What has happened to motorcycling?

[Maintainer]

I agree with you riders that the gear is above and beyond yesteryear stuff. Hey my gear was a denium jacket,three quarter helmet with a tinted bubble shield,and a wacky pretty much non-protective pair of gloves.

Yep, this was me back about 1980. At least I wore a F.F. Bell on that old Ossa.

 

[Meriden]

Taming the beast (1971 SL100 Honda) at Holiday Park on Benbrook lake circa 1975.

 

[kickstand~prophet]

Yep, this was me back about 1980. At least I wore a F.F. Bell on that old Ossa.

Did graduate to a bright orange bell star fullface that we picked up used somewhere. It saved my head a couple times but that is another story. I just threw it away last year the insides were falling apart.

 

[tshelfer]

I first saw that movie in a theater when I was in college. Geez, am I that old???

I agree with what's been said. Old bikes look really cool, but modern bikes start, stop, go fast, handle well, and go many thousands of miles without a breakdown. In terms of bike engineering, I wouldn't want to go back to the good old days. Well, maybe in dirt bikes. Junky old 2-smokers and Honda 125s are just plain fun.

Riding? Yeah, like Ed said. 360 was good - Redpill & I quit riding there when there got to be too many 4-wheelers and it was dangerous. There was also the area long Pipeline Road, kind of behind Buddy's Supermarket.

By the way - street or dirt, we all wore so little protective gear back then, it's a wonder any of us grew up.

But I do agree with Sharkey. I may miss dirt riding, but I enjoy the street more than ever. Probably has to do with the fact that my VStrom gives me so much more confidence than my '74 CB400 possibly could.

 

[bmcdonau]

Bikes are a lot better today and probably cheaper relative to income too, but we've lost a lot of the "charm" of the sport. When I was 13 every one of my friends lusted after some kind of motorized vehicle--minibike, cushman, moped, scooter or motorcycle and a lot of our big brothers had one. It was more a lifestyle choice (not pirates) that it is today.

Loss of riding areas is one thing, but I don't think there are too many kids in middle school today that really want a motorcycle like there was in 1970. None of my kids ride and none of them would let their kids ride. We get lectures all the time from both of our daughters about how dangerous it is.

 

[rob-houston]

Love that movie! I remember when it was being produced and wanted to see it so bad. Got to see it when I was stationed in Germany at a Post Exchange Theater in 1972. What a thrill. I knew who all the riders were and all of the bikes.

Had so much fun riding, racing and climbing hills. I remember most of my crash's, endo's and my brother getting his bike stuck in a tree!

Started out on a Honda S-90 in 1966. I was thrilled to get it. Totaled it into the right rear quarter panel of a 1964 light Ford blue Mustang. Flew over the trunk missing the car. Landed on my head. Got a free ride to the emergency room and 19 stitches in my crown!

The insurance company bought me a 1968 Honda CL-175.

Traded it in on a 1969 Honda CB-350.

Bought a 125cc Penton in 1970.

Went into the Army 10 Feb 1971 which ended my racing career.

Now I have a clapped out 2003 Ninja 250 with 41,000 miles. Boy was it modern compared to my 350. First bike with disc brakes, water cooling, 4 valves per cylinder, dual overhead cams, electronic ignition, 14,000 rpm (CB-350 was 10,000 rpm), monoshock, sport fairing (had a Vetter touring fairing) and an oil filter!

The only old bike that I would really like to have is a four-piper CB-750 K2 model. My brother had 6 750's. One being the first F model with the big ugly bazooka for a exhaust pipe.

 

[kickstand~prophet]

Taming the beast (1971 SL100 Honda) at Holiday Park on Benbrook lake circa 1975.

My dad had a red and black SL that I never could get to wheelie. The rear tire design would sure throw the gravel around.

 

[DaveC]

Well, as a member of that 50+ (58) age group, riding WAS different back in the 60s and 70s, however, if it was THAT different, there wouldn't be that many of us geezers still riding.
It's every bit as enjoyable for me now as it was 40 years ago.

I would say it still brings a huge grin to my face as it did forty-four years ago We grew up on UJM ,leaky American and European bikes. I have in fact returned to the UJM as it is now, the KLR I figure I have about another 20 or so years left in me.

