Get your motor runnin'
November 19, 2009 4:48 PM Subscribe
Route from the 1969 Movie Easy Rider. Last April MrZip66 rode his motorcycle along the route Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper rode in Easy Rider. His blog entry has a map of the route and then-and-now photos. This week Slate's doing the same thing, except in a PT Cruiser (and flying over part of the route).
The strong 60's ethos mixed with the near comical depiction of the South resulted in me thinking the movie deserves shelf space with Barbarella. I can't stand that movie, either.
With that said, I always think its cool when someone takes cinematic based journeys like these. For example, those people who trek out into the desert to check out where Star Wars was filmed.
posted by Atreides at 5:00 PM on November 19, 2009
With that said, I always think its cool when someone takes cinematic based journeys like these. For example, those people who trek out into the desert to check out where Star Wars was filmed.
posted by Atreides at 5:00 PM on November 19, 2009
except in a PT Cruiser
what
It's just like riding in a ZZ Top album cover!
posted by Artw at 5:10 PM on November 19, 2009
what
It's just like riding in a ZZ Top album cover!
posted by Artw at 5:10 PM on November 19, 2009
It's just like riding in a ZZ Top album cover!
...crossed with a toaster?
posted by Sys Rq at 5:15 PM on November 19, 2009
...crossed with a toaster?
posted by Sys Rq at 5:15 PM on November 19, 2009
"PT Cruiser (and flying over part of the route). "
whimps.... I was gonna use a different word that began with a "p" but didn't want to deal with all the crap
posted by HuronBob at 5:24 PM on November 19, 2009
whimps.... I was gonna use a different word that began with a "p" but didn't want to deal with all the crap
posted by HuronBob at 5:24 PM on November 19, 2009
The strong 60's ethos mixed with the near comical depiction of the South resulted in me thinking the movie deserves shelf space with Barbarella. I can't stand that movie, either.
Uhh...you mean the South where people were getting lynched and shit? I'm not even sure HOW to exaggerate something like that. If the people were depicted as evil, clueless savages, maybe that's because a number of them obviously were. Movie itself -- there's some great stuff, some wankery, some serious wankery, and some other good stuff. I haven't seen it in ten years, but I'd definitely consider myself a fan. Even the stuff that's really groanworthy (and here I would point not to the evil southerners but to the ridiculously idealized hippie commune) is still at least interesting from a time capsule perspective. But I mean, I also like Barbarella, so there you go.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 5:29 PM on November 19, 2009
Uhh...you mean the South where people were getting lynched and shit? I'm not even sure HOW to exaggerate something like that. If the people were depicted as evil, clueless savages, maybe that's because a number of them obviously were. Movie itself -- there's some great stuff, some wankery, some serious wankery, and some other good stuff. I haven't seen it in ten years, but I'd definitely consider myself a fan. Even the stuff that's really groanworthy (and here I would point not to the evil southerners but to the ridiculously idealized hippie commune) is still at least interesting from a time capsule perspective. But I mean, I also like Barbarella, so there you go.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 5:29 PM on November 19, 2009
Uhh...you mean the South where people were getting lynched and shit? I'm not even sure HOW to exaggerate something like that. If the people were depicted as evil, clueless savages, maybe that's because a number of them obviously were.
Bolded the key phrase there for ya.
I do agree about the time capsule aspect, however.
posted by Atreides at 6:08 PM on November 19, 2009
Bolded the key phrase there for ya.
I do agree about the time capsule aspect, however.
posted by Atreides at 6:08 PM on November 19, 2009
Not a real recreation if they didn't smoke dope all along the way and then share a 4-way blotter.
posted by 445supermag at 6:21 PM on November 19, 2009
posted by 445supermag at 6:21 PM on November 19, 2009
Except that those "near comical" southerners were actual Southerners, as explained by Dennis Hopper.
posted by mike_bling at 6:34 PM on November 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by mike_bling at 6:34 PM on November 19, 2009 [1 favorite]
Fonda on a Honda and Hopper on a chopper.
posted by Sailormom at 6:36 PM on November 19, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by Sailormom at 6:36 PM on November 19, 2009 [2 favorites]
Even the stuff that's really groanworthy (and here I would point not to the evil southerners but to the ridiculously idealized hippie commune) is still at least interesting from a time capsule perspective.
