Confrontation with Harley guy.

Well, actually he was cool. As I was putting on my helmet at Wal-Mart an older guy on a Harley dresser pulled up. He asked me if parking there (against the building, by the door) was okay. As he was walking towards the door he said: "someday you'll be old enough to get a Harley". I yelled "aaaaah- I'll never get that old!"   :biggrin:

I think that would be defined as an "encounter" rather than a "confrontation"....

Well, I'm 66 and still don't have any desire to ride a Harley.  No sense in slowing down before your time.  I'm wondering if I'll ever understand the Harley mystique.

[image: View Post]PACIFICMAN, on 20 August 2011 - 04:21 PM, said:

I think that would be defined as an "encounter" rather than a "confrontation"....

Okay.

[image: View Post]sarge, on 20 August 2011 - 05:27 PM, said:

....  I'm wondering if I'll ever understand the Harley mystique.

Mystique is mystique, not everyone gets it - true of VFR mystique too if I may say so   :biggrin:

I have owned 3 Harleys. I sold my 09 V-Rod Muscle and bought a 2010 VFR1200F. This bike is by far the most fun I have had on a motorcycle. No I don't miss any of the Harleys and I certainly don"t miss the noise.

I ride with a wide variety of people/bikes. On a recent ride with my HD neighbor next door, we met up with a bunch of HD guys that I had never met. One particulary "piratey" looking guy asked me how long I had been riding. I get that a lot with groups trying to size up a new rider in a group in an honest effort to know where to place them within the group for safety's sake. When I said I've been on motorcycles for a touch over 25 years he said he was surprised that I hadn't grown up and bought a real bike yet. Now I'm not against any type of bikes when I look at the "big picture" but I told him flat out that I will never grow up if that is what growing up means. After 25 years of riding, I know I want performance over appearance.

i get the same crap all the time.. and i build custom HDs but ride a vfr..
"why dont you get a real bike???"
i reply..
"because i am real man.. harleys are for "kittys", why do you think they vibrate??"

I have no problem with anyone or what they ride, and I have ridden with all sorts, and as time has taught me to select **whom(**to do with riders mind set while riding), and what type *bikes(*more to do with riding style allowed by the bike).
I did own a real American bike(Victory All parts USA made except for Italian Brembo brakes, and German forks>>>That's 2 parts) for a couple of years(unlike Harleys, 80% non US parts), but just couldn't get into the way it didn't handle, pumping out 1500cc is fun, but the rest of it sucks, and it had nothing to do with performance or maintenance problems, they just wobble under braking and turning, not to mention scrapping around turns(even with body leans).
But what I don't care for is the attitude they "try" to project, not that I even think they're right.....They think they're(Harley's) one of the 1st and only American bike and that it was WWII pride to own a Harley since the war was over. It was the bike that got the contract for WWII and that was the one they wanted when they got home. That pride carries on to this day, which is fine, but alot of new HD riders that buy their HD bikes today have gone beyond pride to the point of being a pain socially, that's ok, but I don't want to have to hear it for the 1000nt time it gets boring. I also understand that most peeps that own anything will find a way to defend it, and from there though time will actually believe their selves, and over look how crappy the bike really is, which comes to the V-rod which in my opinion is the best bike HD ever built, but the HD riders won't buy them they'd rather have the lesser HD's because of looks, but down deep inside they know that these bikes suck(meaning they need to get up to date).... So they know what everyone thinks about them and that's where the mouthing off comes from....DEFENCE......... So I try not to make them feel bad about their choice of ride, because that's not nice either..........
FYI...for the peeps overseas, this buy USA (HD attitude) started when Honda saturated the USA's motorcycle market(early 60's) which started hurting the HD sales, which I find ironic since 80% of the HD parts aren't made in the USA........ They were at 1st but not now........

Stereotyping doesn't always work.
One of my best friends and regular riding buddy has a 2008 1200 Sportster.
He was looking for:
Standard controls
Hard wheels
Not easy to find in today's marketplace. Most if not all the bikes he looked at either had forward controls or wire wheels or else were touring bikes or the so-called "crotch rocket" styled machines.
Honda didn't have anything other than $15,000+ ST1300, $20,000+ Gold Wing or the underpowered NT700V with luggage so he bought the Sportster. Loves it.
So far he has put 20,000 miles on it and his only "repair" expense has been a new battery.

