I just hate Harley people.

[the_weggie_man]

I especially like the H-D guy who killed his own 10 yr old son by running into the back of a car stopped at a red light.

The boy flew off the bike and his helmet came off. Any bets the helmet was an adult size and probably not buckled besides?

The stupidity of the average H-D rider staggers me.

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

The stupidity of the average H-D rider staggers me.

Well they are still smarter than the average sportbikers here in town.;D


Hell the stupidity of the AVERAGE person on the roadways is staggering. Since I get the "pleasure" of driving most the day in MAdison, I've seen people literally come to a stop on the beltline (6lane divided highway with a concrete barrier bewtween east and westbound lanes) in the westbound lanes (all 3 lanes at the same time no less) for a disabled car being loaded up on a flatbed in the eastbund lanes. Not an accident, just a car that broke down. Peole reading the newspaper while driving. Seen a guy using his laptop doing 70 in a 55. Driving on teh shoulder to get around people. Cutting across 3 lanes to the offramp. People are just plain stupid now.

[Bernie]

I laugh every time I pass by a Hooters and see a bunch of bikes (of any brand) sitting out front.  What's the point?  I've also never understood why some folks won't go riding unless there are bunches of people riding.  Any more than 3 gets crowded.

[tshort]

Hey, all a y'all - LIGHTEN UP!.  Geez.  ::) Any sufficiently large group of people who share a common interest is going to run the gamut - you're gonna have experts and novices; you're gonna have sensible types and wingnuts;  you're gonna have oldies and youngies.  And because of that diversity, you're going to have an unlimited ability to lavish praise - or scorn - on the group.  I mean, if you want to take potshots at racers, there are plenty of soft targets.  Or sport bike riders.  Or bicyclists. Or hunters.  Or any other categry you like.

It's not that there aren't examples - lots of them - of what you all are ragging about - there are.  But like the t-shirts say, "If I have to explain..."  

I'm a Harley rider, sport bike rider, and racer.  I dig them all, but I don't run around with fur on my tank, or ride with flip flops - but I see people who do.

Self-righteous types are usually insecure about something.  What's *your* deal? :P

[Dawn]

Self-righteous types are usually insecure about something.  What's *your* deal? :P

Not so much self-righteous...  Just disappointed and angered at the carelessness that injures others.

Dawn   ;)

[Tom Fredricks]

Not so much self-righteous...  Just disappointed and angered at the carelessness that injures others.  

  My reply to this statement. I live here in milwaukee. I ride an american made bike (Buell). I have friends that ride jap bikes and friends that ride Harleys. When i ride with with my Harley buddies we usally go for a ride and and hop from bar to bar doing the same thing as with my jap bike buddies. I myself do not slam drinks and ride as the same goes for harley buddies. My jap bike buddies on the other hand along with some of there other followers belive that going from bar to bar, drinking as fast as you can, doing as many shots as you can and then go and do wheelies on the freeway or wereever you can is the cool thing to do(i no longer ride with crowd). This morning on the way into work i saw something funny, A group of troulbe making drunking disregaurd for anything but themselves harley riders were on there way back to texas wereing their helmuts and riding side by side down a single lane when along came a responsible jap bike rider standing up on 1 foot peg doing a wheely with no helmut. This is the type of rider i want in my hometown riding next to me with my kids in the car......Dont you?

[Dawn]

Not so much self-righteous...  Just disappointed and angered at the carelessness that injures others.

Dawn   ;)

This statement goes for all motorcyclist, no matter what bike you ride.  Because to the non-motorcyclist crowd, we are all the same.

Dawn   :-/

[Chef]

Hey, all a y'all - LIGHTEN UP!.  Geez.  ::) Any sufficiently large group of people who share a common interest is going to run the gamut - you're gonna have experts and novices; you're gonna have sensible types and wingnuts;  you're gonna have oldies and youngies.  And because of that diversity, you're going to have an unlimited ability to lavish praise - or scorn - on the group.  I mean, if you want to take potshots at racers, there are plenty of soft targets.  Or sport bike riders.  Or bicyclists. Or hunters.  Or any other categry you like.

It's not that there aren't examples - lots of them - of what you all are ragging about - there are.  But like the t-shirts say, "If I have to explain..."  

I'm a Harley rider, sport bike rider, and racer.  I dig them all, but I don't run around with fur on my tank, or ride with flip flops - but I see people who do.

Self-righteous types are usually insecure about something.  What's *your* deal? :P

 Tom,
You're good......
If I were perfect, I'd have some SERIOUS ISSUES with ALOT of people.....
but knowing that I'd end up being exposed (for several imperfections) I'll just read on...

Ike

[bweber]

K3, I hate to hear your account of the 100th anniversary reunion.  I was there and it was a blast.  
I just have a couple questions for you:
1) Do you have a street bike?
2) If so, does it have the stock exhaust?
3) How many times have you had the opportunity to gather with 200,000 riders who like the same brand you ride?
4) Why do you have such animosity towards a different type of motorcycle?  Just because a typical H-D can't turn 1:16's at Blackhawk you think it is a POS?  That is a shame
People who ride hogs are still passionate about riding, just like you are.  Just because it is not the same type of riding, does not mean you should ridicule them.

