What would you have said? (Harley related)

[doug06z]

Recently went on a ride with a couple of co workers. Both ride a Harley 883 Sportster. Both know that I once owned a Harley Dyna Wide Glide. We meet at my place, as I back out of my garage on my half naked Kaw Z750, Mike (while strattling his 883) asks me "how can you go from this to that?" What I really wanted to say was, "I did'nt go from a girls bike to a Kawasaki but rather I went from a full grown Harley to a Kaw." But instead, my response was, "I can't afford a Harley at the moment so this will have to do." I honestly don't understand the mindset of some people. Do they actually feel better about themselves just because they own a bike that says "Harley" on the gas tank?

[UFO]

<--- Mmmm, buttery.

[1KPerDay]

 Mike (while strattling his 883) asks me "how can you go from this to that?" What I really wanted to say was,

"the same way you went from chicks to hairy russian guys."

[XLR8]

That stuff is all part of bike ownership. I think we all do it in one way or another.

[doug06z]

<--- Mmmm, buttery.

I was going for the "Extra" butter on this one

[doug06z]

"the same way you went from chicks to hairy russian guys."

Well, I see I raised a "hair"   That was my whole point

[M.Brane]

 My best friend rides a Dyna. We give each other shit all the time. It's all in good fun though.

[atadaskew]

But instead, my response was, "I can't afford a Harley at the moment so this will have to do."

Worst response ever.

[rockinjc]

I was once outside a HD shop picking up info on an ss1k and this dirtbag says to me that he just did not see the value in my Duc. All I could come up with at the time was that I really liked it.

Hours later the line came to me "By value, do you mean chrome?"  

But lately when a person says they like one bike over another I just say "horses for courses"

jc

[chornbe]

Bike snobs come in all flavors. Try showing up at the chest-thumping Harley events on a tricked out Sportster. I've heard every flavor of girl's bike joke there is. Not one of them has taken me up on the "title run to the end of the road" challenge yet, tho'.

It just ain't worth worrying over. Moving on...

[Scratch33]

We meet at my place, as I back out of my garage on my half naked Kaw Z750, Mike (while strattling his 883) asks me "how can you go from this to that?"

"It's not that hard, really - I just have to remember to be a little easier on the throttle."

[thatguy]

^^^^Nice.

I once went to Rockville Harley to pick up some parts.There was a few guys checking out a Confederate Hellcat (IMO a way cool bike) but when I pulled up on my '84 RZ350 they turned around and started checking out my RZ.I just smiled and went in and got my parts.The hell with the guys who're into the "Harley" thing.I usually say I was riding Harleys when they weren't cool to ride.And I still have more of them than you do.

[OrangeSVS]

I understand the distaste for the current sportbike aesthetic.  I really love aircooled engines... I don't think there's anything sexier than a bunch of fins hanging out in the wind.  When you think about machines and the bare bones basics of what power is, you got it in an air cooled engine.  Rheostats and transistors making up a little black box... blah.  It's a bunch of hocus pocus bullshit.  But yeah, some fins hanging in the breeze, that's something that anyone can understand.

But when you look at it, and think about what it's all about.... going fast, kicking ass... in that regard cruisers just don't do it for me.  It's not that they can't be fast... it's that they forsake simple basic premises of performance motorcycling... like the Porsche Cayenne.  It's faster around a course than a lot of sportscars, but the fact that it's an SUV turns me off... because for all that it is, it's deliberately less than it could be... and I find that to be a distasteful aesthetic.   Car & Driver's One Lap of America a few years ago had a pick up truck that basically mauled the hell out of vipers and vettes.  Again, I suppose that's admirable... but why aren't Vipers and Vettes packing that same juice in a tighter package?  It just kind of leaves me hanging.  I don't like it because to me it's not beautiful.. because it's not form following function... because they are leaving a lot on the table....

I had a point that related to this thread.  I am drink and I forgot it.  Harleys disappoint me.  It's not that I wouldn't enjoy the motor.. quite to the contrary, I think the motor kicks supreme ass... and I don't need fancy plastics either.  I just wish that motor were wrapped in the right package.

Truth be told, I fantasize about a guzzi crotch rocket.  Even if it's just 80hp and twenty grand, I'd consider it my dream bike... the kind of crazy crotch rocket I could buy now and still be riding at 180mph as a crazy old man 50 years from now....

[scott19]

My response would have been " Why would I pay twice as much for half the bike? "

[rabbott5]

A friend of mine always makes some sort of comment about his Harley over all other bikes.  I stopped by his house one night, he was working on the Harley.  A few other people were there.  He had his new box of parts (chrome thingys) and was putting them on.  It wasn't long and he started in on the Great American Bike and how much better they were.  It took me about 2 seconds to reply, "If they are so good, why do you never see a stock Harley.  As soon as someone buys one they start changing it."  The subject has never come up again.

[Scratch33]

He had his new box of parts (chrome thingys) and was putting them on.  It wasn't long and he started in on the Great American Bike and how much better they were.  

I would've just casually pointed out the "Made In" labels on all those chrome thingys.  

[ZZR Rob]

Not just the chrome things, more stock HD parts are out sourced to other countries than not.

[bomber]

For some harley riders (by no means all) HD ownership represents some form of long-held, deeply felt fantasy -- it's good to fulfill a dream, no matter what it is

me, I don't get the "if I couldn't ride a harley, I wouldn't ride" thing, but, on the other side of the coin, my wife and went riding with her sis and her SO earlier this summer (both on big twins), up in an enjoyable area near us (Kettle Morraine for you flatlanders ;-}  ) -- I kept the pace a bit below reasonable, stopped at every intersection, and made certain everyone got together with their feets on teh tarmac at every stop sign --

after about 30 minutes of this, sis-in-law and SO both commented on how extremely fast wife and I were going . . . didn't understand the joy entailed in such dangerous riding at all

it's a big world -- should be room for all kinds of joy, I'm thinkin

[2RR2NV]

Worst response ever.

i tend to agree, but hey, to each his own. i'd just say,'because i wanted to ride all the time not spend it in the garage." and with a smile to boot.  

[Zerosum]

My response would have been " Why would I pay twice as much for half the bike? "

Seriously.  Some pirate said something derogatroy about my Hawk the other day at a gas station.  Something about how tiny and toylike it was.  I said "Yeah, well it's faster than a Harley, handles better, and I bought it for about what you paid in sales tax on that that thing."    He didn't belive me, but I walked though the math with him.  $1500 / 6% = $25000, which is probably close to what he paid out the door for his giant, chromed-out turd of a bike.

Seriously, all three of my bikes (each of which I think is completely f-ing awesome in its own way) wouldn't buy a new Harley.  Not even close! How retarded is that?