‘STONE’ The Australian bikie movie from the seventies

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hi all,
I posted this on another thread regarding performance enhancement but I thought it might be of interest as a thread on it’s own
it refers to a movie called Stone, about a bikie group and some murders set in Sydney probably about 1973.
it was rather prescient as it addressed the problems of Vietnam veterans returning to civilian life after the conflict.
It is a great movie and captures the thrill of riding fast bikes. Very different from Easy Rider, more gritty and much better riding. It helped nurture my love of bikes.
When it came out I was too young to get in and see it as it was R rated. Eventually I was able to sneak in to a theatre, I just loved it. It was an anthem to us. As a Northern Suburb Sydney boy I could recognise all the locations and when I somehow managed to buy a Yamaha TX 500 at 16 and 9 months (L Plate age), complete with custom paint and bikini fairing I was right there in my mind, through the bends of River Rd where many scenes were filmed.
Many rears later, perhaps the early 2000s, the producer of Stone visited our town (Bombala) to give a talk about the making of the movie and a special showing on the antique carbon arc projector equipment. The story of how it was made, the cat and mouse battle with the police who were trying to prevent the street scenes were unbelievable. The riders (A graders from Willoughby Motor Cycle Club) had large 16mm movie cameras strapped to their helmet. The first time this had ever been attempted.
Also amazing was Kawasaki Australia’s unbelievable generosity and faith in the production in giving them unlimited access to brand new Kawasaki Z900 motorcycles. And they wrecked a few! It absolutely put that fine bike on the map in Australia
Of course the big road race between the policeman (Stone) on his Commando and the aboriginal bikie on a 900 was the highlight of the movie for me (barracking for the Norton of course) . At the last minute the Norton crashes and the Kwacker wins.
At the special showing the producer mentioned the possibility of a sequel (it never occurred) and tongue in cheek I asked him if he would get the riding scenes correct in the next movie. He asked what I meant and I quipped that the Norton should have won, with a wink.
As a total coincidence, last weekend I was up in Sydney and visited the old abandoned fortifications on Sydney’s magnificent harbour foreshore that provided the set for the Gravedigger’s (ex army bikie group as Australian troops are referred to as ‘diggers’)
A great movie!
al
 
hi all,
I posted this on another thread regarding performance enhancement but I thought it might be of interest as a thread on it’s own
it refers to a movie called Stone, about a bikie group and some murders set in Sydney probably about 1973.
it was rather prescient as it addressed the problems of Vietnam veterans returning to civilian life after the conflict.
It is a great movie and captures the thrill of riding fast bikes. Very different from Easy Rider, more gritty and much better riding. It helped nurture my love of bikes.
When it came out I was too young to get in and see it as it was R rated. Eventually I was able to sneak in to a theatre, I just loved it. It was an anthem to us. As a Northern Suburb Sydney boy I could recognise all the locations and when I somehow managed to buy a Yamaha TX 500 at 16 and 9 months (L Plate age), complete with custom paint and bikini fairing I was right there in my mind, through the bends of River Rd where many scenes were filmed.
Many rears later, perhaps the early 2000s, the producer of Stone visited our town (Bombala) to give a talk about the making of the movie and a special showing on the antique carbon arc projector equipment. The story of how it was made, the cat and mouse battle with the police who were trying to prevent the street scenes were unbelievable. The riders (A graders from Willoughby Motor Cycle Club) had large 16mm movie cameras strapped to their helmet. The first time this had ever been attempted.
Also amazing was Kawasaki Australia’s unbelievable generosity and faith in the production in giving them unlimited access to brand new Kawasaki Z900 motorcycles. And they wrecked a few! It absolutely put that fine bike on the map in Australia
Of course the big road race between the policeman (Stone) on his Commando and the aboriginal bikie on a 900 was the highlight of the movie for me (barracking for the Norton of course) . At the last minute the Norton crashes and the Kwacker wins.
At the special showing the producer mentioned the possibility of a sequel (it never occurred) and tongue in cheek I asked him if he would get the riding scenes correct in the next movie. He asked what I meant and I quipped that the Norton should have won, with a wink.
As a total coincidence, last weekend I was up in Sydney and visited the old abandoned fortifications on Sydney’s magnificent harbour foreshore that provided the set for the Gravedigger’s (ex army bikie group as Australian troops are referred to as ‘diggers’)
A great movie!
al
That Norton was quick off the mark and dropped wheelies because IIRC the gearbox sprocket had been changed to a 17 T,not sure what that came from , maybe from a P11 or G15 . Also if you remember in the movie the bike had a great mechanic,Garry McDonald ,aka Norman Gunston....joke !!
 
