explaining the Harley Davidson fascination...

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Originally Posted By: af0h
In '99 I had an 883 Sportster - for almost a year. After the 4th time in the shop (typical ride it then fix it), I sold it and bought a Yamaha 750 Virago. Well, 45,000 miles later and never failed to start, never broke down, never been worked on - except routine maintenance, never even a sputter. People commonly get 80-k to 90-k miles out of these motors before they even have to be touched.

I'm not a mechanic and don't like to have to work on engines any more than I have to. I like daily 'Start and Go Reliability'.
You just can't beat the reliability and performance of Japanese bikes - not to mention price.


Oh yeah, do I miss my Harley? Nope. Not to mention the fact that the Virago does the exact same thing, only more reliably and with less vibration, plus a more comfortable ride.

Due to circumstances beyond my control, I had to sell the Virage in 2003. Now I ride a Honda Metropolitan and also have a couple of chinese 2-stroke scooters. Wow, talk about a change of pace.


You, like me, know this (all your above statements) to be true. but im not going to hate on a guy for loving his hog. Same goes for Ducati.. there expensive to buy, often need repairs that are beyond expensive, they need recomended maintence more often than others, and in alot of cases are slower than most of the BIG 4.. but try convincing a Duc owner to switch to another brand.. pride of ownership is a force of nature for some owners, and in my observations especially so with HD guys. if someones happy with what they have, leave it to sales men to try and change there minds. Its not my place.

p.s. reguardless of my knowledge, and all there drawbacks.. i would still love to have a DUC in my stable :)
 
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Originally Posted By: OtisBlkR1
You, like me, know this (all your above statements) to be true. but im not going to hate on a guy for loving his hog.


Absolutely not, no problem with me at all. As long as a person rides, it shouldn't matter what it is. I'm just saying that - for me - HD was not a logical or practical choice.

I know many Harley riders that would quit riding completely before buying a Japanese bike - nothing wrong with that either, it's their choice. Now, they give me [censored] for riding a Honda scooter - who would've thought....
 
It's not really about the machine. It's about the bizarre, freak show that often happens around them.

I have a relative (by marriage thank God) that is over the deep end with the HD paraphernalia. Got the skulls all over his trash bike, wears the HD tee shirts, rings, bracelets, got the pierced ear, got the tattoos, and wears the ever scary skull dew rag over his face to go to McDonald's. Got the rottweiler, leather gear etc., etc. Alway bad mouthing asian bikes even though he didn't ride his HD for three months this summer due to mechanical problems. You know the type. A real class act.

Maybe I'm a little too "normal" to understand what the HD masquerade show is all about but hey, Halloween is only supposed to be one day of the year right? So, what's with the non-stop Village People imitations? What's the allure to make yourself look utterly ridiculous and demand to be noticed by riding a garish, obnoxiously loud bike? Isn't that more than a bit immature?

It's nonsense and people like that which give Harley Davidson such a bad wrap and make it rough for the normal HD riders.
 
Certainly not for me. Not into that culture.

My opinion....it is an image, culture thing.

No offense...that is what it is.
 
Originally Posted By: bonnie john
the bizarre freak show is what you let the j@ps do to your auto industry ...


Sorry all
27.gif
but I don't feel sorry for the American auto-makers at all. When you can buy a Japanese car for the same price - that's twice as reliable - and good for 100k to 150k more miles before any real engine work is required (yes, I know there are exceptions), you just can't compete with that.

The American big-3 all saw it coming - for many years now and did nothing to change it. And when they finally did try, it was too late.
 
Traded my '70 Nova (250hp 350, 3-speed on the floor, black bucket seats, ralley wheels, vinyl top, am/fm radio: the Gray Ghost) to my brother winter & spring quarters of my senior year in college for his 1972 1000cc kickstart Sportster (AMF-era Ironhead, available in two colors: a candy red & blue)...

Oh, that was one coldhearted $0b! Either it started on the 1st kick (when it was dead cold or completely warmed-up), or you started looking for a nearby hill or a couple of people to give you a push!

