Real Men Ride Harleys

[pj1150r]

Heres a funny story. i took a ride after work the other day.since i had skipped lunch,i had a sandwich and a bottle of water on me.I stopped at a rest stop and was eating my sandwich.Here comes a couple on a harley,all in leather,no helmets or gloves,though. He backs in next to me,revving his loud pipes the whole time . He says hi,i say hi back .She says,"nice bike,but real men ride harleys.i was gonna let it go,but i said" so you wouldnt be with him if he rode a different bike? she says" nope!" i look at him,ask him how he feels about that and if it took a harley to make him feel like a man,and if he wants a woman who likes him because of the type of bike he rides. they both turn red in the face,fires up his bike,and rides off. funny thing is,i dont think the guy would have said anything if she didnt .I wonder what the conversation between them was like later?

[SCQTT]

I have been thinking about getting one just for dating purposes. Girls hate my motorcycles. They think they look like bugs & half of them think I just stuck that logo on a "-----" BMW doesn't make motorcycles???!!!


Recently I stopped by a girls house I casually know. She saw my helmet when I was at the door and ran outside. "Show me your new bike" she said as she bounded past me. She stopped when she got about 20 feet away and said Hmmm..., That's interesting. She had seen enough.

I love how they look & love how they function. I just wish chicks dug them.

[pj1150r]

I have been thinking about getting one just for dating purposes. Girls hate my motorcycles. They think they look like bugs & half of them think I just stuck that logo on a "-----" BMW doesn't make motorcycles???!!!


Recently I stopped by a girls house I casually know. She saw my helmet when I was at the door and ran outside. "Show me your new bike" she said as she bounded past me. She stopped when she got about 20 feet away and said Hmmm..., That's interesting. She had seen enough.

I love how they look & love how they function. I just wish chicks dug them. im married so it doesnt really matter,but if was single,hmmm.Still,i would not want a woman who liked me only for my bike. I guess it would be good just to get laid though.

[BouncinBob]

I was outside the Hotel Sunday morning in St Louis after this weekend's board meeting. I was getting ready to depart when a guy with his wife got out of a Bimmer (they both had Bimmers) and came over. He had been considering the purchase of a K12RS.

He had 2 jap bikes, one for dirt, one sport bike. He also has a Harley. He said the Harley life style really did not suit him. We started talking about the K12RS, I mentioned the newer K12 series. He wasn't interested, already had his sport bike, I believe it was a CBRxxxRR. He wanted something that suited him better, and they could ride 2-up when on a trip.

He asked where everyone was from, I pointed to the bikes WI, Western MO, CO, OH, MN, IL. He really liked they all rode in that distance.

Sounded like he would be leaving the Harley behind for a Beemer soon. He had no intention of keeping the Harley.

[pj1150r]

I was outside the Hotel Sunday morning in St Louis after this weekend's board meeting. I was getting ready to depart when a guy with his wife got out of a Bimmer (they both had Bimmers) and came over. He had been considering the purchase of a K12RS.

He had 2 jap bikes, one for dirt, one sport bike. He also has a Harley. He said the Harley life style really did not suit him. We started talking about the K12RS, I mentioned the newer K12 series. He wasn't interested, already had his sport bike, I believe it was a CBRxxxRR. He wanted something that suited him better, and they could ride 2-up when on a trip.

He asked where everyone was from, I pointed to the bikes WI, Western MO, CO, OH, MN, IL. He really liked they all rode in that distance.

Sounded like he would be leaving the Harley behind for a Beemer soon. He had no intention of keeping the Harley. Bob,i see your in Mentor,what shop do you use?

[BouncinBob]

Bob,i see your in Mentor,what shop do you use?

NOT SILLS!!!!!!!

I use Cleveland, but I just buy parts and accessories. I do my own maitenance and repair. My SO has an R1150R in the garge.

Prior to the new Cleveland shop opening, I'd ride to Wooster to get my parts and buy my bikes.

Remember, Methias (sp?) was not a dealer for a long time. I've heard a rumor they are again. This rumor is a few years old now, but they always had a good reputation.

[pj1150r]

NOT SILLS!!!!!!!

I use Cleveland, but I just buy parts and accessories. I do my own maitenance and repair. My SO has an R1150R in the garge.

Prior to the new Cleveland shop opening, I'd ride to Wooster to get my parts and buy my bikes.

Remember, Methias (sp?) was not a dealer for a long time. I've heard a rumor they are again. This rumor is a few years old now, but they always had a good reputation. Mathias is back in business,i just had my 18000 service done.Really like those guys. b4 i moved to alliance,i used allseasons,good people too. Mathias seems closer to me now,but its real close.

[SheRidesABeemer]

That's a great story, I love questioning people about their cliche thinking.

My SO was on the other side of the story; I didn't want to meet him because he had a Harley. I had a match.com profile for a while. His profile kept coming up in my "good match" list. Sure he lived close to me, similar age and the elusive 6'4"...but his pictures had a Harley in them. I kept ignoring him for about 4 months...then finally the 6'4 won over his "obvious" lack of taste in bikes. His first reply back to me questioned the prudence of an HD rider dating a BMW rider. The ice was broken and we finally decided to meet when he wrote me a note on New Years day to say what a nice ride he'd had...and I replied in same. Being a Rounder was our common ground!
That was 2 years ago, we've been needling each other about bikes ever since. Or maybe it's just me that does the needling. ;)

[Rapid_Roy]

Heres a funny story. i took a ride after work the other day.since i had skipped lunch,i had a sandwich and a bottle of water on me.I stopped at a rest stop and was eating my sandwich.Here comes a couple on a harley,all in leather,no helmets or gloves,though. He backs in next to me,revving his loud pipes the whole time . He says hi,i say hi back .She says,"nice bike,but real men ride harleys.i was gonna let it go,but i said" so you wouldnt be with him if he rode a different bike? she says" nope!" i look at him,ask him how he feels about that and if it took a harley to make him feel like a man,and if he wants a woman who likes him because of the type of bike he rides. they both turn red in the face,fires up his bike,and rides off. funny thing is,i dont think the guy would have said anything if she didnt .I wonder what the conversation between them was like later?


:laugh
A guy I work with said he likes the looks he gets when he is on his HD.
That is all well and good, but is it a really great reason to buy a motorcycle?

I am from Milwaukee, and I swear that Harleys are the best looking bikes on the side of the road. (kidding)

[paulsibek]

I think they misconstrue the looks. They're not peacocks spreading their feathers in some mating ritual.

I think many looks are because of the LOUD pipes, lack of helmets etc.

Maybe its the fact that they all wear the same thing in the cause of individuality.

I was sitting with a couple of BMW buds one day at one of those road houses that attract a hundred bikes. Two harley women (wives) were sitting there talking about the new Harley catalogue and these fantastic earrings they were going to order.

Lastly, I commute 60 miles round trip everyday, much of it splitting lanes. Nearly every day there is one bike going so slow you can tell they are not able to control their bike, ride at low speeds in tight spaces, always it's a Harley.

I like the looks I get on a BMW, people who appreciate the marque, the technology, even the ones who say, "I didn't know BMW made bikes..."

[flash412]

A pal of mine rides his F650 to work most days. One day the receptionist asked him, "Why don't you have a Harley?" He thought about it for a while and answered, "Three reasons... I'm not afraid of motorcycles, I'm happy with the size of my dick, and I don't need to buy my friends."

When somebody asks me when I'm gonna get a Harley, I usually answer, "When I'm too old to ride fast, I'll get a Gold Wing. And when I'm too old to hold up a Gold Wing, THEN I'll get a Harley."

[rinty]

The impression that I have is that most of the ladies are not interested in bikes of any type, nor the guys who ride them, and quite a number of them dislike bikes.

Rinty

[SCQTT]

A pal of mine rides his F650 to work most days. One day the receptionist asked him, "Why don't you have a Harley?" He thought about it for a while and answered, "Three reasons... I'm not afraid of motorcycles, I'm happy with the size of my dick, and I don't need to buy my friends."

When somebody asks me when I'm gonna get a Harley, I usually answer, "When I'm too old to ride fast, I'll get a Gold Wing. And when I'm too old to hold up a Gold Wing, THEN I'll get a Harley."


When I go to our local (mostly HD) bike night I always tell people

"I'm going to go look at bikes I'm too young to ride & women I'm to old to ride" ;)

[mandypants]

I love how they look & love how they function. I just wish chicks dug them.

The impression that I have is that most of the ladies are not interested in bikes of any type, nor the guys who ride them, and quite a number of them dislike bikes.


I dig them!!! :wave
I have female riding buddies that dig them!!!

Maybe you're just focusing your attention on the wrong ladies! (Or maybe you need to ride a little harder to keep up!) :brow ...just kidding...

As far as most ladies not being interested in bikes; if this is true at all, there are probably some reasons for it. It takes time to get get used to the idea, especially when you weren't raised around it. It can be frustrating when you get nit picked because you aren't doing something "right" or you aren't riding hard enough to keep up with the guys you are following...especially for newer riders. If it becomes just another point of contention, why do it? It should be FUN for everyone... :bolt

:bikes , and I like the patient, informative, interesting, fun-loving, adventure-seeking, helpful, considerate guys that ride them!:hug

[aerialfilm1]

My 47 y/o sister now sits on the back of a Harley. Here new boyfriend is 50 y/o, shaved head, goatee and yep...Road King!

Sis is now a Harley expert, but can't tell a Fat Boy from a V Star. She thinks helmets are silly and the 37k miles on my RT are excessive for a motorcycle. Oh yes, 50 miles is too far to go on a bike. Did I mention she's an expert?

[jdmetzger]

If some woman thinks I'm not a "real man" for not owning brand X of something, she can take a hike; it would be obvious that she would be FAR too materialistic for me, anyhow.

This attitude has served me well, as all the women are beating a path to my door. :heh

.. of course, I know this will all change if I win the election, as being the president of the MOA gets you ALL the chicks, right? What's the average member age, you say? :doh

:lol

[OfficerImpersonator]

Gail's post is more proof that it's not what you ride - it's that you do, in fact, ride - year round if weather and conditions permit.

I ride year round. I park in the same downtown Seattle parking garage every day. Throughout the fall, winter and spring there are only five bikes that park in this particular garage - my '92 K75, a 5-10 year old R-GS, a 5-10 year old R-RS, a newer FJR, and a Honda cruiser ridden by an attractive woman who is apparently a MSF instructor.

Now that our average daily high temperatures are between 60-70 degrees, and the rain has abated for the near future, the Harleys (and to a lesser extent, Japanese sport bikes) are coming out of the wood work. Some days there will be 10 Harleys parked in the M/C parking zone in this garage.

Where were these riders October - April?

There were three days this winter when I kept the bike in the garage and rode the bus due to snow and/or ice on the roads. I'm not suggesting that everyone has to ride every day regardless of the weather, but come on - either you ride or you pose - and if you can't/won't ride because you need to add a few extra layers of clothing, I question your commitment to the activity.

If you only ride when it's warm enough to get away with the beanie helmet, the t-shirt, the leather vest, and the chaps, you're a wuss.

Would I say that to a burly Harley riders face?

Are you kidding?

I think my nose looks just fine where it is on my face.

[tessler]

If some woman thinks I'm not a "real man" for not owning brand X of something, she can take a hike; it would be obvious that she would be FAR too materialistic for me, anyhow.

This attitude has served me well, as all the women are beating a path to my door. :heh
:ha !!

Here in Gotham, no one cares about what you ride, how you ride or how you look while doing so. In fact, no one cares. Period. About anything. It's every man, woman and rat for him, her or itself. Riders, bikers, Motorcyclists or whatever you want to call them are, in this city, about as individualistic and indifferent to anything and anyone and especially any other variety of rider as can possibly be imagined (No one waves. No one. If I want waving, I'll ride to New Jersey or Westchester. Possibly South Brooklyn or Staten Island (er, scratch that last one; no one goes there)).

So, within the comforting veil of anonymity, one can feel as manly, motley, surly, burly, girly, scooterly, snotty, silly, giddy or one-percenter-ly as one likes!

I love this town :cry

:brow

[flash412]

I used to know a guy who loves motorcycles. He was a Harley rider for a couple of decades. Then, he discovered dirt bikes, and BMW airheads, and Japanese crotch rockets. He had all of them, at the same time. One evening around a campfire at TWO I asked Oz why he kept the Harley. He explained it to me. Each of his bikes has a purpose. When he wants to go fast, he takes the sprot bike. When he wants to go a long distance, he takes the BMW. When he wants to catch some air, he takes the dirt bike. And when he wants to get laid, he takes his wife for a ride on the Harley. The thing is one big vibrator that works at JUST the right frequency and amplitude. He hates riding it. But he likes getting laid. So he keeps it around.

Did you ever ride a Harley? I have, twice. Heck, I rode a Buell the week before last and the words "paint shaker" and "jackhammer" best describe the experience. It doesn't do a THING for me. (I can't say if my girlfriend would like it or not cuz she wasn't there.)

Harleys VIBRATE. That's a plus if you're riding it to get laid.
Harleys are SLOW. That's a plus if you don't want to scare a passenger.
Harleys do not handle. That's a plus if you don't want to scare a passenger.
Harleys are uncomfortable. That's a plus if you want your passenger to want a ride that isn't very long at all. (Followed by OTHER activities.)

There you have it. Harleys aren't really motorcycles anymore. Sure, they were back in the 1930's. These days, they're simply internal combustion engine powered sex toys.

Simply unplug the coil that feeds one cylinder on a BMW (twin) and you'll have pretty close to the HD experience. Well... as far as being underpowered and vibrating is concerned anyway.

[AllanCook]

When I traded in my Harley for my first Beemer, my H-D buddies kidded me that I'd never get lucky on a Beemer. Their good-good natured ribbing had been pretty much borne out over years, and I had pretty much accepted it as gospel. Then last weekend I parked outside a coffee shop and was immediately greeted by a tall, beautiful young doctor who told me she had /6 and quizzed me about my bike and the new F800s. I'll be parking there again.

[RandyB]

He should have set her off on the side of the road. Bet her outlook about BMWs would have changed when you offered her a lift.

Airheads are chick magnets for women in Bimmers. At least until I take my helmet off....

[bmdubyou]

"Airheads are chick magnets for women in Bimmers. At least until I take my helmet off...."




Awwww.....thats sad. :violin

[wsteinborn]

........
Harleys VIBRATE. That's a plus if you're riding it to get laid.
Harleys are SLOW. That's a plus if you don't want to scare a passenger.
Harleys do not handle. That's a plus if you don't want to scare a passenger.
Harleys are uncomfortable. That's a plus if you want your passenger to want a ride that isn't very long at all. (Followed by OTHER activities.)

There you have it. Harleys aren't really motorcycles anymore. .....

Really?


At 65 MPH there is no difference in the vibration of my 2006 RT and my (ex) 2005 Sportster. Except the buzzing from the Sportster would eventually cancel out (about 75 MPH).

The Sportster was slow. I never had it up over 117 MPH.

The Sportster couldn't lean as much as the RT, and it really slowed me down when doing the Dragon. But it handles normal Colorado mountain twisties just fine. :dance

Funny thing how you'll see posts on this forum telling new BMW owners to get a new seat, bar backs, etc. You see the same posts on an H-D forum. I rode my Sportster for up to 680 miles in a day. Not as comfy as the RT for sure. But not "uncomfortable".


