Them and us

[Mr Pootle]

I Still visit the forum of the marque that I almost bought. The contributors there seem to worry a great deal about whether the colour of the boots they're considering would go with the colour of their saddle, or in trying to get peer approval of their choice of helmet.
Why don't we bother with these important issues?

[oldbike54]

 Most of us are , er , too frugal for such concerns , matching stuff costs money 

 Dusty

[bigbikerrick]

What do you mean ,Sir..My  red suspenders have to match my cardigan, and my corn cob pipe matches exquisitely with my brown, velcro  Dr. Scholl's riding shoes !
 
Rick,

[Lannis]

As our resident turnip farmer mentioned in his inimitable way the other day, we do an awful lot of that here.

Maybe not talking about color-coordinating our boots and gloves, or making sure the collars and cuffs match ("Bond.   James Bond."), but still, asking for list suggestions or approval for helmet or jacket or luggage.   Perhaps it's just looking for real-world experience, but PERHAPS feeling around or testing for tacit approval or justification because we're not quite secure in our choices?

"What would you think if I bought one of these?"   "Has anyone used a red/white/green helmet on their Guzzi?"   "Does anyone have a glove suggestion?"

Sometimes it's to make sure that we're (being cheap) spending our money efficiently.   But sometimes maybe not.

Lannis

[twowings]

We just care what color the beer is...and whether we can find our boots the next morning! 

[rodekyll]

I don't think a fella needs an approval consensus for his design choices as much as he needs a unifying theme to the bike.  The mismatched colors and clashing lines of bike and Tupperware (bags, fairings, etc) really grate on my aestetic senses.  It's like the kid who shows up at school with mismatched socks and two left shoes, one a slipper and one a boot.  You just wonder what they were thinking.  . . .

[rodekyll]

As our resident turnip farmer  [snip]

It's well-established that our resident turnip husbander is RANCHING free-range turnips.  He would be insulted by being called a "farmer".  It's quite a challenge, as I have discovered over the months I've been there.  I mean -- have you ever tried herding turnips?   

[Lannis]

I don't think a fella needs an approval consensus for his design choices as much as he needs a unifying theme to the bike.  The mismatched colors and clashing lines of bike and Tupperware (bags, fairings, etc) really grate on my aestetic senses.  It's like the kid who shows up at school with mismatched socks and two left shoes, one a slipper and one a boot.  You just wonder what they were thinking.  . . .

As a kid who used to wear one black sock and one white sock to school each day, I was thinking "I'll show 'em that I'm different, that I don't stick to everyone's standards, and I'll have a clever answer for them when they ask Why?"   

Sort of like folks who show up with one mutilated nostril and eyebrow with fishing lures in them, and one unmutilated ....  but easier to undo.

Lannis

[Lannis]

It's well-established that our resident turnip husbander is RANCHING free-range turnips.  He would be insulted by being called a "farmer".  It's quite a challenge, as I have discovered over the months I've been there.  I mean -- have you ever tried herding turnips?   

Well, I wish the boy would make up his mind! 

-- Quote from: Texas Turnip on October 24, 2016, 07:52:49 AM ---As I sit here drinking a cup of Aldis coffee made in a Bunn coffee maker I realize this turnip farmer needs to up his status among fellow turnip farmers.

Hence, I'm throwing out my black Moto Guzzi cups and only drinking from a white ceramic cup. (I'm practicing in holding out my pinkie finger.)

I can't bring myself to kick someone in the shins with my size 15 steel toe boots just because they offer me a cup of coffee in a styrofoam cup.

I got the proper cup, the correct water and the best coffee maker so do I need to wear silk drawers to make it the ultimate
experience?

Brassica rapa (formerly the Texas turnip, the barbaric coffee drinker.)



Maybe since last fall, he's gotten some silk drawers and reached Escape Velocity from "turnip farming" to "Turnip Ranchero" or "Raiseur du Turnipe"?   

It'd be just like him ....   

Lannis

[rodekyll]

Well, I wish the boy would make up his mind! 

-- Quote from: Texas Turnip on October 24, 2016, 07:52:49 AM ---As I sit here drinking a cup of Aldis coffee made in a Bunn coffee maker I realize this turnip farmer needs to up his status among fellow turnip farmers.

Hence, I'm throwing out my black Moto Guzzi cups and only drinking from a white ceramic cup. (I'm practicing in holding out my pinkie finger.)

I can't bring myself to kick someone in the shins with my size 15 steel toe boots just because they offer me a cup of coffee in a styrofoam cup.

I got the proper cup, the correct water and the best coffee maker so do I need to wear silk drawers to make it the ultimate
experience?

Brassica rapa (formerly the Texas turnip, the barbaric coffee drinker.)



