Uneasy Rider; The Cliff Vaughs Story

Thanks to a bit of prompting (and a useful email contact) from a reader in New Zealand, the dormant-but-brewing story of the ‘Easy Rider’ motorcycles continues, following revelations in the ‘Black Chrome’ exhibit in Los Angeles that the designer and builders of the most famous motorcycles in history were, in fact, black men, and further, the show implied that the ‘Chopper’ (extended-fork, elaborated customs) was invented by black bikers in Los Angeles.

If the chopper was indeed born in Watts, as suggested, then we are 50 years overdue for some cultural acknowledgement of the fact.  The story resonates with Rock n’ Roll’s ‘invention’; as Elvis Presley shook his way through Big Mama Thornton tunes, created a movement, and struck it rich, Big Mama got nary a nod, nor did any of the artists whose work Elvis mimicked, borrowed, or covered.  Which doesn’t detract from Elvis’ genius, but it does bring up some nasty cultural baggage which was too uncomfortable to address, back in the day.

Similarly, patch-wearing, swastika-emblazoned ’1%er’ bikers in the 60s and 70s were flirting with or embracing the ragged edge of white supremacist ideology, and unlikely to praise the likes of Cliff Vaughs and Ben Hardy as inspiration for their choppers.  It wasn’t just bikers of course; the whole of the 60s Hippie counterculture has been criticized by black civil rights activists for ‘dropping out‘ of the struggle for an end to the violence against black men in the South, or any political involvement beyond saving their own skin from being shipped to Vietnam.

 Many young black men were motorcyclists before the WW2, and after military service, had a similar experience to other two-wheel enthusiasts in SoCal; ‘gimme a bike, and some room to ride‘.  The adrenaline and/or amphetamine rush of the War (with the US, Britain, Germany, and Japan handing out ‘speed’ like candy to their soldiers – a subject I’m working on…) could best be substituted with the physical thrill of riding a bike.

Over time, black bikers modified their machines and formed gangs, in chronologic parallel with their Anglo counterparts.  ‘Bob-jobs’ (whose rear fender was ‘bobbed’ short) were lightened for better performance, but over time, and as tastes changed, customized bikes became more elaborate and decorated, with ‘raked’ frames (increased steering head angle) and extended forks; the ‘Chopper’ (whose frame had been cut and re-welded). The question of ‘who did it first’ is interesting, and I’d like to see the photographic evidence for a proper history of Custom motorcycle development.

The ‘origin story’ of the Easy Rider motorcycles, ‘Captain America’ and ‘Billy’s bike’ (as they’re now known), has been clouded by the very fact of their fame, and the odd, at times haphazard circumstances of the making of the film.  Their credit has at times been given to Dan Haggerty (‘Grizzly Adams’), and many web and print stories repeat this misunderstanding; Haggerty did repair, and possibly re-create the ER bikes, after they were used in most of the filming, and stolen before the movie was complete.  The Vintagent posted the story of Ben Hardy and the building of the ER bikes, in March 2009.

Credit for the design of the Easy Rider bikes (and other important aspects of the film, including the title!) is claimed by Cliff Vaughs, a civil rights activist, filmmaker, and biker (in the Chosen Few MC – a racially integrated club since 1960).  Vaughs was a member of the SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), a direct-action civil rights group, and major player in the all of the famous sit-ins, freedom rides, and marches in the 1960s South.  He participated in, and photographed, many of the legendary civil rights confrontations of the era, although he missed the March on Washington because he was “building a chopper” in his backyard! Vaughs was also a documentary film maker, and made “What Will the Harvest Be?”, about the rise of Black Power in the South, which included interviews with Martin Luther King, Stokeley Carmichael, and Julian Bond, which was aired on ABC-tv in the mid-60s.  From documentaries, he moved into film production by the late 1960s. He was also, clearly, a motorcycle nut, and considered Ben Hardy his mentor in building, maintaining, and riding his machines.

When asked about his involvement with the Easy Riders choppers, Cliff Vaughs sent the following statement to The Vintagent:

“I was working in the News Department at KRLA when Henry Fonda’s son, Peter, was arrested for possession of marijuana. I was mildly amused that so much interest was engendered by the incident, considering the number of citizens detained and incarcerated for smoking “pot”.

We chatted for a while at the courthouse and I called in my story. He was interested in my hobby: designing and building motorcycles. It turned out that we lived in the same neighborhood, West Hollywood. I told him I was usually found in my back yard enjoying my hobby.

