I hate Harley Davidson!

On Wed, 06 Aug 2003 13:22:03 -0700, Bill Davidson
wrote:
While I sympathize about the noise, it's not just Harley riders who
have inadequate mufflers. Most motorcycles on the road have them these
days. It's really annoying.

Same problem, different reasons (read on).

One thing I have noticed is that when a motorcycle is zipping in and
out of lanes through traffic and generally riding like a maniac, it
usually isn't someone on a Harley. For some reason, Harley riders
seem to be smarter riders than the average guy on a Japanese or German
motorcycle.

What we have here is two different personalities being compared.

First, harley rider:
-- Thinks he's a bad-ass biker dude
-- Wants others to think that he's a bad-ass
-- Loud muffler to bother people
-- Rides slow and safe because he can't go
fast and doesn't wear a helmet (at least, around here)

Then, ricer rider:
-- Doesn't care what others think
-- Is seeking thrill and excitement, is younger, feels invincible
(ever see one doing a 70mph wheelie for a half mile with
hundreds of cars and trucks surrounding him?)
-- Enjoys the noise for himself, doesn't care about others
-- Also thinks the noise alerts drivers to his presence when
he's in their blind spot (applies to some harley riders too)
-- An occasional ricer rider is like Fabrizio, and rides the
bike and all kit clothes to look cool.

These are my observations about motorcycle riders. I, personally,
see no point in riding a harley, just as I see no point in riding
a heavy, fat-tire MTB on pavement; if you're uncomfortable on a
road bike, a comfort bike or hybrid will work better. Just the
same, there are such motorcycles -- Honda Gold Wing riders look
very comfortable, are very quiet, and ride very safely. They're
just relaxing and enjoying fresh air.

I think we do need to have and enforce tougher laws on the mufflers.

With some exceptions. I suspect that it's easy enough to use a
higher gear and be quiet when in residential neighborhoods; but
on the highway, it's certainly worthwhile to increase your
profile by being loud. I believe the noise does help, if ever
so slightly, with safety.

That protest sign is a bad idea. You will get your ass kicked.

Speaking of safety, ass-kickage will definately occur if you
stand at the side of the road with that sign.

--Bill Davidson
--
Rick Onanian

At least they never get too close to me. It is enough satisfaction to me
that they usually have a big belly and I don't.


"Robin Hubert" wrote in message
nk.net...
... or at least, the image.

The next time some idiot blasts past me and rips the throttle for my
amusement I'm going to knock them off their bikes at the next stop, if I
catch them. If these pukes keep waking me up every morning blasting their
over-priced noise-makers past my apartment, I'm going to take up
street-side
protest with a sign that says "Harley riders are pussys!"

****ing children. I wish my taxes would enforce laws to force these
assholes to muffle these over-priced ego builders.

Anyone else want to throw rocks at these idiots?

--
Robin Hubert

"Rick Onanian" wrote


What we have here is two different personalities being compared.

First, harley rider:


Then, ricer rider:


Third - older harley rider
-- quiet (mostly)
-- sedate
-- strong self-preservation gene (riding to go see the grandkids)
-- generally courteous
-- usually a full dress rather than a rat bike
-- sometimes with 'older harley rider spouse' on the back, and she don't
allow any foolishness.

Fourth - BMW rider
---same as 'older harley rider', but even quieter

Pete

Rick Onanian wrote:
First, harley rider:
-- Rides slow and safe because he can't go
fast and doesn't wear a helmet (at least, around here)

Here we have a motorcycle mandatory helmet law so they wear crappy
skull-cap helmets. Harley's can go fast (just add oil after every
ride). I think these guys are just a little more into safe riding.
I think that is in part because they tend to be a little older than
the ricer set. Their bikes are also a bit less maneuverable than
most ricers.

Then, ricer rider:
-- Doesn't care what others think

Definitely not true. These guys are into image--just a different one.

-- Is seeking thrill and excitement, is younger, feels invincible
(ever see one doing a 70mph wheelie for a half mile with
hundreds of cars and trucks surrounding him?)

Many times. Most recently last week though I think it was only
300 yards at the most.

-- Enjoys the noise for himself, doesn't care about others

No, he thinks he's impressing people.

-- Also thinks the noise alerts drivers to his presence when
he's in their blind spot (applies to some harley riders too)

They say that but smart riding contributes far more to safety and the
noise doesn't always help. It certainly doesn't help on the freeway
when they're doing 95mph. Everything happens too fast.

--Bill Davidson
--
Please remove ".nospam" from my address for email replies.

I'm a 17 year veteran of usenet -- you'd think I'd be over it by now

Bill Davidson wrote

That protest sign is a bad idea. You will get your ass kicked.

Since when would he get his ass kicked by a bunch of dentists?

