Vintage biker style...

[Martinis at 8]

I was impressed by the "new" classic Bonneville. I was thinking about the American but my next bike will probably be the Speedmaster.

We got some big long (empty) roads up here.

I checked one out in a shop here in Houston a few months ago. Really, Really nice. Bonneville - classic standard British upright. I prefer the standards to the cruiser or the sport bikes. The new Bonneville is also air-cooled and carb'd like its forebears.

IMO, the cruisers have one leaning too far back, feet too far up, and reaching for the handlebars. The sport bikes have one leaning too far forward.

You waiting for daylight up there? Or are you one of those Alaska winter/night riders?

 

[Baron Kurtz]

You wouldn't want to go sliding on the pavement in that nice leather jacket of yours only to have the pavement rub through it and take some of your skin off in the process. So if you do go with leather, make sure it is leather designed for road abrasion.

What he said ^^^

I have seen the back of a man who came off a BSA Bantam, doing not too many knots, about 10 years ago, onto a freshly asphalted road wearing a leather jacket. The girls in future will not thank you for being so foolhardy.

bk

 

[Martinis at 8]

What he said ^^^

I have seen the back of a man who came off a BSA Bantam, doing not too many knots, about 10 years ago, onto a freshly asphalted road wearing a leather jacket. The girls in future will not thank you for being so foolhardy.

bk

OTOH, I have seen MotoGP racers wipe out in turns at 100 mph, wearing racing leathers, protective boots, gloves, and full-face helmets. They just get up and walk away.

 

[Rooster]

Here's a real biker, been riding since 1954. He's been my best friend for the past 29 years. Some of you guys will really dig these bikes.

These pictures are all out of the late 60's and early 70's after he'd done to hitches in the navy. This is about the time he was riding with the Grim Reapers. At 68 years old he still puts on over 40K per year on a couple Harleys

 

[jeep44]

A real, readily available "Classic" motorcycle is the Indian Enfield. It has been made for many,many years in India-originally a copy of a Royal Enfield model. I saw one at a light a few months ago, and instantly coveted one.
An alternative "look" to the leather motorcycle jacket is the Barbour International waxed cotton jacket. Is there a more iconic "look" than Steve McQueen wearing his in the early '60s ISDT competitions? Google image "steve mcqueen isdt" to see him in his Barbour (often misidentified as a Belstaff).
I just started in restoring my Dad's '67 Triumph Tiger 100,and maybe I'm jumping the gun a bit, but I already got a Barbour. Back when I was riding in the '80s, I'd see a few guys wearing them, and I always wanted one.

 

[erikb02809]

As a motorcycle owner, I'm thrilled to have an excuse for when someone sees me walking around with goggles up on my head and raises an eyebrow, only to see that no, that guy's not a weirdo, he's about to be getting on that motorcycle parked outside.

Although admittedly, this picture was taken when I was not out on the bike, and it does look kinda weird.....but yeah...goggles rock!! lol

 

[Dixon Cannon]

There is a GREAT anecdote about this scene...

This might help, some vintage photos here:
http://www.bikernet.com/news/PageViewer.asp?PageID=1603

A bit more authentic than Brando...

Chino, Lee Marvin's character was based on Wino Willie Forkner of the Boozefighters, and likely closer to reality.

Two guys walk out of the cinema after seeing 'The Wild One'. They're talking about this scene where Lee Marvin tells Brando, "I love ya Johnny! The Beetles love ya" Stuart Sutcliffe says to his friend, "Hey mate, That'd make a great name for a beat group!" The friend asks what name? "The Beetles", Stu replys. The friend, John Lennon ,agrees and they name their band The Beatles And that's the rest of the story.

And you thought it appeared on a flaming pie!

-dixon cannon

 

[Dixon Cannon]

Here's me on my chopper....

c. 1970. I put the wild in 'Wild One'! With all of 4.5bhp!

-dixon cannon

 

[Jovan]

Thanks for the pictures and tips, guys.

The HD boots are a little beyond what I'd spend, $ally. Even then, the logos are a bit annoying.

 

[Luddite]

Wax cotton may give you the retro look, but AFAIK, the Barbour's got no protection in the case of an off. It'll just abrade through. Also, being realistic, they aren't that good. They suck the road dirt in, they don't keep the rain out, they smell, they're stiff and uncomfortable in the cold, and uncomfortably warm in the sun. I'm a lifelong motorcyclist, and started off with Belstaff / Barbour gear because it was easily and cheaply available second hand. As soon as I could afford it I got leather, and have not worn anything other than leather since. It may have been the best forty years ago (and leather no longer has the same stigma), but there is better, cheaper gear available now.

Keep one for wearing off the bike, but quality leather is a must.

Personally, I like this guy's 'look' (spotted, bizarrely, in downtown Tokyo)....

 

[Aviakid]

Tokyo Biker

Looks like he's kitted out in Lewis Leathers from the UK, the boots are their 191 Motorway boots, jeans are probably the LL 935 zippered back pocket variety and the jacket looks like LL's Cyclone or Lightning jacket. Lewis Leathers are very popular with the Japanese motorcycle crowd and is what all self respecting Rockers wore in the UK from the 1950s onward.

 

[Fletch]

This just says, "Mid 1920s BMW racer."

The egg shaped helmet and round specs counteract the gang look, but then again they may bring other stereotypes to mind.

Notice how much more modern the gear looks than the bike.