......its the rider.....not the bike.....right ?

[~ Timbrwolf]

. ...and I know thats true


....yet....I had my 3rd.. "experience"......with a "Harley Boy"...on Sunday..


....now a few of our friends ride Harleys...and personally..I like the bikes...well made..
......nice lines...love the sound...

......but Im starting to really cop an "attitude"...about some of the folks that ride em...



....Sunday we hooked up with The Misguided...and rode on up to Tawas for our Annual Lumbermans BBQ....had a nice day....got to see some folks whos company we enjoy and a few others...


....mounting up for the ride home, a couple good friends of ours convinved us..(not that it took all that much convincing)....to take the journey down state and hang out at their little hide away on a lake for Saturday night....


...we had a good time...got some Thai food and kicked back and had a few drinks and told some lies...Sunday we got up and had a lazy day just hanging out on the deck and enjoying the apparent Indian Summer that Mother Nature took pity on us for having no summer...



...about 3 in the afternoon, we relunctly packed our stuff and mounted up....our frineds TonyZ and his lovely wife Lara decided to share some wind with us part of the way home.......Tony asked me to lead..as he had done so all weekend and was tired of it...so we took the lead and hit the super slab.....were cruising along at 80 - 85 mph with traffic..(thats the way they drive here downstate...Hell...thats the way they drive ALL over Michigan)....anyway...were in the lead, when all of a sudden I hear the unmistakable sound of a Twin V ....banging it for all its worth....I look in my sideview mirror just in time to see this Harley Boy as he zooms by us...he,s no sooner by us when he ..CUTS in....cuts us off...and zooms on down the road at about 100 mph....now....like I said...Chili is on the back....Tony and his wife are about 10 feet behind us at 5 O clock....and were doing about 85 mph.....I think about what just happned for a second...look down the road at this asshat cruising down the road...and it *clicks*....I downshift to 4th gear and bang her hard....in the blink of an eye Im doing 115 mph and the disatnce between me and this jackass is cut down considerably...within 30 seconds I caught him, and as Im zooming by I look over and he,s smiling...gives us the finger...and starts patting on the top of his helmet...grinning...



....at the same time...when he saw me comming...he cut over to the slow lane..I found out why a few seconds later....traffic had come to a stop....the car infront of me was comming up FAST....I slowed up and came to a stop....Tony came up behind me and I looked over to see this asshat suddenly cut onto the shoulder of the road...and zoom on up and he was gone......


....now...this is the 3rd time in almost 35 years of riding that some asshat on a Harley thought it would be great fun...to harrass the guy riding the jap bike....first time I got "buzzed" in a "driveby" while sitting at a light down the shore in Jersey on my old Gold Wing...that guy too....came up to the next red light and "spilt lanes"...to get away from me after he buzzed me....another time I had two Harley Boys messing with me and Chili on a lonely back road up here in the woods...tailgating me until I found a straight away and left them in the dust...(which pissed them off further)...


....now we stopped at an "Uno,s Restaurant" for a late lunch and Tony goes did that guy give you the finger ?.....He goes on to say that there a couple of "Motorcycle Clubs"...in the area....and the guy was wearing "colors" in the back of his denim jacket...and that those guys are "crazy".....well...they maybe crazy....but Im thinking that there also...pussy,s...why else would they "split lanes"...or "ride up the shoulder to get away"...after they mess with you ?...I mean...if they,re such bad asses...why dont they stick around to see if they cant ....prove how crazy they really are ?


...dont get me wrong...Im not into getting into a fight on the side of the road with one of these jack asses....Im just wondering why....they always run....after they mess with you ?



....so...this morning...Im sitting down in a booth at my favorite coffee spot reading the Detroit Free Press....when in walks this .."older gentleman"...grey hair...leather jacket...helmet....he lays the helmet down...takes his leather off to revel his.....expensive "Harley Emblazoned" shirt....and sits down in the very next booth...facing me...and proceeds to ignore me...now...my gleaming State is sitting right out side ..infront of the place...I have my doo-rag on....its pretty obvious that its..my big ol bike out there...but he never even makes eye contact....just orders and ignores me......so I finish my coffee....stroll on out into a fine Indian Summer morning...look across the street...and there nicely parked is his beautiful black Harley....immaculately cared for...obviously his pride and joy....I throw a leg...start my bike...and cruise on home....but I have to tell ya...I felt a certain "resentment" for this guy as soon as I saw his Harley shirt....and the ...usual smug attitude he had in the way he just ignored me...(Ive seen it so many times before).....



....like I said...I know its the rider....not the bike....and out of a sea of Harleys...its just a few that ruin the "Image"...for all of them.....but I feel myself slowly going back to my old routine of...not acknowleding anyone on a Harley ....unless I see some sort of "friendliness"...on their part first...

