Author Topic: "GET A REAL BIKE!" (Read 9834 times)

bad Chad · « **on:** August 19, 2016, 05:08:21 PM »

Just parked near the front of the store, I was walking in, when a 20 something dude hanging out the window of his beat up yellow Ford pick-up yells this to me. I have a lot on mind mind lately and my first instinct as I turned to see who it was, was to flick him the bird. I actually started to, then as I was raising my arm and beginning to get my finger up, I thought maybe he's goofing with me? So instead, I just threw up the peace sign and sarcastically yelled back, "yea right" as he drove off.

As I thought it over, I'm pretty sure he wasn't kidding, and flicking him the bird would probably not have been the smart thing to do anyway, I know my wife would admonish me for doing so! I wish I would have had the quick sense, to yell something like, "this from a guy in a yellow POS pick up!" But, hindsight is twenty twenty as they say. I'm sure I'm not the only one to experience, this, any other stories?

PJPR01 · « **Reply #1 on:** August 19, 2016, 05:25:08 PM »

Just another asshole...pay him no mind!

Aaron D. · « **Reply #2 on:** August 19, 2016, 05:29:09 PM »

I have learned to embrace deafness. It is one of the blessings of aging as a motorcyclist.

Guzzistajohn · « **Reply #3 on:** August 19, 2016, 05:34:29 PM »

Wouldn't give an asshat like that the satisfaction of knowing I even heard his ignorant pie hole.

normzone · « **Reply #4 on:** August 19, 2016, 05:41:03 PM »

The twenties-something guy is probably a Guzzista on his way to pick up parts. Back in the pony tail days, long hairs would shout " Get a hair cut!" at each other.

oldbike54 · « **Reply #5 on:** August 19, 2016, 05:41:58 PM »

All good advice , but I must admit that in my youth the bird would probably have been flipped ..

Dusty

Trogladyte · « **Reply #6 on:** August 19, 2016, 05:45:08 PM »

Yeah - sounds like a prize plonker.

But what does it mean?

Surely a MG is a real bike in anyone's money. Or do you think he's a pocket rocket rider with unscuffed knee sliders, who thinks that anything without no 46 on it is just hopeless.

bad Chad · « **Reply #7 on:** August 19, 2016, 05:48:17 PM »

I know he heard and saw me pull up, based on logistics. But I'd bet $50 he didn't know it was a Guzzi, and likely doesn't even know what a Guzzi is.

nick949 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 19, 2016, 05:50:35 PM »

There is plenty of evidence that ignorance is alive and well in the world. He may have been being ironic. Either way, best to ignore it.

N

pete mcgee · « **Reply #9 on:** August 19, 2016, 05:56:49 PM »

Probably just another Harley tee shirt owner (can't afford the bike) proving once again that Harleys were invented to prevent cock wombles riding decent motorcycles.

Gliderjohn · « **Reply #10 on:** August 19, 2016, 06:25:26 PM »

That is one of the few negative comments I have received from H-D folk, usually get positive comments. In the Guzzi world I don't ride all that much but when I have had that statement thrown at me I have challenged the talker to compare odometers and usually that shuts them up.
GliderJohn

fotoguzzi · « **Reply #11 on:** August 19, 2016, 06:40:12 PM »

Big mouth little dick.

Kev m · « **Reply #12 on:** August 19, 2016, 06:43:52 PM »

Meh,

Simple Zen:

His words mean nothing to you unless you give them the power and him the respect of giving a crap.

If he was joking, kudos to the kindred soul.

If he was being a dick, laugh at the fact that he's obviously a moron.

Either way it's not worth another minute of your time.

lucky phil · « **Reply #13 on:** August 19, 2016, 06:46:33 PM »

What a terrible thing to yell out to a Guzzi rider......... unless you ride a small block of course:)
Ciao

Kev m · « **Reply #14 on:** August 19, 2016, 06:49:57 PM »

Quote from: gliderjohn on August 19, 2016, 06:25:26 PM

That is one of the few negative comments I have received from H-D folk, usually get positive comments. In the Guzzi world I don't ride all that much but when I have had that statement thrown at me I have challenged the talker to compare odometers and usually that shuts them up.
GliderJohn

Being a Harley fan too for a couple of decades I've probably spent more time at Harley dealers, at Harley Rallys, and Harley runs ON GUZZIS than most here. I've literally only heard a comment like that once or twice and every time the speaker made it clear he was joking before we parted.

Maybe it's me (attitude or appearance), I dunno... But I've had so many positive Harley encounters it's ridiculous.

One that stands out was when, on my Jackal, I spanked a Harley rider on a light-to-light drag race in front of a bunch of his friends and he said "well, if was gonna get my ass kicked, at least it was Italian."

tazio · « **Reply #15 on:** August 19, 2016, 07:39:28 PM »

only encountered the "get a real bike" bullsh!t 4 times.
I was on my beloved Sportster each time.
Each one came from some blob on a "Real Harley"(BIG V-twin).
Doesn't prove nothing, and really doesn't make a whole lot of sense..

balvenie · « **Reply #16 on:** August 19, 2016, 07:40:49 PM »

Stupid only gets stupider. Walk away. Easiest way to avoid contamination.

lucian · « **Reply #17 on:** August 19, 2016, 08:02:06 PM »

The day I picked up my custom14 my brother and I rode from Maine to Derry New Hampshire , myself on a t100 bonnie and he on his heritage softail. We left the dealership and had to stop for gas to top of the harley for the ride home.Two harley riders also at the station came over and circled the new custom repeatedly and proceeded to shit all over it. One comment I remember was " my friend had one of these moto guzzi's and you have to take the whole motor out just to change the clutch,how stupid is that" This went on for ten minutes when it hit me that they hadn't even looked at or mentioned my brothers beautiful chromed out heritage nostalgia. Eventually I had enough and asked them if they were done drooling on my new bike yet. One of them said good luck trying to sell it. I replied that I bought it to ride not to sell . And with that they gave it up. That was my first spectator experience as a first time guzzi owner. I've had many more positive experiences since , and everyone I let try it has only had kind words afterwards. I guess what I'm trying to say is people shouldn't knock it until it they've tried it.

