Author Topic: It was 1965 and..... (Read 1401 times)

oldfort · « **on:** February 23, 2010, 03:50:32 AM »

My best friend had a Harley 1950 Mod 74 Hydra-Glide. He talked me into buying a 1948 Mod 74. It was the last year of the springer front, and ran perfect, but no one wanted a springer front in KS. Ahead of the extended fork time here. I sold that bike for $175 after riding it about 3 years. Talk about your stupid gun sales. My buddy kept his and completely restored it when he retired a few years back. I am sure that mine might have been worth more than his if I had kept it.

FWIW, We were highway riding at night one time about 60mph and my battery went dead. My bud rode in front inside and I followed behind outside with no headlight. A big black dog suddenly came out from the ditch at his bike, I had no time to react. I hit that dog broadside, bump-bump, and just kept on truckin'. Life is good.

twohats · « **Reply #1 on:** February 23, 2010, 11:18:21 AM »

I was riding a tricycle in '65..Just kidding,actually I was 5 and around 8 or 9 I got my first minibike.Been on some kinda scooter ever since.....my first harley was a '68 Iron head and i really enjoyed riding and wrenching on that ole scoot,and kid you not there was alot of wrenching,but I still remember those nights sitting in the shed to wee hours turning wrenches and being in Hog Heaven...LOL

Danny

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #2 on:** February 23, 2010, 11:33:49 AM »

"65 was a very important year.

Of course there may have been other things going on besides my birth.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #3 on:** February 23, 2010, 03:23:09 PM »

It was early '65 and I sold my HD because: (a) I had just hit a curb with it, and (b) I was being sent to Texas to start flight school. I decided I liked the idea of the latter style of flying lessons more then the former!

Dances with Geoducks · « **Reply #4 on:** February 23, 2010, 03:41:01 PM »

1965, I think that was the year the ole man got me my Hodaka Super Rat.

1/2 mile TT racing was all I got to do.

Hodr · « **Reply #5 on:** February 23, 2010, 05:03:43 PM »

1965 I had four choices, enlist, draft, go to jail, become a Canadian. Draft date was 4 Jan 1966. My father just let me think it through. If I asked a question, He would give me the shortest complete answer he could. First week of December of 1965 I told him what I was going to do. I gave my car to my sister. I said goodby to all my friends and my girlfriend. On 3 Jan Dad drove me down to Oakland Army Induction Center. Following my Father's advice, I comitted the next three years to being/learning everything I could. I quit talking about fair and started to think before I acted. I took all the training I could, learning when they dropped me out of OCS, that it was a correct decision and taken with due deliberation. 1965 was the year I started to take responsibility as an adult and the end of childhood.

blindhari

Sgt Ranger
Like my father before me

Oh Yeah, Had a single lung Triumph, gave it to my younger brother

Oldshooter · « **Reply #6 on:** February 23, 2010, 05:46:04 PM »

In 65 I wanted a motorcycle soooooo bad. I shopped around and found a superglide, brand new at the Harley shop in Beaumont. guy told me i could get my Dad to co sign and it would be mine. So i went home to get Dad to cosign. He takes me out on the back porch and explains that he knows how much i want it but that he wont sign. Well I was devastated, felt betrayed, he also told me he loved me and that he would go out on the highway and pick me up and take care of me if I crippled myself, but he wouldn't be responsible for me being there.

I bought a 73 superglide when I could afford it myself, and lived to tell my son the same thing last year! I Loved my Dad, Now, more than then!

He had bought a Harley on a friday night in Washington State in 1945, when he was in the navy. It had a suicide stick. He crashed it all weekend and sold it monday morning to another sailor. After that he didn't think it prudent to ride motorcycles when you are young and drink a lot!

twohats · « **Reply #7 on:** February 24, 2010, 02:16:15 AM »

Thats a great story Oldshooter..gave me the goosebumps.The world is short of fine folks like your Dad and i can tell you're the same.Have a blessed riding season.....

danny

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #8 on:** February 24, 2010, 02:06:04 PM »

Yeah, I have a '90 electraglide in the garage. I'm going to fix it up and sell it. It just needs a good going over and cleaning up. My son wanted me to save it for him and I told him pretty much the same thing.

I would never be able to forgive myself if something happened to him on a bike I gave him.