[Black Dog]

I hear ya bro...  We had the 'Milwaukee Rally' this past weekend (an event held when there is not a 5 year anniversary to celebrate), and my part of the state was crawling' with HD's...

Took the ol' girl down to 'Gun Slinger' mode (fairing off, tour box off, rear seat off, and baffles out) and did some HD hunting, but had no takers.  Lotsa looks, and even a BIG thumbs up from a guy and his ol' lady, ridin' a HD, as I crept past them on I94. 

My encounters were all good this weekend, but have met the posers in full costume, that won't even look ya in the eye, on other occasions.

Don't pet the sweaty stuff...  Enjoy the next few days, as it looks like the cool and wet is headed our way for the end of the week.

Black Dog

[Westernbiker]

Hey Timberwolf, I am getting to be the same way. I try not to as I do not care what you ride as long as you ride but I have been harrassed a few times and yes I agree it is the rider not the bike I do not get in from any other kind of bike rider. I have a few friends that ride HD's and they don't mess with the Valk anymore, one time was all it took. LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Jay]

I was in Durango, CO at the Harley dealership this weekend during the Four Corners Rally.  I was walking back to my Valk and noticed a few Harley riders around it, gawking.  As I walked up I heard one of them say "that's a lot of motorcycle" to one of the other Harley guys.  They had not seen me at that point, but as I put the key in, and they were still there, none of them said anything to me.  I just took it that they were speechless.

[stormrider]

We had a Christian bike rally here in Dothan over the weekend. Lots of Harley's. They all say it don't matter what you ride but we still rib each other, in fun of course. However, none of em tried the nickle trick which gets the most onlookers. Those expensive Harley's just don't seem to draw the crowds the way a measly 5 cents does.

It's a shame though, that even in the biker world, some think they have something up on ya by what they ride. I do pitty those types though, I ride all the roads around here and never see a HD on lots of em. They travel the same well marked highways, never willing to hook up for some adventure checking out our great backroads.

I've passed several opportunities to play tag with some HD's lately. I've decided the old girl ain't got to prove nothing to them. She's proven it to me enough times. Besides, I don't want to give them any control over my emotions. Life's too short.

Ride safe.

[alan]

A few months ago I was on my Kawi ZZR1200 (!!!) and got challenged to a "contest of speed" by a h-d goof. He ran through all his gears and I stayed very close next to him until my bike bumped off the rev-limiter at 115 Kmh. I stayed very close next to him so that he would see I never shifted out of first gear. The revs drop to 6000 until I pull the clutch and then shift into second and came up in his mirror so close I could've slapped his helmet...... I literally put my front wheel under his right mirror at over 120 Kmh. The young sh!t couldn't outrun me and he couldn't slow down. Kind of a Mexanese standoff. I just turned 63 on Saturday and I don't recommend this poor behaivour..... unless you have been practicing Akido for a few decades.

On the Valkyrie I, of course, just ignore all the lesser machinery on the road.

Two years ago the wife and I got buzzed by one of the local gang banger h-d guys. At the next light I pulled up next to him and his passenger. My wife opened her helmet and said to the passenger: "Hi, Marissa, remember me? You went to school with my youngest son and your Mom and I played on the same woman's softball team. I hope your not someone's "old lady" now."  You know how every small city seems to have four or five brothers that everybody is scared of? I married their mother.

[ChromeDome]

You are right .... it is THAT you ride, NOT what you ride.

Usually when a guy does what you said ... passes me, moves into my lane and cuts me off ... I just let it go. I really isn't worth the time & effort since he isn't about riding but about him being an A$$, akin to a cager only on 2 wheels instead of 4.

Like others have said, I have some HD riding buds and we rarely have a problem. True a couple will start a little friendly ribbing but when they start getting a little carried away I usually challenge them to a race .... around Lake Michigan ... in 1 day.   So far no one has taken me up on it but then again it is all in good fun.

But when it comes to the HD Bad A$$ Attitude .... leave it be ... it ain't worth the time or energy.

[Dag]

I passed four Harleys on the Autostrada in Italy during my Europe ride. I lift my arm to just say hello, and they showed me "the finger". OK.. if thats the way they say hello I had to be polite and "say hello" of their language.
Later I stopped at a gas station, filled up the tank and were ready to continue when the Harleys pulled over and stopped. I saw the first guy when he got off his bike that he had a big patch on his vest.... B@ndidos France  
I thought we were finished with our conversation on the Autostrada so I didn`t see any reason to wait and see if they had more to say...
Fired up and gave full throttle  

[kickstand]

A few weeks ago I stop at a bar where my wife works when I pull into the parking lot there was 20 or so HD's seems they had a ride out of Biker Bobs HD dealer I know the ride capt. but he wouldn't even talk to me he turn his back when I walk by not the bike it's the person on them

