Valkyrie Basher.....

[DIGGER]

My son 45 yrs old has two Harleys.....and of course he has a lot of Harley friends.  Nice professional people who have drank the coolaide.   My son had a barbque at his house on Lake Sommerville Texas this weekend.   His neighbors and Harley buds were all there with their wives and families so the conversation pretty much was about motorcycles and their rides.  In all fairness these guys take a 10 day-2 week motorcycle trip together every year.   About 7 of them travel together.   Anyways......one of them started bashing my Valkyrie and asked when I was going to get a Harley.    I Told the group ..."well...it aint the money stopping me...its just that I really love my Valkyrie and and It will take me anywhere I need to go."   He asked why dont I go on rides with them and I explained " everywhere you guys go Ive already been there done that....I like going places I havent been to."   He got a little indignant look on his face and said " yeah right"...my son spoke up and said " hey Joe...this old man has ridden motorcycles all over the United States".   He didnt like it but cooled down and said well "yeah...well where you riding to this year?"   I said " I got several places in mind....may try to go to the big Valkyrie rally up in Iowa in June...." Joe smirked and laughed and said " where they holding it...on a Walmart parking lot?"......My son looked at me and saw it coming.....I said "Joe...its because of assholes like you that I dont want nothing to do with Harley Davidson....if you want to ride an inferior bike thats your business but Im goong to keep riding the best motorcycle ever made."   My son and his friends are laughing their asses off and shaking their heads....  I continued " matter of fact Joe I am going to challenge you to a motorcycle race....my  23 yr old 119,000 mile Valkyrie against this Harley you are so proud of.... Joe I will race you from here in Houston to Los Angeles and back for $1,000."   My son and his friends were cracking up at me losing it and  my son told Joe " Joe dont take the challenge....that 73 yr old man will beat you."   Joe didnt  take the challenge.

I like Harleys ok.   I truly think they build a great motorcycle now days but I still cant stand it when I meet someone that thinks if you dont ride a Harley you aint nobody.

[klb]

Been there done that. I used to ride with a group called the Catawba Valley Scenic Riders. At first there was a mix of all brands of bikes but mostly Harley's. Eventually with all the bashing for not riding a real bike most of the non Harley riders stopped riding with the group except me. I like all kinds of bikes and I don't give my opinion on what someone should ride or which is better or worse. I have been riding the Valkyrie for 23 years now so my opinion is pretty much set for me. One day we were stopped at a store and took a break when one of them said to me Kevin you are the only one that still rides a Japanese bike in the group I wonder why everyone else stopped riding with us. We were all good friends and I understood that they could not help but criticize others for not riding a Harley so I told them the truth and that was you all ran them all off they got tired of hearing crap about when are you gonna get a real motorcycle. They all looked at me like I was crazy then I had to tell them with a bit of humor that I ain't scared of none of you A holes plus every one of you know that Black Valkyrie sitting there will outrun any of your real bikes. Silence for a few seconds then all laughed. BUT they took what I said as a challenge because on the next several rides we went on some of them tried to outrun the Valkyrie with no luck. My Brother in Law bought a Harley a few weeks ago and we finally got to ride together and sure enough he tried to show me what his real motorcycle would do to my Valkyrie. How did that turn out ( NOT TOO GOOD ) for him. I also noticed when sitting at a light I kept hearing something squeaking so much I shut mine off to make double sure it wasn't my bike. It was his so when we stopped to get a drink and I told him his bike was making that noise and he firmly said NO IT AIN'T. I asked him to crank it up to let the other four of us listen and it was shaking and squeaking like crazy but he said he didn't hear anything but the rest of us did so he finally admitted to hearing it. I couldn't help myself and told him when you get home it might be a good thing to break out the tools and find that tube of LocTite....

[old2soon]

    Couple years after I got Phatt Ghurl I was on a P G R Mission and after a lot of us put on the feed bag at some restaurant and some H/D rider was giving me grief about the rice burner. I said you got a nickle or 3 or 4! He did and we walked back to Phatt Ghurl and I lined up 4 quarters started her up revved to about 5 and a half G rolled off the throttle shut er down and most of the other riders were like damn! The one givin me the ration just turned and went into eat. We came out bout an hr later the quarters were still there and still standing but he ignored me when I asked if he wanted his money back!  Generally that nickel trick stills a LOT of the chit Honda Riders git thrown at them. I have NOTHING against Any Brand of 2 or 3 wheel motivation. The MAIN Thing I M O is Sharing Wind!  Sides in all my years The Wind has NEVER asked me HOW I got there!  RIDE SAFE.

