Visited a H-D Dealership

[Royal Tiger]

The whole biker bullshit redneck confederate flag flying inbred meth mouth thing is a turn off, regardless of make they chose to...I use the term loosely.....ride.   I gave the cruising thing a try, rode a Honda VTX 1300 for three years and yes it was a so called copy cat caused it SUCKED just as bad as every HD I tried.   Honda got that HD function down just right!

Cruisers, riding in formation or large groups definitely isn't for me and I'm willing to live & let live but sadly it's the typically HD mounted mouth breathers that keep on with their dim witted crap.   About the funniest thing I've witnessed happened here in Nor Cal was  when an ape hangered potato putz machine riding clown flying the stars & bars took his hand off the left grip to flip me off ( I was on my vfr at the time ) and nearly crashed when he hit some rough pavement.  

There are assholes everywhere but these guys go out of their way to diminish the inherent brilliance of the human species.

 

I would be more OK with their "rolling roadblock" formation riding if they would willing yield to faster traffic.  Nothing like a pack of them doing UNDER the speed limit on a twisty road and holding everyone that can lean up.  I thought the first rule of motorcycle riding was don't ruin the other guys ride?  No one says they have to get over their heads for the sake of someone else, but arrogantly slowing down and making hand gestures to faster riders is fostering the "brotherhood"?  

[Rattlehead]

This makes me chuckle a lil bit -- first, you post about people being narrow minded and target fixated so they buy an HD, then you state that "surely," another rider must agree with you.

Blaming damn near anything to do with HD on what YOU perceive to be a generational divide is, er, inaccurate (I see many folks below 40 on them, and not a few in their 20s).

HD is not in business to further motorcycling, to hold closely to what YOU perceive a motorcycle to be, or for any other reason than to make money for their owners. If you were nearly as successful as HD in turning investments into profits, you'd likely be out riding somewhere exotic (hell, me too).

The halt pointing fingers and laughing at the blind -- I simply love irony.

Not sure I agree with your analysis but I can agree to disagree.

In all honesty, I can’t see how anyone who knows about bikes or knows about Harley (and their less than gleaming past) could find their marketing to be anything but revolting; enormously effective, but revolting none the less. This is my opinion though and should be taken as such.

You claim that my viewpoint, based on my experience, is totally off base and then back that up with your viewpoint, based on your experience? There’s that irony you love so much. I stand by my opinion based on what I have personally observed. Your observations are different. That doesn’t make either of our opinions or theories wrong, just not from the same perspective.  

I don’t expect Harley to totally conform to what I perceive a motorcycle to be. It seems to me though (again, my opinion) that they’ve focused quite hard on building what one generation (albeit a very large one with plenty of expendable cash) perceives a motorcycle to be, and made a LOT of money in the process. They’ve thumbed their noses at the rest of us though, or simply said, in not so many words, “if you want an American made bike you will buy what we think a motorcycle is because we don’t care what you think.”. The mismanagement and final closing of Buell reinforced that notion to me.
That kind of arrogance annoys me, especially from a company that faced death several times for building uncompetitive bikes (or most recently, from shortsighted greed), has had NUMEROUS failures and took 25+ years to figure out how to make a bike that stays together and keeps its fluids internal. Maybe in another 25 years they’ll figure out how to make more hp than Db’s (even at the current EPA limit) or how a fully functional suspension works (tounge placed firmly in cheek) .

[bomber]

Fair enough -- about the only difference between us is that you are far more concerned about other people's reaction to HD's marketing than I . . . . this isn't uncommon, as many sites have HD slagging threads -- they seem to make some folks feel good. Of course, you may be simply writing that way and feel completely different, as this is, as you pointed out, the internet ;-}

I've ridden a fair amount on an 09 Big Twin, and it's a great mile eater if you are on less than interesting roads -- that's not an application I am much interested in, but it's a great bike for what it purports to be.

Their marketing doesn't speak to me at all (nor to you, it would seem), but I don't think the Iron Tower is gonna miss having us for customers. They are doing just fine without us.

Oh, and btw, as a Buell owner, I, too, was very disappointed by what I feel was HD's very short sighted decision to shut the doors . . . .but again, they are in business to generate revenue and profit, and it's tough to argue with success . . . .

[Rattlehead]

Fair enough -- about the only difference between us is that you are far more concerned about other people's reaction to HD's marketing than I . . . . this isn't uncommon, as many sites have HD slagging threads -- they seem to make some folks feel good. Of course, you may be simply writing that way and feel completely different, as this is, as you pointed out, the internet ;-}

I've ridden a fair amount on an 09 Big Twin, and it's a great mile eater if you are on less than interesting roads -- that's not an application I am much interested in, but it's a great bike for what it purports to be.

Their marketing doesn't speak to me at all (nor to you, it would seem), but I don't think the Iron Tower is gonna miss having us for customers. They are doing just fine without us.

Oh, and btw, as a Buell owner, I, too, was very disappointed by what I feel was HD's very short sighted decision to shut the doors . . . .but again, they are in business to generate revenue and profit, and it's tough to argue with success . . . .

Think of my rantings as more of a "writing project" more than anything. In the real world I'm a pretty laid back guy and nothing really gets under my skin; on the internet I'm a keyboard warrior.   OK, maybe I'm just a long winded blowhard, but I'm OK with that too.
I actually find peoples reactions and opinion on the whole "Harley thing" to be very interesting. I like to study/ponder it in my free time. Me personally, I have very negative feelings about it (I tend to form VERY strong opinions about things I'm interested in) but it doesn't really affect my daily life, only my internet one.  
I'm always open to another point of view though, so long as the person can keep it civil and carry on an intelligent conversation.
Feel free to call me out on anything you disagree with.

