The Evolution of Man and Machine

Growing up in the 50’s on route 66

By a general store way out in the sticks

Nothing to do but watch traffic go by

Motorbikes were the things that captured my eye

I watched them go by in thunder and smoke

And talked to the riders if they stopped for a Coke

Harleys and Indians and Triumphs and more

Old BMWs just brought back from the war

Watching them pass was a source of great joy

The sound adventure to the heart of a boy

I got my first bike when I was sixteen,

Back when a 250 was a monster machine

A loud screaming engine with only two strokes

Trailing a monstrous cloud of blue smoke

The shocks and the seat were hard on my back

The kick to kick start would sometimes kick back

I‘d work up a sweat trying to get it to start

And keeping it running was a bit of an art

The vibration would make all my fillings come out

Parts would shake loose, the mirrors rattled about

The back end was squirrelly, the brakes they did squeak

And oil stains constantly formed at my feet

In spite of its problems it gave me great joy

The thrill of adventure to the heart of a boy

Leaving my home I became a grown man

The lure of the road and my travels began

Riding the back roads through mountains and plain

Living in tents in the dust and the rain

Now on V-twins with power to spare

But still with breakdowns and stops for repair

With duct tape and coat hangers, bungees and hope

With adjustments to valves, carburetors and spokes

By the side of the road and the fire at night

To town for the parts I’d have to hitch hike

But working on it was always a joy

A labor of love to the heart of a boy

With age came more money and bigger machines

I was able to follow the rides of my dreams

A pilgrimage to Sturgis, the Alaskan Highway

Along the west coast and Monterey Bay

A trip to New Zealand and one to the Alps

Sometimes with good friends, sometimes by myself

Riding with friends and riding alone

To places of fame and to places unknown

Riding the world, I knew so much joy

And I still rode with the heart of a boy

From the passage of time Man cannot hide

And now I am nearing the end of my ride

Now Route 66 is hardly around

Choked off by interstate, strangled by town

The parts that are left don’t go very far

With stoplights, RVs and trooper’s radar

My twelve-hundred cc with computerized chips

Is a high tech machine and has heated grips

It doesn’t break down by the side of the road

Heaters and windshields protect me from cold

It has satellite radio and cellar phones

Sophisticated shocks to pamper old bones

There’s nice leather saddle, padded and soft

And a Google map app so I cannot get lost

It’s soft and it’s easy, but when all’s said and done

Riding the road still makes me feel young

The adventure is gone, but I still feel the joy

At heart an old rider is always a boy

Alan Lawrence

INDIAN MOTORCYCLE AND S&S CYCLE TO RACE BIKE

AT INAUGURAL ‘KING OF THE BAGGERS

INVITATIONAL AT LAGUNA SECA

 Armed with the Indian Challenge & Piloted by Road Racing Champion Tyler O’Hara,

Indian & S&S Take on An Entire Field of Harley-Davidson’s

 MINNEAPOLIS (July 13, 2020) – Indian Motorcycle, America’s First Motorcycle Company, and S&S Cycle today announced a collaboration to race an Indian Challenger at the inaugural Drag Specialties King of the Baggers invitational at Laguna Seca Raceway. The modified Indian Challenger will be piloted by the highly-decorated racing champion Tyler O’Hara.

Among the 14 teams invited to the first-ever King of the Baggers race, S&S is the only Indian Challenger entry. Set to face off against a field of 13 Harley-Davidson baggers, the appropriately-named Indian Challenger boasts superior out-of-the-box performance, including a best-in-class 122 horsepower, an inverted front suspension, and a hydraulically-adjustable FOX® rear shock.

“When the Indian Challenger was released last October, it set a new standard for performance-oriented, stock baggers and offers the ideal platform, from which to base our race modifications,” said Paul Langely of S&S. “That said, we’re leaving no stone unturned when evaluating the modifications needed to be successful at Laguna Seca.”

At the helm of the S&S-modified Indian Challenger will be road racing veteran Tyler O’Hara. A highly-decorated, and seasoned rider, O’Hara brings a diverse racing background – having won titles in supersport, supermoto, motocross and flat track racing. O’Hara also brings significant experience at Laguna Seca.

“I’m thrilled to not only be racing in the King of the Baggers event, but to be piloting the only Indian Challenger in the field. It’s an incredible opportunity for me, and I expect it will be a ton of fun,” said O’Hara. “The Challenger is a remarkable machine in its stock form, but I know the S&S team will be working its magic to give us the best chance to be successful come race day.”

“Just like the rest of the racing community and motorcycle industry, we cannot wait to see 14 baggers ripping around Laguna Seca,” said Gary Gray, Vice President – Racing, Technology and Service for Indian Motorcycle. “That said, we’re extremely proud to be the lone Indian Motorcycle in the field, partnering with our friends, the elite innovators at S&S.”

The King of the Baggers event will be part of the MotoAmerica Superbike Speedfest at Monterey on October 23-25. The inaugural race will join the premier MotoAmerica Superbike, Supersport, Liqui Moly Junior Cup, Stock 1000, Twins Cup and Heritage Cup racing.

Facing a field of nothing but Harley-Davidsons, King of the Baggers serves up a compelling extension of Indian Motorcycle’s Challenger Challenge program, a mobile demo tour and dealer test ride program that encourages motorcyclists to test ride the Indian Challenger, head-to-head against the Harley-Davidson® Road Glide® Special.

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“We’ve seen incredible consumer response to the superior features and benefits of the Challenger when compared directly against the Road Glide,” said Gray. “King of the Baggers takes that comparison to an entirely different level, as we face off against the field at Laguna Seca.”

For more information and ticketing for the Drag Specialties King of the Baggers, visit MotoAmerica.com. Learn more about S&S Cycle at SSCycle.com, and Indian Motorcycle at IndianMotorcycle.com, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

 ABOUT INDIAN MOTORCYCLE®

Indian Motorcycle Company is America’s First Motorcycle Company®. Founded in 1901, Indian Motorcycle has won the hearts of motorcyclists around the world and earned distinction as one of America’s most legendary and iconic brands through unrivaled racing dominance, engineering prowess and countless innovations and industry firsts. Today that heritage and passion is reignited under new brand stewardship. To learn more, please visit www.indianmotorcycle.com.

INDIAN and INDIAN MOTORCYCLE are registered trademarks of Indian Motorcycle International, LLC.  Always wear a helmet, protective clothing and eyewear and insist your passenger does the same.  Ride within the limits of the law and your own abilities.  Read, understand and follow your owner’s manual. Never ride under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

ABOUT S&S CYCLE
S&S Cycle was born from a passion for racing and has spent over six decades building performance for the powersports market. Their unwavering focus on quality, reliability and top shelf power  has made S&S Cycle the absolute leader in high performance on the street and track.

THE WONDER

Hi, submitting my photo for publication in your magazine. This was taken last summer in my front yard. A family was walking by and stopped to talk to me and my neighbor. The unknown little girl stepped right up to my bike and well,  her fascination is evident. Right place, right time.