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All the sh!t talk about Harley Davidison

Squidly McSmearstain said:
Like many others here I've experienced the "Harleys are the only REAL motorcycles" attitude. I've gotten the, "Why don't you ride a Harley?" question. I've even been on the end of a "You're just not man enough to ride a Harley Davidson" accusation.

Yes, this attitude sours me on the brand. The unbelievable ignorance displayed by the Harley crowd (riders and non-riders alike) is off-putting at the least and fucking irritating at the worst.

As a result, my Harley hate has very little to do with the bikes themselves; rather the attitude and idiocy of the sheeple who claim Harley superiority. If anyone has the slightest inclination to view a motorcycle as a performance vehicle, the whole Harley facade is ridiculous.

For me personally, I would never buy a HD product. Perhaps my attitude will change as I get older? For now, I don't care for the VOCAL MINORITY of the people who ride / love the brand and the ridiculous image that Harley continues to portray. I want a motorcycle. I don't want a piece of costume jewelery or a fashion accessory or an imaginary image so I don't want a Harley Davidson. Yes, Harley Davidson makes motorcycles, but the price (which has NOTHING to do with monetary considerations) is too high.

Just for the record......I don't own a Ducati or a liter bike from the Big 4 for the same reason. While the Harley crowd takes the attitude to insanely high levels, the attitude displayed by the Ducatisti and the squid patrol leave a sour taste in my mouth as well. Bench racing liter bike riders with no skills make me laugh in a sad way. In general, Hayabusa riders have simply become a punchline to a sad joke. Twenty something 600 riders with Icon vests and sneakers are simply pathetic and adding speakers and neon only make it worse.

Yes, I am a crotchety old man.

Signed,

The Highwayman II
Click to expand...

I take exception to the dominant Harley culture as it pertains to females (still to this day, despite some promising changes), and the sort of "patriotic" bias I see all too often couched in terms of "American Iron, "Jap bikes," etc. Just not my scene. Even if the bikes ran well and were worth the price, I still would not choose to be part of the Harley culture.
 
I always wondered what would happen if Pirates get in a fight with power rangers. My curiosity has been satisfied. :laughing
 
I don't buy bikes because of the crowd associated. I buy them because I like them.

I don't like chaps and tassles either, so I don't wear them just like you don't wear a tank top and vans on your r1.
 
Var, haha yeah!


Janna,

You can like, ride, buy, and enjoy a bike without being a part of its "culture."

I'm not a huge fan of the "Harley culture" either. I like motorcycles. I can appreciate a motorcycle for what it is and what it's good at, built for, bad at, etc. I *choose* to ride a Harley because of those same things, not because of the "culture" of those who ride them.

Hell, if you think you can't ride a bike without also liking it's culture, you'd never ride a Japanese bike in San Francisco without being asian!
 
Janna said:
I take exception to the dominant Harley culture as it pertains to females (still to this day, despite some promising changes), and the sort of "patriotic" bias I see all too often couched in terms of "American Iron, "Jap bikes," etc. Just not my scene. Even if the bikes ran well and were worth the price, I still would not choose to be part of the Harley culture.
Click to expand...

I've owned Harley products as well as a few non-Harley American v-twin machines and have successfully steered away from the culture. What you've said is a little like saying one would not buy a GSX-R because of the Gixxer culture.

It's not the bike, it's who you associate with. I ride my hard-tail to a mostly sportsbike oriented bikenite weekly and get nothing but "dude cool" about the chop as well as the comradeship of my peers.
 
Beauregard said:
I've owned Harley products as well as a few non-Harley American v-twin machines and have successfully steered away from the culture. What you've said is a little like saying one would not buy a GSX-R because of the Gixxer culture.

It's not the bike, it's who you associate with. I ride my hard-tail to a mostly sportsbike oriented bikenite weekly and get nothing but "dude cool" about the chop as well as the comradeship of my peers.
Click to expand...

That's because, ultimately, a motorcycle is a motorcycle and while people like to hate on and talk shit to everyone on the internet; In person, whether you like a specific bike or not you can generally find something attractive or appealing about it.
 
HD does have its fans...but I was surprised they weren't number one, to be honest:

http://www.sportrider.com/features/146_9812_motorcycle_theft/index.html

Top 10 most stolen models

Honda CBR600 (15.8%)
H-D FLS series (13.4%)
Honda CBR900 (8.8%)
Suzuki GSX-R750 (8.1%)
H-D FXS series (7.8%)
Kawasaki ZX-600 (5.6%)
Kawasaki ZX-750 (5.2%)
Suzuki GSX-600 (4.9%)
H-D FLH series (4.5%)
Yamaha FZR600 (4.5%)

I thought that 2006 article might be out of date, but then I found this:

http://brainz.org/what-most-stolen-motorcycle-brand/

"According to data published by the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Honda motorcycles are the brand most often stolen in the United States. From 2006 to 2009, Honda motorcycles accounted for 25% of all motorcycles stolen in the United States, followed by Yamaha (20%), Suzuki (17%), Kawasaki (11%) and Harley-Davidson (6%). All other brands combined accounted for approximately 10% of motorcycles stolen in this four year period."
 
It's pretty up to date because my full coverage insurance on my expensive (compared to a Honda) Harley motorcycle is damn cheap.
 
w00t...

finally honda beats harley at something....:cool
 
H muthafookin D
IMG00016-20100422-1152.jpg
 
Beauregard said:
I've owned Harley products as well as a few non-Harley American v-twin machines and have successfully steered away from the culture. What you've said is a little like saying one would not buy a GSX-R because of the Gixxer culture.
Click to expand...

I would not buy a GSX-R because of the Gixxer culture.
 
I was a Harley hater. Sportbike rider for years. Talked all the typical barf BS.

On a sportbike I always had to ride as fast as possible. Now Im married and have kids, got tired of riding fast and wanted to slow down before I got caught or hurt. Why have a GSXR10000 and not use it.

Bought a Harley.

Never had so much fun riding around the speed limits.

bike is just fun to ride.

yeah, some Harley riders are lame but, so are some sportbike riders. I will be the harley rider in full gear waving at all the sportbikes.

why hate. we all just want to ride.
 
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