why do harley riders have an attitude

rocco · Post by **rocco** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 10:39 pm

hey all i just bagged yet another harley rider in the forum.....wanna know......why do they seem to have an attitude?

i know heaps of non harley riders who wave and pull up at the pubs for a few. These guys ride honda classics and vulcans etc. But the harley dudes seem to keep to themselves quite visiously.

do they not like us sportys because of the performance our bikes offer?

why why why?

my cousin owns a harley.........he wont even ride with us when we go out......as if he is too good for the group.

Chuck · Post by **Chuck** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 10:46 pm

If you got the shit shaken outta yourself everytime you rode you'd be pissed off too

Draven · Post by **Draven** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 10:47 pm

Ive never had a problem with a Harley rider...

They may not always give you a nod or a wave when you go past, my bro rides a Harley, Sis in Law rides a Harley, few other friends have them...

In all crowds you get assholes, doesnt matter where you go, ride or drive...

Draven · Post by **Draven** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 10:48 pm

Chuck wrote:If you got the shit shaken outta yourself everytime you rode you'd be pissed off too

Actually the new model Harleys are very smooth... Had a go of my bothers 97 FXR Superglide and it was very smooth and easy to ride

aardvark · Post by **aardvark** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:05 pm

A lot of Harley riders seem to want people to think that they are big tough bikie types, even though they spend their working days cutting hair. You can't get around nodding and waving to everyone else when you're a tough hero type.

Chuck · Post by **Chuck** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:07 pm

Draven wrote:
Chuck wrote:If you got the shit shaken outta yourself everytime you rode you'd be pissed off too
Actually the new model Harleys are very smooth... Had a go of my bothers 97 FXR Superglide and it was very smooth and easy to ride

Yeah I know me nephew rides a 97 sporty I'm just taken the piss

It's sad but I like the sound of harley with shotgun pipes on it ....

bonester · Post by **bonester** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:24 pm

I rode an '03 wideglide over the weekend, for about 120km. I hated it when I first got on it, but liked it more I rode it. I still don't get why people buy these things. The engine was nice, but the rest left a WHOLE lot to be desired- no brakes, bloody uncomfortable, badly designed in places- hit the horn and my left leg obscured it, blocking the noise, and tickling my knee.

The dude paid $27000 used for it- that could buy me 54 GT550s at the price I've been paying for them. Funny he happily rode the 120km on my GT. I was very happy to get back on the GT- more comfy, better steering and brakes, and goes about the same on the flat. In the scheme of things the GT is an old piece of shit- that is how bad the harley is. The hog climbed hills well with the torque it had. Engine is three times bigger than the GT so it should have more torque.
The owner also has a ZRX1200, but he still prefers the harley. I often sit and stare at the ZRX when on a break on a ride- it's that beautiful. The harley...well it doesn't push even one of my buttons. He wants to trade the ZRX on a XJR yam- one reason is that the XJR has a centrestand- the ZRX doesn't. Pity.

I guess the hog is a status symbol- only people with lotsa $$$$$$$$ can afford a near or over $30k bike.

varden · Post by **varden** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:34 pm

I have a theory of antisocial Harley rider behaviour!

Harley riders know they ride outdated unreliable underpowered bikes (cept for the V rod, ah german engineering) and that the rest of us really ARE laughing at them as they ride by with scowls on their faces and noses in the air.

But there is just no sport in Harley knocking so I'll keep it at that.

Draven · Post by **Draven** » Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:44 pm

I would hardly call them underpowered... For their size and weight the can move along pretty swiftly... Sure they are no sports bike,but you have to give them credit for what they are... but if it came down to owneing a cruiser id pick a Harley over anything else...

aardvark · Post by **aardvark** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 12:24 am

Draven wrote:but if it came down to owneing a cruiser id pick a Harley over anything else...

Gimme a Suzuki Boulevard or a Triumph Rocket III over a Hardly any day!

ttc · Post by **ttc** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 5:39 am

OK to put another theory out there

Maybe becasue so many people who ride sportsbikes are dickheads and do stupid shit they don't want to know us.. we lump them together, they can do it to us.

*edit* my neighbor just started his harley outside my unit, and has roared off the road, geez i hate the sound of that thing.

FrogZ · Post by **FrogZ** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 5:56 am

And they are actually Ar"SOULS" if you follow the ad-speak....
harelys are ALL about marketing, they have a "mystique" (ad speak for BS) built up over the years. Virtually anyone non riding or even those that ride with no knowledge, desire one. Artifically keeping prices up helps keep the "image" going too.
Every second person "wants a Harley" they dont know why or know anything about bikes but they all want one.
Bloody brilliant, dont forget HD make more off merchandising than they do bike sales.
And virutally ANY other cruiser on hte market will eat a harley in any way shape or form you care to mention....
BUT it IS getting to the point where HD have to pick their game up

I agree with Tanya but, sporty riders have an "attitude" too. The amount of wannabes with R1's and GSXR thous that turn their noses up at the MIGHTY (tm) NSR150SP is amazing, even though it will go round the outside of them at the first turn the pussies

Its not the bike, its the rider guys and gals....

Lainie · Post by **Lainie** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 6:01 am

hmm I think we generalize to much, I happen to agree with Tanya though. My cousin rides with Gods Squad and I happen to love riding with them when I had a bike also with a few other bike groups not once did a word come out of anyone's mouth on my choice of bike. To them I was just anther rider and treated no differently.

gco0307 · Post by **gco0307** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 7:41 am

Never had a problem with Harley riders and I wave to them just as much as other bikes and guess what, in around 50% of cases I receive an acknowledgement back.

But as for sportsbikes, well since changing from the ZR7 to the V-Strom I would say less than 20% of sports bike riders will respond (and that may be a little high).

There are tools on all types of bike so just remember it is not the bike but the rider who has the attitude.

Garry

Glen · Post by **Glen** » Thu Feb 08, 2007 8:16 am

"It's not a bike bro' (oh dear Kishy's back) it's a lifestyle."

After all anything that doesn't go, doesn't stop and doesn't go around corners can't be a bike can it.

My theory is that most Harley riders are pissed off that they spent the best part of 30 big ones when they could have spent half that on a Japanese style cruiser eg VN1600 and got something that was an infinitely superior motorcycle in every respect, other than perceived "image".