Friday, December 28, 2012

Steve McQueen, cool.


Steve McQueen was some sort of a cool dude, and the fact that he was an avid motorcyclist makes him even cooler in my opinion.  

Honda apparently paid him a million bucks for this add, a million dollars in the 70's to ride in the desert. Dirt biking was something McQueen probably would have been doing in his spare time anyway as he was passionate about motorcycles. He competed in the Baja 1000 Rally and was good friends with Bud Ekins and Malcolm Smith also avid and accomplished riders so he was no slouch on a bike.  Watching the clip and you begin to understand the allure of riding; the scenery, the hidden places and the camaraderie of the ride.

I also love the tag at the end of the video….'for a man's ride. HONDA.'  I guess in the '70s your bike made you a man and not your gun. Or, more simply, people where less concerned with their Second Amendment rights and more concerned with having good times.

Finally his mention of safety gear…his helmet, back when men were men, and bones where broken.

Just for comparison…

Not as cool….but still cool, a good life.