Book Review...Ride Free Forever - The Harley Davidson Legend



Not the same cover as
I read...



I got this book out to do some homework on the Harley seeing as my mate Rob went out and bought one - although he maintains her bought one for his wife!

Anyway, it didn't take long for me to grow to appreciate the Harley legend, starting out at the turn of last century in a shed no bigger than a carport and then becoming the largest motorcycle factory in the world within 20 years.

Going through every decade, world wars, depression, and the upheaval in the 60s and 70s with AMF, this book (with grammatical and caption errors left, right and centre) lists all models and achievements in manufacturing and racing for close to the last 100 years (this was published just prior to the centenary).

I have to admit, reading through the 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s, I have really grown to respect the big ole air compressors (as Rob used to call them) and can picture myself being one of Marlon Brando's 'Wild Ones'. I also learnt enough about them to be able to hold a conversation with a Hog owner and recognise a wider range of models...in the past I couldn't tell a Shovelhead from a Panhead, a Fatboy from a Softail, etc etc...

'47 EL Knucklehead with Springer forks...very nice. Shame about
the twin lamps.

Now I can safely say that the EL Knucklehead is one of the most stunning bikes I have ever seen, and money pending (yeah, right!) I would own one, leaks and all. And coming in behind that, the Fat Boy and Softail...nice.

A good read for anyone wanting to learn about Harleys, or anyone keen on them. Frustrating to read at times, but a great source of technical details, chronology, and photos.

I WANT ONE!

Motorcycle Deal..

A mate of mine who features in a lot of my bike blogs has just traded his Triumph Triple with shot battery, both fork seals leaking, rear tyre stuffed, and a faulty solenoid for a Harley...sounds like a fair trade to me! i wonder if he asked for cash back?

Harley Davidson's introduction into Asia had
a great response from local taxi companies...

Cold Kiwi - 2007 Pt IV

Another instalment of photos and vid from the weekend in the middle of the wops...some more of the Burn Out Competition, and the Helmet Run, and the night's festivities...

 Above; what not to do with your Harley V-Rod

Left; The Salute to fallen riders, quite a din, especially amongst the two-strokes. Photo M. Tierney

Right; seemed appropriate at the time, I pull out my Bee Gees moves. Photo M. Tierney



 

Below left and right; the sausage competition - riders on the back of a bike must take as big a bite from a frankfurter hanging from a hook...sauce is sometimes added to make it more difficult...what is hard to watch is a guy on the back...hmmm, maybe in the wrong place, buddy.

Above; the infamous Helmet Run - the least clothing the better, and it is not so disappointing to see the ladies not get right into it, but damaging to the eyes that skinny white boys do!!

 Below left; where there's smoke...someone's bike (not the ZX from previous post) catches fire!
 Below right; the start of the dismantling - the main tent where the bands played on the Sunday morning - view from the food hall.

Below; discussions take place over a coffee, or a beer, something along the lines of "You know what, I think we should just cruise back at about 80km/h, and not worry if harleys overtake us, and make sure we stop for any Police officer who requests as such". Or something like that...

Below; the sight that greeted us every morning...Mt Ruapehu in all its splendour.

Cold Kiwi - 2007 Pt III

Some more piccies in the Cold Kiwi saga...showing some of the second day highlights - the Hill Climb and Burn Out competitions.

 Left; Cold Kiwi site.

Right; yet another failure on the hill climb. The local boys are very good at this and usually get up their no sweat on their dirt bikes, and now and again they try out on modified pieces of crap, like Honda CBs, Suzuki GSXRs and the like. After a few drinks you can always be guaranteed some twat will try it on his road bike. One year someone tried on an old Triumph, the year before this it was (successfully!!!) a GS1200.

Below left; the failure in previous photo comes back down the hill. Steep as this one is, there is a track to the right which is even steeper, and not many have a crack at that one.

 

Above right; the eventual winner of the Burn Out, on a Harley.



Above left; Chris enjoys the clean mountain air.

Above right; pre-Burn Out warm ups.

Above; video of the winning effort

Below ; nutter on ZXR who had a crack - at the

end of it, his bike was on fire...not the tyre, the bike!

Right; V-Rod...now I'm not a Harley man, but

some things are somewhat sacred...

Next episode, video on the V-Rod burn out, and sausage competition...