Respect from Harley Dude

[NCBusa2001]

Hey guys. Chaparral has two "Harley" t-shirts that you might find decent. One reads "If they made an airplane would you fly in it." The other reads, "If they had more engineers that laywers they would have a better motorcycle." Might just buy one to make a fasion statement for $14.95 instead of spending $30,000.

 

[Deputy]

I've seen threads take lines like this on other bike forums. Quite honestly, it's pretty f-ing stoopid to bash fellow bike owners no matter what they ride. Lumping people into catagories of "these guys are a-holes because one guy didn't wave to me" or they're all pricks because they aren't driving (insert your bike of preference here) is a mark of immaturity just like the yuppy Harley owners who jumped on the "coolness" bandwagon. Here's the bottom line guys...we are ALL bikers. The common enemy is NOT each other. It's the
people who are ACTIVELY working against bikers by passing restrictive laws and doing all kinds of nutball manuvers while driving their 4-wheeled cocoons. Instead of making dimwit remarks against fellow bikers, I suggest you wander over to the AMA website and consider joining an organizartion that activley works FOR bikers. Take a PROactive stance instead of a reactive one.

Dep

 

[WWJD]

I agree with you fully on that Dep.
But there's truth in reality of statistics like:
7 of 10 harley owners resemble Willie
8 of 10 crotch rocket owners resemble a BackStreet Boy
older people buy Cadillacs
hotties drive Eclipses
etc etc etc
So it's not wrong to talk of these generalities. I'd be pissed to if Harley's in my town talked trash to me ALL the time like poor mikey.

Our individuality makes us unique yet not too interested in the other types, but that's okay. But fighting over the difference is like Oranges beating up Apples cuz their different.

To sum up, Silver/Grey is the fastest color.

hahahaha I do MY part by waving to absolutely everybody, but that will not change statistical generalities or how people respond to their own environment.

BTW I do look like a BackStreet Boy and so did 80-90 % of the sport rider guys I saw at Bike Night last Thursday.

my $.02

 

[Deputy]

WWJD: I understand what you are saying, but I resist every effort to be "classified" or "pidgeonholed". I'm no "type". I'm an Old Geezer (53) that rides BOTH the Busa and a Harley.
Like you, I wave at everyone. I have no idea what Willie or the Back Street Boys look like. Only piercing done on my body is when I need a flu shot each winter

Yes, have tatoos. Yes, have a goatee. Don't like helmets but don't like smooshed heads even more, so I wear one.
No leather (other than sneakers). The guys I ride with pretty much follow the same general pattern.
Hmmm...are we Old Geezer "Rebels Without a Cause"?

Dep

 

[Lazerblade]

Since I have ordered my Hayabusa, I have started to pay attention to how people respond to me while I am riding my Road King. Most Harley people wave back with the secret wave. The huge Zepplin Honda and Kawasaki people just don't notice... must be the DVD they are watching while riding in A/C. But, almost every crotch rocket guy or gal I wave at on my Road King waves back.

Like I said before, I feel that any kind of bike is better than no bike at all. Heck, I wave at bicycles.

 

[WWJD]

hahahahaha! I draw the line at bicycles because they don't seem to know anything about 'the wave'.

Out in the country in Iowa, EVERYBODY waves hi on the road: pickups, bicyclers, walkers, cows...
it's a friendly neighbor thang

 

[FLCN72]

Frankly I have a lot of respect for the Harley Davidson Motor Company. They make a ton of money, have a growing and loyal customer base throughout the world, and do produce some fine looking industrial art on wheels. People drawn to those products out of nostalgia, status, or a desire to harbor an image are no worse than we Hayabusa riders who are drawn to the appearance and potential of our bikes.

That being said, I'll admit that some Harley riders don't wave at anything other than cruisers and some only Harleys. Not all -- some. The best I can offer up is that some do and some don't. Which is also true of the people riding cruisers other than Harleys.

Sportbike riders do seem to try harder to wave at other bikers. Occassionaly it is obvious someone is busy shifting or something and will offer up a nod instead of a wave. But generally speaking, bikes with lots of plastic have riders who will wave to anyone on two wheels.

I try to be that way myself. Sometimes I get a wave in return or a nod. Sometimes I am ignored. Which is perhaps a bit rude. But I have never been subjected to verbal abuse of any kind because of my choice of rides. It has been clear to me that there is a rivalry between cruiser riders and sportbike riders. But in my experience this is mostly of the good natured ribbing variety.