Total Motorcycle Community Forums

I posted this previously in another forum. Nonetheless, I thought it would be appropriate to post it here to stimulate conversation about times past. So lets hear about your perception of motorcycling in the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s. What memorable experiences have you had? Heres mine of the early seventies.


In the old days (before 1975), motorcycle shops had cement floors and, with the exception of few items, only motorcycles were for sale. Walk into Dewey's BSA/Triumph dealership and you were greeted by a salesman with a workshop rag hanging from his back pocket. It was a relaxed atmosphere where there was time for motorcycle speak. Beneath each gleaming new bike was a pan to catch the fresh oil leaking out. There was a certain ambience to the place.

Walk into the Seattle BMW Center and there was the owner Fred Terbec (last name probably spelled wrong) in his mechanics overalls. He was a former German soldier on the Russian front. Saturday morning breakfast with the proprietor? Of course! Ask Fred why buy a BMW over a Honda, Kawasaki, or other bike and he would reply "a Honda is a Honda, a Kawasaki is a Kawasaki, but thiiiis is a BMW! What more can I say?"

It was a simpler time when a trip to the dealership was more personal than in todays impersonal mega showroom style dealerships. Am I the only one that wishes for the past? Am I the only old fart on this forum?

Motorcycles were also simpler in those days. You could tune them by ear and feel. Twin cylinder and carb bikes were the norm although the Japanese had just introduced their 3 and 4 cylinder bikes and BSA/Triumph triples were also introduced.

By learning to work on your own bike, there was a certain kinship established, a oneness with the bike. You just don't have the same feeling with todays multi-engined bikes with their fuel injection and electronic ignition. Granted, todays bikes are far more reliable but their maintenance can be outside of the garage mechanics expertise.

Todays bikes lack that indefinable thing called "soul". A bike with soul is kept. Todays impassionate bikes are bought and sold as a commodity.
Anyone with a Triumph (the original ones), Norton, BSA, BMW, Honda, or any other old bike thats hung onto and given TLC understands this.

Am I wrong?
_________________
green economy

moshee wrote:By learning to work on your own bike, there was a certain kinship established, a oneness with the bike. You just don't have the same feeling with todays multi-engined bikes with their fuel injection and electronic ignition. Granted, todays bikes are far more reliable but their maintenance can be outside of the garage mechanics expertise.

Todays bikes lack that indefinable thing called "soul". A bike with soul is kept. Todays impassionate bikes are bought and sold as a commodity.
Anyone with a Triumph (the original ones), Norton, BSA, BMW, Honda, or any other old bike thats hung onto and given TLC understands this.

Am I wrong?

Nope, I'd say you're bang on. My biking story starts in the 80's though, so I've never known a Meriden Triumph dealer but I can remember walking into the Harley showroom in Montreal in '82 and seeing drip pans under the bikes and staff that looked like they were extras for a B grade biker movie.

There's something about a maintenance intensive bike that makes it and the ownership experience different from anything else. I still have fond memories of my '71 BSA, that bike taught me a LOT about maintenance and patience. Contrast that with my Hinckley Triumphs that broke down frequently but always required repairs beyond the capabilities of my garage. Or the Kawasaki Drifter that ran flawlessly but just didn't have a personality. I enjoyed those bikes but in the end there just wasn't the same closeness I felt towards them as I do with my Harley, Dnepr and Ural. And before everyone starts taking Harley shots let me clarify by saying mine has yet to experience any troubles; I'm referring to the fact that it is easy to service and to work on. I've saved buckets of money by doing all the servicing myself.

But as reliable as the Harley is, I still needed that masochistic tinkering urge to be satisfied and the '79 Dnepr brought back that love/hate relationship in spades. And the new Ural, which so far has been as reliable as the Harley, is a joy to tinker with and service - I even changed a couple of faulty inner tubes the other day because it was so easy to do (ok, poll question here - how many people can say they've done their own tire and/or inner tube replacements?). My current bikes have CHARACTER, a trait which I feel is missing on so much machinery these days and has given me the sense of "oneness" you've described.

Gummiente wrote:

moshee wrote:. I still have fond memories of my '71 BSA, that bike taught me a LOT about maintenance and patience.

