2 years - RIP Sportster

[Rob S.]

image by Bob Wayne, on Flickr

Sure, any excuse to look at my dream bike again. Drum up front, drum in the rear.

And Trevor, Henry Winkler was posed with a Harley in some early scenes, they even pushed it in with him sitting on it. For all future scenes (and a clip in the opening sequence where he's actually riding) it was a vertical twin, perhaps a BSA 650.

[LAB3]

With you, it can be hard to separate sarcasm from mere pith. In reality, I doubt that statement. As a metaphor, that statement is doubtful.

I'm not quite old enough to be "Walt Kowalski" from the film Gran Torino but could be his grand son. Certain family secrets are better left kept.

https://youtu.be/VXD8yOxIPB0

[GS1150Pilot]

Sure, any excuse to look at my dream bike again. Drun up front, drum in the rear.

And Trevor, Henry Winkler was posed with a Harley in some early scenes, they even pushed it in with him sitting on it. For all future scenes (and a clip in the opening sequence where he's actually riding) it was a vertical twin, perhaps a BSA 650.

It was a Triumph TR5.

[GS1150Pilot]

Sure, any excuse to look at my dream bike again. Drun up front, drum in the rear.

And Trevor, Henry Winkler was posed with a Harley in some early scenes, they even pushed it in with him sitting on it. For all future scenes (and a clip in the opening sequence where he's actually riding) it was a vertical twin, perhaps a BSA 650.

Your dream bike is an AMF Sportster?

[trevor]

Your dream bike is an AMF Sportster?

Sounds more like a nightmare! Lol...sorry...low hanging fruit, for sure,

[Baatfam]

The AMF thing was way overrated. Most were fine, some weren't. It was assembly issues, not design issues.
My '78 was an AMF bike, and it was solid.

[GS1150Pilot]

The AMF thing was way overrated. Most were fine, some weren't. It was assembly issues, not design issues.
My '78 was an AMF bike, and it was solid.

Ironheads were never known as the most reliable Harley motor, and are certainly one of the more maintenance intensive. The newer ones are prettier and do everything better while retaining the elemental nature of the Sportster. I just think that, if one needs a dream bike from that time period, there are better choices than the plain jane AMF Sportster, like a Ducati Dharma or a Laverda Jota, and for Harley, the XLCR 1000.

[earlfor]

Sure, any excuse to look at my dream bike again. Drum up front, drum in the rear.

And Trevor, Henry Winkler was posed with a Harley in some early scenes, they even pushed it in with him sitting on it. For all future scenes (and a clip in the opening sequence where he's actually riding) it was a vertical twin, perhaps a BSA 650.

Henry Winkler could not ride a motorcycle at all, never learned. The one time he tried, he attempted to go five feet and stop in front of the camera. He gunned it, lost control, slid the bike under the camera dolly and almost ran over the producer. That was the end of that.

[nejeff]

Rob S.; Tomorrow will be two years since I took my last motorcycle ride. It was also the last hurrah of my Sportster. Warning: one of these images is very graphic, and may not be suitable for all. Viewer discretion is advised





So why haven't you ridden in two years?

[roeme]

(...)
So why haven't you ridden in two years?

Methinks he's still recovering?

[Rob S.]

So why haven't you ridden in two years?

Both my hips were broken (one dislocated) as well as numerous other injuries, but it's the nerve damage that grounded me ('foot drop').

[Big Block]

I like the way Sportsers look, they're too small for me though and a bit slow. I do regret not buying my friend's absolutely mint XR1000 (with the dual carbs and cool exhaust) 35 years ago though.

[GS1150Pilot]

Methinks he's still recovering?

Rob could be a bit of a menace to himself and others on a bike, so it may be good to have a few years off.

[LAB3]

The AMF thing was way overrated. Most were fine, some weren't. It was assembly issues, not design issues.
My '78 was an AMF bike, and it was solid.

My 1974 74" was a complete piece of crap, my 1983 Lowrider bought right off the showroom floor was an even bigger piece of crap! The word coming off the factory floor was that the employees where tired of churning out mediocre garbage and with lagging sales due to mediocrity people where in constant worry as to whether or not they'd have a job from day to day compounding the problems. Ran into "Fuzzy" Gildner who was (and still is) the owner of the H-D dealer I bought my bike from and he said "I might be in my 80's but I wouldn't blame you one bit for wanting to beat my a$$"

[oldGSfan]

I remember as a kid being in awe of HD's as it was the late 60's, brother had a Triumph but wanted a HD. I remember how huge they seemed, well the '74' at least was a monster to me. Now he has a couple, and when I visited I rode his 883 around the 'quiet corner' of Connecticut. I felt like an orangutan on the bike, and with my son riding pillion it was pretty pokey, but fun anyway. Brother even had a spare doo rag for me to wear. TBH I felt more dorky than usual on that thing.

I like the way Sportsers look, they're too small for me though and a bit slow. I do regret not buying my friend's absolutely mint XR1000 (with the dual carbs and cool exhaust) 35 years ago though.