TMRA 2 .. DFW Chapter

hmmm... Now .. let me see.. When we left programming yesterday and in spite
of the effort to change the topic, we can now return to the discussion ..
The question of the day will need to be resolved.. DA (drum roll) DUM..
Will he or won't Albert Nurick become a proud and supportive member of TMRA
2.. ?? Anybody want to lay any odds ? LOL

 

Sure ??
What were those Angels riding and wearing.. do you know ?

hmmm... Did you ever figure out why so many bikers wear a vest ? While you
are hopping subjects and making such an effort to distract.. might as well
answer a few trivia questions.. right ?

Interesting.. Share all that "functional" dress.. would you mind ? I'm sure
that enquiring minds want to know, what the "functionally dressed" Albert
Nurick is wearing when he is trying to ride his crotch rocket.. hmmm... What
about that vest thingy.. Nurick ? Google not helping you miuch, there ?
LOL

 

Didn't someone post that he was the new Houston coordinator?

 

Interesting question. I have my theories. I think it would involve a lack of
windshield, rocks, bugs, and a bit of warmth for the core. And...they fit in
a bag easier than full leathers.

 

hmmm... Seems like I saw that somewhere on this newsgroup.. I never knew
that TMRA 2 had coordinators, but that's OK... Since that new Chapter is up
and running, I want to see some good posts about meetings and such.. Hey..
I can't wait to ride down to Houston to attand on of those meetings...

 

There are so many Harley clones out there today it's funny. The
easiest way I've found to quickly tell if it is a clone or not is by
the engine cases. Because Harley has the engine separate from the
tranny the side cases are totally different.

True, I forgot that the first fairings on them were aftermarket ones
till Honda thought they would cut out the middleman and put the
fairings on themselves. I wonder if Honda only got in to the big bike
market because of Harley dipping in to the small bike arena with their
Italian built stuff.

I don't think the Honda stuff at the time was uncomfortable or less
desirable. It was different and had its own place in the market. I've
owned a couple of early 70's 250-350 cc Hondas when I first started
riding bikes 25 years ago. They were fine for long rides across
Florida and I never had any problem with them.

He's not the only one that thinks they look like a Harley. Even owners
of them brag about the Harley looks.

http://www.firsttraderegistry.com/forsale/motorcycles/itm00018.htm

http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mchonda/1995ace.html

http://www.powersportsnetwork.com/motorcyclereviewdetail/rv=31236/veh=13230/review31236.htm

The original Shadows had a touch of the cruiser look but still were
obvious that they were a metric bike. The newer models are the worst
though at purposely trying to look like a Harley copy.

As far as whether that is an insult or not that all depends on why the
person bought a Harley clone to begin with. I've seen guys buy Shadows
because of how they looked in general and because they were die-hard
Honda guys. Like you they weren't in to the leather bad-ass biker
look. But I've also seen guys buy them and play dress-up with all the
leather stuff for "that look" while at the same time doing nothing but
bitch about Harleys. To them if you mention that if you don't like
Harleys why did you buy a Harley they get really pissed and act like
you just slapped them in the face. So to them the Harley clone comment
is an insult.

Having ridden a lot in Alaska the jacket I bought has a removable
liner for cold weather. For summer time it has several vents that can
be opened up for air flow. I've worn that jacket when it was in the
upper 80's with no problems. Now that I have a bike with a windshield
it is too heavy for riding in high temps so the other day I ordered a
lightweight summer jacket. Here in SE Virginia along the ocean we
might not get as hot as you Texans do but the last few weeks we have
been getting in to the low 100's with 60 to 80 % humidity.

The newer Shadow is a close clone of Harleys in general, especially
when Honda put that chrome cover on the right side of the engine
between the cylinders (the same spot where an air cleaner is on a
Harley but I don't know if Honda actually has the air filer under that
chrome piece or if it is just for looks), but not a perfect copy of
any particular model. Depending on which model Shadow you look at some
of them seem to copy the Softail Heritage front end while the rear
looks more like an old Harley Duo-Glide. With a set of leather
saddlebags on the back to cover up the shocks it would be real easy to
think it was a Softail.

Ruppster
sportster at dodge-semis dot com

 

Bill Walker wrote:
Hey.. I can't wait to ride down to Houston to

He should have it the same night as the Ft Worth chapter. You wouldn't miss
that one.

