And beast rider as far as the comment about other bikes being more superior than harleys!! i totally agree. I mean its just a name! but the good thing about the bikes is that they hold resale value good! my dad gave 19,000 for his about 7 yrs. ago and just last year on our way to the beach he was offered 18 for it!
JJ

 

My goodness, at least we all drive Ford F150's I hope. I've been around here a long time and ain't gonna join into the Metric vs HD fiasco. What I will say is, I feel like I just got stereotyped into being an arrogant, unfriendly, SOB. That is not the case at all. I ride HD because I love the styling and sound of MY motorcycle. I ride often. I buy HD T'shirts from dealers wherever my travels take me. I even have a few HD trinkets lying around. I even have a sticker on my window..
I own a HD not because I am trying to impress you, but because I choose to own one. I never preach to anyone that unless you own a HD, you are not a biker. I wave at all bikers when it is safe to do so. My bike cranks every time. It doesn't leave puddle's, but if it did, it's ok. Then I will have something to tinker with over the weekend. It has seen many rallies. It has seen many miles. Hell, it has seen many trailered miles because it sucks to carry a wife and a weeks worth of clothes on a bike. After riding metric crotch rocket for 4 years, I did feel that my HD was under powered. Some money and time took care of that. I certainly did not do that so I can race every biker I see. I did it so I can get out of some cagers way that doesn't take time to notice me.
Now, if I came across anyone of you people that needed my assitance, I would not hesitate to help you out. As such, if I was laying in the road and needed your help, I sure hope I can count on YOU even if I am a 'HARLEY' owner!
If you hate me because I buckled down and payed for a HD, I am truly sorry. I certainly never have judged you for what you like enough in life to purchase.

Keith

PS, come over to my Motorcycle forums sometime. I think you will be suprised to know that we are all about bikes, not what you ride.

http://www.motorcyclecity.com/cgi-bin/StreetTalk/Bar.pl

 

HarleyRider, I hope we get to do a ride sometime together. Riders is riders. My basic rules

a) if you are friendly and like to ride, let's ride and be friends.
b) folks who make fun of my ride (or yours) seem to forget that as men, we get to choose what works for us.
c) ditto for the folks that call me a trailer queen for hauling my bike. It's my life, my money my choice. Like you, a trailer makes great sense under some circumstances.
d) I'm all for good natured ribbing over our bike choices... there must be _some_ reason we made the choices we did. Let's just keep the muck out of it.

There are two kinds of riders in the world IMHO. There are folks who ride for the experience, and those that ride to be seen. You sound like you do it for the experience. Maybe I'll catch you in Colorado sometime.

BeastRider

PS: I feel the same way about Chevy drivers, too. The ride does not make the man. Thank God we live in a country where we have freedom to choose.

 

ok example, man buys sportster adds $2000 worth of chrome 2 1/2 yrs later bike has just over 1000 mi. never ridden in rain or cold or cloudy or...
ah poser.

next example. man loves harley, buys harley rides every chance he gets rain,cold,cloudy, doesn't matter.
ah biker.

would we help an hd rider? last year a fellow came up here to wis. from missouri on his hd to watch the races at road america. wound up breaking his arm. needed a ride home for him and his bike, i was one of the first to volunteer my truck and trailer to give him a ride. unfortunately the track had **** poor communication and i couldn't get to him in time,someone else was closer to where he was apparently. i figure i'll always help another biker no matter what they look like or what they ride, because someday it's gonna be my turn. many times i've gone home to get the trailer to haul someones bike home.
yep my bikes get on the trailer now and then. usually when we go south, sometimes i ride it sometimes i trailer. the reason, the roads on the way down stink, just going straight down a highway is no fun. roads once i get there, that's when i want to be fresh and ready to ride. this year i'm riding down to the honda hoot, just to see how the new bike does on trips. of course the g/f will be trailering her's so the truck carries all the luggage and if i need a break the trailer is there.

 

I feel the guy does have a good point about image. I have some coworker's husbands decided they had to have an HD because of the "status symbol". I really disagree with that attitude. I love the looks of the HD's, but these can be quite large bikes and unless you have ridden before, this is not an easy thing to master right away.

I'm not saying that I am very good. I haven't ridden for about 15 years, since I sold my Honda Sabre.

Wildchild, you are correct about others telling you what you should do and how to do it. I stop into local motorcycle shops once or twice a year, just to see what is new. Like I said, I love the looks of the HD's, but if I decide too get a new bike(Just bought a Lightning, so $ is tapped out right now) I would probably look for a cruiser from Yamaha or Honda. Less money and maintenance.

Sarge

 

SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET THEIR A$$ BEAT!!! TALKING TRASH LIKE THAT. MUST BE A CHEVY OWNER!

 

Why I chose a Ford truck and a Harley-Davidson is my business and nobody elses! Yeah, I have two HD stickers on the back (slider and tailgate) and one on the windshield. I have enough t-shirts for a twice-a-day change for 2 weeks and bandanas for everyday of the week. My leather coat has an HD logo on the back and a Sportster logo on the sleeve. My desktop has an HD logo splashed across it. My toolbox in work has HD stickers on it. Am I any different then the NASCAR supporters? Last time I looked, the United States of America stood for FREEDOM, which includes CHOICE. What I spend my money on is mine, and only mine, ****ing business! Sorry if i vented, needed to say that!

