Be honest, do you project an image..?

[Testarossa]

At age 70, I weigh 150 lb. Not exactly imposing. I guess I dress so as not to be noticed, but ATGATT. Nothing flashy except some neon on the helmet for conspicuity. The bikes are old and I like to think they say I know how to maintain them.





Nothing to prove and nothing to prove it with.

In skiing, it's different. I wear an Aspen ski school uniform, which is pretty flashy stuff, and I can live up to it. When skiing for fun, my gear is fairly old but of top quality, undecorated, clean, respectable and practical for staying out all day in a storm. I told my kid that if you move well you can wear anything. Most of the old racers tend to wear mismatched training gear. They don't look like much standing still.

[Huzo]

I used to worry about what I looked like, but then I realised that it didn't make any difference to anyone. So I gave up wearing body shirts and flares and platform shoes and just wore Levis and press stud shirts and runners coz they were easier. Now that I'm old, I couldn't give a rats what I look like and wear leathers. sometimes, and textiles, sometimes; it just depends on what I'm going to be doing on the bike. Silly sausage Huzo thinks I look like a cop, my niece reckons I look like a teacher, but that's only because I come from a family of teachers. I reckon I just look like me.

You do..

[oldbike54]

Mostly A-10 and F-5.

 Cool .

 Dusty

[rocker59]

Remember the old Jackal ad posters with the guy in jeans , a T-shirt and an open face helmet ? Yeah , picture that guy about 40 years older , that's me .

 Dusty

[oldbike54]

 Thanks Brother Michael . Anyone wanna argue that isn't just a younger version of me ?

 Dusty

[Guzzistajohn]

Thanks Brother Michael . Anyone wanna argue that isn't just a younger version of me ?

 Dusty

The dude on the brochure might be more well groomed 

[Huzo]

I suppose the other question would have been..
Do you set out to project an image ? We all have one but is it manufactured or just what's landed on us ?

[Ncdan]

Been there done that ............

I'm 182cm and 90kgs  .... I used to be 110kg, muscular and about 2cm too tall for my hair.
I worked as a nightclub bouncer all the way through my University days as well as playing front row in a social Rugby Union Club.
Apparently I still have the "bouncer" look when I go to a pub and I rarely get troubled by the drunks or the crazies. I know what to look for and avoid trouble like the plaque.
When I do I've perfected the emotionless stare which usually deters them or informs their mates that they are annoying the wrong person.
That said I have a very, very long fuse and find it easy to just walk away.

Neil Young put it best  "It doesn't mean that much to me to mean that much to you"  (Old Man, Harvest)

As for motorcycle gear. I am a ATGATT rider, I have gravitated away from leather to textile as I find it is more versatile in Australia's climate where it can be 40C one minute and 10c the next. The ability to zip out liners and open vents is important.

Lol Paul, after 30 years of working the mean streets I've seen that smile you are wearing in your photo  too many times, it usually means "Go ahead, make my day" :)

[Huzo]

Lol Paul, after 30 years of working the mean streets I've seen that smile you are wearing in your photo  too many times, it usually means "Go ahead, make my day" :)

I actually took that shot, and at that particular moment a giant spider had disappeared up the leg of his pants.
I think it was whistling "Stairway to Heaven...!"
Paul was murmuring through gritted teeth..
"Hurry up Huzo"...(second time he'd said it on that trip.. )
PS
I couldn't help thinking how cute my Norge looked when he stood next it each time, just a bit to your left would have been good Paul..

[Paul Brooking]

Lol Paul, after 30 years of working the mean streets I've seen that smile you are wearing in your photo  too many times, it usually means "Go ahead, make my day" :)

Not quite what Huzo said (I think I've heard that before).

"Go ahead, make my day" .... more like "Go ahead, I'm desperately trying to not burst into hysterical laughter, but if you insist ... lets dance". 

[Huzo]

Not quite what Huzo said (I think I've heard that before).

"Go ahead, make my day" .... more like "Go ahead, I'm desperately trying to not burst into hysterical laughter, but if you insist ... lets dance". 

Yes that IS cool, but you can only speak that way convincingly Paul when you know you can back it up.
Maybe I could, maybe I couldn't, but I could not deliver that line with similar aplomb.
I'm still impressed by your actions at Alice Springs, firm but gentle with an uninvited camp intruder.
I'll post about it at some stage..

[JukeboxGothic]

Black clad psychedelic pervert with a penchant for Japanese tentacle porn and a black belt in Ikibana.

