"HARLEY DAVIDSON - PERFECT FOR THOSE WEEKEND GETAWAYS"
English Don is a certified chopper legend and, along with Indian Larry and The Steg, responsible for a re-focussed attention on the Big Apple's nineties, hardcore underground, purist chopper caper, he was also a significant contributor to well known biker rags and historian/bon vivant party man extraordinaire. This two part bit of genuine chopper history, put together by the man himself, covers not only the Bayonet Brothers, [himself and Mr DeSmedt] and what became the 'Grease Monkey Tour' but some revealing opinions on what was already becoming a 'RUB scene' and breakout fad/craze.
More importantly is the last minute or so of this golden sliver of documentation, sheer subversive, steertcore, outlaw brilliance . . . . the pisstake 'ad' by the key proponants of the New York groove, featuring themselves in some two-bit western gas stop doing their own promotion for the Harley brand and using the Bar and Sheild logo and 'factory style' voiceover to cap the fucker off . . . .
Of course, the big wigs in Motor Company H.Q were less than impressed and I believe, according to moderately reliable sources, even attempted legal action against the perpetrators, the results of which are not known to me . . . . by that stage though, the piss had well and truly been taken, the shit had hit the corporate fan, the rag tag rebels from the east had stuck their greasy fingers up both nostrils of the RUB's and the emergent company focus on that particular target market and demographic . . . . FTW !!!
**P.S - A good mate phoned me this arvo after he read this post, at the time this now notorious piece of cultural terrorism was produced he was employed at a well known country H.D dealership, there was much muttering, cursing and sniggering even out here among dealer owners and those in high places regarding the 'unspeakable' horror of a yet unseen 'ad' lampooning the MoCo done in the States, the subject was definitely listed as taboo as far as punters went . . . . remember, this, 1996/97, was way before YouTube and universal internet mania, the fact that it, the 'ad', became near instant global bike industry insider gabfodder/myth, even though not that many folk actually got to see it until much later, is testament to just how much controversy it created, like I said, the ultimate subversive act of kicking against the pricks . . . . the other point of interest is that the intent of this shining example of the bullseye cynical pisstake is even more relevant now given how 'popular' the whole 'biker chic' shindig has become.
English Don is a certified chopper legend and, along with Indian Larry and The Steg, responsible for a re-focussed attention on the Big Apple's nineties, hardcore underground, purist chopper caper, he was also a significant contributor to well known biker rags and historian/bon vivant party man extraordinaire. This two part bit of genuine chopper history, put together by the man himself, covers not only the Bayonet Brothers, [himself and Mr DeSmedt] and what became the 'Grease Monkey Tour' but some revealing opinions on what was already becoming a 'RUB scene' and breakout fad/craze.
More importantly is the last minute or so of this golden sliver of documentation, sheer subversive, steertcore, outlaw brilliance . . . . the pisstake 'ad' by the key proponants of the New York groove, featuring themselves in some two-bit western gas stop doing their own promotion for the Harley brand and using the Bar and Sheild logo and 'factory style' voiceover to cap the fucker off . . . .
Of course, the big wigs in Motor Company H.Q were less than impressed and I believe, according to moderately reliable sources, even attempted legal action against the perpetrators, the results of which are not known to me . . . . by that stage though, the piss had well and truly been taken, the shit had hit the corporate fan, the rag tag rebels from the east had stuck their greasy fingers up both nostrils of the RUB's and the emergent company focus on that particular target market and demographic . . . . FTW !!!
**P.S - A good mate phoned me this arvo after he read this post, at the time this now notorious piece of cultural terrorism was produced he was employed at a well known country H.D dealership, there was much muttering, cursing and sniggering even out here among dealer owners and those in high places regarding the 'unspeakable' horror of a yet unseen 'ad' lampooning the MoCo done in the States, the subject was definitely listed as taboo as far as punters went . . . . remember, this, 1996/97, was way before YouTube and universal internet mania, the fact that it, the 'ad', became near instant global bike industry insider gabfodder/myth, even though not that many folk actually got to see it until much later, is testament to just how much controversy it created, like I said, the ultimate subversive act of kicking against the pricks . . . . the other point of interest is that the intent of this shining example of the bullseye cynical pisstake is even more relevant now given how 'popular' the whole 'biker chic' shindig has become.
Don is in Indy now. He gave me a ring a few weeks ago about a shovelhead that was giving fits. He's a good dude.
ReplyDeleteUnreal man, it's always good to find out those you hold respect for are good people in the real world, speaks volumes for the esteem in which you are held too mate, you don't get those kind of calls just by chance. Cheers Wes, always a pleasure my friend.
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