 

[Red Brown]

I've been riding since 2005. The first couple of years, I put in around 60,000 miles mainly on my Honda ST1300. The automatic windscreen, RDL seat, excellent ergonomics and butter smoother V-4 made long-distance riding fun. I don't think I could have covered that many miles comfortably on a naked bike, especially riding through the vastness of Texas and the Western USA on a naked 70s style bike.

I do like the retro, cafe look but only to look at. The modern bikes today are vastly superior in terms of performance and features to those of the 1970s bygone era.

RB

 

[budzrex]

50 now started riding at age 4, Rode on the back of my Dad's CB350 to the Alabama Theater in Houston to watch On Any Sunday

We used to ride in the park on 11th with dozens of guys each weekend, grew riding and still at it. I can honestly saw I have had at least one bike every day of my life since I bought that first QA50 from Bob Lunsford's Downtown Honda for my birthday so many years ago.

Graduated to both motocross, enduros, and then into some road racing.

The biggest thing that has changed to me is attitudes, I just really dont remember them growing up and in my 20s & 30s all motorcyclist seemed to enjoy meeting one another.

Last 20 years we seem to have become a divided group of enthusiast, we have dual sport only guys, cruiser guys, sport bike only guys and they all think the other groups own ridiculous motorcycles that have no place.

We are a small enough segment of the population to begin with in the US unsure why we feel the need for internal issues.
Good natured ribbing is one thing but some of the attitudes border on ridiculous

I honestly had lost my love for street riding as I grew tired of seeing riders hurt either in groups we came across on the ride or sometimes in our own groups, street bikes and group rides became more of a status and rider skill seemed to be a secondary concern to being part of a group.

I went back to off road for the last two years and have found my love of my riding again. Enough that the street bike is getting some limited use again.

I

 

[kurt]

I don't think I could have covered that many miles comfortably on a naked bike, especially riding through the vastness of Texas and the Western USA on a naked 70s style bike.

But we didn't know any different. Even the Goldwing was a 1000cc naked UJM.

 

[Gravel Guy]

But we didn't know any different. Even the Goldwing was a 1000cc naked UJM.

I like 'em naked......and dirty!

 

[ItchyBob]

I first got into riding 4 years ago at 36. I saw On Any Sunday a couple of years ago, and loved it. I watch it a couple of times a year. The movie that really gets me amped about motorcycling is Cycles South. I wish I had learned to ride when I was younger so I could have tackled camping and snorkeling for dinner along the way.

 

[Daytrader]

When I was 16, in 1977, I had a ball riding my Kawasaki 175 up and down the alleys in Chicago. I wished we lived near a dirt road.

 

[TALLSWEDE]

The biggest thing that has changed to me is attitudes, I just really dont remember them growing up and in my 20s & 30s all motorcyclist seemed to enjoy meeting one another.

Last 20 years we seem to have become a divided group of enthusiast, we have dual sport only guys, cruiser guys, sport bike only guys and they all think the other groups own ridiculous motorcycles that have no place.

We are a small enough segment of the population to begin with in the US unsure why we feel the need for internal issues.
Good natured ribbing is one thing but some of the attitudes border on ridiculous

I

I just think there are a lot more riders now. People on Harleys were the " one percenters". Now, geez they're every where! As far as Motocross goes, the bikes and tracks are so much better now it's unbelievable. Guys like me who grew up riding now have their kids and grandkids out there riding with them. I think really, the only thing that was much better back then was the ability for a kid to just jump on his bike, ride the alleys and trails to the gas station, fill up with .75c and ride all over the trails and fields with out needing a transport vehichle and driving an hour or two to go ride.

Kevin

 

[MotoTex]

Anybody remember riding laps on the flat track at Strawberry Park in Pasadena, Texas?

 

[RedPill]

The places I'm thinking of, the landowners didn't put a stop to riding because of injury lawsuits. They built stuff there. How dare they!

 

[ed29]

A more recent movie that has become a favorite of mine is "Dust to Glory" The race budget is higher, but the camaraderie amongst the teams is an uplifting thing to see. Sure, they are competing against each other on the track, but if a rider has a bike issue near another team's pit they do help them get going again. Even on course a rider stops to help a crashed rider get going again, spending time stationary during a race.

My kind of people.

The riding footage is darned good too. Get the DVD for the special features as much as for the movie itself.

