Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Style and rider preference from the 60s

I don't remember hardly any baggers when I was growing up in the biking scene. Raised between Philly, Camden, and Delaware almost every bike was a naked machine. I would say that 90% of the bikes were naked cruisers. A guy may have a tool bag. Lots did the backpack thing or tied stuff onto the back seat or backrest.

When we did see baggers they were more than likely being ridden by the really old people. You know, over 40. Even my 75 Gold Wing was made as a naked bike. When Vetter got his hands on it I was so upset I could cry in 1976.

So now as soon as somebody gets a bike, it appears the trend is to throw a windshield, bags, crash bars, floor boards, spotlights, and whatever else we can do to make it like an apartment.

Just thinking about the trends. I read Baggers are 60% of the bike sales today.

Now, don't get me wrong, one of my bikes is a bagger. Other than the Victory Cross Roads LE, I have never seen a bagger I really liked the look of.

It would appear the trend has gone from naked bikes to the utility of taking your stuff with you.

We road to Sturgis and Florida from Philly with stuff tied to the bikes. Didn't need no stinking bags!

Just thinking out loud.

Well, I 'spose it's just a reflection of the times. We have to have more "stuff" to compliment our lives and most often it complicates. Back in the day we packed a bedroll, a toothbrush and maybe a comb. Clothes? Nah, we just wore the same ones the next day and the next.

the only bikes that I recall seeing (in the 60's) that you would call baggers were the big harleys with leather saddle bags. and not very many of them where I lived. Mostly small naked bikes. Not that we thought of them as being naked, they were just regular bikes.

In the 70's is when the hard bag rides started showing up. My uncle had a BMW 85R that had some awful looking boxes attached to it.

think it has to do with most of us are from the baby boomer days or older, and we are the ones with the coin to spend on newer stuff, we are a bit older, want to be more comfy, take longer trips get less wet etc etc. Most of us have been there and done that, riding rigids around and so forth..... my next bike will be a "bagger" of sorts, love the victory crossroads but will likley go with the T-Bird storm and some hard backs and batwing etc. Even on my SM on the hyway i prefer having a shield, back is buggered, arms buggered, hell i am buggered, to hard on the body, i want to enjoy my ride, not focus on whats hurtin! :-) but hey, thats just me.

When I bought my America, it was because it looked good without all the crap on it. I never liked the look (and still don't) of the windshield on my bike, never wanted bags, spotlights, highway pegs, none of it. Like you said, that stuff is for old people. As I continued to put miles on the bike, especially the longer trips, I started to see the benefits of some of these things. As I rode along side of people who had all these amenities, I learned that I could deal with them. It's strange, but if someone showed me a picture of my current setup 8 years ago, I would have said there is no way I would want to ride that thing. I only use the windshield on long trips, especially freeway rides because I still think it's ugly, but I keep the bags on there 90% of the time. Makes it much easier to stuff my lunch or my jacket in there for commuting to work. Ideally I'd like to get a big bagger for these longer trips, and strip the America back down to a somewhat "naked" bike. Financially that's not in the cards right now, so I make due with what I have. That's one of the great things about our bikes, it's versatility. It does either job well. Of course, it may just be that I'm getting old.

Yep, these are like my reactions. My Victory has bags that come off really easy. But if I take em off I can't put my color tv, couch, and Fiat 500 in there. So I keep em on.

At 61 I think I have surrendered to comfort instead of look. Maybe its all the cold, wet, and sore arms and back that add up over the years.

Somebody said "Learn humility now or it will be taught to you.".

Dang! I am not a hipster I guess.

Yep Ron, you're correct again. I'm only 36 and like my bike like I like my women. NAKED!! Maybe once she starts getting bags so will my bike. And once I need glasses I may get a light bar too.

Enjoy these days Matt. Like above your time will come. You will wake up one day and this old guy in the mirror will be looking back at you.

Now where did I put that keyboard, oh, its right here.

I put a batwing on an old Honda in the mid 70's for a long road trip. Got home and took it off. I went back and forth until I finally just left it on. For whatever reason, makers stopped using that flip-top seat that let you stash a little stuff - so I bought saddlebags. I still use them just for essentials like a small can of chain lube, some oil, a towel and a sandwich. Everything else still goes in a dry bag strapped on back.

The spotlights? Half to "balance" the look of the shield and half to make me more visible to that left turning texter.

Elvira travels completely naked as well. Of the 49K miles on my '06 all of them have been day trips so no windscreen or bags have been required (and I like the way she looks naked). One of these days when I grow up (and get the elusive kitchen pass to do some overnighters) I may rethink it.

I love how my bike looks naked. I went to last years River Road Rally with one bag, strapped to the backrest on my Corbin. I had plenty of stuff with me. When I ride to Arkansas for that rally though, I like to have my bags to carry the extra gear for cold weather and rain. Last year for that, I even put on the windshield for the trip, it was the first time it had been on in a couple years, but it was raining all weekend. I prefer to have what I need and not use it, instead of need something I don't have.

You old dudes remember how you used to rough it with just a toothbrush and an extra pair of socks. You probably don't remember being broke as hell and that's why you didn't have anything else.

