Topic: Bullies on Harleys (rant)

[Gonzowerke]

My two favorite tshirts from back in the day were both anti-harley.

Harley Davidson - If they had as many Engineers as Lawyers, they could build a bike worth riding.
Harley Davidson - If they made an airplane, would you fly in it?

[Hush]

Over the years I've had more trouble with British bike riders, some insanity takes them over when they jump on one of them ankle busters!
My mate Allan was a decent enough bloke we grew up on Suzi 50's and graduated to 250 and 350 machines, then he bought a Triumph Trophy and joined the local bikie gang.
About 2 years later he's riding 3 up pissed as and hits a car head on....RIP!
Another mate Errol was a trials riding genius, he would ride up and down stairs on his Elsinore, again Errol bought a Triumph and one lunch time heading "up" a hill he went head on into a security truck....RIP!
Not sure why the huge change, maybe peer pressure to conform to the low standards of the biker groups?
Any time I have been assaulted by bike riders it's been British bike riders not HD's, go figure!?

[demon78]

You know there is an answer, next time it happens, simply touch your hand to your helmet in a mock salute, open the twist grip and disappear, if your face can be seen turn look, laugh, salute and disappear.
Bill the demon.

[dhall57]

There's no shortage of jerks out on the hwy, they can be riding a bike, Harley, Honda, BMW, Yamaha, etc. it doesn't really matter, or they can have there butts in a Ford, Chrysler, or a Chev. A rude, disrespectful person is just that no matter what they have there ass on or in.
I've had my Harley since 2000 and for 5 years or more two of my friends and me who also had Harley's rode in more Harley rallies and events than I can remember and 99% were very nice and friendly people and for the most the ones that looked like the big, bad, mean Harley rider ended up being the most sincere and pleasent people you would ever want to talk to. There will also be the 1%er's who think they own the world and are just letting everyone pass through it. I don't classifie myself a Honda or a Harley rider, only a motorcycle rider

[dhall57]

Several weeks ago I was on my CB750K6 instead of my Harley and I had just stopped at the local Get and Go to fill up with gas. About the time I had finished gassing up I heard the sound of rolling thunder. About a dozen or so Harley's, Big Dogs, and custom V-twin bikes pulled in. I walked on in to the store to get me a bottled water and a snicker's bar.When I came back out my CB was surrounded by 6 or so of those riders.Of course my first thought was OK what's going on here, but as I got closer I could hear them talking about my 35 year old Honda. I introduced myself and I stood there for 30 mins answering questions about my CB like, where did you get it, I didn't think any of these old Honda's were still around, what a good looking bike, man these bikes brings back alot of good memories. Im sure there was $25000.00 or better of high dollar iron all around me, but for a few mins. they were all totally absorbed in my old K6. SHAZAM!!!!

[xfactor]

There's no shortage of jerks out on the hwy, they can be riding a bike, Harley, Honda, BMW, Yamaha, etc. it doesn't really matter, or they can have there butts in a Ford, Chrysler, or a Chev. A rude, disrespectful person is just that no matter what they have there ass on or in.
I've had my Harley since 2000 and for 5 years or more two of my friends and me who also had Harley's rode in more Harley rallies and events than I can remember and 99% were very nice and friendly people and for the most the ones that looked like the big, bad, mean Harley rider ended up being the most sincere and pleasent people you would ever want to talk to. There will also be the 1%er's who think they own the world and are just letting everyone pass through it. I don't classifie myself a Honda or a Harley rider, only a motorcycle rider

I agree with this! My friend rides a HD Sportster, his dad rides a Wide Glide bagger thing, and his uncle rides a big bagger to. They asked me if I wanted to join them for a ride one sunday, so I said sure why not. I show up and low and behold its all Harleys. Some people mocked me for having a Honda but was all in a playful way no one said anything harmful and we all had a good laugh.

Over the years I've had more trouble with British bike riders, some insanity takes them over when they jump on one of them ankle busters!
My mate Allan was a decent enough bloke we grew up on Suzi 50's and graduated to 250 and 350 machines, then he bought a Triumph Trophy and joined the local bikie gang.
About 2 years later he's riding 3 up pissed as and hits a car head on....RIP!
Another mate Errol was a trials riding genius, he would ride up and down stairs on his Elsinore, again Errol bought a Triumph and one lunch time heading "up" a hill he went head on into a security truck....RIP!
Not sure why the huge change, maybe peer pressure to conform to the low standards of the biker groups?
Any time I have been assaulted by bike riders it's been British bike riders not HD's, go figure!?

