Harley "wanna-be": Definition?

[Rocketman]

OK, so I'm curious.  What makes a motorcycle a HD wanna-be/clone?  Or more to the point, what is required to NOT be a HD clone?  It seems like many people use that term pretty loosely.  I understand the mentality that makes the non-motorcycling public refer to everything as a Harley (same as that which makes me refer to all cola as "coke").  However, when it's used in the pejorative, I don't understand.  Does HD have a patent on the V-twin such that every single V-twin out there is labeled a "wanna-be"?  I realize that at a high level (quick glance), all motorcycles look alike to the uninitiated.  At a closer look, differences start to appear.
So, is there some defined minimum of difference, or is "wanna-be" just a catch all insult?

No, I don't have a v-twin.  I've never actually owned one.  I'm just a little confused by the comments.

Mark

[The Anvil]

More than anything to me it's a combination of the long, low stance and the narrow angle V-twin engine with the air cleaner hanging in the middle. Especially the ones with liquid cooling and decorative machined in cooling "fins". Even H-D emulates their own air cooled line with the liquid cooled V-Rod by machining decorative cooling fins in there.

[bvergeer]

I think it is predominantly the V-Twin not just in configuration but in sound as well. Some of the metric V-Twin ads even imply they sound like a Harley.

I suppose there is a look to go along with it but I think Harley borrowed that from Indian over the years. (Actually I think the V-Twin even showed up in an Indian before Harley started using it.)

So is Harley just an Indian wanna-be? Just as Bill Gates, it's all in the marketing.

[sandy]

Those cooling fins on a watercooled bike are still part of the cooling system. Without them, you'd need a larger radiator. Compare the VTX1800 radiator to a Valk's. There is a difference. I had an 1100 Shadow for a year before the Valk. Good bike but hated the vibration on a long ride. It was the engine with a dual pin crank and it still vibrated. No more "Wanna Be" bikes for me.

[ValkFlyer]

More than anything to me it's a combination of the long, low stance and the narrow angle V-twin engine with the air cleaner hanging in the middle. Especially the ones with liquid cooling and decorative machined in cooling "fins". Even H-D emulates their own air cooled line with the liquid cooled V-Rod by machining decorative cooling fins in there.

Agree, and while it's not always been I'd still have to add the sit in the frame build with feet forward positioning.

[Serk]

sit in the frame build with feet forward positioning.

...otherwise known as the "OB-GYN Exam" riding position... 

[ValkFlyer]

sit in the frame build with feet forward positioning.

...otherwise known as the "OB-GYN Exam" riding position... 

 

[Fudd]

More than anything to me it's a combination of the long, low stance and the narrow angle V-twin engine with the air cleaner hanging in the middle.

We have a few hard core Harley riders at our bike nite that refer to these as "Hardly Ablesons" or "Honda Davidsons."

Quoting one of them:  "There's only two types of bikers, those on a Harley and those who wish they were." 

Give me a break.

[suthrncop]

my definition----something I don't wanna be

[RudyF6]

  I actually had a guy call my Valk a 'wannabe' once. Apparently his rationale was because it has good size tires on both ends and big fenders, it's a 'wannabe' Fatboy. I just laughed it off and went on! 

[old2soon]

I actually had a guy call my Valk a 'wannabe' once. Apparently his rationale was because it has good size tires on both ends and big fenders, it's a 'wannabe' Fatboy. I just laughed it off and went on! 

  Did he EVER see your tailights again?? RIDE SAFE.

[BigAl]

Harley Wanna Be.

Thats easy, those that would emulate the style, sound, or otherwise come in a street cruiser model,

that brings one to think of it's Harley-esque  resemblance..

Without actually being a Harley.

Some models that fill the bill, any Japanese Cruiser with a V-Twin Motor.

Are Copying Harleys to a point.

If you want a Harley buy a Harley.

Not a look alike.

So if you buy a Valk you will never be acused or otherwise defamed as a Harley Wanna Be.

