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Then Came Bronson

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thencamedonson

thencamedonson

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Joined
Jan 16, 2012
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Location
Texas
First Name
Don
Last Name
Collins
Several years ago, I was fortunate to meet Birney Jarvis. Birney was the prototype for Jim Bronson, in the movie and TV series, that launched Me into a life-long motorcycle addiction. Birney is a former newpaper Reporter (as in the movie/series) blue water sailor, Martial Arts Master, golden Gloves Boxer, Ranconteur, adventurer, and....The list goes on. He was also Co-founder of the San Francisco chapter of the Hells Angels.
That was a long, long time ago. As Birney told Me, more than once, "We werent bad Guys, We just wanted to ride Our bikes, drink beer, and chase Girls".
Fast forward from the 50's to 2010. Birney asked Me to build Him a loose replica of the TV/movie bike. I had an old Ironhead that I had no plans for ,so I got to work. Birney asked Me to omit the sissy bar, as He had a little trouble swinging a leg over it. The real Bronson (Birney) bike had no sissy bar, so Birney didnt care for it anyway. Birney and His Lovely Bride, Joyce, came to My house in Canyon, Texas to hang out and pick up His bike. I built the bike from left over parts and pieces, the front fender is a cut-down Honda 550. Total build cost for the loose replica was about $2600. He loved it! I am the old Guy on the left, Birney is the Old Guy on the right.
902218429_RLCbU-L-1.jpg
 
A couple days after this photo, We left for Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to celebrate the 41st Anniversary of the Movie debut. Birney and Joyce traveled in their motor home, and I followed a couple days later on My 06 Electra Glide.
While Birney was here both of the local newspapers came over to meet and greet this fascinating Gentleman. Our local paper focused more on the aspect of Me meeting a childhood "Hero". Bear in mind that from 1970 to 2009, neither I, not My "Bronsonite" Friends even knew that Birney existed, and thought the TV show and Movie were purely fictional!
RealBronson1.jpg
 
I will do a separate thread in the travel section on Our Bronson Anniversary Trip, one of three big get togethers We have had. Er, four, actually, I was unable to attend last year. This summer, Our annual get together will be at the National Motorcycle Museum, in Animosa Iowa, where We will be Guests of J&P Cycles. One of Our Members, Bill Weder, has loaned His Bronson replica to the Museum for one year, where it is now on display.
 
The Amarillo Globe News also did a very nice article about Birney's visit.
Not sure who is more photogenic, Birney, or Me.....:doh:
TCJarvis_1.jpg
 
Almost as big a thrill for Me as meeting Birney...My replica bike was featured in the Sept/Oct 2010 issue of MOTORCYCLE CLASSICS magazine. Story by Dave Howe, and photos by none other than Daniel Peirce, one of the finest Photographers in the business.
motorcycleclassics009.jpg


motorcycleclassics010.jpg


motorcycleclassics014.jpg

Here is a young and dapper Birney, with His Golden Gloves belt buckle!

motorcycleclassics012.jpg
 
Not to burn anybody out, but there is more.....Much more, at www.jimbronson.com Go to BRONSON's GARAGE and click on BIRNEY, then, Photo Albums, Pilot Movie. You can also click on DON's Bike and see some of My projects. I hope You enjoy it!

BTW, there is a very direct connection between THEN CAME BRONSON and the original STAR TREK series. I will let You find that, yourself.....
 
Thank you for this thread! I am a BIG Bronson fan and know of the gentleman you built the replica for. I use to BEG my dad to let me stay up and watch it on NBC at 1000pm on Thursdays. I was nine. They only made 26 episodes. I always liked the ones where they looked at the day-to-day problems of life, growing old, wanting to move out of rural America and the people there depended on you(focused on a small town nurse). They just had some great shows. They filmed it all over the country.

Didn't Jim Bronson like "change" but not surprises?!

See you on the "Long Lonesome Highway"...

http://m.youtube.com/watch?gl=CA&hl=en&client=mv-rim&rl=yes&v=PYKQ3fwNb0c
 
Bronson: "I just want to see things....

I just want to discover.....

Suprises, I like suprises."
 
Okay, we've got TWO threads going on this? Okay with me. Hey, I was remembering that in one of the episodes, he entered a hillclimb and, if he didn't win, at least made it to the top. Pretty sure he didn't do that on a Sportster with street tires. Seems like at the time, one of my college friends figured out what bike was used in that scene. By any chance, does anybody know?
 
That's a pretty cool 'project'.

So what is the history of the original bike(s) used in the series? Scrapped, wrecked, in someone's collection?





.
 
tshelfer said:
Okay, we've got TWO threads going on this? Okay with me. Hey, I was remembering that in one of the episodes, he entered a hillclimb and, if he didn't win, at least made it to the top. Pretty sure he didn't do that on a Sportster with street tires. Seems like at the time, one of my college friends figured out what bike was used in that scene. By any chance, does anybody know?
Click to expand...