I've never seen one bike that can do everything that any other bike can do. Each has a purpose.

Is a pickup truck and better or worse than a luxury sedan? I guess it depends what you want to do with it. Same for bikes.

I don't understand people that have to bash at everything that is different. I just like too ride. :dunno

[2bikemike]

My 47 y/o sister now sits on the back of a Harley. Here new boyfriend is 50 y/o, shaved head, goatee and yep...Road King!

Sis is now a Harley expert, but can't tell a Fat Boy from a V Star. She thinks helmets are silly and the 37k miles on my RT are excessive for a motorcycle. Oh yes, 50 miles is too far to go on a bike. Did I mention she's an expert?

Sounds familiar.:nod

[2bikemike]

I don't really dislike Harley's, in fact I like all bikes, I just hate that attitude that most H-D riders seem to have. Ya' know?

[flash412]

I don't understand people that have to bash at everything that is different. Me neither. That's why I enjoy bashing Harleys so much.

[Andy VH]

Yeah, I guess if all wanted in a bike was something I could ride 50 miles to a bar/stop, then 50 miles to a bar/stop, and 50 miles to a bar/stop (you get the idea) then I might consider a Harley. If all I wanted was some over-chromed piece of butt jewelry to bolster my self-esteem I'd buy a Harley.

I want a bike that can go the distance, go through the twisties, carry a load of passenger and gear (my R1100RS can carry FAR more than any Hog), handle adverse conditions, just handle in general, brake, accelerate, not require a "mommy watch me/farting exhaust note" to fit in, not require TONS of additional post purchase dollars to make it really perform, be reliable WHENEVER I want it, then I guess I made the right purchase of my BMW.

People I work with used to razz me, "Yuppy BMW Rider", but I countered with, "yuppies don't have the balls to ride the way I do." After a while the razzing stopped when I would ride 25 miles one way to work from early March to early December, in east central Wisconsin, rain or shine.

I don't razz others for what they ride. Anyone that feels they have to do that is really making a statement about how they really feel about themselves and how their bike choice made them a better person.

[StevieWonder]

Well, SOME ladies may like BMW's, but they ALL seem to like Harley's. IMO, it's the "bad boy" image from old 50's bike gang flicks, the Hell's Angels and other such items that generated that image that makes them attractive. A lot of women are, for good or bad, attracted to that "bad boy" stuff. They don't care that it doesn't handle particularly well and has suspect brakes. It's loud, it's oily, it's rough and it's "bad" and THAT is the attraction.

I don't ride my bike to pick up women. A lot, but not all, Harley-type women are either 50 trying to be 25 or are, sorry, a bit "skanky" ... laden with ill-fitting leather, tops that reveal as much oversize gut as the boobs they're trying to flaunt, and seem to be tattoo parlor queens (ever notice how most people never have just ONE tattoo?).

The Harley riders have a LOT of middle-aged guys trying to be the "bad boy" they never were in high school or college. The motorcycle is simply a tool to try to acquire the image, replete with bandanas, more ill-fitting leather clothes, no helmet (or skull cap version). They compete in a never-ending chroming contest but can't demonstrate even fundamental riding skills.

I've owned lots of Porsches (more than 15) ... I NEVER bought one to impress anybody but me. Ditto on the bikes. From my first Honda 350 to my first "big" bike, a Honda CB750, to my various BMW's ... I bought them because I liked them and liked riding them.

IMO, a Harley rider who thinks he's suddenly cool and suave and irresistable because he rides a Harley is like the same guy in a Porsche who grinds the gears and can't beat a 1973 Ford van through a curve ... the vehicle, whether 2 or 4 wheels, doesn't make the rider.

BTW, I'll put my sexual prowess up against any of those Harley "gods" !!! :)

[sfarson]

Really?
....

I've never seen one bike that can do everything that any other bike can do. Each has a purpose.

Is a pickup truck and better or worse than a luxury sedan? I guess it depends what you want to do with it. Same for bikes.

I don't understand people that have to bash at everything that is different. I just like too ride. :dunno

Good comments. Those bashing often reveal an uninformed close-mindeness, and they lose points versus gain in the minds of more than a few.

[GSJIHAD]

Heck, I rode a Buell the week before last and the words "paint shaker" and "jackhammer" best describe the experience. It doesn't do a THING for me. (I can't say if my girlfriend would like it or not cuz she wasn't there.)


Flash, did you get your free messenger bag for test riding a Buell? I did, great bag....not impressed with the bike....

http://www.buell.com/en_us/promos/messengerbag/index.asp

[SCQTT]

I love these threads. They remind me of why I have been a MOA member for 6 years, but have quit about 4 times.

I love motorcycles, all of them. BMWs sort of work for me, but they are seldom the best in any one category. I like them even though I will stop short of using superlatives to descibe them.

What I really hate are motorcyclists who treat their brand like a church. They have to hang out in groups and confirm and reconfirm they have all made the right choice and that everyone else is an idiot for not coming to the same conclusion.

In 25 years of motorcycling I have owned about 30 bikes. 7 of them have been BMWs and of that 7 I still own 4. So you can say I am a fan of the marque. What do I hate most about BMW? The Beemer geeks. The people who just do not get it. The guy that will "low wave" me when I am on a Japanese bike only to break his arm to wave at me when I am on a BMW. (sometimes I will even get followed by a BMW guy to find out what brand of air I put in my tires)

I guess it is just human nature. As the world gets smaller and smaller we lose our identity and look for ways to define ourselves. We pick certain brands to be part of a family, a clique, a tribe. The sad part is when we have to put down someone elses choice to justify or champion ours.

You know, I'll poke fun at the HD chrome poker run guy, but it's his choice, and at least he is on two wheels. There must be something to it even if I do not fully understand it. There are specific models of HD that sell more units than BMW sells of all motorcycles combined (US sales). OK I do not understand him, but to say his bike is not fast, do you think BMWs are? That his bike vibrates, and BMW do not? That his bikes are not comforatable, and BMWs are? Aren't all these things sort of subjective?

I get sick of the MOA crowd talking about brand X, like anything else is a dirty word. KTM makes some awesome machines. Their 950/990 Adventures are incredible. I perfer BMW GSs. Both have their strengths, but neither is a wrong choice. The GS works for me, but I bet I encounter situations where I would prefer the KTM. Want a pure off-road woods weapon? KTM is hard to beat, but maybe BMW will have an answer for that in the new 450.

Yamaha's R1 or R6 are killer machines. Their backroad capabilities will put my 1100s to shame, but I enjoy my bike for what it is. Some choose Yamaha, I chose BMW. I guess a lot of you would say they are wrong and I am right because blah, blah blah, but how do you know what works for me and what works for everyone else?


I like BMW a lot, but the brand is not the holy grail some of you make it out to be.

[pj1150r]

I love these threads. They remind me of why I have been a MOA member for 6 years, but have quit about 4 times.

I love motorcycles, all of them. BMWs sort of work for me, but they are seldom the best in any one category. I like them even though I will stop short of using superlatives to descibe them.

What I really hate are motorcyclists who treat their brand like a church. They have to hang out in groups and confirm and reconfirm they have all made the right choice and that everyone else is an idiot for not coming to the same conclusion.

In 25 years of motorcycling I have owned about 30 bikes. 7 of them have been BMWs and of that 7 I still own 4. So you can say I am a fan of the marque. What do I hate most about BMW? The Beemer geeks. The people who just do not get it. The guy that will "low wave" me when I am on a Japanese bike only to break his arm to wave at me when I am on a BMW. (sometimes I will even get followed by a BMW guy to find out what brand of air I put in my tires)

I guess it is just human nature. As the world gets smaller and smaller we lose our identity and look for ways to define ourselves. We pick certain brands to be part of a family, a clique, a tribe. The sad part is when we have to put down someone elses choice to justify or champion ours.

You know, I'll poke fun at the HD chrome poker run guy, but it's his choice, and at least he is on two wheels. There must be something to it even if I do not fully understand it. There are specific models of HD that sell more units than BMW sells of all motorcycles combined (US sales). OK I do not understand him, but to say his bike is not fast, do you think BMWs are? That his bike vibrates, and BMW do not? That his bikes are not comforatable, and BMWs are? Aren't all these things sort of subjective?

I get sick of the MOA crowd talking about brand X, like anything else is a dirty word. KTM makes some awesome machines. Their 950/990 Adventures are incredible. I perfer BMW GSs. Both have their strengths, but neither is a wrong choice. The GS works for me, but I bet I encounter situations where I would prefer the KTM. Want a pure off-road woods weapon? KTM is hard to beat, but maybe BMW will have an answer for that in the new 450.

Yamaha's R1 or R6 are killer machines. Their backroad capabilities will put my 1100s to shame, but I enjoy my bike for what it is. Some choose Yamaha, I chose BMW. I guess a lot of you would say they are wrong and I am right because blah, blah blah, but how do you know what works for me and what works for everyone else?


I like BMW a lot, but the brand is not the holy grail some of you make it out to be. I was not harley bashing in my original thread,just telling a story. My buddy,the guy i ride with most,rides an 07 roadglide.He will probably put more miles on it this year than i will.He is a true rider,also rides a klr.Lets not pretend the attitude i descibed doensnt exist.Do you see bmws,hondas,etc. gathered in a line outside bars? How many bmw or honda themed bars do you know of? There are plenty of riders on harleys out there,i know a few. I know twice as many posers though.

[BouncinBob]

I don't really dislike Harley's, in fact:stick I like all bikes, I just hate that attitude that most H-D seem to riders have. Ya' know?

I was at a baseball game last night with the Treasurer of our $18 billion bank. He is not the only Harley rider on the executive floor here. There are four Harley riders on this floor. One fully admits he is a poser, rarely rides the bike. Another always has a toy, considering selling the HD and getting a Vette.

The Treasurer and a VP of Finance here are REAL RIDERS. Both these guys regularly ride some distance for many reasons. The treasurer rode around 20,000 miles last year. The VP of finance did not do nearly as many, but took several trips. He has two young children and a four wheeler he goes and plays with. Under such circumstances he did some significant riding.

[Motor31]

My first bike was an old 350 Honda. I rode the heck out of it for a couple years and my girlfriend decided she really really liked it when we drove on the highway. My next bike was a Honda 500 4cylinder and the girlfriend didn't like that nearly as much. :dunno

I've never needed nor depended on a bike to get companionship. It was just something I wanted to ride for me. If the bike was needed for that I doubt I'd have much to do with the "lady".

[sjbmw]

Did you ever hear?

"Go buy a BMW" or "Why don't you have a KTM?" OR "You should get a Yamaha."
"I wouldn't date him unless he had a Honda."

BUT, on more than one occasion, I have been told to ride, or asked why I don't ride, a Harley-Davidson. By some that don't even own a bike!
This is one trait of the HD rider/fan that is unique.

Sure we all love our bikes, but to tell another what to ride?
Nothing wrong with pride like "Mine is best", but to hear "You are on the wrong bike" is not what I hear from fans of foreign brands.

I say "I can't afford one" and that changes the topic.

Gotta hand to the marketing at HD. THOSE guys KNOW what they are doing....

[SIBUD]

I love these threads. They remind me of why I have been a MOA member for 6 years, but have quit about 4 times.

I love motorcycles, all of them. BMWs sort of work for me, but they are seldom the best in any one category. I like them even though I will stop short of using superlatives to descibe them.

What I really hate are motorcyclists who treat their brand like a church. They have to hang out in groups and confirm and reconfirm they have all made the right choice and that everyone else is an idiot for not coming to the same conclusion.

In 25 years of motorcycling I have owned about 30 bikes. 7 of them have been BMWs and of that 7 I still own 4. So you can say I am a fan of the marque. What do I hate most about BMW? The Beemer geeks. The people who just do not get it. The guy that will "low wave" me when I am on a Japanese bike only to break his arm to wave at me when I am on a BMW. (sometimes I will even get followed by a BMW guy to find out what brand of air I put in my tires)

I guess it is just human nature. As the world gets smaller and smaller we lose our identity and look for ways to define ourselves. We pick certain brands to be part of a family, a clique, a tribe. The sad part is when we have to put down someone elses choice to justify or champion ours.

You know, I'll poke fun at the HD chrome poker run guy, but it's his choice, and at least he is on two wheels. There must be something to it even if I do not fully understand it. There are specific models of HD that sell more units than BMW sells of all motorcycles combined (US sales). OK I do not understand him, but to say his bike is not fast, do you think BMWs are? That his bike vibrates, and BMW do not? That his bikes are not comforatable, and BMWs are? Aren't all these things sort of subjective?

I get sick of the MOA crowd talking about brand X, like anything else is a dirty word. KTM makes some awesome machines. Their 950/990 Adventures are incredible. I perfer BMW GSs. Both have their strengths, but neither is a wrong choice. The GS works for me, but I bet I encounter situations where I would prefer the KTM. Want a pure off-road woods weapon? KTM is hard to beat, but maybe BMW will have an answer for that in the new 450.

Yamaha's R1 or R6 are killer machines. Their backroad capabilities will put my 1100s to shame, but I enjoy my bike for what it is. Some choose Yamaha, I chose BMW. I guess a lot of you would say they are wrong and I am right because blah, blah blah, but how do you know what works for me and what works for everyone else?


I like BMW a lot, but the brand is not the holy grail some of you make it out to be.

Word

[StevieWonder]

I like BMW a lot, but the brand is not the holy grail some of you make it out to be.


Heretic !!! Off with his head. :jester

[SCQTT]

I was not harley bashing in my original thread,just telling a story. My buddy,the guy i ride with most,rides an 07 roadglide.He will probably put more miles on it this year than i will.He is a true rider,also rides a klr.Lets not pretend the attitude i descibed doensnt exist.Do you see bmws,hondas,etc. gathered in a line outside bars? How many bmw or honda themed bars do you know of? There are plenty of riders on harleys out there,i know a few. I know twice as many posers though.


I was actually kind of moto-vated by Flash412 to write that. He seems to have really taken a big drink of the BMW koolaid (and then decided to piss all over HD)

Each to his own.

[paulpa]

I think they misconstrue the looks. They're not peacocks spreading their feathers in some mating ritual.

I think many looks are because of the LOUD pipes, lack of helmets etc.

Maybe its the fact that they all wear the same thing in the cause of individuality.

I was sitting with a couple of BMW buds one day at one of those road houses that attract a hundred bikes. Two harley women (wives) were sitting there talking about the new Harley catalogue and these fantastic earrings they were going to order.

Lastly, I commute 60 miles round trip everyday, much of it splitting lanes. Nearly every day there is one bike going so slow you can tell they are not able to control their bike, ride at low speeds in tight spaces, always it's a Harley.

I like the looks I get on a BMW, people who appreciate the marque, the technology, even the ones who say, "I didn't know BMW made bikes..."
i've been reading these posts and have seen just about enough stereoetyping,i'm a harley rider for 35 years and most likely have more miles than most of you guys,my bike is not loud and i were a helmet,i ride to were i'm going,i save my opinion of people to after i speak or listen to them.i've been to beemer rallies and have enjoyed most of the people i've met,i've learned that there are some posers on bmw also.i can control my bike to a t and am usually in the passing lane waitig for some idiot to pull over although at times i like cruising down the highway at 65 to 70,it depends how i feel,not the people around me,i don't own a leather jacket.there is a group i ride with that ride not bar to bar.we have a saying,,some people ride bar to bar some ride state to state,we ride coast to coast.before you make judgements about a group,get to know the individuals,just a thought.i joined the bmw owners group because i love the bikes and want to buy one,i'll keep the harley also,and because of some of the great people i've met ,but as these posts prove you can't judge a group by the actions and prejudices of a few individuals,,,,,,,paulpa as far as getting a bike to attract a female,i would get a honda 50 with big saddlebags and fill em with cash

[BouncinBob]

I was actually kind of moto-vated by Flash412 to write that. He seems to have really taken a big drink of the BMW koolaid (and then decided to piss all over HD)

Each to his own.

