Remembering Billy (not Bobby)

REMEMBERING BILLY (NOT BOBBY)

Oh, the slings and arrows suffered by the Franklin Mint's "Bobby the Little Biker Baby” (Letters, May). The scorn, the contempt, the shame! Fortunately for the commemorative company, amends have been made for the leather-clad infant. Indeed, the latest item to be memorialized is the Billy Bike of Easy Rider fame.

Complete with skull brakelight, the diecast Harley-Davidson Panhead ($135) is a 1/10th-scale model of the original. Despite its diminutive stature, however, this custom is no mere monument. The rakedout fork works, the sidestand kicks out, the handlebar steers, the wheels roll, and the brake pedal and shift lever pivot. It’s so good, we’ll forget all about that little Hell’s Angel wannabe...