Jim

I still have a painting I did of Michael Parks and fan articles, the painting is quite good! I later took up road trips in my old beater of a green Dodge Demon. I was a little older then.

Anita

Jim

I've just recently purchased the series on DVD, been looking for this for 30 years and now I am getting my boys into Jim Bronson. Just goes to show that good things keep coming round. Hey, where do I get some sunglasses like his? Keep up the good work here and hang in there.

Mark

Jim

I was eleven years old when a TV movie and series called "Then Came Bronson" riveted me to my parent's television in 1969. It planted a seed that grows to this day.

Looking back through the years I find myself smiling at how foolhardy it was to do what I did before I went to college. Yup, I hit the road without destination in mind. I road a pre-unit 1958 Triumph 650 rather than a Harley, but the gear was setup the same way and the experiences I had set the foundation for decades of 2-wheeled travel, on and off the roadway. As I prepare for a dirt bike ride through the Mexican Sierra Madres in a few weeks I once again reflect on the impact "Then Came Bronson" had on me then, and how it still brings forth the urge to seek the next adventure.

Thanks for the website and for providing a place to express my fondness for a short lived series with long running stimulation.

Michael

Jim

You mentioned having a Honda 350. I had a 68 Honda cl350 in 1971, one of my favorite bikes of all time. So much so that I got another one last year to re-live all those memories, a real time machine. We were very fortunate to grow up during those times, the culture had to be experienced.

Steve

Jim,

I spent almost 2 years in the Army from Oct.1966 to late Aug 1968. I had less than 60 days when I returned from Viet Nam , and got an early release to go back to college. One of my buddies, Sid, had me come over to his apartment to watch the “biker” show as he called it, and it became a Wednesday night ritual to kick back with a few beers and watch Bronson. A few years later I bought a new 1974 Yamaha 360 Enduro motorcycle. The Enduro designation meant that is was a dirt bike that was supposed to be equally suited as a road machine. The longest road trip I ever took with it was about 100 miles. I felt like I had spent the night on a vibrator machine when I arrived at Ellensburg, WA where I was going to summer school.

One night Sid came by with an early 1970’s Harley Sportster that he had just purchased and we began riding around together quite a bit. Naturally the subject of which bike would be fastest through the quarter mile soon came up. I had ridden several Harleys and other road bikes and was certain that my Yamaha was quicker off the line and since it could pick the front wheel up going though all 5 gears I expected it to stay ahead to the quarter mile pole. It started out as I expected as I got quite a jump off the dead start. At 200 yards or so that Harley blew by me and was still pulling away as I hit the quarter mile pole. I still have that Yamaha, as I got a 3/4 ton Chevy p/u and camper and a set of bumper mounted racks to carry that motorcycle all over the country. I don’t drag race Harleys anymore and get nervous every time my grandsons start admiring that Yamaha in my garage.

Don

Jim,

Originally being from the Carmel / Monterey bay area, I remember the local paper talking about the series filming in the area. I vaguely remember a few scenes from one of these episodes. I think they also shot in Pacific Grove, another bay area town. I'd like to see how things have changed after 40 years. I still go back to visit family during the Christmas holidays and summer.

Anyway, I am of the age that even remembers the show. I was in my first year of college and while I may have yearned to hit the road the reality was the Vietnam War was going full tilt and staying in college and avoiding the draft seemed like the thing to do.

Henry

Jim,

I got you're website from a friend. I painted the Bronson Bikes for MGM & Harley. I think we corresponded a few years ago. I have a lot going on now but in April things will calm down.

Jerry

Jim,

First off, I am listed as Dirty Denny in www.imdb.com. I met and became good friends with Bud Ekins when I worked with him in Angels from Hell (1969). He passed away last October, so I can't ask him about who the car passenger was.

When I watched TCB episode #2, it made a serious impact on my life. I wondered what it would be like if I grew old but still kept my bike. I was 24 at the time, and now I'm 63, plus I still have the same chopped knuckle. I've had several offers for the bike, but I'm still enjoying the enthusiasm of younger bikers in that they marvel at the fact I still have my bike, which is now a desirable classic. I've had a numbers of offers to help rebuild it. I wrecked it in '82 but I've been collecting parts to do a rebuild back to what it was in Angels: Hard As They Come (1971).

The irony is that I met Kennan in 1960 when I was 15, really a great guy. Then to have him turn out to have such a big influence with episode #2. I was recently approached about producing a motorcycle TV series. Right on the spot, I thought of #2 and proposed a TCB style series, but I would take mike's place and cruise the nation trying to relive the past. I would try to find and revisit the guys I used to ride with, trying to rekindle their interest. Some are dead ( I can think of 7), or quit biking. Just reliving the real stories is good TV fodder, plus there is always the stuff you unexpectedly get into. The major thing I liked about TCB was that each episode left you with a good feeling. Mike was just too cool!

I declined the TV series idea because they didn't have the budget, plus I'm already lined up for a regular part on a proposed TV series called Arizona Rangers. It's about the 1882 Rangers (like Texas). It's being considered by 3 cable stations for the budget that would cover the cost of the pilot plus the first 13 episodes. I wrote the screenplay which gives me allot of Hollywood power. Once Arizona Rangers is a success, I can branch out into any direction I want to go and people will listen to what I want and need. Then the TCB style series would be allot easier to get a 5 to 8 million budget to produce. Plus I'm real and my bike is real, and anyone can see me in my old biker movies. Now, that's credibility! It would be a fun series to shoot, but I would do more road shots, and I would have my bike be in as many scenes as possible. Whether its in the background, or you can just see a small part of it, the bike is the co-star. Is the bike that important, like it has its own personality? You can answer that one. If your interested in seein' my bike, I open Angels:Hard As They Come with some good road shots of just me on my scooter.