If you read his post, he likes to do it because it is unpopular, that seems in-character to me. It is less unpopular here.

[Bigrider]

A long time ago I picked up a used R80RT after riding Hondas for a while. At the time it was just another Motorcycle, though one that appealed to my German heritage. I got it for a good price, but I didn't consider it special until years later when I started meeting with other BMW riders where I developed a sense of community. I'm sure the Harley riders experience the same thing and that is why they develop brand loyalty just like us. It's all good, ....but that doesn't keep me from making fun of them for buying heavy, loud, beginner bikes. It's a team thing. Enjoy the banter.

Dave H
San Antonio, TX

[flash412]

I was actually kind of moto-vated by Flash412 to write that. He seems to have really taken a big drink of the BMW koolaid (and then decided to piss all over HD) Each to his own.LoL! Dude, you haven't been around long enough to watch me piss all over BMW. I'll stand up and say, "The emporer is naked!" no matter what "church" he attends.

"I'm not prejudiced. I hate everybody." -

For the Harley fanatics... Did you know that during WWII, Harley Davidsons performed so poorly in the North African desert that the US Government commissioned HD to make COPIES OF BMWs? I used to own one. It was called the 42XA. BMW never copied a Harley.

Harley Davidson "engineering" is like a mosquito stuck in amber. It hasn't changed in eons. But you can't fault Duh Motor Company. Their customers LIKE that. HD [I]tried to make a modern bike. But their customer base almost universally rejected the V-Rod.

It is unfortunate that BMW engineering is driven by the marketing and accounting departments rather than by engineers. BMW has brought out some total crap innovations like rear ends that burst into flames and explode and fuel injection systems that surge and stall. I see that as Bill Gates' fault. He taught the world that customers will PAY to beta-test defective products. BMW's problem is that they don't listen to their customers. They only fix problems when their accountants or marketeers (or lawyers) tell them to.

Oh yeah... and just for some balance, this works for both the HD crowd and a significant slice of the the sprot biker community. When something is true, it is true...

http://flash412.home.comcast.net/Pipes1.JPG

[jdmetzger]

I wonder if there are two BMW-bashing threads active at the same time, out on a HD forum somewhere? :dunno

[pj1150r]

I wonder if there are two BMW-bashing threads active at the same time, out on a HD forum somewhere? :dunno actually,i have looked.They do not seem to bash us as much as we bash them.

[paulpa]

I wonder if there are two BMW-bashing threads active at the same time, out on a HD forum somewhere? :dunno
not likely there to busy riding,really i do see more bashing from bmw riders towards harleys than the other way around paulpa by the way flash thats a cute plate frame

[erickson9502]

I have been riding HD for about 25 years. The first 5 it was fun and cool Harley were unique not very many on the road in the early 80’s. Then when HD took off with sales it seemed like everybody has one it lost that mystique it claimed to have. I still have a HD more for memories than anything else. One of the reasons I now ride BMW is because in this area they are very few and far between so I am back to why I rode a HD to begin with. Sometimes I stop at the local watering hole where the HD hang out and sometimes I almost laugh out loud at these people. To here them brag and boast about HD and how awesome they are. So get to talking about Sturgis which where I live is only around 500 miles from here. Of course they are going most of them are taking the RV and trailing them down. I hardly ever mention I have a HD also in the garage just to here them give me $hit about the BMW. The funny thing 98.9% have never kicked started a HD in 30 degree weather as I have in the past. Let them be you will always have the last laugh.

1992 K100
1989 Harley FLHTC
1998 Honda ACE Tour (wife)
1997 Suzuki Marauder (wife)
1978 Kawasaki K175
1979 Honda
And some Chinese dirt bike for the kids

[jdmetzger]

actually,i have looked.They do not seem to bash us as much as we bash them.

Exactly. I think some of us might be a bit insecure...

:hide

[pj1150r]

Exactly. I think some of us might be a bit insecure...

:hide let me say this. i dont like harleys,i just dont like the seating position ,mostly.I do not hate them though,they are just not for me.Sometimes i wish i did like them,they sit low and im short. what i do hate is loud pipes and drunken riders.Guess what bikes both of these are usually on. Am i wrong?

[jdmetzger]

let me say this. i dont like harleys,i just dont like the seating position ,mostly.I do not hate them though,they are just not for me.Sometimes i wish i did like them,they sit low and im short. what i do hate is loud pipes and drunken riders.Guess what bikes both of these are usually on. Am i wrong?

I rode a friends Harley, and I found it's not for me (at least not that model). I didn't like the forward controls and the floorboards, and the fact that it felt very heavy and slow-steering for me. That, and I'm tall enough to flat foot my /7, so I'm actually more comfortable in the "upright" position. I also feel more in control with my feet under me, instead of out in front of me. So, I have the bike I wanted. I've ridden with another HD guy; he wears full textile gear, a full-face helmet, and his bike is not annoyingly loud.

I was also at a BMW rally a few weeks back, and there was some drunk guy weaving his Airhead back to his tent in the back of a grassy field. I've also seen a guy on an Airhead in town with what sounds like after market pipes and no helmet. I think it happens both ways. Anyhow, I'm just not big on stereotyping - I've gotten enough of that just for being a "biker"; even after they find out I ride a BMW.

[paulpa]

let me say this. i dont like harleys,i just dont like the seating position ,mostly.I do not hate them though,they are just not for me.Sometimes i wish i did like them,they sit low and im short. what i do hate is loud pipes and drunken riders.Guess what bikes both of these are usually on. Am i wrong?
yes you are wrong,the drunken riders are on every type and loud pipes yamaha ,kawasaki',i think it comes down to no one wants to bash things that were iported to this country because it's not politically correct to bash something thats not american

[pj1150r]

I rode a friends Harley, and I found it's not for me (at least not that model). I didn't like the forward controls and the floorboards, and the fact that it felt very heavy and slow-steering for me. That, and I'm tall enough to flat foot my /7, so I'm actually more comfortable in the "upright" position. I also feel more in control with my feet under me, instead of out in front of me. So, I have the bike I wanted. I've ridden with another HD guy; he wears full textile gear, a full-face helmet, and his bike is not annoyingly loud.

I was also at a BMW rally a few weeks back, and there was some drunk guy weaving his Airhead back to his tent in the back of a grassy field. I've also seen a guy on an Airhead in town with what sounds like after market pipes and no helmet. I think it happens both ways. Anyhow, I'm just not big on stereotyping - I've gotten enough of that just for being a "biker"; even after they find out I ride a BMW. like i said,my best friend rides a harley,i ride with all the time,its a nice bike,stock pipes.He wears full textile too,although he did switch from a fullface to a half helmet when he bought the hd. Now hes considering going back to a ff modular. But,dont you agree its hard not to stereotype? i mean,really they do make it kind of easy. Within 10 miles of my house,there are at least 3 bars with hd themes,inside and out,with lots of them lined up out front .even my friend
on his roadglide laughs at them.we look at each other and say" Wild Hogs!

[pj1150r]

yes you are wrong,the drunken riders are on every type and loud pipes yamaha ,kawasaki',i think it comes down to no one wants to bash things that were iported to this country because it's not politically correct to bash something thats not american not the american thing again!

[paulpa]

not the american thing again!
oh yeah,the american thing.........

[henzilla]

. The funny thing 98.9% have never kicked started a HD in 30 degree weather as I have in the past. Let them be you will always have the last laugh.

This topic seems to be a constant...the bashing of others that are not like us... :fight
I bought a HD when I was 21...the few sportsbikes of the day smelled funny when running:rofl I saw the beemers, but was convinced they were grandpa's bike. I did not add anything to that bike,other than about 4 sets of tires...just rode it rain/shine for 3 years before increasing family duties made me change course for a few years...
I now own both...different reasons for each...I have been told my male appendage is VERY satisfying, so that wasn't why I bought one...I rode the crap outa all the Hondas I owned and def the Suzuki...It really smelled! And was the butt of many jokes from the Honda Snobs of the day... The "chicks" dig ME...and would pillion on anything I showed up on... The Harley brings out the rebel in any of them.. but a cute woman in a helmet and gear is just as cute as she is in her halter top... remember the original Bad News Bears and the punk kid on the dirt bike? He said the chicks dug his bike...a 90 cc orange & black model it seems... I related to that guy back then...

I spend a lot of my working hours twiddling my thumbs waiting to retire VERY soon..SO, I play here..the rest of the time I am riding something...somewhere... I respect the rights of others but try not to show any sign of ignorance ( most the time)by running my head on things I really don't know ALL the facts about:nono I rode my beemer to bike nite and parked right up cozy to the HD's...I do it to be diff and to be a :jester , but not a snob... I could ride the Harley and still I am the same :jester
GEEZ Guys!!

[henzilla]

AND BTW...forgot...I kicked started a LOT of bikes thru the years and had my ass handed to me a few times:laugh

[Red100RT]

Can anyone point me to an HD forum that has intelligent content? I mean one where they have technical discussions about their bikes and talk about where and how they ride.

[wsteinborn]

...Do you see bmws,hondas,etc. gathered in a line outside bars? How many bmw or honda themed bars do you know of?.....

We have some Sport bike bars here. No brand-specific bars that I know of.


...BMW never copied...

I have no info on that, and don't know who copies whom, or even if copying happens. Some things are coincidences, but has anyone looked at the engine on an 1917 H-D Sport Twin?

[wsteinborn]

Can anyone point me to an HD forum that has intelligent content? I mean one where they have technical discussions about their bikes and talk about where and how they ride.

XLforum.net

Some Sportster owners are insecure about riding the smallest/cheapest H-D. In fact they may bash the Big Twin H-Ds as much as they imagine the BT owners bash them. It is a weird world. (I never hear any "girlie bike" comments, myself.)

Most Sportster owners just ride.

[pj1150r]

oh yeah,the american thing......... well,they do have american frames and engines,mostly,anyways.

[paulpa]

well,they do have american frames and engines,mostly,anyways.
whats this a race to the last word?

[pj1150r]

whats this a race to the last word? seems that way,i never meant this post to be anti harley,just telling a poser story,i geuss i got a little out of hand!i have another little story,which shows my feelings a little better,and i wont mention any brand names,wanna hear it?

[paulpa]

seems that way,i never meant this post to be anti harley,just telling a poser story,i geuss i got a little out of hand!i have another little story,which shows my feelings a little better,and i wont mention any brand names,wanna hear it?
yes,it's 45 degrees out and raining and i had planned on riding to maine this weekend,but it don't look good,

[pj1150r]

yes,it's 45 degrees out and raining and i had planned on riding to maine this weekend,but it don't look good, ok,ill make it short and sweet.Me and 2 friends were in a park one day,all bikes have stock pipes.We pull in a spot beside a woman loading her 3 kids into a car.She looked pissed from the look she gave us.She told us how she was on vacation,drove a long way to get here.The park was very scenic.The woman then told us she comes here to get away from the city,but lately all you here is loud mcs going by every few minutes.As she was talking here come a group of about 10 bikes,loud pipes echoing off the canyon walls.we could not even hear her,and she got even more pissed.i told her all bikes are not loud,listen to ours.All 3 of us started ours,she was surprised.She asked why so many bikes were so loud.I said,well,i think its really a male ego thing.She then tells me mcs should be banned from all national,state,and local parks.I ask her,...even the ones that arent loud? she says yes,and slams her door and drives off. How many other people feel this way,and how long before we are banned? what type of bikes do you think they were?

[sjbmw]

ok,ill make it short and sweet.Me and 2 friends were in a park one day,all bikes have stock pipes.We pull in a spot beside a woman loading her 3 kids into a car.She looked pissed from the look she gave us.She told us how she was on vacation,drove a long way to get here.The park was very scenic.The woman then told us she comes here to get away from the city,but lately all you here is loud mcs going by every few minutes.As she was talking here come a group of about 10 bikes,loud pipes echoing off the canyon walls.we could not even hear her,and she got even more pissed.i told her all bikes are not loud,listen to ours.All 3 of us started ours,she was surprised.She asked why so many bikes were so loud.I said,well,i think its really a male ego thing.She then tells me mcs should be banned from all national,state,and local parks.I ask her,...even the ones that arent loud? she says yes,and slams her door and drives off. How many other people feel this way,and how long before we are banned? what type of bikes do you think they were?

Every issue of AMA's American Motorcyclist has tales of warfare on 2 wheeled machines of all makes and models. Off road riding is now at a flash point as politicians bow to special interests and take away public lands for off road riding.
Next year, in my state, there will no legal public place to ride a dirt bike.
The #1 complaint? NOISE.

[paulpa]

ok,ill make it short and sweet.Me and 2 friends were in a park one day,all bikes have stock pipes.We pull in a spot beside a woman loading her 3 kids into a car.She looked pissed from the look she gave us.She told us how she was on vacation,drove a long way to get here.The park was very scenic.The woman then told us she comes here to get away from the city,but lately all you here is loud mcs going by every few minutes.As she was talking here come a group of about 10 bikes,loud pipes echoing off the canyon walls.we could not even hear her,and she got even more pissed.i told her all bikes are not loud,listen to ours.All 3 of us started ours,she was surprised.She asked why so many bikes were so loud.I said,well,i think its really a male ego thing.She then tells me mcs should be banned from all national,state,and local parks.I ask her,...even the ones that arent loud? she says yes,and slams her door and drives off. How many other people feel this way,and how long before we are banned? what type of bikes do you think they were?
that's what the ama has been warning us about for years,and it is a very valid point,for all makes and models.i got passed by a honda 1800 with straight pipes that shook my fillings loose,then again i've also been passed on the highway by riders up on one wheel,,,,if i get a ticket for noise on my harley it will be for my radio being to loud,,,,,,,

[pj1150r]

that's what the ama has been warning us about for years,and it is a very valid point,for all makes and models.i got passed by a honda 1800 with straight pipes that shook my fillings loose,then again i've also been passed on the highway by riders up on one wheel,,,,if i get a ticket for noise on my harley it will be for my radio being to loud,,,,,,, ok,what is the first accessory almost every harley rider buys?

[henzilla]

yes,it's 45 degrees out and raining and i had planned on riding to maine this weekend,but it don't look good,


:stick not wanting to get the bike or you wet?:laugh

[jdmetzger]

ok,what is the first accessory almost every harley rider buys?

Leather chaps? :ha

[pj1150r]

Leather chaps? :ha you see,jd,i told you it was hard not to stereotype! too funny!!!

[wsteinborn]

ok,what is the first accessory almost every harley rider buys?

A better seat

[pj1150r]

A better seat i think most buy loud look at me pipes first,then the chaps!

[paulpa]

ok,what is the first accessory almost every harley rider buys?
my first was a six speed tranny

[Motor31]

ok,what is the first accessory almost every harley rider buys?

