HD riders blame us

[bombadillo]

Ahh the old motorcyclist wave, what a bunch of hokey BS, I dont wave at all, they only wave because they think its the cool thing to do. 90% of the humps out there wouldnt stop if you needed assistance anyway, I am a very courteous and socialable guy but the wave is wayyy lame. If you do it more power to you and have fun with it.

Yeah, and its because of people with the attitude that you have that nobody gets help on the road.  Be a little more courteous, wave a little more, say hi to people and you'll get a little more help when you need it.  Attitude goes a long way man.  Jeeps have the same little nitch like bikes and harleys and I'll say that there's a tight little group within them that helps out when you need it.  I don't think I've ever been in trouble in the jeep that a fellow jeeper didn't come bail me out.  Again, its all in your attitude, not because some "humps" out there that won't help you. 

[yooblonder]

..they spend all that money then realize they are riding a1800cc  900 lb 70 hp piece of crap and getting blown away by a 500cc 350 lb 50hp rice bike

Rice bike?  Excuse the ignorance, but what's that?

[GeeP]

Who pissed in your wheaties Mojo?   

[jserio]

shouldn't matter what you drive, Good Samaritan-ship knows no bounds. if you see someone in need of help you should at least stop and ask if they need help. even if all you can offer is a phone call. 

[bettingpython]

Hell I stop all the time when I see a broken down rider, I keep a set of straps in the truck. Ford's make excellent Harley haulers

I have stopped for 3 riders on HD's so far this year and one guy didn't have anyone to help him so we loaded it and I gave him a ride across town to his place.

Funny I haven't had to stop for any broken down sport bikes yet.

As for you mojo that's just bad kharma dude what comes around goes around, I ran out of gas on interstate 49 2 miles north of Alexandria LA. a little butterball of a lady with 3 kids in the car stopped and gave a total stranger a ride into town and then back to his bike with gas and wouldn't take a dime of my money for her troubles. You'll reap what you sow.

Most of the HD guys around here will give you a wave in return, even the motorcycle cops. It don't matter what you ride were all brothers on 2 wheels, thats a lesson the rest of the world could use. I'd even stop and pick up a bleeding heart like Frankie

Now Frankie apologize to Yama that was uncalled for.

[yamahonkawazuki]

ohh bp im not worried at all. what gets me is the un-informed hd bashing that goes aroundf. aka oil leaks etc. hell i get more hd riders to wave/offer assistance, than euro/jap bike riders. and peopel tell me hd riders are ignorant fucks  . and ive run into that wherever ive went

[theUBS]

..they spend all that money then realize they are riding a1800cc  900 lb 70 hp piece of crap and getting blown away by a 500cc 350 lb 50hp rice bike

Rice bike?  Excuse the ignorance, but what's that?

Perhaps not PC, but Japanese made motorcycles (and cars for that matter) are often called ricers or rice burners.

[theUBS]

From day 1, I've appreciated the wave.  I found it refreshing to see that I was instantly a part of a brotherhood that makes the most of every opportunity to be on the road, get some fresh air, and twist away the days concerns with your right hand.  I will say, most snubbings come from HD guys, but it'll never stop me from waving at the next one. 

[yooblonder]

..they spend all that money then realize they are riding a1800cc  900 lb 70 hp piece of crap and getting blown away by a 500cc 350 lb 50hp rice bike

Rice bike?  Excuse the ignorance, but what's that?

Perhaps not PC, but Japanese made motorcycles (and cars for that matter) are often called ricers or rice burners.

Thanks 'theUBS', got the connection now.  D'oh!

[yooblonder]

From day 1, I've appreciated the wave.  I found it refreshing to see that I was instantly a part of a brotherhood that makes the most of every opportunity to be on the road, get some fresh air, and twist away the days concerns with your right hand.  I will say, most snubbings come from HD guys, but it'll never stop me from waving at the next one. 

Totally agree.  Although when others don't wave, I usually put it down to the cold Scottish air having frozen both hands to the bars, so a head-butt-style nod in my direction usually follows.  (yes, that was a joke: its usually not that cold... honest.)

At other times, I've felt guilty for not being able to wave or nod due to manoeuvring, but I'm sure folk understand.

