Althouse: American motorcycle.

May 24, 2009

American motorcycle.

In Augusta, Kentucky.

60 comments:

Michael Haz said...: HD Electra-Glide Standard. Modified fairing and saddle bags. Beautiful custom paint. Corbin seat. Aftermarket wheels and pipes.

Nice looking bike.; 5/24/09, 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...: and just down the road:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Frankfort,_Kentucky_-_Interior.jpg; 5/24/09, 7:05 PM
Ann Althouse said...: @Michael Ha ha. Meade specifically said that you'd appreciate it.; 5/24/09, 7:09 PM
Kirby Olson said...: This blog has really changed a lot over the last two months. It's like the blogger has lost her edge. I think this is wonderful, that the blogger, has lost her edge, but on the other hand, the blog, too, has lost its edge. Just saying.

Love kills the edginess of, blogs.; 5/24/09, 7:18 PM
TitusPushPushInTheBush said...: What did all the American made people think of your not American made car?; 5/24/09, 7:20 PM
Michael Haz said...: @Althouse: I do appreciate it. Thanks for posting it, and thanks to Meade for the kind thought.; 5/24/09, 7:21 PM
TitusPushPushInTheBush said...: HD Electra-Glide Standard. Modified fairing and saddle bags. Beautiful custom paint. Corbin seat. Aftermarket wheels and pipes.

Nice looking bike.

I have no idea what that paragraph means.; 5/24/09, 7:29 PM
traditionalguy said...: Even the motorcycle is American made. The Memorial day Concert on the mall is going on live TV, PBS, right now. Colin Powell is the star of the show.; 5/24/09, 7:55 PM
Irene said...: Colin Powell is the star of a PBS show. That's proof he's not a Republican anymore.; 5/24/09, 8:04 PM
TitusPushPushInTheBush said...: who are they wearing this season in Kentucky?; 5/24/09, 8:06 PM
TitusPushPushInTheBush said...: Is Gary Sinise our next new leader/; 5/24/09, 8:07 PM
TitusPushPushInTheBush said...: I am watching Bully. Brad Renfro tour de force. Nick Stahl amazing.; 5/24/09, 8:10 PM
chickelit said...: I have no idea what that paragraph means.

Michael is talking about hog, Titus.; 5/24/09, 8:38 PM
Ann Althouse said...: @Kirby Olson Fuck you.; 5/24/09, 8:49 PM
Jeff with one 'f' said...: Nicely played!; 5/24/09, 8:59 PM
Sorin said...: Hey, I just arrived. This blog looks mighty fine to me. That "hog" in Kentucky is one cool bike.; 5/24/09, 9:04 PM
Michael Haz said...: Well said, Althouse. The blog's better than
ever.

And K.O. is still an Associate Prof at a low-tier U. How's his blog doing?; 5/24/09, 9:07 PM
Michael Haz said...: Plus, for a professor, he sure gets cornfuzed by commas.; 5/24/09, 9:08 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/24/09, 9:28 PM
Michael Haz said...: @Theo - You're right about the good looks of the Softtail. I had an '03 Heritage Softtail; it was a good bike for cruising around town. Nowhere near the coolness quotient of your FLH, though.

My college bike in the late 60s was a 650 BSA Lightening. Hard to start, impossible to keep tuned, crappy electrics. None of it mattered. It was a great ride.; 5/24/09, 10:04 PM
Kev said...: That was strange enough for a college kid in 1969, but that, and the fact that I could play Charlie Parker solos on my Mark VI alto, gave me an early 50's chachet that was beyond weird at the time, but attracted lots of female attention. Oh did it.

So that's what my problem was in college. I had the Bird solos and the Mark VI (still do!), but I forgot the bike... *slaps forehead*

Granted, I played more bari than alto as my jazz horn back then, and getting one of those on a Harley could have caused problems going to gigs.; 5/24/09, 10:32 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/24/09, 10:43 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/24/09, 10:44 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/24/09, 10:50 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Colin Powell is the star of a PBS show. That's proof he's not a Republican anymore.

Now there is one man who has never at the core of his being believed in America and yet we completely give him a pass on that.

He balked at the liberation of Kuwait, balked at the liberation of Iraq and when the country was ready to elect him president he failed to notice it.

At every turn Powell is lecturing on the failure of this and the failure of that.

Powell and Biden predicted we were going to be attacked after the election of Obama.

He was wrong again.; 5/24/09, 11:08 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: If we remember how popular Powell emerged after Iraq I, the election of Obama should not be all that surprising.; 5/24/09, 11:22 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Obama got the prize Powell declined.; 5/24/09, 11:23 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: Hey, let's play some 'patriotic' music (and give politics a rest ;)

Small TownAll my friends are so small town
My parents live in the same small town
My job is so small town
Provides little opportunity

Educated in a small town
Taught the fear of jesus in a small town
Used to daydream in that small town
Another boring romantic thats me

But Ive seen it all in a small town
Had myself a ball in a small town
Married an l.a. doll and brought her to this small town
Now shes small town just like me.; 5/24/09, 11:53 PM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: working on a dream.

