What's with the bull whip?

[cruzziguzzi]

  The secret is that the get back whip identifies the person as the bottom of an S&M duo.

What the hell... How do you know that anyhow?

Musta seen it in a movie once, eh? Or, is there a much more colorful aspect to you we're not knowing about?



Todd.

[cloudbase]

What the hell... How do you know that anyhow?

Musta seen it in a movie once, eh? Or, is there a much more colorful aspect to you we're not knowing about?



Todd.

Jim was a Coastie.  'Nuff said.

He's been around so long that when he was a mere striker, they still had flogging as punishment.

[cruzziguzzi]

Jim was a Coastie.  'Nuff said.

He's been around so long that when he was a mere striker, they still had flogging as punishment.

Sure, it's punishment unless a fella gets to liking it!

A sea-faring life, exotic locale retirement, grass skirted gals... There's no telling where a fella ends up from there but it's a sure bet that it'll be interesting.


Todd.

[rocker59]

Yesterday I attended a rodeo parade in a nearby town.

A "biker" couple settled into a spot not far from me, on the sidewalk.

The gal had her keys clipped to a belt loop. 

On her key chain was a FULL SIZE retractable box cutter...

WTF !?!?!?  LOL !!!

[cruzziguzzi]

Yesterday I attended a rodeo parade in a nearby town.

A "biker" couple settled into a spot not far from me, on the sidewalk.

The gal had her keys clipped to a belt loop. 

On her key chain was a FULL SIZE retractable box cutter...

WTF !?!?!?  LOL !!!

Amateur "poser" unless she had a dime between two blades!


Todd.

[cloudbase]

Sure, it's punishment unless a fella gets to liking it!

A sea-faring life, exotic locale retirement, grass skirted gals... There's no telling where a fella ends up from there but it's a sure bet that it'll be interesting.


Todd.

Sea story time:

Back (way back) in the days when I was a junior engineering officer on merchant ships, we pulled into Brooklyn on an American Export Lines ship.  This was back in the days when every ship had a contingent of "characters."  Read into that what you will.

One of the guys thought it might be interesting to find an S&M club in New York, so off he went for the evening. 

Next morning:  Did you find what you were looking for?

Yep.

How was it?

I dunno.  But it wasn't bad!

[blackcat]

Jim was a Coastie.  'Nuff said.

He's been around so long that when he was a mere striker, they still had flogging as punishment.

Probably saw this during the late show at Diamond Lil's.

[Lumpy Idle]

  The secret is that the get back whip identifies the person as the bottom of an S&M duo.

not to put too fine a point on it but the term is actually S-M (sado-masochism) and not S&M (sado and masochism.)  make that mistake again and you will have to be punished.

[Sasquatch Jim]

  Hey Black cat,  Is that to say that you have been to Diamond Lil's ?
 I didn't know that anyone on this site had been there.  Diamond Lil's was one of the high lights of a lower Manhattan
 romp.   All coasties that have taken that romp know that.

[blackcat]

  Hey Black cat,  Is that to say that you have been to Diamond Lil's ?
 I didn't know that anyone on this site had been there.  Diamond Lil's was one of the high lights of a lower Manhattan
 romp.   All coasties that have taken that romp know that.

Yeah, that was one crazy place. Long gone now, as are most of those places in the city. There really needs to be a plaque on the outside of the McDonald's that currently resides in that location. Though it might effect some appetites if they really knew what use to happen in that place.

[guzzinka]

This "whip" fascinates me, never ever seen one (although I'm sure it would be extremely frowned on by the law in the Chicago area).  Had to google it.  Is this a west coast thing?

[Lannis]

I'm with Tom above and set it aside as originally being ornamental as in saddlery like how often these whippy things are accompanied by stitched-on grip covers and leather fuel tank accents.

It's just the over-all, deliberately arrived at, perception of badd-assery put out by so many HD owners that we are led to by the nose to view most of their (HD owners) affectations with contempt and mockery.


Todd.

Every get-back whip I've seen has been accompanied by a trying-to-look-tough badass with a "what do YOU want damn you?" look on his face.   Why would any normally adjusted human being display such a thing?    They're no good for self-defense ... it's just a "Look Out, I'm Bad, I might hurt you, be scared of me" thing ....

I see 'em all over the east coast ...

Lannis

[cruzziguzzi]

Every get-back whip I've seen has been accompanied by a trying-to-look-tough badass with a "what do YOU want damn you?" look on his face.   Why would any normally adjusted human being display such a thing?    They're no good for self-defense ... it's just a "Look Out, I'm Bad, I might hurt you, be scared of me" thing ....

I see 'em all over the east coast ...

Lannis

Having seen plenty on the bikes of portly accountants, pasty skinned lawyers and other HD riders, I'd say your mileage may vary.


Todd.

[tris]

Nope - don't get it

Maybe they are influenced by Basil as a means of fixing recalcitrant motorcycles

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zl3mfaWCnWw

[Tom]

Seen out here too with the "bad boys" crowd.  Scruffy looking.  Tat's, big baseball cap cover the ears, shorts, sneakers, vest w/tee.   

