CycleChat Investigates - Mods v Rockers

[kayakerles]

When I was in my teens/20s here in the States, it was not the Mods and the Rockers, but the Jocks and the Hippies. Proud to have been one of the hippies all the way. Grateful Dead, Jethro Tull, Allman Brothers, certainly Ray Davies & the Kinks, the Stones, Byrds... the list certainly goes on. ☮

 

[kayakerles]

As for bikes, I had a Honda 250cc for a while. Just something to play around with. It was fun. My friends in NYC on the other hand we’re riding Honda 750 4-strokes, Kawasaki 350 with race 5-speeds, and one friend with a 1969 BMW 800 classic, or was it a 650? Whatever it was, it floated down the highway like a jetboat on calm water. Everything was fine until he attempted to ride it up a mountain trail. You know the rest. Stalled out, went backwards at 100 mph until kissing a tree. Both he and the bike survived miraculously, he did not attempt to repeat that stunt, needless to say.

 

[Drago]

...and no matter how souped up they're never gunna have the poke of a decent bike.

Erm...

 

[Accy cyclist]

I bought a 125cc,or was it a 175cc🤔 Vespa during the mod revival in the late 1970's. i came off it a few times,then when a fellow scooter rider and a moped riding lad i knew from football away matches were both killed, in July 1980 and September 1980 respectively i sold the thing. Both were the same age as me and both are lying in the local cemetery having died aged 18.
I'm still a 'mod' type and will be till the day i die,even though i haven't been on a scooter for 41 years. You don't have to own a scooter to be a mod. Music wise i actually prefer 'rock' music to 'mod type music'.

 

[wheresthetorch]

My last bike was a café racer. But I don't have one any more.

 

[Dave 123]

I was in to The Jam, The Who etc. Wore/wear Fred Perry and Ben Sherman

but I’ll also listen to a bit of AC/DC and Motörhead.

I could be a rod, but I might be a mocker….

 

[Chris S]

When I was 16 you could ride any bike up to 250cc on a provisional licence. The 125cc learner laws came in just before my seventeenth birthday. It meant people like me could no longer ride old Lambrettas with their 150cc engines. There were newer learner-legal Vespas but they were out of most people's price range. That and the Jam breaking up at about the same time effectively put an end to the mod revival.

 

[Accy cyclist]

That and the Jam breaking up

I saw The Jam at Blackburn's King George's Hall in 1978 and 1979. They also played there in 1980,but i didn't go. Twice was enough. In 2019 a book was released about their appearances at the venue. The author asked for folk who were there to send him their memories of the events. I sent mine in and received a message from the author saying my memories would be included in his book. Not being a reader of books i've never seen my bit in the book,though i would like to see my sent in memories in print!
https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/17906337.jam-played-blackburn-three-times--/
This is my comment following the article i've linked.

'Snuffy Arrod'

18th September 2019 09:29 am

Yes I was there! Twice at least,but I can't remember seeing them three times. As a teenage punk rock fan we had loads of well known punk/new wave/mod type bands at King George's in the late 70's. I saw the Clash twice and like the Jam I think they made three appearances at the hall. Happy days and so cheap to see them compared to what they'll pay now to see such well known bands.

 

[gbb]

A tad before my time but If I think of people I know who would have been part of that time...
Three guys at Salvesens in the mid 70s were all members of the Iron Horsemen, a motorcycle crew...all hard as nails and uncompromising fellas (but all ok when you got to know them)

I also know one guy, ex mod, nutcase, formerly in jail...but still an ok person when you got to know him.
And one scooter owner I used to give a lift into work, nutcase when he got going, afraid of no one despite his skinny build.

I suspect it was all 50/50 back in the day

 

[Chris S]

I saw The Jam at Blackburn's King George's Hall in 1978 and 1979. They also played there in 1980,but i didn't go. Twice was enough. In 2019 a book was released about their appearances at the venue. The author asked for folk who were there to send him their memories of the events. I sent mine in and received a message from the author saying my memories would be included in his book. Not being a reader of books i've never seen my bit in the book,though i would like to see my sent in memories in print!
https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/news/17906337.jam-played-blackburn-three-times--/
This is my comment following the article i've linked.

'Snuffy Arrod'18th
September 2019 09:29 am

Yes I was there! Twice at least,but I can't remember seeing them three times. As a teenage punk rock fan we had loads of well known punk/new wave/mod type bands at King George's in the late 70's. I saw the Clash twice and like the Jam I think they made three appearances at the hall. Happy days and so cheap to see them compared to what they'll pay now to see such well known bands.

Ive just seen Weller's gig at the Barbican. It was pure Radio 2. If I hadn't been surfing the web at the same time I would have turned over.

 

[Accy cyclist]

Would you like to go this fast on a small wheeled machine that you perch on as you sit,rather than straddle, like you do on a larger wheeled motorbike?

One unseen deep pothole at 40mph and you're off!!

 

[Accy cyclist]

Ive just seen Weller's gig at the Barbican. It was pure Radio 2. If I hadn't been surfing the web at the same time I would have turned over.

He's sooo pretentious these days!

Even 'poncier' then me!!

 

[craigwend]

View: https://youtu.be/I13N_i6eR5Y

 

[raleighnut]

Rocker here, wish I still had my old Ducati single (it got nicked) but gave up petrol powered vehicles in 1986 and have been a cyclist since then (still got long hair though )

 

[Dave7]

However I was neither smelly or greasy .

Amazing how things change ain't it