[The Anvil]

What the Valk takes from Harley is the general approach to a motorcycle that most Harleys do which is to say; relaxed. No pressure to be boy-racer or get anywhere too fast. Just get on and enjoying the ride for the ride's sake. But that's about it. Not that I can't enjoy a ride on a crotch rocket, but at anything under 100mph they feel leashed and eventually that leads to bad behavior. On the Valk I can just hop on and be with my thoughts for a few hours and not even care all that much if traffic is going five under the limit.*


*I know what you're thinking and yes, it's like being trapped in a Plexiglas box with Hannibal Lechter sometimes.

[Rocketman]

OK, I guess my point is:
Who declared that HD is the be all and end all?  WHy are they not accused of being VTX wanna bes?  Time?  History?  OK, why not call them Indian wanna bes?  I suppose I could go do some exhaustive research and find out who had how many V-twin engines when, but I'm not that bored.  Yet.
This all just seems silly.  HD does not have a corner on the cruiser market.  This psychological denegration of anything that is of the cruiser style, using a juvenile and unanswerable accusation of "wanna-be", gives me an urge to drop to their level and respond with "I know you are, but what am I?"

Mark

[98valk]

I had an 1100 Shadow for a year before the Valk. Good bike but hated the vibration on a long ride. It was the engine with a dual pin crank and it still vibrated. No more "Wanna Be" bikes for me.

I've read that was intentionally done to a few shadow models to create the HD feel per the honda marketing dept. to sell more bikes. it didn't work and they went back to the org smoother crank pin design.

[Jabba]

I think it's more about the people than the bike.

Squealy is on a Sabre forum, much like this one.  The "Sabrehood".  He says they are mostly "wanna-be" HD guys.

When I see someone on a metric cruiser take all the badging off their bike, so as to create ambiguity, that tells me they are trying to emulate what I consider to be a weak role model.

They also add, purely decorative "air cleaners" to the right side to emulate the HD's.

I personally don't add much to my Valks that don't add to the ride or performance, or somehow make it better.  Simple "bling" is not my style.  I do not begrudge anyone else theirs however.  It's just not me.

I consider most of the V-Stars, the Vulcans, the VTX's, and the Shadow's emulators.  YOMV.

Jabba

[98valk]

Indian was the first V-twin motorcycle maker, HD copied them. If it wasn't for bad business practice by Indian they would still be #1 as they were back in the day against HD. Indian bikes were built better, were faster and won more races than HD.
so even HD is a "wanna-be"   

[Dogg]

Indian was the first V-twin motorcycle maker, HD copied them. If it wasn't for bad business practice by Indian they would still be #1 as they were back in the day against HD. Indian bikes were built better, were faster and won more races than HD.
so even HD is a "wanna-be"   

ah but Excelsior henderson was the faster bike. first in design with the X wedge motor, then the inline 4. indian and HD used each others designs. but, its about marketing, not the motors.
  Most of the "wannabe" name callers are the HD "owners". you know, the guys with the 06 fatboy with 2400 miles on it. it is completely a derogatory statement since those asshats think that they own the only motorcycle worth owning. its a status symbol to the world. nothing else.thats where the phrase,"if you aint ridin a harley you aint riding" comes from, along with a few other chioce one liners.
  The metric croud didnt start it, the manufacturers didnt start it, the riders of triumph, HD, bmw didnt start it. It was the posers on HD's that think just becasue they can afford one the are part of an elite crowd, a cult of sorts. They ride the ultimate cruising motorcycle. the riders of HD will atest to this. they dont care what you ride, they just ride. and they will stop to help if you broke down, they will have a beer with ya. its the posers or "owners" that created the wannabe word for motorcycles other than hd. that simple...

[DIGGER]

More than anything to me it's a combination of the long, low stance and the narrow angle V-twin engine with the air cleaner hanging in the middle.

We have a few hard core Harley riders at our bike nite that refer to these as "Hardly Ablesons" or "Honda Davidsons."

Quoting one of them:  "There's only two types of bikers, those on a Harley and those who wish they were." 

sssooooooooo......if ya want to put "wanabees" tag on something, didn't the Honda Shadow V TWIN have a radiator before the V ROD came out with a radiator???????    Does that not make the V Rod a Honda Shadow "WANABEE"?

