Why I like Motorcycles

Interesting conversation regarding the social club of Harley owners and riders.
The philosophy of motorcycle riding...is it by it's nature a social endeavor?
Can an introvert find a place in this World?
For me, it's quite the opposite. As I don't socialize all that well in person, I do better communicating in writing than conversation. Donning a helmet and gear is a buffer against true socializing. I typically tour alone, and social contact along the way is minimized...my goal was never to stop and smell the roses, it's been to keep moving...focusing on the road ahead leaving social insecurities in the rear view mirror.

Human beings are social creatures, we're not designed to be solitary souls. I don't recommend it, having companionship with friends that you can open up to and share a more intimate side of yourself is the healthier alternative. If owning a particular motorcycle brand makes, if nothing else, a conversation starter, a common denominator, and a reason to pull over and stop by a dealership to shoot the breeze with locals...I think that's a positive.

 

That "anti-wear coating" is actually hard plating of the cylinder bore. So technically it's not a pressed sleeve but the cylinder is still "sleeved" in a very hard material coating. The point was that a "aluminum bore" would be destroyed by a steel piston ring.

The bore and piston rings must be of similar hardness or the piston rings would remove metal from the bore. In truth for many of today's internal combustion engines the cylinder bore is much harder than the piston rings so that the rings are sacrificial which is what they should be. That is why on many current engines there is no cylinder wear even after hundreds of thousands of miles of driving. Even in the past some high end engines chrome plated the bores to eliminate wear as chrome is much harder than steel.

Of course if this plating (or other hard coating process) is scratched then repairing the bore typically requires pressed in cylinder sleeves as re-plating/coating would be very expensive.

 

No, but the social network of the Harley Owners Group can be very influential.

For example if I wanted to "ride" Europe and was going to travel to Spain I can contact the HOG chapter in Madrid (CL GEN. ALVAREZ DE CASTRO 26, MADRID, ESP 28010, 34914471759) and meet up with their members when I'm there. If I'm going to Tennessee or Arizona there are several HOG chapters in each of those states.

No other motorcycle manufacturer offers the social network that Harley Davidson offers through it's HOG chapters that are located everywhere in the world where Harley Davidsons are sold. I've owned numerous motorcycle brand but none have the same "social" component of ownership that Harley has. Even non-motorcyclists will often approach a Harley rider to chat, share local information, and just be friendly and I never experienced that to the same degree on other motorcycle brands. On other motorcycles I've owned I was pretty much on my own wherever I went and that is not the case on a Harley.

No, it isn't just psychological but instead there is a very real difference in owning and riding a Harley because it's definitely about more than just riding on two wheels. It's about a lifestyle that revolves around people that ride the same motorcycles and that share a common social bond that no other brand really offers. Virtually anywhere in the world that a Harley rider goes they are a part of a family and are personally welcomed by the other members of that family. It about more than just owning and riding a motorcycle. it's about people.

 

I think yer maybe half right.However Steve McQueen liked his motorcycles
as an escape.To get away from it all.To be a little of the rebel.Like in some of his
movies.
Roy Rogers did the same thing.Bucked the notion you had to wear a helmut.
Liked to go out on long rides sometimes just to find a place with scrumptious
Pie.That's how I am.I couldn't care less about riding in a group.
The few big charity runs I took seemed kinda surreal.They didn't feel right.

 

At least or me, and riding is a personal experience, it's a combination of being a loner and a part of a social group at the same time. I rarely do group rides for example. I've only been on perhaps two HOG rides in ten years and I do one charity ride a year (for the Seattle Children's Hospital) but basically don't enjoy group riding. On the other hand I do often stop at Harley dealers when touring to find out local information and to chit chat with other riders (including the staff) at the dealerships. My actual riding is generally alone as I have this uncontrollable "what's down this road" compulsion. LOL

 

Nothing but a flying death machine if you ask me

 

Anyone been able to get their bike out so far this winter? I've been able to go out a few times here in NW MO. 40 degrees isn't all that bad with a good leather coat, face mask, and quality gloves.

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I prefer '2-wheeled coffin'

 

There was considerable resistance from the "push-rod" Harley riders when the overhead cam water cooled "Revolution" engine was introduced with the V-Rod but it was unwarranted condemnation. The Revolution engine is a very good engine that V-Rod owners will attest to. Over time that hard core resistance has been pushed aside because of the reputation being established by the Revolution engine and the V-Rod.

What I believe we're seeing today is the acceptance by the Harley crowd that Harley did need smaller "mid-sized" Harley's and that the smaller Revolution engine will be just fine for those motorcycles. It did sort of suck that a die-in-the-wool Harley owner couldn't purchase a Harley for their kids because even the 883 Sportster was too large for a young kid to start out on. They could have bought a Buell but a Buell wasn't a Harley so they were basically stuck with buying "metric" motorcycles. Nothing wrong with Buell or "metrics" (I owned a lot of metrics before buying a Harley) but they weren't Harleys.