The fact that I was the absolute ONLY person (much less student) in Oxford, Ohio riding a NEW Harley Davidson was the real benefit. Lost track of how many times I had to ride back to my digs to pick up a second helmet so I could give a new lovely a ride. In February & March it was truely an icebreaker.

Now, when I'm asked why I don't ride a HD I can always respond "I had one, once."

Cheers!

p.s. It was stolen from his front yard, chained to a maple tree, the 1st weekend after we traded back: 2 years later it was recovered after an accident in Cincinnati (50 miles to the South) after being repainted the other (candy blue) color. My brother bought a new orange VW Beetle with the proceeds of the salvage sale
 
Originally Posted By: fuel tanker man
"Help me out here, what single cylinder Honda 250 will do 100 mph? I'm having more than a bit of a problem with that one too. I'm smelling a bull in the pasture here....." it's on your upper lip from nuzzling cow bottoms. Not to worry.

Yes, the 250XL's we had in the mid 80's really did do what the speed-o showed: 100 mph. A slight down hill grade helped a bit, but they would do it--no kidding.


FWIW, neither my '83 or '87 XL600 could exceed 93 mph with stock gearing. My '81 Yamaha XT250 would do 70-71, on level ground. I did have a KTM 640 that could get close to 100. Dual Sport bikes are not best suited for such speeds. I ran 16psi in the KTM tires.
 
I love all motorcycles and I agree, the Harley has "soul".

I think the Toyota Camry has no "soul". It's as boring and vanilla as humanly possible. Sure, it's a fine car, comfy, competent and quiet. Kind of like some foreign bikes.

My very favorite bike, The Aprilia Tuono also has "soul" and (lo and behold) it's a V-twin. I wonder what the connection here is?

Just my opinion, of course.
 
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Originally Posted By: Cujet
I love all motorcycles and I agree, the Harley has "soul".

I think the Toyota Camry has no "soul". It's as boring and vanilla as humanly possible. Sure, it's a fine car, comfy, competent and quiet. Kind of like some foreign bikes.

My very favorite bike, The Aprilia Tuono also has "soul" and (lo and behold) it's a V-twin. I wonder what the connection here is?

Just my opinion, of course.


Soul? That's funny.

It's a machine comprised of various parts that make it either very effective at what it was designed to do or, in some cases, mediocre at performing the same task. What you perceive as soul, is the figment of your imagination. A seed planted in your brain by someone wanting to sell you their product. Be it a slick magazine ad or a well rehearsed salesman.

Masking mediocrity by labelling it as soul sounds a lot like Willie G. speak. Smoke and mirrors pal!

By the way, associating an Aprillia with a Harley is like comparing a rapier to a stone axe. Please????
 
borat, grampi etc

imo SOME motorcycles have soul

it's an indefineable concept, bigger than life for some of us

it's looking after a bike which welds itself to you with idiosyncrises that would have you trade a lesser vehicle. it's a woman, coz "she" demands your fullest attention, whether for maintenance, repairs or just straight making her look her best

now i agree that the modern hd MAY not fit the bill for some folk

but that's because the hd marketing team have prostituted "true motorcycling" into a sanitised, ready to purchase, ken and barbie outlaw toybox, instantly recognising other ken and barbies and forming ken and barbie clubs with ken and barbie clothes, chrome, beards and boots

to me it's got to do with running against the crowd, part rebel, part anarchist, taking responsibility for yourself and your bike. your bike is part of you, you're a team, but your bike DOES NOT define you, it complements you. it's demanding of you, but if you're a good boy, she rewards you with great memories and a feeling of contentment with the days ride

my first hd, a new '90 lowrider sport was a p.o.s. that i dumped after 18 months. it was top heavy, plain and just failed to do it for me

but my 2nd, a brand new '92 fatboy has soul in spades, and still excites me when i ride her

ride whatever you like, you'll know if the bike has soul, coz it'll touch yours

and if it doesn't, well, maybe your true passion lies elsewhere ...
 
