Topic: An excerpt from Sonny Barger's book, comment about Harleys and Hondas

[sangyo soichiro]

Sonny Barger is a founding member of the Oakland chapter of the Hell's Angels MC.

But Hell's Angels started riding Harley-Davidsons mostly because, unlike today, they didn't have much choice.  In 1957, it was either ride a Harley or settle for a Triumph or BSA.  They'd already stopped building Indians.  It's always been important for Hell's Angels to ride American-made machines.  In terms of pure workmanship, personally I don't like Harleys.  I ride them because I'm in the club, and that's the image, but if I could I would seriously consider a Honda ST1100 or a BMW.  We really missed the boat not switching over to the Japanese models when they began building bigger bikes.  I'll usually say, "#$%* Harley Davidson.  You can buy an ST1100 and the mother#$%*er will do 110 miles per hour right from the factory all day long."  The newest "rice rockets" can carry 140 horsepower to the rear wheel, and can easily do 180 miles per hour right out of the box.  While it's probably too late to switch over now, it would have been a nice move, because Japanese bikes today are so much cheaper and better built.  However, Japanese motorcycles don't have as much personality.

I reproduced this paragraph directly from the following book, pp. 52-53.



Hell's Angel by Sonny Barger

I'm enjoying this book quite a bit by the way. 

[bucky katt]

wow, that just blows my mind. i'm trying to get this mental picture of a hells angel on a beemer twin.

[754]

I have seen a Beemer K with the death head on the sides of the tank at Sturgis, clearly a members bike.. did not see him on it tho..

[tramp]

my mind flashes to sonny on a 450dohc
too much bike for him

[dhodges]

I met him at a book signing he did when that book came out. He was riding a road glide, or road king i think with a black full face helmet on.

[Damfino]

When the wife & I went to San Francisco in June '08, I was surprised to see a Hells Angel in full colors riding a Beemer on the highway from the airport.

[Uncle Ernie]

I've seen that BMW.  I think it might be a K bike, if I recall correctly.  It was at California BMW in Mt View getting a service.  I saw the head and "Live to ride, ride to live" on the fender and I thought, "This guy doesn't have the guts to pull the trigger himself?!"

Kari told me it was, indeed, a Hells Angel.  He picked up the Beemer because he had a bad back and couldn't handle a chopper anymore. 
In general, I've found that a lot of riders of Harleys and BMWs share a mutual respect for each other's bikes.  Many have one of each.

Way back when, I had a group of Harley riders sort of adopt me when I rode a BMW R69S.   I remember one night when we were BSing I couldn't believe a Harley could out-gun my Beemer.  A bunch of us went down to the Great Highway for a drag race.  When we heard "GO!", it was like I forget to start my bike.  BU-BYE ! ! !   

That little episode cost me some serious coin, too.  (I still shoot my mouth off... )

[gerhed]

One night in the mid 60's I had my brand new 305 Scrambler
at some motorcycle races outside Chicago.(Santa Fe Speedway)
As his buddies looked on, a drunken member of the Chicago Outlaws
came up to me and my very comely (vintage word) date
(this girl was from Wisconsin!) and looked my bike and the girl up and down--very closely.
I refrained from action of any kind--which was probably for the best.


pic attached---could explain why I was picked on

[754]

AHHHhhh, but Gerhed think of how we now,  so cherish them "Puckered, Scary Moments" when we we have encounters with them older scary guys...

 Reminds me of a day in 74, when I rode off ahead of our little pack of 7 or 8 riders on my 350 twin trusty chopper.
 
Ran a CL tank, which meant frequent gas stops. So I am riding thru the Fraser Canyon and I have to get gas soon as I can.

 Spot a gas station up ahead, and prepare to turn in and notices it is full of bikes.. big bikes.. I mean BIG bikes .. and all the guys are wearing colours..

 Well I needed gas so I pulled up to a pump, started filling up, heard a few (snide? ) comments.. like nice bike kid.. etc, bit of snickering, put in my 1.16,  paid and left..

 Got about 1/2 mile away from them, and it quickly became apparent that the foam cushion that I had been using to minimize the pain of my cobra seat, was missing.. I left it at the gas pump.. .. yeah, I had to go back..

 I went back, wheeled up to the pump, all eyes were upon me as I deftly picked up the btight orange cushion tucked it under my ass and rode off.. pretty sure then guys were snickering & laughing.. but I had to go.. miles to make ya know..

 ..............................................................................
 For those that did not yet have the pleasure, you are missing out..

 Cobra seat, a resonably priced, somewhat attractive piece of, aluminum, foam and hide of a wild nauga.... Sounds nice so far, but with an inch and a quarter of foam, it felt more like riding on a piece of 2x4.. .. quite painful, moreso on bike that vibrated a lot..

 I bet a few of us remember, the rest well ya gotta try it.. , to believe it.

[Uncle Ernie]

I had a Cobra seat on one of my /2 BMW's.  Put me so low on the frame my knees were up to my ears.  It loked #$%*in though (that's the important thing)!