ITSec · « **Reply #18 on:** August 19, 2016, 08:19:16 PM »

Quote from: lucian on August 19, 2016, 08:02:06 PM

1 - One comment I remember was " my friend had one of these moto guzzi's and you have to take the whole motor out just to change the clutch,how stupid is that"

2 - One of them said good luck trying to sell it. I replied that I bought it to ride not to sell.

3 - I guess what I'm trying to say is people shouldn't knock it until it they've tried it.

In order...

1 - On almost all HDs, you have to pull the primary drive to change the belt. How stupid is that?

2 - Excellent response. My Norge is completely sell-proof - who would buy a bike with 115,000 miles on it?

3 - Everyone here is an example what happens based on that thinking!

LaMojo · « **Reply #19 on:** August 19, 2016, 08:28:40 PM »

Just shout back JEALOUS? and start laughing.

Lcarlson · « **Reply #20 on:** August 19, 2016, 08:43:38 PM »

In the spring I took a guided ride sponsored by the local H-D dealer ( all brands welcome). It was all HDs except me. Before we took off, though, one of the ride leaders said to the group "by the way, that Moto Guzzi is a GREAT bike." The Harley guys seemed confused.

Gliderjohn · « **Reply #21 on:** August 19, 2016, 08:43:58 PM »

Quote from Kev m:
"But I've had so many positive Harley encounters it's ridiculous."

To not misunderstand as I said:
"usually get positive comments."

Most H-D owners get it concerning a Guzzi, if not they do not know what it is and are mystified if anything.
GliderJohn

Kev m · « **Reply #22 on:** August 19, 2016, 08:56:51 PM »

Jon, noted, sorry if my comments seemed to suggest otherwise.

ITsec, or stated another way, all BT's require that, but no Sportsters (20-25% of Harley sales).

tazio · « **Reply #23 on:** August 19, 2016, 08:57:51 PM »

Quote from: lucky phil on August 19, 2016, 06:46:33 PM

What a terrible thing to yell out to a Guzzi rider......... unless you ride a small block of course:)
Ciao

Bulldog9 · « **Reply #24 on:** August 19, 2016, 09:08:30 PM »

LOL, the Hardley Abelson crowd cracks me up.

Yeah man, good call to be cool about it. Had someone ask me that today "So do you ride a real bike?" "Define real Bike" "You know, a Harley, or Indian" Nope, I like to ride not repair ;-) Then the 5 minute speech on how much more reliable Harleys are now..... LOL

Guzzistajohn · « **Reply #25 on:** August 19, 2016, 09:21:09 PM »

Quote from: lucky phil on August 19, 2016, 06:46:33 PM

What a terrible thing to yell out to a Guzzi rider......... unless you ride a small block of course:)
Ciao

👍Funny

Penderic · « **Reply #26 on:** August 19, 2016, 10:50:34 PM »

Words and Gestures.....

Triumph riders could utilize the Bard's Barbs ...

and the Guzzi riders could use visual hand signals ....

ITSec · « **Reply #27 on:** August 19, 2016, 10:57:24 PM »

Quote from: Kev m on August 19, 2016, 08:56:51 PM

ITsec, or stated another way, all BT's require that, but no Sportsters (20-25% of Harley sales).

I was keeping the tone in line with the original post and the reply - so a bit of exaggeration was needed

Besides, isn't there an internal snobbery in the HD community, with Sporties and the bottom and V-Rods barely acknowledged?

I do know that when I worked as a motorcycle salesman, any HD/S&S powered machine that came in trade had an automatic price demotion for having a left-side belt, particularly choppers and customs. A bike we might offer $6-8000 for if configured with a belt behind primary would bring the seller an extra $1K to $2K for a left primary / right belt configuration.

rodekyll · « **Reply #28 on:** August 19, 2016, 11:33:50 PM »

When that comes from a guy in a truck I like to respond "Like the real bike you're riding?"

If he's not on anything -- which is generally the case, I look around and say "I'd like to see a REAL bike -- just to know what I'm missing. So which of the REAL BIKE (singular --mine) in the lot here is yours?

John Ulrich · « **Reply #29 on:** August 20, 2016, 12:01:22 AM »

You gotta laugh at it. A young poser in a shop once called me a "Harley wannabe" to his girlfriend. I was hanging up signage for the local AMCA show during lunch talking Guzzi to another Guzzi rider there. I turned, smiled at him and said "if I wanted a Harley I'd buy a Harley". I'm not sure if he was more surprised I heard his remark or that a person would not want a Harley.

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Author Topic: "GET A REAL BIKE!" (Read 9834 times)

oldbike54

LaMojo

Lcarlson

Penderic