Peacock or Newb...Exploring the Difference

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Reviving a thought from a previously locked thread may not be the best of ideas, but there was a thought that intrigued me. Please let's try to discuss this without Harley bashing. I think we ALL know that peacocks and newbs alike ride/drive every vehicle ever produced. Please leave your prejudices and preconceptions outside the door for a little while.

Back in the '80s, as a newbie when I first started operating a motorcycle on the street regularly, I had little idea what would constitute a particular "uniform." I rode a big-bore Honda, knew about leathers, but was basically too poor to even consider a leather jacket. I rode in what I wore every day. I was a welder in my early days and associated myself with a couple of Harley riders. Hard core, they were. Great guys. All their leather was functional and well-worn. Harley gear was too expensive for me and my buddys and we all wore pretty much what we had.

Fast forward to the 90's and my '85 ElectraGlide. I wore what "looked right." I didn't consider it a uniform, but as a protective jacket and chaps. I did a lot of highway miles and got a number of rocks and debris to the legs so chaps were in order. I didn't buy into the Harley mystique too deeply, but a person has to spend their money wisely, and full racing leathers would have looked pretty wrong on a touring bike.

Now I drive an older big-bore Kawasaki. I have a nice ICON jacket that matches, and I wear jeans and my old military boots. They just seem to look right together and provide some protection. The wife rides and has her modern fabric jacket with armor, along with sturdy leather boots that go up over the ankle. I would consider this a tad above the absolute minimum and not at all "uniform-like."

As humans we watch what others do and emulate. Nobody wants to be ostracized or ridiculed. It's innate, and we do it without really thinking.

In today's world where you can't walk five feet without being bombarded with advertising, and 90 percent of a motorcycle magazine is advertising, we are shown what is correct for the bike. Full leathers, edgey helmet and jacket graphics for the sport bike crowd. Touring jackets and matching helmets for the touring crowd, and a mix of 70's, 80's, and 90's wear from the old guys that still wear their old stuff. German bike riders where these things, Italian bike riders wear those things, American bike riders wear these other things. Likewise, pipes and windshields, and graphics, and tank bags, and tail bags, and electronics are used as accessories to each kind of bike. Each type bike has it's own style of accessories, and while may not used as a "uniform," the effect is inescapable.

Peacocks, on the other hand, are simply peacocks. They would strut and crow no matter what they were doing, whether on the road in full leathers on a fastbike or standing in the middle of a party talking the loudest about last week's trip to the Bahamas. It's a personality trait that is not associated with a particular car or bike, but may point that person to a particular car or bike (or clothes, or wife) to manifest it.

Eyerolls and tch,tch noises to the peacocks are understandable, but can we be that hard on newbies that are unaware and at the results of the industry advertising?
 
Someone has to pay the R&D on new stuff, it might as well be these credit card max-out wannabe trendsetters. This goes for stuff like computers, cameras, women's everyday clothes, etc.

IMO Army boots and jeans are timeless. Since you got the Army gear legitimitely and not from some fufu surplus store
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I can't see anyone messing with you.

My leather might be mistaken for regular fashion, probably only a rider would notice the subtle reflective piping on the seams, the armor inside, snug fit, or extra thickness of the hide. No logos. I ride a Yamaha Virago HD ripoff/clone for no other reason than it's a cheap beater and gets me on the road.
 
Tattoes and Harleys! A real Harley rider needs tattoes . If I buy a Harley I am Getting a tat. In real life what happened to just riding cause it is fun and not a fashion statement? A nice set of leathers can be a saftey item like a quality helmet. When I had a bike I wore a FF helmet and gloves and a leather M/C jacket for comfort and protection usually jeans hardly ever leather pants. When I see people out riding what ever kind of bikes I just hope they are enjoying themselves ,that is what biking is all about.
 
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i see no need to ridicule another rider because of the image they try to put on..real or fake,you can usually tell..been riding 36 years myself,consider myself a sport rider,like fast bikes..got to appreciate and support others who ride..the anti-motorcycle forces are gathering..remember two strokes?..next,remember loud pipes?....remember motorcycles?
 
