ron521
One of the Regulars
- Messages
- 207
- Location
- Lakewood, CO
The HD Sportster is a genuine "new-old" bike that can easily be customized to resemble any era back as far as the 30's. Aftermarket suppliers such as Dennis Kirk and V-Twin Manufacturing offer seats, fenders, fuel tanks, and exhaust systems in dozens, sometimes hundreds, of styles.
My own 1991 Sportster is built to resemble the 883cc XLCH model of 1965, but if I wanted to, I could make into a 1957 XL replica, or even a 1939 WL.
The nice thing about the Sportster, especially the newer models with the Evolution motors, is that they are reliable and durable, capable of at least 50,000 miles between engine overhauls, and that they have the power and stamina to run on the Interstate, if desired.
IMHO, the Schott Perfecto is the definitive jacket to wear on a vintage bike, created in 1928, and what most riders in the 30's, 40's, and 50's would have worn if they could afford it.
Not until the Hollister incident and the subsequent Marlon Brando film did the Perfecto style have a negative connotation in the minds of the public, but this made it appeal even more to youths, even those who didn't own motorcycles. After the early 60's, it lost some popularity for a few years, as fashions in clothing and motorcycles changed, but was still popular enough to generate many copies from other companies such as Excelled, Brooks, and Harley Davidson themselves. I personally purchased some of these copies in the mid 70's, and again in the late 80's, finally acquiring Schott products in 1993.
A 1973 Cycle Guide article about the state of the sport during the '50s claimed that while riders of imported motorcycles might wear letterman jackets and chinos, riders of Harley and Indian almost always wore the black leather jacket and jeans (clothing that matched the tough, rugged character of the machinery).
The Perfecto really does work well, especially if you unsnap the lapels and zip it all the way up.
Other appropriate jackets representative of the era would have to include the Magnoli "Open Road", various jackets by Aero, Gibson and Barnes, and reproduction G-1 and A-2 jackets.
My own 1991 Sportster is built to resemble the 883cc XLCH model of 1965, but if I wanted to, I could make into a 1957 XL replica, or even a 1939 WL.
The nice thing about the Sportster, especially the newer models with the Evolution motors, is that they are reliable and durable, capable of at least 50,000 miles between engine overhauls, and that they have the power and stamina to run on the Interstate, if desired.
IMHO, the Schott Perfecto is the definitive jacket to wear on a vintage bike, created in 1928, and what most riders in the 30's, 40's, and 50's would have worn if they could afford it.
Not until the Hollister incident and the subsequent Marlon Brando film did the Perfecto style have a negative connotation in the minds of the public, but this made it appeal even more to youths, even those who didn't own motorcycles. After the early 60's, it lost some popularity for a few years, as fashions in clothing and motorcycles changed, but was still popular enough to generate many copies from other companies such as Excelled, Brooks, and Harley Davidson themselves. I personally purchased some of these copies in the mid 70's, and again in the late 80's, finally acquiring Schott products in 1993.
A 1973 Cycle Guide article about the state of the sport during the '50s claimed that while riders of imported motorcycles might wear letterman jackets and chinos, riders of Harley and Indian almost always wore the black leather jacket and jeans (clothing that matched the tough, rugged character of the machinery).
The Perfecto really does work well, especially if you unsnap the lapels and zip it all the way up.
Other appropriate jackets representative of the era would have to include the Magnoli "Open Road", various jackets by Aero, Gibson and Barnes, and reproduction G-1 and A-2 jackets.
