Jim Bronson may have been a fictional character, but the bike was real. To anyone who remembers the show from 1969 or to me anyway, that motorcycle became the "Standard" by which all other bikes were measured. In September 2001, one week after 9/11, I went to Colorado and purchased a Bronson Bike from a friend named Don. My name is Bill, and this is my story with the pictures of the 1,100 mile ride home, �Bronson Style�. Wednesday, September 19th, was departure day and I was up before dawn to load everything onto the bike.

I had practiced strapping everything on my Sportster back home and also brought along tools that I knew I might need. About � of a mile into the trip I stopped to look back on Eldorado Springs, Colorado where I had stayed with friends. I was 14 when the program aired on TV. After the show ended in 1970, at 16, I had saved enough for a brand new 125cc Harley-Davidson Rapido. Like many, I vowed to one day own a Sportster when I was "big" enough and could afford one.

The view over the handle bars of the Long Lonesome Highway out of Denver. The day was clean and crisp, I felt like I was Jim Bronson, the sun felt like a spotlight. I pulled up my jacket zipper, released the clutch and slowed tacked up though the gears. In 1975 I did buy and AMF Sportster in a crate from a guy who had bought it as water damage goods out of Tennessee. It was brand new, I still have that bike as well as my replica in these pictures. Heading down the road the bike started backfiring and it got worse as it warmed up.

Just off the interstate highway as I rolled towards Kansas, I stopped to look back on Denver. I had been looking on eBay and all the Bronson stuff for sale! Not long after that, Don�s replica of a real 1974 Sportster showed up located in Boulder, CO, and I just HAD to have it! A friend had just move out there and went to check it out for me. It was spooky seeing the Bronson Replica for the first time. It looked abandoned and I felt like I was looking at Jim's bike after being parked for 30 years.

Lightening my load by mailing things home from this little post office in XXXXXX. The bike looked original but needed mechanical attention. It started easily but ran extremely rough, backfired a lot and really went through the gas. This was a 1974 the last of the right shift bikes. I had C.J.'s Hog Shop in Denver look it over since the Denver Harley Dealer could not work on anything older than 10 years old. After going through it and all tuned up, I stopped at a gas station along the way to fill up. A little gas got on the tank and it ate the paint right off! Oh well, it was way too orange anyway.

Leaving colorful Colorado, looking back towards Denver on Rt. 36. I had found two green duffel bags that resembled the ones used in the TV series and brought them from home and the only piece of clothing I had that matched what Bronson wore was a watch cap that I found in a surplus store in Boulder. It was a nice surprise when I found it since I was not looking for one. With an extra change of cloths, sleeping bag, tent, a coffee pot (like Bronson), I headed out into Denver's morning rush hour traffic.

Heading down I-70 going east out of Denver I was glad to be leaving the rat race behind and looking forward to getting onto Rt. 36 which is a two lane road that runs east straight as an arrow. The welcome to Kansas sign, looking east on Rt. 36 one of the many Long Lonesome Highway signs. In cities and towns I found myself sitting at red lights next to tired looking commuters just like in the opening scene of the show, wondering how many of them were old enough to remember the show.

Bill is the bike's owner, for information on his bike...