Question About the Motorcycles in the Film "Easy Rider"

Posted by Jujitsu Lizard on February 21, 2009, 12:59 am

please rate
this thread

Just finished watching the movie for the first time.

It didn't escape my notice that neither of the motorcycles seemed to have a
visible front disc or other braking mechanism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:ZweiRadMuseumNSU_EasyRider.JPG

Did I miss something?

Seems odd to have a motorcycle without front brakes? Maybe there is some
other mechanism that was in common use then that wasn't so visible?

Thanks for any explanation.

The Lizard

Posted by Rkleinsch1216128 on February 21, 2009, 1:31 am

Posted by Jeff on February 21, 2009, 4:41 am

Sometimes practicality is set aside in favor of styling when building
choppers. After all, this was not going to be someone's daily driver for
100,000 miles.
Dennis Hopper's bike did have a (drum) front brake. Disk brakes were not
commonly used on motorcycles in the '60s.

Posted by Beav on February 21, 2009, 6:25 am

That's simply because neither of them had a front brake.

Zed 1000
OMF# 19

Posted by . on February 21, 2009, 7:57 am

Many riders were prejudiced against having a front brake back in those
days because of the belief that the front brake would lock up easily
if it was applied and would throw the rider over the handlebars.

Gordon Jennings was an engineer and was *the* motorcycle journalist
who could explain the technical aspects of front brakes.

His calculations in "Cycle" magazine showed that very soft brake
lining materials could, in fact, cause the front brake to lock up.