He came by a few days later accompanied by Dennis Hopper, whom I hadn’t seen since his performance in “Rebel Without A Cause” with James Dean. We talked and I learned that they [Fonda and Hopper] had been planning to develop a movie that centers on motorcycles. I agreed that the themes of the western were careworn but an American adventure with the protagonists riding motorcycles instead of horses was apt. We adlibbed a story line: two friends (not quite “bikers”), traveling across America seeking adventure. I offered the name “Easy Rider”, taken from the Mae West performance of “Where Has My Easy Rider Gone”, in the production “She Done Him Wrong”… The title had been an adornment of my house, on the wall; a tapestry with a hidden message sent to me by Susan Mansour, erstwhile friend.



We had several discussions about the project at my home in West Hollywood and agreed that we would have to develop interest in the movie outside my parlor. We were not particularly known well enough to raise interest or financing. Peter and Dennis had a long background in the industry; they would raise the money. I would design and build the motorcycles and develop the visual themes. Captain America and Bucky [Captain America's sidekick], costumes, colors: red-white-blue. I was accorded the title of Associate Producer. We named our company Pando.

Through Pando, I was instrumental in hiring Baird Bryant as Director of Photography and agreed to have Paul Lewis as Production Manager. Subsequently, Les Blank, Virgil Frye, Karen Black, Seymour Cassel, Francine Reid, Larry Marcus, were included. Jack Nicholson was hired after the New Orleans “shoot”.  I never met Raphaelson and Snyder (?) who backed the film.  Neither did I formally meet Terry Southern, credited with the screenplay. From my apercus the production proceeded admirably until the New Orleans shoot when there was a dispute about how much film was being used by the Director, Dennis Hopper. I was summarily fired from the production. The critics praised the film. Dennis was awarded “Best New Director” for ER.

There were no African Americans in the film as actors or participants in the production.

I didn’t have any contact with the production long after ER was released. The casualty rates on motorcycle accidents were so high that I asked Peter Fonda for a letter of intent to use to fund “Not So Easy”[1973], an educational film on how to ride a motorcycle safely. Filmfair financed the film with full support of Harley Davidson. Harley Davidson provided Evel Knievel, who was under contract to them at the time. I had Evel Knievel’s Coliseum jump on film, and a performance by the LAPD motorcycle drill team. Two of my cronies from Hollywood Chosen Few appeared on film: “Rabbit”, and “Billy Diamond” (deceased). It was required viewing at judicial traffic school for quite some time.

The motorcycles were designed and built by me in my back yard. My longtime friend and mentor Mr. Ben Hardy assisted me wholeheartedly. We had met when he taught me how to wire my first motorcycle, a 1947 “knucklehead” in 1961. He had contacts developed over years of repairing motorcycles in his shop on West Florence Ave. Jim Magnera of MC Supply was a valuable asset. He had arranged to act as my agent when Harley Davidson sold me an unnumbered engine (shovel head) which required a new law from the California Legislature. Mr. Magnera was also active in financing the burgeoning black motorcycle enterprise in South Central Los Angeles. Mr. Magnera and Mr.Hardy were instrumental in my relationships with motorcycle specialists in Los Angeles.

In the creation I had: Buchanan for frame fabrication, Dean Lanza, art work, Larry Hooper, upholstery, LAPD junk yard engines: rebuilt by Mr. Hardy. I don’t remember the chrome shop. Mr. Hardy also designed and constructed one of the fine points on the motorcycles. I had wanted something unique and he built the curved tail light brackets. I don’t remember the shop that tailored the leathers for ER.
After I had completed the construction of the machines, the registration (pink slip) was in the name of Pando Company. I asked Mr. Hardy to assemble the two disposable motorcycles in his shop. I was simply too busy with the daily task production of ER at the time to complete them at home.

