Hogs and filtering

[Griff]

Serious set of questions.
When I am filtering and come upon a Hog Rider, I usually position behind and to one side until I get noticed and then gently scoot past.

Q1. How do you Harley-type guys feel about filtering?
Q2. Do you find that your bars are too wide to go for the small gaps?
Q3. Doesn't sitting low (feet first), give you less of a view of traffic?
Q4. Do you get low speed, stability issues?
Q5. Do you worry about avoiding cars and still maintaining ground clearance?

For info, when I am filtering on a sports bike, I have to remember to keep my weight on the bars as minimal as possible, which means gripping the tank with my knees and taking the weight in the lower back. Flickability and braking is not a problem, nor is visibility (using the sit-up "meer-cat" position).

Ta.

[McJim]

Why do you ask Griff? Are you thinking about getting a Cruiser or just prodding the anthill with a stick? :rofl:

I wonder if this is another shameless troll.

[Swoop]

An interesting question. I await answers from their riders.

[Griff]

Why do you ask Griff? Are you thinking about getting a Cruiser or just prodding the anthill with a stick? :rofl:
I wonder if this is another shameless troll.

No, not this time. I think it would be helpful to understand (Filtering) life from their side of the fence, thats all.

** I promise that I will NOT use this for trolling, Scoots Honour **

[Macktheknife]

Never found it a problem, visibility is all good, occasionally there is a gap that looks a bit small but a simple rev to let them know I am there usually sorts that out. Cruisers are generally pretty stable at lower speeds, often more so than sprots bikes, as for ground clearance, that's just silly.

[Virago]

...I think it would be helpful to understand (Filtering) life from their side of the fence...

Fence? What fence?

[The Lone Rider]

Filtering? You mean lane splitting and such?

I dont do it except for when there is a car turning but has stopped to wait for passing traffic, or if there is a hold up in a lane from cars wanting to merge into a turning lane.

I dont not do it because my bars are too wide. I don't not do it because theres no stability going slowly. I don't not do it because I can't see.

I don't do it because on the off chance someone in a car decides to quickly change lanes due to being sick of waiting in traffic or someone decides to open a door to let someone out since the traffic aint moving.. I will be in some serious pain

Ground clearance? What the hell? Cruisers arent THAT low to the ground that you can't do small direction changes in smallish spaces.

[Angusdog]

Highway pegs make good width gauges ;)

Plus drivers assume you're a dreaded bikie, so don't close the gap.

[vifferman]

Cruisers should be more stable - not less - when going slow, as the longer wheelbase, rake and trail make for better stability than a sprotsbike.

[Griff]

Cruisers should be more stable - not less - when going slow, as the longer wheelbase, rake and trail make for better stability than a sprotsbike.

Not according to Llama sola


I dont not do it because my bars are too wide. I don't not do it because theres no stability going slowly. I don't not do it because I can't see.

[outlawtorn]

Serious set of questions.
When I am filtering and come upon a Hog Rider, I usually position behind and to one side until I get noticed and then gently scoot past.

Q1. How do you Harley-type guys feel about filtering?
Q2. Do you find that your bars are too wide to go for the small gaps?
Q3. Doesn't sitting low (feet first), give you less of a view of traffic?
Q4. Do you get low speed, stability issues?
Q5. Do you worry about avoiding cars and still maintaining ground clearance?

For info, when I am filtering on a sports bike, I have to remember to keep my weight on the bars as minimal as possible, which means gripping the tank with my knees and taking the weight in the lower back. Flickability and braking is not a problem, nor is visibility (using the sit-up "meer-cat" position).

Ta.
I don't ride a HD, but to answer your questions:
Q1. Filtering isn't a problem on a cruiser, although sportsbikes are thinner we can normally filter easily and a little blat of the V&H's will soon let people know that I am near.
Q2. The wide bar have caused a few scary moments, but normally it's my mirrors that smack the side mirrors of 4x4's, because we all know 4x4 drivers own the road.
Q3. Seating position doesn't really effect your view of what's ahead, at least not dramatically.
Q4. My Volusia is very stable at low speeds, I can quite happily filter along at low speeds
Q5. Ground clearance also isn't an issue.