Interesting timing here. Our Bronson group has been trying to find out for several years, what happened to the original bikes.
Just YESTERDAY , Billy got an e-mail back from Dave Ekins, Bud Ekins brother. If You dont know who Bud Ekins is, what are you doing here ?:eek2:
I wont quote directly, until Billy says OK, but Dave said that Bud commissioned Him and Jack Krizman to build two Sportsters, and two H-D 350's for the road shots, and the stunt scenes. The hillclimb bike was a CZ 250, which was Buds personal bike. Co-incidentally, in the hillclimb sequence, Bronson and Bonnie ride under a Banner that says Welcome, AMARILLO LONGHORNS ANNUAL HILLCLIMB. What a hoot, I am in Amarillo, and there are no hills/mountains around here, like shown in the scene.:rider: Birney actually had that banner until a few years ago, when his house was flooded by Hurricane Ivan, and He lost most of His Bronson movie souvenirs.:doh:
 
Dave Ekins said that He doesnt know what happened to any of the original bikes. Last year, I talked to Buddy Stubbs, stunt Man on TCB and stunt coordinatoer for ELECTRA GLIDE IN BLUE. He didnt know what happened to any of them either. He said most of the Guys who know are dead now. Michael Parks has been very quiet about the show, although We have talked to Him a couple times on THE TWO WHEEL POWER HOUR about the show, and He looked at our Website, www.jimbronson.com. We hope to get Michael to show up for one of Our gatherings on of these days.
 
thencamedonson said:
I am in Amarillo, and there are no hills/mountains around here, like shown in the scene.:rider:
Click to expand...

Could have been worse - could have been Lubbock. :rofl:

Ah, the HD 350. One of those leaky Italian-built things? I took my USAREUR motorcycle driving test on one of those in Germany in 1976.
 
Last edited:
I think they used the CZ in the beach shots and the jump from the sand dune. The hillclib scene is from the pilot. Bronson makes it to the top, wins some cash, and buys Bonnie B.(Temple Brooks character) a blue dress.

I've often wondered why Michael Parks has been quiet about the series. I think he rides. Perhaps, the series didn't impact him as an actor the way it did many of its viewers and fans. It might have been just a job for him.

Is the series available on DVD?

Bronson to Bonnie in the brickyard, "You don't work, you don't eat."
 
kojack06 said:
I think they used the CZ in the beach shots and the jump from the sand dune. The hillclib scene is from the pilot. Bronson makes it to the top, wins some cash, and buys Bonnie B.(Temple Brooks character) a blue dress.

I've often wondered why Michael Parks has been quiet about the series. I think he rides. Perhaps, the series didn't impact him as an actor the way it did many of its viewers and fans. It might have been just a job for him.

Is the series available on DVD?

Bronson to Bonnie in the brickyard, "You don't work, you don't eat."
Click to expand...

The Pilot movie was re-released last year, it has been remastered and all that, whatever they do to 40 year old movies. The sound and colors are excellent, and there is a small beach scene that was not included in the American release (brief Bonnie topal nudity) , although at that point I always avert My eyes.:eek2:
 
Is it released under the same title? I looked on Netflix today & they don't have it.
 
I've got the complete pilot and all episodes on both DVD and VHS. I still love watching them!
 
tshelfer said:
Is it released under the same title? I looked on Netflix today & they don't have it.
Click to expand...

I ordered it from Amazon, no problem. The series of 26 episodes was avaialble online, but I think it has been pulled.
 
tshelfer said:
Could have been worse - could have been Lubbock. :rofl:

Ah, the HD 350. One of those leaky Italian-built things? I took my USAREUR motorcycle driving test on one of those in Germany in 1976.
Click to expand...

My Friend, Bronsonite Billy Gibson is the Man when it comes to All Things Bronson. Here is the Sprint 350 replica stunt bike He built, at Bixby Creek Bridge for the 40th anniversary of TCB Pilot. Billy built the oil bag, fake pipes, sissy bar, chain gaurd, and, well, basically almost the whole bike.

P1010299-1.jpg
 
Here is Me and Billy having a blast , 40 years to the day, at Bixby Creek Bridge. I am the one without a helmet.....I also had a fake lisence plate, no registration and no inspection sticker. Oh, and the bike was not in My name (at that time). I blame it on Birney!

[ame="http://youtu.be/cNTbkqkezno"]14 The Bixby Creek Bridge South Cut - YouTube[/ame]
 
Here is Our dispaly set up at Mountainfest, in Morgantown, WV. The first bike, next to the station wagon, is mine. Contrary to popular belief the Dummy on the bike is NOT Me. Most of the memorabilia on display belongs to Billy Gibson.

http://youtu.be/dBpvJZVI0-0
 
Great thread! Thanks for posting it. I remember watching TCB when I was a kid in junior school. My step-dad hated the show so besides my loving motorcycles, that was proabably a reason I liked it :lol2:

The H-D you built Birney is awesome, thanks for posing the pic.
 
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