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Originally Posted By: moontan
i see no need to ridicule another rider because of the image they try to put on..real or fake,you can usualy tell..been riding 36 years myself,consider myself a sport rider,like fast bikes..got to appreciate and support others who ride..the anti-motorcycle forces are gathering..remember two strokes?..next,remember loud pipes?....remember motorcycles?
I remember 2 strokes and loud pipes. I liked the 2 strokes. Now as I age I can live without the loud unless you are talking to me cause I can't hear very good anymore.
 
Ive owned motorcycles as common as a Honda and as exotic as a Gas Gas. I simply wear what works. That might be Snowmobile gloves when leaving for Daytona when its 6F or Hard Armour on the Gas Gas 300EC at an Enduro. It really doesnt matter to me if it matches the bike. Ive worn Kawasaki Green on a Harley and Harley Leather on a KLR650. I really could care less what others think, thats not why I ride.
 
i prefer stock pipes myself..stealth is where its at in the canyons..i do enjoy the crackle of drag pipes on a hog..once and awhile...or an italian twin at full song..i do miss the two stroke dirt bikes...
 
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Originally Posted By: moontan
i prefer stock pipes myself..stealth is where its at in the canyons..i do enjoy the crackle of drag pipes on a hog..once and awhile...or an italian twin at full song..i do miss the two stroke dirt bikes...


Just got back from an 80 mile ride on my '74 RD350. It's equipped with high performance expansion chambers and howls like a twin cylinder dirt bike when hard on the gas out on the highway. In and around town, at 3000 to 3500 rpm, it just purrs along quietly. I can be on a back road doing 45 to 50 mph and hardly hear the exhaust. Makes for a much more enjoyable ride for me and everyone else within earshot.

Same thing with the Valkyrie. All bite, no bark. Even when being wound out, it's not obnoxiously loud. You don't need noise to make power. Paradoxically, some of the quietest bikes are the most powerful while most of the noisiest bike are generally the weakest.

People have the freedom and choice to do what they want with their machines. However, when their choices and actions intrude upon the peace and comfort of others, it's unacceptable.

The law is beginning to crack down around here. Saw quite a few loud pipe enthusiasts filling out paper work with the local LEOs. It's about time!
 
Originally Posted By: Tree Hugger
In no way, are jeans sensible dress on a motorcycle. Zero protection.


They're better protection than wearing khaki cargo shorts on a hot day.
 
Noise is only one manifestation of Peacock-ism. Go-fast clothes, go-fast bike mods, the type of attitudes that come with youth and the ability to outrun everthing but a police radio, enough chrome to blind people, super wide rear tires, $6k paint jobs, extended swingarms, racing leathers, apehangers, etc., are other manifestations of the peacock.

How much of what we PERCEIVE as peacockness do you think is actually a new or recently-returned rider that only has magazines or advertising (or salespeople) as guidance. I can find it easy to believe that people are brainwashed into things they don't need or don't really like.

Is this Look At ME attitude something more youthful? Or moneyed? Or the coarsening and degradation and of our society?
 
Originally Posted By: Mr_Incredible
Noise is only one manifestation of Peacock-ism. Go-fast clothes, go-fast bike mods, the type of attitudes that come with youth and the ability to outrun everthing but a police radio, enough chrome to blind people, super wide rear tires, $6k paint jobs, extended swingarms, racing leathers, apehangers, etc., are other manifestations of the peacock.

How much of what we PERCEIVE as peacockness do you think is actually a new or recently-returned rider that only has magazines or advertising (or salespeople) as guidance. I can find it easy to believe that people are brainwashed into things they don't need or don't really like.

Is this Look At ME attitude something more youthful? Or moneyed? Or the coarsening and degradation and of our society?
Whose society are you referring to?
 