I filter everyday and use my Volusia, so far so good, no problems there. I have added extra spotlights to the front of my bike for increased visibility by drivers, not for me and added the lovely V&H pipes to make a more audible presence.

Cheers
J.

[rainman]

Serious set of questions.
When I am filtering and come upon a Hog Rider, I usually position behind and to one side until I get noticed and then gently scoot past.

Q1. How do you Harley-type guys feel about filtering?
Q2. Do you find that your bars are too wide to go for the small gaps?
Q3. Doesn't sitting low (feet first), give you less of a view of traffic?
Q4. Do you get low speed, stability issues?
Q5. Do you worry about avoiding cars and still maintaining ground clearance?


Not a Hog rider but I commute in to the city every day on a mid-weight Jap cruiser. (Don't think I would if I could afford a HD, for a range of reasons!)

Q1. Like all things riding-related, I do it carefully.
Q2. No. But I don't have ape-hangers. If the gaps too small, I don't go for it, waiting for it to clear only takes a few secs.
Q3. No. The VZ is about an inch lower in the seat than my GN was. But then again I'm fairly tall.
Q4. No. As others have pointed out, cruisers are plenty stable at low speed. I can sit comfortably at 50 in the 'burbs (or even 40 in a school zone in the mornings) with no issues.
Q5. P/T, right?

The VZ is only a bit over 200kgs, so I can move it around pretty easily in a pinch. Mercifully haven't had too many close calls but have had to move aside for a few inconsiderate baastids and so far have managed with room to spare.

When you say you "scoot past" what's your typical splitting speed down the motorway?

[Griff]

When you say you "scoot past" what's your typical splitting speed down the motorway?

Usually I filter above 40kph, depending on the SH1 conditions.

[rainman]

Usually I filter above 40kph, depending on the SH1 conditions.

I suppose I filter at around 40-50kph, as you say depends on conditions. If the cars are stopped and it's dry and not windy and I've had my coffee it may be closer to 50, and if the traffic is flowing even slowly I am more than likely to just merge back in.

Unless by "above 40kph" you mean you're one of those nutters that fly past at about 80...? :nono:

[peasea]

An interesting question. I await answers from their riders.


I use bus lanes, emergency lanes, whatever gap I can fit through. I have even used the footpath on occasion. Only had one ticket for using the emergency lane so why not? The odds are in my favour and it saves hours......

The one time I did get plucked I was actually only in the e/l for a few hundred metres coz I'd been stuck in holiday-w/e traffic, squeezing the clutch, for about ten k's. I gave my aching hand a rest and bingo! Did my excuse do any good? No. (Ka-ching.)

Still, for the one-fifty it cost me I reckon all the times I do it and get away with it the deal probably comes down to about 50c per offence.

[RiderInBlack]

Have been cut off by a high speed HD Sportie two-up lane splitting. Didn't look like he was having "difficulty" doing it, but the cars jumped out of his way by coming into my lane nearly taking me out, the a**ehole.

None of the BOP CC on cruisers had trouble lane spitting.

[Griff]

Unless by "above 40kph" you mean you're one of those nutters that fly past at about 80...? :nono:

Err... No (Officer).

Personally I prefer to be able to get out of trouble, faster than I got into it in the first place.

[peasea]

Have been cut off by a high speed HD Sportie two-up lane splitting. Didn't look like he was having "difficulty" doing it, but the cars jumped out of his way by coming into my lane nearly taking me out, the a**ehole.

None of the BOP CC on cruisers had trouble lane spitting.

Yeah, some of those dudes don't muck about. Poker run on the 6th Oct.

[Fatjim]

I've only riden a HD once and filtering at 140k was no problem on a fatboy. Only problem was lack of power to get out of the way of cages.