Give me a break.

[old2soon]

     Of little or no merit what so ever. Just in my little area of the ozarks that i live in have seen a lot of 4 to 10 year old bikes with low miles less than 5000 miles. Leading the pack of low mile bikes for sale is TA DA H/D. Stopped at my local (or loco) honda stea-er dlr and just inside the front door is a 2009 low mile(didn't ask) full dress H/D in black and chrome. The sales lady told me the ex owner of the now traded H/D wanted some thing smoother quieter and longer legged. Told me he bought a Goldwing. Seems a lot of his H/D ridin buds had done the same thing in the last few years. Like i said up front-of little or no merit what so ever. RIDE SAFE.

[PhredValk]

Is it the bike that is a wannabe, or the rider? My idea of a wannabe is a guy who was a regular at a bar I worked in. Harley T-shirts, belt buckles, vest, boots etc. Upon leaving he dons his HD doo rag and helmet and rides off on his Virago.

Look at all the V-twins in the parking lot of the coffee shop, see the T-shirts on the riders, then count the radiators.
Fred.

[The Anvil]

Emulate might be a better word than "wanna be".

Nobody really complains about this stuff when it's cars emulating other cars. I don't see why it's such a big deal when it's bikes.

[ValkFlyer]

Emulate might be a better word than "wanna be".

Nobody really complains about this stuff when it's cars emulating other cars. I don't see why it's such a big deal when it's bikes.

It's only a "big deal" to those that make it one.  It's the ego that needs stroking, some folks just can't be happy with what they have, or what others have...Others need to feel they're part of something special when in reality it's nothing in the big picture.."Some things will never change".

[Bobbo]

Emulate might be a better word than "wanna be".

Nobody really complains about this stuff when it's cars emulating other cars. I don't see why it's such a big deal when it's bikes.

I think it's prevalent in bikes, since they have the "bad boy" legacy.  The ones who pretend to be a "bad boy" apparently think ridiculing other bikes is part of the "bad boy" culture.

[98valk]

Emulate might be a better word than "wanna be".

Nobody really complains about this stuff when it's cars emulating other cars. I don't see why it's such a big deal when it's bikes.

I think it's prevalent in bikes, since they have the "bad boy" legacy.  The ones who pretend to be a "bad boy" apparently think ridiculing other bikes is part of the "bad boy" culture.

Glad u brought that up, since didn't "the wild ones" start the "bad boy motorcycle" image? If I remember the movie correctly, none of them were riding HDs.

[The Anvil]

Emulate might be a better word than "wanna be".

Nobody really complains about this stuff when it's cars emulating other cars. I don't see why it's such a big deal when it's bikes.

I think it's prevalent in bikes, since they have the "bad boy" legacy.  The ones who pretend to be a "bad boy" apparently think ridiculing other bikes is part of the "bad boy" culture.

Glad u brought that up, since didn't "the wild ones" start the "bad boy motorcycle" image? If I remember the movie correctly, none of them were riding HDs.

Hollywood's depiction of the "bad boy biker" image may have begun there, but Hollywood being thoroughly unoriginal did not make it up out of thin air. The basis for the portrayal began earlier than that.

[Bobbo]

Emulate might be a better word than "wanna be".

Nobody really complains about this stuff when it's cars emulating other cars. I don't see why it's such a big deal when it's bikes.

I think it's prevalent in bikes, since they have the "bad boy" legacy.  The ones who pretend to be a "bad boy" apparently think ridiculing other bikes is part of the "bad boy" culture.

Glad u brought that up, since didn't "the wild ones" start the "bad boy motorcycle" image? If I remember the movie correctly, none of them were riding HDs.

The movie was made to capitalize on the "Bad boy" image that came to light after the Hollister incident.  I think Lee Marvin's character rode a Harley.

[Bigun]

 I could have afforded a Harley "Used of course" but can not afford the clothing that goes along with it. LOL $500 for a leather jacket that loudly proclaims Made in the USA on the back and says made in china on the interior. Never thought it would cost so much to dress like a gay pirate. LMFAO