Originally Posted By: bonnie john
borat, grampi etc

imo SOME motorcycles have soul

it's an indefineable concept, bigger than life for some of us

it's looking after a bike which welds itself to you with idiosyncrises that would have you trade a lesser vehicle. it's a woman, coz "she" demands your fullest attention, whether for maintenance, repairs or just straight making her look her best

now i agree that the modern hd MAY not fit the bill for some folk

but that's because the hd marketing team have prostituted "true motorcycling" into a sanitised, ready to purchase, ken and barbie outlaw toybox, instantly recognising other ken and barbies and forming ken and barbie clubs with ken and barbie clothes, chrome, beards and boots

to me it's got to do with running against the crowd, part rebel, part anarchist, taking responsibility for yourself and your bike. your bike is part of you, you're a team, but your bike DOES NOT define you, it complements you. it's demanding of you, but if you're a good boy, she rewards you with great memories and a feeling of contentment with the days ride

my first hd, a new '90 lowrider sport was a p.o.s. that i dumped after 18 months. it was top heavy, plain and just failed to do it for me

but my 2nd, a brand new '92 fatboy has soul in spades, and still excites me when i ride her

ride whatever you like, you'll know if the bike has soul, coz it'll touch yours

and if it doesn't, well, maybe your true passion lies elsewhere ...



+1
 
Originally Posted By: boraticus
It's not really about the machine. It's about the bizarre, freak show that often happens around them.

I have a relative (by marriage thank God) that is over the deep end with the HD paraphernalia. Got the skulls all over his trash bike, wears the HD tee shirts, rings, bracelets, got the pierced ear, got the tattoos, and wears the ever scary skull dew rag over his face to go to McDonald's. Got the rottweiler, leather gear etc., etc. Alway bad mouthing asian bikes even though he didn't ride his HD for three months this summer due to mechanical problems. You know the type. A real class act.

Maybe I'm a little too "normal" to understand what the HD masquerade show is all about but hey, Halloween is only supposed to be one day of the year right? So, what's with the non-stop Village People imitations? What's the allure to make yourself look utterly ridiculous and demand to be noticed by riding a garish, obnoxiously loud bike? Isn't that more than a bit immature?

It's nonsense and people like that which give Harley Davidson such a bad wrap and make it rough for the normal HD riders.


If it's "not really about the machine" why be so judgemental? Sounds like your relative would have been an idiot even if they never invented motorcycles. I see the same freak show every time I go to the mall and I don't think most of them are Harley riders.

Live and let ride is my motto. I own HD, Honda, Kawasaki & BMW. Each of them thrills me in a different way.
 
bonnie john quote:

"to me it's got to do with running against the crowd, part rebel, part anarchist, taking responsibility for yourself and your bike. your bike is part of you, you're a team, but your bike DOES NOT define you, it complements you. it's demanding of you, but if you're a good boy, she rewards you with great memories and a feeling of contentment with the days ride"


OK, now I get it. What you're saying is that it's more of a mental exercise than it is reality right? I think that's what I've been saying all along. It's a fantasy. The machine is doing what you want it to, in your head only. Do you think the rest of the world is experiencing your euphoria as you deafen them with straight pipes and insult their vision with a bizarre display of land pirate antics and costume?

I swear, the more I hear from members of the flock and begin to understand how they think, the more concerned I become with the cult in general. Something is either missing or out of balance in a person's psyche to allow themselves to be drawn into the make believe world of bad boy bikers and spend vast amounts of their hard earned cash to accomplish virtually nothing. Weird stuff indeed!

It appears that Willie G's tentacles have spread far and wide. What are you all going to do when Willie puts out the order to start mixing the Koolaid?
 
Originally Posted By: SWSportsman
Originally Posted By: boraticus
It's not really about the machine. It's about the bizarre, freak show that often happens around them.

I have a relative (by marriage thank God) that is over the deep end with the HD paraphernalia. Got the skulls all over his trash bike, wears the HD tee shirts, rings, bracelets, got the pierced ear, got the tattoos, and wears the ever scary skull dew rag over his face to go to McDonald's. Got the rottweiler, leather gear etc., etc. Alway bad mouthing asian bikes even though he didn't ride his HD for three months this summer due to mechanical problems. You know the type. A real class act.

Maybe I'm a little too "normal" to understand what the HD masquerade show is all about but hey, Halloween is only supposed to be one day of the year right? So, what's with the non-stop Village People imitations? What's the allure to make yourself look utterly ridiculous and demand to be noticed by riding a garish, obnoxiously loud bike? Isn't that more than a bit immature?