I'm 61 yo and hear that same thing from HD riders sometimes - but I just laugh with/at them.  They are usually just kidding around with me.  For me - I have NO interest in ANY HD.  In the past 6 years, I've owned a mid-size Suzuki cruiser, a 1600 MeanStreak cruiser, a 650R Kawi, and now the VFR.  I would still choose any of those 4 bikes over any HD - but that's just me.  I have no intentions of ever owning a Harley.  JMO though - and I respect those that love them.  I'll wave as I pass them.  We can talk when I stop to take some pictures later. :)

The only things HD that ever interested me were Buells and the XR1200 (nostalgia, I guess). I did buy something from the local HD shop once - Buell footpegs for my VFR.

It comes down to the individual.  I've owned a few Harleys over the last few years and have ridden my VFR with a predominately H-D riding group.  A few good-natured cracks have been made both ways. In the end, they don't care what you ride, just that you ride and that your personality fits with the group.

Bikes is bikes! Some just better than others!   :biggrin:
I appreciate them all, just not the attitudes and not just HD riders have them!   :dry:

There are many real (HD) riders that can out ride half the folks here. A real rider is a real rider no matter what they choose as there tool.

Don't forget that VFRD is Not about bashing anyone, we are pro motorcycles, all motorcycles.
:beer:

BR

I ride Honda's , Ducati and a HD and I love them all !!!

If I still lived in the flatlands of the Dallas/Fort Worth area, I wouldn't hesitate to own a Harley.  Something nice and comfortable for cruising the long, straight, boring roads common to the area.  But, fortunately I live in motorcycle heaven and I don't have to make such a decision.

The difference between a Harley and a VFR is the difference between style and substance or hype and reality. If someone thinks adding square inches of chrome to an air cooled pushrod underpowered vibrating engine with a wallowing suspension and chassis thinks this kind of bike is superior then by all means to each his or her own. Just don't flip us off when we blow by you as you struggle around the bends. Like someone said, if I lived in flat land country a cruiser makes sense, but not here in the Pacific Northwest. The roads are made for VFRs and such.

And finally, a VFR is style meets substance. I think they look better than a cruiser too. It's about riding not posing. The only stock cruiser that holds my interest is the Diavel. VFRs are probably still the best all around motorcycle made. Not the fastest, not the flashiest, just the best.

2 wheels=FUN no matter what.   :cheerleader:

Like many others here my VFR is not "the" only bike I own and I enjoy every one of them for their purpose.

I have nothing against Harleys, they're just not for me right now. I do recall that during my two trips to the dragon and environs, about the only riders I had to pass were those on HDs, and a lot of them, and I'm no Nicky Hayden. And most would not move over. Some even tried to block me from passing.

Wow.
I SO wanted to rant, but deleted 3 drafts.
Suffice to say: To each his own.  If you don't dis my ride, I won't dis yours.

[image: View Post]sarge, on 20 August 2011 - 05:27 PM, said:

Well, I'm 66 and still don't have any desire to ride a Harley.  No sense in slowing down before your time.  I'm wondering if I'll ever understand the Harley mystique.

Dito on age and desire.  I got yer back on that one

LOL... The Harley crowd thinks that we need to grow up and the GSXR,CBR,R1 crowd thinks that we are old!!!   :laughing6-hehe:

[image: View Post]GP Paul, on 21 August 2011 - 02:48 PM, said:

Wow.
I SO wanted to rant, but deleted 3 drafts.
Suffice to say: To each his own.  If you don't dis my ride, I won't dis yours.

Ha!  I do that all the time.  And also in this case - not worth writing down my feelings on HD guys (not all, but most, especially when they are in their 'pack')

But objectively, I recently road my friends $27,000 CVO Harley with the screaming eagle engine.  Engine was decent enough, but man, this things CANNOT stop and turn.  Seemed almost dangerous to allow such engine modifications but not brake upgrades.  For $27K, that thing should have some way to stop the freight train.

