Originally Posted By: Tim H.
Originally Posted By: andrewg
It's funny now how the Harley attitude of being a 'tough' guy and looking unshaven, rough, and rather nasty....now finds a backlash of folks getting rather tired of the whole thing. If people that ride Harleys....especially those with the 'sinister' look (complete with the dorky fake pony-tails, wallet chains, and head sock to cover the bald spot) want real respect and acceptance from mainstream, family folks....perhaps smile once in a while and clean the look up a bit. ......
This is whats so funny about people around here. Sayings like "Harley Attitude".. Funny that I see so many people on "Metric Cruisers" that look, talk, act, and smell exactly like those "Harley Riders"... So either someones trying the "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery" saying, or maybe its just some people in general, no matter what they ride, are just slobs. I guess every guy in the world who rides a Gold wing is upstanding, friendly, non drinking, non imposing to everyone else in the world. Hardly...
If you have ever ridden a Harley, you would understand its no different than why someone would only ride Crotch-rockets or Brit-bikes or gold wings. Its a personal preference to a distinct style of sound, feeling, and ride that each one gets from his/her own bike. And if you think HD riders are 'stuck up' or "holier than thou", wait till you come across the average BMW rider....
I'll offer some more opinions here since this is what this thread is about. No insults intended....I agree that for the most part many folks on 'metric' cruisers do indeed wish to emulate the Harley crowd....and yes, they are every bit annoying with the very dated 'rebel' thing going on. But I don't think they are a 'wanna be' rebel or fake cruiser just because they ride an metric bike. Heck, many of those large metric cruisers cost as much as any Harley....and they are just as legit as any other motorcycle. Harley doesn't 'own' any title in my book, except perhaps as a bike for folks that want attention and acceptance among other Harley admirers. There are so many Harleys out there these days that they hardly qualify as anything original or special in my book. But that's fine.....it's just not my thing nor do I feel the Harley 'image' is really a good one for motorcycling.
And no, all Goldwing riders aren't always going to be model citizens. But odds are they don't subscribe to an attitude and culture that is akin to barbarism.
I have ridden all kinds of bikes with various displacements, engine configurations, as well as foreign and domestic. Some are great to ride and some aren't. I don't stick with ONLY one bike brand.....that would be boring for me. I love Triumph Bonneville's.....but I liked my VTX 1800 too. Interestingly, I do not like racing style bikes AT ALL. I do marvel at the technology they put into them, but after riding one once I decided they are not my kind of bike. Many foolish young kids ride those things like they are never going to die (but of course they do....in rather large numbers). And I have been around BMW folks. They all seem nice to me. Never had one treat me poorly (or pass me on the shoulder like many Harley riders have).
No, I like almost all types of bikes. It's just the prevailing culture and attitude of Harley riders that after twenty five some years since their rebirth, I have really become tired of the annoying loud noise, the immature 'bad-boy' outfits, and the overwhelming saturation of the marketplace (Harley everything....t-shirts, watches, boots, jackets, truck models, hats, and everything else under the sun).