Motorcycles

All of these are excellent reasons for the motorcycle selected.

Yesterday I took a 30 mile ride to lunch destination and was thinking about the post I made about riding my old Yamaha 70. The speed limit on the route I took was mostly 35 mph with a couple of 40 mph stretches and one 50 mph stretch for about a mile. All in all this was a route that my little 70 cc Yamaha would have handled perfectly even though it's top speed was about 45 mph.

Slow is cool and many seem to forget that fact.

I also have a story to share about my Yamaha 70. One time the guy I was living with when in college and I took a ride to my brothers. He had an old Harley 50cc and I was on my Yamaha. It was about 50 miles each way and when we got there my brother was at a friends house and his friend had a Harley but it was torn down for repairs. My brother's friend laughed at our little motorcycles to which my brother calmly said, "They're riding and you're not!"

Its always about the riding regardless of what a person is riding.

 

Nice. I'm a big fan of the dual sport myself. I purchased a XR650L last year and couldn't be happier with it.

Parked off of my favorite trout stream

 

One of my riding buddies rides an xrl.. great bike!

 

Once again selecting the perfect motorcycle is greatly affected by lifestyle and the purpose that best meets the riders needs. In this case a duel sport is the best solution. I always love a good trout stream and fly-fishing but I'm strictly catch and release as I don't like salmonid fish species to eat. Now a good catch of crappie and dinner is on.

 

It's basic as in most things in life.One is seldom ever gonna fall in love with the first
pair of dress shoes they buy.The first car.The first truck.A first date.A first hamburger.
So too with a motorcycle.I mean,why should a motorcycle be any different.
Therefore just experiment.Take the plunge.
That is why I basically Loath ALL Harley owners.They view the entire motorcycle
experience differently.They have their Ideal bike all selected and it's a certain Harley
model and that's gonna do it for them.It's actually kind of a form of mental illness.
Like the ideal Wine.or beer.Yes there are One Beer types out there.They are basically
very provincial and unsophisticated.The kinda people who were brought up to distrust
\ stuff like mushrooms.Or shellfish.
Live and Let Live does not exist in the mind of Harley addicts.
That is why every chance I get I wanna pick a fight with a Harley guy.The bigger
the better.The bigger the more stupid.Like a Cartoon character.

 

I've got some harley buddies, too.. i wrote this last year to razz them.

a dirt biker walks into a bar..

Where i live there are a lot of harley riders.. they cruise around on the weekends, go up to jerome, ride around in the mountains.. and just get out & enjoy the road. I always wave to them, but many are hanging on so tight they can't wave back. But i figure we are kindred spirits.. wild motorcycle riders with the wind in our hair & bugs in our teeth.
One time, i decided to drop into a harley bar. I had never been to one, & thought it would show solidarity with my 2 wheeled comrades.. we could cuss the cagers & debate the merits of oil. So i got on my hog.. well.. a yamaha 250 dirt bike, but it's MY hog.. and as usual, with me it is ATGATT*.. i had on my dual sport helmet, compression jacket, moto boots (white), knee braces & moto pants. I usually wear a leather jacket over my compression suit when going on adventure rides. I had on street gloves, with the carbon fiber knuckles. So i go in all suited up, to show that i'm a real biker, too. I even backed my bike into the parking lot like they do. I see the harley guys giving me mean stares.. must be a local custom to look & act tough, so i adapt & look mean, too. I belly up to the bar & order a beer. Before i get it, a couple of guys come over & start pushing me. At first, i'm surprised, but then i realize they must be helping me test out my gear! So to get into the spirit of it, i run into them, & they pick me up & throw me across a table. Furniture is breaking up like a western saloon brawl, and i get up, unhurt. I raise my hands to show i'm ok, & a couple of other guys grab me & throw me across some other tables & chairs. I get up again, the gear is doing it's job!
This goes on for a few minutes, but i'm starting to get tired of it. I know they mean well, & are certainly enthusiastic about helping me test the gear, but i'm getting a few bruises & the landings are taking it's toll. It's hard to speak with all the commotion, so i just run outside & jump on my bike.
They are into it, & follow me. They want to go on a ride! Well, i was glad for that, as the gear testing was starting to wear me out. Nothing like a good ride to clear the mind. I take off, with about a dozen guys following. I come upon a steep hill with some stairs down, & even though you're not supposed to ride on stairs, i figure the harley guys are rebellious & would enjoy some law breaking. So i turn & start thumping down the stairs. They follow, but some of them have trouble on the stairs.. about 5 or 6 of them fall over & their bikes slide on the hill. But many of them make it, & keep following.
Now i've got to think of another challenging section for our ride. I forgot my camera, so won't be able to post this in my ride reports, but it's still a fun ride. I remember some single track down the road, up the mountain & past the switchbacks. I have to slow down a lot to keep them in sight in the switchbacks, but i realize riders are at different stages in their riding ability so i wait for them. Finally i get to the single track. I turn down the trail, and only 2 follow. The rest turn back.. already tired? We're just getting started! This section has some rocks.. big rocks.. you have to pick a line & keep up your momentum. It is a short section, & comes out on an easy dirt road that i can go back home on. When i look back, there is no one following. I was paying pretty close attention to my own riding, & didn't watch them following. They probably turned back, too.
So i went on home, but remember fondly the time when a big group of harley riders helped me test my gear.