 

Oh hell yes I've been riding. Unless there is snow on the ground I love taking my Harley out as often as possible. Even a light rain doesn't deter me in the slightest although it gets the bike very dirty and I have to wash it (so it can get dirty again LOL).

BTW I have a tradition of always riding on New Year's Day even if there is some snow on the ground (I don't go far with snow though). Only once when it was snowing heavily did I not get the bike out of the garage and I went through withdrawals like a heroin addict on that one day. I did manage to get it out the following day though!!!

 

My Qlink is parked for the winter...and I have decided. I'm upgrading come spring. I want a BURGMAN! Specifically, a 2007+ Suzuki Burgman; an Executive would be nice (they have ABS, adjustable windshields, and power-folding mirrors), but I'd be perfectly happy with a regular model. A 650 would be nice (there's just something appealing about a scooter capable of 120MPH!), but I want a 400 for the better mileage, greater storage capacity, and simpler drivetrain (the 650 uses a wet clutch and electronic CVT).

 

Lucky man! We're getting some decent snow this year, a lot of cold days too, opportunities to ride are few and far between.

 

Living in Arizona during the winter would be better. LOL

 

It hit 45 degrees today, so I got to cruise around for a few hours. I saw something that reminded me of a question I meant to post in this thread.

I was turning at an intersection when I saw a guy with a sign trying to hitch a ride. He stared at every passing vehicle, except for me of course. I thought to myself, "well, that's another plus to riding a bike". But then I remembered how Peter Fonda picked up the wierdo hippy guy in Easy Rider. That led me back to wondering - Why the hell was Easy Rider such a popular and iconic movie?!?!?!

I watched it for the first time several months ago, and couldn't get over how terrible it was, and how God awful the sound track was. What gives, why did anyone give a crap about this movie?

 

Because Jack Nicholson was the "hitchhiker" of course. Wouldn't you pick up Jack? Of note Nicholson played a "straight guy" in Easy Rider and not a hippie. Dennis Hopper was more of the hippie-biker type in the movie.

Of course the movie was a success because it addressed the bigotry of the South at the time (that hasn't changed much based upon beliefs expressed by Phil Robertson). It was far more than just a motorcycle movie.

 

Because they were all stoned!

 

.........and here we are 45 years later and in WA where I live we can finally go to a local store, buy marijuana, and get "stoned" today. Can anyone say, "It's about time!!!"

 

Jack's character was tolerable, I was talking about the weird commune guy they picked up first.

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Incredibly stoned!

 

Very,extremely,almost mind-numbing { which is actually what PoT does }
terrible idea.The push for lessing pot laws is no different than the push to
indoctrinate an entire Society into a reality show mindset.meaning to Dumb Down.
No faster way to dumb down and virtually destroy any appetite for going out
and making a success our one's life,than to take up Pot.Marijuana literally destroys
motivation.It creates a climate of just saying ta hell with it.Let's break out a
joint and enjoy laying back and laughing or just goofin' off.Lay back and get stoned.
One isn't gonna git stoned and write an essay.Or read a big novel.Because you can't.
Getting stoned is good for listening to rock music or watching cartoons,even an
adventure flick or horror movie.But NOT for wallpapering a room,or laying roof.
Or painting a room,fixing a toaster,rewiring an amplifer or changing out the spark plugs
on that jalopy.In fact,one immediately LIMITS their choices in Life,once they Cop
that buzz. I oughta know.I was a regular pot user for near a quarter century { 25 years }.
Yeah ... there are those who insist Life is a Bowl of cherries when you got yerself a
bag { Ounce of Pot }. Life IS your Oyster then. Everything is just swell when you got a
little stash.In fact,that is Pot's inner Beelzebub talking.The devil's weed.
Once on the stuff about the only real thing one becomes expert at is procrastination.
Or maybe knowing how to stuff one's face as if in some Hot Dog eating contest from
Coney Island.I oughta know.Been there done that.There are 2 kinds of Pot users.
The kind that can take it or leave it and the kind that can't.That's it.I swear ta God.
If yer one of the unfortunate ones who can't take pot and also leave it, You are
forever doomed to a life,under the hammer & sickle of constant wondering about how
much Pot { stash } do you have left.Where are you gonna cop the next bag at.
How much better is the grade of pot.Can I afford the better stuff.Will my connection
still have any of that really great redbud left,by the time I get off work or maybe this
weekend.If I can hold out that long.Weed dependence doesn't give a fig how long you
can hold out.It's already got you in it's clutches.It has already taken hold of yer senses.
The only sense that makes any sense is having more or better Pot.Is that the charm of
pot.To hear Pot tell it.Yessum, Pot does talk.It's constantly in yer mindset,tempting and
plotting for whatever agenda to establish free time to get layed back and goof off and
cop a buzz.
No Sir ... Pot is worse than any Beelzebub.Because once it has captured yer fancy,it
never lets up.It is akin to being a lifetime chain smoker.Just as addicting,just as
psychological and just as mean-spirited.That bag of weed doesn't care if you get
busted or fired from yer job.Even if you get ripped off.And trust me,any regular Pot
user will surely as God made little green apples,have to face getting ripped
off.Getting shorted on an ounce or paying too much.Maybe getting some Kansas Green
instead or that advertised killer Sinsemilla that smells like Puna buds and kicks in
like A freight train riding on cotton candy pink rails secured with gold spikes.
A ride to Nowheresville.And back. For more.Always for more.

