Sean's Gallery of the Famous (and Infamous)

[s***@gmail.com]

Sitting bored in a waiting room I decided to start a list of notable names
and celebrities connected in some way with motorcycles.
Alphabetical by last names:

* Sonny Barger b.1938 - founding member of the HA's, Oakland Chapter

* [notorious in Canada] Maurice "Mom" Boucher b.1953 - former president,
HA Montreal chapter; currently in prison. (pronounced boo-SHAY)

* Marlon Brando 1924-2004 & Lee Marvin 1924-1987 - _The Wild One_ (1953)

* Erik F. Buell b.1950 - founder of Buell Motorcycle Company

* Floyd Clymer 1895-1970 - pioneer in the sport of motorcycling, racer,
motorcycle dealer and distributor, magazine publisher, racing promoter,
author, and motorcycle manufacturer; publisher of Clymer motorcycle
shop manuals

* Peter Fonda b.1940 & Dennis Hopper 1936-2010 - _Easy Rider_

* Arlo Guthrie b.1947 - "I don't want a pickle; I just wanna ride my..."

* Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel 1938-2007 - motorcycle stunt showman

* William S. Harley 1880-1943 & Arthur Davidson 1881-1950 - HD MoCo founders

* Adolf Hitler 1889-1945 - army dispatch rider in WW1

* Soichiro Honda 1906-1991 - Japanese engineer and industrialist.
Established Honda in 1948 and oversaw its expansion from a wooden
shack manufacturing bicycle motors to a multinational automobile
and motorcycle manufacturer

* Lawrence "Indian Larry" DeSmedt 1949-2004 - noted motorcycle builder,
artist, stunt rider and biker

* Thomas Edward (T.E.) Lawrence (of Arabia) 1888-1935 - rode a Brough Superior

* David "Dave" Mann 1940-2004 - motorcycle/biker artist

* Steve McQueen 1930-1980 - prominent biker; m/c scene in _The Great Escape_.
Supported 1971 motorcycle documentary _On Any Sunday_ by Bruce Brown

* James Lansdowne Norton 1869-1925 - motorcycle designer, inventor and
manufacturer of the Norton motorcycles. One of the pioneers of the British
motorcycle industry

* Gregory Peck 1916-2003 & Audrey Hepburn 1929-1993 - _Roman Holiday_.
This movie's mayhem scooter scene (less than 2 mins) popularized the Vespa:

: Reports from the time suggest that right after the release of Roman Holiday
: Vespa sold over 100,000 units as a direct result.
-- http://www.motorcycle.com/how-to/audrey-hepburn-and-the-rise-of-the-vespa

* Enrico Piaggio 1905-1965 - Italian industrialist who designed and began
production of the Vespa scooter at the end of WW2

* Robert Maynard Pirsig b.1928 - American writer and philosopher; author of
_Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_ (1974)

* Vladimir Putin b.1952 - Russian President; rides a HD trike and publicly
associates himself with Russian motorcycle gang and political activists
the Night Wolves MC (who receive funding directly from the Kremlin)

* Ronald Reagan 1911-2004 - imposed a protective tariff in 1983 against large(!)
displacement (700+ cc) motorcycle imports at the request of HD
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa032.html

* Sylvester H. Roper 1823-1896 - American inventor. The Roper Steam Velocipede
of 1867 may have been the first true motorcycle

* Ed "Big Daddy" Roth 1932-2001 - the "Rat Fink"; custom bikes and cars

* Hunter S. Thompson 1937-2004 - Gonzo journalist; author of _Hells Angels_
(1967). Rode a Triumph Bonneville

* Craig Vetter b.1942 - fairing designer and manufacturer. Claims his
Windjammer was best-selling of all fairings

* Brian Douglas Wilson b.1942 & Michael Edward "Mike" Love b.1941 of
the Beach Boys; co-wrote "Little Honda" (It's not a big motorcycle,
just a groovy little motorbike)

* The House of Windsor (British royal family)
Prince Charles: http://ukfrancebikers.com/2012/11/13/prince-charles-on-a-motorbike/
Prince William: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2516036/Prince-Wheelie-Wills-indulges-love-motorbikes-testing-Ducati

--gets-mini-bike-to-George.html
Prince Harry: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/prince-harry-rides-a-motorcycle-through-the-arizona-desert-

20112111
Duke of Edinburgh: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/happy-birthday-prince-philip-quotes-duke-edinburgh-93-1451938
Queen Elizabeth (as princess): http://thevintagent.blogspot.ca/2012/06/god-save-queen-of-motorcycling.html

* (???) Can't recall name or title - American author; wrote very funny book
about HD ownership, starting in England with a Sportster. Title something like
_Harley Madness_.