A cranial vacuum? :dunno :stick

All kidding aside, I believe this situation of banning motorcycles is a very valid possibility. There are many communities I drive through that have signs at the edge of town stating no exhaust brakes allowed in town. It's because of the truckers with the straight pipes causing noise as they slow down. How long do you think it will be before they start drafting more stringent laws for the even louder motorcycles?

[spiegeltuxer]

ok,what is the first accessory almost every harley rider buys?


A trailer to haul it around on??

[paulpa]

:stick not wanting to get the bike or you wet?:laugh
they told me at the shop that harleys' dont run well in the rain,something about the noise getting muffled,,,,actually i don't get out of work till four and my rides about 4 to 5 hours,so i'd rather just leave in tha am

[pj1150r]

A cranial vacuum? :dunno :stick

All kidding aside, I believe this situation of banning motorcycles is a very valid possibility. There are many communities I drive through that have signs at the edge of town stating no exhaust brakes allowed in town. It's because of the truckers with the straight pipes causing noise as they slow down. How long do you think it will be before they start drafting more stringent laws for the even louder motorcycles? in alliance,ohio,no motorcycles allowed in any city parks. i wonder why?

[flash412]

actually, i have looked.They do not seem to bash us as much as we bash them.That's because most of them don't have computers. And those who do are generally too insecure to write and post something original. Besides, nobody can HEAR it and look at them while they type on a loud keyboard (using the hunt&peck method).

(Is there winged-lemming logo keyboard available yet for $159.99?)

:dance

(I crack myself up.)

Me and my stock-pipe R75/5 got thrown out of a city park in Chagrin Falls during the Nixon administration because of all the asshat locals with their straight pipes pissing off the voters.

[StevieWonder]

just to here them

I thought this was a typo until I saw it about 10 times.

Now HEAR this, HERE and now ... :stick

[guzzi1]

I would rather be with a women who had a little more between the ears!!! I can't begin to think what the conversation would be like with some one so shallow as the Harley lady.

[pj1150r]

I would rather be with a women who had a little more between the ears!!! I can't begin to think what the conversation would be like with some one so shallow as the Harley lady. She was hot,for some guys thats all it takes.

[paulpa]

I would rather be with a women who had a little more between the ears!!! I can't begin to think what the conversation would be like with some one so shallow as the Harley lady.

us real harley riders don't use women to converse with,

[OfficerImpersonator]

ok,what is the first accessory almost every harley rider buys?

A 50 year-old tattooed bimbo with leathered skin wearing a leather halter top? I hear you can "buy" them at certain bars with offers of free beer... :bolt

[pj1150r]

us real harley riders don't use women to converse with, "confirmed bachelor",huh?

[paulpa]

"confirmed bachelor",huh?
what gave it away?

[pj1150r]

what gave it away? Your ignorance,real or pretend!

[paulpa]

Your ignorance,real or pretend!ignorance?well it's been a great time chatting with you men today,but it's time to go out and try and start the hog,then off to the bar,,hope i make it it's 2 miles away,i'll drink till they shut me off,grab me a harley bimbo and rattle some windows on the way home,have a good day folks,,,,,ignorance?please there is enough ignorance on this site already,,,see you on the road,,,,,and i have learned alot about some beemer riders thank you

[MEWAYBRIGHT]

Every issue of AMA's American Motorcyclist has tales of warfare on 2 wheeled machines of all makes and models. Off road riding is now at a flash point as politicians bow to special interests and take away public lands for off road riding.
Next year, in my state, there will no legal public place to ride a dirt bike.
The #1 complaint? NOISE.

This issue here doesn't just effect bikes, I once owned Jeeps and did a lot of 4 wheeling in a particular area... after a couple of years all the land that was open for off roading seemed to close until there was no place locally to 4 wheel. There is a movement afoot to close all public land to those that would use it with motorized vehicles.

[pj1150r]

ignorance?well it's been a great time chatting with you men today,but it's time to go out and try and start the hog,then off to the bar,,hope i make it it's 2 miles away,i'll drink till they shut me off,grab me a harley bimbo and rattle some windows on the way home,have a good day folks,,,,,ignorance?please there is enough ignorance on this site already,,,see you on the road,,,,,and i have learned alot about some beemer riders thank you like we didnt know you were trolling!!

[MEWAYBRIGHT]

A better seat

Hmmm have to disagree... my brother has a Road King and loves the seat... I have a R1200RT and hated the seat... hence I had to pay the $450 for new seats.

[pj1150r]

ignorance?well it's been a great time chatting with you men today,but it's time to go out and try and start the hog,then off to the bar,,hope i make it it's 2 miles away,i'll drink till they shut me off,grab me a harley bimbo and rattle some windows on the way home,have a good day folks,,,,,ignorance?please there is enough ignorance on this site already,,,see you on the road,,,,,and i have learned alot about some beemer riders thank you dont forget your leather panties!!

[hlothery]

The only gal I care about was perfectly happy hanging on to me on the back of my Yamaha V-star, even though we had to get an aftermarket seat, the suspension was a bear, and the floorboards scraped at the slightest lean angle. She was equally happy on the aftermarket seat of my Anniversary Road King, which has a far superior suspension, much more power, a significantly smoother ride, and never scraped a floorboard despite fairly agressive cornering on several occasions. She remains so on the aftermarket seat on my RT, which has substantially superior suspension, much better wind protection, creature comforts anyone would envy, significantly more power, and has taught us what aggresive cornering is all about. I think she likes, me...................she may like bikes, too!:heart

BTW - each manufacturer had an organization, and many of the topics of discussion for each were dominated by insecurities about the other manufacturers products, and what was superior or not. How unique!

[pcsof8]

I was in Myrtle Beach, S.C. on Buisness over the last week. It just happened to be "Bike Week". From all I could gather it was a bunch of "Bikers" riding up and down the roads with no helmets and trying to look cooler/badder than the next. Also the Bar to Bar rides were quite popular with the lot. Funniest thing was the trucks with trailers at local hotels, and the road side assistance trucks picking dead Harley's up off the side of the road.

[bubbagazoo]

"I'm not prejudiced. I hate everybody." - [I forget who said that.]



Archie Bunker. And I believe the actual quote is, "I ain't prejudiced, I have everybody equally."

[OfficerImpersonator]

dont forget your leather panties!!

I just did a search for all posts by "paulpa". I'll provide him every opportunity to defend himself, but EVERY post but one talks about how the BMW folks don't give him and his Harley any respect.

I'll respectfully suggest he and his Harley go find respect on a web forum catering to Harley riders and owners.

Seems he'd likely complain about the reception he'd get walking into Fenway Park wearing a Johnny Damon Yankees jersey.

[jdmetzger]

I just did a search for all posts by "paulpa". I'll provide him every opportunity to defend himself, but EVERY post but one talks about how the BMW folks don't give him and his Harley any respect.

I'll respectfully suggest he and his Harley go find respect on a web forum catering to Harley riders and owners.

Seems he'd likely complain about the reception he'd get walking into Fenway Park wearing a Johnny Damon Yankees jersey.

There are a number of posts he's made that are not about getting respect from BMW riders. One about soft saddlebags, one about wheel bearings, one or two in the "what is with people" thread. He's only been a member on here for a month, and most of the posts came today, anyhow. I don't think that's such a good sampling.

If the tables were turned, wouldn't you be defending your BMW? I'd like to see him stick around and see what else he has to say when these threads aren't so active. Might be quite a nice addition to our menagerie...

[pj1150r]

There are a number of posts he's made that are not about getting respect from BMW riders. One about soft saddlebags, one about wheel bearings, one or two in the "what is with people" thread. He's only been a member on here for a month, and most of the posts came today, anyhow. I don't think that's such a good sampling.

If the tables were turned, wouldn't you be defending your BMW? I'd like to see him stick around and see what else he has to say when these threads aren't so active. Might be quite a nice addition to our menagerie... i only threw the ignorance remark in there after his comment about women. I apologize to this forum,but not to him.

[OfficerImpersonator]

There are a number of posts he's made that are not about getting respect from BMW riders. One about soft saddlebags, one about wheel bearings, one or two in the "what is with people" thread. He's only been a member on here for a month, and most of the posts came today, anyhow. I don't think that's such a good sampling.

If the tables were turned, wouldn't you be defending your BMW? I'd like to see him stick around and see what else he has to say when these threads aren't so active. Might be quite a nice addition to our menagerie...

I'm an open-minded guy. If someone offered me a chance to take their Harley out for a spin while they did the same on my BMW, I'd likely give it a shot.

I reviewed his posts and only saw one regarding wheel bearings. The rest were all about how he never gets any respect when he rides his Harley to the BMW dealer, or he's complaining that all of us BMW owners generally have a low or indifferent opinion about Harleys.

Um - excuse me - but if we all thought Harleys were the greatest things since sliced bread, we wouldn't be on this site.

I don't make six figures a year, so I can only afford to have one bike in my garage. Sure - several of you have the luxury of having multiple bikes, many of them being Harleys. Different tools for different jobs is the phrase I often hear. But don't be surprised when those of us with a motorcycling life that revolves around our BMWs bristle at a guy who jumps in with both feet complaining that he and his Harley don't get no respect in the BMW community.

Like I said above, don't go to Yankee Stadium wearing a Red Sox jersey - or vice versa. You're gonna get heckled - you might get beer "accidentally" spilled on you. You might even get beat up - simply because you wore the wrong shirt to the wrong place.

Come on - at least we're better than the Bronx Buffoons - we're smart enough to drink our beer, not dump it on some guy riding the wrong bike :drink

[henzilla]

i only threw the ignorance remark in there after his comment about women. I apologize to this forum,but not to him.

That one was seriously dis -respectful of the ladies. Even if it was meant as a jab or in jest...it was STUPID.:bluduh

As I stated earlier...they are all bikes and people ride/own for all reasons...quit HATIN' , ! BFD if someone has a closed mind... I accept that from some on this board...I just do not take it personally .....as should the rest of the real men who showed their bigoted cliche repeating urban myth filled thoughts today...

Y'all hurt my feelings today...can I have a hug?:dunno :hug and take a freakin ride

Now lets go jump on people who drive Big Red Dodge Diesel trucks...ooops, that would also be me!

[Belquar]

i only threw the ignorance remark in there after his comment about women. I apologize to this forum,but not to him.

It is these sorts of exchanges that take place on the forum that drive folks away. Respect everyone. Even if you don't respect their opinion respect the person. You haven't met them personally in most cases so it is unfair to make judgement or draw conclusions about them.

Plus...once you start calling names...it totally invalidates your point of view.

JMHO.

Brian

[theLuz]

I don't understand people that have to bash at everything that is different. I just like too ride. :dunno

well stated. Sometimes we just need to defend ourselves, though.

[BouncinBob]

actually,i have looked.They do not seem to bash us as much as we bash them.

It is all about market share.

[paulpa]

i've been reading these posts and have seen just about enough stereoetyping,i'm a harley rider for 35 years and most likely have more miles than most of you guys,my bike is not loud and i were a helmet,i ride to were i'm going,i save my opinion of people to after i speak or listen to them.i've been to beemer rallies and have enjoyed most of the people i've met,i've learned that there are some posers on bmw also.i can control my bike to a t and am usually in the passing lane waitig for some idiot to pull over although at times i like cruising down the highway at 65 to 70,it depends how i feel,not the people around me,i don't own a leather jacket.there is a group i ride with that ride not bar to bar.we have a saying,,some people ride bar to bar some ride state to state,we ride coast to coast.before you make judgements about a group,get to know the individuals,just a thought.i joined the bmw owners group because i love the bikes and want to buy one,i'll keep the harley also,and because of some of the great people i've met ,but as these posts prove you can't judge a group by the actions and prejudices of a few individuals,,,,,,,paulpa as far as getting a bike to attract a female,i would get a honda 50 with big saddlebags and fill em with cash
i didn't realize i was crying about being disrespected,i meant to be crying about sterotyping people,i'm very sorry to everyone on this site,and i'll return when i actually own a bmw,i just thought joining this club and these discussions would help me make a more informed choice of what model,i just got caught up in the stereotyping and played along,as far as disrespecting women by one of my posts,i believe that door was opened up a few posts before mine,,,,again so sorry and would just ask permission to at least read the tech posts and flea market adds they are very helpful,,,,,,paulpa

[Daver90s]

I love these threads. They remind me of why I have been a MOA member for 6 years, but have quit about 4 times.

I love motorcycles, all of them. BMWs sort of work for me, but they are seldom the best in any one category. I like them even though I will stop short of using superlatives to descibe them.

What I really hate are motorcyclists who treat their brand like a church. They have to hang out in groups and confirm and reconfirm they have all made the right choice and that everyone else is an idiot for not coming to the same conclusion.

In 25 years of motorcycling I have owned about 30 bikes. 7 of them have been BMWs and of that 7 I still own 4. So you can say I am a fan of the marque. What do I hate most about BMW? The Beemer geeks. The people who just do not get it. The guy that will "low wave" me when I am on a Japanese bike only to break his arm to wave at me when I am on a BMW. (sometimes I will even get followed by a BMW guy to find out what brand of air I put in my tires)

I guess it is just human nature. As the world gets smaller and smaller we lose our identity and look for ways to define ourselves. We pick certain brands to be part of a family, a clique, a tribe. The sad part is when we have to put down someone elses choice to justify or champion ours.

You know, I'll poke fun at the HD chrome poker run guy, but it's his choice, and at least he is on two wheels. There must be something to it even if I do not fully understand it. There are specific models of HD that sell more units than BMW sells of all motorcycles combined (US sales). OK I do not understand him, but to say his bike is not fast, do you think BMWs are? That his bike vibrates, and BMW do not? That his bikes are not comforatable, and BMWs are? Aren't all these things sort of subjective?

I get sick of the MOA crowd talking about brand X, like anything else is a dirty word. KTM makes some awesome machines. Their 950/990 Adventures are incredible. I perfer BMW GSs. Both have their strengths, but neither is a wrong choice. The GS works for me, but I bet I encounter situations where I would prefer the KTM. Want a pure off-road woods weapon? KTM is hard to beat, but maybe BMW will have an answer for that in the new 450.

Yamaha's R1 or R6 are killer machines. Their backroad capabilities will put my 1100s to shame, but I enjoy my bike for what it is. Some choose Yamaha, I chose BMW. I guess a lot of you would say they are wrong and I am right because blah, blah blah, but how do you know what works for me and what works for everyone else?


I like BMW a lot, but the brand is not the holy grail some of you make it out to be.

Amen my brother -


whomever has the most fun wins!!

[Red100RT]

Hey Just North of Seattle, I recently had an opportunity to trade bikes with a guy that owns a '80 HD. Almost did it but then I changed my mind for fear my beloved '04 1150RT might find herself upon her side. A long time rider of the fabled vee twin might and most likely would have real issues with such a high center of gravity and brakes that REALLY work. In my 30 years on 2 wheels (mostly flat twin) I have never gone for a ride on an HD and I would like to give it a try. Think maybe I'll head for Spokane and see if I can rent one for a day.:brad

[rinty]

Red:

You should try and get on one sometime; one of the most fun rides I have ever had was on my friend's hot - rodded 1980 Shovelhead. In the last 3 years I've ridden about 15 different bikes made by 5 different manufacturers, and it has given me a new perspective of the riding world.

Today I demo'd a Triumph Sprint ST, and it's a brilliant design.

This summer, I plan to rent one of the new 96 inch SuperGlides for a day.