It's nonsense and people like that which give Harley Davidson such a bad wrap and make it rough for the normal HD riders.


If it's "not really about the machine" why be so judgemental? Sounds like your relative would have been an idiot even if they never invented motorcycles. I see the same freak show every time I go to the mall and I don't think most of them are Harley riders.

Live and let ride is my motto. I own HD, Honda, Kawasaki & BMW. Each of them thrills me in a different way.


I have to agree with your comment about being an idiot even without his HD props.

Reality is however, that he's not alone. Idiots like him are a very common commodity and they seem to be attracted to the same idols of worship as he. I'll tell you, get a few of them together and just listen to the conversation. Mind controlled recitals of HD slogans, stroking each other's egos and bikes and a lot of virtually incomprehensible drivel. Really, it is embarrassing.
 
Originally Posted By: boraticus
It's not really about the machine. It's about the bizarre, freak show that often happens around them.

I have a relative (by marriage thank God) that is over the deep end with the HD paraphernalia. Got the skulls all over his trash bike, wears the HD tee shirts, rings, bracelets, got the pierced ear, got the tattoos, and wears the ever scary skull dew rag over his face to go to McDonald's. Got the rottweiler, leather gear etc., etc. Alway bad mouthing asian bikes even though he didn't ride his HD for three months this summer due to mechanical problems. You know the type. A real class act.

Maybe I'm a little too "normal" to understand what the HD masquerade show is all about but hey, Halloween is only supposed to be one day of the year right? So, what's with the non-stop Village People imitations? What's the allure to make yourself look utterly ridiculous and demand to be noticed by riding a garish, obnoxiously loud bike? Isn't that more than a bit immature?

It's nonsense and people like that which give Harley Davidson such a bad wrap and make it rough for the normal HD riders.


What happened? did he kick your [censored] off the planet...I'll bet 10 Yamahas you don't have the stones to say what you are posting here to his face....
13.gif
 
If people are that insecure that they have to worry about what other people ride or don't ride, then they have much deeper issues. This thread is comical. Get over yourselves! I've never owned a Harley, but grew up around peope who owned them. If I were in the market for a cruiser type bike, I would buy a HD. They are a great bike for slow putting with my GF. If I want a speed fix, I'll ride the Triumph.
 
Originally Posted By: PT1
Originally Posted By: boraticus
It's not really about the machine. It's about the bizarre, freak show that often happens around them.

I have a relative (by marriage thank God) that is over the deep end with the HD paraphernalia. Got the skulls all over his trash bike, wears the HD tee shirts, rings, bracelets, got the pierced ear, got the tattoos, and wears the ever scary skull dew rag over his face to go to McDonald's. Got the rottweiler, leather gear etc., etc. Alway bad mouthing asian bikes even though he didn't ride his HD for three months this summer due to mechanical problems. You know the type. A real class act.

Maybe I'm a little too "normal" to understand what the HD masquerade show is all about but hey, Halloween is only supposed to be one day of the year right? So, what's with the non-stop Village People imitations? What's the allure to make yourself look utterly ridiculous and demand to be noticed by riding a garish, obnoxiously loud bike? Isn't that more than a bit immature?

It's nonsense and people like that which give Harley Davidson such a bad wrap and make it rough for the normal HD riders.


What happened? did he kick your [censored] off the planet...I'll bet 10 Yamahas you don't have the stones to say what you are posting here to his face....
13.gif



Now, that is a typical response from an "over the end" Harley rider. I assume that you settle your domestic differences at home in the same manner.

Being that you obviously do not have the intellectual skills to discuss differences with others without resorting to thinly veiled references to threats violence, I'd like to leave you with this quote from Isaac Asimov, a well know and brilliant author:

"Violence is the last resort of the incompetent."

Now ask yourself if that applies to you? From your last comment, it's evident that it probably does. Something to be real proud of.

Get help.
 
Not sure what this thread has to do with oil. It's gotten way too semantic. Time to move on, before respect and reputation is irreversibly damaged?
 
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