[K3 Chris Onwiler]

K3, I hate to hear your account of the 100th anniversary reunion.  I was there and it was a blast.  
I just have a couple questions for you:
1) Do you have a street bike?
2) If so, does it have the stock exhaust?
3) How many times have you had the opportunity to gather with 200,000 riders who like the same brand you ride?
4) Why do you have such animosity towards a different type of motorcycle?  Just because a typical H-D can't turn 1:16's at Blackhawk you think it is a POS?  That is a shame
People who ride hogs are still passionate about riding, just like you are.  Just because it is not the same type of riding, does not mean you should ridicule them.

I'm glad you had fun.  Fun is good.  Rosno tells us that fun is why we do this racing thing.  Could it be that since you chose to be there, you overlooked the same behavior that so irked me?
1)  No street bike.  Racing eats all my money.  An EX500 ran my ZX11 out of the garage.  I started racing because I was very concerned about how fast I was riding on the street.  Once I started racing, I never looked back.
2)  Only my Wing had a stock pipe.  Yes, I made lots if noise and woke up lots of people.
3)  Never.  Have there ever been 200,000 sportbikers in the same place in America?
4)  I see no real use for a Harley.  People don't travel by conestoga wagon in the age of the automobile.  I understand that people want nostalga and are willing to pay for it, but that doesn't change the fact that a HD is woefully short of brakes and handling, therefore making it much more hazardous to operate than a well engineered motorcycle.  (Buells are cool!)  Sorry, but you asked my opinion...

Personally, I don't hate Harleys.  A 57 Chevy is cool.  But 200,000 people on 57 Chevies acting stupid, driving erratically and with no apparent skill, drinking, and generally feeling that this behavior is acceptable because they are taking part in a grand american tradition isnot cool.  Then these people look down on me for devoting my life to being a skillful rider.  At least the one-footpeg wheelie punk is displaying awesome bike control, if not good judgement.
Point taken.  I was a loud, annoying risk taker on the road.  This is why I left the road and went racing instead.  Here is one last comment that will surely prove my animosity towards the vast majority of Harley people who I have known or seen.

20K WILL BUY A LOT OF TAXI RIDES HOME FROM THE BAR, AND THE TAXI DRIVER WILL PROBABLY BE SOBER.

[tshort]

I started racing because I was very concerned about how fast I was riding on the street.

So you, too, were one of the people you are railing against until you quit street riding.  I see - so it takes one to know one.  Makes sense to me. ::)

I've found that racing has actually slowed me down a good bit on the street.  You can get away with lack of discipline on the street indefinitely (at least until your luck runs out).  On the track, lack of discipline, I've found, lands me on my butt (see my sig quote).  So in racing, I'm actually becoming a more disciplined rider - and that filters through to my street behavior (driving a car, too).

4)  I see no real use for a Harley.  People don't travel by conestoga wagon in the age of the automobile.  I understand that people want nostalga and are willing to pay for it, but that doesn't change the fact that a HD is woefully short of brakes and handling, therefore making it much more hazardous to operate than a well engineered motorcycle.  (Buells are cool!)  

I see.  So by the same logic we should really all be driving Porsches or Ferraris, not VW minivans and certainly not pickup trucks or SUVs - I mean, geez - those tanks handle like, well, tanks.   ::)

Regarding the whole HD thing, did I mention the t-shirt, "If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand." ?  

Personally, I don't hate Harleys.  

You mean, apart from the fact that you think they're inherently "more hazardous to operate than a well-engineered motorcycle? ???

A 57 Chevy is cool.  But 200,000 people on 57 Chevies acting stupid, driving erratically and with no apparent skill, drinking, and generally feeling that this behavior is acceptable because they are taking part in a grand american tradition isnot cool.  Then these people look down on me for devoting my life to being a skillful rider.  At least the one-footpeg wheelie punk is displaying awesome bike control, if not good judgement.  

Wow - 200,000 drunks on bikes.  And during the entire 'fest, only one person died.  I'd say that's pertty dang impressive.  Heck, the fallout from 1000 squids getting together for a long weekend would be more than that.

And it wasn't 200k drunk and unskilled, anyway.  It was at least one less, cuz I was there.  You should see me stand on my Electraglide seat with the throttle lock on doing 45 down Lake Shore Drive with my arms spread wide.  Takes *incredible* balance (not to mention a severe lack of neurons).

Point taken.  I was a loud, annoying risk taker on the road.  

And now? ;D ;D :o

.  Here is one last comment that will surely prove my animosity towards the vast majority of Harley people who I have known or seen.

No need to prove your animosity any further - it's pretty clear already.

[xseal]

How ridiculous. I have a Road King. Its a much more enjoyable bike to ride on the street than my ZX6R.  Modern sportbikes are too much for the street, they need a track and good tires to be enjoyed. Get a Harley for the street, its nice not to be in a rush.  Do some Hog riders need lessons. Sure, but so do about 50% of the guys I see at the track on their Gixxer 1000s.