* All the gear, all the time

 

Yeah right.I get it.A Bruce Dern Biker movie.Same exact script.Or maybe Jack Nicholson
in one of his biker movies.Of course not to be confused with the Real exploits of
Hunter Thompson who rode a Triumph when doing his understudy research for :
- Hell's Angels -: The Strange and Terrible Saga of a Motorcycle Gang
It was Thompson's first published book and his first attempt at a nonfiction novel.
Both Hollywood Greats { Bruce Dern and Jack Nicholoson } made a few Biker
movies in the 60's.
Hunter liked his motorcycles but I don't believe ever owned a HoG.
He was a true Purist.Likes what HE Liked.Wasn't about to be Peer Pressured.
That is my entire point.
That is why I Literally wanna punch the gonads off most Harley Riders.
Their entire schtick is ALL Harley ... All the time.
I can't tolerate that sort of short-sightedness.
It's a form of mental retardation.Harleys aren't that good a bike.It's MYTH.

 

Near Jerome? My parents live in Cottonwood and I visit about once a year and stay at the Grand Hotel in Jerome. What a great little tourist town similar in many respects to Virginia City and Deadwood.

A couple of years ago I was considering buying the gas station in Skull Valley AZ (about 60 miles from Cottonwood AZ) and even got a "property report" from the Hell's Angels chapter located there. Who would have ever thought of contacting the Hell's Angels for a property report but I knew they had a chapter there and they were actually very helpful, advocating the purchase, but I eventually decided against it.

 

Talk about a myth. As a Harley owner I'm probably around more Harley riders than any non-Harley owner and I've never know any of them to disparage other brands of motorcycles.

We actually seek out other motorcycle owners in many cases because we support a lot of charity events and want the owners of other brands to participate as well. More than once I've been to the Yamaha, Honda, and Kawasaki dealers to invite riders of those motorcycles to join us for charity rides. These rides are NOT brand specific and anyone riding any kind of motorcycle is welcome. We have Goldwings and Duel-Sports participate and even the Harley riders are welcome. LOL

On road trips I've never seen any discrimination based upon brand of motorcycle. I've often stopped where other riders are stopped for a "good view" or something to eat and we mutually admire each other's rides. Just because I prefer a Harley for my own ride doesn't imply that I don't appreciate a crotch-rocket. Of course when I see someone on a crotch-rocket riding dangerously then I condemn the rider but not the bike. Riding stupid is riding stupid and I would condemn someone on a Harley doing the same thing.

As for the quality of a Harley it's an excellent V-twin pushrod engine. Harley had quality problems thirty years ago but today's Harleys are well designed and manufactured with quality built in. I don't personally know anyone that's had any mechanical or electrical problems with a late model Harley but I do know some with other brands that have had these problems.

A close friend had a 2007 Triumph with an electrical problem the dealer was never able to fix so eventually he traded it in on a Harley. Of course that's a British motorcycle and the British have never been known to understand either electricity or water. Most Japanese motorcycles seem to be of very good quality just like Harleys today are of very good quality.

The fact is that today most motorcycle brands are very good so saying one is better or worse than another brand is really being dishonest. It all depends upon what the rider wants and they should select the brand and motorcycle that best fulfills their personal needs. It doesn't matter if it's a Harley, Yamaha, or whatever.