Maybe since last fall, he's gotten some silk drawers and reached Escape Velocity from "turnip farming" to "Turnip Ranchero" or "Raiseur du Turnipe"?   

It'd be just like him ....   

Lannis

I'm hoping the guy with the fishing lures wasn't wearing them cosmetically.   

 . . . and I hope you grew out of the "look at me, I'm ridiculous" phase.  Although it does help explain the pop-music culture.   

He sez that to distract you from the real business of the Oleo Ranch, which is highly classified, and above my pay grade to discuss on-the-record.  Think about it:  How do you "farm" on something named "ranch"?  It's just not done.  That's your smoking gun, right there.

And yeah, when Tex goes to meeting, he wears the silk bibbs and snakeskin boots.  Got himself a little rope tie with a huge silver slider that says "TEXAS".  It looks kinda out-of place on his big neck sticking out of the sweatshirt that says G.R.I.T on both sides, but that's out Tex.  Puts them on like a knight preparing for a joust.  Adds a dash of Jack behind each ear.  If it's a formal meeting, he even has wimmins come in and braid his chin whiskers.   

[ITSec]

I'm color-coordinated, but it was easy.

My Norge is silver and black. Silver is just about the most common color for helmets and riding gear - except maybe black. A little care in selection and I even get extra reflectivity for a safety bonus.

It has the added benefit of making all the others on the road think I may be a cop! 

[guzzisteve]

My Carharts are color enough, yea thats right folks here wear helmets too.

[guzziownr]

Yep, nothing flashy here:

[Huzo]

I Still visit the forum of the marque that I almost bought. The contributors there seem to worry a great deal about whether the colour of the boots they're considering would go with the colour of their saddle, or in trying to get peer approval of their choice of helmet.
Why don't we bother with these important issues?

They (and we), seek validation from different sources. I reckon that we (Guzzisti) have settled into a niche as riders who "don't want to settle into a niche". By that I mean, it's a bit like the anti hero thing in principle. You gain your notoriorty by not seeking that very thing, have you ever met someone who everybody knows quite well, by virtue of the fact, that he usually stays quiet and only speaks when necessary. He becomes well known by seeking not to. Guzzi guys want to be seen as "fringe dwellers"and revel in that image, only problem is, that the "fringe" starts to get bigger and a new sub culture thrives. Motorcycle riding groups are tribal by nature I think, we adopt an image either intentionally or by default and then benignly defend that image, or interestingly, throw it up for good discussion on open forums. When you see a new build thread, the comments on the forum are often used to mould the image of the bike into what we think is a "desirable" image, or if you stretch the concept a little more...."acceptable". It's how fashions change, it's why Old Jock's two wheeled artistry doesn't look like a dirty old world weary Ambo, yet the latter carries an image all it's own and gains " acceptance" from it's credibility not it's pure artistic desirability...'Could be wrong though.        BTW how are things on the Ducati or Harley forums? My guess is the Ducati one 'cos the LAW says you must wear black helmets on Harlies. There is no discussion to be had there.

[Huzo]

As our resident turnip farmer mentioned in his inimitable way the other day, we do an awful lot of that here.

Maybe not talking about color-coordinating our boots and gloves, or making sure the collars and cuffs match ("Bond.   James Bond."), but still, asking for list suggestions or approval for helmet or jacket or luggage.   Perhaps it's just looking for real-world experience, but PERHAPS feeling around or testing for tacit approval or justification because we're not quite secure in our choices?

"What would you think if I bought one of these?"   "Has anyone used a red/white/green helmet on their Guzzi?"   "Does anyone have a glove suggestion?"

Sometimes it's to make sure that we're (being cheap) spending our money efficiently.   But sometimes maybe not.

Lannis

Bloody beautiful, right between the eyes !

[Huzo]

As a kid who used to wear one black sock and one white sock to school each day, I was thinking "I'll show 'em that I'm different, that I don't stick to everyone's standards, and I'll have a clever answer for them when they ask Why?"   

Sort of like folks who show up with one mutilated nostril and eyebrow with fishing lures in them, and one unmutilated ....  but easier to undo.

Lannis

When they asked why you wear mis matched socks, did you tell them you've got another set the same at home ? It's really interesting to see how our personalities and statements are projected through our bikes image. One guy hangs up his headset and and tells the passengers he "trusts they have enjoyed their flight" then goes out and enjoys the atmosphere of his stable of immaculately presented bikes around Vegas. Another, North of the UK, builds rolling works of art that make you thirsty just to look at them, some tear the perfectly functional wheels off their Guzzi tourer and promote their own profile by presenting their version of "improvement" as an intro to Wildguzzi forum life...There's three, and if I threw up another ten, you'd all know who each one was by the examples of the way they promote themselves through their machinery. We're still just little boys who compare what they have to other little boys, to establish our position in the heirachy, some just grew up more than others, or we like to think so...we've moved out of the sand pit and into the nice electronic one the Luap built for us. There's one here in Australia, not far from me who virtually apologised for making his latest bike purchase, and does NOTHING to conform to others expectations, but that becomes HIS way to project his personality. All very interesting.... as the old German used to say on Laugh In.

