Chopper Nostalgia...

This page is being upgraded in the near future and will be renamed.  A couple of CA members are viewing and writing reviews of 70's movies especially for this page.  When a dozen movies have been reviewed, we will get them online in the new format...

On this page ...

 Biker movies...

 Movie bits...

 Classic chopper magazines (photos coming)...

 Chopper memorabilia (coming)...

 Other cool bits and pieces (coming)...

Copyright...  No photos or written material on Choppers Australia website may be used with out prior written permission...

The bikie movies...

If you were a teenager or in your twenties during the late sixties you would most likely have seen one or more of the movies below.  Even if you missed out on the movies, you didn't miss out on their influence. 

The clean cut every day motorcycling fraternity was eclipsed by the long haired, greasy, load mouthed drinking bikie... and he (they were often in packs) was not easy to miss on Australia's quiet roads.  The outlaw bikie hit our headlines in spectacular police chases and bikie rumbles in public places.  Their antics were sought after by and created considerable profit for the media.

My generation and the ones following have been profoundly affected by the promotion of the outlaw motorcycle and the individualist's chopper.  "The Wild One" began the image of the  motorcycle riding youth on a crusade against everyone in authority.  "The Wild Angels"  introduced mindless destruction, drugs and free sex as part and parcel of the bikie image.

"Easy Rider" was significant for its portrayal of drug use.  (Remember the early sixties in Australia was still a time when Australian police didn't carry a firearm and didn't need to and a copper could tell off a kid and kick him in the backside and he would head off hoping dad didn't find out).  Easy Rider was also significant in the deep seated longing it left in many of the 60's  generation to get on their bike and ride across country with no time table and no responsibility.  Now in our fifties they are suddenly experiencing that desire once again... and feeling mighty depressed if that dream looks like it might be unfulfilled.

Easy rider also cemented in a generation's mind what kind of bike we should be heading into the sunset on... the chopper... long forks, low seat and shiny chrome and around the world young blokes went to work and then went cruising... and a whole new biking style and motorcycle industry was created and bloomed...

Easy Rider footage... Click on these links for some Easy Rider footage on U Tube.  Some of these pieces may contain some brief nudity... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGt-1TGQHt8   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKa8Dymmloo  

'Stone' was a significant Australian movie and portrayed the aussie bikie scene quite accurately.  It has quite a cult following due to its daring (very daring for the early seventies) visuals.  Over 400  riders showed up for the funeral cortege and as extras in some of the other scenes and if you go to the right places, you  will hear some first hand accounts of the making of the movie.

For choppers, during the 80's and 90's, things went pretty quiet in Australia and most other countries.  However during the last five to ten years, the growing availability of  Harleys and the advent of the 'cruiser' has made 'big bike' motorcycling in Australia more acceptable.  High petrol prices and the laws allowing scooter riding on a car licence are also working in our favour..

In this new century, the media has once more brought the chopper into public consciousness.  And it has  once again stirred those longings of 'freedom' and the open road in the 60's generation...

The  movies...

Wondering what movie it was that you watched...?  Wondering if they are still around...?  Like to revisit...?  Or are you wondering what us 'old cats' got excited about...

Well, here are two lists. (incomplete at present).. chopper movies... &... bike movies or movies with some bikes or choppers in them... If you know of a movie not listed... or have seen one of these recently and can tell us a bit about the story line let us know and we'll put it in.

Chopper Movies...

HELP... Send us any info you have on these and other movies

Any movies we've missed... contact us...

Movie bits...

The Wild One... Although he was the primary rebel, Marlon Brando actually rode a Triumph not a Harley and it was his own personal bike...

Easy Rider... Ever wonder how Hopper  was able to wear his wide brimmed hat while riding? Sequences were done at 30mph maximum to ensure the scenery wasn't blurred.  How comfortable were Fonda's high bars?  At the end of the first night's familiarisation ride, he apparently had to get a friend to hold his beer to his mouth 'cos his arms were so stiff!  How well did Fonda's forks work?  Watch the whole front end bounce over a  bump in one of the sequences.

Happy Days... (Don't laugh... the Fonze in this series was an influential character) We all know he rode a BSA! Or did he?  In the first episodes he's riding a black rigid knuckle with with pinstriped mustang tank, chopper rear guard, narrow front wheel extra chrome etc... an old school chop!  But he wasn't allowed to wear a leather jacket until a compromise was reached... he's only wear it while on his bike. No doubt the knuckle was a bit too close to outlaw stuff and had to be toned down!

Woodstock... Check out this movie and watch for some footage with a chopper in it. About 15 minutes in there is a panaflex camera being carried amongst stop and go traffic. They focus on a chopper with Z bars, long forks and custom paint work. The rider is wearing a Nazi helmet. The camera man follows the bike and rider for a while as they move slower than walking pace in the traffic heading into Woodstock.  Suddenly the bike stops and the camera whacks into the riders helmet. The metallic clang is clearly heard. The rider looks over his shoulder and I think that if it was anyone other than the cameraman that hit his helmet it would have got very interesting. This snippet set in by George Hamilton...

Bike Movies...

The  chopper magazines...

With the popularising of choppers by Hollywood, chopper magazines began to appear.  Big Daddy Roth in the USA I believe was one of the first with his magazine, 'Choppers'.  It  didn't take long for the band wagon to be mounted by more magazines and colour and gloss quickly increased .  Magazines that followed 'Choppers' and hit the Australian bookshelves included 'Big  Bike', 'Street Chopper' and 'Custom Chopper'. 

Home building choppers became so common place that it became profitable for the magazines to bring out regular additional special issues devoted to chopping how to's for particular marques or special issues on paintwork, sissy bars, forks etc. Some of the advice was pretty dodgy to say the least  but we ate it up, they made good money and we built some pretty cool head turning bikes. 

Mainline bike magazines even included choppers features and test rides. When 'Easy Riders' magazine hit the book shelves in the early seventies, it departed from just displaying choppers and how to chop, by focussing on and heavily promoting the 'alternative' biker lifestyle... parties, booze, drugs and unclad women... oh... and choppers.  It obviously hit the winning formula as it is the only magazine from this period to my knowledge that has had an unbroken run and flourishes today. 

'In the Wind ' started as a couple of pages of riding shots sent in by readers in Easy Rider magazine, but soon came into its own as a regular magazine.

To be continued... including a couple of English magazines and  a heap of photos of magazine covers...

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