[Lumpy Idle]

i lived in venice beach, ca a long time ago.  there is/was a harley dealership in marina del rey (neighboring town.) one sunday morning i was bicycling by the harley place and i saw that there were dozens of bikes assembled and folks were getting ready for a ride. at least half of the crowd was your generic scruffy harley rider crew and the other half was a mixture. i stopped to chat up some of them and found that the folks that stood out were the 2 couples (they didn't know each other) who were on fully dressed bikes with fringe on their jackets and on the bikes.  there were fringes on the bags and handlebars and one of the couples had matching fringed jackets. he was an orthodontist. the other couple's distaff side sported a bright pink, fringed, leather jacket, his was fringed and black.  i spent a couple of years making fun of them in conversation.  it took me a while to realize that they had as good a time on that ride as any of the others less gaudily attired.  as i get older i get less judgmental, although the old temptations are still there. i think it was that sage philosopher ru paul who said: "we are all born naked and everything after that is drag."

[Kev m]

i lived in venice beach, ca a long time ago.  there is/was a harley dealership in marina del rey (neighboring town.) one sunday morning i was bicycling by the harley place and i saw that there were dozens of bikes assembled and folks were getting ready for a ride. at least half of the crowd was your generic scruffy harley rider crew and the other half was a mixture. i stopped to chat up some of them and found that the folks that stood out were the 2 couples (they didn't know each other) who were on fully dressed bikes with fringe on their jackets and on the bikes.  there were fringes on the bags and handlebars and one of the couples had matching fringed jackets. he was an orthodontist. the other couple's distaff side sported a bright pink, fringed, leather jacket, his was fringed and black.  i spent a couple of years making fun of them in conversation.  it took me a while to realize that they had as good a time on that ride as any of the others less gaudily attired.  as i get older i get less judgmental, although the old temptations are still there. i think it was that sage philosopher ru paul who said: "we are all born naked and everything after that is drag."

[emoji106]

[Perazzimx14]

I'm going to go out and look for 2 dead black snakes that were hit by cars  to hang from my DR650 handle bars. That'll be super bada$$.

[guzzinka]

Motorcycle whips, s&m and sagely wisdom from Rupaul - whoever says steel cut oats and Guzzis are dull is a fool! 

[Lannis]

Having seen plenty on the bikes of portly accountants, pasty skinned lawyers and other HD riders, I'd say your mileage may vary.


Todd.

No, I think we're seeing the same thing ... The Portly Accountants and Pasty-Skinned Lawyers ARE the "trying to look tough" badasses, and the whip is part of the shtick ....

Lannis

[boatdetective]

I guess I'm one of those types who needs a direct answer:

Is this supposed to be a weapon?

WTF does "get back mean"?

Does this mean it's some sort of way to whip (get back) at passing motorists?

...it just seems like a really stupid attempt at a weapon.
 

[Sasquatch Jim]

  Why hang dead snakes from your handlebars?  Hang live ones, that will get people back.
 Especially if the are rattlers.

[bad Chad]

This "whip" fascinates me, never ever seen one (although I'm sure it would be extremely frowned on by the law in the Chicago area).  Had to google it.  Is this a west coast thing?

Really?  I live in the Chicago area as well, and while they certainly aren't ubiquitous with every HD, I have seen many here.

[Lannis]

I guess I'm one of those types who needs a direct answer:

Is this supposed to be a weapon?

WTF does "get back mean"?

Does this mean it's some sort of way to whip (get back) at passing motorists?

...it just seems like a really stupid attempt at a weapon.

Looks like a very ineffective weapon.   I think it's mostly symbolic, and to mean

"I'm a BAAAD Sons of Anarchy Hell's Angel Satan's Slave muvvaf***a; don't you watch TV and know how BAAAD I am?   Don't f*** with me, stay out of my way, I'm in control, I'll hurt anyone that doesn't get out of my way and that means you ..."

Very small self-esteem, very high ego, very good imagination.   There really are people that have to feel like that in order to live with themselves.   It's just a shame that so many of them use motorcycles, and one brand of motorcycle in particular that cultivates that image, to strut their imagination around such that other people tar you and me with the same brush ....

Speaking of which, I got a letter back from Mark Tuttle at "RIDER" magazine when I questioned him as to why they were testing "Menacing-looking" motorcycles ... he talked about the "motorcycles" looking menacing and not the riders; I was at least happy that he responded .... reckon I'll stay a subscriber ...

Lannis

[sidecarnutz]

My kid brother had plastic tassels on the handlebars of his banana-seat pedal bike back around 1955.

LOL! This is what I was thinking! And how about the big silver metal flake in the seat vinyl? 

[vwkafer]

Yeah, a neighbor of mine has one on his road king, flh, fat dog or whatever the hell it's called. When he's completed his honey do list, on Sunday afternoons, he and his posse, go play son's of anarchy and terrorize the soccer moms at the local starbucks.

[twodogs]

Back in the day (mid 70') I asked a old time biker about the tassels and he told me that the speedometer crapped out on his bike and he used it to judge his speed, if they were straight back he new he was booking I dunno, shrug.

[Lannis]

Back in the day (mid 70') I asked a old time biker about the tassels and he told me that the speedometer crapped out on his bike and he used it to judge his speed, if they were straight back he new he was booking I dunno, shrug.

Yep, going 30 MPH into a 30 MPH wind, he was FLYING down the four-lane highway all right all right .... !

Lannis

[Two Checks]

Tassels are not get back whips.

[Tom]

Back in the day (mid 70') I asked a old time biker about the tassels and he told me that the speedometer crapped out on his bike and he used it to judge his speed, if they were straight back he new he was booking I dunno, shrug.

4 Speed trans., solid engine mount to the frame.  80" Shovel engine.  You don't need tassles to tell the speed.  Get it up to 60 mph.  You can barely see because the whole bike is shaking and raising the r's don't help.    I still have that bike.