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A few years ago I was given a book titled Motorcycle Chums
in the Land of the Sky. A story of three teenaged boys who take a
motorcycle trip through the Carolinas. It was published in 1912 during the
early days of motorcycling. The book is written in a Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew
format, so it is a hard read, for adults anyway. However, there are some
fascinating insights into the problems faced by "Early Riders,"
and the changes in our culture since it was written. Substandard tires,
road conditions (or lack of) and flood swollen creeks, sometimes kept
rides down to only a few miles a day. One of the travelers ran over a
chicken and had to pay the owner twice the going rate (fifty-cents) for
the dead bird. Another time the sheriff told the boys to be wary of wild
animals and some barn burning hooligans he was looking for. One of the
young riders said he was carrying and showed the lawman his piece. The
officer said that it was too small a caliber for his liking. Talk about
changes in attitudes! Not all things change, though. While staying in a
tavern the boys insisted on bringing their scooters into a room with them,
where they were chained together and padlocked. Evidently, the phrase "It's
my bike and it's gonna stay my bike!" has been around awhile. The
book was part of a series. I can't help but wonder how many youngsters of
that era were influenced by this book, who carried their enthusiasm for
two wheels into the forties, fifties and sixties after W.W. 2. Pioneers,
who left their mark on us. Received another fantastic book for Christmas.
The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia Of American Motorcycles. Written in
1999 by Tod Rafferty. Modern riders tend to be a bit smug about their high
tech multi cylinder machines, but did you know that in 1907 a V-8 powered
Curtiss (1901-1913) reached 136 MPH? It was little more than a stretched
out bicycle with an aircraft engine stuffed in the frame. With only one
crude brake it took a mile to stop it after a high speed run. Tell me
these "Early Riders" didn't wear extra large jock straps. There
have been over 300 American manufacturers of motorcycles, not counting
home, or custom built models. Wars and the Great Depression killed some
makers. Mass produced automobiles did others in. Some did not have the
capital to compete with Indian and Harley. A lot of companies insisted on
producing light weight bikes, which in the old days, was the kiss of death
and probably the reason Harley never continued with a small displacement,
entry level machine. I realized after reading the book that we are now
living in an unprecedented era of motorcycling. There are not as many
brands on the market as there was before W.W. 1, but there are more road
bikes being manufactured than ever before, and it has been several
generations since so many models have been available. Our well maintained
road system and the reliability of modern scoots is something our hard
riding ancestors could only dream about. Those of us riding today are
extremely fortunate that our great grandfathers had so much grit and
foresight. If anyone asks why you ride. Tell them it's a family tradition.
A third great book is, I Ain't Got Time To Bleed, by George Janos, alias
Jesse Ventura, Governor of Minnesota. It's a fascinating auto biography of
a baby boomer, who like a lot of us, grew up under the shadow of the Viet
Nam War. Anyone who served in the military then, can identify with
Governor Ventura enlisting right out of high school, at a time when it was
definitely not popular to do so. Jesse also has a taste for Harleys and
rode with some clubbers in California after his discharge. He first became
involved in politics when his elected reps refused to listen to the
citizenry. His run for office was considered a joke by both Democrats and
Republicans. (Can any of you Legislative Warriors relate?) Governor
Ventura also said major parties like low voter turnout. A high turnout is
considered a sign of dissatisfaction for the status quo and not good for
incumbents. He claims that only 20% of the citizenry identify themselves
as Democrats, and another 20% as Republicans. This leaves a vast majority
in the middle with no representation. This is inspiring, because it means
there are definitely enough Americans to take back our country, and return
it to a Constitutional Republic. We are a fortunate generation. Yeah,
we've had our problems. The Cold War and Viet Nam effected all of us. Way
too many were killed or crippled by it. The rise of fascism disguised as
the war on drugs is a national disgrace and a major pain in the ass. The
looting and depression that was called Reganomics hammered working class
people. In many ways baby boomers have been rode hard and put up wet.
However, we're still riding, in the greatest era of motorcycling ever
seen. We have people ready and willing to stand up for our rights. With
enough help we can do just what our forefathers did for us, "secure
the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity …" And,
while I'm thinking about history, even if you didn't get a delegate or
alternate spot to the Democratic Convention mark June 9 - 10 on your
calendar. The only thing a politician appreciates more than large campaign
contributions are large numbers of voters. We made history at Dream Town
in 94, and in 97 the "Dream" became "Reality." Join us
at Joe Pool lake and ride to the Convention Center in Ft. Worth. You'll
have fun and make history at the same time. Ride safe. Especially when you
ride to the convention.
End
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