[johnnyflash]

Whilst I do filter on Akl M/ways, I dont filter all the time, usually only if traffic is running below 30-40kph, Though my boulevard sits at 320kg plus me = 415kg it handles like a dream, Personally I dont enjoy stop/starting in heavy traffic so I split to maintain a reasonable & continuous pace.
And yes I do run my Hazzard Lights when Filtering,

Yes I need to watch the space as I am a little wider than some, and I have a ton of torque at my disposal to get oout of trouble if I need to.

Visability aint a problem at all,

Stability aint a problem either when one up, but two up (the pillion sits a bit higher than rider) and with lots of luggage can impact a little on stability at 5--15kph

[scumdog]

Serious set of questions.
When I am filtering and come upon a Hog Rider, I usually position behind and to one side until I get noticed and then gently scoot past.

Q1. How do you Harley-type guys feel about filtering?
Q2. Do you find that your bars are too wide to go for the small gaps?
Q3. Doesn't sitting low (feet first), give you less of a view of traffic?
Q4. Do you get low speed, stability issues?
Q5. Do you worry about avoiding cars and still maintaining ground clearance?

For info, when I am filtering on a sports bike, I have to remember to keep my weight on the bars as minimal as possible, which means gripping the tank with my knees and taking the weight in the lower back. Flickability and braking is not a problem, nor is visibility (using the sit-up "meer-cat" position).

Ta.
You asked this somewhere else.

Why ask JUST Harley owners - why not the M109 owners or Valkerie owners or....

All cruisers have the same benefits/disadvantages haven't they?

And most cruiser riders see the glass as half full..:first:

[Griff]

You asked this somewhere else. Why ask JUST Harley owners - why not the M109 owners or Valkerie owners or....
All cruisers have the same benefits/disadvantages haven't they?
And most cruiser riders see the glass as half full..:first:

Yep I asked this one in the General Bike Forum, but started to lose the will to live waiting for a reply. (also I think it may have been perceived as another piece of bait being cast out).

It was kinda interesting seeing the mix of replies though.

[McJim]

Yep I asked this one in the General Bike Forum, but started to lose the will to live waiting for a reply. (also I think it may have been perceived as another piece of bait being cast out).

It was kinda interesting seeing the mix of replies though.

The point Scummy was making is that not all Cruisers are referred to as hogs. Hog is reserved for one brand - Harley Davidson. A bit like referring to all sprotbuikes as Gixxers.....

[Griff]

The point Scummy was making is that not all Cruisers are referred to as hogs. Hog is reserved for one brand - Harley Davidson. A bit like referring to all sprotbuikes as Gixxers.....

It seems a bit picky if you ask me, as other (non-Hog) riders seemed to be OK with the title.

:girlfight:

[McJim]

It seems a bit picky if you ask me, as other (non-Hog) riders seemed to be OK with the title.

:girlfight:

Yeah well Scummy rides a Harley. I'd be mildly irritated if someone called my Ducati a Gixxer though....My Ducati isn't nearly as fast as a gixxer.

[Griff]

Yeah well Scummy rides a Harley. I'd be mildly irritated if someone called my Ducati a Gixxer though....My Ducati isn't nearly as fast as a gixxer.

mmmmm .......
Are we doing a spot of "Gixxer-Baiting"?

Go on ... start a Thread on that subject...... I DOUBLE -Dare You

:bleh:

[McJim]

mmmmm .......
Are we doing a spot of "Gixxer-Baiting"?

Go on ... start a Thread on that subject...... I DOUBLE -Dare You

:bleh:

No fear mate - I'd be outnumbed - you sheep are just far too common! Baaaaaa! :rofl:
Never knowingly enter a conflict where you are outnumbered (or don't get into an arse kicking contest with a porcupine)

[07fatboy]

I filter all the time in peak hour up the motorway, have no visability issues.The bike can roll easily down to 15kph no handling issues.I have ape hangers and have no dramas filtering(lane splitting) through stopped traffic,moving traffic...when a gap is a bit tight i hang back for a sportbike to open it up for us and tag along with him (or should i say try and keep up)...stay safe

[selectedgrub]

I use bus lanes, emergency lanes, whatever gap I can fit through. I have even used the footpath on occasion....