Rinty

[Red100RT]

Rinty,
So happens my friends bike is an '81 shovelhead and I must admit it sounds sweeeet. Don't know as how I would care to do 500+ miles per day on such a beast but then again I've gotta try it:)

[bmdubyou]

I have no info on that, and don't know who copies whom, or even if copying happens. Some things are coincidences, but has anyone looked at the engine on an 1917 H-D Sport Twin?

No...I dont think I have really paid attention. Why...what is there about that motor??

[wsteinborn]

It is an opposed twin like the Boxer, only it runs fore-aft rather than side-to-side.

Was was quite a bike and set some records, although speed wasn't one of them. I think it had a top speed of 50 MPH or so.

Not bad for 1917.

[rinty]

Don't know as how I would care to ride 500+ miles a day on such a beast....Red100RT

My friend, who is an engineer, tried just that, a solo run to Sturgis, and he got beat up pretty bad. He had an open face helmet and suffered severe sunburn. The noise and vibration wore him out, and eventually the Shotgun Pipes vibrated right off the bike. He re-attached them with straps he bought in a plumbing supply shop. I should emphasize that this bike was a dyno tuned hot rod, extremely noisy, so not suitable for touring. The Road Kings, and some other HD touring models, will easily allow 500 mile days.

But the story has a happy ending - he bought an R 1200 GS when he got back, and is very happy with it.

Rinty

[pj1150r]

i didn't realize i was crying about being disrespected,i meant to be crying about sterotyping people,i'm very sorry to everyone on this site,and i'll return when i actually own a bmw,i just thought joining this club and these discussions would help me make a more informed choice of what model,i just got caught up in the stereotyping and played along,as far as disrespecting women by one of my posts,i believe that door was opened up a few posts before mine,,,,again so sorry and would just ask permission to at least read the tech posts and flea market adds they are very helpful,,,,,,paulpa thats why i added" real or pretend" to my comment,i thought you might be playing with that comment about women.

[guzzirider]

Why does anybody care about what another person rides?Don't we live in America were are somewhat free to do what we want?Plan a trip ,restore a bike,just quit worrying about what somebody else rides. Besides, anybody that knows anythings about motorcycles rides a GUZZI.

[mikereid]

My factory-worker brethren almost all ride HD's, and they are glad to see me coming on my R1100R. They say that I bring diversity to the group. It's not what you ride, it's if you ride! :love Can't you just feel the love?

(Also, people who critique spelling and grammar on the web really bug me. Talk about elitist snobbery!)

[jdmetzger]

My factory-worker brethren almost all ride HD's, and they are glad to see me coming on my R1100R. They say that I bring diversity to the group. It's not what you ride, it's if you ride! :love Can't you just feel the love?

(Also, people who critique spelling and grammar on the web really bug me. Talk about elitist snobbery!)

BTW: factory and worker should not be hyphenated. :stick

:hide

[pj1150r]

BTW: factory and worker should not be hyphenated. :stick

:hide Is that apostrophe after HD correct? Just asking!

[henzilla]

Why does anybody care about what another person rides?Don't we live in America were are somewhat free to do what we want?Plan a trip ,restore a bike,just quit worrying about what somebody else rides. Besides, anybody that knows anythings about motorcycles rides a GUZZI.

OMG...a V-Twin by another name...:ha :ha :ha :thumb


I will find me a Guzzi before I quit riding also!! there is a group within the SanAntonio BMW club that come to the start of our Sat. Morning rides...then seem to zip on by us!
RIDE ON!

[pj1150r]

Why does anybody care about what another person rides?Don't we live in America were are somewhat free to do what we want?Plan a trip ,restore a bike,just quit worrying about what somebody else rides. Besides, anybody that knows anythings about motorcycles rides a GUZZI. Guzzi LeMans,one of the coolest looking sport tourers ive ever seen!

[lazywizard02]

BTW: factory and worker should not be hyphenated. :stick

:hide

1. Use a hyphen to join two or more words serving as a single adjective before a noun:
a one-way street
chocolate-covered peanuts
well-known author

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_hyphen.html

[jwhite518]

Well, SOME ladies may like BMW's, but they ALL seem to like Harley's. :)

My wife isn't impressed by Harleys. And she's from Iowa, where that's all they ride. I don't think motorcycles were even on her radar until she met me. If I were to suddenly ditch the roundel in favor of the bar and shield, she'd become a motorcycle mama. It's not about the bike, it's about the man riding it. Lucky me!

[pj1150r]

My wife isn't impressed by Harleys. And she's from Iowa, where that's all they ride. I don't think motorcycles were even on her radar until she met me. If I were to suddenly ditch the roundel in favor of the bar and shield, she'd become a motorcycle mama. It's not about the bike, it's about the man riding it. Lucky me! i read somewhere that up to age 35,women like the bad boy image thing.

[FatChance]

I've been riding for 43 years on most of the brands available at one time or another and am getting fed up with this stuff. The most common thing I hear the HD people ever say about the BMW crowd is that they tend to be stuck-up, opinionated jerks with a misplaced superiority complex who only care about themselves (and those who are exactly like them) and look down upon everyone else. I'd have to say this thread justifies that view to a large degree.

[sgtboring]

On many levels I think I am beyond the HD Sucks and the folk who love them are narrow minded. It can be frustrating to be judged incorrectly by folks who think they are better baised on brand preference.

Although looks come into play when considering a bike we all know that each person has their own. I do find it funny when people ignore imperical data or worse deny it based on faulty logic IE: Loude pipes save lives, Helmets make it harder to hear and see.

I know that my 99 RT1100 is faster, smoother, and safer then any factory HD made. This is based on emperical data. I think it looks better but that is based on subjective taste.

[BeemoKat]

I've been riding for 43 years on most of the brands available at one time or another and am getting fed up with this stuff. The most common thing I hear the HD people ever say about the BMW crowd is that they tend to be stuck-up, opinionated jerks with a misplaced superiority complex who only care about themselves (and those who are exactly like them) and look down upon everyone else. I'd have to say this thread justifies that view to a large degree.

Thank you!

[pj1150r]

I've been riding for 43 years on most of the brands available at one time or another and am getting fed up with this stuff. The most common thing I hear the HD people ever say about the BMW crowd is that they tend to be stuck-up, opinionated jerks with a misplaced superiority complex who only care about themselves (and those who are exactly like them) and look down upon everyone else. I'd have to say this thread justifies that view to a large degree. um,wait a minute,hd riders seem to have a much greater superiority complex than bmw riders,who uses terms like " ricerocket and "jap scrap"?

[Rapid_Roy]

....they tend to be stuck-up, opinionated jerks with a misplaced superiority complex who only care about themselves (and those who are exactly like them) and look down upon everyone else. .....
There are plenty of HD people like this in Milwaukee. The HD riders we ride with don't diss any bikes. There is going to be people like that in any large group, it's a microcosm of society. Even after all these years of them not being returned, I still wave at all riders around here. It used to be a fist, times change.

[BeemoKat]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiY3fAwiPb0

I'll put this in the other harley thread also.

[bubbagazoo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiY3fAwiPb0

I'll put this in the other harley thread also.

Ouch! I need :drink :drink :drink :drink :drink :drink :drink :drink :drink

[tdomek]

My wife isn't impressed by Harleys. And she's from Iowa, where that's all they ride.

All we ride in Iowa is Harleys? :mad

We Bahnsturmers, the Pure Stodge, and the Big Sioux Riders might just say otherwise!

Seriously, Iowans are have the highest per capita rate of motorcycle ownership in the nation. I see no greater amount of HD's here than in other states.

If you ride it and don't spend all your time polishing it, it's all good!

[Rod Sheridan]

I've been riding for 43 years on most of the brands available at one time or another and am getting fed up with this stuff. The most common thing I hear the HD people ever say about the BMW crowd is that they tend to be stuck-up, opinionated jerks with a misplaced superiority complex who only care about themselves (and those who are exactly like them) and look down upon everyone else. I'd have to say this thread justifies that view to a large degree.


If you add egotistical, it could be us!

Or is that me?

It's hard to tell these days.

Oh wait, that was another stereotype........Sorry about that!


To add to the grammer discussion, I like hyphenated words such as cow-orker..Rod.

[Rapid_Roy]

Here is what this thread needs:

Link (http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a345/RapidR/horse.jpg)

Graphic image NSFW (at least, if you work at a horse farm)


:laugh :D :heh :bliss

[henzilla]

Here is what this thread needs:

Link (http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a345/RapidR/horse.jpg)

Graphic image NSFW (at least, if you work at a horse farm)


:laugh :D :heh :bliss

AMEN...done,finis,beaten to death,yada-yada...
NEXT topic please:lurk

[KGT1200]

Move on, cause if you got your ass wiped with the street right in front of a Harley (no matter how bad the HD rider hated Beemers) He would stop, and hold your head in his lap till the ambulence got there JUST LIKE YOU WOULD DO FOR HIM.

Period. End of story and you all know what I'm saying is true.

Red

[jwhite518]

All we ride in Iowa is Harleys? :mad



I knew that remark would draw some Iowans! :stick :)

What can I say -- when I'm in Des Moines, 9 out of 10 bikes I see is a Harley.

[AllanCook]

1. Use a hyphen to join two or more words serving as a single adjective before a noun:
a one-way street
chocolate-covered peanuts
well-known author

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_hyphen.html

Correct.

For the record, it's people who ride Harleys, not people that ride Harleys.

[pj1150r]

NOT SILLS!!!!!!!

I use Cleveland, but I just buy parts and accessories. I do my own maitenance and repair. My SO has an R1150R in the garge.

Prior to the new Cleveland shop opening, I'd ride to Wooster to get my parts and buy my bikes.

Remember, Methias (sp?) was not a dealer for a long time. I've heard a rumor they are again. This rumor is a few years old now, but they always had a good reputation. is Sills that bad? i heard they suck from other people too

[Mongo]

I love these threads. :stick I'm probably opening a can of worms on this one. :D

Go to any forum that is brand specific in any hobby and you'll find some incarnation of this. Stereotypes abound!

"If I wanted to ride a bike 50 miles..." Yeah right... You want to ride with me? Bring your long distance gear. I've done 200+ miles before breakfast. I average 20K per year. I know plenty of others who do also on HDs. You want to see BMWs not ridden? Just go to the flea market right here on this site.

"It doesn't handle the twisties" Then you can't ride or your bike is set up wrong... Ask Gail how easy it is to shake me in the twisties. While it isn't a sport bike you would be surprised at how it will corner when you get your butt off the seat and lean.

"HDs are too slow".... Wanna bet? I have a couple of dyno sheets that say my HD puts more power to the street than Gail's 03GT. Her bike is faster because it is lighter especially with her on it. My bike is hardly slow. Granted my bike is hardly stock. BMWs are wonderful bikes but that shaft drive robs all kinds of power to the rear wheel. Off the line you might be surprised at how my bike keeps up. I won't win but when you look in the mirror I'll be closer than you think. If your not good on your shifts... forgetaboutit! Your about to be embarrassed.

"HD riders don't wear gear." ... There are a lot of HD riders out there that don't wear gear. Too true, unfortunately. However I see plenty of the uneducated riding Beemers without gear also. Just not as many because there aren't as many BMWs on the road. Stupidity and recklessness is not brand specific.

"HDs are so uncomfortable they need to change everything to make them rideable" I don't even know where to begin on this one.... Barbacks, seats, footpeg repositioning kits. lol Do a search here and see how many mods are going on. I can sit on my bike through 20 hour days riding cross country. 3 Hours on Gail's GT and I'm in pain. Her K75T however is the closest thing to a perfect ergonomic bike that I have ever ridden.

"HDs are posers" Funny thing is, this is the one I agree with. I like bike customizing. I like the fact that I've made my bike "fit me to a tee" I like it when people ask me about the mods I've done. I'm proud of my work. I like the look of a naked motorcycle and I like it when people admire mine. I also like it when people admire my SO. I work hard on the things that are important to me. I'm a bit of a narcissist. Guilty as charged! That doesn't mean I don't ride though. I'm a Rounder (http://www.yearroundriders.com), I ride.

"HDs are unreliable" You would be living in the past on this one. Those old shovels are a serious POS! No doubt about it. That is kind of what makes em cool now. A bowling ball manufacturer should not build motorcycles and it is a testimony to someones wrenching skills who owns one with any kind of mileage on it. However I have close to 60K on my 04 RoadKing virtually event free! I had one warranty claim for a broken lock on my bag. I don't have to adjust my valves and no final drive issues. My drive belt is good for 100K. Generally speaking a top end should need to be done at 100K but that is a bolt on deal that I can do myself. I check my chain tensioners every so often and do typical maintenance. My bike has never left me stranded. Even after a major get off it started and took me out of there. It doesn't leak and it starts every time. The bike is simple, I'll give you that. I like simple. I can fix simple if I need to. No special tools required.

"HDs vibrate too much" At idle my bike shakes no question about it. It is a rubber mounted, non counter-balanced Vtwin. However at speed it is smooth as silk. No more vibration than any other twin I have ridden and a lot less buzz than some metric bikes I have owned.

"HD owners are bike snobs" Mostly I find HD hangers-on are bike snobs. Wives or GFs of HD owners, non riders mostly. Most actual riders have owned many bikes before they could afford a bike with the HD logo. I'm sure a lot of BMW owners can appreciate that. Most HD owners like other bikes and are more than willing to shoot the breeze with any marquee owner. To be honest I have run across more BMW owners that are less tolerant of me on my HD than I ever did associating with HD riders when I owned metric. :( But I have friends here and I've never been one to meekly go my way.

I like all kinds of bikes. I've owned many. I'm on the lookout now for a good deal on an old K bike. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on an old airhead to restore someday. That new K1200R speaks to me.."ride me, thrash on me, throttle the hell out of me, do what you will, just buy me":D .. I really like people who ride and there are a lot of serious riders who ride BMWs. Airheads Kbikes, oil heads, so much diversity within the brand. Very cool! :clap

I just don't care for stereotypes

[Rapid_Roy]

I love these threads. :stick I'm probably opening a can of worms on this one. :D

Go to any forum that is brand specific in any hobby and you'll find some incarnation of this. Stereotypes abound!

"If I wanted to ride a bike 50 miles..." Yeah right... You want to ride with me? Bring your long distance gear. I've done 200+ miles before breakfast. I average 20K per year. I know plenty of others who do also on HDs. You want to see BMWs not ridden? Just go to the flea market right here on this site.

"It doesn't handle the twisties" Then you can't ride or your bike is set up wrong... Ask Gail how easy it is to shake me in the twisties. While it isn't a sport bike you would be surprised at how it will corner when you get your butt off the seat and lean.

"HDs are too slow".... Wanna bet? I have a couple of dyno sheets that say my HD puts more power to the street than Gail's 03GT. Her bike is faster because it is lighter especially with her on it. My bike is hardly slow. Granted my bike is hardly stock. BMWs are wonderful bikes but that shaft drive robs all kinds of power to the rear wheel. Off the line you might be surprised at how my bike keeps up. I won't win but when you look in the mirror I'll be closer than you think. If your not good on your shifts... forgetaboutit! Your about to be embarrassed.

"HD riders don't wear gear." ... There are a lot of HD riders out there that don't wear gear. Too true, unfortunately. However I see plenty of the uneducated riding Beemers without gear also. Just not as many because there aren't as many BMWs on the road. Stupidity and recklessness is not brand specific.

