Donny’s Unauthorized Technical Guide to Harley-Davidson, 1936 to Present

When Men were Men and Women were Double Breasted The Sportster (XL) has been in the Harley fold longer than any other model. At of the time of this writing, the Sporty has 59 years of history. It is the most customized Harley of all time. Many shorter riders prefer the XL, thinking that a smaller engine equates with an easier bike to ride. The reality is that this is the bucking bronco of the Harley stable. Small Dick Syndrome Arrogant H-D Big Twin riders drove me nuts in the 1980’s and nineties with their condescending Sportster girl’s bike commentaries. For the most part, these were insecure, new riders with small-dick syndrome. One rarely or never heard these comments in the 1960’s or 70’s. Why?… The Sportster was ridden by the hard core who let their fists do the talking If you watch the early biker movies, one cannot help but notice that many of the original 1%ers are riding kick start Sportsters. If your Harley starts easily as all modern ones do, you should know that this wasn’t always so. Kick starting an early Ironhead Sportster with Magneto ignition and slipping kicker gears was a ritualistic, tribal exercise as was the cool gyrations starting the beast. Donny’s Blasts from the Past: Biker Movie Hit in 1969 I was riding with Sonny through the Mojave Desert about 15 years ago. We stopped on the side of the highway. There was a sun bleached white wood, decrepit motel in the middle of nowhere across the highway. Tumbleweed rolled by in a light desert breeze that brought relief from the searing heat. The one story, row structure leaned on an angle that was sure to collapse. “Ever see that movie we made in 69,” his gravelly voice asked. “Good old guy owns that motel. If you didn’t want to sleep last night, I was planning on us staying here because I know you like history Don.” What a fucking guy, Mr Energy! We rode from LA to Oakland, leaving at 9am in the morning at a steady 80 mph. We left Oakland at 9pm that night and rode another six hours to 3am. I quietly replied that he took me from a nice warm highway up into the mountains where a cold rain sleet pelted us mercilessly. We got to bed at 5:00 am. Sonny woke me at 8 am. It was still cold and raining but our descent into the desert brought welcome dry heat. His quiet, raspy voice continued, “We filmed the movie out here and stayed at this motel. The movie people bought us as many kegs of beer as we wanted for our pay.” Befitting the surrealistic, we rode off into a sand storm. Wanna Rob a Bank? In the 1970’s and eighties, Montreal, was purportedly the bank robbery capital of North America. Some bank robbers used Sportsters for their getaway vehicles. The bikes accelerated faster than most cars of the day and were manoeuvrable, fitting through tight spaces to foil potential police chases. The downside was if the bikes did not want to start. Honda “meets the nicest people” In 1958, Harley-Davidson’s nemesis Honda comes to America to meet “the nicest people.” Their enduring and effective slogan, “You meet the nicest people on a Honda,” provides the competition that almost destroys the already declining Harley Davidson. This very effective mainstream catchphrase said it all to the Harley riders of the day. We were not that bad but this nice stuff was pure baby formula to us. We were tough, hardy individualists. Even if we were nice, we all had some of the old west outlaw free spirit in our soul. The problem with individualism, if there is one, is that some separation is required from the mainstream. Although Honda became a constant threat beginning in the early 1970’s, it did not precipitate H-D’s financial crisis that had been building for many years. The reader only need reference the 1951, Harley-Davidson petition for a 40% import tax on all imported foreign motorcycles. This onerous tariff was not against Honda, as they had not yet begun their assault. America was again fighting off an English invasion. This time it was Triumph, British Small Arms (BSA), and the Snortin’ Norton. Evel Knievel The venerable Evil Knievel made his first jump with a 350cc Honda. He jumped over two mountain lions and a container full of about 100 rattlesnakes. He rode many types of motorcycles including a Harley-Davidson Sportster XR-750. AMF/Harley-Davidson formed a business relationship with the dare devil in 1971. Evel wrapped himself patriotically in both the American flag as well as the iconic Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Evel was a marketing guru in his own right. He, in combination with Harley-Davidson personified the American Dream born out of rich history. Evel had balls, he had skill, and he went where others feared to tread. The Guinness Book of Records listed Evel as surviving “most bones broken in a lifetime”. The Wild One: Birth of the One Percenter The Wild One (1953) is a loose depiction of a 4th of July motorcycle run to Hollister, California in 1947. The movie portrays a fictionalized account of the famed Hollister riots. This is not an intellectual movie like Easyriders but the first depiction of the biker threat. Hollister becomes the birthplace of the American Biker. Life Magazine Creates the Mythology Life magazine sensationalized the event by splaying a picture of a drunken sot laying across a motorcycle surrounded by beer bottles. However, the picture was a fake. The 1% is Born The American Motorcycle Association (AMA) rides to the rescue with its own media take. Ninety-nine percent of motorcyclists are decent people. The 1% cause the trouble. Never has a deflecting “its not me, its them” speech created such a powerful symbol for the bike clubs who wear the 1%er flashes with pride. Ironically, many of these labelled 1%ers were discharged soldiers from WWII back from defending the United States from the Nazis and Japanese. Demobilized WWII veterans formed hundreds of small motorcycle clubs with names like the Boozefighters. These guys drank a lot, partied, and rode their bikes. At first, the AMA welcomed these clubs with open arms but not for long. The town’s 21 bars hit pay dirt. These veteran bikers learned to drink in the army. Many thought it funny when some rode their bikes into some of the bars. The 3-day party overwhelmed the police as many bemused townspeople watched the show of impromptu drunken drag racing and wheelies. The local hospital treated about 60-bikers for various self-inflicted injuries. About the same number were arrested for misdemeanor disorderly conduct, public drunkeness, and reckless riding. No one died. There were no serious crimes. No locals were harmed. How bad was it? Five months later, Hollister sanctioned motorcycle races and the bars welcomed the bikers back with open arms. However, this was never reported as it would have gotten in the way of a good story. In The Wild One, the BRMC (Black Rebels Motorcycle Club) roars into town with their president, Johnny (Marlon Brando). Brando rides his personal bike in the movie, a Triumph Thunderbird 650cc. Brando’s Johnny is clean cut. Chino (Lee Marvin) is not. He is grizzled with a cigar butt stuck in his mouth. Chino heads up the bad guys and his boys ride Harley-Davidson’s. Chino’s looking for trouble. “I love you Johnny. I’ve been looking for you in every ditch from Fresno to here, hoping you was dead.” Lee Marvin studied violin as a youth. He rode a Triumph 200cc Tiger Cub in real life, competing in AMA desert races….