I have never actually seen “Easy Rider”. It represented only a few months out of my 74 years. I had a lot of fun with the bikes and with the talented people I met while working on the film. I have special regard for Mr. James Magnera a man with foresight, who personally helped aspiring entrepreneurs in South Central Los Angeles. Mr. Ben Hardy who worked for me as a mentor and skillful craftsman on a dozen designs of my own motorcycles. Mr. Buchanan, the man to go to for excellent frame modification.
Mr. Dean Lanza, The Artist: Brilliantly designed my marijuana plant on candy-apple petrol tank. Mr. Larry Hooper, ever a fugitive…the best leather craftsman ever.
Mr. Larry Marcus knows more about tools than anyone.
Mr. Dennis Hopper, Director, underlined my contribution to the production of “Easy Rider”.
There has been a remarkable marketing of “custom motorcycles” since ER.
Items and modifications I worked out with Mr. Hardy et al are now manufactured on a production line. Harley Davidson had “Low Rider“. Innumerable entrepreneurs have made a good living popularizing and promoting the so called “chopper“.
I missed my fifteen minutes of fame…..

Clifford A. Vaughs
Tuesday 29 March, 2011
Portobelo, Panama

PS: As an addendum to ER:

The genesis of Captain America theme may be found in comics of WW II. Captain America had a sidekick named Bucky. Captain America’s ride was a motorcycle.”

In an interview with writer Bob Garcia from Ed Roth’s Chopper magazine in 1968, before ‘Easy Rider’ was released; Vaughs gave these views on film and motorcycling:

‘WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP TO THE WORLD OF CYCLING?
“In terms of my own relation with my own motorcycle, it’s the final romantic expression that is left in this country. Obviously the frontier is gone. The cycle is the one thing that you can build from nothing—just a basket, and make something very, very beautiful and really put yourself into it. This goes from a simple question of chrome, to developing new designs, sissy bars, new ways of riding and things like that.”

 HOW DID YOU FIRST BECOME INVOLVED WITH A CHOPPER?
“Certainly bikes attract a great deal of people who have basically been frustrated in their life. I haven’t been frustrated but I do view my bike as another way of relieving a lot of tension from myself. I have been riding since 1962. I even missed the March on Washington because I was building a chopper. I like my bike and I like Choppers and I’m very concerned about the restrictive legislation that is coming out from most states against the rider. Laws that are trying to keep Choppers off the road, and I think that a Chopper is a typically American expression.”
 
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE CHOPPER IN YOUR NEW FILM?
In “Easy Riders” the cycle is just a vehicle to get around on. It’s like the horse from the old days. What we are basically doing is psychological western. We have two guys who have problems and are into their own bag. They are good friends, they’ve made one big score and are off to Miami to retire. Now in the course of the film a number of things happen to them on their trip. These are things that could happen to a guy if he were driving a car, flying in an airplane or riding on a train—except for the fact that being on a bike—they are more vulnerable to what’s going on.” 

Chopper asked Vaughs if the movie was going to say the same thing its predecessors from American International have said again and again. 

“This is not what we are into. I think we can change the image of the cyclist, and make a significant contribution to changing the development of the cycle image. I don’t feel that Hollywood today is producing anything of much significance. And I think that this is the time to make the change, because the western has been the major success in this country. If we can change the vehicle from a horse to a cycle—and still develop good stories and good concepts then I think we have made a significant and artistic contribution to bikes and films.”
We asked Vaughs if any fulltime chopper rider could be trained by Hollywood into a Fonda role:
“No Peter and Dennis are very heavy into a lot of cultural things. They are in a position to be very, very socially aware of what’s going on. A lot of bikers just don’t know what’s going on because the whole weight of having to deal with everyday situations or hustling to live precludes any awareness of other problems. I mean, theirs is a hunting and gathering culture. You must remember that most bikers are not in a medium where they can project anything. Even if an average rider went on ”Meet the Press,” he would give the same rap about oppressed bike riders, patriotism, etc.”
He stated that before the film was started he indicated that one of the main things “Easy Riders” should do was break down the whole idea of black and white motorcycle clubs. “Because my investigation showed that white clubs had restrictive clauses and it’s only the blacks that are integrating. The Chosen Few has been integrated for a long period of time.”

“In this film”, said Vaughs “we have a situation where the two main characters are riding across country. Their bikes break down and they run into about 50 black cyclists. They are very, very up-tight, scared and shaken up. But, it works out very well because the black cats just say, “Can we help you get some gas?” Everything is very groovy. And that to me seems a real situation.”“I maintain if that situation can happen and it does in real life there is still some hope. There are many, many people that maintain that it can happen. “But I’ve seen it happen this way.”
Does Vaughs feel this situation is only confined to the cycle world? Naturally he answers in the negative.
“The cities are still going to burn despite the fact that these black cats stopped to help these white cyclists on the road.”
That baby is reality.‘

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