I like harleys. i think theyre pretty cool some of em. but mostly i like harley motors on custom choppers. and i ike sport bikes.  dont know which i like more though. Ive cruised around on a hommade mini chopper and its sick to just relax and cruise wiht a big deep sound behind ya, but then i like sport bikes agility, and wheelies and stunts lol.  But by no means do all sport bike people hate harleys or vise versa.

Quote from: gregvhen on November 10, 2009, 11:39:20 AM
by no means do all sport bike people hate harleys or vise versa.

Correct.

I ride regularly with a guy on a HD. He can ride I'll tell ya. And have a look at the way the Goldwing is thrown around on the dragon's tail / deals gap http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nrMQ3QwyPo - bloody good riding. Period.

The only issue I have with HD riders - I don't much like the bikes in looks - is their arrogance on the road. I'll nod at everyone on a bike going the other way. HD riders pretend not to see you. In fact, in the last 6 months I've received a return nod from a HD only once. But I keep nodding at them. 

I don't care what motorcycle a person rides because we each need to ride the bike we feel most comfortable on. Cruisers kill my lower back so without modification I cannot ride them - not that I've ridden every one of them out there to know if there is one I do feel comfortable on. But just because you ride a certain bike - HD, R1, whatever - doesn't mean you're a better rider or more superior than someone else (regardless of brand or cc) and thus they aren't even worth acknowledging.

But have'n a go at HDs is all in good fun...

Now excuse me... I hear a HD coming. I've got to get out my Green Machine (google it if you don't remember or know) and give it a run 

Michael

Quote from: Pigeonroost on November 10, 2009, 09:50:09 AM
http://www.southparkstudios.com/episodes/251889

That's what I was bringing up...If you guys haven't seen this episode of the Harley riders in South Park, then I suggest you watch. It's Hilarious!

Whoa whoa whoa.

In CANADA, we make fun of ANYBODY who puts down both feet at a stop.

I can't think of a SINGLE reason to put both down, most importantly for safety reasons. There is currently NO province in Canada that allows you to pass your Class 6 (bike) license if you were to stop like that.

Your bike will not tip over -- you simply lean onto the left leg, which is planted. The right foot remains on the rear brake. You should also never be out of gear. If there is a big rig bearing down on you, you don't want to have to gear down, find your pegs, and THEN consider where to go.


I repeat, whatever this MSF thing is that you guys always talk about, it seems archaic, and sometimes downright illogical. The billions of residents of Europe, and the 33 million in Canada can't all be wrong when it comes to never putting both feet down at a stop.

I've also heard (on other sportbike forums) that your bike is more likely to tip over with two feet planted


but hey, I've never ridden so what do I know?

I think the correct way is to put the bike in  6th gear, apply the parking brake, put her up on the center stand, and turn the handle bars to the left. The way if you get hit you will lunch to the side of the road and be in high gear ready to take off at the speed you have been hit. The parking brake will bring you to a nice safe stop. Also if your passenger just so happens to be a cat your supposed to wear it on your head for purrrrr-tection.

Quote from: newbie on November 10, 2009, 01:21:04 PM
I think the correct way is to put the bike in  6th gear, apply the parking brake, put her up on the center stand, and turn the handle bars to the left. The way if you get hit you will lunch to the side of the road and be in high gear ready to take off at the speed you have been hit. The parking brake will bring you to a nice safe stop. Also if your passenger just so happens to be a cat your supposed to wear it on your head for purrrrr-tection.

Quote from: RyanMidd on November 10, 2009, 12:44:37 PM
Whoa whoa whoa.

In CANADA, we make fun of ANYBODY who puts down both feet at a stop.

I can't think of a SINGLE reason to put both down, most importantly for safety reasons. There is currently NO province in Canada that allows you to pass your Class 6 (bike) license if you were to stop like that.

Your bike will not tip over -- you simply lean onto the left leg, which is planted. The right foot remains on the rear brake. You should also never be out of gear. If there is a big rig bearing down on you, you don't want to have to gear down, find your pegs, and THEN consider where to go.


I repeat, whatever this MSF thing is that you guys always talk about, it seems archaic, and sometimes downright illogical. The billions of residents of Europe, and the 33 million in Canada can't all be wrong when it comes to never putting both feet down at a stop.

Yeah, I agree.  I see no benefit of putting both feet down. 

In a word; CONFIDENCE. As a beginning rider myself, I want the ability to get as much of both of my feet down when I stop as possible. Call it false security if you will, but to me, it builds my confidence. Confidence and comfort level are important i think to beginning riders.

As one of the shorter riders here I have to admit to being a "one footer".  I feel a lot more confident with one foot solidly on the ground vs. dancing on my tippy toes at a light.  I also like to use my right foot to keep the brake light illuminated if I let go of the front brake.