[Jess from VA]

Guys who think Harley is God's gift to motorcycles make me tired.

Every Valk (except those made for Japan in Japan) was made in Marysville OH.

I'm more interested in what KIND of rider (skill level) (and human being) a guys is, than what kind of bike he rides.

I haven't had anyone look down their nose (to my face) at my bikes for a long time.

You know how MC riders wave to each other?  Once in a while a HOG rider doesn't wave back (most do).  Oh well.

I try to buy American when I can, especially if I'm spending larger money, but it isn't always possible, and it isn't always the best product either.

I rode a Hog for 18 years (80 inch EVO), and spent a lot of money to get about 85HP out of it.  Know what the very best carburetor was for it (at least back then)?  Either the HSR42 or HSR45 Mikuni (Japanese).  My bike had the 42. 

When friends asked why I changed up from my HOG to a Valk, I told them I grew up and moved up.  Mostly, that shut them up. 

(I actually held on to my Harley for a several years after getting my first Valk.  I was fond of it.  But it grew cobwebs under it's cover from disuse, so it finally got sold.)

[LTD]

10 yrs ago I blew away a Harley  road glide it was no big deal even told him how it was going to go down then I showed him

[Serk]

I like Harleys ok.   I truly think they build a great motorcycle

I don't have anything against those who love and ride 'em, but I personally can't stand the company. To me it's a microcosm of everything wrong with manufacturing in this country: Instead of innovation build an overpriced obsolete (But shiny!) product and sell it on the "'merica!" factor alone...

Every Valk (except those made for Japan in Japan) was made in Marysville OH.

I'm 99% even the Japanese market Valkyries were made in Ohio, just had the reverse put on 'em then shipped over... Makes a lot more sense to have one factory to build all 1500 F6 bikes and ship the few the Japanese market wants over then to make special tooling for a very low production run in Japan...

[Oss]

I have challenged folks lets ride to canada border and back before dinner

No takers

But they were rice burners not harleys

some harley riders I know are awesome riders including the H.Angels boys

[Moonshot_1]

C'mon, just say it. You guys want the cool clothes.

(But the Valk stuff is some of the coolest)

[scooperhsd]

It's really the rider and not what he's riding IMO. As long as we can all respect each other we should be able to get along. After all we have a common enemy (the cage drivers   .

[Robert]

I trained both my son and my son in law to ride. My son sells Harley's but before he did and we three would be out on rides they would always ask me when are you going to sell that electric bike. My response,

This bike will still be here when yours are just a memory. It worked out just that way too.

In tunnels or closed in areas they would always try to blast past me since their bikes were way loud. But seems as long as I was paying attention they could not catch up fast enough to overtake me.  

[Pluggy]

The only crap I ever received (that is worth sharing) was when I lived in Florida.  

While getting Valkyrie gas and a drink, a cage pulled up. He was president of the local Gold Wing chapter.  Arrogant.  He said even I could join their club with "That motorcycle".  They could teach me how to ride "That motorcycle".  What???  He never saw me ride, so why should he consider me inept?  I should have told him to take a flying you-know-what at the Moon.  The old boy handed me some literature and I was glad to be done with him.

His club chapter had a website and I was curious about who this was.  They had costume parties and Bingo.  Good grief.

[Rams]

The only crap I ever received (that is worth sharing) was when I lived in Florida.  

SNIP

 They had costume parties and Bingo.  Good grief.

That thar's funny, don't care who U R.

Today was Primary Election Day in MS.  (I'm the poll manager for this district.)

A woman and her friend walked in to vote wearing chaps and a Harley shirt,  I didn't say a word until one of my co-workers mentioned that I also rode.   They asked to see pictures so, I whipped out my phone they were all Oooohs and Awssss.   The lady said, Wow they are Harley colors, what are they.

Looked her straight in the eye and I said Honda Valkyries..........

She just stared and then ask what engine was on that hog.   We had a short discussion and she ended up asking me to take her for a ride.   I just smiled and went to help another voter.   No idea if she rides or just rides along but, she won't be getting on any of my Valks.

Rams

[da prez]

  I pulled into a Harley dealership for a fund raiser on my Valk. I was directed away from the real bikes. I ignored the guy. I parked in line with the real bikes. I was asked to move my ride.
 "Why , I asked".  This is for real bikes only.  I asked to speak to the promoter  before I moved my bike. I started to draw a crowd. When he arrived , I asked why was this exclusive parking. My bike has two wheels and an engine.  It's Jap crap. This bike is American  made. So , when I move my bike , I will also take along with  it the L A R G E  donation we raised to support this fund raiser.  Attitudes changes.
 I said to the promoter , say goodbye to a four figure donation!
  I started the bike and idled thru the lot.   Woodstock Harley about six years ago.