Any suggested additions/corrections appreciated. For instance, racing champions
are conspicuously absent as I am not much into bike races. However there's one
who I think deserves mention; I can't recall his name, but he's an American
track racer who took his bike across the Pond and outraced the Europeans
on their own turf in quite a spectacular way. Help wanted on this one; TIA.

SQ

[The Older Gentleman]

Post by s***@gmail.com
Any suggested additions/corrections appreciated.

Cary Grant - for riding a scooter in Roman Holiday

Audrey Hepburn - as above

Oh - Hitler was a messenger in WW1, but he was a runner, not a despatch
rider.

[s***@gmail.com]

Post by The Older Gentleman

Post by s***@gmail.com
Any suggested additions/corrections appreciated.

Cary Grant - for riding a scooter in Roman Holiday

The 1953 version: Loading Image...

Post by The Older Gentleman
Oh - Hitler was a messenger in WW1, but he was a runner, not a despatch
rider.

From Adolf Hitler's Hepp Letter:

"My job now is to carry dispatches for the staff. As for the mud, things
are a bit better here, but also more dangerous. In Wytschaete during
the first day of the attack, three of us eight dispatch riders were killed,
and one was badly wounded. The four survivors -- and the man who was wounded
-- were cited for their distinguished conduct. While they were deciding
which of us should be awarded the Iron Cross, four company commanders
came to the dugout. That meant that the four of us had to step out.
We were standing some distance away about five minutes later, when a shell
slammed into the dugout, wounding Lieutenant Colonel Engelhardt, and killing
or wounding the rest of his staff. This was the most terrible moment
of my life." http://htbo.tripod.com/ht6.html

He might have looked something like this:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/drakegoodman/9421642738/

Note German grave marker & observation balloon.

SQ
ps. Loading Image...

[The Older Gentleman]

Post by s***@gmail.com
"My job now is to carry dispatches for the staff.

Yes, on foot. Incredibly dangerous. You couldn't have ridden a
motorcycle through the trenches anyway.

[s***@gmail.com]

Post by The Older Gentleman

Post by s***@gmail.com
"My job now is to carry dispatches for the staff.

Yes, on foot.

??? In the letter he describes himself as a dispatch "rider" (on line 3).

Post by The Older Gentleman
Incredibly dangerous.

True -- 3 of 8 riders killed in 1 day of battle.

Post by The Older Gentleman
You couldn't have ridden a
motorcycle through the trenches anyway.

Obviously conditions varied. The flikr photo seems to show rideable terrain.
However it was taken at Verdun, 1916 whereas Hitler was writing
his letter in Wytschaete, West Flanders (the muddiest part?)
at the Battle of Messines (1917).

ps. Apparently some WW1 dispatch motorcycles had no clutch. The rider
had to hoist them up on the center stand, start the motor (spinning
the rear wheel) and then ease it off the stand with a bit of roll-on.
Ie, the rear wheel and the ground served as clutch plates. Must have
been a shaky start for a bike ride.

SQ

[The Older Gentleman]

Post by s***@gmail.com

Post by The Older Gentleman

Post by s***@gmail.com
"My job now is to carry dispatches for the staff.

Yes, on foot.

??? In the letter he describes himself as a dispatch "rider" (on line 3).

Post by The Older Gentleman
Incredibly dangerous.

True -- 3 of 8 riders killed in 1 day of battle.

Post by The Older Gentleman
You couldn't have ridden a
motorcycle through the trenches anyway.

Obviously conditions varied. The flikr photo seems to show rideable terrain.
However it was taken at Verdun, 1916 whereas Hitler was writing
his letter in Wytschaete, West Flanders (the muddiest part?)
at the Battle of Messines (1917).
ps. Apparently some WW1 dispatch motorcycles had no clutch. The rider
had to hoist them up on the center stand, start the motor (spinning
the rear wheel) and then ease it off the stand with a bit of roll-on.
Ie, the rear wheel and the ground served as clutch plates. Must have
been a shaky start for a bike ride.

Trust me, he was a runner. On foot. Not on a motorcycle.

[Thomas]

Post by s***@gmail.com
Sitting bored in a waiting room I decided to start a list of notable
names and celebrities connected in some way with motorcycles.