I'm with what they said but like someone else too bout forward controls being good gauge, Knocked a few wing mirrors on cars.

What the fucks filtering?

[rwh]

Not according to Llama sola

Don't not double-check the double-negatives.

He doesn't not not disagree at all.

Richard

[peasea]

I'm with what they said but like someone else too bout forward controls being good gauge, Knocked a few wing mirrors on cars.

What the fucks filtering?

Going through slow moving traffic at a greater speed that the traffic is travelling. You know, lane splitting and all that, carving it up, getting a life etc. It's the sort of bullshit you get in a big city, just one the thousands of reasons to get away (and stay away) from such cities.

Can't wait.

[FFS]

With regard to the stability at low speeds.. I ride two bikes, one a vtx1300 and a hyosung GT650R. The VTX1300 is incredibly stable at low speeds. It's all down to the centre of gravity I guess. The vtx has a low seat, long wheel base so is naturally stable at low speed.

[xwhatsit]

Looking at cruisers, they aren't ridiculously wide. In fact I think a CB750 with the early wide bars on it would be just as wide. Most cruiser bars just go up more than anything else, not super wide. After riding a couple, one 250cc and one 1300cc, I'd have to say that they're both very easy at low speeds, regardless of weight.

My bike is a lane-splitters dream, although I don't utilise its abilities that much. Narrow single-cylinder engine, skinny tank and seat, short, angled clip-ons, and a single bar-end mirror that can be folded back inboard of the bars. If GSXR riders are pissy at cruiser riders holding them up in lane-splitting situations because they're too wide, then I'm pissy at GSXR riders who are too fat to get through those gaps ;)

I'm not a big fan of the cruiser excess aesthetic, but I believe that the ideal commuting bike is a mid-weight cruiser. Comfortable at traffic speeds (don't need the wind to take the weight off your wrists); low to the ground, making starting and stopping very comfortable; probably more visible in traffic (provided you have a decent sized headlight); and a nice tractable V-twin for commuting bliss. About the only problem is you sit very low, which nullifies the advantage bikes have to look ahead of traffic.

[Waylander]

Do it on the Virago, do it on the VMax. Only once did I run out of room and all that happened there was the corner of the flatbed truck decided to tap my clutch lever.

Filtering/lane splitting cuts a 40min trip home from work down to 13.

[scumdog]

Going through slow moving traffic at a greater speed that the traffic is travelling. You know, lane splitting and all that, carving it up, getting a life etc. It's the sort of bullshit you get in a big city, just one the thousands of reasons to get away (and stay away) from such cities.

Can't wait.

Living in the Riviera of the South I've never NEEDED to filter/lane-split, gave a shot a couple of times....not keen on it.

For a start I found it a tad dodgy when the 'other' lane is the traffic going the other way.

I guess you really have to be on a road with two lanes going the same way to do it properly and (sort-of) safely???

[Griff]

If GSXR riders are pissy at cruiser riders holding them up in lane-splitting situations because they're too wide, then I'm pissy at GSXR riders who are too fat to get through those gaps.

I'm not in the slightest pissy at Cruisers whilst filtering.
Let the car drivers fight it out and cut each other up.

I will sit back a decent distance and follow for a while, if I still need to get past and the guy doesn't catch on that i'm there, then I can use another lane. If they pull over, I'll wave.

After saying that, if I hold anyone up, then i'll pull over and let them go.
Its easier on the mind, rather than either
Checking if they are going to try and double-up on a gap or upping my speed to a dangerous level.

[peasea]

Living in the Riviera of the South I've never NEEDED to filter/lane-split, gave a shot a couple of times....not keen on it...


Ahhh, the joys of the Mainland.
Counting down...........

[McJim]

Ahhh, the joys of the Mainland.
Counting down...........

Are you moving south too?

[PuppetMaster]

For a start I found it a tad dodgy when the 'other' lane is the traffic going the other way. I guess you really have to be on a road with two lanes going the same way to do it properly and (sort-of) safely???

M8. Thats not lane splitting, thats passing. :chase:

[peasea]

Are you moving south too?


