As useful as a jam sandwich to a drowning rabbit*
I happened to be passing through Toowoomba the other day and saw this pair of Harvey Dangerfields parked in Margaret Street. They represent two of the three corners of the Harley owners triangle.
The first is the generic, lot's o' shiny bits, ridden only in heavily populated areas at times of high pedestrian traffic, the accountant recommended it shop floor model Harley, with a couple of catalogue accessories to 'individualise' it.
The second one represents the type of Harley for which I have the most respect. I'm not up on Harley models, but to me it looks like about a 1975 FLH. What I particularly like about this bike is that it looks ridden. It has obviously done a lot of miles and, although not immediately obvious to any casual passers-by, it is also fairly heavily modified, with all modifications designed with riding in mind.
It has a different carburettor, belt primary drive, magneto ignition, plus a few other home brew thingys, like a steering head lock and the one in the second photo, a remote mounted oil filter. This guy likes to ride. I was going to write about how blokes with bikes like this are usually big, dirty and hairy, but I saw him riding down Ruthven Street a little while later and he looked like he should be on the white bike - young, clean cut, wearing new Harley branded clothes. Maybe he just bought it from a big, dirty, hairy guy.
Incidentally, this is the third point of the triangle. Could it be any more of a generic New Millenium Chopper? Billet alloy wheels, stretched and raised frame, 3" seat height, 300mm wide rear end, even the straight out, downward curving pipes. I've never seen one of these on the road, but I've seen a few parked outside cafes in Bronte and Manly. Ridden(?) mainly by middle level, middle aged business types who can afford the $50,000+ price tag, they are usually up for resale within a few months when they realise that they only impress other middle level, middle aged business types and they are even worse to ride than that other toy they bought years earlier - the trophy wife.
In its favour this one is built by Redneck Engineering, with a name like that they must be okay.
*I have no idea who said that, or why, but it was on the news while I was thinking of a post title and it made me giggle.
The first is the generic, lot's o' shiny bits, ridden only in heavily populated areas at times of high pedestrian traffic, the accountant recommended it shop floor model Harley, with a couple of catalogue accessories to 'individualise' it.
The second one represents the type of Harley for which I have the most respect. I'm not up on Harley models, but to me it looks like about a 1975 FLH. What I particularly like about this bike is that it looks ridden. It has obviously done a lot of miles and, although not immediately obvious to any casual passers-by, it is also fairly heavily modified, with all modifications designed with riding in mind.
It has a different carburettor, belt primary drive, magneto ignition, plus a few other home brew thingys, like a steering head lock and the one in the second photo, a remote mounted oil filter. This guy likes to ride. I was going to write about how blokes with bikes like this are usually big, dirty and hairy, but I saw him riding down Ruthven Street a little while later and he looked like he should be on the white bike - young, clean cut, wearing new Harley branded clothes. Maybe he just bought it from a big, dirty, hairy guy.
Incidentally, this is the third point of the triangle. Could it be any more of a generic New Millenium Chopper? Billet alloy wheels, stretched and raised frame, 3" seat height, 300mm wide rear end, even the straight out, downward curving pipes. I've never seen one of these on the road, but I've seen a few parked outside cafes in Bronte and Manly. Ridden(?) mainly by middle level, middle aged business types who can afford the $50,000+ price tag, they are usually up for resale within a few months when they realise that they only impress other middle level, middle aged business types and they are even worse to ride than that other toy they bought years earlier - the trophy wife.In its favour this one is built by Redneck Engineering, with a name like that they must be okay.
*I have no idea who said that, or why, but it was on the news while I was thinking of a post title and it made me giggle.
posted by Dirk at 2:11 am
4 Comments:
I'll edit this later, I'm already late.
Nice. Yeah, I like the ratty old bike too. I think I'd paint mine red with spray cans, though.
Like the expression too. Almost as good as "fucked up as a soup sandwich"
what's the purpose of the belt drive primary?
og,
matte black is the way to go.
Budd,
those owners used to be common once.
Rat,
H-D V-twins have large, irregularly spaced power strokes, with the attendant vibration and variation in load on the primary drive. The belt smoothes it out for the transmission, and is also capable of absorbing more stress loading than the chain primary. A 3" one like thge one in the photo is good for about 200hp. Not too many H-D's get near that.
Dollop,
looking at where the tyres are worn helps, too.
Although mine go square out here.
Post a Comment
<< Home