Che Guevarra - Motorcycle Diaries

the actor/celebrity who did the trans-Africa doc/reality shows

Burt Munro - World's Fastest Indian

Jay Leno

Fran Crane, Mike Kneebone, Ron Major - legendary Iron Butt riders

[s***@gmail.com]

Post by Thomas
Che Guevarra - Motorcycle Diaries

Good call -- will include in next edition.

Post by Thomas
the actor/celebrity who did the trans-Africa doc/reality shows

I don't watch a lot of tv but this sounds like something I'd like to
catch up on. (It's getting to be a lot more comfortable watching someone else
ride through a thousand miles of desert adventures than doing it myself).

Post by Thomas
Burt Munro - World's Fastest Indian

Believe it or not I haven't seen this yet (either that or it was highly
forgettable). Either way do I hafta turn in my Reeky Member's card?

Post by Thomas
Jay Leno

For the Love Ride, big charity run. Will add to the Gallery.

Post by Thomas
Fran Crane, Mike Kneebone, Ron Major - legendary Iron Butt riders

The legends hadn't reached me, but now they have.

Thanks for the clues
SQ

[The Older Gentleman]

Post by Thomas
Jay Leno

Oh yes.

[krusty kritter]

Post by Thomas
Jay Leno

Jay Leno used to come to the Griffith Observatory to hang out with us on Sunday mornings before he took over Johnny Carson's TV show.

I had a long conversation with Jay about his Brough Superior at the Observatory, but that was a long time ago, before he got fat and his hair turned grey.

He had previously done a bit part with Michael Caine in the film "Silver Bears," where he played the part of a Mafia guido...

Post by Thomas
Fran Crane, Mike Kneebone, Ron Major - legendary Iron Butt riders

I talked to Ron Major twice at Newcombs Ranch on the Angeles Crest Highway.

He worked at the KTLA TV station about four blocks from where I lived in Hollywood.

Ron was telling me that he had done the 50CC run in less than 50 hours.

"50CC" means fifty hours, coast to coast...

I asked Ron why he wanted to spend his life racing against the clock and piling up miles on his bike instead of stopping to smell the roses.

He said that some people just have different lifestyles and goals, and that he was going to do the 50CC again, real soon.

Ron was found dead on Interstate 8, east of San Diego.

He was on the median strip, about half a mile from his Honda, which was leaning against the center divider.

Nobody ever posted exactly what happened to Ron, but it may have been a heart attack.

[The Older Gentleman]

Post by krusty kritter
Jay Leno used to come to the Griffith Observatory to hang out with us

I don't think I've ever heard anybody claim that JL actually came to
'hang out" with them, rather than the reverse.

[krusty kritter]

Post by The Older Gentleman

Post by krusty kritter
Jay Leno used to come to the Griffith Observatory to hang out with us

I don't think I've ever heard anybody claim that JL actually came to
'hang out" with them, rather than the reverse.

Go screw yourself with a hot curling iron.

There was me, and there was Jay, and he rode his Brough Superior up to the Observatory to show it off to fellow motorcycle enthusiasts (do I not fit the description?), but I was the only one there so we talked for about half an hour.

Jay was skinnier and had black hair and sideburns and I thought he was just another Elvis impersonator.

[The Older Gentleman]

Post by krusty kritter
I was the only one there

So who is this "us" he hung ouit with, then?

[krusty kritter]

Post by The Older Gentleman

Post by krusty kritter
I was the only one there

So who is this "us" he hung ouit with, then?

Google for "Backside Sliders..."

You might even find an image of the Sliders lapel button...

There were hundreds of Sliders who met at Griffith Observatory for Sunday Morning Rides until the City of Los Angeles started charging a parking fee.

Lots of regulars quit showing up on Sunday and the Observatory turned into an attraction for Mexican families.

Then Dr. Krupp decided that it would be better to require reservations to visit the Observatory, since all the little Mexican kids did was run around and fight over who got to push the buttons that turned on the lights of the various exhibits.

The Observatory was closed for renovations for five years and that was the final stake driven into the heart of motorcyclist hanging out at the Observatory.

[TOG@Toil]

Really? Thus far all we've got is you saying you talked at him on one occasion, an experience I doubt he relished. He didn't hang out with you at all.

[krusty kritter]

Post by ***@Toil
Really? Thus far all we've got is you saying you talked at him on one occasion, an experience I doubt he relished. He didn't hang out with you at all.

Hey, I don't relish the experience of communicating with you either.