 

[trainman]

At age 67 and still riding both off road and pavement, I can truly say that today's bikes are great, but the fun of the past is not there. This is probably due to most things in life, it's just hard today to get your old body to tingle like it did in years past. Like ED29 said, there were trails all over the city where I grew up riding bikes (Dallas) and we all new where they were. We rode after work and into the night all through the summer and went everywhere. We rode 360 on the weekends and thought we were in hog heaven. I rode Suzuki 125's and 250's everywhere as other riders did the same. We rode in blue jeans, boots, tee shirts, gloves, and a Bell helmet, we were bullet proof in those days, that was all the protection we needed. I can purchase a new bike today with all the greatest features and two or three days later it's just another ride, nothing special. The movie "On Any Sunday" is pretty much like it was back then, just good old fun.

John

 

[kickstand~prophet]

Bikes are a lot better today and probably cheaper relative to income too, but we've lost a lot of the "charm" of the sport. When I was 13 every one of my friends lusted after some kind of motorized vehicle--minibike, cushman, moped, scooter or motorcycle and a lot of our big brothers had one. It was more a lifestyle choice (not pirates) that it is today.

Loss of riding areas is one thing, but I don't think there are too many kids in middle school today that really want a motorcycle like there was in 1970. None of my kids ride and none of them would let their kids ride. We get lectures all the time from both of our daughters about how dangerous it is.

Dennis kids in middle school lust after the latest video game or phone. Most sit around after school glued to the TV in a trance. Instead many of us were out on the trails and streets. We were finding new paths or roads to our destinations. We rode just for the pleasure of it with big ear to ear grins beneath our helmets. I couldn't wait to get on the KE and just ride. Man how things have changed. IMHO not for the better. Drew

 

[DaveC]

I've been riding since 2005. The first couple of years, I put in around 60,000 miles mainly on my Honda ST1300. The automatic windscreen, RDL seat, excellent ergonomics and butter smoother V-4 made long-distance riding fun. I don't think I could have covered that many miles comfortably on a naked bike, especially riding through the vastness of Texas and the Western USA on a naked 70s style bike.

I do like the retro, cafe look but only to look at. The modern bikes today are vastly superior in terms of performance and features to those of the 1970s bygone era.

RB

So your saying your not manly enough to ride a classic bike?

 

[Red Brown]

So your saying your not manly enough to ride a classic bike?

...no reason to duck. You're right!



If I ride on the road except those comprising of short city commutes, I prefer tall, adjustable windscreens (yeah, yeah, barn doors) that work. I like the visor open with little wind on my face and I don't mind it even during warm days. It works well even in the rain with a little wax or RainX applied on the windshield.

I do think the sense of a unified motorcycle community was perhaps more palatable years ago as riders cared less then about which bike they road and trying to maintain a certain brand lifestyle at the exclusion of others. At the end of the road for all of us, it is just a transportation device with two wheels and an gas engine....you can can slap whatever brand you want but who really cares anyway. If it works for YOU, go for it.



On a related note, the title of this thread could be related to the decrease in the enjoyment factor of a given material item one own's or even a relationship such as marriage. As you know, marriage or other related relationships tend to go through cycles from the early romance stage through to the maturing phase or a deeper level of commitment. Folks that marry trying to stay in the romance stage all the time will find it an exercise in futility. See this great article for this dynamic. Trust me, it relates to motorcycles if you stretch it a bit, but just don't smooch with your bike. That would be weird.

RB

 

[kickstand~prophet]

So your saying your not manly enough to ride a classic bike?

Double ouch!!! What does that make a rider if they have more classics than modern motorcycles? My Concours is enjoyable to ride and is my main cycle. But the classic and slow KZ250 is fun around close and weights as much as a bag of jawbreakers compared to the ZG girth. Had Carl the wise over awhile back on the KZ and he loved it. Drew

 

[jqueen]

but just don't smooch with your bike. That would be weird.

RB

Don't knock it till you've tried it.

 

[bmcdonau]

Dennis kids in middle school lust after the latest video game or phone. Most sit around after school glued to the TV in a trance. Instead many of us were out on the trails and streets. We were finding new paths or roads to our destinations. We rode just for the pleasure of it with big ear to ear grins beneath our helmets. I couldn't wait to get on the KE and just ride. Man how things have changed. IMHO not for the better. Drew

That's true Drew and its hard to tell how much fun someone playing a video game is having.