 

I dint even bother reading past the first couple sentences.Whadaya think I was born
yesterday.Or last night.Just got off the Prairie.Any Motorcyclist who logs more than a
few thousand miles a year on a motorcycle,knows full well the snarky reputation
of the majority of Harley owners.They live to snub any bike that isn't a Harley cruiser.
With the possible exception of custom clone V-Twins.Like American Ironhorse or
Big Dog with S & S engines.Even then Harley guys just don't recognize any competition.
In their HoGish mindset,Harley's are the first and last word in Motorcycles { HoG heaven }.
Like I keep saying.It's mental with Harley owners.They are Stuck on Stupid.
There is no talking to a Harley owner.They aren't just stubborn but recalcitrant.
I've never seen anything like it.It's a total waste of time.However I do remember a time
about 8 years ago when I was out on a Saturday road trip with my Biker buddy and his
wife.He had his new Harley { Road King } which he was in the process of adding
every conceivable aftermarket part available.He eventually won some best aftermarket
cruiser prize at a Bike event the following summer.He still owned his ' 84 Shovelhead
which was running fairly well.We went to this new restaurant that had a mini zoo
on the large property.I remember there was a camel plus exotic animals.
When we arrived and parked our bikes there was a small group of bikers
who had their bikes close by and we started shooting the breeze.One had a Harley and the
other 3 had metric bikes.The guys with the Metrics were former Harley owners and
said how impressed with their metrics they were.And they started explaining how today's
Harleys have a lot of Japanese parts { like the electronics and brakes and most little
stuff { carbs,lines, etc.}.My Biker buddy refused to acknowledge that most on a Harley
wasn't American.I know he knew but he wasn't about to admit.He's one of those
sticklers for Buy American. If it ain't American he don't want it.
I think I'll take my cue and advice from real Motorcyclist like Jay Leno.
If anyone has earned a right to be a motorcycle snob,it's him.Yet he's anything but
a snob.Loves all motorcycles and talking motorcycles.
You'll be hard pressed to prove or provide many examples of Harley owners talking
about anything other than a HoG.

 

I've got to say, so far the snobbery I've experienced has been from guys who ride Harleys. Not all Harley riders I've met, but a lot of them. There definitely seems to a measure of chauvinism that comes with owning an HD, for some folks.

 

for the record, you will experience the same mentality from people in many areas where there are enthusiasts. You can't paint with a broad brush about all Harley riders but yes, there are those who think riding a Harley makes them special; so what.

You see the same attitude in automobiles for example, Camaro and Mustang owners with the V8 will sometimes crap on V6 owners and the V6 owners will complain.

Then, there are those who own bikes and ride simply for the pleasure and are oblivious to the bickering. We simply ride because we enjoy it.

Now, perhaps what you might be experiencing could be not so much the bike, but the demographic. No matter which bike I'm on, I won't hit it off with 18-22 year old males on sport bikes. I was there once myself and crazy but not any more. I'd rather discuss where to get the best pie, steak or coffee vs how long I held up my front wheel from the ground.

 

There appears to be an ironic hypocrisy in this thread where the only one's that seem to be condemning motorcycle brands and owners appear to be the "metric" owners condemning Harley's and disparaging Harley owners for allegedly condemning and disparaging of other motorcycle owners which hasn't occurred in the thread. Very interesting.........

 

You only notice this because you're the sole HD rider currently active in this thread.

 

I'm so confused. Only a real oldie can describe how I feel

[video=youtube;sbdtQ99yIUo]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbdtQ99yIUo[/video]

 

This is kinda like Obama politics.How Obama has managed to time and again
save face because he has a huge contingent { like Harley owners } backing his
every thought and action.Harley owners are in the slight majority.Not really,actually,
but in the public perception.Honda owners still outnumber Harley owners.Therefore
Metric owners no doubt outnumber Harley groupies.Making this a war between those
who defy this Harley MYSTIQUE { because that's all it is } Vs. those who just want a
a good,reliable motorcycle and bang for the buck.There is no way Harley is as
reliable as Honda.Granted Harley's sound much more machismo than the average
metric.That is their saving grace.Just like Obama sounds much more convincing than
a Mitt Romney.But that is my point.I doubt that a true motorcycle enthusiast like
Jay Leno decides on a particular model motorcycle based on sound and crowd appeal.
Yet that is EXACTLY what first time Harley owners seek.
I purposedly ignore how a motorcycle sounds.It means next to nothing.
Because that is how motorcycle buyers are STOOGED.Ogh ! if a bike doesn't
sound a certain way,they must be a weakling.That is juvenile.
No different than making the case that the best World Wrestling Federation
Wrestler is one who makes the most noise.
Did Andre the Giant make noises.Or for that matter ... Bruno Sammartino.
Wise Up !.

