Motorcycles and the Movies, Freedom on Two Wheels
Motorcycles and the Movies, Freedom on Two Wheels
I ride a 1948 Panhead chopper, so this one is personal. The motorcycle is the purest symbol of freedom we have.
The movies are why the whole world feels that in their chest. The template got set in 1953 in The Wild One. Marlon Brando rode a Triumph Thunderbird, and here is the detail I love, it was his own personal bike. That image of a man leaning on his machine in leather and denim became one of the defining pictures of the century. The film scared the censors so badly Britain banned it for fourteen years. Sales of that Triumph went up anyway.
McQueen and the jump
In 1963 Steve McQueen took the crown in The Great Escape. The fence jump on a Triumph is one of the most famous stunts ever filmed, and he did most of his own riding. He made a motorcycle look like the most natural extension of a man alive, cool without reaching for it. That is still the standard every rider quietly measures himself against.
The chopper myth
In 1969 Easy Rider changed everything. Two riders on chopped Harleys crossing America in search of something they could not name. The bikes, the leather, the open road, it turned the chopper into rolling American mythology. That is a big part of why a machine like my Panhead still means what it means.
Gear that does not lie
A bike does not lie. It demands skill and respect and gives you presence in return. The gear should be the same. I built our Informal Pant to ride in and live in, tough enough for the chopper and clean enough for the rest of the day. We also make a leather moto jacket in Horween horsehide, and a plug and wrench tool for the road. Live free. It is A Way Of Life.
A Way Of Life.
Shop the Story
the Black Bear Brand Informal Pant · https://blackbearbrand.com/black-bear-brand-factory-store/the-black-bear-brand-informal-pant
Motorcycle Plug and Wrench Tool · https://blackbearbrand.com/black-bear-brand-factory-store/motorcycle-plug-wrench-holder
Horsehide N1 Deck Jacket · https://blackbearbrand.com/black-bear-brand-factory-store/naturalarmy-horsehide-n1-deck-jacket-made-to-order
Related Reading
The 1948 Panhead: What a 76-Year-Old Chopper Taught Me About Design · https://blackbearbrand.com/blog-1/1948-panhead-design-lessons
Jeans and Fashion: How Work Pants Conquered the World · https://blackbearbrand.com/blog-1/jeans-and-fashion
How to Build a Wardrobe That Lasts a Lifetime · https://blackbearbrand.com/blog-1/wardrobe-that-lasts