"HDs are so uncomfortable they need to change everything to make them rideable" I don't even know where to begin on this one.... Barbacks, seats, footpeg repositioning kits. lol Do a search here and see how many mods are going on. I can sit on my bike through 20 hour days riding cross country. 3 Hours on Gail's GT and I'm in pain. Her K75T however is the closest thing to a perfect ergonomic bike that I have ever ridden.

"HDs are posers" Funny thing is, this is the one I agree with. I like bike customizing. I like the fact that I've made my bike "fit me to a tee" I like it when people ask me about the mods I've done. I'm proud of my work. I like the look of a naked motorcycle and I like it when people admire mine. I also like it when people admire my SO. I work hard on the things that are important to me. I'm a bit of a narcissist. Guilty as charged! That doesn't mean I don't ride though. I'm a Rounder (http://www.yearroundriders.com), I ride.

"HDs are unreliable" You would be living in the past on this one. Those old shovels are a serious POS! No doubt about it. That is kind of what makes em cool now. A bowling ball manufacturer should not build motorcycles and it is a testimony to someones wrenching skills who owns one with any kind of mileage on it. However I have close to 60K on my 04 RoadKing virtually event free! I had one warranty claim for a broken lock on my bag. I don't have to adjust my valves and no final drive issues. My drive belt is good for 100K. Generally speaking a top end should need to be done at 100K but that is a bolt on deal that I can do myself. I check my chain tensioners every so often and do typical maintenance. My bike has never left me stranded. Even after a major get off it started and took me out of there. It doesn't leak and it starts every time. The bike is simple, I'll give you that. I like simple. I can fix simple if I need to. No special tools required.

"HDs vibrate too much" At idle my bike shakes no question about it. It is a rubber mounted, non counter-balanced Vtwin. However at speed it is smooth as silk. No more vibration than any other twin I have ridden and a lot less buzz than some metric bikes I have owned.

"HD owners are bike snobs" Mostly I find HD hangers-on are bike snobs. Wives or GFs of HD owners, non riders mostly. Most actual riders have owned many bikes before they could afford a bike with the HD logo. I'm sure a lot of BMW owners can appreciate that. Most HD owners like other bikes and are more than willing to shoot the breeze with any marquee owner. To be honest I have run across more BMW owners that are less tolerant of me on my HD than I ever did associating with HD riders when I owned metric. :( But I have friends here and I've never been one to meekly go my way.

I like all kinds of bikes. I've owned many. I'm on the lookout now for a good deal on an old K bike. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on an old airhead to restore someday. That new K1200R speaks to me.."ride me, thrash on me, throttle the hell out of me, do what you will, just buy me":D .. I really like people who ride and there are a lot of serious riders who ride BMWs. Airheads Kbikes, oil heads, so much diversity within the brand. Very cool! :clap

I just don't care for stereotypes
In general, I agree. However, I have grown up as a BMW rider in Milwaukee, and many people have pissed in my Cheerios about it. Stereotypes usually have some basis in reality, people do not just pull them out of the air. I have heard of HD people abusing people who rode Japanese bikes at events, somebody spit on my cousin's Beemer at the 90th, they have Honda drops, they won't wave at a Beemer (to be fair, I don't think some will wave at anybody). I tend to feel a bit of resentment over the many times I have been slighted for riding a BMW, but I'll get over it. However, I agree that, most of the time, they are wannabe's or just have the T-shirt. The HD riders I hang with are all good people. If you get a large enough group of people, there will be some real winners in that crowd fer sure.
See ya on the road.:wave

P.S. I have read a few Easy Riders. WTF is Raisin Pie? :laugh

[Cliffy777]

I love these threads. :stick I'm probably opening a can of worms on this one. :D

Go to any forum that is brand specific in any hobby and you'll find some incarnation of this. Stereotypes abound!

"If I wanted to ride a bike 50 miles..." Yeah right... You want to ride with me? Bring your long distance gear. I've done 200+ miles before breakfast. I average 20K per year. I know plenty of others who do also on HDs. You want to see BMWs not ridden? Just go to the flea market right here on this site.

"It doesn't handle the twisties" Then you can't ride or your bike is set up wrong... Ask Gail how easy it is to shake me in the twisties. While it isn't a sport bike you would be surprised at how it will corner when you get your butt off the seat and lean.

"HDs are too slow".... Wanna bet? I have a couple of dyno sheets that say my HD puts more power to the street than Gail's 03GT. Her bike is faster because it is lighter especially with her on it. My bike is hardly slow. Granted my bike is hardly stock. BMWs are wonderful bikes but that shaft drive robs all kinds of power to the rear wheel. Off the line you might be surprised at how my bike keeps up. I won't win but when you look in the mirror I'll be closer than you think. If your not good on your shifts... forgetaboutit! Your about to be embarrassed.

"HD riders don't wear gear." ... There are a lot of HD riders out there that don't wear gear. Too true, unfortunately. However I see plenty of the uneducated riding Beemers without gear also. Just not as many because there aren't as many BMWs on the road. Stupidity and recklessness is not brand specific.

"HDs are so uncomfortable they need to change everything to make them rideable" I don't even know where to begin on this one.... Barbacks, seats, footpeg repositioning kits. lol Do a search here and see how many mods are going on. I can sit on my bike through 20 hour days riding cross country. 3 Hours on Gail's GT and I'm in pain. Her K75T however is the closest thing to a perfect ergonomic bike that I have ever ridden.

"HDs are posers" Funny thing is, this is the one I agree with. I like bike customizing. I like the fact that I've made my bike "fit me to a tee" I like it when people ask me about the mods I've done. I'm proud of my work. I like the look of a naked motorcycle and I like it when people admire mine. I also like it when people admire my SO. I work hard on the things that are important to me. I'm a bit of a narcissist. Guilty as charged! That doesn't mean I don't ride though. I'm a Rounder (http://www.yearroundriders.com), I ride.

"HDs are unreliable" You would be living in the past on this one. Those old shovels are a serious POS! No doubt about it. That is kind of what makes em cool now. A bowling ball manufacturer should not build motorcycles and it is a testimony to someones wrenching skills who owns one with any kind of mileage on it. However I have close to 60K on my 04 RoadKing virtually event free! I had one warranty claim for a broken lock on my bag. I don't have to adjust my valves and no final drive issues. My drive belt is good for 100K. Generally speaking a top end should need to be done at 100K but that is a bolt on deal that I can do myself. I check my chain tensioners every so often and do typical maintenance. My bike has never left me stranded. Even after a major get off it started and took me out of there. It doesn't leak and it starts every time. The bike is simple, I'll give you that. I like simple. I can fix simple if I need to. No special tools required.

"HDs vibrate too much" At idle my bike shakes no question about it. It is a rubber mounted, non counter-balanced Vtwin. However at speed it is smooth as silk. No more vibration than any other twin I have ridden and a lot less buzz than some metric bikes I have owned.

"HD owners are bike snobs" Mostly I find HD hangers-on are bike snobs. Wives or GFs of HD owners, non riders mostly. Most actual riders have owned many bikes before they could afford a bike with the HD logo. I'm sure a lot of BMW owners can appreciate that. Most HD owners like other bikes and are more than willing to shoot the breeze with any marquee owner. To be honest I have run across more BMW owners that are less tolerant of me on my HD than I ever did associating with HD riders when I owned metric. :( But I have friends here and I've never been one to meekly go my way.

I like all kinds of bikes. I've owned many. I'm on the lookout now for a good deal on an old K bike. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on an old airhead to restore someday. That new K1200R speaks to me.."ride me, thrash on me, throttle the hell out of me, do what you will, just buy me":D .. I really like people who ride and there are a lot of serious riders who ride BMWs. Airheads Kbikes, oil heads, so much diversity within the brand. Very cool! :clap

I just don't care for stereotypes

Well said Mongo.
Stereotypes suck major wind.
I think what is helpful to stereotypical thinking (or the abolition thereof) is to take a humorous look at yourself. When one takes oneself too seriously, then it is easy to toss crap on others all the time.
Two of my friends ride or rode Harleys (one of them just died of cancer). One of them, a woman, came to ride late in life and she owns every piece of Harley wearables they make. She will not ride in the rain or when the temp is colder than ____ or hotter than _____. So what.
Kevin (my Harley riding friend who died) rode the crap out of his bike. He owned a lot of jap bikes - he rode dirt, motocross, dual sport, etc. He started buying Harleys a few years ago because he COULD. He rode to Sturgis. He and his wife did an 8 hour run to Northern Michigan in a torrential downpour that never let up!
I consider Mongo a friend and he rides the hell out of his Harley. Good enough for me.
When it is winter in Lowell Michigan there is only one other motorcycle I see riding around here on a regular basis and it ain't no Beemer - it is a guy on a Sportster. He is riding without electrics and without the benefit of a windshield or fairing just like me. (Nuts is nuts, no matter what brand you ride!)
Last fall I rode in to my dealer on a day that was overcast, a little drizzly and about 40-45 degrees. Not a bike in the lot. Yeah, real hardcore riders that BMW crowd! What good are Gerbings and waterproof gear if you leave your precious scoot in the garage?
Ride on - no matter what you ride.

[masondrew8]

Maybe it should read "Real men are impractical"?

I buy to get what I want for the best value.

Even with all the sterotypes about HD dispelled, I still don't understand why people double the cost of your machine to buy a name. There are dozens of cruiser style bikes that would outperform a HD, cost half as much, and most people couldn't tell the difference from 200 ft.

Also, it sounds like Mongo has a great bike and I'm sure maintainence is the key. However, you can't convince me as a rule that HD are nearly as reliable as several other manufacturers.

[petepeterson]

Maybe it should read "Real men are impractical"?

I buy to get what I want for the best value.

Even with all the sterotypes about HD dispelled, I still don't understand why people double the cost of your machine to buy a name. There are dozens of cruiser style bikes that would outperform a HD, cost half as much, and most people couldn't tell the difference from 200 ft.

Also, it sounds like Mongo has a great bike and I'm sure maintainence is the key. However, you can't convince me as a rule that HD are nearly as reliable as several other manufacturers.


You Sir, can't name one manufacturer that builds a more reliable motorcycle than Harley-Davidson.................
Owned to many of them over to many years, never once was left on the side of the rode............Pete

[nortonrt]

I enjoyed reading all of the comments on this thread - all of them interesting. I guess the sum of it all is: "There's something for everyone" - and who knows why?

[rkasal]

All we ride in Iowa is Harleys? :mad

We Bahnsturmers, the Pure Stodge, and the Big Sioux Riders might just say otherwise!

Seriously, Iowans are have the highest per capita rate of motorcycle ownership in the nation. I see no greater amount of HD's here than in other states.

If you ride it and don't spend all your time polishing it, it's all good!

Unfortunately, here in Des Moines, I see mostly Hardleys. My brother's gf who is a doctor bought a HD V-Rod because she wanted them to travel around the country next summer. Hahahaha. Someone didn't do their due diligence, did she? Not to mention the poor handling, the poor seats, and poor suspension particularly in comparison to telever, no one told her about having to partially remove the engine to adjust the valves for scheduled service.

Oh, but it LOOKS good or so some would think. It does nothing at all for my corpus cavernosum.

In addition to the Hardleys, I see a lot of Japanese bikes which I do respect. Very few Beamers around town although I have someone tell me once a day they own one. Even fewer British bikes which is a shame.

No, blue collars rage here in the big city and even among the educated.

Hardleys suck and that is all there is to it.

[jdmetzger]

You Sir, can't name one manufacturer that builds a more reliable motorcycle than Harley-Davidson.................
Owned to many of them over to many years, never once was left on the side of the rode............Pete

They may be quite reliable, I don't know. I have friends that did or do own them, with mixed results. One thing seems certain, they must have inaccurate gas gauges. Twice on trips (last year and this year) I've found HD riders off to the side of the road and out of gas. :D

[rkasal]

I knew that remark would draw some Iowans! :stick :)

What can I say -- when I'm in Des Moines, 9 out of 10 bikes I see is a Harley.


Yes, that is normally true during the warm days. Today, the overnight low was 38. I saw two other bikes today; a Hardley and a Honda. The Hardley guy had on the standard cold weather gear; a hooded sweatshirt. Looked like he was freezing to death the moron. I didn't have any electrics on but did have a full-face shield helmet, BMW winter gloves, and the Commuter 3 jacket with liner. Just perfect.

I ride BMW's because I don't own a motorcycle trailer!

Regards,


Randy Kasal

[rkasal]

You Sir, can't name one manufacturer that builds a more reliable motorcycle than Harley-Davidson.................
Owned to many of them over to many years, never once was left on the side of the rode............Pete


He probably can't name one manufacturer that builds a more reliable motorcycle than Hardley Abelson, but he could names dozens of manufacturers who build more reliable motorcycles than the poseurs brand of bike.

[henzilla]

:nono Yes, that is normally true during the warm days. Today, the overnight low was 38. I saw two other bikes today; a Hardley and a Honda. The Hardley guy had on the standard cold weather gear; a hooded sweatshirt. Looked like he was freezing to death the moron. I didn't have any electrics on but did have a full-face shield helmet, BMW winter gloves, and the Commuter 3 jacket with liner. Just perfect.

I ride BMW's because I don't own a motorcycle trailer!

Regards,


Randy Kasal

Poor baby...tolerance is not your suit.:heart Intolerance is just so unnecessary! I have ridden American, Japanese,German,Italian and British ...all have same basic purpose...ENJOY THE ROAD and quit being a snob. I would be close enough to Mongo in your mirror on my ol' HD to make you wonder if your boxxer mirrors were really vibrating...give us a break. Have you ever ridden a V-Rod? I finally did a few weeks back and I have a appreciation for the German designed HD. I know ,you would never touch one...blah-blah-blah... Met some fine folks riding motorcycles...some A**hats on every brand out there too. Most Harley riders just want to ride just like you. They might be snobby because they too are misinformed or biased and would ride just about anything given the chance. Doesn't make them morons. Marketing is the #1 reason HD has been so popular, urban legend or not, it is what folks think of when asked about bikes in general.

And quit knocking trailers...one may save your whiney butt some day. PSSST...lot's of Beemer owners trailer and own trailers to help others....shhhh now, someone may find out.


anyways, this was tired before....made me tired again...but I still love ya man!

nite

[rkasal]

:nono

Poor baby...tolerance is not your suit.:heart Intolerance is just so unnecessary! I have ridden American, Japanese,German,Italian and British ...all have same basic purpose...ENJOY THE ROAD and quit being a snob. I would be close enough to Mongo in your mirror on my ol' HD to make you wonder if your boxxer mirrors were really vibrating...give us a break. Have you ever ridden a V-Rod? I finally did a few weeks back and I have a appreciation for the German designed HD. I know ,you would never touch one...blah-blah-blah... Met some fine folks riding motorcycles...some A**hats on every brand out there too. Most Harley riders just want to ride just like you. They might be snobby because they too are misinformed or biased and would ride just about anything given the chance. Doesn't make them morons. Marketing is the #1 reason HD has been so popular, urban legend or not, it is what folks think of when asked about bikes in general.

And quit knocking trailers...one may save your whiney butt some day. PSSST...lot's of Beemer owners trailer and own trailers to help others....shhhh now, someone may find out.


anyways, this was tired before....made me tired again...but I still love ya man!

nite

Seems you're intolerant of my views. That would not only make you intolerant - but also a hypocrite.