I also knew Jay's wife Mavis before they got married.

[TOG@Toil]

Yes, of course you did. It's amazing how many people you "knew", but I have never, ever, seen any single one of them pop up and say they knew *you*.

Why is that?

[TOG@Toil]

Yes, of course you did. It's amazing how many people you "knew", but I have never, ever, seen any single one of them pop up and say they knew *you*.

Why is that?

[krusty kritter]

Post by The Older Gentleman

Post by krusty kritter
Jay Leno used to come to the Griffith Observatory to hang out with us

I don't think I've ever heard anybody claim that JL actually came to
'hang out" with them, rather than the reverse.

Just for your edification, Jay Leno used to go to the Rock Store frequently to hang out with other motorcycle enthusiasts and show off his antique cars and motorcycles.

He would usually go early on a Saturday to get a parking space.

The last time I saw Jay was at the park in Sepulveda basin (Van Nuys) where he stopped to enjoy lunch with some strangers at a picnic, as well as showing off his Stanley Steamer.

Jay Leno is good people, something you limey pricks don't understand at all.

[Futility Man]

On Wed, 29 Apr 2015 10:55:24 -0700 (PDT), krusty kritter

Post by krusty kritter
Ron was found dead on Interstate 8, east of San Diego.
He was on the median strip, about half a mile from his Honda, which was leaning against the center divider.

Ron died while competing in the Iron Butt Rally, a competition where several
selected riders ride great distances to gather points, something like a
nation-wide scavenger hunt. The winners will ride 1,000 or more miles a day for
11 days straight.

Two of my friends were also competing in the same rally.

His bike was found leaning against the guard rail out in the middle of nowhere.
The ignition switch was still on, the bike had just coasted down and stopped
there. The cop who found the bike turned the key off but there was no sign of
Ron. Everyone assumed he had some sort of mechanical problem and had gone for
help. The fact that the key was left on was not remembered until much later and
that cop was not at the scene after the initial discovery.

His crew came and picked up the bike, which of course had a dead battery. They
assumed the charging system had failed and that Ron had hitch hiked for help,
but when he didn't show up, they started getting worried. Especially when there
proved to be nothing wrong with his bike.

His support crew had not heard from him. When he failed to show up at the next
checkpoint, a search was set up for him. He was found the next day. He had
suffered a massive heart attack and had fallen off the bike, his body sliding up
under some brush on the side (not middle) of the interstate.

The bike had stabilized itself and continued on, coasting down until the engine
choked down and died. It was a miracle that the bike was close enough to a
guard rail that it didn't fall over.

If it had fallen over, they may have found his body sooner. But the autopsy
showed that he was likely dead before he hit the ground so it still would not
have saved him.

Post by krusty kritter
Nobody ever posted exactly what happened to Ron, but it may have been a heart attack.

Now somebody has.

--
Futility Man
IBA #12795

[The Older Gentleman]

Post by Futility Man
Now somebody has.

And I am very grateful to you for it. I read it through twice.

What an extraordinary and slightly poignant story. Still, I reckon
there are worse ways to go.

[Thomas]

On Thu, 30 Apr 2015 05:35:21 -0700, The Older Gentleman

Post by The Older Gentleman

Post by Futility Man
Now somebody has.

And I am very grateful to you for it. I read it through twice.
What an extraordinary and slightly poignant story. Still, I reckon
there are worse ways to go.

People often say, is such circumstances, "Well, at least he died doing
what he loved." Fuck that. Ron would have wanted to see what was around
the next bend. I have a friend who died of a congenital heart problem
while he was surfing at the age of 34. I'm sure he would rather have
continued surfing for another 50 years. I've thought about suicide by
riding off a cliff, but I've never seen a corner that I didn't wonder if
the next turn was going to be even more fun.

[The Older Gentleman]

Post by Thomas
On Thu, 30 Apr 2015 05:35:21 -0700, The Older Gentleman

Post by The Older Gentleman

Post by Futility Man
Now somebody has.

And I am very grateful to you for it. I read it through twice.
What an extraordinary and slightly poignant story. Still, I reckon
there are worse ways to go.

People often say, is such circumstances, "Well, at least he died doing
what he loved." Fuck that. Ron would have wanted to see what was around
the next bend. I have a friend who died of a congenital heart problem
while he was surfing at the age of 34. I'm sure he would rather have
continued surfing for another 50 years. I've thought about suicide by
riding off a cliff, but I've never seen a corner that I didn't wonder if
the next turn was going to be even more fun.