                                                       da prez

                                                         

[Pluggy]

  I pulled into a Harley dealership for a fund raiser on my Valk. I was directed away from the real bikes. I ignored the guy. I parked in line with the real bikes. I was asked to move my ride.
 "Why , I asked".  This is for real bikes only.  I asked to speak to the promoter  before I moved my bike.
                                                      

Mr. Prez, that may have been a Harley promotional event, disguised as a charity event.

And thanks for the tip about cleaning the alternator.  Only a wisp of carbon dust came out. 

[Farside]

 Funny this topic popped up after my Sunday ride home from church. I was gassing up on the way home and a youngman came up to tell me what a Beautiful Valkyrie I had. He was probably 35-40 yrs old. Went on to tell me his dad loved the Valkyries but never owned one. He said his dad had Harleys and his Ultra Classic graced the cover of some Harley magazine years ago. The youngman said "my dad couldn't get rid of his Harley image or even think of getting a Valkyrie after that" but love'm!  Funny story

[DIGGER]

Funny this topic popped up after my Sunday ride home from church. I was gassing up on the way home and a youngman came up to tell me what a Beautiful Valkyrie I had. He was probably 35-40 yrs old. Went on to tell me his dad loved the Valkyries but never owned one. He said his dad had Harleys and his Ultra Classic graced the cover of some Harley magazine years ago. The youngman said "my dad couldn't get rid of his Harley image or even think of getting a Valkyrie after that" but love'm!  Funny story

Reminds me once I was on my Valkyrie...it was all shined up and making an errand run for the wife .   There was a Harley at a red light with a cutie on the back.    I pulled up next to them and said "beautifull day for a ride...".    The guy turned and looked at me and got a disgusted look on his face and turned his head back straight ahead.    I thought what a jerk!!!   I looked at the cutie and she was all smiles and silently mouthed "I love your bike".   Haha

[sandy]

Went to a charity event many moons ago. After paying the fee and got the T shirt and pin, I noticed 4 guys standing near by. Suddenly I heard " anybody who rides a Honda is a faggott". The last HD sponsored event I attended.

[Valker]

I highlighted with black sharpie the lettering on my 98 engine that says "MADE IN THE USA". I point that out then ask them to show me that on their Harley.

[Jess from VA]

I highlighted with black sharpie the lettering on my 98 engine that says "MADE IN THE USA". I point that out then ask them to show me that on their Harley.

This goes way back on this forum (and in history), but didn't HD lobby the powers that be to up the percentage of US parts on any motorcycle necessary to put Made in USA on it?  Harley was already out of it, but they wanted Honda out of it too.  Both my '99 Interstates have Made in USA stamped on them, but later years (at some point) don't.  Do I have this right? 

[Valker]

I think that is correct. But if the Valk has it, it shuts down the discussion pretty quickly.

[Challenger]

Yup, my 99 has it, my 2000 does not.  When I get the jap crap comment, I just tell them I thought Marysville Ohio was part of the United States.

[csj]

When I get taunted by that harley elitist bull, I say the following;

Harley Davidson: 1940s technology at tomorrow's pricing.

Harley Davidson: the fastest way to convert gasoline to noise, without the benefit of horsepower.

[klb]

When I get taunted by that harley elitist bull, I say the following;

Harley Davidson: 1940s technology at tomorrow's pricing.

Harley Davidson: the fastest way to convert gasoline to noise, without the benefit of horsepower.

That's what I thought when I rode with my Brother in Law with
all that noise he should have been going at least 200 MPH..

[Rams]

That's what I thought when I rode with my Brother in Law with
all that noise he should have been going at least 200 MPH..

That thar's funny, don't care who U R...........................   

Rams

[cookiedough]

did a HD ride once, once was enough.  I can only drink so many diet cokes going from bar to bar to bar to bar while they get drunk.   

[98valk]

he has zero motorcycle experience/s prior to becoming CEO of HD.
so HD is now kinda a foreign owned and run company.

""Jochen Zeitz (born 6 April 1963) is a businessman serving as the president, CEO and chairman of the board of Harley-Davidson, Inc.[2] He is also Chairman of LiveWire Inc.  Zeitz was born in Mannheim, Germany.[1] He studied in Germany, Italy, France, and the United States,[4][1] and graduated from the European Business School in International Marketing and Finance""