[fstsix]

After my Dad bought me my first HONDA 50 mini trail in 1966 i always go back to the best fun in my life and having said that. My wife and i finally put or finger on the HD Complex( NO SELF CONFIDENCE) Seems they have to fit in cant stand alone? And need the support of a gang to feel important. Its good to different And not having a Rubber band for a final drive and having a Radiator when your in stopped traffic and the HD next to you is Frying Seen this happen before guy lost a head gasket. Oh yeah REMEMBER THE QUICKEST MOTORCYCLE IN THE WORLD IS NOT A HD' World record holder is some guy i bought so parts from off Jefferson Blvd Newport News VA So i dont want to here my friends Harly sporster can beat Your Blown Valk Oh yeah his Name Is Larry Mcbride he even gets ribbed obout JAP Bike Even though his INLINE 4 has a cut in half small block Chevy Crankshaft and the rest is all hand made american except Block if i remember was a Kawasaki 4 Well there you go Baddest bike in the WORLD.Just my humble opinion.

[Momz]

The new HD motto for 2010

It's not just a motorcycle: but a way of life that automaticaly raises your personal and social stature.

Yeah right

[JimC]

One of my favorite Harley Davidson memorys happened recently as Black Dog and I were coming back from St. Ignace a few weeks ago. It was a perfect riding day, the type that us Wisconsin folk dream of for months, 75 degrees, sunny, and no wind to speak of.
We passed 3 harleys without a problem at all, come to think about it, they were unusually quiet for harleys,
THEY WERE ALL IN TRAILERS!!!

BUT, I bet they looked cool and sounded tough cruising around where ever they were coming from.

Jim

[Jess from VA]

I have a couple stories.

First, I rode an '86 FXRD for 18 years (only 1,000 made) (though it was just a fully dressed FXRT).  It was HDs only effort at a sport tourer (called the tour glide).  It never sold well because it was a full dress FXR with a frame mounted fairing (actually leased from BMW), rounded not a batwing. I did not look much like a harley, and from the front, it looked alot like a wing.  Riding in SoCal, I used to get the occassionl finger from other HOG riders, while riding a HOG.  I just laughed my azz off.

The old FXRD: (sold)


I often ride out to western VA thru horse country and stop off at the Winchester HD dealer because it is a good place to stop (crossroads area).  People are mostly friendly, some interested, and some typical rubs.  One day two years ago, there is a poker run brewing and the place is pretty packed.  I parked my IS near the entrance, when I see three Valks coming in the S shaped drive, in a perfect tight triangle, IS in the lead with two standards in tail.  As they straighten out up the center drive of the big new parking lot, the guy in the lead IS revs up his cobras and pops a nice controlled wheelie, rides it for 25 feet, drops down in perfect control, and all three pull nose in together, with the biggest sh!t grins you ever saw.  I had one too.  Most of the crowd just stood ther bugeyed......then, turned their backs and went about their business as if nothing had happened.  Not a single yelled compliant, but not a single attaboy either.  They were just speechless.  It really was not good form to do it with a big crowd in the lot, but there was plenty of room down the center lane, and it was perfectly controlled.  One of my favorite shining moments ever seen, and I was just a spectator.

[SteveL]

>>> [i]....so...this morning...Im sitting down in a booth at my favorite coffee spot reading the Detroit Free Press....when in walks this .."older gentleman"...grey hair...leather jacket...helmet....he lays the helmet down...takes his leather off to revel his.....expensive "Harley Emblazoned" shirt....and sits down in the very next booth...facing me...and proceeds to ignore me...now...my gleaming State is sitting right out side ..infront of the place...I have my doo-rag on....its pretty obvious that its..my big ol bike out there...but he never even makes eye contact....just orders and ignores me......so I finish my coffee....stroll on out into a fine Indian Summer morning...look across the street...and there nicely parked is his beautiful black Harley....immaculately cared for...obviously his pride and joy....I throw a leg...start my bike...and cruise on home....but I have to tell ya...I felt a certain "resentment" for this guy as soon as I saw his Harley shirt....and the ...usual smug attitude he had in the way he just ignored me...(Ive seen it so many times before).....[/i] <<<

There are a lot of Harleys out there in the world and therefore a lot of HD riders. You are bound to meet a proportionate amount of HD riders that are jerks. I've met them in all flavors, including riding Valkyries.. hard as that is to believe.

The one in the coffee shop you were in seems like one of the major posers that spend more time in front of a mirror and in the clothing section of the HD shop than anyplace else.

He probably never makes it out of town to do any real miles. Guys like that exist, shrug it off and know that there might be some decent HD riders out there, even though they might not be almost a 1-for-1 ratio like here in Valkyrie country.

...now those BMW guys.. they're a different story, they really think they're poop don't stink. (kidding..kidding)