Well put.

[krusty kritter]

I've thought about suicide by riding off a cliff, but I've never seen a corner that I didn't wonder if the next turn was going to be even more fun.

There was a message on bay area moto several years ago about a female rider called "Big Red" who did commit suicide by running her bike off a cliff along Hwy 1 in Marin County.

It took several days to find her corpse...

[Vito]

<***@gmail.com> wrote
| Sitting bored in a waiting room I decided to start a list of notable
names
| and celebrities connected in some way with motorcycles.
| Alphabetical by last names: ......
| Any suggested additions/corrections appreciated. For instance, racing
champions
| are conspicuously absent as I am not much into bike races. However
there's one
| who I think deserves mention; I can't recall his name, but he's an
American
| track racer who took his bike across the Pond and outraced the Europeans
| on their own turf in quite a spectacular way. Help wanted on this one;
TIA.
|
| SQ

Add "Wino Willy" Forkner, founder of the original Boozefighters MC - the
guys who supposedly took over towns and launched the "outlaw" movement in
America. "The Wild One" was Hollywood's version. Lee Marvin modeled his
character after Wino.

[krusty kritter]

Post by s***@gmail.com
Sitting bored in a waiting room I decided to start a list of notable names
and celebrities connected in some way with motorcycles.

I get bored too, but I have better things to do than make up lists of people associated with motorcycles who are mostly dead.

Maybe that's your problem, you're already mostly dead?

[s***@gmail.com]

I get bored too, but I have better things to do...

Then I suggest you go do them.

Maybe that's your problem, you're already mostly dead?

How dare you address me in such a fashion after calling my last
topic a "nasorectal exploration"? How gross! And rude.
Have you no shame at all, sir?

I demand satisfaction! [wap! wap! with leather riding glove]
It shall be pistols at dawn in Itchycoo Park, Ilford, London Borough
of Redbridge, England. Mr. Neil Murray is invited to be my Second.

Prepare to defend your honour as a gentleman, sir!

SQ

[krusty kritter]

Post by s***@gmail.com
I demand satisfaction! [wap! wap! with leather riding glove]
It shall be pistols at dawn in Itchycoo Park, Ilford, London Borough
of Redbridge, England. Mr. Neil Murray is invited to be my Second.
Prepare to defend your honour as a gentleman, sir!

Don't you have a collection of old Monty Python tapes that need watching?

You can invite Neil Murray to join you.

[Terry Coombs]

Post by krusty kritter

Post by s***@gmail.com
I demand satisfaction! [wap! wap! with leather riding glove]
It shall be pistols at dawn in Itchycoo Park, Ilford, London Borough
of Redbridge, England. Mr. Neil Murray is invited to be my Second.
Prepare to defend your honour as a gentleman, sir!

Don't you have a collection of old Monty Python tapes that need watching?
You can invite Neil Murray to join you.

Krusty Asswipe strikes again ! Boy , Sean , I bet your feelings must really
be hurt ! TOG , stop that chuckling , I hear you over there ! Y'all prefer
caramel or buttered popcorn ?

[The Older Gentleman]

Post by Terry Coombs
TOG , stop that chuckling , I hear you over there !

Oh, sorry. I'll be quieter.

Post by Terry Coombs
Y'all prefer
caramel or buttered popcorn ?

I'm absolutely amazed...

(a) That he's not dead.

(b) That he's popped up again

(c) That all he can do is bang on about me. A greater obsessive would
be hard to find. I have visions of him crouching, Gollum-like, for the
last two or three years muttering to himself.

So I just let him rant away, and smile.

Salt on the popcorn, please.

[Thomas]

On Mon, 27 Apr 2015 22:58:28 -0700, The Older Gentleman

Post by The Older Gentleman

Post by Terry Coombs
TOG , stop that chuckling , I hear you over there !

Oh, sorry. I'll be quieter.

Post by Terry Coombs
Y'all prefer
caramel or buttered popcorn ?

I'm absolutely amazed...
(a) That he's not dead.
(b) That he's popped up again
(c) That all he can do is bang on about me. A greater obsessive would
be hard to find. I have visions of him crouching, Gollum-like, for the
last two or three years muttering to himself.

What else are you going to do when you live in a trailer park in outer
Slobovia?

Post by The Older Gentleman
So I just let him rant away, and smile.

He's like one of those noisy dogs in the neighborhood, always yapping with
an ugly bark.