[twowings]

^^  Posting from the pub again, are we?

[Huzo]

^^  Posting from the pub again, are we?

Probably not me, but who ???

[twowings]

Just speculating on what inspired the waxing philosophical...car ry on, do! 

[fotoguzzi]

I didn't dress for you..

[Huzo]

Just speculating on what inspired the waxing philosophical...car ry on, do! 

Do you think it's BS ?

[oldbike54]

Do you think it's BS ?

 Peter , even I had a hard time following , must be the time difference , or that one of us is upside down in relation to the other , or the side effects of allergy meds , or ...

 Dusty

[Huzo]

Peter , even I had a hard time following , must be the time difference , or that one of us is upside down in relation to the other , or the side effects of allergy meds , or ...

 Dusty

Oh yeah, fair comment probably. A bit of a reply to the initial post about how or why we try to conform to fashions and trends. I'd like to think that it parallels the observations by Lannis, although unlike him, I tend to follow the principle. "Why use ten words when one hundred will do", it would work with an Aussie audience, (I hope !)

[fotoguzzi]

When they asked why you wear mis matched socks, did you tell them you've got another set the same at home ? It's really interesting to see how our personalities and statements are projected through our bikes image. One guy hangs up his headset and and tells the passengers he "trusts they have enjoyed their flight" then goes out and enjoys the atmosphere of his stable of immaculately presented bikes around Vegas. Another, North of the UK, builds rolling works of art that make you thirsty just to look at them, some tear the perfectly functional wheels off their Guzzi tourer and promote their own profile by presenting their version of "improvement" as an intro to Wildguzzi forum life...There's three, and if I threw up another ten, you'd all know who each one was by the examples of the way they promote themselves through their machinery. We're still just little boys who compare what they have to other little boys, to establish our position in the heirachy, some just grew up more than others, or we like to think so...we've moved out of the sand pit and into the nice electronic one the Luap built for us. There's one here in Australia, not far from me who virtually apologised for making his latest bike purchase, and does NOTHING to conform to others expectations, but that becomes HIS way to project his personality. All very interesting.... as the old German used to say on Laugh In.

Analyze this..

[Huzo]

Peter , even I had a hard time following , must be the time difference , or that one of us is upside down in relation to the other , or the side effects of allergy meds , or ...

 Dusty

Maybe the response didn't address the initial post squarely, but do you accept the observation ? If it's crap I'll pull it. Was just meandering along in bed on the i pad, helps keep my hands above the covers!

[Huzo]

Analyze this..

Ok mate. The statement is....Um, "I'm not making a statement !" That's the best I've got.

[oldbike54]

Maybe the response didn't address the initial post squarely, but do you accept the observation ? If it's crap I'll pull it. Was just meandering along in bed on the i pad, helps keep my hands above the covers!

 It mostly made sense Peter , although it did require a couple of readings . Oh , and "Analise" is an old Hebrew name meaning "she who knows" .

 Dusty

[fotoguzzi]

Ok mate. The statement is....Um, "Yellow, good!" That's the best I've got.

[Testarossa]

I hope I've outgrown fashion, but the fact is no one has ever accused me of dressing well.

I do like my bikes to be aesthetically pleasing -- to me. But I could give a rat's @ss about what I wear, as long as it keeps me comfortable, protects my tender skin and fragile bones, and can be seen by any SUV driver who happens to glance my way (not counting on that glance).

I participate in another sport where on most days I'm required to wear a uniform. Since every other ski instructor on the hill wears the same uniform, it's common to lose a student who follows the wrong instructor. So I make sure my helmet is unique. For free skiing, at this level of the culture, the sentiment is that if you ski well you can wear anything. And so the racers and ex-racers tend to wear ratty old warm-ups, mixed rather than matched -- they grab whatever still blocks the wind. An implied message is that only mediocre skiers need to draw attention with elegant and expensive suits, matching boots, helmets and gloves. I wear a bright yellow parka so my friends can spot me across the valley. Nothing else matches.

[Huzo]

It mostly made sense Peter , although it did require a couple of readings . Oh , and "Analise" is an old Hebrew name meaning "she who knows" .

 Dusty

Jeepers !!!