Bike naming; 4 min. not cool!

My  super hawk was "The Quarter Hawg" Quarter mile racer. Old Harleys were called Hawgs. I stole HAWG from the Harley boys. You wanted to wear the name on your gas tank. We were very proud of our creations. The two cycle bikes were called smokers because you mixed the oil with the gas. A two cycle motor had a power stroke every other stroke. A four cycle motor has 1 power stroke every fourth stroke. Yes, two strokes made twice as much horsepower as four stroke bikes, they polluted the air, burning oil with the gas. They sounded different too. They were sold till the EPA banned two cycle motors sold in the USA. If you mixed the oil with  the gas wrong, the engine could freeze up. I mentioned that in another story. When oil injection was used, controlled metering of oil was great, as long as you did not forget to fill the oil tank.

Uncle Mitch, another friend, had "Good Vibrations" painted on his tank. At idle, there wer little vibrations on the handle bars of his Ducati, but when you revved the gas, it shook bad. Harley Davidson's Sportster ran great, but shook very bad. The motor was not balanced, and not rubber mounted. Most Bikes that were not Japanese were known as shakers My bike vibrated some, but was balanced, and not rubber mounted either. The rear light was rubber mounted. I told you my license plate story on a different page. We were TOUGH, we need no stinking rubber mounted anything!! After about 2 or 4 hundred mile days we were feeling great. You believe that don't you. Remember we cannot be hurt!! Now you know why I am so sarcastic today, Heck I was sarcastic as long as I can remember.

Ed's BSA was Bugger Stopped Again. Not exactly right, you can imagine what I mean. Norton, Matchless, and all the English bikes were lymie bikes. Their electrics were prone to failure when it rained and they got wet. Across Prince Street from Helen Weaver's bar, Sunday mornings there were several lymie bikes sitting. The owners kicked, and kicked, and finally accepted a ride home. A 650 or 750 lymie high compression bike is hard to kick when you are loaded with antifreeze. Alcohol, if you don't speak biker language.

One time my Quarter Hawg let me down. I was at a bar, had 3 beers, went out to my bike right outside the main entrance. I had to show off for several young ladies standing right behind my bike talking. I pulled the foot pad out, and put my right foot on the pad. I stood up, my one foot on the starter pad, and put all my weight on the right leg. They were spring loaded to return back in when you moved your foot. NO PROBLEMO right, EXCEPT I did not pull the pad all the way out. It swiveled in from my foot movement, the wrong way. My foot dropped to the asphalt, I lost my balance, my right foot went under my bike. My kickstand was on the left side and I pulled the bike over on me.

Luckily three bikers were coming in. They lifted my bike off my leg. No rips in my jeans, no blood gushing out. Nothing broken, bones at least. My body saved my Iron Horse from road rash, just my leg.  HEY I saved my baby!  Don't tell anyone I was not COOL for 4 minutes!! That day I remember well. Disgrace is hard to forget.  LOL