 

Not denying this but I'd say that I'm fairly representative of Harley owners overall because I know hundreds of them. Many own other brands of motorcycles as well as Harley's that they use for different purposes such a duel-sports for mountain riding. It's not unusual for a Harley owner to also own a Honda or Yamaha and in almost all cases they grew up riding motorcycle other than Harleys.

I just haven't seen the snobbery referred to except in very rare instances. We ride Harleys because they fit our riding needs more so than any other reason. Do we like meeting other Harley riders on the road? Sure, just like everyone else likes meeting other riders of their brand of motorcycle but we enjoy meeting virtually any motorcycle rider as well.

All motorcycle riders take pride in the brand of motorcycle they own. There is nothing wrong with that and it would be abnormal if they didn't. That doesn't imply that they don't appreciate other brands. I own a 1976 Triumph Bonneville for example and I love that motorcycle. It's a piece of motorcycle history just like my 1976 Harley SS-250 two-stroke motorcycle. I own a 1964 Motobecane moped and it is very cool and I've owned other 49cc scooters when I lived in Florida and they were cool. As I've previously mentioned I loved my Yamaha 70, and I also loved my Honda 175, and my Z1 Kawasaki, and a Yamaha 600 that rode for awhile.

Am I different than other Harley riders? I don't think so because first and foremost we simply love motorcycles. We just happen to ride Harleys today just like Honda owners ride their Hondas. There's no real difference between us because we all love our motorcycles. Two wheels is always better than four and it doesn't really matter what the name is on the side casings or what type or size of the engine in the bigger picture.

 

question; how do they duel while on a motorcycle? Is it like jousting from the middle ages?

[video=youtube;ShZXIG2C1uA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShZXIG2C1uA[/video]

 

I hear ya. I purchased a Yahama R1 as my first bike a few years back and sold it earlier this year. It was just a pointless toy, as I'm not a fast rider. I went with the XR650 instead, and am happy I did. Getting to the ol' fishin' hole got a lot easier ...I tend to throw back the brown trout I catch around here as well, but when it comes to Lake Erie walleye or perch, that's a whole other story.

I've only had 1 person really get into me about what I was riding (Harley rider), but in all fairness I think he was just drunk and looking for anyone to fight and was using my bike as an excuse to pick one. But, on the flip side of things I've been riding and had Harley riders wave me up to ride with their group while just out riding around.

 

LOL - got me there but I like the idea. I've seen harnessed motorcycles pull a chariot before.

 

I think this pretty much sums it up.

 

I am guilty of being a

 

This just hasn't been my experience as of yet, but then, I've been riding for less than six months. It'd be great if the HD riders I've met would talk motorcycles as you do, rather than talk Harley!

 

My only real complaint with Harley owners is the vast number of IDIOTS who run open pipes! That should bring JAIL TIME.

 

Let em have their fun.When a header or exhaust pipe Blues,that means the bike
is running too lean { HoT } and probably due to improper air/fuel ratio.
The engine will be running hot.I put cobra pipes on my Valkyrie Tourer and
of course had to Rejet.That model had 6 { one for each cylinder little carbs }.
I think it just called for rejetting 2 carbs.One on each side of the F6 flat six cylinder.
The bike sounded great at idle and way too loud if I goosed the throttle.
But the problem was the surge of power.Those aftermarket pipes hurt big time
my acceleration.because different pipes effect the correct air/fuel ratio and
therefore how the bikes timing kicks-in.That Valkyrie never ran the same.
I'd say it was 2 seconds slower in the 1/4 mile.I could feel it lag where before
it took off { surged }. The Tourer model { a 1500 cc } had the best big analog
speedo and tach.My Rune has digital speedo,no tach.
Plus if one opens the throttle when switching gears { you want to close the throttle
at the exact moment you depress the clutch and move up a gear } you'll
probably blue the pipes.