[The Older Gentleman]

Post by Thomas
He's like one of those noisy dogs in the neighborhood, always yapping with
an ugly bark.

Rather obsessive.

Anyone who returns to an ng after an absence of a few years and
immediately devotes his time to attacking one of the denizens is
slightly odd, if you ask me.

Heh. He tried it on reddit[1] and got banned.

[1] I've got something like 15 logins there. I'm amazed nobody has
worked it out.

[krusty kritter]

Post by The Older Gentleman
Heh. He tried it on reddit[1] and got banned.

Only the most obvious pseudoneyms get banned out of hand, the moderators couldn't figure out the vast majority of my hundreds of nyms.

Post by The Older Gentleman
[1] I've got something like 15 logins there. I'm amazed nobody has
worked it out.

Yabbot, nobody ever answers you once they figure out you're a troll.

[Beauregard T. Shagnasty]

... the vast majority of my hundreds of nyms.

You have just proved - once again - that you really are the scum
underneath the bottom of the barrel. No question at all.

[The Older Gentleman]

Post by krusty kritter
Only the most obvious pseudoneyms get banned out of hand, the moderators

couldn't figure out the vast majority of my hundreds of nyms.

Sure, grunge_ryder.

[krusty kritter]

Post by The Older Gentleman
(c) That all he can do is bang on about me.

Dinna fash ye'self, laddy, y'er not aw that.

Post by The Older Gentleman
A greater obsessive would
be hard to find. I have visions of him crouching, Gollum-like, for the
last two or three years muttering to himself.

Remember what Alice had to say about believing six impossible things before breakfast?

Post by The Older Gentleman
So I just let him rant away, and smile.

As if you could do anything about my posts?

Post by The Older Gentleman
Salt on the popcorn, please.

Yeah, pour it on, you need the excess sodium in your diet....

[J. Clarke]

Post by s***@gmail.com
Sitting bored in a waiting room I decided to start a list of notable names
and celebrities connected in some way with motorcycles.
* Sonny Barger b.1938 - founding member of the HA's, Oakland Chapter
* [notorious in Canada] Maurice "Mom" Boucher b.1953 - former president,
HA Montreal chapter; currently in prison. (pronounced boo-SHAY)
* Marlon Brando 1924-2004 & Lee Marvin 1924-1987 - _The Wild One_ (1953)
* Erik F. Buell b.1950 - founder of Buell Motorcycle Company
* Floyd Clymer 1895-1970 - pioneer in the sport of motorcycling, racer,
motorcycle dealer and distributor, magazine publisher, racing promoter,
author, and motorcycle manufacturer; publisher of Clymer motorcycle
shop manuals
* Peter Fonda b.1940 & Dennis Hopper 1936-2010 - _Easy Rider_
* Arlo Guthrie b.1947 - "I don't want a pickle; I just wanna ride my..."
* Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel 1938-2007 - motorcycle stunt showman
* William S. Harley 1880-1943 & Arthur Davidson 1881-1950 - HD MoCo founders
* Adolf Hitler 1889-1945 - army dispatch rider in WW1
* Soichiro Honda 1906-1991 - Japanese engineer and industrialist.
Established Honda in 1948 and oversaw its expansion from a wooden
shack manufacturing bicycle motors to a multinational automobile
and motorcycle manufacturer
* Lawrence "Indian Larry" DeSmedt 1949-2004 - noted motorcycle builder,
artist, stunt rider and biker
* Thomas Edward (T.E.) Lawrence (of Arabia) 1888-1935 - rode a Brough Superior
* David "Dave" Mann 1940-2004 - motorcycle/biker artist
* Steve McQueen 1930-1980 - prominent biker; m/c scene in _The Great Escape_.
Supported 1971 motorcycle documentary _On Any Sunday_ by Bruce Brown
* James Lansdowne Norton 1869-1925 - motorcycle designer, inventor and
manufacturer of the Norton motorcycles. One of the pioneers of the British
motorcycle industry
* Gregory Peck 1916-2003 & Audrey Hepburn 1929-1993 - _Roman Holiday_.
http://youtu.be/ExVWQ_I-elI
: Reports from the time suggest that right after the release of Roman Holiday
: Vespa sold over 100,000 units as a direct result.
-- http://www.motorcycle.com/how-to/audrey-hepburn-and-the-rise-of-the-vespa
* Enrico Piaggio 1905-1965 - Italian industrialist who designed and began
production of the Vespa scooter at the end of WW2
* Robert Maynard Pirsig b.1928 - American writer and philosopher; author of
_Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_ (1974)
* Vladimir Putin b.1952 - Russian President; rides a HD trike and publicly
associates himself with Russian motorcycle gang and political activists
the Night Wolves MC (who receive funding directly from the Kremlin)
* Ronald Reagan 1911-2004 - imposed a protective tariff in 1983 against large(!)
displacement (700+ cc) motorcycle imports at the request of HD
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa032.html
* Sylvester H. Roper 1823-1896 - American inventor. The Roper Steam Velocipede
of 1867 may have been the first true motorcycle
* Ed "Big Daddy" Roth 1932-2001 - the "Rat Fink"; custom bikes and cars
* Hunter S. Thompson 1937-2004 - Gonzo journalist; author of _Hells Angels_
(1967). Rode a Triumph Bonneville
* Craig Vetter b.1942 - fairing designer and manufacturer. Claims his
Windjammer was best-selling of all fairings
* Brian Douglas Wilson b.1942 & Michael Edward "Mike" Love b.1941 of
the Beach Boys; co-wrote "Little Honda" (It's not a big motorcycle,
just a groovy little motorbike)
* The House of Windsor (British royal family)
Prince Charles: http://ukfrancebikers.com/2012/11/13/prince-charles-on-a-motorbike/
Prince William: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2516036/Prince-Wheelie-Wills-indulges-love-motorbikes-testing-Ducati
--gets-mini-bike-to-George.html
Prince Harry: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/prince-harry-rides-a-motorcycle-through-the-arizona-desert-
20112111
Duke of Edinburgh: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/happy-birthday-prince-philip-quotes-duke-edinburgh-93-1451938
Queen Elizabeth (as princess): http://thevintagent.blogspot.ca/2012/06/god-save-queen-of-motorcycling.html
* (???) Can't recall name or title - American author; wrote very funny book
about HD ownership, starting in England with a Sportster. Title something like
_Harley Madness_.
Any suggested additions/corrections appreciated. For instance, racing champions
are conspicuously absent as I am not much into bike races. However there's one
who I think deserves mention; I can't recall his name, but he's an American
track racer who took his bike across the Pond and outraced the Europeans
on their own turf in quite a spectacular way. Help wanted on this one; TIA.
SQ