All i know is that last year my other friend rode a Yami XS850 triple, the begning of this year he bought himself a Police bike Harley, cool looking bike. He now rides completely pissed and thinks its his duty to berate me about driving a "S*** Jap bike"  I feel its my duty to remind him that not less then a year ago he rode a Yami, but that dosen't seem to matter, all that matters is that he has a Harley, and he buys the clothes and $50 gas caps.


Croix

[Retro Rocket]

All i know is that last year my other friend rode a Yami XS850 triple, the begning of this year he bought himself a Police bike Harley, cool looking bike. He now rides completely pissed and thinks its his duty to berate me about driving a "S*** Jap bike"  I feel its my duty to remind him that not less then a year ago he rode a Yami, but that dosen't seem to matter, all that matters is that he has a Harley, and he buys the clothes and $50 gas caps.

Tell him its half Japanese anyway....that should get him going....

Mick

[grumpy]

I live a few miles from Hollister so every July 4 the roads fill with those leaking, flatulent hogs (and their Harleys).

[gross generalization follows]
The biggest D-bags of the whole group are the ones at either end of the economic scale: the unemployed cranksters and the platinum card wavers.
The cranksters are the true bad asses. Some are pretty scary but at least they usually stick to themselves - usually.
On the other hand, the nouveau-riche fuq heads with their $50,000 in shiny chrome bits and perfectly clean Harley branded leather couture cruise around in gaggles trying to prove to their brethren that they really are just like Johnny Strabler. I do have to say that it is great fun to pass a group of them & watch as they try to follow through the twisties.

/rant

However, most of the people in the middle of the spectrum - the average people who just happen to like riding Harleys - they're totally OK.

[swellguy]

Most of my friends are Harley folks. I've been riding them for 20+ years, my closest pal is a Brit who is a Harley factory trained mechanic. We both sort of broke from the Harley mode about five years ago as, as has been mentioned, lots of older, rich weekend outlaws took to the road.
I've been more involved in the garage build scene and put together about four custom Harleys, my friend (when not repairing Harleys) has been working on bmws and ktms. Now I'm building an sohc cafe.
Where I live there are lots of load bikes and to the untrained ear, they're all Harleys, but I know a lot throttle brapping dickheads ride Honda cruisers, which only gives all motorcyclists a bad reputation.
My point is that it's easy to mark one group of brand riders as being a particular way but I think it has more to do with how you ride and not what you ride

[Retro Rocket]

but I know a lot throttle brapping dickheads

You do know that "throttle blapping" while downshifting makes for a smoother gear change..?   And those Honda cruisers don't sound anything like Harley's at all, i have a shadow owner next door.....

Mick

[CBGhia]

I rode out to Strokers in Dallas (Custome bike shop and bar, almost exclusively Harley), but when I pulled in on the cafe' and my buddy on a $25k chopper, people kept asking about my bike and no one even took a 2nd look at his.  He was so pissed when we left.

[tortelvis]

Following too close on anything is a PITA, but why all the hate? I ride bikes don't give a toss what you ride as long as you ride. Got a couple of CBs and a Hog and have ridden just about everything there is. If slaggginf off another bike is all in fun, no problem, but some of you seem to have the same "my bike is better than your bike" BS as you accuse Harley riders of having. It 's the dickhead on the bike that can be a problem, not the bike!

[Duanob]

I see just as many dickheads on ricerockets as I do Hawgs. Generalizing is generalizing. I've always found it a little ironic but Harley groups do more for charity then any other groups combiined. Not saying I'm a fan of Harley groups but those are the facts.

[bikerbart]

back when I lived in Ct,I used to go to the Red Dog saloon in middletown on my beat up old cb550.I can guarantee you it was the ONLY jap bike in the parking lot.I would have to go check on it once in a while,and sometimes I would catch the stereotypical "biker"messin with it,pullin off side covers,pissin on it etc.I would catch em in the act and yell in a really deep voice" HEY What are you doin to my bike",They would run away laughing.It was all in good fun,I never took offense.Yeah,I got the whole Japcrap thing once in a while but I always asked what kind of bike they started on and it was usually an old Jap bike.They thought I had balls to show up on my honda and give it right back to em,especially because at the time I was about 138lbs wet.Bikes are bikes,there is always going to be a$$holes.

[Damfino]

You can bet if I caught some squirrely ass biker pissing on my bike, I'd take offense!
I'd cut his pecker off and hang it from my chain guard!!

[bikerbart]

It was a ratty ol bike,ran great but looked like crap.I usually got some beers out of the deal as well.