Is that a different movie than the one I'm thinking of? Because the "Easy Rider" I saw, the commune was a depressing shithole where everyone was about one bag of brown rice away from starving to death.
posted by arto at 7:01 PM on November 19, 2009
Is that a different movie than the one I'm thinking of? Because the "Easy Rider" I saw, the commune was a depressing shithole where everyone was about one bag of brown rice away from starving to death.
posted by arto at 7:01 PM on November 19, 2009
Cool. I'm going to do the same thing, but in reverse. In a Hyundai, with a pissed-off Maine Coon.
And oh, I got a helmet. I got a beauty.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 7:03 PM on November 19, 2009 [2 favorites]
And oh, I got a helmet. I got a beauty.
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 7:03 PM on November 19, 2009 [2 favorites]
Is that a different movie than the one I'm thinking of? Because the "Easy Rider" I saw, the commune was a depressing shithole where everyone was about one bag of brown rice away from starving to death.
Yeah, but they were so noble about it.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 7:21 PM on November 19, 2009
Yeah, but they were so noble about it.
posted by kittens for breakfast at 7:21 PM on November 19, 2009
Thank you for this map. I was anxious to have a route set out that would allow me to be murdered by rednecks.
posted by pompomtom at 7:48 PM on November 19, 2009
posted by pompomtom at 7:48 PM on November 19, 2009
I'm thinking about tackling this route next summer. I love the guy's attitude though, true biker:
"If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then you haven’t watched the movie Easy rider and you’re a pussy. Put your Mike’s Hard lemonade down, Turn your bike around, and head back to LA. Go eat sushi and buy yourself a Vespa."
Funny, although he rides a pretty much stock FLHX, which is a billet barge couch-on-wheels bagger. Not really like the hardtails Ben Hardy made for the movie. At least it wasn't a PT Cruiser I guess.
posted by Demogorgon at 8:12 PM on November 19, 2009
"If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then you haven’t watched the movie Easy rider and you’re a pussy. Put your Mike’s Hard lemonade down, Turn your bike around, and head back to LA. Go eat sushi and buy yourself a Vespa."
Funny, although he rides a pretty much stock FLHX, which is a billet barge couch-on-wheels bagger. Not really like the hardtails Ben Hardy made for the movie. At least it wasn't a PT Cruiser I guess.
posted by Demogorgon at 8:12 PM on November 19, 2009
It has often been said that there is no such thing as a bad bike. I try to live by that myself
(Mine is a bright green Honda 919, as if you care.)
A PT Cruiser is a bad bike. Unless you chop it up and turn it into a trike. That could be pretty fun. In fact, a PT Cruiser is a bad car. If you are going to take a crappy car and dress it up, at least do this with it.
posted by poe at 9:55 PM on November 19, 2009
(Mine is a bright green Honda 919, as if you care.)
A PT Cruiser is a bad bike. Unless you chop it up and turn it into a trike. That could be pretty fun. In fact, a PT Cruiser is a bad car. If you are going to take a crappy car and dress it up, at least do this with it.
posted by poe at 9:55 PM on November 19, 2009
Doing this route in a PT Cruiser and flying over part of it sums up an entire stupid generation.
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 10:04 PM on November 19, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by Stonestock Relentless at 10:04 PM on November 19, 2009 [3 favorites]
Someone burned down the Barker Ranch, where the ride began.
posted by hortense at 10:49 PM on November 19, 2009
posted by hortense at 10:49 PM on November 19, 2009
Funny, although he rides a pretty much stock FLHX, which is a billet barge couch-on-wheels bagger
Yeah, but he's not 20. I used to make fun of people on gold wings until I did my cross-country rides and saw I was in the definite minority. Mostly it was retirees on GW's or something similar. One guy I talked to said "I already f$%#ed up my back working for 50 years, I'm not going to make it worse on my bike."
It's hard to argue with that.
posted by lumpenprole at 12:23 AM on November 20, 2009
Yeah, but he's not 20. I used to make fun of people on gold wings until I did my cross-country rides and saw I was in the definite minority. Mostly it was retirees on GW's or something similar. One guy I talked to said "I already f$%#ed up my back working for 50 years, I'm not going to make it worse on my bike."