[Rapid_Roy]

.... Have you ever ridden a V-Rod? I finally did a few weeks back and I have a appreciation for the German designed HD.
Actually, the die hard HD crowd here hate it, and they don't like Buels either. I heard many complaints about both bikes when it was first shown here. One guy asked me why I ride Beemers. I said I have spent 6 g's and I have 2 1000's and a 500 cc. He said "so it's a money thing. Don't worry, someday you'll get your Harley." That is the only bike, of course.
Whenever people find out I ride, they ask what kind of Harley it is.
In Milwaukee, there is no other bike. That is fine, my brother works there, and I enjoy looking at them. :thumb

[BubbaZanetti]

every crowd, including the bmw crowd, is gonna have differing opinions,

tolerance to all brands happens to be my preferred attitude, but that's not for everyone, if you're happy putting down other makes, than go right ahead.

but a 20K a year, all weather, atgatt (regardless of how technologically advanced it is), fun loving hd rider is probably more my style than an uptight bmw nerd:brow

[Rapid_Roy]

every crowd, including the bmw crowd, is gonna have differing opinions,

tolerance to all brands happens to be my preferred attitude, but that's not for everyone, if you're happy putting down other makes, than go right ahead.

but a 20K a year, all weather, atgatt (regardless of how technologically advanced it is), fun loving hd rider is probably more my style than an uptight bmw nerd:brow
What about a 3K a year, all weather, atgatt, fun loving, beemer rider, you mean nasty stereotyper.:nyah
I get what you are saying though, with the uptight/nerd thing.
They are no fun no matter what they ride.

[ahpd1992]

I actually found the original post quite humorous. That was a nice comeback to an ignorant comment. As far as all of the HD bashing Im gonna hafta side w/ the HD guys on this one. I find the HD riders much more tolerant and friendly than anyone Ive met riding BMW. I went to West Bend and the geek factor was way too much for me. (rules, rules, rules bimmer guys are addicted to following the rules). I digress, my point is that it has been my experience that we BMW riders are not very good ambassodors to our brand. When I see a group of BMW's now my 1st reaction is snobby stand-offish geeks. Especially the GS guys, they seem to hate my K1200LT (its the sportster of BMW)

Tom

[rkasal]

every crowd, including the bmw crowd, is gonna have differing opinions,

tolerance to all brands happens to be my preferred attitude, but that's not for everyone, if you're happy putting down other makes, than go right ahead.

but a 20K a year, all weather, atgatt (regardless of how technologically advanced it is), fun loving hd rider is probably more my style than an uptight bmw nerd:brow

Well, good, go hang with them, then.

[Mongo]

One thing seems certain, they must have inaccurate gas gauges. Twice on trips (last year and this year) I've found HD riders off to the side of the road and out of gas. :D

Actually they do have sucky gas gauges. Mine is sorta accurate but that is like hitting the lottery :D You would think if you rode enough, you would have some inkling as to how much range you have....

[Mongo]

Well, good, go hang with them, then.

I can just feel the love here!:D

[jdmetzger]

Sounds more like GSPD ? :D

Ouch! :D Sure, I run out of gas ONCE and this is what I get...

[jstanco]

Don't need no stinkin Harley... My husband is in love with MY K BIKE.... and me.. Just means I have CLASS says he....I get stopped all the time with questions like, "hey what is that? "where'd you get that?" "never heard of that before!

CLASS BABY!!! NOTHING BUT CLASS!!!!!

Had 2 Suzukis and never got stopped as often as I do now... What a conversation piece

[henzilla]

Seems you're intolerant of my views. That would not only make you intolerant - but also a hypocrite.

snappy comeback there...expected:snore . I embrace your opinions as others...be a snob...life is too short on my side of the world to do the same.

[henzilla]

Actually, the die hard HD crowd here hate it, and they don't like Buels either. I heard many complaints about both bikes when it was first shown here. One guy asked me why I ride Beemers. I said I have spent 6 g's and I have 2 1000's and a 500 cc. He said "so it's a money thing. Don't worry, someday you'll get your Harley." That is the only bike, of course.
Whenever people find out I ride, they ask what kind of Harley it is.
In Milwaukee, there is no other bike. That is fine, my brother works there, and I enjoy looking at them. :thumb

I hated them also until I tried one, wouldn't buy one, but it was fun. Prob never have another modern one, but they do ride a lot like a motorcycle if you don't try to annoy people. I like the Beemers better at moment! I had one, but still put a One Less Harley tag on the GS! my private joke on myself.
I still get that a lot..."What kind of HD is it?" "You can afford one if you like" But lately a lot more folks perk up when they see the roundel on the GS...had an attractive whitehaired Mercedes owner roll her window down Saturday and say "Nice Bike, love the BMW's".

[rkasal]

I hated them also until I tried one, wouldn't buy one, but it was fun. Prob never have another modern one, but they do ride a lot like a motorcycle if you don't try to annoy people. I like the Beemers better at moment! I had one, but still put a One Less Harley tag on the GS! my private joke on myself.
I still get that a lot..."What kind of HD is it?" "You can afford one if you like" But lately a lot more folks perk up when they see the roundel on the GS...had an attractive whitehaired Mercedes owner roll her window down Saturday and say "Nice Bike, love the BMW's".

I did have two extremely well-dressed 70's ish ladies practically jump me at the Farmer's Market a couple of Saturdays ago. They each probably had $2,000 sweaters with one of them owning a BMW automobile. You guessed it, she said, "I didn't know BMW made motorcycles."

I said, "Yes, since 1923."

The other said, "It's so beautiful - I really like the design (this was my silver F650CS). It's kind of industrial but artistic." I offered them each a ride being my natural smart aleck but they declined. Reluctantly.

If I could take forty years off of them I bet they were lookers. :heart

Regards,


Randy Kasal

[TGA57589]

I tell my wife how I am way too happy to have the HD "permascowl" on my face. I wear a helmet so you unfortunately can't see my smile when I ride unlike many of the helmetless PA riders who have that I'm pissed off and want you to see it look on their faces. Now I'm open to get crucified on this one having never had the opportunity to ride a Harley. I test rode two Victories this past summer when I rode into a Polaris dealer on my R1100RT only to have bought an '07 R1200RT two weeks ago so, I guess I answered my own question. I ride everyday with exception to frost and black ice weather where my ride to work have a rode along a river that gets icy before most rodes do and I'm getting a little too old to push myself to ask for a layover on an icy road.

I been told the BMW guys are odd, along with many other things that are said but when it comes to a wave from another rider going the other way it's really cool when a guy can see the opposed cylinders sticking out and smiles to say I'm cool with that. I do like a good laugh and I especially like the T-shirt clad groupie rider telling me how he did'nt know BMW made motorcycles. One last thing, If I had an endless cash supply for toys I would have a Victory Arlen Ness Jackpot along with a Harley Fatboy for play toys but for me I prefer the R1200RT for daily commutes and all around touring with the wife.

Oh one other cool thing, I had a cop stop me last Sunday saying he did'nt recognize the color of my inspection sticker only to find out he wanted to know what I was riding...and yes he too had a Harley at home in the garage sound asleep.

[Rapid_Roy]

I hated them also until I tried one, wouldn't buy one, but it was fun. Prob never have another modern one, but they do ride a lot like a motorcycle if you don't try to annoy people. I like the Beemers better at moment! I had one, but still put a One Less Harley tag on the GS! my private joke on myself.
I still get that a lot..."What kind of HD is it?" "You can afford one if you like" But lately a lot more folks perk up when they see the roundel on the GS...had an attractive whitehaired Mercedes owner roll her window down Saturday and say "Nice Bike, love the BMW's".

I like V-rods too. I don't have any spare money at the moment but.......
If I had as much as Jay Lenno, you can bet I would have a shed full of all brands also. I have had a few compliments on my RT, but not many. They were all girls though, so that makes up for it.
Sue arranged a Buell test ride at the Dells Rally one year and my buddies all went out and beat them. They had a good time and said they were fun. Nobody bought one though.

[RichardCook]

In the spirit of self-criticism which I find in this thread:

My first bike was a Hodaka 100. Very nice bike. I got it new from my parents as a 17th birthday present. It was probably provided for practical reasons. I was working after school cleaning toilets in a factory some distance from home (for the the substantial rate of $1.23/hr) and the folks were getting tired of coming out to pick me up at 9PM.

No one else in my high school had a motorcycle and so I was pretty sure I could impress the girls and finally get a date and have a girlfriend. I spent a good deal of time tooling around the HS parking lot and up and down Lake Shore Drive. I was mystified by the failure of the XX's to respond to my manly display; indeed I seemed to get no response at all. The whole thing was a bit discouraging and I did consider that I might be riding the wrong brand.

I have since realized that it was not the brand of motorcycle being ridden that was the problem, it was the rider. I look ridiculous on a motorcycle and always have. The cooler I try to appear, the more I look like an idiot and this is true whether I am on a 100cc Hodaka or a K100RS.

I have come to regard the bait-and-switch approach to seeking a mate as unwise. Humor seems to work, which is how I managed to get my wife to have coffee with me and which sustained her interest in me for long enough to make the effort of finding someone better too large to consider. Thus I am happily married.

FWIW

[henzilla]

They may be quite reliable, I don't know. I have friends that did or do own them, with mixed results. One thing seems certain, they must have inaccurate gas gauges. Twice on trips (last year and this year) I've found HD riders off to the side of the road and out of gas. :D

funny thing is I have helped gas up three different R bikes this summer... all knew the "average" range...missed it by a mile or so...:doh You know who you are:brow
My V-Rod buddy ALWAYS needed gas on early model! Remember we old HD guys only rode 90 miles at a time:lol

[Mongo]

funny thing is I have helped gas up three different R bikes this summer... all knew the "average" range...missed it by a mile or so...:doh You know who you are:brow
My V-Rod buddy ALWAYS needed gas on early model! Remember we old HD guys only rode 90 miles at a time:lol

When I'm leading a ride I have to plan on a gas stop every 100 miles to accommodate Sportsters and Vrod's smaller tanks and range. I can get around 200 miles out of my tank.

[msnden]

A lot of Harley "Bashing" but I do not understand how anyone who has been around motorcycles for any length of time can deny Harley its heritage or its contribution to motorcycling, It is truly a great motorcycle!!!. Talk to any new owner of an Asian Cruiser and by the time you read this they will have told you, at least once, maybe twice, at how much it looks like a "Harley.
Do I own one? No, is there one in my future? I don't think so, (but not for the "Basher" reasons) Would I like to own one? YES (an early to mid "50's" model) a true work of art. IMOP, "Harley is to motorcycles" as "Apple is to pie. "
BTW, didn't a "lowly Harley" place fairly high in the recent Iron Butt? we do not hear much about that. Den

[Rapid_Roy]

IMOP, "Harley is to American motorcycles" as "Apple is to American pie. "
Fixed :stick Even then, down south, they might say pecans to pie.
In general, I agree though. I have done work at 2 of the 3 HD buildings here, and it is cool to look at the pictures.


BTW, didn't a "lowly Harley" place fairly high in the recent Iron Butt? we do not hear much about that. Den You don't hear much about that here because this is a BMW forum and HD has no final drive. :laugh

[hlothery]

It's almost all the same, with every marque. I recently have owned a Yamaha V-star 1100, a HD Anniversary Road King, and my RT. Each marque has its drawbacks, its diehard fans (and bashers of others), its maintenance delimmas, and its alarmists seeking redress for perceived manufacturing defects/oversights. Each marque has its rules, its uniforms, its preferred code of personal conduct. I, personally, think that the thing that is neat is the ride. I have enjoyed the many miles I have put on each bike I have ever owned, and have met nice folks and not so nice folks on each. I think that is called life. Who knows what I will ride next?..........:bikes

[pj1150r]

hey,folks,im the one who started this thread,i just wanted to tell a story. I dont hate harleys,they just dont make one im comfortable on.My best riding partner rides an 07 roadglide,he will put more miles on than me this year,mostly because hes single. What i was making fun of is the badass attitude,my bikes better than yours thing. The only thing i really hate is the loud look at me pipes. The image thing is just comical.Once a guy in a leather vest and pants asked me why us beemer guys got all dressed up to ride. i replied, i dress this way for safety and comfort,why do you dress up that way? He could not answer me and walked away.Heres something else, i know people who have ridden all there lives wearing a ff helmet,but when they bought their hogs,they either wore no helmet or a little black beanie,and they know better! When i ride i meet harley riders at rest stops and they are usually friendly and have nothing bad to say about my bike. Of course its different some places,like bike nights,where all the bad boy pretenders hang out,but ive been to 2 of them,thats enough for me!How many road kings and electraglides can you look at? So,to summarize,the harley riders i meet on the road are usually just that,they ride! The poseurs hang out near their homes and at bars or trailer their bikes. This is true with any brand. Harleys have improved so much over the years,we really cant use that reliablity thing anymore,can we?

[Mongo]

Of course its different some places,like bike nights,where all the bad boy pretenders hang out,but ive been to 2 of them,thats enough for me!How many road kings and electraglides can you look at?

You are going to the wrong bike night

Bike night in Lowell mass- more metrics than anything else!:D
http://home.comcast.net/~kevin.g.grant/lotsabikes.jpg

[bikerfish1100]

just a little tale:
I used to ride H-D, back when they were a bad (ass) bike (Shovelhead era). Then I got a beemer, just to check them out. A freind or 2 ranted and raved about them, and I had a few extra $ in my pocket, so said "what the hell, let's give it a try". Then i got another beemer (damn /6 detent spring went bust). Still had the Glide. Then I got another beemer (previous one got shot out from under me by a left turning cage). Still had the Glide.
3 years later, still had the Glide, still had the R100RS. But the RS had accumulated 40,000+ miles, and the FLH only had added about 2,000 miles. Hmmm.
So when people asked why I kept the Beemer, and sold the Harley, I would tell them:
"Whenever I want to go from here to there, and don't care how far away there is, the beemer does it better." Alternatively, it was "The only thing the Harley did better was be a Harley. When I needed a bike to be a Harley, or to go profiling down Main St., the Beemer wasn't so good at it. But when I wanted the bike to do ANYthing else- ride 2 up, go touring, ride solo, burn backroads, start reliably, cruise the hiway, travel to the next time zone, keep parts attached- well, the Beemer just did it better." :D

[79237]

When people notice my helmet or some other obvious clue and ask, "Do you have a Harley?" I've gotten good mileage out of this response: "No, I'm pretty comfortable with the size of my penis."

[Mongo]

When people notice my helmet or some other obvious clue and ask, "Do you have a Harley?" I've gotten good mileage out of this response: "No, I'm pretty comfortable with the size of my penis."

Sounds like a fixation to me.... I'm just sayin':D

[hlothery]

You know.....when I was riding the Road King I was not unhappy with it, in fact it was a great bike. It did shake a bit, and was a little noisy for my tastes, but I liked it. I was on the Harley Tech Talk forum, and the question came up about what metric one would buy if they had a mind to. One of the more respected wrenches on that board said immediately, new R1200RT. I thought, hmmmm....maybe I'll go ride one of those. The rest is history. :heart

[535is]

You know what has impressed me the most about this thread? I am absolutely floored by how a 5-month-old thread was seamlessly resurrected and went on as if the discussion had never lagged between May and October ... :huh

[kbasa]

You know what has impressed me the most about this thread? I am absolutely floored by how a 5-month-old thread was seamlessly resurrected and went on as if the discussion had never lagged between May and October ... :huh

Go check the Baiku thread. It's probably four years old. :ha

[rkasal]

When people notice my helmet or some other obvious clue and ask, "Do you have a Harley?" I've gotten good mileage out of this response: "No, I'm pretty comfortable with the size of my penis."


