TEXARKANA, Texas -- Vintage motorcycles, including some of the now-seldom seen "mini-bikes" produced by Honda were on display in front of the Perot Theater Saturday, celebrating a screening of the motorcycle culture classic, "On Any Sunday." That film served to captivate a whole generation of motorcycle riders by showing another side to that culture, one that was less "Wild Bunch" and more family-friendly travel and adventure.
James Bramlett, market president of Farmer's Bank and Trust was the main driver behind this showing in Texarkana. He was there with the film's original screening in 1971.
"I saw it at the Oaklawn Cinema," he said. "I saw this movie, fell in love with motorcycles. I get excited talking about it still."
At age 64, he still rides with the same riding crew he assembled back then.
Donny Daniel of Texarkana, Arkansas, works for Gregg Orr, mainly managing the New Boston lot. But on his off-time, he steps away from cars and saddles up on a motorcycle.
"Beats riding a bicycle," he said. "I just love these old bikes. The experience of getting on and riding. I saw the film at Oaklawn, rode a motorcycle out to the theater, in fact. The movie is pretty accurate, describing the biking lifestyle."
Randy Rape, another member of the group and Navy veteran, also has been riding all this time. From Hooks, Texas, he also saw the film at Oaklawn Theater in Texarkana. He has had the love of biking ever since.
"I just love it," he said. "I've been riding all my life, and I own my own cycle shop, the Cycle Zone on 7th Street. And I tell you, if you have not ridden a motorcycle, you just don't know what you are missing."
Glenn Fricks, the fourth member of the group, from Texarkana, Arkansas, also saw the original release. He owned one of the Honda mini-bikes before he saw the film. And now because it is a classic, he wished he held onto it.
"I saw the joy of riding in that film," he said. "I knew that feeling before I saw the film. Love of the sport keeps me riding, which I've been doing since I was six."
("On Any Sunday" will be shown again at the Perot Theater at 2 p.m. today.)