Back to the Future.

[ChipBeck_imp]

Gentlemen,

I love motorcycles. I always have. There are 8 in my garage presently and last week I dug my 1998 Fuel Injected Harley Davidson Road King out to have the clutch and throttle cables replaced at Buddy Stubbs Arizona Harley Davidson. After checking my bike into the shop I went up front to see if Buddy (a good friend since 1978) was in. He wasn't but his son Frank was and we had a nice chat. We talked about the first bike I bought from his dad in 1979, a 1980 Sportster with a black 2.1 gallon tank. I rode that bike all over the western U.S. and had a "Then Came Bronson" great time. In the photos below I'm in the green jacket and my Sportster has a black tank. My friend Rusty Madison is in the white jacket and his Sportster has a red tank. While riding up I-10 in California Rusty was listening to the radio with a headset and he motioned for me to pull over. He told me that President Reagan had just been shot. Fortunately he survived but at that moment we didn't know what would happen.



[url=http://s288.photobucket.com/user/chipbeck/media/Sport%203.jpg.html]

[url=http://s288.photobucket.com/user/chipbeck/media/Sport%204.jpg.html]

[url=http://s288.photobucket.com/user/chipbeck/media/Sport%202.jpg.html]

After my visit with Frank I spent some time looking at all the new bikes and I came across a leftover 2015 Sportster Forty Eight with the exact same black tank my first Sportster had. All the other Sportster models had bigger tanks but the 48 still has that 2.1 gallon peanut tank. I summoned all of my will power and left the dealership. I held out for 48 hours but then I cracked and called Frank up. I'll take it!! So now I have 9 motorcycles in the garage and soon the Chip Beck Spec mods will start on the little H-D. The photos below are out of the catalog of a 2015 Forty Eight with a red tank. I can't get back there till Monday to pick my black "48" up.

I'll keep you posted.

Chip

[url=http://s288.photobucket.com/user/chipbeck/media/Sport%206_1.jpg.html]

[url=http://s288.photobucket.com/user/chipbeck/media/Sport%205.jpg.html]

 

[Blockhead_imp]

Great story and photos Chip...enjoy the new Sportster, good-looking bike!

 

[emptysea]

Having a relatively short persnal motorcycling history from which to refer, I am perhaps more appreciative than most of glimpses like this into the two-wheeled scrapbooks of others. Thank you for sharing and enjoy the new bike. I gave a fair amount of consideration to the Forty-eight prior to reading about this new retro bike that Honda was bringing to the U.S.

 

[Motogeezer1949_imp]

Hmmm, Bronson didn't carry anywhere near the amount of packs and baggage you guys have and yet he had a frying pan, coffee pot, hatchet and all kinds of other stuff. Wonder what was his secret? LOL
Enjoy the new 48

 

[Nemo_imp]

Who's Bronson?

 

[Lord Popgun]

Then Came Bronson, tv show '69-'70

Google it and you can see the pics of him on his bike.

 

[Pterodactyl_imp]

Congratulations. Good yarn.

Cheers

 

[Nemo_imp]

Then Came Bronson, tv show '69-'70

Google it and you can see the pics of him on his bike.

I completely missed that show. I guess my mom wouldn't let me stay up to watch it. In 1970 I entered kindergarten.

Very badass new acquisition Señor Beck!

When I grow up I wanna be a Chip Beck!! :biker:

 

[Lord Popgun]

I watched it. I was in the 10th or 11th grade.

 

[redbirds_imp]

Cool bike and love the pics from "back in the day" Chip. Keep us posted on any farkles made to this new bike.

 

[Rocky_imp]

Cool vintage pictures

 

[Capo]

Cool story, and congrats on the new bike. I feel your pain on trying to keep the wallet in the pocket when you really want something. I dig the 48, and the peanut tank is the defining characteristic of the Sportster look. Enjoy the riding and the modding!

 

[the Ferret]

My first "big" Harley was a 59 xlch in 1968. Was actually a heck of a bike for it's time but no match for the new 750 from Japan. I traded that bike for a 49 Panhead I chopped. 2 more panheads would follow that , a 56 and a 57..both I chopped (hey it was the 70's lol). Fast forward to 1993 and my wife buys me a 1994 XLCH for Christmas. Had to wait months to get it. The similarities between the 59 and the 94 were amazing. Felt the same , sounded the same. Only now with an aluminum motor, disc front brake and a 5 speed. Same clunky front suspension and low travel rear suspension, same clunky gearbox, same vibes which made it impossible to enjoy over 55 mph. Only kept it about a year and a half I think and got something else. Still, they get in your blood. I'd have another

if it looked like this

 

[ChipBeck_imp]

Hmmm, Bronson didn't carry anywhere near the amount of packs and baggage you guys have and yet he had a frying pan, coffee pot, hatchet and all kinds of other stuff. Wonder what was his secret? LOL
Enjoy the new 48

Moto,

Notice we both had two sleeping bags. We rode those Sportsters 75 mph and the wind blast was tremendous and tiring. So we bungee'd a lightweight down bag to our handlebars to break the wind. It really helped. Our version of a fairing back in the day. Great times.

