If you think I hate BMWs

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Funny how Harleys provoke so much passion. Personally I don't give a shit.
I'd like to have a Harley one day and it would be my money that would pay
for it. In other words, it's no one else's business.

 

Martin Watts wrote

I am not sure I would want to own one but if ever I do the road trip
across the US I would want to ride one.

 

There are three types of Harley owners imo:

1) Those who bought one for the looks/sound/lifestyle - these people I
respect for their honesty, & will happily leave them be.

2) Those who bought one because they just wanted 'a bike' & chose a
Harley to support their country's economy - these people I also respect
as at least it's a noble cause, if somewhat misguided (they should've
bought an ATK or Cannondale instead).

3) Those who bought one because they think Harley make the best bikes -
these people are too stupid to live, & should be made fun of at every
opportunity.

 

Preston Kemp says...

Unfortunately, these seem to be in the majority.

 

Nice!

I can understand the bit about the sound. Very distinctive - well, very
nearly distinctive. Ok! It sounds like a 2-wheeled tractor. Happy now?

The look? Hmmm. Very "Village People" though face-to-face I'd probably say
"Yeah! Cool! Can you put me down now though not in the veterinary sense?"

Performance? My 100E Prefect will start in gear though it's only got 30bhp
at most. It's all torque. My 100E will pull (weakly) when modern engines
have given up and gone home though it's got nothing beyond that. Are
Harleys the same?

There's something to be said for a bike which has more in common with a
Field Marshall than a 2-wheeled scrotal firework and that something is
"why?"

If Harley Davidson were Ford then my 1954 100E Prefect would still be in
production, albeit with more chrome. And leather. And tassells.

[DISCLAIMER: I am pissed on an unpopular whisky/orange liqueur left-over
from Christmas.]

 

"Harley's fastest motorcycle, the Sportster"

Is that right? I thought the V-Rod was quite fast.

 

Ben Blaney was seen penning the following ode to ... whatever:

Yes, but the engine on the V-Rod is not a compact four-cylinder
high-performance engine designed by Chevrolet[1] so that doesn't
count.

[1] There's a contradiction somewhere in there...

 

"Lozzo - the man who photographs the Sun and then reads the negative"

 

Got further than I did, then. Funny, yes, but only up to so far.

 

The Older Gentleman was seen penning the following ode to ... whatever:

Actually I didn't think it was, but then I may have misplaced my sense
of humour when it came to his xenophobic rants...

 

It wasn't really xenophoic [1]. Probably the opposite.

Overly long. Same effect could have been achieved in a couple of
paragraphs.

[precis]
A lament for the US that is the greatest country in the world but makes
the shittiest motorcycles. Eric Buell is no better because he uses an
antique powerplant. Investors should get their act together and build
modern, competitive, machines. Harley riders are stupid homos.


[1] As in a fear or contempt of foreigners. [2]
[2] As opposed to a contempt of Foreigner. [3]
[3] "I'll give you running up stairs!"

 

That's what I would be if I could afford one. I've a mate who's an officer
in a Harley owners group and he happily admits to all the faults of the
marque. He laughingly pointed out that because of these, the market for
third party parts was such that you could build a Harley from scratch
without a single Harley component. But to him there is nothing on earth like
going on club trips to Europe on his bike. As you said, I admire his
honesty and it is clear that, despite all the faults and overpricing, to him
there is something exclusive to Harleys which floats his boat.

 

What I find .. erm ... 'amusing' about Harley owners, is that in the
interests of 'individuality', they all dress the same way. It's like the
teenagers you see walking about, long hair, earring, black jeans and
T-shirt with 'Motorhead' on the back. They even all walk the same bloody
way. They think that they're different, but in fact they're every bit as
much 'sheep' as the rest of us.

I can never understand why people must 'emulate' others. Morrissey fans
who had to get their hair cut like him ... Harley owners who need to wear
'bowl' helmets and have fringes on their jackets ...

<this space reserved for flash>









</>

 

4) Those that are not in that great a hurry but can't bear the thought
of buying an Enfield

 

I think we get that impression because there are a lot (but still a
small minority) of Harley owners who think that *all* other bikes are
crap - which is something you don't get with any other marque.

I'm certain the image/lifestyle/name is far & away the most common
reason for buying one, even if the owners won't admit it.

 

Except perhaps BMW owners.

 

"As Americans, we live in the greatest country, the greatest country in
the entire world. We, as Americans, are driven to be the first in
everything. It's our nature. We're not slackers. We take second best to
no one. It's a national point of pride. No one can beat our military,
our pride, our technology, our determinedness, or our ingenuity. There
is nothing in the world, no problem, no tragedy, no foe too great that
America cannot triumph over them."
Sure, this guy's opinion is worth reading...

 

I as in a group of 10. 8 were sportsbikes.

I found that too. Armchair comfort on the one I rode.

It kept up with the rest surprisingly well. It could be ridden at a
constant 90-100 mph pretty much evrywhere except really tight twisties. In
the real world on tour, that's fast enough to stay in touch with the HONDA
blackbirds et al.

They looked a lot more knackered at the end of the day than I felt.

 

no foe too great that

redundant comma and no question mark.

 

rather, I left off the <sarcasm> tags.