Motorcycle advertising

[cragar854_imp]

Just curious how many of you have the same memories that I do of all of the m/c ads of the 70s? I can still remember the songs and jingles from the ads. It was those commercials, Evil Knievel, and a neighbor with a Yamaha street bike that fueled my now lifelong obsession with bikes, especially UJMs. To the horror of my mother, who was scared to death of them, I purchased a 50cc Chibi minibike when I was 12 and have never looked back.

I’ve owned 3 out of 4 of the Japanese Big 4, but always come back to Honda. But, back to my main point, whatever happened to all of the cool ads? I see very few today unless I’m watching m/c racing. It seems like the insurance companies do more commercials about bikes than the m/c companies do. It just seems to me there’s a direct correlation to advertising and the popularity of motorcycling. What gives?

“Kawasaki lets the good times roll” “Yamaha, today is the day” “Forget your troubles get on Suzuki” “Good things happen on a Honda” “Follow the leader, he’s on a Honda” “When you’re on a Honda you’re really going strong” and of course “You meet the nicest people on a Honda!”

Sorry for the ramble, just feeling a little nostalgic about the golden age.


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[GoldOxide_imp]

[url=https://youtu.be/iORT5E6Hbkc]This sealed the deal for me.

The presentation, the brand, the power, and the incredible looks of the machine.

Before this it was, "Meh, yeah, need to get from A-to-B."

[cragar854_imp]

You don’t know how bad I wanted one of those! I still salivate when I see one.


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[GoldOxide_imp]

Me too. When the V65 idles, it has a confident rumbling shake that is like none other.




( ... and it is shaft drive.)

[LongRanger_imp]

Absolutely. You and I are the same age. I subscribed to Mini Bike Guide (which became Minicycle) and recall when the Rockford Chibi was introduced. 60cc two-stroke, 3-speed, with a distinctive fuel tank design and fold down bars like the Z50 and CT70. Rockford also made the 60cc Tora and 100cc Taka, which were a bit bigger and styled like other minicycles. I have the back issue somewhere. The stud magazine test rider at the time was a 14-year old kid named Davey Carlson. He could ride the wheels off anything they'd let him test. And there were kids like Jeff Ward and Brian Myerscough who were tearing up the MX tracks on their XR75's at places like Saddleback, Escape Country, Carlsbad and Indian Dunes. They were my idols and I was so jealous.

I remember all the minibike and mini cycles from the late-60's snd early-70's (Taco, Bonanza, Rupp, Bird, Heath, Cat, Benelli, Arco, Broncco, Indian, Chaparral, Gemini, Fuji, Rockford, Hodaka, Steen, and of course the Yamaha JT1 and JT2 Mini-Enduro and YZ80 and the Honda QA50, Z50, CT70, SL70, XR75 and ST90). All the kids on my block had Briggs & Stratton or Tecumseh-powered minibikes with centrifugal clutches and jack shafts. We'd break master links all the time and have to beg our parents for $1.05 for a new one. This was almost 50 years ago but as fresh in my memory as yesterday. I could go on and on...

So yes, all those motorcycle jingles you mentioned are in the front of my mind, always cherished, never forgotten. Good stuff.

[GoldOxide_imp]

As a child I recall some of the most decrepit mini-bikes (no plates) zipping up and down the street. They were loud, greasy, smokey and just a hoot to witness from the street curb side. I don't recall any specific model, but even if I could I would not be sure if I could read the brand through the grime and grease.