CC

Harley-Davidson began in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1901, when
21-year-old William Harley and 20-year-old Arthur Davidson decided
they wanted to take "the work out of bicycling."

The first Harley in 1903 was essentially a bicycle with an engine, as
seen he

http://popularmechanics.com/automoti...rley_davidson/

"Robin Hubert" wrote in message ink.net...
... or at least, the image.

The next time some idiot blasts past me and rips the throttle for my
amusement I'm going to knock them off their bikes at the next stop, if I
catch them. If these pukes keep waking me up every morning blasting their
over-priced noise-makers past my apartment, I'm going to take up street-side
protest with a sign that says "Harley riders are pussys!"

****ing children. I wish my taxes would enforce laws to force these
assholes to muffle these over-priced ego builders.

Anyone else want to throw rocks at these idiots?

i wonder how many people in this thread are motorcyclists? i am, to
the tune of 250,000+ miles on several brands, including three harleys.
as in most other things in life, you will find most motorcyclists are
courteous to other road users, and there are a few bad apples that
often overshadow the good that other motorcyclists do. yes, i've been
irritated by harley riders, along with a few riders of other brands.
all towns have excessive noise ordinances. you should call your local
police dep't. to report your problem. trying to knock them off their
bikes or put up the sign you mentioned is a very bad idea and is
inviting a physical confrontation.
smokey

"Robin Hubert" wrote in
nk.net:

****ing children. I wish my taxes would enforce laws to force these
assholes to muffle these over-priced ego builders.


Maybe those same tax dollars could enforce laws to force biking assholes
to add head lights, brake lights, turn signals, and higher gears to their
bicycles so that they could keep up with posted speed limits.

Please don't view this as a flame toward you personally... but as an
example of how people think other people's form of transportation should
be more like their own. A lot of the posts here talk of how motorist are
unaware of the lifestyle of a bicyclist, yet here you are applying the
same prejudice toward motorcyclist.

Just a thought...

--
- Chris -
www.skokatt.com
_____________________________

People say I'm cruel. But I have the heart of a small child.
In a jar. On my desk.

"Phil" wrote in message
...
I hate Harley Davidson!

Anyone else want to throw rocks at these idiots?

I was coming back from SD, to NY on my Harley, no, not from Sturgis,
heading
east to Pierre SD(??) and passed a hundred or so bicyclists, a line which
stretched for miles. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, and I didn't see a
shaded spot all along the route and the temperature when I reached Pierre
was
104.

I gave all the bicyclists plenty of room, and coasted by all of them with
the
least possible amount of exhaust sound. As I passed I gave each group or
single rider a blip of the horn and a thumbs up. I told my wife, who was
riding with me on the back, when we stopped for a break, that I bet when
all
the cyclists gathered at the end of the day they would say, " did ya see
that
F'ing Harley guy giving us the finger?"

Of course I ride a bicycle too.

Phil
(Harveywallbanger)


Hey, Phil, how well does your motorcycle comform with residential sound
pollution laws? What kind of decibels does it put out?

Another question, why does every Harley rider I see continuously blip the
throttle at stops? I recon it's a lot about puffing up the chest, or
flexing the muscles, or saying (like a child), "Hey, look at me!". (ok,
*once* I saw a female rider that didn't, while her boyfriend more than made
up for her) Alot of times I'll pull up to these guys on my bike, look at
them, puff up my chest, and pound on it like Tarzan, with each and every
throttle blip.

Wouldn't the world be a nice place if every vehicle on the road sounded like
a Harley (hear that **** roaring from a mile away), and everyone blipped
their throttles continuously at stops.

Give me a break. Most of you guys are jokes (not you, necessarily) and need
to live in Montana or somewhere they only infringe on the rights of moose.
Face it, this attitude is incompatible with modern urban living. And Marlon
Brando isn't cool anymore.

Oh, and for what it's worth, if bicyclists routinely wakened me from my
sleep (particularly if they all rode the same poser brand) and caused
hearing damage when the went past me on the road, then I'd post a similar
topic on them as well.

Also, just in case someone might consider me "prejudiced", maybe conditions
outside your bedroom window are different, but there are no rice burners
blasting down my street, hitting 3rd gear/45mph in a 30mph in one block,
from one stop sign to the next, rattling windows, scaring babies, and
generally disregarding the rights of others to live in peace and quiet.
Most of these guys are about riding the highways, not pretending they're
Marlon Brando or some cowboy.

--
Robin Hubert

On Thu, 07 Aug 2003 03:06:59 GMT, wrote:
The first Harley in 1903 was essentially a bicycle with an engine, as
seen he

http://popularmechanics.com/automoti...rley_davidson/

Is that a suspension fork?

I think I have that same fork on my mountain bike.

--
Rick Onanian