Morning Ride

[Tundra]

 I was going to meet the boys today, but Andrea will be in Atlanta next week for work, so decided to spend the weekend with her. I managed a 4 hour ride (5am-9am) and a nice breakfast at a biker bar at Madeira Beach. Nice and cool out...kind of.
 I overheard two guys at the bar, drinking at 8:00am "what kind of Harley is that" the response was loud so I could hear it "Jap crap"
  When I was leaving they started again, "He looks like a brochure rider" I had to think about that one. Probably because I was the only one with gear, helmet, gloves, jacket and long pants.
 This type of behavior used to get me mad, fighting mad. I just laughed to myself at them, it really didn't bother me at all. As I rode away watching my odometer roll I thought to myself, I probably have logged more miles than all of them, except maybe on their barstools.

[Scoop171]

Hi Doug,

   Just rolled in myself. Had the Boss Hoss out for a ride this morning. Rode to Treasure Island to Dixie's Little Dog House for a couple "Chicago Style Hot Dogs" for breakfast.    

  As far as the "BROCHURE RIDER" I think we all have seen these guys before?
(Brochures are advertising pieces mainly used to introduce a company) One motorcycle company comes to mind?

Anywho after I finish my Coca Cola I think I will go for another ride around here.

Ed

[Jess from VA]

Good move Doug.  Let that crap roll off you like water off a duck.  Sticks and stones and all that.

There are so many replies (and gestures), nice and nasty, and none are worth your time.

It actually takes more effort/restraint to remain neutral and take the high road, than get into a discussion (to what end?).  Little difference from trying to show a liberal his folly.

Just smile and move along.   

An armed society must be a polite society.   

[Tundra]

Good move Doug.  Let that crap roll off you like water off a duck.  Sticks and stones and all that.

There are so many replies (and gestures), nice and nasty, and none are worth your time.

It actually takes more effort/restraint to remain neutral and take the high road, than get into a discussion (to what end?).  Little difference from trying to show a liberal his folly.

Just smile and move along.  

An armed society must be a polite society.  

An armed society must be a polite society.     That was in my mind.

[John Schmidt]

Good move Doug, although it does bug me at times. I was sitting in a restaurant during InZane when a couple Lemmings walked in, first thing they asked was "is that your Jap crap out there?" Yep, sure is...so I asked why they call it that. One guy just started in with all the usual made in the USA drivel and that makes it better than anything else. So when I told him to take a close look at mine on his way out and he'd see Made In USA on it, that about sent him into a cardiac arrest. Then I suggested to him and his buddy that any motor that will go 300-400K miles and more without an overhaul or replacement sure doesn't sound like crap to me. About that time a waitress walked by and apparently had been listening because her parting shot was "bazinga."  Like Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory sitcom. They just shut up and went to sit down, and when she walked past again she just smiled at me and winked. When I checked out, she told me her husband has had every Gold Wing model since 1976(1000, 1100, 1200, 1500, and now 1800) and has put over 250K on every one of them.

[Thunderbolt]

Good move Doug.  Glad you got out. 

[Flrider]

Hey Doug

Glad you got some riding time, you definitely missed the hottest part of the day by doing an early ride.
Props to you for not giving into the close minded guys 

[FloridaValkRyder]

I went for a quickie myself yesterday morning. Left the house at 0600 stopped for a little breakfast in Mt Dora, went around Lake Apopka on the Green Mountain Scenic Byway, such as it is. Back through Winter Garden and got home around 0900 or so. Was already pretty steamy by then. Glad you guys had a nice ride to the Mason Jar. You handled the HD creeps pretty well Doug, that has only happened to me a couple of times.

[thewoodman]

Hey, Doug, I always like the J.A.P. crap comment, don't you? I was sitting in traffic heading for work one morning a few years back with a tri-axle dump truck to my right and the driver rolled down the window and hollered that my bike was the quietest Harley he'd ever heard. I responded that it wasn't a Harley, but a Valkyrie. 'A what?' A Valkyrie - Honda Valkyrie! Oh! he said -  wait for it.......'J.A.P. Crap' I smiled up at him and said kinda loud, Yep! J.A.P. Crap; which stands for - JUST ABOUT PERFECT - and it was built in Ohio, so it's American made......and he had no come-back; rolled his window back up.........end of conversation

[Grumpy]

I always remember the 1% er that argued with me last year, said I had a Porsche engine, Honda never made a motor that big, my parting comment was I did not know Briggs & Stratton made as big a motor as he had in his Harley. He just stood there with his mouth open as I rolled away. They are among us.