A lot of people associate motorcycles with the typical clichs: sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll. Throw in some bar fights, late-night escapes from the cops, making mischief in assorted ways, and you've got the life of a biker, right? Not quite. How about raising money for charity and informing the public about the latest motorcycle-related news from Capitol Hill? Not everyone who loved choppers back in 1972 was modeling their lives after Easy Rider-although we'd never criticize anybody's idea of a good time.
The cover of the November 1972 issue of STREET CHOPPER came from the second annual "Ride for My Brother" chopper run, proving that a fun-filled ride can also be an excellent charity event. That's right-a steady stream of choppers headed north up the 405 Freeway out of Torrance, California, to a final destination in Ventura County, all to raise money for underprivileged persons. Many of the choppers ran small custom tanks, so three fuel stops were required before the parade of hundreds of bikers made it to the hills and open country. Led by the Oscar Mayer wiener truck and Pepsi sponsor trucks, everybody made their way to Lake Piru in Ventura. Everyone then set up camp, and enjoyed refreshments and door prizes courtesy of the several sponsors. Let the Pepsi and goodwill flow!
In the STC section "Washington Report," helmet laws were still a political hot button in 1972. STREET CHOPPER kept readers updated on federal and state laws and regulations that had passed, were being appealed, and were being proposed. In 1972, the federal government was called upon to interpret the constitutionality of "Public Burden Theory." The idea behind the theory was that in the event of an accident the injured rider might become a public burden due to loss of employment and the possibility of becoming a welfare recipient. The political battles still rage on, and STC is still working to keep its readers updated.
"Striping: An Art of Old Which Can Make Any Paint Job Anew." If you read that headline too quickly you might think the article was about-well, you know, stripping-but take a moment to actually read the text, and you'll find a handy little guide to sprucing up your sheetmetal. You'll get a history lesson while you're at it. "Striping is a type of paint decorating which has been used worldwide since the 16th century." STC visited Swede's Custom Painting in Orange, California, to get the basic tips on striping properly. To get "the real knack of putting down the stripes," you need high-quality brushes and the ideal paint viscosity. Plenty of practice won't hurt, either, but Swede recommended using turpentine with enamel paint for the right consistency and setup. "Reducers and thinners dry too fast, besides being annoying with that strong odor." We're wondering what the combo of enamel paint and turpentine smelled like-but hey, we're guessing it's the lesser of two evils in situations like these.
One of the choppers featured in the November 1972 STC was "Clean Sweep, winner of seven sweepstakes awards, including America's Most Beautiful Chopper for '72." The pink-yes, pink-sporty featured 2.50x18-inch Dunlops wrapped around American mags and twin mechanical disc brakes. The wing-type gas tank mounted with countersunk Allen screws set off the custom-mounted handlebars, Bates headlight, and side air horn.
"Pousho's Trike, Detroit-styled three-wheeler" was the result of eight months of hard work and three grand. This wacky Sportster trike has a '57 Harley trike section adapted to a Sportster frame. During the two years it took owner Robert Pousho to complete his trike, he took pains to completely mold the frame, give the undercarriage the "full treatment," and shape the seat to accent the downtubes of the frame members.
Those are only a few highlights from the November 1972 issue of STREET CHOPPER. As usual, there were plenty of sweet-looking custom bikes and helpful tech articles for a guy and his good ol' garage. We always try to give you a different look at each time period and issue when we're "Back in the Day." Therefore, we hope this time around we've stirred up a little political ambition or inspired some philanthropic plans.