Now the cards i've drawn's a rough hand, darling
I straighten the back and i'm working on a dream
I'm working on a dream

Come on!

I'm working on a dream
Though sometimes it feels so far away
I'm working on a dream
And i know it will be mine someday

Rain pourin' down, i swing my hammer
My hands are rough from working on a dream
I'm working on a dream

Let's go!; 5/25/09, 12:07 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: I'm not sure if it's 'patriotic', but it sounds like it to me. The song sounds as though it could be. Who really knows ;)

This must be the place.

Home is where i want to be
Pick me up and turn me round
I feel numb - burn with a weak heart
(so i) guess i must be having fun
The less we say about it the better
Make it up as we go along
Feet on the ground
Head in the sky
It's ok i know nothing's wrong . . nothing

Hi yo i got plenty of time
Hi yo you got light in your eyes
And you're standing here beside me
I love the passing of time
Never for money
Always for love
Cover up + say goodnight . . . say goodnight.; 5/25/09, 12:25 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: America the Beautiful.

O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea!

O beautiful for pilgrim feet
Whose stern impassioned stress
A thoroughfare of freedom beat
Across the wilderness!
America! America!
God mend thine every flaw,
Confirm thy soul in self-control,
Thy liberty in law!; 5/25/09, 12:38 AM
Lem Vibe Bandit said...: God bless America.

God bless America,
Land that I love,
Stand beside her and guide her
Thru the night with a light from above;

From the mountains, to the prairies,
To the oceans white with foam,
God bless America,
My home, sweet home.
God bless America,
My home, sweet home.

See you on the 4th ;); 5/25/09, 12:50 AM
Alex said...: I fart on the "cheap patriotism" of the American right-wing.

I figure that Jeremy would approve of that.; 5/25/09, 12:53 AM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/25/09, 3:51 AM
bearbee said...: Wasn't Harley-Davidson given the last rites 2 decades ago?; 5/25/09, 7:13 AM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/25/09, 7:56 AM
Michael Haz said...: @Theo - This site is like a load of heroin for the motorcycle syringe that remains in your arm from long ago.; 5/25/09, 8:26 AM
Anonymous said...: .."Unfortunately, the prime demographic for Harley purchase is aging. There have been several articles on this recently, but I'm too frazzled just now to find links. I'm sure you can dig up the info."

Reminds me of the Larry the Liquidator speech from "Other People's Money"...'going broke is getting a bigger and bigger share of a shrinking market.'; 5/25/09, 8:38 AM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/25/09, 8:38 AM
Donn said...: 6. Why Japanese motorcycles suck.

Of course, this is not even close to being true. I have always rode Honda's, will always ride Honda's, and can't see paying extra for an inferior product (HD)!

The only thing stuffier than a HD rider, is a BMW rider.; 5/25/09, 8:42 AM
Michael Haz said...: This was my winter project. It's a 1985 BMW K100 RS-A. Pretty advanced for its time, it has ABS, fuel injection, etc. Sweet ride.

I had to sell it because the leaned-over riding position raises heck with my aging back.; 5/25/09, 8:50 AM
Michael Haz said...: This is a photo of the bike I'm riding from WI to AK this summer. The photo isn't my actual bike (don't have a photo on the computer I'm using this morning), but the same year, model and color.

It's built for long distance, two-up riding. 110 hp at the rear wheel, heated seats and grips, radio, adjustable windshield, power outlets for heated clothing, ABS, etc.

I've added some farkles (motorcycle speak for accessories) including an after-market seat, additional lighting, GPS, adjustable footboards, etc.; 5/25/09, 9:00 AM
Michael Haz said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/25/09, 9:00 AM
Michael Haz said...: My wife's daily driver is a Suzuki Burgman 400 scooter.

It's a hoot to ride. It has about 40 hp, automatic transmission, good brakes, great handling. No shifting; just twist the throttle and go. It is interstate-capable with a top speed in excess of 90 mph. She regularly rides in on the freeway and takes a few 300+ mile trips on it during summer months.

The seat opens up to reveal a cargo area large enough for two bags of groceries and a twelve-pack of beer.

Hers has a 400cc single-cylinder engine. Suzuki makes a 650 version which has a 60 hp two-cylinder engine. It seems like every time we've met a Burgman owner, it's either a woman who has recently started riding and doesn't want to bother with shifting, or an aging boomer who no longer wants a heavy bike, but still wants to take long rides.; 5/25/09, 9:10 AM
Donn said...: I just posted a couple pics of me and my Nighthawk here:

http://myride.shutterfly.com/; 5/25/09, 9:51 AM
Michael Haz said...: @Donn - Nice bike!

I cannot understand why Honda no longer sells a 750cc standard bike in the U.S. Honda invented the category with the CB750, one of the most important and revolutionary bikes in motorcycle history.; 5/25/09, 10:14 AM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/25/09, 10:25 AM
Michael Haz said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/25/09, 11:45 AM
Michael Haz said...: Theo - that is a BMW R1200GS. It's the leader in the category called 'adventure touring'. People who want to get waaay off the beaten path ride adventure touring bikes.

