All of these photos were snapped at a field meet just outside East St. Louis, Illinois in the spring of 1971.

This sandal-clad gentleman's Harley Panhead was a clean example of the style of chopper popular during this period. Unsprung solo seat and pillion pad conspired with the total lack of suspension at the rear to deliver considerable discomfort if long rides were undertaken. I remember one lady who would actually bring a small pillow to protect her derriere from such a "seat." This bike appears to have a stock carburetor, which was by far the rule. Also note the apparent total lack of any muffling device. Enforcement of the muffler laws was spotty. Those short pipes were practically guaranteed to produce the most offensive racket if the engine got anywhere above an idle. The handlebars and relatively conservative sissy bar reflect the Chi-town influence. The traditional extended Harley springer front fork was the more expensive but classier alternative to the aftermarket springers which flooded the market at that time. All extended springers were invariably fully chromed.

The bike below was called "World Traveler." Its rider covered hundreds of miles to attend these Sunday afternoon gatherings, vying for recognition as "Longest Distance Rider." Starting out as a standard Harley Panhead as did the machine above, this bike has been taken to the other extreme, with what seems like an almost obscene number of lights, chrome balls and other trim and do-dads. World Traveler went on to sprout far more accessories, qualifying it as a true "garbage wagon." Bikes with the most outrageous ornamentation would often roll away with the award of "Best Dressed Big Bike." Even moderate lean angles were obviously not in order. To the left is the late Lee Haynie's Harley FX Super Glide. Lee often MC'd these events, spinning records and letting forth with a flow of good natured banter over the PA. Lee bought a first year FX, the original factory chopper, if you don't count the low production BSA Hurricane. The inaugeral FX featured a white paint scheme and the unique but much-criticized boat-tailed seat. Owners who ditched that seat are probably crying now, since they have become prized collector's items. The original FX like this one was kick-start only, a fact which eventually led Lee to trade his in on an XLH Sportster with its electric foot. A nice enough machine, but AMF Harley Davidson's quality at the time was nothing to write home about. The "trap door" in the XLH's transmission came loose, and Lee had to contract John Wallace and me to put it right.