HD for a new Generation

Harley is marketing to a new generation of riders these days. Same culture as the bikers of the past, but for the VANS sk8 generation. I'm a little offended, a little flattered, a bit afraid, and a touch pleased. I'm all fucked up about it. I guess what it comes down to is that HD is using the same marketing stratagy as ever. "Buy a Harley, instant cool." The problem is that if you don't have all the other stuff, like the bike shop, the club house, the friends who own rod shops, and the skills to put a motor back together, then you're realy just another douche who bought a HD and thought it made him tough. You probably also bought a helmet, a jacket, four t-shirts, boots, and a keychain that all had the HD logo stamped, clearly visible, on all of it for all the other douche-bags to see. Waving you're two fingered, "I rode my bike after work today", salute to me as you pass by. This rant has gotten bitter, watch the fucking movie!

Mumblings of a Mule

This modern backyard-build cycle culture seems to me to have a likeness to a lotta shit I've loved. Discovering independent music had the same obsessive effect on me half a life a-go. Before that transworld was my bible and thrasher my kama sutra. Knowing these uncommonly known nuggets of information somehow made me happier. In the same field of "shit to waste your energy on", and yet, "the shit to keep you sane and calm", it takes real effort to find the pieces from yards, barns, swaps, and salvo yards. Takes useless knowledge no one else (especially better halfs) cares about to know what to look for in all that crap. It's nice to think that building the way we do, seeking the vintage parts and history, piecing together a ghosty mule, utalizes the same tools and techniques as when those pieces were built. And that nothing being built now uses these backyard traditions and borrow beg and steal attitudes that make these plow pulling stallions so much fun. Good luck on the winter builds gentlemen, I feel fall is in the air.