Originally Posted By: BigCahuna
Originally Posted By: Mr_Incredible
Noise is only one manifestation of Peacock-ism. Go-fast clothes, go-fast bike mods, the type of attitudes that come with youth and the ability to outrun everthing but a police radio, enough chrome to blind people, super wide rear tires, $6k paint jobs, extended swingarms, racing leathers, apehangers, etc., are other manifestations of the peacock.

How much of what we PERCEIVE as peacockness do you think is actually a new or recently-returned rider that only has magazines or advertising (or salespeople) as guidance. I can find it easy to believe that people are brainwashed into things they don't need or don't really like.

Is this Look At ME attitude something more youthful? Or moneyed? Or the coarsening and degradation and of our society?
Whose society are you referring to?


The one you and I are living in right now, of course.

For the most part I see a basic goodness still alive and well in America, but an awful lot of people getting more and more self-absorbed and self-important. We could debate how much, but I don't think many would argue the fact of it. Texting drivers, oblivious shopping cart drivers, line crashers, cell phone talkers stopping in the middle of a shopping aisle and talking loudly into their phone, ringing phones in a theater, rude people, poor manners, no respect for property or person, etc.

As it relates to motorcycling, I question how much of the self-absorption is caused by the peacock effect or by getting caught up in advertising fantasies. Do we shoot all the peacocks because they're so noisy and [censored] all over the place, or do we grin and bear it until they grow up?
 
Originally Posted By: BigCahuna
Must have been a sunny warm day in Canada.,,


A beautiful day as a matter of fact.
 
Being a peacock rider is an indication of some money to throw around to buy these glamorous outfits...and goes hand in hand with the expensive bike they ride.I've always been a budget rider...I wear what's cheap.

I am in the process of reinventing myself.The last 10 years I've been wearing my trials boots on road bikes,and dirt orientated pants too.Now I've got some (cheap) kevlar jeans,and some Chinese knock off Johnny Rebs.This is not to look cool - this is to be cheap.

By not spending all my money on flash riding clothes - I can afford to buy expensive oil...and get on the internet and talk about it to other oil geeks.
 
I dont think we should really care what a person wears when they ride. Whether they are "showing off" or trying to "look cool". Maybe it helps them feel good about themselves? Who are we to rain on their parade. I cringe when I see kids on sport bikes wearing flip flops, shorts and a tank top. I also get a kick out of Harley riders when they wear pirate outfits "for protection" then wear a beanie helmet of no helmet at all. (metric riders are also guilty)

Whats wrong with someone adding chrome to a bike or go fast mods etc etc?

I personally modify every bike I have ever owned. I want to get all the performance of of my bikes I can. I dont want my bike to look like every one elses. I buy seats, grips, and bars etc. to make ME comfortable. When new bikes are engineered for the 5'10" 180lbs male, that doesnt fall into my category. If that makes me a peacock, by virtue of the above definition, feed me some corn.

I think people need to worry less about what people are wearing and riding and use that energy to to ride more, ride better and ride safer.
 
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Cahuna, I put the pipe down 25 years ago, and it's not me that's consumed.

Personally, I don't much care about what people ride on or in. Having been poor at one time and wearing what I had, and then having the bucks to get what I wanted, I can see both sides and understand why people do what they do.

The point, if there was one, is to understand why people are doing that thing that is so annoying to a certain grouping of people...loud pipes and the bikes they go on. Or, that special variety of chrome that is most annoying.

To understand the people that are engaging in those annoying activities would perhaps make it more bearable. To think loud pipes are purchased because they sound good and are flashy is fine, but the same items purchased because of a need to be seen or heard, or on a specific genre of motorcycle is verbotten...kind of smells hypocritical.

We all understand the desire to make a bike our own, but how is it worse to spend big dollars on black leather and loud exhaust but just fine to spend the same bucks on different leathers and equally loud exhaust. Is it worse to buy these things to preen at a Starbucks with an Italian bike or an American bike. Is it more terrible to spend it from the wallet of a wanna-be or a new guy that simply thinks it's what he's supposed to do.

I have my opinion, was just wanting to know others. I say don't get your knickers so wadded up.
 
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