Rode with out a windshield for twenty five years, never wanted one. Then, I figured out that all the bugs I was eating was making me fat (who'da thunk?). I've got shields on two of my bikes now, and I like them. When I get a hankering for some fresh bug juice, I ride the Russian bike, as it doesn't have a shield for the driver. (sidecar does).

Just today I was chatting it up with a gent roughly my age and we both asked ourselves how we rode at breakneck speeds back in our yute, without any wind protection! Today I site behind a screen and lowers and LOVE it.

Good points here. Reminds me I have always had a pickup truck to. In the old days everyone had a Regular cab work truck with vinyl seat, rubber floor mat, no a/c, manual transmission etc. Now days it's a SuperCab 4x4 loaded with luxury.

Hell I even keep a small air compressor and tire repair kit in my bike's tool bag these days.

Dang! The look of no bags and no wind screen is most definitely a winner. Once the side stand is up though, the pertinence of the 'look' wanes as one throttles up into the wind. I've tries to roll without luggage. One saddle bag. None. But what's the point? No bar hopping here. No posing. So who gives a crap besides me? Age has nothing to do with it. What is it about riding in the wind? Why does slip streaming across country continuously call? Dang!

Andrew Wyeth captured something when he painted "Stop".

OK, ok. I have to admitt at one time I did have a set of bags. But since I'm being honest I really didn't like the look of them and I always found myself keeping a bunch of crap in there I really didn't need. Also since putting on a new tank I've ditched the tank bag too. Now I'm back to riding with a backpack, usually with just my lunch, some water and a small set of tools. I don't want to say "I'll NEVER put on bags, lightbar, shield ect..." I just don't prefer them right now, besides as busy as I am with work and family I don't get any time for long trips.

Back in the day I took a 5 month, 17K mile sojourn around and about. Everything was, for the most part, stuffed into a seabag and bungeed to my sissybar. The idea of saddlebags never even occurred to me (wish it had, I was a tad top heavy).

Back in the day I just strapped everything I needed to the back of my bike. I have bags in EZ Brackets now that I only put on for a trip and still bungee most of the stuff on anyway. I also use a sissy bar bag. Rode to Wyoming on my chopper only took what I could tie on. Same for any of the trips I took on that bike.

Oh man, come on. So now we're baggin on baggers. While I wouldnt consider Matilda a "bagger" I have a pair of old horse bags on her. They make handy for a place to put a few things in. When its cold in the mornin but warm in the day, its nice to put ya leathers in. Thats about all mine will hold and that only if ya know exactly how to fold up to fit. Its nice to have a place to put some rope for tie downs so ya always have ya bed roll and ruck sack ties with ya. A quart of twocycle oil is handy to have especially when ya gonna fill up ever buck and half down the road. To have a place for an old toby and pipe pouch.

I don't recall a lot of saddlebag options "back in the day" so maybe that's why I used a tank bag and backpacks for traveling. Like others, I bungee corded the pack to the sissy bar and away we went. These days with EZ brackets the saddle bag is just an easy, useful option to deploy.

Just a tankbag for me,the only "shopping" my bike gets used for is 6 pack runs!

I have leather saddle bags on EZ Brackets. I like them for travelling. I reach my destination and they come off pretty quickly though. I like my bike best with out all that extra on it. I have just a flyscreen, and so far, with full face helmet, haven't thought twice about a winshield. Maybe with age, vanity will fall by the wayside, but I'm not so sure. I'd rather just get a larger bike specifically for travelling later.
I'm liking the looks of that new Moto Guzzi California.

"BACK IN THE DAY..."




EVERYBODY had Saddle Bags, and NO ONE had a damn Wind Screen!





My horse probably would have bit me if I tried.

...And you'll NEVER, NEVER, NEVER EVER see BAGS on MY bike!!!


It just AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!

I used to have a raggedy pair of throw-over bags for long trips and weekend rallies. Didn't see many baggers because they didn't handle well if you extend the frontend much over 8 inches.
Besides, dressers were very expensive back then. A guy I worked with bought himself a new '58 Duoglide and it cost him a whoppin' $1080.00 out the door. Up to that time, I had never seen a bike that cost more than $400.

Love my bags, tool pouch(which is inside the left bag), and Tank bag. Though I now keep my tank bag like a trunk on my luggage rack an a very small bunji too keep it from falling off, which as we all know is not very good for luggage the way it is angeled.

Yes I wish I had some easy brackets as I like the look of an uncluttered bike. Would also like a switch blade type shield for when I am not going down the highway over 60. All in all I am content with what I do have.

I went from KC to San Antone to Greenville Miss. to Panama City to the Fla. Keys and back to KC in the spring of 1970 on my 63 Bonnie, I was 18. I took an A-2 flight jacket, two pairs of underwear, two pairs of socks, two tees and a sweat shirt all packed in a trash bag in a Army surplus satchel. the only accessory on my Bonnie was a bungee.

Now, I have a light bar and bags. They are very functional, but my America looks like a golf cart.

Here's a naked bike for you!