That's even better than my "No, I don't own a motorcycle trailer" or, "No, I haven't reduced have of my intellect, don't have a tatoo, and don't have a big patch on the back of my jacket or vehicle proclaiming that I am a biker."

I like yours better. Your statement that is. :-)

[97077]

No real men and woman just ride. PERIOD!

[535is]

When people notice my helmet or some other obvious clue and ask, "Do you have a Harley?" I've gotten good mileage out of this response: "No, I'm pretty comfortable with the size of my penis."
I like to say, "I've got a life; I don't need a 'lifestyle'."

Alternatively, I'll mention that I own more Harley stock than they have involved in their Harley - and encourage them to keep buying that licensed merchandise for their girlfriends. :D

[BradfordBenn]

Its got two wheels, it is a motorcycle.:bikes

[Rod Sheridan]

I've been riding for 43 years on most of the brands available at one time or another and am getting fed up with this stuff. The most common thing I hear the HD people ever say about the BMW crowd is that they tend to be stuck-up, opinionated jerks with a misplaced superiority complex who only care about themselves (and those who are exactly like them) and look down upon everyone else. I'd have to say this thread justifies that view to a large degree.

You've heard the H-D crowd actually talking about BMW riders???

I'm amazed. We tend to forget that BMW's are so low on the radar, that even riders forget that BMW makes bikes.

I find that most people never even think about BMW when you mention motorcycle, so I doubt if any bike owners spend much time bashing us.

Are BMW owners arrogant? On the average yes, do we have good reason to be, no. We complain about the HD riders all looking the same, yet my riding friends all claim that BMW riders dress the same.

I was once at a non marque specific rally and someone came up to me and asked if I owned a BMW, startled I replied "yes. how did you know?". His answer, " I thought you owned a BMW based upon your goofy floppy hat". I was wearing a wide brimmed cloth hat, with a few non BMW rally pins.

I guess all BMW owners do dress alike..................Rod.

[Cliffy777]

A lot of Harley "Bashing" but I do not understand how anyone who has been around motorcycles for any length of time can deny Harley its heritage or its contribution to motorcycling, It is truly a great motorcycle!!!. Talk to any new owner of an Asian Cruiser and by the time you read this they will have told you, at least once, maybe twice, at how much it looks like a "Harley.
Do I own one? No, is there one in my future? I don't think so, (but not for the "Basher" reasons) Would I like to own one? YES (an early to mid "50's" model) a true work of art. IMOP, "Harley is to motorcycles" as "Apple is to pie. "
BTW, didn't a "lowly Harley" place fairly high in the recent Iron Butt? we do not hear much about that. Den

What blew me away was the fact that the guy did it on a Sportster IIRC.

[sector]

You should ask yourself what all the women are doing, yeah? Why else worry about being a "real man"? The fastest growing motorcycle demographic are women buying Harleys. Sorry, that's the state of things. Harley is going after that cause they are smart. I'm a woman. I had a really hard time finding am adventure touring/DS bike that fits me. Luckily BMW made the F650 GS. They quit however. The idiots. Any F650 GS that ever was made sold before it hit the showroom floor. Duh? There is a market out there that HD only realizes exists. Cept, HD seemingly has no care for the adventure touring female market, and why should they? They are doing fabulous!

[BubbaZanetti]

Its got two wheels, it is a motorcycle.:bikes

wow brad,

good job, summed up in 8 (or 9 you grammar bitchez) words

and totally true

a good dude on a moped beats a db on a 50K custom any day :thumb

[carockwell]

140 MPH through the Mugello outside straight with your knee AND elbow dragging.....real men ride MOTO GP.

:bow

[BubbaZanetti]

140 MPH through the Mugello outside straight with your knee AND elbow dragging.....real men ride MOTO GP.

:bow

i did that on a Ultra Glide one time:kiss

[aaleonard]

I've got a r1200s and an fxstsi (an fx softail springer). I like them both, a lot, and they each make me appreciate the other one. Depending on what mood I'm in, I'll take one or the other, but probably 2 out of 3 times I'll ride the Harley. It's more comfortable and, to me, usually more fun. It's better for longer rides. What it doesn't do is handle nearly as well as the bmw, obviously. What I don't really get though is that the Harley does get way more attention, from men and women, even though the r1200s, in my opinion, is an exceptionally cool bike. As far as the "type" of people that ride Harleys, there are so many people that have Harleys now that its pretty hard to stereotype them. I think its probably easier to stereotype bmw owners. I would say that more Harley owners have respect for bmw's than bmw owners have respect for Harleys. And if you want to talk about a group that's really in their own little world, I'd say its the old Triumph / Brit bike "rockers." A lot of them seem to just hate everything not British and not made before the early 70's.

[dancogan]

... I would say that more Harley owners have respect for bmw's than bmw owners have respect for Harleys...

:clap :clap :clap

[hlothery]

i did that on a Ultra Glide one time:kiss

How big was the explosion?:nono

[Rapid_Roy]

What I don't understand is: what good is all that horsepower when you have sideboards that scrape if you try to lean?:scratch
I followed my brother and his wife on a 1340, and they weigh about 180 pounds together and wet.
My wife and I were on my much older /7 and we weigh a tad more than 180 together (alright, a lot more). I could have passed that HD on the inside on any corner, he was scraping up a storm. I even commented to my wife that maybe we should just pass them and meet them at the rally. I can safely say that model is not a sport touring bike. The sparks looked cool though and it did have a nice radio. I think the owners look for different things in different bikes.

[hlothery]

, I'd say its the old Triumph / Brit bike "rockers." A lot of them seem to just hate everything not British and not made before the early 70's.

Was up at Lukenbach several months ago, and couple of guys from San Antonio were up there on two old BSAs. They had fabricated parts for the primary covers and such, and oil everywhere. Really cool guys to talk to, they restore only Brit bikes here in SA, in a shop just behind the new HD superstore. Long way to ride on those saddles.....looked like real men to me!

[Mongo]

What I don't understand is: what good is all that horsepower when you have sideboards that scrape if you try to lean?:scratch
I followed my brother and his wife on a 1340, and they weigh about 180 pounds together and wet.
My wife and I were on my much older /7 and we weigh a tad more than 180 together (alright, a lot more). I could have passed that HD on the inside on any corner, he was scraping up a storm. I even commented to my wife that maybe we should just pass them and meet them at the rally. I can safely say that model is not a sport touring bike. The sparks looked cool though and it did have a nice radio. I think the owners look for different things in different bikes.

Funny thing is I hardly ever scrape. When I do it is at slow speeds like in a parking lot. While I don't always ride aggresively (it depends on my mood). I will when the mood strikes. If your technique is good, it shouldn't be that much of an issue. :dunno It never has for me but then I'm not afraid of sliding off the seat, to get enough body lean to stand the bike up and keep it from scraping. Two up I don't ride aggressively enough to worry about it.

[Rapid_Roy]

My brother is a very experienced rider. If he could have gone any faster, he would have been. My friends Sportster has no scraping issue. It is just the big ones with all the stuff on them and the big fairing and running boards. We were following a guy on one during the Slimey Crud Run. He had a laptop mounted on his handlebars, I think for GPS purposes. He was great on the straights but slowed us down in the corners. It was kind of pissing me off. That is where I get my kicks, I don't speed that much. I just don't slow down that much either. He was a good rider, I would think if he could have gone faster in the corners, he would have. I am sure I do the same thing to squids on Sportbikes following me.:laugh

[Mongo]

My brother is a very experienced rider. If he could have gone any faster, he would have been. My friends Sportster has no scraping issue. It is just the big ones with all the stuff on them and the big fairing and running boards. We were following a guy on one during the Slimey Crud Run. He had a laptop mounted on his handlebars, I think for GPS purposes. He was great on the straights but slowed us down in the corners. It was kind of pissing me off. That is where I get my kicks, I don't speed that much. I just don't slow down that much either. He was a good rider, I would think if he could have gone faster in the corners, he would have. I am sure I do the same thing to squids on Sportbikes following me.:laugh

I don't have a fairing, my footboards are in their highest position and my suspension is set up as firm as I can get it. I'm not saying a good knee dragger won't eat my lunch. I'm just saying the bikes aren't as bad as many would make them out to be

[OfficerImpersonator]

I wish I had had a camera with me 20 minutes ago.

I'm waiting to cross the street, heading back to my office with lunch. Coming down the street is a H-D painted a color I can only describe as "Barney Purple".

I was SO tempted to scream out, "HEY - BARNEY CALLED - HE WANTS HIS BIKE BACK!", but of course, it being a Harley, he wouldn't have heard me.

Man - was that ever an ugly bike!

[dancogan]

And we're so preoccupied with HD riders because? Let's think of some valid reasons: They outnumber BMW's about a bazillion to one; they have far better dealer support; their owners are proud of what they ride and show it; HD is a master of marketing, and it pays off in sales. I say :clap to HD.

[OfficerImpersonator]

And we're so preoccupied with HD riders because?

Because they have used their "Made in America" status to obtain market share they would not otherwise have if their products were made in Mexico. Wait - their products ARE made in Mexico! That they are ASSEMBLED in the USA seems to have little bearing on the purchasing power of patriotism.

Sure - there are likely BMW owners who own BMWs solely because of perceptions that things German are high quality precision machines.

Look at the recently released Michigan State Police evaluations of H-D vs. BMW police motors. The BMW wins in every category. Why is it even a contest? But H-D gets preference over BMW simply because a H-D is assembled in the US and a BMW is made in Berlin, Germany.

[RogerGS]

NOT SILLS!!!!!!!

I use Cleveland, but I just buy parts and accessories. I do my own maitenance and repair. My SO has an R1150R in the garge.

Prior to the new Cleveland shop opening, I'd ride to Wooster to get my parts and buy my bikes.

Remember, Methias (sp?) was not a dealer for a long time. I've heard a rumor they are again. This rumor is a few years old now, but they always had a good reputation.

Methias is an awesome shop. Great service all the way around.

[dancogan]

Because they have used their "Made in America" status to obtain market share they would not otherwise have if their products were made in Mexico. Wait - their products ARE made in Mexico! That they are ASSEMBLED in the USA seems to have little bearing on the purchasing power of patriotism.

Sure - there are likely BMW owners who own BMWs solely because of perceptions that things German are high quality precision machines.

Look at the recently released Michigan State Police evaluations of H-D vs. BMW police motors. The BMW wins in every category. Why is it even a contest? But H-D gets preference over BMW simply because a H-D is assembled in the US and a BMW is made in Berlin, Germany.

Sorry, but having visited the motor and drivetrain FACTORY while at West Bend, I have to take some issue with this. No, they are not 100% American made, but much more so than BMW!

[The_Veg]

I didn't see a 'Barney' bike today, but I did see a BRIGHT fluorescent-pink Road King pulling a small trailer that carried a matching metal-pig made form a 55-gal drum. I'm guessing that this guy was the smallest mobile-BBQ-rig I'd ever seen.

[Rapid_Roy]

I don't have a fairing, my footboards are in their highest position and my suspension is set up as firm as I can get it. I'm not saying a good knee dragger won't eat my lunch. I'm just saying the bikes aren't as bad as many would make them out to be
I know. I live near Milwaukee. :thumb
My brother has several, but they are all older. A couple of my cousins have 100th Anniversary edition big bikes.

[henzilla]

Because they have used their "Made in America" status to obtain market share they would not otherwise have if their products were made in Mexico. Wait - their products ARE made in Mexico! That they are ASSEMBLED in the USA seems to have little bearing on the purchasing power of patriotism..

well,well...Rotax engines in Juarez,Mexico....what's next?:D NAFTA is still lurking...an Austrian engine in Mexico... be careful my snobby brothers!

BRP Opens Mexican Plant

Oct 26, 2007


BRP today inaugurated its new ATV manufacturing and assembling plant in Juarez, Mexico; an investment of $36.3 million (CDN$35 million).

The event took place during an official visit from the Mexican Minister of Economic Development, Dr. Eduardo Sojo, José Reyes Baeza Terrazas, governor of the Chihuahua State and José Reyes Freís, mayor of Ciudad Juárez. They toured the facility accompanied by members of BRP's executive management team and representatives of the local media.

The 410,000-sq.-ft. facility employs more than 760 people. These employees assemble the Can-Am ATV Outlander and Renegade lines, as well as the Rotax engines that power them. It is the first time Rotax engines are manufactured outside of Austria and the first time engines and units are assembled in the same facility.
"I am pleased with what has been accomplished so far. In a very short period of time we've moved into a new facility, hired and trained our employees, and were able to start production on time, within budget and with the quality that is synonymous to any BRP product", says José Boisjoli, president and CEO, BRP. "By 2009, we expect that 85% of the Can-Am ATV production sold by BRP around the world will be manufactured here."

[Screamineagle]

Really?


At 65 MPH there is no difference in the vibration of my 2006 RT and my (ex) 2005 Sportster. Except the buzzing from the Sportster would eventually cancel out (about 75 MPH).

The Sportster was slow. I never had it up over 117 MPH.

The Sportster couldn't lean as much as the RT, and it really slowed me down when doing the Dragon. But it handles normal Colorado mountain twisties just fine. :dance

Funny thing how you'll see posts on this forum telling new BMW owners to get a new seat, bar backs, etc. You see the same posts on an H-D forum. I rode my Sportster for up to 680 miles in a day. Not as comfy as the RT for sure. But not "uncomfortable".


I've never seen one bike that can do everything that any other bike can do. Each has a purpose.

Is a pickup truck and better or worse than a luxury sedan? I guess it depends what you want to do with it. Same for bikes.

I don't understand people that have to bash at everything that is different. I just like too ride. :dunno



yeah, what he said

[glurkus]

The quote is "He's not prejudiced, he hates everybody" is a line from the movie Dirty Harry. But I digress.

I know of two long time HD riders that got tired of their ride and bought BMW's. I don't know of any BMW riders that switched to HD.

I had my old '78 80/7 in a parking lot with several HD's when someone walked by and said "Nice Beemer", completely ignoring the other bikes.

I live on a road that winds through a state forest, and there is one particular turn that seems to eat motorcycles about 6 times a summer. In the 15 years I have lived on this road, every bike that has lost it on this turn has been a Harley, no squids on "rice rockets" and no Beemers.

I have seen many riders on HD's that do not know how to ride, and I think it is that middle aged men and women, who have little to no riding experience, buy a Harley because of the "cool factor" and think they can hop on and just drive the thing.

Most Harley riders I know look down on the Japanese bikes, but accept BMW's as equals.

[henzilla]

[QUOTE=glurkus;253632] I don't know of any BMW riders that switched to HD./QUOTE]


I do:clap , he now owns a Softail, and I have a GS! We swapped! He said it fit what he wanted to do better at this stage of his life and his wife would ride with him now, and I wasn't riding it as much as the Beemers ( we are both 50ish).

[Godfather]

Back to the name of this thread..."Real Men Ride Harleys"....Real men, and women, ride what the F$*#@ they want! As long as they are riding and not "posing" Who cares? Most of my riding buds are on other marques, mostly HD. We allways have great rides and trips together. It is funny though, when we are stopped somewhere, most of the attention is shown to my RT...:bikes