Lon371 · « **Reply #9 on:** February 25, 2010, 11:36:47 AM »

I was 2 years old and dreaming of a tricycle

Lonny

highwayman · « **Reply #10 on:** February 25, 2010, 04:25:14 PM »

i was not born yet

Oldshooter · « **Reply #11 on:** February 25, 2010, 04:33:51 PM »

Heck, guys I got socks older than you!

hillbill · « **Reply #12 on:** February 26, 2010, 07:06:59 PM »

i knew my boy would have the bike bug. we built a mini bike with a brigs motor when he was 6 or 7. he didnt like it at all, come out one day and he was taking the motor off and putting it on a go cart frame we had.then we tore down and built a honda 80 dirt bike,he rode the crap out of it.then we redid a 225 yam. now he has his eye on my 600xt yam.he is 14, 6 ft 180 lbs. hope he dont git the eye on my harley. lol

Sweetwater · « **Reply #13 on:** February 26, 2010, 11:34:08 PM »

My sister had just graduated high school and gone off to college in Houlton. Dad got transferred to Bangor that summer, and we said good-bye to Calais on Labor Day weekend. Left girlfriend, pals, schoolmates who were always pals, all the familiar places and hangouts and memories - all in one feld swoop.

We had lived there 13 years and none of us wanted to leave. I started a new school as a Sophomore and don't think I ever fit in - until after graduation. Years later I would meet a classmate and it was "old home week". Never was like that in school. A very tough year for me.

On the upside, in February '65, my sister, one of her classmates, a guitar playing friend of mine and I entered a talent contest at the high school. We played our two guitars and sang "If I Had A Hammer" and "Abilene". Actually my pal played my Fender Musicmaster 3/4 scale guitar and I played a very old Gibson L7 that belonged to my hometown mentor! It was probably the highlight of that year - we won!

It would be 5 years and a half a world away before I owned a motorcycle - a Honda CB350 in Bangkok, Thailand. What a place to learn to operate a bike!

Spanky · « **Reply #14 on:** February 27, 2010, 07:35:27 PM »

In 1965 my Dad had just turned 13.

Spanky

Cheesehead · « **Reply #15 on:** February 27, 2010, 07:40:12 PM »

It was 1965 and I was picking out a new Huffy bicycle at the Coast to Coast store on Main Street.

Cheese

Bigeasy · « **Reply #16 on:** February 27, 2010, 11:07:09 PM »

In '65 I was 6 years old. My Grandparents lived one block from the old Bridgeport, CT Harley Davidson dealership. When we visited, Usually I stayed long enough to sneak out the door and head to the dealership. I'd stand there like a drooling idiot, looking at the bikes. I remember all the big dudes with long hair and tats used to get a kick out of me sitting on the bikes. Usually about then my old man would show, and drag me back.

Fast forward to 1977. Took all my fur money, sold some guns, borrowed the rest, and bought a brand new Super Glide. Black, with straight pipes... My buddy was supposed to buy one as well, and we were going to ride across country that summer, camping out, seeing the sights, working odd jobs here and there as we ran short on money. (We seen Easy rider too many times) Well, Jimmy decided to buy a trail bike, and stay home. I kept the HOG, and have had one ever since..

Larry

pastorp · « **Reply #17 on:** February 28, 2010, 04:14:51 AM »

In 1965 I married my childhood sweetheart. 2 years later I bought my first scooter. Had many bikes since then but kept the same girl...

Regards,

mauser98us · « **Reply #18 on:** February 28, 2010, 05:17:35 AM »

My dad just bought a 1965 Buick Gran Sport with the hi-perf 401. I still have the car. Dad also had a 1956 Duo Glide and a whole bunch of Ariel Square Fours. We stripped a Honda 50 for dirt and that was my scoot.I graduated soon to a Kawasaki 125 dirt bike that weighed 300 pounds,or at least it seemed.

AtlLaw · « **Reply #19 on:** February 28, 2010, 07:32:44 AM »

Quote from: Spanky on February 27, 2010, 07:35:27 PM

In 1965 my Dad had just turned 13.
Spanky

Okay,

This thread is getting depressing...

GRIMJIM · « **Reply #20 on:** February 28, 2010, 10:57:41 AM »

Don't be depressed AtlLaw, you've earned every wrinkle and I mean that in a good way.

varmintman · « **Reply #21 on:** March 01, 2010, 03:18:22 AM »

It's all good, I turned 21 in 1965 and was in Germany & France.

S.E.Ak · « **Reply #22 on:** March 02, 2010, 07:23:50 AM »

I had just entered the Marines and was riding a Triumph cub bored out at the time.Ride it to the flat tract and race it then ride home.

myronman3 · « **Reply #23 on:** March 02, 2010, 03:39:31 PM »

...and my panhead was rolling off the line. it wouldnt come to my possession until another 40 years had passed, but i loved it anyway. it was made before i was....

The Hermit · « **Reply #24 on:** March 08, 2010, 04:52:07 PM »

I was 30 years old in '65, life was good. Everybody tells me I had a good time in the 60's, but I digress.
My first bike was a used Honda, about 300cc twin. I bought it at a farm in Oxbow NY, the guy had painted it with a paint brush, an awful purple color, but I knew I could repaint it. Before I drove it away with no plates on it, I asked if I could use his bathroom. I almost wet my self laughing. His bathroom was painted the same color. I rode that thing all summer. I could park it anywhere with the key in it and nobody would steal it. Those were good times.

The Hermit