Wow, that brought some old brain cells back to life. My first bike was a 1971 BSA Lightning 650. It was less than a memorable bike. With its gray frame and rough orange/white paint job on the tank, it had to rank as one ugly bike. However, it was cheap so I bought it brand new for $1100 (the dealer was having a rough time selling the beezers).

In 1971, both the BSA and Triumph 650s shared the same frame. It was an oil in the frame bike. Unfortunately, the frame resulted in a way too tall seating position and the magazines had a field day with both the BSA & Triumph. I remember having to balance the bike on one leg. Otherwise, I could only get both feet's toes down.

I stripped my Beezer to the frame and repainted the bike with a black frame and blue tank (leftover paint from my car project). It was then that I developed an appreciation for British craftsmanship what with American standard, metric, and OMG, Whitworth nuts and bolts intermingled in the bikes assembly. Wires changed their color code at every splice. Some wires led to nowhere as they were intended for an electric starter to be added in later models. Even the handlebar had switches for an electric starter that didn't exist. Still, the simplicity of the bike enabled it to be easily torn down and reassembled.

The Beezer looked much better after the repaint but I just couldn't adjust to balancing on one leg at every stop. I traded the Beezer in, for the same price that I purchased it for, and bought a new 1973 Triumph 750 Bonneville. I still have the Bonny and it only has 7500 miles on it. Its all original right down to its tires (which still has soft rubber).

Sorry to ramble on like an old man but I is one!
_________________
og kush strain

Gummiente wrote:

moshee wrote:I even changed a couple of faulty inner tubes the other day because it was so easy to do (ok, poll question here - how many people can say they've done their own tire and/or inner tube replacements?).

Count me in as one thats changed my tire/inner tube (whats an inner tube?). My 74 BMW tool kit even has tire irons in it to facilitate roadside repairs. The kit also had tire patches but those are long since gone.

Unfortunately, spoked rims don't work for tubeless tires. I wish I could put tubeless tires on my Beemer.
_________________
grand daddy purple plants

moshee wrote:

Gummiente wrote:

moshee wrote:I even changed a couple of faulty inner tubes the other day because it was so easy to do (ok, poll question here - how many people can say they've done their own tire and/or inner tube replacements?).

Count me in as one thats changed my tire/inner tube (whats an inner tube?). My 74 BMW tool kit even has tire irons in it to facilitate roadside repairs. The kit also had tire patches but those are long since gone.

Unfortunately, spoked rims don't work for tubeless tires. I wish I could put tubeless tires on my Beemer.

I changed all my own tires for years till I felt like I was gonna croak a few years ago changing one on a hot August day. Still pull my own wheels and carry them in for tire replacement though. Anyone under 65 that can't change a MC tire with irons should probably keep their Schwinn.

changing tubes aint no fun unless you pinch a hole in the new one with a screwdriver getting tire back on rim so you can put a patch on a new tube.

In the old days (before 1975),

Well, I was only 3 in '75 but I do tend to gravitate to the older bikes.

I have only been into bikes for about 2 years so all these cool old bikes are brand new to me. I have spent many, many hours reading my dads old bike magazines, mostly from '72 to '86.

I guess it has alot to do with the simplicity and character of them. I love doing my own mechanical work on my bike (and car).

I can certainly relate to this quote by moshee

By learning to work on your own bike, there was a certain kinship established, a oneness with the bike.

Another word for it is "bonding", and occasionally, after there has been bonding over a too long period of time, and too great expense, there is a feeling of "divorcing". Mostly, though, it's a case of just wanting to bond with a newer model.

When I was working on my seca, I felt like "bonding" it into the nearest lake. Im glad I didnt though, all hard feelings were erased the second it started up.

I've patched tubes, once even on the side of the freeway.
Adjusted points.
Welded the pipes on my 71 BSA a couple of times.

I've had a 71 BSA A-65, a Sears 106cc, a 73 Suzuki Titan, a 72 XLCH Sportster, and a 76 BMW R/60.
I started riding on the road with a 1971 CL 100 Honda.
I started riding in 1968 (mini bike)
Those were the days of "Charecter bikes".

I still have a 1961 Capriolo.