 

"The Ninja could see zero to sixty in just over two seconds, it could blast down the quarter mile in just over ten seconds at a speed of almost a hundred and thirty miles an hour, "

That guy is so full of S*IT...

In his wildest dreams could his 1995 ZX6 do any of the things he describes. 110hp....I dont think so...Maybe at the crank...but I doubt it. That bike had about 85ish rear wheel HP in 1995. I own a Honda CBR XX. Ive ridden 120 hp Harleys...Ive ridden 50 hp Harleys. Ive ridden a 20 HP Rebel and a 240 hp Hayabusa. There are ignorant people who ride jap, and there are ignorant people who ride Harleys. The bottom line is this:

You ride whatever the F*CK you want and you shouldnt have to answer to anybody!!! Always be courteous to your fellow bikers, no matter what they ride. They may have to help you one day. If u want a Harley...buy one. If you want a moped...buy one. Its people like that ****** on that website that give bikers a bad rap. RIDE ON!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Wildchild.
I can't figure out if you're a hypocrite or a split personality. First you rag on a guy 'cause he doesn't ride his bike in the cold or rain, then you say you trailer your bike 'cause the road is "BUMPY"? And you're calling someone else a poser?

You were a newbie once, and I'm sure you thought you were really cool, regardless of what you were riding.

I've been riding bikes longer than I've been driving cars and in those 25 years or so I've learned NOT to ride my bike in the rain. I really like riding but I don't have a deathwish.

 

Ahhh... you are spoiled by that lovely La Mirada weather. Out here in coastal Houston, a rain suit is just about mandatory because you just never know where you are going to be when the clouds break open. But I agree... rain aint my favorite place to ride.

 

Beastrider.
Absolutely, and I've been caught in the rain a few times myself, that's how I grew to hate it. Between wet "Bott's Dots" that make up the lane lines and wet painted crosswalks I don't know which ones I fear most.

I've been to Houston, great city, lousy humidity. I'll give credit to your highway planners, that "wheel spoke" layout of your freeways with the loops around the outskirts make so much sense.

Also, I've heard a lot of praise for your winter Marathon, I'll have to try it someday.

 

INDY: i must be a hypocrite, of course i sold my last bike that was 1 year old with 10,000 mi on it, and i live in wis, where winter takes out some of our riding. that included picking it up on a day that was 33 degrees and raining harder then he11.
this bike will be ridden down to tenn. the reason i put it on the trailer sometimes is because it's boring to ride down a freeway going straight. thought that was what i said before.
hey next year we're riding out to cali. maybe you'd like to ride out here to wis and then ride back out there with us. didn't think so.
time on bikes, well i started in dirt when i was 6, street at 15, now i'm 35. been doin' it awhile. you don't learn not to ride in the rain, you learn how to handle you're machine in any situation. you can't always stay home and hide.
so far this year, many folks in wis haven't even gotten their bikes out yet. mine well i'm just over 700 mi so far, yesterday morning was 39 degrees on the way to work, 22 mi. ride.
yep i'm a poser i admit it.
BTW: the guy's hd is still in the lot, i've even offered to take it home for him on a trailer, and he said no it'll be fine until the weather clears up.

BTW: i never said i liked rain, i just seem to be lucky enough to get caught alot, usually i end up with well over 1000 mi in rain every year.

 

ok had to think of how to answer the coolness question. here goes, of course i thought i looked cool, i still do. the difference is buying a jacket for protection that you think looks good versus buying a jacket that looks good and who cares about the protection.
i'm not trying to sound like a know it all or some a hole about bikes, what i meant was people who put 200 mi on in a year and then try to tell those of us who actually ride get on my nerves. there's not a single person on a cycle in the world i wouldn't ride with. i've even ridden with people on scooters a time or two.
why i trailer down south when i do, is because it gets boring riding down a freeway by yourself when the g/f is behind in the truck with a trailer. not to mention it's hard to stay together through towns like chicago. i usually end up waiting for her on the other side, so it's easier if we put both bikes on the trailer. if i have other bikes to ride with then i ride. btw: out of 4 trips south i've trailered down twice, up zero.
i don't remember raggin on anybody for trailering their bike.

 

OK Wildchild, you win. You're the REAL biker here. Obviously the fact that I don't like riding in the rain, don't ride 10k a year and bathe on a daily basis automatically disqualifies me.

As far as "staying home and hiding." I have truck, a car and a bike, if it's raining and I have to get somewhere I'm going to make the smart choice and take something with 4 wheels and a roof (if you can call me a coward I figure I can call you a fool).

"i don't remember raggin on anybody for trailering their bike."
I don't remember accusing you of it.

And as for your invitation to ride out to Wisconsin, I think I'll pass ... too bumpy.

 

what now i don't bathe? hmmm
fool huh, i'll take that. certainly been called worse.