I went to the Easter races at Bathurst a few times during the 1960s, New South Wales was different to Victoria - we never got into punch-ups with the police in Victoria. In Bathurst at Easter, you could get locked-up and your money taken, for looking sideways at a cop.

 
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Vietnam veterans were in the middle to late 1970s and later The war ended in 1974. Some vets ride motorcycles, but they are probably not usually patch-gang members. The patch-gang members these days are younger. I am 80, the guys who went to Vietnam would now be 75.
 
Hi all,
In the late seventies I used to make the pilgrimage up to Bathurst for the Easter Races with the old British Bike Club.
Our club meetings were in the car park of the celubriuos High Flyer Hotel next to Bankstown Airport.
Although we were always camped on the mountain, I didn’t see too much of the supposed bad behaviour that were described as riots by the police and press. The police were very antagonistic and did nothing to minimise the friction between themselves and the crowd. Although a young and rather law abiding teenager, I remember being ’shaken down’ by the police at a road block out of Bathurst and booked for the most ridiculous infringement (not wearing a helmet that was clearly on my head. He said that being mat black he couldn’t see it and his sergeant was only a few yards way, would I like it if he went and got him for an opinion? No thank you)
I witnessed the fatal crash of Ron Toombs that was both sickening and tragic.
Fortunately I just missed attending the Viking Hotel Swap Meet hosted by the British Bike Club where the terrible mass shootings occurred.
old memories
al
 
The so-called bad behaviour on the mountain at Bathurst was more about having fun than being naughty. The cops were worse than the bikies. They all enjoyed themselves trading punxhes.
I never raced at Bathurst. It was too serious for me. I was talking to Ron Toombs minutes before he was killed. You did not need to go wrong anywhere. These days it is ten times worse and bikes don't race there.
 
Watched the movie Stone last night. It was a fun!
Not a lot of Commando content, but compared to some really bad biker movies we have all seen, it held up pretty well.
I found two versions of the movie available free on line: One on Daily Motion, which is missing the ending and credits.
The other version on Youtube is complete, found here:
 
Loved that film!
'When you're riding a. Really. Big. Bike.' proper quotable quote if ever there was one ;)
A local XS650 owner refused to believe the Commando was genuinely pulling wheelies in the film...

My sister-in-law in SA recently got a couple of pups that look a lot like Ridgebacks, but she didn't like my suggestion of calling one toecutter...
 
Loved that film!
'When you're riding a. Really. Big. Bike.' proper quotable quote if ever there was one ;)
A local XS650 owner refused to believe the Commando was genuinely pulling wheelies in the film...

My sister-in-law in SA recently got a couple of pups that look a lot like Ridgebacks, but she didn't like my suggestion of calling one toecutter...
I liked the bit when they buried the bloke standing up in the road!!! "So you don't have to take any shit laying down when you meet your maker" or something like that
It's years since I saw that film
I remember reading in one of the comics (probably bike magazine or superbike) that the film makers asked permission to close the streets for the z1 /commando race and were told to just go ahead and film it!!
Don't know if that was true but it wouldn't happen these days
 
Loved that film!
'When you're riding a. Really. Big. Bike.' proper quotable quote if ever there was one ;)
A local XS650 owner refused to believe the Commando was genuinely pulling wheelies in the film...

My sister-in-law in SA recently got a couple of pups that look a lot like Ridgebacks, but she didn't like my suggestion of calling one toecutter...
I rebuilt and de tuned a mates combat for him
I put a 1mm plate under the barrel ,longer push rods and I fitted a single mikuni from a t500 Suzuki
Once re jetted that bike was a wheelie machine !!
I don't know what gearing it had but it always got very light on the front end when you pulled away
 
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