Easy Rider

[dodursley]

I went to see the Easy Rider film at the local cinema when it came out I think it created more interest in custom bikes in the same way as Long Way Round/Down did with adventure bikes in more recent years.
Not that it made me stop playing with vintage bikes, took me another 10 years before I had my first Harleys (1917 model J & 1959 XLCH).
We did drive (in a car!) along a bit of old Route 66 in the 1980's whilst holidaying in California & Arizona.
I often think of Easy Rider when I see the 'Atlantic Highway' sign on the A39 (North Devon), but then the wind & rain bring me back to normality.

[garyboy]

I went to see the Easy Rider film at the local cinema when it came out I think it created more interest in custom bikes in the same way as Long Way Round/Down did with adventure bikes in more recent years.
Not that it made me stop playing with vintage bikes, took me another 10 years before I had my first Harleys (1917 model J & 1959 XLCH).
We did drive (in a car!) along a bit of old Route 66 in the 1980's whilst holidaying in California & Arizona.
I often think of Easy Rider when I see the 'Atlantic Highway' sign on the A39 (North Devon), but then the wind & rain bring me back to normality.

well at least you have connected `choppers` (`Custom Bikes`) with Easy Rider..
and, `Adventure Bikes` with Long Way Round.

These are a cinema film and a TV Serial. .. both visual screenings.
What about the IOM . TT. ??? .. another visual presentation ??
..and what about road racing on the sports channels ??
... have these had an impact on bike sales and bike related enthusiasm. ???

What other events have been influential .. ??

I am just trying to piece it together ... (fog to clarity).

and what about the diversity we now have on .. bike types ?? .. how did that come about? .......... sales ploys, yes ... but the need?
.. `vintage bikes` .. now its retros ???

At least you (dodursley) been to USA and been along route 66 .. and there is the Pacific Coast Route ....

... just trying to piece it all together .. from the clutter of the past, past life events, past fogs of alcoholic forgetfulness and false aims in life .. ptsd induced confusion and downright stupidity (me, I mean)

[yodagoat]

First stop off the Ijmuiden ferry is Joe Cool's before chucking my pretend watch on the floor and cruising down to Lauterbrunnen.

[Elmer J Fudd]

"None of these need a further pigeonhole, they just are."…… so NOT true .. no offense. though it all depends on where u coming from?

No offense taken, I enjoy a reasoned debate.

It is the pigeonholing that I am ranting about; the current need to be "seen" as fitting into a niche rather than part of the whole (of society).

I totally agree that we are all multifaceted and we should celebrate and acknowledge that. You can be a Brown, Gay, Policeman etc., but in the context of being a Policeman there is no need to refer to or single that out. You are correct that it should be acknowledged that there is an individual behind the uniform / overalls / helmet etc. but if I am dialling 999 I am not going to ask for Brown, Gay, Policeman, even if I am being attacked by a Brown, Gay, Thug.

Hope that makes sense and hopefully not wandered too far from the topic?

[Scott_rider]

Blimey...this is “heavy, man”... . I think I need some wacky backy before I contribute .

In all seriousness, I watched it too for the first time when it was on over Christmas and I thought it was very, very slow compared to modern films but still fairly enjoyable but I wouldn’t rush to watch it again.

[garyboy]

First stop off the Ijmuiden ferry is Joe Cool's before chucking my pretend watch on the floor and cruising down to Lauterbrunnen.

very profound on so many levels .. I think? … I had to look up all the names … some amazing places ..
the trip started off on a LOW (region) but once the augmented reality kicked in, with the help of the gay abandon of the mickey mouse timepiece, real reality became the norm and you could breath the pure air of the HIGH places.

sounds real fab, man

[garyboy]

"None of these need a further pigeonhole, they just are."…… so NOT true .. no offense. though it all depends on where u coming from?

No offense taken, I enjoy a reasoned debate.

It is the pigeonholing that I am ranting about; the current need to be "seen" as fitting into a niche rather than part of the whole (of society).

I totally agree that we are all multifaceted and we should celebrate and acknowledge that. You can be a Brown, Gay, Policeman etc., but in the context of being a Policeman there is no need to refer to or single that out. You are correct that it should be acknowledged that there is an individual behind the uniform / overalls / helmet etc. but if I am dialling 999 I am not going to ask for Brown, Gay, Policeman, even if I am being attacked by a Brown, Gay, Thug.

Hope that makes sense and hopefully not wandered too far from the topic?

yes .. it is a great leap of faith to comprehend that a policemen is really a policeman .. or that a doctor is really and truly a doctor.
I have met neither .. but live in hope of ascending to those realities begot of assumptions.

[garyboy]

Blimey...this is “heavy, man”... . I think I need some wacky backy before I contribute .

In all seriousness, I watched it too for the first time when it was on over Christmas and I thought it was very, very slow compared to modern films but still fairly enjoyable but I wouldn’t rush to watch it again.

absolutely … I think that is what I was trying to get at ….. in the absence of a forerunner, an innovation is mind blowing … but looking back, it is almost impossible to see it.

[DaveCon]

I remember seeing it as a teenager in the 70's and thinking aren't Americans weird.
It was very much of it's time and place, which wasn't now and wasn't here.

If you go along with the groove and rhythm of the film, the ending (which in my opinion is what the film is all about) is really shocking. Like Planet of the Apes on the beach. It seems to be saying it doesn't matter how chilled out and loved up you are, there'll be someone who's going to try and wreck it for you because that's what people do because they can.

[garyboy]

I remember seeing it as a teenager in the 70's and thinking aren't Americans weird.
It was very much of it's time and place, which wasn't now and wasn't here.

If you go along with the groove and rhythm of the film, the ending (which in my opinion is what the film is all about) is really shocking. Like Planet of the Apes on the beach. It seems to be saying it doesn't matter how chilled out and loved up you are, there'll be someone who's going to try and wreck it for you because that's what people do because they can.

absolutely !!!

I never really understood all these ground-breaking films in the past ..perhaps because I only ever seemed to see bits of them .. and assumed that the film was about .. COOL … biking, lifestyles etc ….. but actually … as you say … when I saw it recently, together with unfortunate and nasty world experience of people … it is about how cunts just want to screw you over, especially if they see you enjoying something