Hell yeah, had a gutsful of this shit-hole.
Sunny Richmond ............... yay:banana:

[McJim]

Hell yeah, had a gutsful of this shit-hole.
Sunny Richmond ............... yay:banana:

Mmmm just outside Nelson. I might be in Invercargill by Christmas. Sent a couple of cvs to Nelson too mind but no bites there.

[mstriumph]

Looking at cruisers, they aren't ridiculously wide. In fact I think a CB750 with the early wide bars on it would be just as wide. Most cruiser bars just go up more than anything else, not super wide. After riding a couple, one 250cc and one 1300cc, I'd have to say that they're both very easy at low speeds, regardless of weight..............


yea
reading this thread it does occur to me that there are as many variations of opinion about splitting and filtering among cruiser riders as there are among sprotsbike riders ................. mebbe it isn't about the bike - mebbe it's about the rider?

[The Stranger]

Q2. Do you find that your bars are too wide to go for the small gaps?
Q3. Doesn't sitting low (feet first), give you less of a view of traffic?
Q4. Do you get low speed, stability issues?
Q5. Do you worry about avoiding cars and still maintaining ground clearance?



Q2 Wider bars = better control/more precise positioning.

Q3 Sitting low, but of course with your head up offers better visibility than a sport bike.

Q4 Cruisers, having a lower centre of gravity, are generally more stable than a sprot bike at low speed.

Q5 How the hell do you lane split?

[peasea]

Mmmm just outside Nelson. I might be in Invercargill by Christmas. Sent a couple of cvs to Nelson too mind but no bites there.


I just got a job there and they haven't even met me, took the word of my current employer. In fact they had a fit when they heard what I was on but still hired me.

[peasea]

yea
reading this thread it does occur to me that there are as many variations of opinion about splitting and filtering among cruiser riders as there are among sprotsbike riders ................. mebbe it isn't about the bike - mebbe it's about the rider?

Or the rider knowing his/her machine and capabilities.
Wouldn't it be cool if every biker had that knowledge?

[s8306]

Hell yeah, had a gutsful of this shit-hole.
Sunny Richmond ............... yay:banana:

Love it down there.Will be passing through Richmond in feb 08.

[Hailwood]

To be extremely pedantic HOG is actually Harley Owners Group (which btw celebrates its 25th anniversary in 08..just a bit of useless info)..the generic term HOG is used to describe Harley-Davidsons and not other cruisers..not that there is anything wrong with other cruisers or sportsbikes for that matter...ok enough of the anal stuff......lane splitting on a Harley-Davidson depends on the ability of the rider rather than the bike...said before on this thread somewhere by a wise person. I have seen guys on club runs splitting on every model Harley-Davidson and some who refuse to do it....as to low speed stability...brilliant had a course recently where we had to ride figure 8s using clutch hand only no throttle at all..view of the road..no issues at all.

[The Lone Rider]

the generic term HOG is used to describe Harley-Davidsons and not other cruisers..

Maybe in NZ. But HOG comes from large motorcycles being called road hogs, as some are large enough to fill a whole lane width wise.

[doc]

Maybe in NZ. But HOG comes from large motorcycles being called road hogs, as some are large enough to fill a whole lane width wise.
I think if you check out the library of the Harley publications yee shall find the Harley Owners Group was originally a psuedo type motorcycle club and all rights to it usage etc were purchased by Harley Davidson marketing, the same was done with the original manufacturing of the Softail frame. Harley may not be the original inovator of the concept but they know how to recognise and market a fantastic peice of machinery. Why else would everyone try bagging them all the time. Sort of like "Penis Envy". ok Ray is that enough to get me into riding in 'Boobs on Bikes" parade

P.S. One of the major hazards for sprots bike riders in the US is comming across a HOG ride, and managing to get past them wobbling down the road because of the huge numbers on their rides, they create their own traffic chaos

[heyjoe]

It seems a bit picky if you ask me, as other (non-Hog) riders seemed to be OK with the title.

