Topic: NA biker culture mentality

[Killer Canary]

Does anyone out there have any true insight as to why the faithful so roundly scorn Sportsters?
My buddy with the Dyna, who is relatively open minded, doesn't hate Sportys but can't fathom why I would ever want one.

[dusterdude]

Some folks will never get it.dont let it get you down.

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[ekpent]

 Some Harley Guys consider them "chick" bikes especially the 883's. A buddy of mine who had an old vintage 900cc Sporty used to get razzed a little by the guys on the 'big' bikes.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Chop it and you're OK.

[Killer Canary]

You mean make a chopper out of it?
That would screw up the bike's cornering abilities and then I wouldn't have a use for it anymore.
After 42 years, I still live for the curves.

[Killer Canary]

I have a picture of a coffin tank 1000 hanging up in the shed.
One guy considered it to be "meh" while all of the others thought it to be flat out ugly.
When so many hate something I consider it to be the best reason of all to want it.

[seanbarney41]

Hey canary, get a Buell...several are just road racered up Sportster...killer hooligan action.  Your buddy's will hate it, you will love it, and it will spank the pants off any big twin in any situation.

[Killer Canary]

I definitely like that idea but there are absolutely none around in the Stoon area.
The only Buell that I've ever seen for sale on Kijiji was a Blast.

[TwoTired]

Don't they call sportsters "Piglets"?

Can't call them "Hogs".

It's really a matter of who can swing the big one.

Still too expensive, methinks.  But then, the most expensive bike purchase I have had was $500.  It was also the only one I could drive home, albeit slowly and not very far.

[eigenvector]

If the Harley culture doesn't like the Sportster (actually I think that's changing and they're gaining acceptance), what do they feel about the V-Rods?  Aren't V-Rods DOHC bikes?

[Killer Canary]

I've heard plenty of hatred toward Rods.
So many harley haters are harley owners.
"I hate evo"
"I hate Sportsters"
"I hate twinkies"
"I hate vrods"
"I hate anything foreign"
Far too complex for a simpleton like myself ever to figure out.

[BigJimG]

My favorites are when somebody asks what their first bike should be:

"Hi, I finally decided to go on my own and get my first bike, what should I buy?  I'm a 5'3", 135 lbs. Female first time rider"

Recommendations:

Softail
Dyna low
Maybe a Sportster.
"Don't buy a small bike, you'll just want to sell it in a year or two"

Yeah, that's the ticket, recommend a $15000 behemoth that they'll be afraid to drop, so they will be worrying about that the whole time they ride, and when they DO drop it, they will have no chance of picking it up...

[Desert-SOHC]

I never understood why and I've had HD's for 40 years.  I don't really care what you ride, they way I look at it is if you have the nuts to throw a leg over.........your good!

[Killer Canary]

Don't they call sportsters "Piglets"?

Can't call them "Hogs".

It's really a matter of who can swing the big one.

Still too expensive, methinks.  But then, the most expensive bike purchase I have had was $500.  It was also the only one I could drive home, albeit slowly and not very far.

I purchased three '78 550s for $450 total.
If you tell me that you've done better than that I'll admit defeat.
The only time that I've ever been able to ride a bike purchase home was riding the Silver Wing across town on one cylinder.
Across town is only seven blocks though.

[754]

 I have done better that that.
 But cheap aint always better, sometimes it means you dont get much for some stuff..

 I just dont know what is wrong with people these days..
Like jeepers who needs a bike over 900 cc,s anyway. ?  ?  ? ?
Well maybe 1000 cc but that should do it..

[BPellerine]

sportsers have done some big miles,they are alot better around town and are plenty fast,unless you are trying to outrun a sportbike,the big twins are nice too,but alot of the guys that have them started on sportsters,dont forget the ''big hds'' used to be 1200cc,and were alot heavier.bill

[Gene]

I said it on another thread, but it bears repeating here. If it's got two wheels and an engine, it's a bike. You're still exposed. Can't go 150 mph? Crash at 30 can kill you. As Horton the Elephant was known to say, "A Biker's a biker, no matter how small."

[72 yellow]

I own and ride a 2000 XLH1200 Sportster, a 72 CB750, and a 71 BSA Lightning.  I really don't care if anyone likes any of them.  I bought them for me.  I have a friend who rides with one of Detroit's largest outlaw clubs and his Sportster has over 120,000 miles on it.   

[BPellerine]

+1 !bill

[TwoTired]

I purchased three '78 550s for $450 total.
If you tell me that you've done better than that I'll admit defeat.

What? A challenge?
72 - CB500 - Free  (Parts for my 74)
77 - CB550 F - Free
77 - CB550 F (in my avatar) -  $100
75 - CB550 F - $75  (He even delivered it to my house.)
78 - CB550 K - $250
76 - CB550 F (to complete the entire F series) - $300
75 - CB550 K - $200.  (now sold)
75 - CB550 K- $100  parts bike.
74 - CB550 K - $300 (This was in 1975, it was wrecked, but only 1500 miles on the undamaged engine, engine guards were trashed, though).  I had planned to sell it after making it roadworthy.  I still have it. 

84 - GL1100 - Free
79 - CX500 - Free
85 - CB700SC - Free

77 - Cb750F (W/78K motor)- $500
77 - CB750F - Free
78 - CB750F - $300

This is what happens if you don't look for bikes, and you either stumble onto them or people seek you out to donate.  They all pretty much found me.

Of course, I had to put money, time, and parts into all of them.  I didn't really track that, as it's more a hobby.  Still put a bunch of commute miles some of them.  For a while, I drove a different bike to work every day.     That confused some people at work. 

Cheers,

[MikeSimon]

The HD diehard-lifestyle-crowd forgets that the Sportster was originally created to answer the British bike challenge and was the fastest HD. The 1200 still may be, except for some CVO Big twin creations that cost north of 30k.
My wife had a Sportster (customized XLH) for years, just because she is tiny ( 5' tall) and cannot manhandle a big bike. I loved to ride it and ever so often ran circles around "Big Twins"

[Duke McDukiedook]

Does anyone out there have any true insight as to why the faithful so roundly scorn Sportsters?
My buddy with the Dyna, who is relatively open minded, doesn't hate Sportys but can't fathom why I would ever want one.

They are morons is the simplest answer. Sportsters are perfectly serviceable bikes although they are not really my cup of tea.

[calj737]

Like jeepers who needs a bike over 900 cc,s anyway. ?  ?  ? ?
Well maybe 1000 cc but that should do it..

I ride my 1300 regularly and love it. Some of the modern 1k motors are awesome too, but I’ll be damned if I would say it’s unnecessary to have a 1k limit.

[MikeSimon]

+1.

All of the bikes I own are larger than 900cc except 3. Over half of them are over 1000cc. I would not want to miss them.

[SOHC4 Cafe Racer Fan]

One of the most entertaining short flat track racing events is Harley run what you brung -- full dressers trying to turn on a short dirt oval!
For those events, a Sporty with 19" dirt tires has a distinct advantage.