What I was emailing you about was getting a copy of #2. Just to relive that episode after 39 years is a story in itself.

Dirt

Jim,

I am a retired 62 year-old. Just for grins, I Googled "Then Came Bronson" to find your web site. I've had a bike all my life and think of several of the Bronson episodes now and then... chipping mortar off bricks for food $; kicking a dent in the door of a vehicle that cut him off (How many times has every biker been cut off and wanted to do that!). I've never seen a re-run. I had my Bronson adventure, but did mine in a very old truck with two buddies in 1972. We traveled around the US, Canada, and Mexico for 9 months. I was inspired by the Bronson episodes.

Russ

Jim,

Thanks for your reply. Today there are so many elaborate scams going on that you never really know if you're not being suckered into one. With your website and your mailing address being a "service one" I thought I'd take the chance.

After I saw your website, I checked around at the video rental and sales places to see if I could find Then Came Bronson, but Noooooooo. (as John Balushi used to say.) So you are offering a very unique service. There are very few movies worth watching about motorcycles. Too bad I don't know how to write a script. Back in 1992, I bought my son a Kawasaki 440 Ltd. which was in perfect condition (after a tune up and some elbow grease). He came down for a 2 month visit after I hadn't seen him for 14 years. I had a 1985 Goldwing Aspencade. So I had to teach him to ride and drive a car so he could get his license and ride his motorcycle back up to Edmonton, Canada. We had a great time riding all over the Northwest seeing the Oregon coast, Mt. St. Helens, Mt.Rainer, the Columbia River Gorge,and the National Forests. We took lots of pictures and made lots of great memories. He got to know who his ole' Dad was or is. I wish someone would make a movie like that. But that might be too wholesome for today. Hallmark Card would have to make the movie for TV.

For many of us guys who ride, the next best thing to riding is watching a movie about motorcycles. I did see the story about the Bronson's look alike bike. It was very interesting. Oh, and thanks for playing the good ole' Then Came Bronson theme song. Every time I click on your website, my crew here in the control room gets to hear it. I work at Norpac owned by Weyerhaeuser and Jujo of Japan. We make newsprint and have several ships that go back and forth to Japan taking our paper over there.

The Bronson movies will be my Christmas and birthday presents from my wife this year. I'll be watching the mail or UPS. I haven't been this excited about watching the mail since I was waiting for my Lone Ranger silver bullet, mask and official club member certificate. Thanks.

Jim

Jim

It's nice to hear from another Then Came Bronson fan! I'm 53 years old and I have never forgot that TV show. I've since made my wife and two kids Then Came Bronson fans as well! Two years ago I saw a 1968 Sportster on Ebay and bought it. The bikes for the TV show were 1969 models. It is possible that the bikes for the movie pilot were 1968 models but they could have been 1969s as well, when I asked Bud Ekins could not remember. I suppose it does not matter because other than a starter relay and gas tank stickers, there were no differences.

My bike needed a complete restoration, everything except the transmission and lower end has been redone. I tracked down the man (Jerry) that did the painting of the bikes for the show and I had some fun talking to him about his memories. I am pretty sure I got the details right on my Bronson replica. I do admit that I made the sissy bar mounting stronger and I used a replica tail light that looks a bit better than the original. I guess I am most proud of the sissy bar because I bent it myself. My bike really runs nice, it is fun and looks great. But, it is an old Sportster after all so it is best not to be in a big hurry!

Peter

Jim

This has been so cool to read about your experiences with the series. I was in high school when the series was on and I only missed one episode only because it was Thanksgiving week and I had to play basketball on Wednesday night instead. Bronson has always been my hero and it has been my dream to just cruise.

Verlyn

Jim

OMG! I love Then Came Bronson. I was 9 years old when I first saw the show, I have loved it ever since! I have been looking for the model kit of your bike. I can't remember who produced it and no one I talk to remembers it.

Don

Jim

I found your website from the comments you made on www. IMBD .com, I was too young to watch the show when it originally aired, but it immediately went into re-runs on our local station in Portland. I used to watch it in the afternoons, right before dinner was ready and my dad got home from work from 4 - 5pm. I was hooked!! It was my favorite show to watch after school everyday. I was too young for Then Came Bronson, but I have read and heard about it via the internet, and of course saw Michael Parks in the Kill Bill movies. Rumor has it this was another great show along with the Mod Squad. I am a Harley rider myself...what a great theme for a show from that era.

Anyway, enjoyed your website. Nice job!

Chris

Jim

I belong to a metric V-twin national site. We all ride Honda VTX's either 1800cc or 1300cc. We recently had a post ask what got us into motorcycling. I'm one of the "older" people and I ride a 1300 accessorized out as a bagger. I'm just too old to ride a Sportster. But the post made me realize that Then Came Bronson was why I started riding way back in the late 60's. The song at the end of the show was the best biker-road song ever. I, like millions of others, was the guy in the station wagon wishing he could be Bronson. I never was able to be a Bronson but now that I'm retired and still ride, the old feelings of the freedom of the highway are back. I am old guy on the left in the photo.

Thank you for the TCB website.

P.S. Greg’s TCB bike replica is amazing!