 

The most pathetic "clone" story I can think of is one marques use of some
kinda round "tool box" located right where a Harley air cleaner goes, just
to make it look more authentic. I don't remember the model.

 

All the above are a part of it.. Vests have been an integral part of
motorcyclists dress for too many years to guesstimate.. The vest is largely
misunderstood by most in today's world of bikers.. Many believe that it
solely represents an image.. The vest also serves a very functional purpose
and has been selected by many bikers, after they've experimented with
different articles of clothing, when they ride..

 

Mike, Richard and the others wearing the vests last Wed night was making me
sweat just thinking about wearing one.

 

Sorry Bill, don't know if this question was aimed at Albert or me.
Since the comment you are asking about was made by me and not Albert I
thought I would answer it. They were riding Harleys and usually wear a
lot of leather stuff though I've seen some wear denim vests instead of
leather.

Now this one I know was aimed at Albert but thought I would throw in
my 2 cents. In my opinion vests offer very little protection and are
almost worthless in a crash. They do provide a good place for putting
club or event patches on to wear while when not actually riding (like
at a bikers meeting). I've collect a few patches and event pins over
the years but never felt I had to display them in order to prove I was
a real biker so I never bought a vest. Before I sold my Sportster I
was courting some members of the local chapter for the military
veterans mc club. If I ever get deemed worthy enough to be a member
then I will break down and get that vest to display the club colors.
But it will have to be large enough to fit over my jacket so I can
wear it while riding and still have some protection in case of an

 

LOL... Mike puts on that vest when he hits the floor in the mornings.. year
round.. It isn't an image thing with him, though.. although .. it does have
the variety of colors .. He wears a vest for a very functional purpose.. I
wasn't wearing one Wednesday night, but I'll usually wear it when I ride..

Richard wears his vest for the same reasons Mike and I wear ours.. I don't
know why the others were wearing vests.. never have thought to ask them..

I have asked Nurick and a few others that like to bad mouth other riders for
what they are wearing and even the motorcycles they ride.. All of them get a
blank look on their faces and come out with some nonsense about "outlaws"
or "makes 'em look like a badassed biker".. Quite a few have made those
comments while they were standing around looking like Space Rangers, or
something.. Then .. they commence talking about "functional" or something..
ROTFL..

 

Volume one.. Number one of the publication came out in 1966.. Other than the
traditional leather jacket, there was very little leather displayed.. Very
few vests.. Levi type jackets with the sleeves cut out are evident, but not
as much as you'd think..hmmm.. Browsing through.. I don't see any of them
wearing chaps.. These old photographs are of Sonny Barger and some of his
crew.. The full leathers phenomenon came along later and was mostly affected
by the women..

LOL... There is little, if any connection with vests and protection.. That
isn't their function..

They do provide a good place for putting

I've never worn patches or colors of any kind, but I do wear a vest.. for
several reasons..

so I never bought a vest. Before I sold my Sportster I

I'm very active with several veterans advocate group in Texas.. I don't wear
colors when I ride with them, either..

If I ever get deemed worthy enough to be a member

Quite a few men wear their vest with colors outside their jackets..
I prefer jackets, chaps, gloves of leather.. That's my preference and
leather has served me well over the years.. My last jacket was more than
twenty years old.. it got too tight for me in these later years and a nice
lady in Arizona is proudly wearing it.. I've been wearing the current jacket
for more than three years and doubt that I'll get all those good years of
wear from it.. Most of my leather has been re-worked and customized for my
wants.. It is functional and I've been well satisfied..

 

hmmm... I noticed you were wearing a vest... LOL.. I bet the wind don't blow
the back of your shirt up, either.. does it ? I don't ride with colors, and
have had to explain where I'm from or with, quite a bit.. <grin> I
generally get it done without too many problems..

I hate bulky clothes, even in winter.. Pockets in a vest seem to work real
well for me .. It's surprising how much "stuff" I accumulate when I'm on a
trip .. Good riding, Morgan..

Bill Walker

 

Nah.. we'll just re-locate the Tarrant County Chapter meeting for that one
night... WE can do it..