One of my motorcycling dreams is to buy that type bike and ride the silk road tour - it replicates the route Marco Polo used form China to Europe. One of the organizers of the tour is Helge Pederson, who as a young man spent 10 years riding his bike around the world, mostly off the beaten path.

More recently, the actor Ewan McGregor produced and starred in a series called Long Way Down in which he and a friend rode from Scotland to South Africa [accompanied by a film crew, chase truck, mechanics, MD, etc.]. Not so sure about the "adventure" aspect, given the support group, but the vid is terrific.

I buy lottery tickets for a reason....; 5/25/09, 11:48 AM
hoyden said...: >>6. Why Japanese motorcycles suck.

My first ride was a 1963 Honda 50 Super Sport; a real motorcycle as opposed to the Cub. Scrambler pipe and 4 speed transmission vs 3 speed and automatic clutch. I inherited it from my older brother when I was 15. Put 17,000 miles on it along with 2 crankshafts, many pistons and innumerable other various and sundry parts.

>>9. What do you think of smug BMW riders?

I don't have an opinion about BMW riders but I owned an '03 R1200 CL; my worst ever motorcycle. The ABS crapped out, the latches on the hard shell cases didn't hold, and maintenance required complex tools and computer diagnostic systems. After 3 years I traded it in on a 1100 cc Honda Shadow Spirit. Also have a '97 Yamaha Virago 750 for around town chores.

46 years on motorcycles and still going strong.; 5/25/09, 11:58 AM
The Dude said...: I used to ride a 90cc Honda back in the 60s. Now I run a Stihl that displaces almost 130cc. I prefer the latter, although the former was a lot of fun.; 5/25/09, 2:13 PM
Ralph L said...: IIRC, Reagan imposed a temporary tariff on Japanese bikes to save Harley.

My grandmother's older brother had a very early motorcycle (he died in 1914). It scared the rest of the family--we were told we'd be disinherited if we ever got one. He was a pharmacist and killed himself experimenting with mercury drugs before he could do it with the motorcycle. I've always suspected he had VD.; 5/25/09, 3:05 PM
hoyden said...: I remember the 90 cc Honda. It had an overhead cam, which was a big deal back then. I could top out at about 45 mph on the 50, but I heard the 90 could do 60 mph.; 5/25/09, 3:07 PM
The Dude said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/25/09, 5:57 PM
The Dude said...: I am certain that 60 on a 90 would be a ride not soon forgotten. But I also remember the bike as being neutral in its handling and well put together.

My favorite from that era was the Triumph Bonneville - that was a sweet bike. IIRC it had a 650cc engine and for me it was a great combination of power, handling and braking.

I switched to riding bicycles and I think that was a bit healthier decision, in the long run.; 5/25/09, 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/25/09, 8:05 PM
Donn said...: Now you know why I don't like Japanese bikes: No personality.

Personality I can get with friends, when it comes to transportation, I'll take reliability and performance any day!; 5/25/09, 9:44 PM
Anonymous said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; 5/25/09, 10:29 PM
traditionalguy said...: NKVD... You reminded me of my own Triumph 650 that I owned for 4 weeks. It was used and I believe it was a 1963. In the summer of 1965 several of us 19 year old college students from Emory went to Walla Walla to work in the sweet pea harvest, and transpotation became needed when we got there. I quickly learned about bugs out on the straight-a-ways on farm roads in the valley: Goggles mandatory.And I learned about old drivers who pull out from a stop sign as if you are invisible(to them) in the town, and then lie about you speeding after you hit their car broadside and fly 100 feet over the car to land, miraculously alive, on a grass strip between the road and the sidewalk. Then you get the "speeding" ticket from the locals and your Triumph is left a twisted wreck. Lesson learned: I became a lawyer to fight the Locals injustice system. I also chose not to risk my life again riding a bike. (This was the week LBJ committed the USMC to South Viet Nam's defense). We were also working 84 hours a week inside the canneries, and driving harvest trucks out of the fields to the canneries, and building AO Smith Harvestor Blue Steel silos up near Yakima. We became dues paying members of the Teamsters. It may have been doing that kind of hard work that that really spurred the legal education.; 5/25/09, 10:57 PM
jeff said...: Took my 2005 Dyna Street Bob to Red River New Mexico from Wichita and am currently working my way home. Seemed to be a lot of Banditos there, and a lot of them trailered up to Red River. I guess we all are getting older. Spending the night in Liberal, Kansas thanks to the severe thunderstorms I have been riding through all day. Plan on taking it to the East coast this summer and ride around New England and then down the coast. Rode my 01 Sportster to Southwest Colorado, then up to Wyoming, over to Yellowstone, up into Montana and back home via Sturgis and Nebraska. The demographic for Harley may be shrinking, but I can't get gas for either of them without people walking over and striking up a conversation about them. That NEVER happened when I was riding my Kawaskaki.; 5/26/09, 12:16 AM