-Jessie

Still, a lil p*ssy on your head will help get your mind of the foot thing......purrrrr-tection..hhaaaaaaaa

As a beginner, you should be riding a bike that lets you get both feet on the ground, that just makes good sense. Being an experienced rider is a completely different story.

The only thing I really pick on when it comes to Harley riders, are all the 40-50 year old guys riding around with their sleeveless leather vests with patches and their "haven't showered in a month" look that ride around in groups of 6 like their in some kind of gang. It's one thing if you had a leather jacket with a matching patch like the guys on Wild Hogs who just like going on rides together, but the guys who you can tell seriously base their entire life around that bike and can't let go of the 'boy's club' mentality, just seem kinda pathetic. I have no real problem with Harleys, they're just not my thing. Maybe in 20 years. In the mean time, I LOVE Buells, if that helps.

Bike in gear, foot on rear brake, other foot on ground, watch mirrors ready to move incase a car is going to liberace you.

Quote from: RyanMidd on November 10, 2009, 12:44:37 PM
Whoa whoa whoa.

In CANADA, we make fun of ANYBODY who puts down both feet at a stop.

Get an army then you can talk.

Quote from: bubba zanetti on November 10, 2009, 04:24:06 PM
Bike in gear, foot on rear brake, other foot on ground, watch mirrors ready to move incase a car is going to liberace you.

+1 that is what i was thought in the stay upright course i did, i was trying to find a reference but could not find one

Thread Summary:

• Never Stop! Otherwise you will be trapped in an eternal 1 foot 2 foot argument and never ride again
• GS500 is better than a Harley
• Harley bikes are alright, but Harley riders are f**s
• Don't ride with Harley riders or Buddha will make you crash

Did I miss anything?

Quote from: PachmanP on November 10, 2009, 07:34:58 PM
Thread Summary:

• Never Stop! Otherwise you will be trapped in an eternal 1 foot 2 foot argument and never ride again
• GS500 is better than a Harley
• Harley bikes are alright, but Harley riders are f**s
• Don't ride with Harley riders or Buddha will make you crash

Did I miss anything?

dang it i already borke each one of these rules today, and the unlisted rules that you forgot.  Today i stopped completly every 100 feet and dragged my feet between each stop. rule 2 i just told 14 differant people that any bike ever created is better than a GS especially if it has Harley in the name. Rule 3 - i saw a gang of harley riders today and thought to myself, wow, what a great group of non-fags. seriously i thought the exact words, non-fags.  I rode with the non-nancy boy group of better vehicle equiped harley riders today, and every time we stopped we made sure not to crash by keeping 3 feet planted firmly on the ground. yes 3 feet we told our passengers to put down a foot as well. but not two feet cause that would be against te MSF rules.

I rode with a couple buddies, one had a slightly modded (stage 1?) 1200 Sportster, and the other was on an 800 Suzuki Volusia.   That Sportster would easily leave my GS from 80 mph to 105, not even close, but the Volusia was lunchmeat at any speed.

Quote from: gregvhen on November 10, 2009, 07:04:10 PM

Quote from: RyanMidd on November 10, 2009, 12:44:37 PM
Whoa whoa whoa.

In CANADA, we make fun of ANYBODY who puts down both feet at a stop.

Get an army then you can talk.

You are kidding right?  Canada has an excellent, professional army with a long and proud history of kicking ass.   I hope no one has forgotten the sniper action in the early stages of Afghanistan in which the Canadian snipers
saved the bacon of US special forces.....making the longest confirmed kill at over 1500 yards during that action.

Check out Herbert McBrides, "A rifleman went to war" for a look at Canadian WW1 combat.  As told by a US citizen who volunteered in the Canadian army as a sniper (remember we didn't get into ww1 until 1917)......

I think it's a shame that Canada is not given their proper respect as a key US ally in the GWOT by us Americans.   We owe them a debt of thanks.   Rant off now back to our regular motorcycle programming....

The big one, WWII, started in 1939 not 1941. This is probably news to most Americans reading here. Canada and Australia and NZ were in very deep alongside England while Americans were waiting things out. I don't want to talk about Russia. Same for the Great War, also known as WWI in USA although it wasn't the first world war.

I don't put any feet down when I stop. I just stop. Then I decide which way to lean. Then I pop one foot down. If I want to relax I put both down and stand and stretch.

Harleys are OK. I included them with 1930s Fords which I really like. Anyone who mods one is fine in my book. Anyone who rides one for any reason is fine in my book. I never met a harley person I didnt like a lot. I think tassles and faked dirt are weird but OK. I would like an XLCR. I cant afford one. I would just ride it, probably pretty slow, like 1.5 times the limit.

GS is not a sport bike. Its a mild, obsolescent training bike. If you are past sportbikes its fine to just ride around on and enjoy, like a Harley.