 

I wouldn't say he was confused. He might have had a bad experience
with shaft drive while belts have been good to him. It was just his
opinion that belts are better then shaft drive. Had I not worked as a
bike mechanic having to deal with the faults about belts I wouldn't
have thought about it either way. But since my experience has shown me
that they are susceptible to damage I've come to the conclusion that
the sealed shaft drive is more bulletproof (as long as the

It wasn't a matter of trying to make them vibrate more then it was for
the sound. As they say, if it looks like a duck and sounds like a duck
it must be a duck. In this case it looked like a Harley but didn't
sound like one so Honda thought they would correct that issue. had
nothing to do with the vibration factor. If "roughness" was part of
the "Harley experience" why are most Harley engines counterbalanced
or rubber mounted to make them feel smoother? Today's Harley riders
want to be able to ride down the highway without their teeth falling
out.

Depends on what year and model Shadow he has and why he bought it.
Since I don't know what year or model Shadow he has I can't say either
way. The older Shadows still had the Japanese cruiser look while it's
mainly the newer ones that have gone overboard on the Harley like
features. I've also known guys that bought a Shadow because they are
Honda fans and the Shadow fit them better. Doesn't mean they are
Harley wannabees just because they own a Shadow. But even the current
Shadows only copy mixed features of the Harleys without being a pure
clone of any particular Harley model.

Yeah, but I stand corrected. As it was pointed out to me by someone
that remembered something I forgot the first Goldwings were not
available with fairings. It was thanks to the aftermarket industry
that fairings became popular on them. I think Honda foresaw the
upcoming fattening of America and realized they needed a bike with a

I doubt they were "fake MC vests". There are a lot of MC clubs that
are open to metric cruisers and they have their own colors that the
members are proud to display on a vest. Plus a lot of events open to
all bikes give out patches and pins for participation in the events
and people add those to their vests. A vest is just an easy way to
display what you have instead of having to wear a heavy jacket when
not riding a bike. My point about the leather stuff was in regards to
the whole outfit, not just a vest. Just wearing a leather vest does
not constitute a "Harley" poser.

A lot of the "Harley" look is not just about fashion as it does make
sense but I have come to see it as being associated with owning a
Harley. When I was growing up leather riding gear was usually
associated with being from the wrong side of the tracks. If you were a
bad-ass with a Harley you showed it by riding with leather chaps,
jackets, and gloves. Guys that had metric bikes usually wore a
non-leather riding jacket (or no jacket at all) and heavy denim pants.
This started to change when metric bikes started looking more and more
like Harleys. Some, not all, of the riders that bought a metric copy
wanted to also have the bad-ass biker look, doo-rag and all. So they
would deck themselves out in all the leather goods they can get, not
just a vest. Most people are open about it and will freely admit that
they own a metric copy because they can't afford a Harley and there is
nothing wrong with that (as long as the person isn't badmouth Harleys
at the same time they own a copy of one). But I do get a kick out of
the few that deny that they bought a Harley copy based on looks while
at the same time dressing up for the "image" of a Harley rider. Years
ago I was in a bike accident with my dad. I was wearing a full face
helmet while he had a 3/4's. I ended up with scrapes on the side of
the helmet while he had road rash on his left check. So now I only
ride with a full face. While riding a Harley I had several people
(mostly riders of metric copies) tell me that I won't fit in with the
"Harley" crowd if I don't wear a beanie helmet. Talk about a load of
shit, I could care less. Anyhow, my point is it all depends on why a
rider of a metric cruiser bought the bike in the first place and what
that person wears while riding. Just because they own a bike that
looks like a Harley copy doesn't mean they are a Harley wannabee.

Ruppster
sportster at dodge-semis dot com

 

Hehehe... You seem to be one of the few that have such problems..

ROTFL... you don't even know what he's talking about, do you ?

YOU tell 'em, Batman... LOL

 

Shore 'nuff.?. "wannabes" What ?

 

No idea.. huh ? Even with so many on this newsgroup, giving you clue after
clue... you are still clueless...

 

He's been riding a shaft drive for way more than eight years, now. I think
he'd just like to ride a belt drive for a while to compare.. I ride a chain
drive but I've thought about a conversion.. It's costly to convert on my
motorcycle, though and not worth it to me.. Each drive system has it's own
idiosyncrasies .. hmmm.. guess I'll just keep on riding it the way they sent
it to me..

It was just his

They are a bitch when something does go wrong, though.. Friend of mine
dropped a driveshaft in Georgia, a long time ago.. We were alongside the
road in a shop for about four days, as I recall..