Re: old design was oilheads-digest V 1 #47

[Steve Makohin <wateredg@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On 1/7/04 9:34 AM, rennsport@xxxxxxxxx rennsport@xxxxxxxxx wrote:

>On Wednesday, Jan 7, 2004, at 08:08 US/Eastern, Steve Makohin wrote:
>>>
>>
>> That guess would not explain why the cruiser style motorcycle existed
>> before these movies were created, and why it was popular in North 
>> America
>> back then, too
>
>Natural progression of designs from the motorized bicycle to early 
>motorcycle along with the available technology of the time?
>
> From your email that I missed (oops!)
>
> >> Contrast this, according to the documentary, to North America, where
> >> horsemen tended to work the plains; large expanses of mostly flat 
>lands.
> >> North American riders tended to lean back in the saddle, butt planted
> >> firmly in the saddle, and feet forward of the vertical center line. 
>The
> >> terrain in North America as well as the towns and villages were 
>different
> >> than in Europe. Streets tended to be built wider, and distanced 
>between
> >> towns were greater due to the vastness of the land. As motorcycles
> >> evolved in North America from their "bicycle with a motor" origins, 
>they
> >> tended to take the form of the plainsman's mount: upright or slightly
> >> back seating posture, feet forward of center, and optimized for 
>straight
> >> line traveling for "longer" distances. This lead to the cruise style
> >> motorcycle which remains popular in North America to this day.
>
>I wonder how many of the guys who designed motorcycles back then in the 
>U.S, had any real experience in western style horse riding?...
[...]

I'd imagine (don't have any data to support my belief), not too many. But 
just as Henry Ford wasn't in the horse-drawn buggy building business 
before he dipped his toe in the "horseless carriage" pond, there is no 
doubt that early automotive designs were heavily influenced by the 
carriages that preceded them.


>While I like the History Channel and its ilk, I have seen them 
>contradict themselves on the same subject matter covered in two 
>different documentaries. 
[...]

As I have previously stated, I'm just passing on what some historians and 
a museum both allege is the case. I thought it was interesting. Your 
mileage may vary. Considering that this information *sounds* believable, 
and that there is a lack of a raging "alternative theory" being fervently 
debated in the industry, I am inclined to give it the "probably true" 
nod, backed up with the "it doesn't change my life, either way" grin, 
just for good measure :-)

- -Steve

 Oakville, Ontario, Canada
 2000 R1100S/ABS, Mandarin

------------------------------