Not for me.

There are exceptions to all "types" of motorcyclists that can ruin the image for the whole.

I hope to never understand the entitlement that comes as a factory option on some Harleys, just like I hope to never find myself acting like the jackholes I see on some sport bikes.  Live and let live, ride and let ride.

Now those Jeep guys on the other hand...don't get me started on those clowns.   :fing02:

[image: View Post]Baileyrock, on 21 August 2011 - 10:16 AM, said:

There are many real (HD) riders that can out ride half the folks here. A real rider is a real rider no matter what they choose as there tool.

My neighbour just bought (last year) a fully-loaded Ultra Glide (I think ... not too sure about the Harley models).  Very nice bike for touring, I imagine.  ABS, creature comforts (stereo/MP3 player), nice hard bags--no oil leaks.  I'm told that HD's have come a long way in the last decade with regard to technology and reliability.  Having said that, if I had that much to spend on a large touring bike, it would be a Goldwing or a BMW.
But to BR's point, a good rider can ride the wheels off most any bike.  You've probably seen something like this before, but check out this motor officer's run on a full dress police Harley.  Impressive, but the scraping (footboards? Exhaust pipes?) is a little off-putting.

I am ok with the "real" Harley guys, the ones that can kick start their HD's, but some of the "other" Hardley guys make me shake my head...  A few years back, a buddy and I were on the BRP and came around a blind right hand turn to see a Harley had run over a mountain biker, the biker was on the side of the road with obvious leg injury, the Harley rider was there with him providing help.  We pulled past them to the straight and pulled over to help.  While talking to the guys a pack of Hardley riders came around the corner, the first guy stopped to look, the other two did not and ran into him (low speed) and feel over. so we sent one guy to slow people down before they came around and added to the mess.  As we were helping them out of the middle of the road, another pack came around the corner, they tried to park on the side of the road, and one of them feel over trying to park his bike.  So we got them all back on two wheels and took off, we had seen enough Harley logo cloths and chromed pig iron for one day.

[image: View Post]Baileyrock, on 21 August 2011 - 10:16 AM, said:

Bikes is bikes! Some just better than others!   :biggrin:
I appreciate them all, just not the attitudes and not just HD riders have them!   :dry:

There are many real (HD) riders that can out ride half the folks here. A real rider is a real rider no matter what they choose as there tool.

Don't forget that VFRD is Not about bashing anyone, we are pro motorcycles, all motorcycles.
:beer:

BR


Amen! Well said. Monk too!   :+1:

I really enjoy looking at HD's. A lot of them are really pretty bikes, especially the baggers. I have ridden a couple of buddies but, they are really heavy and rediculously under powered for the displacement. Pretty to look at, I don't love to ride them.

[image: View Post]FHR, on 22 August 2011 - 03:00 PM, said:

[image: View Post]Baileyrock, on 21 August 2011 - 10:16 AM, said:

Bikes is bikes! Some just better than others!   :biggrin:
I appreciate them all, just not the attitudes and not just HD riders have them!   :dry:

There are many real (HD) riders that can out ride half the folks here. A real rider is a real rider no matter what they choose as there tool.

Don't forget that VFRD is Not about bashing anyone, we are pro motorcycles, all motorcycles.
:beer:

BR


Amen! Well said. Monk too!   :+1:
Bailey and I said the same thing..The only difference is that I'm retired and don't have a life, so I can spend more time on my "tiping" (typing, someone told me I should be putting An "I" after my "T's instead of my "Y's"..... Where as Ms Etiquette (Ann Landers book says, if we live in other Countries long enough to pick-up their proper customs it excepted to use in any country we are in........Just saying........ Because this is the kind of thing we have to live with, if it's Typing,eating,wearing a baseball cap correctly, wearing full leathers only,wearing shorts/T-shirts,blowing people up for different beliefs,etc.).

Ain't it great that we have choices for bikes and friends.  Not so sure I have met my favorite yet ....................of either. Sure is great to meet new folks on the road no matter what they are riding.

A little cross breeding is good for the species.  Hell I might even learn something. :cheerleader:

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