22 Sept 2012

Cycles South 1971

Found this movie yesterday.

A non rider on Paracinema wrote a nice review of the movie.

I edited a bit because it's a a lot of words and some of is just wrong but it's a nice read.
Read the complete review here


"Cycles South is a documentary about 3 guys (and a handful of crew) driving tiny engine 2-stroke (they start on four strokes) motorcycles all the way from Denver to Panama in 4 months. These dudes don’t just take the highways and bi-ways though. Oh no, most of the time they’re cruising through forests, deserts, and beaches on non-off-road bikes. Hell these aren’t even dual purpose bikes, they’re straight up street rides which is pretty amazing. Driving over tree branches, crashing through jungles and swamps, these guys are hardcore. They eat shit a lot too which the narrator points out to us viewers in his sarcastic, older-brother bullying way. Speaking of the narrator this film is filled with sexist remarks, women are annoying “beavers” and our fearless trio is always on the prowl for “their favorite kind of meat.” Personally I thought all the blue remarks were hilarious as they are a product of their time. Political correctness was an unknown idea at the time and it shows. Men used to be crass and pigs and although I’m glad my generation has grown up a bit it’s still refreshing to see a movie devoid of pretension and cautiousness. These guys are constantly facing certain doom being stuck out in the middle of nowhere with no help, no cell phones, and no medical attention so I can’t really blame them for being crass. They’ve got bigger worries.

The footage in this film is unreal. They ride their bikes through railroad tracks into pitch black tunnels with no idea of what’s inside. They ride along railroad trestles, one mistake from falling to their deaths. They ride through rivers, up mountains, through sand and dunes, all on bikes with smaller engines than are commercially available today on street tires! The most amazing footage features a handlebar view of racing through a busy street in Oaxaca, Mexico, riding between cars, dodging pedestrians (in one case grazing a man carrying a basket of oranges) and blasting past police. Truly white knuckle stuff. These dudes are bad asses from the old-school. Fearless, beer drinking, stream fishing, womanizing, hairy chested men. These guys crash left and right and get back up laughing, ready for more. They aren’t professional riders, just outdoors men with a bucket of balls.

Cycles South is an inspiring look at a life lived for adventure, without worry, or desire for material goods. The only desire these dudes had was for cheap women and good times. Screw the house and a fancy car. Give me freedom of choice any day."

I personally love the music they used in this docu movie.
The space trip jumping around part is crazy nice with the trippy synthesiser bleeps.
I think one of the bikes is a BSA Hornet.
Anyone knows more about the bikes in the movie?

Update
The BSA's are a B44 and B40
Thanks BC