Deuce Bronder wrote yesterday in his column...
I can't help myself from mourning the loss of what motorcycling once was. In those days we would leave on an overnighter or gypsy tour with just a ground cover and a blanket.He finishes his article by telling all such motorcyclists to stay far, far away from him.
Now hotel reservations are made in advance and only after searching the web to be sure there is a pool, Jacuzzi, wet bar in the room, a masseuse and complimentary cocktails on the veranda.
I'm not so sure that motorcycling is really any different than it is now. He goes on to complain that bikers need to pack their cell phones and laptops, but then again, nobody had these devices in the 1960s. Is he saying that in the 1960s not a single biker ever packed a transistor radio? Is he saying that in 1960s, not a single biker ever overnighted at a motor lodge?
Just because cell phones weren't around in the 1960s, doesn't mean bikers would not have wanted one.
A vagabond who hauls a motorcycle around the country in a toy hauler, earning a living as a website developer. Can often be found where there's free Wi-Fi, craft beer, and/or public nudity. 
Ah...the nostalgia for "those days."
ReplyDeleteI prefer to think about how things were years ago as simpler, less complicated. They were also damned inconvenient at times. I don't know about any of you, but I spent lots of time as my old man's "channel changer" back in the 70's, as well as a good stint as "antenna boy." Today, my boys sit on the couch playing their Nintendo DS's, and I just use the remote.
If being safer and much more comfortable means it ain't what it used to be, then I'm fine with motorcycling today. Last summer when I was stuck with a friend and her disabled bike in the middle of Chicago for several hours, I was never so grateful for cell phones in my life. Without them, we would have been screwed.
You go ahead Deuce and sleep under the stars on the dirt with your blanket. Enjoy. I'll take the No-Tell-Motel - even if the towels are scratchy. Nope, it ain't what it used to be. It's better.
Bronder refers to the days when motorcycling was an activity practiced primarily by people who loved the outdoors. There are still a few who don't own a laptop or cell and prefer a tent to a motel.
ReplyDeleteIt's easy to get caught up in who is a biker and who isn't but as far as I'm concerned HOG got it right when they came up with the sole purpose of "Ride & Have Fun". That hasn't changed over time regardless of the bike you ride or the equipment you choose to use or the amenities you take advantage of.
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