 

This is absolute BS based upon political propaganda unsupported by any factual evidence. Pot smokers are no more or less successful than anyone else in society. Two out of the four last US Presidents during the last 20 years were both admitted pot users (Clinton and Obama) and if becoming the President of the United States can be used as a "measure of success" then the recent statistics over the last 20 years indicate that pot smokers are more successful than non-pot smokers as only about 30% of Americans ever smoke pot.

Many of the most successful people in America smoke pot and this runs across the spectrum from writers, artists, musicians that we might associate with smoking pot to attorneys, doctors, police, scientists, engineers, and even judges.

Going home and having a few hits of pot after a hard day at work or school does not in any way reduce the motivation of a person to succeed in life and the actual relaxing effects can actually contribute to the success of the individual. Many of the highest stress endeavors of the person actually require the release of stress that a person encounters on a daily basis that they can achieve with a few hits of pot in the evening. In the past it was the "martini" while today many prefer the effects of pot and pot is far far superior when compared to a martini by all standards.

Please stop reading spreading the political propaganda from the 1930's that has been proven false for decades.

 

In - Easy Rider -Nicholson was by that time an advanced Pot head.He confessed to his
addiction to weed in a Playboy article.Hanging around the Beat { Beatnik } crowd
in the late 50's at little Cafe's { like in the Roger Corman flick - Bucketfull of Blood - }
rehearsing how Cool it felt to be truly free and Stoned and ready to knock Hollywood
over with a feather.
Dennis Hopper { who directed - Easy Rider - } was given a camera and
small stipend to shoot the movie.Hopper also confessed that the great Pot
scene in - Rider - where Nicholson gets stoned for the first time { He character was a
jaded Boozer of a country lawyer } alongside a nice campfire out under the open
Plains and vast starlight night,took around 100 joints.I couldn't believe that when I
first read it.But Dennis wasn't one to just make up stuff.That of course also included the
entire cast and crew.But still ... aroundf 100 joints to do the greatest pot scene in
filmdom.
I wonder if Beelzebub was mentioned in the films credits.

 

We can also note that Nickelson, Hooper, and Fonda were very motivated and successful individuals in their careers.

 

Little Dennis { a huge drinker,like a case of beer a day } almost dint make it.
He had to change his party lifestyle or else.I'm not sure how much Pot had to do with
it.Pot IS a gateway drug.Take up Pot and one will easily be temped to do Acid { LSD }
and then pills.Look at Jerry Garcia.Eventually going from just a mellow chubby
Dead head Pot and acid-tripper into a full blown Junkie { heroin }.
Jane Fonda had a rich successful Father.Fonda was not part of the Nicholson
Beat crowd. { Sally Kellerman { Hot Lips } and Karen Black were.
Again watch the little Corman gem {A Bucket of Blood } } to get a rough idea'r.
Corman had a huge part to play in Jack Nicholsons career.He instructed jack
on how to take parts in movies where he has minor scenes throughout a movie.
That way he can collect union scale for the entire film.
Nicholson actually was brought up NOT knowing who his real parents were.
He had to read about it in TIME magazine.In the Mid 70's. He was told his
Grandparents were his parents.He finally found out his " sister " was his real mommy.
Imagine smoking a joint and finding that out.Talk about a bad trip.
Pot isn't supposed to give bad trips.Like LSD.

 

Again there are 2 basic Pot Smokers.Those who smoke and can go/do without and those
who smoke and CANNOT Do without.
A Pot head is one who cannot go w/o their Pot.
Very,very,few Pot Head are successful in Life.

 

Alcohol was my gateway drug, along with many of my friends at the age of 16. After seeing my Father come home from work and have a beer on the front porch, he never abused it but he did say that it tasted especially good on hot days.

Oh, I enjoy motorcycles.

 

Things don't necessarily appear as easy as we see.
I grew up in an environment of cocktail and bridge parties.
My parents either had or went to a cocktail or bridge party virtually every week.
The movie - Days of Wine and Roses - display this very effectively.Jack Lemmon
plays a ritzy Ad Exec who is in charge of making sure his Ad Agency pleases their
clients.Which means plying with Booze and Broads and parties.
It just takes a few beers { No one I know ever liked their first Beer } to grow
into a compulsion.That's what happened to me.I never drank as much as a beer
till almost halfway thru my senior year in high school.By the summer I was a full bore
little alchy.I needed to get boozed-up,virtually every night.I never smoked pot
until I went off to a very liberal University. I chose a party college.Playboy magazine
Rated Dayton U. as the biggest party college in the U.S.
It wasn't long before my first joint { I dint get high till about my 4th joint }.
created a compulsion.So the first 3 times I smoked Pot it did nothing for me.
But once I copped my first buzz { laughed uncontrollably } I was hooked.