I am moving...........long!

[ThreeAces97]

New neighbors moved into our Cul-De-Sac last fall.   The husband is a Police Officer (no problem with that), former Marine (no problem with that as I am a retired Army Helicopter Pilot) and so far appears to be a "good" neighbor.   Last weekend I was spring cleaning the Valk and he walked over and started telling me how he was going out to get a "real bike".   I responded with "Did you find yourself a Valkyrie?   His response was, "I wouldn't own no rice burner, I'm getting a Harley".   I knew where this was going so I thought I would bump it up a few notches.   I said you won't own a rice burner but you have to "Kraut Burners" sitting in your driveway (an Audi and a Porsche Boxster).   His response was to tell me about the fine German engineering and that his wife and him really have come to depend on the quality of their European Cars.   I said "if that is the case, why don't you buy a BMW motorcycle'?  No he said, I have to have a Harley.    I didn't want to go any further and I said " I don't care what you ride as long as you like to ride".   He goes on to tell me he has never ridden before.   I could have choked on that one.    So anyways.....he comes home Sunday afternoon on his brand new Heritage Softail (white in color) dressed to the 9's (head to toe) in Harley leather, no helmet and WWII goggles.   He is built along the lines of SGT. Schultz from Hogan's Heroes, and bald.   I'm sorry, but I had just finished mowing the lawn when he came putzing in, I couldn't help but laugh at this picture.   He actually could have fit in with the "Wild Hogs" foursome.    He gets off the bike and wanders over to me and asks how I like the bike.   I said it looks like a nice bike.   He goes off and says "Nice Bike?", that right there is over $20,000 and a piece of Americana".    My only response to him was "be careful where you wear your outfit at in public, you may get mistaken for a member of the Village People".    He told me to "F-off and get a real bike" and walked away like he just got off a horse.   The image of SGT. Schultz walking away from me got me laughing again.    Sorry about the post, I just had to vent.   I would venture to say I will not be spending much time riding with my new neighbor.

[FLAVALK]

Give the guy a break! He has $20,000 worth of justifying to do!! 

I'll bet $20 he hangs a HD tag on the front of one (or both) of the "kraut burners"

[R J]

Not to sweat it..............

This dude is just like any other NON rider starting out.   The only name they ever heard of is Harley Davidson......

The new ones seem to be a tad more reliable than the older ones, but if he ever rides a Rice Burner, his Hardley Diversion, just might find a new owner at a pretty fair amount of loss to him.

[eric in md]

sorry to say it but just calling your him todd .... like we todd. i really hate those kind of people . my new saying is they shouldnt make a motorcycle if it only has two spark plugs.. o yea

[MAD6Gun]

What a  jerk. What you aught to do is go over there and point out all the non American made parts on his Hardley and then point to the "Made In the USA" on the Valks engine and seat. Im like you. I don't care what you ride it is that you ride.  But it is jerks like this that make it hard to keep that sentiment in mind when you talk to some Harley riders.....

[NiteRiderF6]

A Poser is what I call them.... those types of guys who only have the bike for a "status symbol" to go along with all of the other ones that he covets or owns.

The next time he comes over to brag or rub it in your face... ask him to write down his mileage on his new Harley and then you write down your mileage on your Valkyrie, with the intent of comparing the miles ridden in say about September.

[Black Dog]

Don't ya just wanna laugh in their face when they do that crap?

Couple of years ago, I was on my way to hook up with 'Michigan's Misguided' for their Fall Color Ride.  I started off in SE Wisconsin, and went up and over the Michigan UP, to meet up with Timbr & Chilli.  I left home Friday morning, and had a room in Mackinaw City for the night (something like 425 miles).

A buddy of mine, had departed from the same area as me, on that Wednesday, with a bunch of his HD friends.  They took the ferry across Lake Michigan (after riding 60 miles to the dock), and took all of Thursday and Friday to get to the same hotel as I (another 210 miles).

That night after dinner, we were having some 'Daddy Juice' and kickin' tires, when I struck up a conversation with one of the HD guys...  He sez he's been to Sturgis, to the 'Bad Lands', to Americade, the Rockies...  I said 'Wow, you must have some major miles on yer bike, what's the ODO say?'  He comes back and sez sumpthin' like 5K...  'I trailer everywhere I go...  It's not the ride, but the destination'...  I say 'You got that backwards man.  I rode 400+ miles today, and I'll probably be over 1200, by the time I get home Sunday night'.  He sez 'Why would you beat yourself up like that?'  I replied, 'Why would you spend $20,000 on a bike that beats you up?'  That pretty much ended our conversation...  He turned around, walked away, and didn't say another thing to me all night 

The next morning, it was pouring.  I left the Hotel, headed south, and rode in the rain for about 100 miles.  Hooked up with about 30 other Valks, and the always fun group from Michigan, and had a great weekend 

Posers...  We eat 'em for breakfast!

Black Dog

[MP]

He is new.  Give him a chance.
I would take the opposite tact.  Ask him to go riding with you whenever possible.  He may be all right.  I would not blow him away at the first light either!  I would save that for after a few rides, if he turns out OK.
Just because he has bought that HD line, doesn't mean he cannot become a great riding partner.
He may turn out to be a louse too, and in that case, BLOW HIM AWAY!
I wish I had a riding buddy living near me!