It's hard to argue with that.
posted by lumpenprole at 12:23 AM on November 20, 2009
Someone burned down the Barker Ranch, where the ride began.
-------->
"Manson and his followers hid at the cabin after killing actress Sharon Tate and seven others in the summer of 1969. He was arrested there that fall and is serving a life sentence....A restoration crew was at the ranch about a month ago to clean it and make repairs...A park archaeologist will help determine whether the building should be rebuilt. "
This reads like Somebody's thinking about History, and Murder Tourism. Tell me I'm wrong.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 4:59 AM on November 20, 2009
-------->
"Manson and his followers hid at the cabin after killing actress Sharon Tate and seven others in the summer of 1969. He was arrested there that fall and is serving a life sentence....A restoration crew was at the ranch about a month ago to clean it and make repairs...A park archaeologist will help determine whether the building should be rebuilt. "
This reads like Somebody's thinking about History, and Murder Tourism. Tell me I'm wrong.
posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 4:59 AM on November 20, 2009
It's just like riding in a ZZ Top album cover!
Would they trust Slate with CadZZilla?
posted by BullaFoloney at 8:02 AM on November 20, 2009
It has often been said that there is no such thing as a bad bike. I try to live by that myself
(Mine is a bright green Honda 919, as if you care.)
I care so hard you don't even know! Guh, I can't believe you don't ride American, clearly you shouldn't be allowed to drive this route!
I ride with guys who own everything from GSXRs to trikes and though I kid, it doesn't matter all that much to me. I do get conflicted though, when he says stuff like "You better not be wearing fingerless gloves and assless chaps man, not on this trip." It's definitely funny in one respect, but in another respect where do we draw the line? I give my friends shit for riding FLHXs and they give me shit for riding an AMF Ironhead. I rode a Yamaha Virago before that and had a dude on a bicycle tell me to get a Harley.
It's a ridiculous culture at times, and so I'm sorry for injecting that trope about what makes a "real" bike we're all probably so used to, but I don't like hearing Soft Glide riders telling people what to look like, because to me those bikes represent this aesthetic a lot more than they do Easy Rider.
Regardless, I'll wave to you like I'd wave passing this guy. No matter what you're riding, the experience is shared. Bikers need to stick together, there are PT Cruisers out there with our names on them if we're not careful.
posted by Demogorgon at 10:26 AM on November 20, 2009
(Mine is a bright green Honda 919, as if you care.)
I care so hard you don't even know! Guh, I can't believe you don't ride American, clearly you shouldn't be allowed to drive this route!
I ride with guys who own everything from GSXRs to trikes and though I kid, it doesn't matter all that much to me. I do get conflicted though, when he says stuff like "You better not be wearing fingerless gloves and assless chaps man, not on this trip." It's definitely funny in one respect, but in another respect where do we draw the line? I give my friends shit for riding FLHXs and they give me shit for riding an AMF Ironhead. I rode a Yamaha Virago before that and had a dude on a bicycle tell me to get a Harley.
It's a ridiculous culture at times, and so I'm sorry for injecting that trope about what makes a "real" bike we're all probably so used to, but I don't like hearing Soft Glide riders telling people what to look like, because to me those bikes represent this aesthetic a lot more than they do Easy Rider.
Regardless, I'll wave to you like I'd wave passing this guy. No matter what you're riding, the experience is shared. Bikers need to stick together, there are PT Cruisers out there with our names on them if we're not careful.
posted by Demogorgon at 10:26 AM on November 20, 2009
By the way, this is how I roll in case you were wondering.
posted by Demogorgon at 10:30 AM on November 20, 2009
posted by Demogorgon at 10:30 AM on November 20, 2009
"Easy Rider" is easily one of the funniest movies ever made.
posted by MarshallPoe at 12:11 PM on November 20, 2009
posted by MarshallPoe at 12:11 PM on November 20, 2009
I'd do this, but I wasn't born to follow.
posted by Smedleyman at 12:51 PM on November 20, 2009
posted by Smedleyman at 12:51 PM on November 20, 2009
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what
posted by Sys Rq at 4:58 PM on November 19, 2009 [10 favorites]