 on:** November 05, 2015, 02:31:56 PM »

Great video! Who needs "adventure" bikes for off-road riding?

Bonafide Bob · « **Reply #13 on:** November 05, 2015, 02:48:56 PM »

<<<Me fifty years ago. >>

Me too... ;-)

Fuzzy · « **Reply #14 on:** November 05, 2015, 02:59:07 PM »

Those bikes will take a lickin' and just get right up again...

ohiorider · « **Reply #15 on:** November 05, 2015, 05:37:47 PM »

Here's some old film from Peninsula Ohio, a small town that is located along the path of the Ohio Erie Canal. it's about 7 miles from where I currently live. I saw a vintage ad for a hillclimb on the wall of Fisher's Cafe, so decided to check out YouTube and found this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4NRN8EYYuk

As close as I came to doing anything like this was taking my '63 BSA Spitfire Scrambler up several of the power line and gas line right of ways on the steep hillsides just east of Charleston, West Virginia back in the mid 1960s. I could only go so far before the Dunlop Trials Universal tires would give up, the rear wheel would begin spinning, and I'd have to drop the bike on its side, and attempt to turn it around for the fast trip back down.

I found the hardest part wasn't going up, but riding back down the hill. No sense trying to brake, or even gear down too much. I found it was best to pick 2,3 gear, and give it a slight bit of throttle, just enough to keep the rear end from breaking loose. Keep in mind, I was learning as I went .... there wasn't anyone there to coach.

Guido Valvole · « **Reply #16 on:** November 05, 2015, 06:19:47 PM »

I've seen a photo of a guy doing the Big Bear Enduro (northeast of LA) late 40s or early 50s on a big Harley. Photo was in a book or magazine ages ago. I'll leave it to Penderic to find it on the net.

Cojones muy grande!

8 or 9 years ago I was a checkpoint worker on the Giro di California. Used the LeMans since the Monza was out of service with a blown-up gearbox and the V50 was deemed not good for some reason or other. The first day I had to get back to the motel on the route -- which used a section of soft dirt switchbacks. Ok maybe for a lightweight Giro bike (175cc, 1957 or before). Hairy on a 520-lb autostrada cruise missile with clip ons and rearsets. Made it but was glad Bubba wasn't coming the other way in his pickup -- I needed all of the road and the shallowest dust and dirt. There are reasons dirt bikes don't have clip-ons and rearsets and don't weigh 500+ pounds!
cr

Sasquatch Jim · « **Reply #17 on:** November 05, 2015, 11:54:28 PM »

Quote from: PeteS on November 05, 2015, 10:48:23 AM

If I am not mistaken Keenan Wynn used to ride with good friend Steve McQueen. Both pretty accomplished riders.

Pete

A couple of my riding friends used to ride with that Hollywood bunch. He told me Clint Walker was out there in the desert with them riding a 600cc single Matchless typhoon. They said they saw him do a wheelie with only one hand on the bars. This was long before everybody did wheelies.

Rough Edge racing · « **Reply #18 on:** November 06, 2015, 05:47:36 AM »

Quote from: PeteS on November 05, 2015, 10:48:23 AM

If I am not mistaken Keenan Wynn used to ride with good friend Steve McQueen. Both pretty accomplished riders.

Pete

I read Wynn introduced McQueen to off road riding...

Here's Wynn on the left and Marvin on the right

Lannis · « **Reply #19 on:** November 06, 2015, 06:52:34 AM »

Quote from: Rough Edge racing on November 06, 2015, 05:47:36 AM

I read Wynn introduced McQueen to off road riding...

Here's Wynn on the left and Marvin on the right

We rag on these old guys for no safety gear but look at Wynn in that picture - ATG including a high-viz vest!

Lannis

BMWDavid · « **Reply #20 on:** November 06, 2015, 03:30:54 PM »

Dang...look at that lean angle and the foot out riding position!

Sasquatch Jim · « **Reply #21 on:** November 06, 2015, 03:54:39 PM »

Who is the squeeze in the middle closest to Wynn?

Rough Edge racing · « **Reply #22 on:** November 07, 2015, 06:06:56 AM »

Quote from: Sasquatch Jim on November 06, 2015, 03:54:39 PM

Who is the squeeze in the middle closest to Wynn?

The same photo is in Triumph in America The woman is Dee Williams, the man is shades is Clyde Earl from Johnson Motors ,Triumph's west coast distributor.

News:

Author Topic: When men where men. (Read 5697 times)

Penderic

oldbike54

Fuzzy

Rough Edge racing

Rough Edge racing