[ChromeDome]

What I found very disturbing was that he has never ridden before and his first bike is a Heritage Softail. It will only be a matter of time and the bike will probably spend more time in the garage then on the road.

I also agree with others that said you should ride with him but I wouldn't let him follow me until I was darn sure he could stop in time.

[bigvalkriefan]

Hey, Wheres mcrider when you need him!

[Jabba]

They ain't ALL like that.  I have a HD buddy that's harassing me about not riding my Valk.  and he's right.  He's got 2 HD's with 75K on each of them, that HE put on.

A LOT of them ARE though.

Jabba  

[Popeye]

I have met posers on all brands of bikes.  Friend at work went from a Virago to a Wing, he just had to have a Wing. I asked how many miles a year he put on the Virago, he told me 2K.  He had the Wing for
about 5 years, averaged 2K a ago.  Expensive toy to ride back and forth to work.

Sadly, the friend who bought my Interstate has less the 1K in the 2 + years he's owned the bike. I have  a  friend at work that rides to work maybe once or twice a year on his 750 Magna.

I have Harley friends that give me excuses of why they don't ride, I just shake my head.  I have one Harley friend who has never been on his bike longer than 4 hours.  Another has only done 400 miles in a day one time.

Give the guy a chance, see how many miles he rides.   There are posers on all brands. 

I don't care what you ride, just that you ride.

[fudgie]

Hey, Wheres mcrider when you need him!

Oh no you didn't! 

[Tundra]

ThreeAces97, Staple this to his forehead   http://www.goingfaster.com/angst/noharley2.html

[Skinhead]

I have a coworker that I talked into getting a bike, I tried to talkhim into a VALK, but he wanted new, I tried a Rocket 3, He looked but wanted a Harley.  Bought an '08 Streetglide.  Nice bike, good mileage, a little slow for me.  We have ridden together from Michigan to Maine and back, in and around Pennsylvania, and to the BRP.  He's a great guy and isn't afraid to ride his Harley. 

I say you take your neighbor out for a ride, about 500 or 600 miles, one day, and keep taking him, on long rides, after your sure he can ride, switch with him on one of those long rides, and don't forget to let him know how much you paid for your Valk.  If he's a moron, he'll keep the rice burner crap up, if he has any sense at all, he'll say "I can't believe you only have $XXXX, tied up in your bike."

If he continues to be a A$$HOLE, burn him at every light.  Here's a shot of John and I at the top of Mt. Washington on his first ride on his new bike.

[MITCH]

Slip over and pour about three capfuls of old oil under his bike and watch the show that will go on for at least an hour. While this takes place sip a cold one and enjoy the harmless joke you have pulled on him.

[Willy]

A few weeks back while sitting in Quiznos a VTX rider was walking around looking at my Valkyrie and then he asked if it was an '03. When I said it's a '99 he says "you must not like to ride much" because the bike only had 27 thousand miles on her. Then I said "the two previous owners didn't like to ride much considering she had 8 thousand miles on her when I bought her a year and a half ago". (and I was offshore more than half of the time)  It was his intention to point out that I was a "Poser". After that we talked about the VTX website and Valk website along with many other things. He turned out to be a nice guy.

[hubcapsc]

Slip over and pour about three capfuls of old oil under his bike and watch the show that will go on for at least an hour.

What show? When oil started leaking out of my new Harley after a few months, I just ignored it. Isn't
it supposed to be that way? After I bought my Harley, they sent me to the back room where an
unfriendly guy warned me I better pay up big time for an extended warranty or else I was going
to be on my own when various gaskets and seals started leaking like a sieve. I wish I had known then
what I know now... brand new Valkyries were sitting at the Honda dealer just down the street, probably
even a Red and White one.

-Mike "don't drink the Kool-aid, it will make you stoopid"

[Mr.BubblesVRCCDS0008]

 :)At work one day they poured alittle bit of anti-freeze under a just purchased VTX1800. The proud new owner about went nuts trying to find where it came from. After about an hour they let him off the hook.

[Charlie]

I don't care what anybody says, that is funny!!! (except if it happened to me)

[ArmyValker]

Yeah, sounds like a guy who's spent his whole life propping up his huge ego...

I'd just leave him alone and hope he doesn't kill himself riding like he comes off in person...

I think HD's are pretty, but I know lots of guys with HD's that ride less than 1K a year. If they didn't vibrate like a paint shaker and have the same motor as my lawn mower,  I might wanna try one out...

[Tim D.]

Slip over and pour about three capfuls of old oil under his bike and watch the show that will go on for at least an hour. While this takes place sip a cold one and enjoy the harmless joke you have pulled on him.

  I really did LOL on that one!   Like Archie Bunker used to say, "Revenge is the best way of gettin' even!"  But that would be wrong...

[6jugzz]

I know this guy---his wife made him a cow tongue sandwich and he said he would not eat anything that come out of a cow's mouth. So he told her, fix me an egg!! 

[Jess Tolbirt]

dont pour oil on the ground,, use aunt jamima pancake syrup,,about a half a bottle,, we laffed our butts off one night watching a harley rider get his tools out and start tightening things, then walk over and stick your finger in the "oil" and say something like harley oil taste just like pankakes,,,