:girlfight:

I have to disagree with you from my point of view. I have a 'cruiser' bike and would never describe it as a 'hog' as it is a term usually reserved (in my opinion) for Harley Davidson bikes. My experience has been that there are some HD owners with an attitude that other non HD bikes (and their riders) are inferior/insignificant and these HD owners even take on that attitude in the way they behave. So to be fair I see that 'hog' relates to their bikes and the history of the term as mentioned in a recent post. Hog is not a term that relates to my bike. It is not picky.

I am only commenting on your quote (above) and I am fully aware that there are many HD owners out there that who do not subscribe to the comments I make above. I have nothing against Harleys at all. A number of my friends ride them.

[peasea]

I am only commenting on your quote (above) and I am fully aware that there are many HD owners out there that who do not subscribe to the comments I make above. I have nothing against Harleys at all. A number of my friends ride them.

Some of my best friends are policemen.

[Edbear]

yea
reading this thread it does occur to me that there are as many variations of opinion about splitting and filtering among cruiser riders as there are among sprotsbike riders ................. mebbe it isn't about the bike - mebbe it's about the rider?



I think so. Some of us are better riders and some of us are more aggressive riders. It's also about the pillion, though! Last long ride the Missus and I did, we left in heavy traffic, but as it was only our second ride on the Boulevard, I was a bit cautious and the bike was certainly less stable at crawling speeds two-up!

However, I'd made the mistake of telling my wife previously that bikes were better in trafiic as they could lane-split! Naturally she was keen for me to show her just how easy it was... I was glad we didn't have an intercom as I think my ears would have gone numb! She was hitting me on the shoulders and yelling at me stuff like:

"I thought you said bikes could lane-split!" "Look at that bike, he's getting through! Follow him!" and "Why don't you go through there!" :girlfight:

Finally she yelled, "Let ME drive!" Okay, after that I got a bit more "adventurous"! But the Boulevard is wide and while very stable solo, with the Missus dancing around on the pillion seat getting all excited, I was wobbling a bit and didn't want to risk scratching a car...:baby:

[The Lone Rider]

I have to disagree with you from my point of view. I have a 'cruiser' bike and would never describe it as a 'hog' as it is a term usually reserved (in my opinion) for Harley Davidson bikes. My experience has been that there are some HD owners with an attitude that other non HD bikes (and their riders) are inferior/insignificant and these HD owners even take on that attitude in the way they behave. So to be fair I see that 'hog' relates to their bikes and the history of the term as mentioned in a recent post. Hog is not a term that relates to my bike. It is not picky.

I am only commenting on your quote (above) and I am fully aware that there are many HD owners out there that who do not subscribe to the comments I make above. I have nothing against Harleys at all. A number of my friends ride them.


Bringing up the dead...

Being rather anal about it, and for some unexplained reason it rather pisses me off that people "here" seem have the standard that HOG means Harley, I did some research.

HOG by definition is not a Harley or person who owns one. Originally it came from the 1920s from a group of men known as the "hog boys" who was winning a lot of races and were known for taking a live pig for a victory lap on a harley.

Recognizing a marketing plot when they see one, HD created H.O.G. as an ancroynm for the Harley club started in 1983.

By a vast number of people who ride Harleys, they consider HOG to be sole "property" of Harley and it's riders, however Harley tried to tried to trademark "HOG" (and all relating to it) in the motorcycle industry. This was rejected as the term HOG was publicly synonymous with larger cruiser style motorcycles, NOT Harley Davidsons exclusively. Harley owns no rights to "HOG" except in the ownership of a organization called HOG.

The closest to any out right and exclusivity of HOG being a term of Harley Davidson, is when they changed their New York Stock Exchange "ticker" abbreviation from HDI to HOG.

This is what I've found via research. Also checked several dictionaries and encyclopedias.

The American Heritage Dictionary: A big heavy motorcycle
LoveToKnow Online Dictionary: A large heavy motorcycle
Encarta: a large powerful motorcycle or any large car or truck that consumes a large amount of gas ( slang )


As I've said before from my own experience in living in USA for 13 years, is that HOG stands for a road hog - large bike that takes up a full lane and plenty of space.