[yamahonkawazuki]

well like you said a nod works too 

[bettingpython]

Well YAMA you see I happen to agree with frankie about most of his opinion of HD they are heavy over weight underpowered and in general at least around here ridden by tools with no business on a bike they are either professionals prentending to be something they aren't or blue collar working guys who gut suckered in by the whole american image thing and can't really afford the over priced POS the salesman told them would make them cool. HD would have been extinct except that they cried so much the guberment raised import tarrifs on the Japanese motorcycles above 500cc back int he late 80's and early 90's in an effoert to rise the price point of the Japanese Cruisers close to that of HD,Honda was kicking their ass when they got into the cruiser market in the 80's and 90's they were building a better product at a lower price and harley sales were dying on the vine they almost went under. The fallout of the unfair increase of import tarrifs on foreign motorcycles was that we to this day do not get models and colors in North America that are available in europe.

Now the big displacement twins make more tourque than a inline this is true but a fellow showed up at a dyno night bragging about his modded 124ci s&s motor, when my stock 58ci engine slapped out another 27hp above his 110 hp the bragging was over with.

[lewismug]

I ride quite a bit with an older guy who rides a HD.  He has two.  He and I ride almost every weekend.  My bike cannot keep up with him on the interstate, so I'm not sure where you get that a HD can't keep up with the GS.  As far as guys on HD's acting snobbish towards sportsbike owners, I beg to differ.  I drive 200 miles a day on the interstate and meet plenty of other bikes.  90% of them are cruisers, and 99% of them wave at me.  I have had many more cruiser guys come up to me at gas stations and talk just because I was on a motorcycle.    It didn't matter that it was a sportsbike.  It just mattered that it's two wheels.  The sportsbike guys I see at gas stations act like they're too good to talk to me.  Like they have to prove they're a bad ass and can wheelie for a mile @ 150 mph.  I think the whole sportsbike vs cruiser controversy is unfounded.  It's all a lie.  I'm not a HD fan, but I don't hate them either.  I would just as soon ride with a group of cruisers as I would a group of GS's.  It's all in your attitude.  If you think HD riders are assholes, then to you, they will be.  I've never had a problem with any of them.  Cruiser guys/girls are way nicer than any sportsbike riders I've met.  Maybe it's just a Mississippi thing.  Maybe southern.  I dunno.

[bettingpython]

You're meeting the wrong people lewis come on up to Tulsa

If you come rolling in without gear expect to be shunned though, a large majority of us who meet and ride through a local forum are pretty big gear snobs.

[lewismug]

Most of the people I see on sportbikes around here have no gear at all.  most are in shorts, t-shirt, helmet, and tennis shoes.  Hell, I saw an older man yesterday on my way home wearing cut off blue jean shorts and sandals.  No shirt, barely a helmet.  He was just cruising down the interstate.  I saw a guy on a ninja at Wal-Mart wearing an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and flip-flops.  People are stoopid.

[Chokstick]

Most of the people I see on sportbikes around here have no gear at all.  most are in shorts, t-shirt, helmet, and tennis shoes.  Hell, I saw an older man yesterday on my way home wearing cut off blue jean shorts and sandals.  No shirt, barely a helmet.  He was just cruising down the interstate.  I saw a guy on a ninja at Wal-Mart wearing an unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt, shorts, and flip-flops.  People are stoopid.

I agree, people are stoooopid

[yamahonkawazuki]

You're meeting the wrong people lewis come on up to Tulsa

If you come rolling in without gear expect to be shunned though, a large majority of us who meet and ride through a local forum are pretty big gear snobs.

by wrong people do you mean, riders who are courteous?

[asobi]

From that story, they say deaths went up 39% from 2002 to 2006, and injuries up 35%. As a rough guide to the number of riders, using their numbers of 248,000 to 338,000 registered bikes. Which is a.... 36% increase. So deaths have been going up slightly faster than the number of bikes (probably because of inexperienced riders in their first couple of years). But it's hardly a crisis.

I was waiting for someone to point that out.  Not only is it hardly a crisis, it's a damn statistical wash.  What's the real problem?  Riders who don't wear helmets.  Like those jagoffs saying it's the "other people on the road...mostly crotch rockets" that are the problem.  Idiots.

[b_long_1]

 I get plenty of waves from everybody. I have only seen a couple of riders who didn't. I didn't really think much of it though. I could probably say with confidence that they were HD riders because they seem to be the majority around here. I had an incident recently with a couple of non curteous riders. But this will not stop me from helping out a fellow rider regardless of what they ride.

[frankieG]

i must say that HD riders are not all bad people