Chip

 

[drodg33]

Great photos and story. I was like 12 when Then Came Bronson came out and I really liked the show. I think that show and the 69 CB750 were the two big influences in my life to start me thinking of motorcycles. Chip you do have the Then Came Bronson look going.

 

[Frulk_imp]

Chip talking about that 2.1 gallon Peanut tank and the 48 prompted me to reply...Recently our youngest daughter completed a couple of significant educational milestones. Her boyfriend rides and she's been wanting a bike of her own. So, the wife and I footed the bill for this 2015 Iron 883 (3.2 gallon Peanut Tank) and surprised her with it. She didn't know it was coming. We're in the running now for Parents of the Year. Pics taken on the first day of ownership. 1st Harley in the family. She didn't get the keys until she completed the Harley sponsored 3-4 day Motorcycle Safety class. Longest ride to date for her was a 2 dayer with me and her boyfriend to Idaho/Wyoming and back into Utah (350 miles).

Getting acquainted

While she was waiting to take the Harley course I trailered the bikes out to a remote stretch of asphalt road in Utah's west desert on a couple of weekends and she practiced down shifts/ clutching from a standstill/ slow speed maneuvering...just the basic stuff of getting familiar with the bike

And lastly...while at the Harley dealer picking up the kids Sportster I was impressed enough to take a pic of this Green tanked 48 sitting on the showroom floor. Unlike Chip, to date I've had the willpower to keep from opening my wallet.

 

[drodg33]

Chip talking about that 2.1 gallon Peanut tank and the 48 prompted me to reply...Recently our youngest daughter completed a couple of significant educational milestones. Her boyfriend rides and she's been wanting a bike of her own. So, the wife and I footed the bill for this 2015 Iron 883 (3.2 gallon Peanut Tank) and surprised her with it. She didn't know it was coming. We're in the running now for Parents of the Year. Pics taken on the first day of ownership. 1st Harley in the family. She didn't get the keys until she completed the Harley sponsored 3-4 day Motorcycle Safety class. Longest ride to date for her was a 2 dayer with me and her boyfriend to Idaho/Wyoming and back into Utah (350 miles).

Getting acquainted

While she was waiting to take the Harley course I trailered the bikes out to a remote stretch of asphalt road in Utah's west desert on a couple of weekends and she practiced down shifts/ clutching from a standstill/ slow speed maneuvering...just the basic stuff of getting familiar with the bike

And lastly...while at the Harley dealer picking up the kids Sportster I was impressed enough to take a pic of this Green tanked 48 sitting on the showroom floor. Unlike Chip, to date I've had the willpower to keep from opening my wallet.

Great job Dad.

 

[ChipBeck_imp]

Chip talking about that 2.1 gallon Peanut tank and the 48 prompted me to reply...Recently our youngest daughter completed a couple of significant educational milestones. Her boyfriend rides and she's been wanting a bike of her own. So, the wife and I footed the bill for this 2015 Iron 883 (3.2 gallon Peanut Tank) and surprised her with it. She didn't know it was coming. We're in the running now for Parents of the Year. Pics taken on the first day of ownership. 1st Harley in the family. She didn't get the keys until she completed the Harley sponsored 3-4 day Motorcycle Safety class. Longest ride to date for her was a 2 dayer with me and her boyfriend to Idaho/Wyoming and back into Utah (350 miles).

Getting acquainted

While she was waiting to take the Harley course I trailered the bikes out to a remote stretch of asphalt road in Utah's west desert on a couple of weekends and she practiced down shifts/ clutching from a standstill/ slow speed maneuvering...just the basic stuff of getting familiar with the bike

And lastly...while at the Harley dealer picking up the kids Sportster I was impressed enough to take a pic of this Green tanked 48 sitting on the showroom floor. Unlike Chip, to date I've had the willpower to keep from opening my wallet.

Frulk,

Add my vote to the tally naming you "Parent of the Year" bro. Well done dad.

Chip

 

[MikeOxbig_imp]

That's really cool Chip. The subject title should have read "Beck to the Future."

 

[Cormanus]

Great story, Chip. You'd better keep us posted on how it develops.