Theres a rather good read (opinion/monologue kinda thing)that was published in Time magazine that talks about Harley's but the general write up is about large bikes, not Harleys.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,909839-1,00.html

Wish I could provide some decent citations. I of course also have read plenty about other HOGs and feel rather full of various useless information about HOG tieing, hog dogging, and hog heaven

Feel free to call your large road warrior of a bike a HOG in my home anytime :P

[Tank]

That was really interesting - thanks.

I wont call my bike a HOG tho' because of all the people that would think Im trying to pass the bike off as something its not.

[RDJ]

Interesting background to the term, thanks for the research. Never knew the origin of 'HOG' before.

Of my three bikes, one is very obviously a Harley, one is not-obviously-a-Harley but still is (it's a V-rod) and one is very obviously not a Harley. Riding different bikes wearing the same gear, with the same riding style, it's interesting to see the different reactions especially from other riders.

My 'widest' commuter bike is just 3" wider than the V-rod. On all three bikes I have set up the mirrors so they are the widest thing on the bike. If the mirrors are going to go through a gap easily, the rest will follow. But the heaviest bike is difficult to filter simply because it is so heavy (1500lb wet weight); the V-rod is the bike for great weather cruising and I don't filter when not meeting deadlines - so the Dyna does all the filtering to and from work.

In my experience most road users are pretty courteous with / tolerant of filtering, as long as we don't appear out of nowhere and startle them or cut things too fine.

[Hailwood]

Most impressive Llama Sola...now stand corrected and am happy to be so....much bling awarded for the effort into the research

[scumdog]

Some of my best friends are policemen.

Still????:whistle::laugh:

Hope ya had a good Christmas Pete - and the New Year is a good one for ya!:niceone:

[Badger8]

Made the mistake of using the term Hog as a generalisation for a cruiser once, and got repremanded in short order. In my mind it had always just meant a big beautiful crusier, never had any connotations of exclusivity to Harley's. I tend not to use it just cause it draws less abuse from those protective over the term (whether or not they have any claim to it at all)

[GrayWolf]

another 'version' of where the name "HOG' originated

Quote: "In 1969, American Machine and Foundry (AMF) bought the company, streamlined production, and slashed the workforce. This tactic resulted in a labor strike and a lower quality of bikes. The bikes were expensive and inferior in performance, handling, and quality to Japanese motorcycles. Sales and quality declined, and the company almost went bankrupt.[4] The "Harley-Davidson" name was mocked as "Hardly Ableson", "Hardly Driveable," and "Hogly Ferguson",[41][42] and the nickname "Hog" became pejorative.[citation needed]"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley-Davidson

"Where did the nickname "HOG" come from?
Origin of "Hog" nickname
Beginning in 1920, a team of farm boys, including Ray Weishaar, who became known as the "hog boys," consistently won races. The group had a hog, or pig as their mascot. Following a win, they would put the pig (a real one) on the back of their Harley and take a victory lap. In 1983, the Motor Company formed a club for owners of its product taking advantage of the long-standing nickname by turning "hog" into the acronym H.O.G., for Harley Owners Group. Harley-Davidson attempted to trademark "hog", but lost a case against an independent Harley-Davidson specialist, The Hog Farm of West Seneca, NY, in 1999 when the appellate panel ruled that "hog" had become a generic term for large motorcycles and was therefore unprotectable as a trademark.
On August 15, 2006, Harley Davidson Inc. had its NYSE ticker symbol changed from HDI to HOG.

http://spencek-harleydavidsonmotorcycles.blogspot.com/2008/02/where-did-nickname-hog-come-from.html

[The Lone Rider]

another 'version' of where the name "HOG' originated

Well no, it's not. You've reposted most of what was already posted, except for the dictionary definitions.

[jrandom]

Epic thread dredge is epic.

[Jerry74]

Does it really matter on what HOG etc is???

As long as you ride your bike and have fun that's the main thing.

[Tigadee]

I prefer 'cruiser' anyhow - it's more my state of mind rather than the physical space that my large heavy motorcycle will occupy...