Several on the distaff side.

Beatrice Shilling, creater of "Miss Shilling's Orifice" that allowed
Spitfire pilots to dive after Messerschitts without having to worry
about flooding the carburetor--lapped Brooklands at 106mph in the '30s
on a Norton, and according to legend refused to marry her fiance until
he had also lapped Brooklands at over 100.

Three actresses.

Eliza Dushku of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Tru Calling" and
"Dollhouse" is an avid rider. There's a scene in Dollhouse where her
character rides Ducati in stilletos--I'm not clear on whether that was
Eliza or a stunt rider, but like to believe it's her.

Katee Sackhoff and Tricia Helfer of Battlestar Galactica and assorted
other shows--often seen riding together in SoCal and other places--
they've ridden cross-country at least once. I'm surprised that they
haven't gone for an iron butt.

Speaking of which, not a celebrity, but a darned nice perseon, Alexis
Fuller, aka "A-Girl", aka "Stromette", who took it into her head to go
riding back in 2006 and by the end of the year had completed two Iron
Butt rides and put 65,000 miles on her V-Strom, including hitting both
Dead Horse and Miami. She used to have a blog up "Seize the Journey",
that for some reason she seems to have pulled, so I have no idea what's
become of her.

[Thomas]

Post by J. Clarke
Several on the distaff side.

Another beautiful Italian, Valeria Golino in Respiro, making a Vespa look
great.

[--riverman]

Post by s***@gmail.com
* Gregory Peck 1916-2003 & Audrey Hepburn 1929-1993 - _Roman Holiday_.
http://youtu.be/ExVWQ_I-elI

What are the Policia riding at the end of that clip?

