Sunday 29 September 2013

Harley-Davidson


Harley-Davidson

          I still remember the time when Easy Rider was shown in movie theaters in Manila. I was then a 3rd year college student at DLSU. The film was a blockbuster.  

           Easy Rider is about two friends who traveled through the back roads of America on board their choppers which were customized or modified old motorcycles.  

            At a time when the use of marijuana was in vogue and the hippies were all around America, Wyatt and Billy roamed the highways and byways in search of the real "America". Their bikes, which were tagged as Captain America and BillyBike, were originally made by Harley Davidson.

          Harley Davidson bikes are heavyweight motorcycles manufactured by a Wisconsin company bearing the same name. It has been making quality motorcycles since 1901. 

           The company employs about 6,000 workers and has an annual revenue of US $531 billion. It was founded by the Davidson brothers and William Harley.

          In the movie Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Arnold Schwarzenegger was using a 1990 Harley Davidson "Fatboy", riding in tandem with the boy John.  

          If you watched this film using a home theater system, you would have noticed the clear, crisp sound of the Harley's engine. This scene and the accompanying sound made the opening remarkable. I still remember it up to this day.

          Back to Easy Rider.  Wyatt and Billy were cruising along a lonely road in the South when two hillbillies fired at Billy at pointblank range.  Next to be shot was Wyatt.  They were shot because they had long hair and were riding customized bikes which were then identified with non-conformists.  That was the movie's closing scene. 

            Unforgettable was the chopper of Wyatt bursting into flames by the side of the road as The Ballad of Easy Rider was playing in the background:

The river flows
It flows to the sea  
Wherever that river goes
That's where I want to be
Flow river flow
Let your water wash down
Take me from this road
To some other town....

                                                                                              - Konted

Replica of Captain America bike used in the film Easy Rider
An old Peter Fonda riding a replica of a Captain America bike he used in Easy Rider in 1969. Dennis Hopper played Billy.  He was also the director of the film.
Sexy lady tries the Harley.
Taking it easy
Pretty model with the Harley (deviantart)
1000cc. 1927 Harley Davidson
This is a Harley Davidson model manufactured for the Canadian military.
V-rod
Arnold Schwarzenegger used a 1990 Harley Davidson "Fatboy" in the film Terminator:  Judgment Day.
Three Harley Davidson riders wait for the go signal at Melbourne's  Central Business District..
Harley parked near the pier at Port Melbourne.
Parked near the Commonwealth Reserve in Williamstown in the State of Victoria.
Seen at Port Melbourne
This was taken near a resto at the Port of Eden in New South Wales.
Seen at Albert Park in Melbourne.  The owner was probably watching the Australian Grand Prix.
This one was taken at a stopover station along Hume Highway in Gundagai, New South Wales. Most likely, the rider and his companion were bound for Sydney.
Taken at St. Kilda near Luna Park in Melbourne City.
A riding companion of the white Harley Davidson.
Nice pair
A customized bike seen also in St. Kilda.
I took this shot just when the owner was about to mount his bike.
At St. Kilda Beach near Melbourne City proper
A nice customized bike parked in front of St. Kilda Sea Baths.
Attention grabber
Beautiful bike parked also in front of St. Kilda Sea Baths.
Shining chrome
Photo taken at Docklands.
Two Harleys seen at the old town of Castlemaine in Victoria, Australia.
Female riders sighted at Williamstown which is a few kilometers away from Melbourne City proper.