What was it like in 1968?

Hillbilly Bike · Apr 25, 2022

I had been drafted and my two years was finished in the summer of 68. I had little interest in bikes and a lot of interest in fast cars...bought my first bike, 65 650 BSA in 1972....

MikeG · May 5, 2022

My first road bike was in 72, a 1966 Honda CB160. Pretty fast and fun for a 130 pound kid. About the same time my buddy had an Atlas Norton that he let me try. It stopped like shite and vibrated like a paint shaker so I was more than happy with the Enfield Interceptor I traded the Honda in on. ( talk about a warped sense of whats good?

) Fast forward 45 years or so and another buddy let me try his 73 850 Mk2 on a road trip to North Carolina. As soon as we got back home I was on the hunt for a Commando and the 71 T120 was on the block for sale. All my memories of riding back then, no matter the bike are good ones. No wife, no kids, no mortgage, no worries except gas and beer money. Too bad I had to grow up.

Flatspot · May 5, 2022

I was still celebrating beating Germany in the World Cup 2 years earlier

but for biking, I was still sticking a playing card in the spokes of the bicycle to make a noise I reckon

Dan1950 · May 5, 2022

Flatspot said:
I was still celebrating beating Germany in the World Cup 2 years earlier

but for biking, I was still sticking a playing card in the spokes of the bicycle to make a noise I reckon

Balloons sound better.

Dogsbody · May 5, 2022

My first Senior Manx Grand Prix on a Norton 500 Twin.

Peter R · May 13, 2022

Had my first real bike in 1967 at the afge of 18, a ex Dutch army Matchless G3L, a pal at school had a similar bike, an AJS 16,
and I thought that these bikes were supercool. The guy with the AJS always had better looking girlfriends too, so I thought, that's what I want.
Few people over here were interested in motorbikes in those days, as a schoolboy I could only dream of a Norton or a Triumph.
I lusted after a Triumph tripe, or a Commando , or aBSA spitfire, Japanese bikes were considered as cheap shit by most bikers that I knew.

grandpaul · Mar 7, 2023

Onder said:
... diesel to electric happened on the high sea and now it is our turn....

Modern ships with large diesel plants to spin up electric motors seems inefficient, but it's all the rage...

Onder · Mar 8, 2023

Interestingly, back in the WW1 era on battleships they used steam turbines to spin generators that turned the screws. In the 1930s did not the Normandie use this?
The French even tried recip steam to spin generators on a railway locomotive. In America the railways
did experiment with steam turbine driving generators on locomotives. They worked but not worth it economically.
It may be possible to use solar arrays to power battery packs on ships but again seems not worth it
with the technology we have.

acotrel · Mar 9, 2023

I had my motorcycle licence in 1958. Most bikes had a hinge in the middle. A 650 Triumph was about the fastest. Vincents were rare and so were Nortons. In about 1955, I got my first motorcycles - they were given to me. - A WW2 Indian Scout and a 1945 side-valve 350cc Triumph. In 1958, I had a 1954 Tiger 110 fitted with race cams and high comp pistons. I did not road-rasce until I had finished my Diploma at night school in 1969. But from 1958, I attended many road race events. I saw Geoff duke race the Gileras and Tom Phillis racing a Manx. I saw Don Emde ride the XRTT 750 Harley.
I cannot think of the name of the guy who rode the 250 Honda 4 at Bathurst in 1963, but he is still overseas - he helped Kenny Roberts race.

Burgs · Mar 11, 2023

Al, that would have ben Kel Carruthers on the 250 Honda 4.
For me in 1968, just married, and bought a 350 Arieal Red Hunter to ride to Bathurst Easter races, ex short circuit race bike, studying and working my Arse off, great times never forget them.
Burgs

acotrel · Mar 11, 2023

Burgs said:
Al, that would have ben Kel Carruthers on the 250 Honda 4.
For me in 1968, just married, and bought a 350 Arieal Red Hunter to ride to Bathurst Easter races, ex short circuit race bike, studying and working my Arse off, great times never forget them.
Burgs

That is who it was. I only ever saw him beaten once. Ron Toombs beat him at Phillip Island with the four-valve Henderson Matchless 500.
Onr of my friends was an ex-pat Pom. He died at age 84,from lung cancer year before last. Before he died, I told him ' I think we have lived in the best time ever', and he agreed.
Nuclear weapons have taken the fun out of war - no person will ever fly a Spitfire in a dog-fight again. And modern motorcycle road racing is too fast and expensive.
When I was a kid, and one stage I had 10 old motorcycles in my father's shed. WE could take them and ride them fast - therec were no speed cameras, and the cops had to follow you for a mile before they could book you. About 12 of my mates died while riding motorcycles. That is the reason I went road racing - too many near-misses.

