I
n her excellent book The Twi-
light of Democracy: The Seduc-
tive Lure of Authoritarianism
Anne Applebaum touches briefly
on the differences between
"reflective nostalgics" and "re-
storative nostalgics." Applebaum
writes that "Both miss the past
and dream about the past. Some
of them study the past and even
mourn the past, especially their
own personal past."
The main difference, she
writes, is that those in the camp
of reflective nostalgics know
the difference between simply
reminiscing about the past and
actually attempting to relive it.
Advancing years may bring
fading eyesight, but they also
impart peaceful hindsight;
the reflective nostalgic knows
that what once was, probably
shouldn't be again.
Then, there are the restorative
nostalgics, the folks who can't
just simply look back, pause, re-
flect and move forward. Instead,
they build monuments, both
literally and figuratively, to the
things and the ideas of the days
of yore. As Applebaum states,
"They want the cartoon version
of history, and more importantly,
they want to live in it, right now."
In our motorcycle world, there
are both reflective and restorative
nostalgics. When the reflective
nostalgic sees a photo of, say, a
classic old BSA Victor, he smiles,
pauses to share a short tale of
his own painful history with the
bike, and that is the end. He turns
back to the modern day, where
electronic riding aids abound on
his 21st-century cycle.
The restorative nostalgic? He
is already back in 1973, scouring
the Marketplace ads for a clean,
old Victor in need of a warm bath
and a new home. Buoyed by
terms like "ran when parked" and
"just needs a new wiring harness,"
the restorative nostalgic will
saddle himself with a project that
when (if) completed, will remind
him that those who do not learn
from the past will soon receive a
night ride visit from Lucas him
-
CNIIARCHIVES
P142
BY KENT TAYLOR
1974 Norton 850
Commando Interstate
& H-D XL 1000
TO
RESTORE
OR NOT TO
RESTORE
CN tester lifts
the front wheel
of the 1974
Harley-Davidson
XL 1000 during
a test ride. The
sportster had
an electric start
and a new-
for-'74 throttle-
return spring.
