Harley & The Davidsons

D2W wrote: I love the show for all the old motorcycles. Makes me long for a time when things were so exciting and new that a bike with 3 hp and no suspension was considered cutting edge. And of course now I need one. I know there are some manufacturers that make these bikes but how hard could it be to make my own? I have an old chinese 4 wheeler for the engine and tranny, an old mountain bike that I could modify. I think a build session is going to start this weekend.

Go for it!

I was thinking about it as well but then realized I would end up with a home built moped.

I want to build a small fuel injected turbo home built bike powered by a megasquirt. I think that would be cool.

I let you star-eyed fools talk me into watching some of it. It's a freakin' Hallmark Hall of Fame special fer cryin' out loud. I laughed out loud at the future pirate in the eye patch coming home from WWI and swearing their moto saved the whole unit.

It's unwatchable with 40% of the time slot being filled with commercials for lite beer, Cialis and if the show wasn't enough of a shill... Harley Davidson Motorcycles. Even when it comes on Netflix I expect I'll just zoom thru it looking at the pics of cool old motos and be done with it. But... I'm probably already done with it.

It's back to finish watching Mr Robot for me.

I wish I could find my grandmother's photo albums. There was a photo of her uncle, with his new Harley Davidson, sometime in the 19-teens.

Just watched the last of it off the DVR. Best story about Milwaukee shot in California since Happy Days.

In reply to Huckleberry:

I have recorded the episodes and watched the first part last night, skipping the commercials.

Not to perpetuate a stereotype, but how many Budweiser ads and bottles did you see?

In reply to 914Driver:

Yeah, because it's not like guys from Milwaukee didn't have plenty of local brew.

I also wonder why the wardrobe Dept didn't source actual period style leather helmets. I presume the riders are all professional stunt men, and the speeds in most scenes aren't all that fast. I also noticed that they didn't spring for period correct tires on many of the bikes.

I'm going to go back later and go frame by frame on some of the riding scenes, I think I saw a pit bike engine poking out from one of the Indians faux engine covers. I can probably identify some of the others real power plants if I can get a clear pic.

It's an enjoyable period docu-drama, but it sure ain't no Ken Burns production.

914Driver wrote: Not to perpetuate a stereotype, but how many Budweiser ads and bottles did you see?

You mean the easily identified for product placement purposes modern Budweiser labels/bottles of today instead of the period correct ones? How could you not notice them? "Say Arthur, you know what would be refreshing right now? How about an ice cold Anheuzer Busch Budweiser lager brewed right here in these United States! (gestures toward logo, tooth sparkles, cut scene)

914Driver wrote: Not to perpetuate a stereotype, but how many Budweiser ads and bottles did you see?

While all the commercial spots were for that St Louis Swill, I thought all the beer they drank in the show looked like plain, brown, unlabeled bottles.

Familiar red & white labels; BTW, I enjoy the series (with FF) even with oopsies.

My dad is a major player in vintage motorcycle racing. I thought that he might find it cheezy or worse, but other than the constant commercials, he quite enjoyed it.

Too much propaganda, seems to me like a badly done infomercial.

I watched the first episode and was reasonably entertained. I'll watch the rest.

It is not a true documentary. It I a docudrama. Somthing you can watch with the wife and kids. There is something for everyone. There is also somthing for everyone to complain about.

I liked it over all. More positive than negative is how I would sum I up. I would probably watch it again.

In reply to sesto elemento:

Yeah, and I had a feeling it was going to be from the beginning.

It's kinda hard to tell the story of the formative years of a certain brand without, you know, talking about that particular brand...

I finally finished watching this. I don't understand something...

How did a company that took racing so seriously degrade into what it is now - a bike for fashionable, fat, bearded, tattooed old farts.

I jest about the demographic but...

amg_rx7 wrote: How did a company that took racing so seriously degrade into what it is now.

I think technology passed them by. That is, at the time, Japanese bikes probably made similar power, but went on to produce far more than Harleys do. From a marketing perspective, Harley guys aren't in it for the power and it would be pointless for HD to race against similar displacement sport bikes.

In reply to amg_rx7:

I was getting more of a "We're rebels and do as we please, buy our bikes and be like US" vibe.