I never raced at Bathurst, but I knew Ron Toombs and Ross Barelli. I never liked the look of Murray's Corner. It was simply stupidity.
I was involved with writing the guidance document on managing risk in motor sport, through Standards Australia. When compared with what I did in my job, motorcycle road racing is safe - better than sex.
I am 81, and never worry about dying, because I should have been dead years ago. If I rode my Seeley 850 at Winton again I might drop dead halfway down a straight, but I would go there again tomorrow if it would not upset my wife.
I know what I value.

acotrel · Mar 11, 2023

I did not road race until I completed my diploma at night school. By then it was too late, You need to start young and have money. However, I have no regrets. All I ever wanted out of life was to do interestng things. It was never about my ego. I learned to road race by crashing.

acotrel · Mar 11, 2023

I think most people these days are insane. Our kids study for the HSC, so they can go to university and get a better job. When I was in high school, I never studied, but always did OK in exams. I always had two small paying jobs after school each day, because my parents never gave me money. I used to buy old motorcycles and make them go faster. I had two mates who lived aboiut a milec away in opposite directions. I used to visit them in the night, and build motorcycles. So I had a very happy child-hood. Modt of the other guys in my class at school became medical doctors or dentsts and were bored shitless. I failed half of my marticulation exams, so got a job, and studied part time. Because I did that, I always got the BEST jobs. I only ever applied for jobs which I really wanted to do. I am an industrial chemist, and so are some of my friends. One of them recently told me I should write a book. Some of the stuff I have done was really funny, depending on how you look at it.
I probably should feel guilty. Much of what I did was about finding better ways to kill people, without killing yourself.

MichaelB · Mar 11, 2023

MikeG said:
My first road bike was in 72, a 1966 Honda CB160. Pretty fast and fun for a 130 pound kid. About the same time my buddy had an Atlas Norton that he let me try. It stopped like shite and vibrated like a paint shaker so I was more than happy with the Enfield Interceptor I traded the Honda in on. ( talk about a warped sense of whats good? ) Fast forward 45 years or so and another buddy let me try his 73 850 Mk2 on a road trip to North Carolina. As soon as we got back home I was on the hunt for a Commando and the 71 T120 was on the block for sale. All my memories of riding back then, no matter the bike are good ones. No wife, no kids, no mortgage, no worries except gas and beer money. Too bad I had to grow up.

Ah yes the good ole days. In 68, I was on a Schwinn. In 69 got my first ride, 67 CL160. Moved up to CL 450. Read all the Kool Aid about it being fast.
Tried to hole shot a T120, he just looked over at me like, Really??? And proceeded to wipe the road with me.
Eventually moved up 850 Commando 73.
As for the Good Ole days, didn't realize how good I had it....... Just ride for the sake of going for a ride, not even knowing where I was going.

glcaines · Mar 15, 2023

I bought my first bike in June of 1968, a 1968 BSA Lightning, when I was 18. I remember picking it up at the dealer after they prepped it. I rode it all day, about 100 miles, but the last 15 minutes all hell broke loose. Terrible screeching and grinding noises from the engine. It turned out that the guy that prepped it hadn't put any oil in the primary chain case. They tried to make me pay for the damage, saying that it was my responsibility to check everything out, but that didn't wash since I picked it up immediately after watching them prep the bike at the dealer. Everything in the primary was toast. I proceeded to put another 6000 miles on the bike when I totaled it and almost totaled myself. I totaled another Brit bike, a 1974 Triumph Trident that a drunk woman hit from behind going ~75. I was only going 45. Bad day for my wife and I and the bike. I've owned several other BSAs and Triumphs over the years, but never bought a Norton until recently when I acquired a 1975 850 Commando MkIII in John Player livery. I had always wanted a Norton since a friend of mine let me ride his Commando years ago. I still have a 68 Triumph Bonneville, a 69 BSA Victor Special and an M1030M1 USMC surplus diesel motorcycle, but I love my Commando.

What was it like in 1968?

Hillbilly Bike

MikeG

Flatspot

Dan1950

1974 MK II Roadster

Dogsbody

Peter R

grandpaul

Onder

acotrel

Burgs

acotrel

acotrel

acotrel

MichaelB

"Sons of Arthritus"

glcaines