[atadaskew]

The whole biker bullshit redneck confederate flag flying inbred meth mouth thing is a turn off..

I enjoyed my Harley but was going to sell it (before I could I was t-boned) because , well, it just wasn't my thing...

[Kootenanny]

In all honesty, I can’t see how anyone who knows about bikes or knows about Harley (and their less than gleaming past) could find their marketing to be anything but revolting; enormously effective, but revolting none the less. This is my opinion though and should be taken as such.

I disagree...I mean, advertising is what it is.  Marketers like to say, "Sell the sizzle, not the steak"--in H-D's case, they're selling a mythical "lifestyle" that only incidentally includes owning a Harley.  But, Suzuki does the same thing--only their "mythical lifestyle" is all about racing and performance (including a lot of bench racing).  It's advertising, pure and simple...perhaps mildly distasteful, but if you want to see truly disgusting advertising, look at the American pharmeceutical  industry (which actively promotes hypochondria to sell unneccesary drugs...).

[ConPilot1]

Well I know when I ride with my usual peeps, my buddies' wife Diane and I flip off entire H-D dealerships when we go by.
It's great fun, especially when there are pirates outside oooooooing and ahhhhhhing over their parked boat anchors.

Shes' bad. Total instigator but we have a ball when we ride together.  

She hates the f*ckers.  

[atadaskew]

She hates the f*ckers.  

I dunno man, that seems to be an extreme emotion.

Normally such emotions are a foil to cover up hidden desires.

Just sayin'...

[ConPilot1]

I dunno man, that seems to be an extreme emotion.

Normally such emotions are a foil to cover up hidden desires.

Just sayin'...

Well you go and try to pull that little bit of Freudian generalization on her.
Smart mouth her and she'd rip your head off. Just sayin'.


Nothing subtle about the woman that's for sure, but her and her husband Al are great people.
We've been riding together for a couple years and have a GREAT time together.

I've been trying to get them on STN but I don't think they have the time. I know Al lurks here and there.....

[atadaskew]

Well you go and try to pull that little bit of Freudian generalization on her.
Smart mouth her and she'd rip your head off. Just sayin'.

Just sayin', unless she got wronged somehow - a Harley dood kicked her puppy - that is an awfully strong reaction to something that really has nothing to do with her.

Going around and flippin' people off who have no idea who you are.  There's something underlying there.

[ConPilot1]

Just sayin', unless she got wronged somehow - a Harley dood kicked her puppy - that is an awfully strong reaction to something that really has nothing to do with her.

What are you another STN frakking armchair psychoanalyst now? Another expert on human behavior.  

It's no different than the usual tongue-in-cheek common everyday Harley bashing that goes on. Mostly all for fun, but yes, we really don't care to associate with them for
the various reasons that have been beat to death here.

Going around and flippin' people off who have no idea who you are.  There's something underlying there.

I'll make sure and let the next batch of pirates who flip us off know that you expressed dismay at that.

[Kootenanny]

Nothing subtle about the woman that's for sure...

I see she's a BMW snob...

[ConPilot1]

I see she's a BMW snob...

I don't blame her. That bike is the shit man. I think her and Al have 5 or 6 bikes between the two of them, and an old Honda 305 resto project in the basement.

[Kootenanny]

I don't blame her. That bike is the shit man.

I think you may have missed my point...

[Mr.Black]

I fucking hate those BMW bitch snobs!!!!

[ConPilot1]

I fucking hate those BMW bitch snobs!!!!

Be nice. these are very dear friends of mine. Almost family.

[Mr.Black]

Be nice. these are very dear friends of mine. Almost family.

I hate you for liking such people.

[Rattlehead]

I disagree...I mean, advertising is what it is.  Marketers like to say, "Sell the sizzle, not the steak"--in H-D's case, they're selling a mythical "lifestyle" that only incidentally includes owning a Harley.  But, Suzuki does the same thing--only their "mythical lifestyle" is all about racing and performance (including a lot of bench racing).  It's advertising, pure and simple...perhaps mildly distasteful, but if you want to see truly disgusting advertising, look at the American pharmeceutical  industry (which actively promotes hypochondria to sell unneccesary drugs...).

I despise all advertising. I find it almost insulting most of the time. Harley's advertising department just happens to be the most effective in the motorcycle industry.  
I find their particular style though to be arrogant, misleading and downright hypocritical at times. I mean sure, Suzuki plays the racing card but at least they have a successful racing history to back it up. There's substance behind the image (it's still annoying but at least there's something behind it).
Harley likes to portray themselves as this great American Icon with this rich history behind them when truth is, they've about went under numerous time for building total crap, for a complete inability to compete, or for pure and simple shortsighted greed (the most recent reason). Harleys "rich history" has been a roller coaster of modest successes and epic failures (VR1000 anyone?). It wasn't until they played the "lifestyle" card that they truly became successful. Their products alone could never seem to get them off the ground as a company. I have no respect for any company who's entire success is built off of smoke and mirrors or some storied past that only existed through rose colored glasses.

[atadaskew]

I'll make sure and let the next batch of pirates who flip us off know that you expressed dismay at that.

Does that really happen to you?

In my 25 years of riding in CA I have never had anyone, on any bike, flip me off.
Ever.

[ConPilot1]

Does that really happen to you?

In my 25 years of riding in CA I have never had anyone, on any bike, flip me off.
Ever.

California and Northeast PA are two very, very different worlds my friend. I've done both for extended periods of time.

Neither have I in CA.