[--riverman]

Post by s***@gmail.com
Sitting bored in a waiting room I decided to start a list of notable names
and celebrities connected in some way with motorcycles.
* Sonny Barger b.1938 - founding member of the HA's, Oakland Chapter
* [notorious in Canada] Maurice "Mom" Boucher b.1953 - former president,
HA Montreal chapter; currently in prison. (pronounced boo-SHAY)
* Marlon Brando 1924-2004 & Lee Marvin 1924-1987 - _The Wild One_ (1953)
* Erik F. Buell b.1950 - founder of Buell Motorcycle Company
* Floyd Clymer 1895-1970 - pioneer in the sport of motorcycling, racer,
motorcycle dealer and distributor, magazine publisher, racing promoter,
author, and motorcycle manufacturer; publisher of Clymer motorcycle
shop manuals
* Peter Fonda b.1940 & Dennis Hopper 1936-2010 - _Easy Rider_
* Arlo Guthrie b.1947 - "I don't want a pickle; I just wanna ride my..."
* Robert Craig "Evel" Knievel 1938-2007 - motorcycle stunt showman
* William S. Harley 1880-1943 & Arthur Davidson 1881-1950 - HD MoCo founders
* Adolf Hitler 1889-1945 - army dispatch rider in WW1
* Soichiro Honda 1906-1991 - Japanese engineer and industrialist.
Established Honda in 1948 and oversaw its expansion from a wooden
shack manufacturing bicycle motors to a multinational automobile
and motorcycle manufacturer
* Lawrence "Indian Larry" DeSmedt 1949-2004 - noted motorcycle builder,
artist, stunt rider and biker
* Thomas Edward (T.E.) Lawrence (of Arabia) 1888-1935 - rode a Brough Superior
* David "Dave" Mann 1940-2004 - motorcycle/biker artist
* Steve McQueen 1930-1980 - prominent biker; m/c scene in _The Great Escape_.
Supported 1971 motorcycle documentary _On Any Sunday_ by Bruce Brown
* James Lansdowne Norton 1869-1925 - motorcycle designer, inventor and
manufacturer of the Norton motorcycles. One of the pioneers of the British
motorcycle industry
* Gregory Peck 1916-2003 & Audrey Hepburn 1929-1993 - _Roman Holiday_.
http://youtu.be/ExVWQ_I-elI
: Reports from the time suggest that right after the release of Roman Holiday
: Vespa sold over 100,000 units as a direct result.
-- http://www.motorcycle.com/how-to/audrey-hepburn-and-the-rise-of-the-vespa
* Enrico Piaggio 1905-1965 - Italian industrialist who designed and began
production of the Vespa scooter at the end of WW2
* Robert Maynard Pirsig b.1928 - American writer and philosopher; author of
_Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance_ (1974)
* Vladimir Putin b.1952 - Russian President; rides a HD trike and publicly
associates himself with Russian motorcycle gang and political activists
the Night Wolves MC (who receive funding directly from the Kremlin)
* Ronald Reagan 1911-2004 - imposed a protective tariff in 1983 against large(!)
displacement (700+ cc) motorcycle imports at the request of HD
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa032.html
* Sylvester H. Roper 1823-1896 - American inventor. The Roper Steam Velocipede
of 1867 may have been the first true motorcycle
* Ed "Big Daddy" Roth 1932-2001 - the "Rat Fink"; custom bikes and cars
* Hunter S. Thompson 1937-2004 - Gonzo journalist; author of _Hells Angels_
(1967). Rode a Triumph Bonneville
* Craig Vetter b.1942 - fairing designer and manufacturer. Claims his
Windjammer was best-selling of all fairings
* Brian Douglas Wilson b.1942 & Michael Edward "Mike" Love b.1941 of
the Beach Boys; co-wrote "Little Honda" (It's not a big motorcycle,
just a groovy little motorbike)
* The House of Windsor (British royal family)
Prince Charles: http://ukfrancebikers.com/2012/11/13/prince-charles-on-a-motorbike/
Prince William: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2516036/Prince-Wheelie-Wills-indulges-love-motorbikes-testing-Ducati
--gets-mini-bike-to-George.html
Prince Harry: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/prince-harry-rides-a-motorcycle-through-the-arizona-desert-
20112111
Duke of Edinburgh: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/happy-birthday-prince-philip-quotes-duke-edinburgh-93-1451938
Queen Elizabeth (as princess): http://thevintagent.blogspot.ca/2012/06/god-save-queen-of-motorcycling.html
* (???) Can't recall name or title - American author; wrote very funny book
about HD ownership, starting in England with a Sportster. Title something like
_Harley Madness_.
Any suggested additions/corrections appreciated. For instance, racing champions
are conspicuously absent as I am not much into bike races. However there's one
who I think deserves mention; I can't recall his name, but he's an American
track racer who took his bike across the Pond and outraced the Europeans
on their own turf in quite a spectacular way. Help wanted on this one; TIA.
SQ

Also, King Abdullah of Jordan has a fleet of Harleys he likes to ride.