[John A]

This video reminded me of this thread. Explains it for me anyway.  https://youtu.be/iDQ8DiP_Y_A
https://youtu.be/ictUbyRBW6Y, another part if you're interested

[twowheeladdict]

What image am I projecting in the attached photos?

[Huzo]

What image am I projecting in the attached photos?

I guess the thrust of the initial question was..
What image do YOU think you project and did you consciously set out to do so ?
There's a one word answer from a bloke who has a high profile here and his answer was (and presumably still is..) No..
So you can clearly not set out to project an image, but end up with an unmistakable one.
Or you can set out to not project an image.
The two are not the same...

[twowings]

Like, no....why do you ask?

[dguzzi]

I wanted to be one of those clown guys standing just of the road, freaking people out.  Good fun!

[Guzzi Gal]

A middle-aged mama on an MG/Vespa/Honda Met sometimes with a kid or dog pillion.

[Ringosdad]

my image is getting grey!

[Bullitbob]

Most of my buddies and myself like to build and ride 70's era Japanese bikes. I don't know what kind of image we project but one of my pals' co workers asked him how to get in the "scene". What the heck does that even mean? However, it does infer that we have some sort of "image" lol. Cracks my up.






dice virtual

[Huzo]

I guess one way to honestly evaluate your own image or persona, would be to ask yourself..
If there was going to be a movie or documentary that chronicled my life with an actor that was to look and act as much like me as possible, how would I direct that person to look, sound and conduct themselves..
Warts and all..

[Lannis]

A middle-aged mama on an MG/Vespa/Honda Met sometimes with a kid or dog pillion.

Sorry; the "middle-aged" image projecting thing isn't working.   You're going to have to wait a few years, I'm afraid.

Lannis

[stubbie]

I've tried to project an image, but I'm not tall enough or big enough, so nobody takes me seriously anyway. So I just let myself be me, that I want to be on the day.
Paul (in that pick anyway) screams confusion, grey or beige, I'm not sure.  

[LowRyter]

images riding-resting-riding

[ohiorider]

I love this old Triumph brochure.  Somewhere in the house, the original exists.  This is a scan of my original.  Picked up the brochure at a dealership shortly after I was transferred to Toledo, Ohio in 1978.  It was another 6 years before I got back into biking.  Triumph did their best to project an image!

Bob

[Guzzistajohn]

Well, I don’t think so???

[KiwiKev]

Well I don't care much about image (I think) just want to be a crusty old fart and ride my bike unmolested by other idiots on the road.

Normally not given to spontaneous  outbursts of emotion but I angle parked up in town last weekend in my camper van while my wife popped into the pharmacy for her lifesaving medication.  The owner of a mini  parked in the left of me and came back to his car and immediately started screaming abuse at me demanding that I move my camper out of his way. I told him if he asked me in a civil way I would be more than happy to move. This made him scream louder of course and he shouted again so I just sat there.

He pulled out then came back to the drivers door hurling more abuse so I wound down my window and politely but firmly told him to F*ck Off !!!

I guess the image I wanted to present was don't mess with me  buddy - I'm a bad ass camper van driver - LOL

[Luap McKeever]

I've been told I project an image...

[Kev m]

I guess one way to honestly evaluate your own image or persona, would be to ask yourself..
If there was going to be a movie or documentary that chronicled my life with an actor that was to look and act as much like me as possible, how would I direct that person to look, sound and conduct themselves..
Warts and all..

I can't answer that. But back in college I did have a 5 minute conversation at a NYC Bridge Toll Booth trying to convince the toll taker I WAS NOT Weird Al Yankovic.

 

[twowheeladdict]

Well I don't care much about image (I think) just want to be a crusty old fart and ride my bike unmolested by other idiots on the road.

Normally not given to spontaneous  outbursts of emotion but I angle parked up in town last weekend in my camper van while my wife popped into the pharmacy for her lifesaving medication.  The owner of a mini  parked in the left of me and came back to his car and immediately started screaming abuse at me demanding that I move my camper out of his way. I told him if he asked me in a civil way I would be more than happy to move. This made him scream louder of course and he shouted again so I just sat there.

He pulled out then came back to the drivers door hurling more abuse so I wound down my window and politely but firmly told him to F*ck Off !!!

I guess the image I wanted to present was don't mess with me  buddy - I'm a bad ass camper van driver - LOL

And here I keep getting told that New Zealanders are a polite laid back group of people.