Wobbly old fools on Harleys on motorways

[Big Dave]

Maybe - they usually have more life experience and success than your average butt monkey in a fluro leather jump suit though.

[slofox]

At least his bike runs.

Runs? or walks.....?

[Big Dave]

Runs? or walks.....?

From a SV650 rider? You gotta be able to walk the walk first sunshine.

[ital916]

after taking my mums little cruiser out for a few blats, I have found that slow speed control is more wobbly with my feet out in front of me. Assuming he was wearing new everything I would guess the bikes is new and something he is yet to get used to. Give hime time, he will come right. Till then caution is the word of the day.

[vifferman]

Maybe - they usually have more life experience and success than your average butt monkey in a fluro leather jump suit though.

???

"Butt monkey?"
"Fluro [sic] leather jump suit?"


It wasn't the choice of riding a Harley I was getting at (note I didn't say anything about tassles or Harley undies), just the being sucked into a particular culture, presumably lured by the idea of being some sort of "rebel biker dude", then ending up being a conformist of a different kind.
None of that has anything to do with life experience and success. It's just kinda ironic.
If Harley hadn't latched onto the whole "mid-life crisis with lotsa disposable income" thing, and milked it for all it was worth, it would've gone down the gurgler. Very clever, yes, but also kind of a fluke.
Although perhaps not - Ducati had similar sucess with those of that crowd that bought into the "racer dude" image rather than the "one-percenter, tough hombre" image. I think you'll find an awful lot of "average butt monkey in a fluro leather jump suit" people also have "life experience and success", but perhaps with a little less attitude.

[Oscar]

Maybe - they usually have more life experience and success than your average butt monkey in a fluro leather jump suit though.

Heheheh - You're starting to sound like Jeremy Clarkson...

[Big Dave]

Heheheh - You're starting to sound like Jeremy Clarkson...

I bet his bank manager is happier to see him.

[Big Dave]

And anuvver fing for the defence m'lud,

All that stuff with the big harley logos on it. If it's licenced gear it's all really good stuff.

Yes - someone should point out to the tragics that there is a point of diminishing logoism return.

But some of you have weird hobbies too -matey is just proud of who they are.

In general Harley motorclothes are well designed and made for their intended use.

Some of the Jackets are top shelf stuff and it wasn't (till the tank of 08) overly expensive.

so thar.

[Oscar]

I bet his bank manager is happier to see him.

When I was a younger man, I used to take the piss out of Harley riders.

However as I get older and hopefully wiser I realise that I should take a more balanced view and try and see all sides of the argument.

As a consequence I realise that there are wankers, wobbly old fools or whathaveyous on all marques. From the Ducati rider in his Moggy Man Suit (nursing his bad back), the Charlie & Ewen Wannabes on their BMers to the Spotty Oiks pulling wheelies on their Gixxers -

they can all benefit from my Curmudgeonly Wisdom...bahwahahah...

[Swoop]

MBB. Saw exactly the same thing last night with an Indian rider. All nice and shiney-new bike and new jacket, etc.
Some bar end mirrors might have reduced his width to make filtering less of a pain to himself and others.

Saw a group of Harleyites at LAX when we flew back, on the same flight as us. Almost cartoon characters: all 40-summat, all wearing Johnny Reb type boots, big belt buckles over big bellies, HOG t-shirts, leather vests, drinking up large (probably all bourbon and coke), etc etc.

I believe our esteemed Hitcher has coined the term "harleykrishnas" to denote this fanaticism with the HD marketing Dept.

[vifferman]

All that stuff with the big harley logos on it. If it's licenced gear it's all really good stuff.

Fairy nuff.
I think it's kewl that Harley cater so well for their customers too, in terms of what stuff you can buy to customise your steed. While some marques do that (mainly the Italian ones, and BMW), and the Mrkn dealerships also offer good-quality marque-branded stuff (such as Honda branded accessories, cleaning products, etc.), in general the dealers do little if anything to inspire any kind of brand loyalism.

I realise that there are wankers, wobbly old fools or whathaveyous on all marques.

True, true... it's all part of being a Yuman Bean, innit?

As for HOG members, I worked with a very loyal HOG member for a few years. SHe was great! But she didn't take the whole thing too seriously, despite being so immersed in and infatuated with the culture. Like, she had an HD handbag, that looked suspiciously like a toolbag (or vice-versa), and laughed at herself about it. She loved her Sporty, and her partner loved his Harleys too, but despite their loyalty, they weren't stupid or blind to the faults. Depite being a sweet wee thing, she complained bitterly (with much swearing AND laughing) about what a pig of a time they had working on one of the bikes, with no seeming logic to some of the engineering, the difficulty in working out what went where, even with the factory workshop manual in hand.

My last boss was a Harley owner too - for a few hours. He won it in a raffle (Harley girl above sold him the winning ticket), but being a non-biker, he was into the shop and negotiating to sell it very quickly. I don't think he even sat on it...

[Headbanger]

Good on who ever it was for buying a bike, getting out there and doing it.

Its a ball of fun no matter what direction you approach riding from or what age you start.

The try-hard wanker is the one knocking the guy for doing something new or in a different style to what they "think" makes a person a "real" biker.

Weak.

[Pwalo]

I admire any man brave enough to ride a Harley in traffic.

[Headbanger]

I admire any man brave enough to ride a Harley in traffic.

Because your ignorant?

[popelli]

I'm stuck in the cage until I get to Holeshot to pick up Scoot's new battery - witnessed a horrible sight. Watched a wobbly old fool on his shiny Harley Sporty,

well at least he was out on his bike, possibly laughing at the fools stuck in their cars