What is it with Harley Riders? RANT

[Lannis]

Never really bothered me what other riders do, or don't do. I'm busy enjoying myself. Try it

I do try it.   You're on a beautiful twisty road in the countryside, busy enjoying yourself;  the road is good for a steady 60 MPH, laying it well over in the curves, just holding your speed doing down the straight stretches.

You come up behind a line of bikes.   They're running 50 MPH on the straight stretches.  When they see anything that looks like a curve, they stomp the brakes and slow down to about 25 or 30 MPH.   When they finally come out of the curve and see that the road is straight, MY what a roaring of open drag pipes, and waving of leather fringe as they accelerate madly back up to 50 or 55 before repeating the same procedure 50 more times, while you yawn and wait for the chance to pass ....

Is sitting behind these guys "Busy Having Fun" to you?   It's not to me.   For a few minutes, I have the job of setting up for a pass and then taking it, finding in the meanwhile that getting around either (A) The incompetent ones that are wobbling all over the road or (B) the batards that "don't want you to" pass them because that emasculates them, isn't easy or "fun".

Do you really just sit back and idle for however many miles it is to the next bar?   Maybe so; "fun" is different things to different people.

Lannis

[yogidozer]

I do try it.   You're on a beautiful twisty road in the countryside, busy enjoying yourself;  the road is good for a steady 60 MPH, laying it well over in the curves, just holding your speed doing down the straight stretches.

You come up behind a line of bikes.   They're running 50 MPH on the straight stretches.  When they see anything that looks like a curve, they stomp the brakes and slow down to about 25 or 30 MPH.   When they finally come out of the curve and see that the road is straight, MY what a roaring of open drag pipes, and waving of leather fringe as they accelerate madly back up to 50 or 55 before repeating the same procedure 50 more times, while you yawn and wait for the chance to pass ....

Is sitting behind these guys "Busy Having Fun" to you?   It's not to me.   For a few minutes, I have the job of setting up for a pass and then taking it, finding in the meanwhile that getting around either (A) The incompetent ones that are wobbling all over the road or (B) the batards that "don't want you to" pass them because that emasculates them, isn't easy or "fun".

Do you really just sit back and idle for however many miles it is to the next bar?   Maybe so; "fun" is different things to different people.

Lannis

no, I let thinking about that screw up my day.
Take a side road, you might find an interesting site, or a beautiful view. Beats the heck out of swearing inside your helmet

[Tom]

I pass when safe to do so.

[m13]

And here's one more.   We keep saying "Harleys" when there's no way we looked to see what brand all the bikes were that we are weaving behind, trying to keep up enough speed to keep from falling over. That'll get us away from accusations of "Harley Hating" too, while we're at it.

People do the same for "Ninja" even though that's another story ......

Lannis

It's not isolated to Harleys,..
I got a real Amish/ mennonite  road hogging problem here in southern maryland!!
I live in a rural areal with most roads small with turns and bends with few places tp pass without crossing a double yellow.
The farmers pull over when traffic begins to back up. The school busses pull over and let a string of back ups pass. The Amish? no way buddy! cilp clop, clip clop, at 10 mph with their smug little offspring staring back at the cars with glee! Will they pull over?? not likely!
Mostly kidding about this but I encounter this frequently. True no one HAS to let traffic pass, but some folks understand and pull over if bogging the flow. OK I'm done

[Bill N]

Enjoyable rant I love it. Nothing like driving 800 miles from Florida to reach some beautiful twisty roads then encounter a herd poking along at 40 MPH. In some cases its impossible to pass.
Bill

[Tom]

If it's impossible to pass then you shouldn't.  You might want to take a break and pull over.

[m13]

If it's impossible to pass then you shouldn't.  You might want to take a break and pull over.

I agree, depending...If there's a double yellow? you "shouldn't cross it". If it's the third cycle of an intersection stop light and it has yet to recognize you are there, and the ONLY one there for the entire three cycles. Then sit there till another vehicle (at 3am) comes and triggers the signal. There are Ideals and safe and proper ones, ...alway wear a helmet? don't run with scissors,and such, yet  Getting along and being rational and considerate is something most of us, well i'm speaking only for me, really..have trouble doing, consistently. Honestly If someones on my rear and it is safe for me to pull aside, I will. I sometimes back the traffic behind me because I am maintaining the speed limit, sometimes I go 20 mph over the limit....all depends and Ranting about it all,makes for filling in a dull Sunday afternoon typing ,instead of ,..riding,..most enjoyable, The rant is my favorite!! OK I'm done.......

[Lannis]

no, I let thinking about that screw up my day.
Take a side road, you might find an interesting site, or a beautiful view. Beats the heck out of swearing inside your helmet

Or you can get it out of your system by talking it on WildGuzzi.   That's what I do.

Lannis

[oldbike54]

 Had an interesting discussion with a couple of riders involved in a large group ride . Both were relative newcomers to motorbiking , and admitted to not being very good riders . I asked them if they had taken a beginners course , both stated that "no , we are learning to ride in the group , and felt safer surrounded by other more "experienced" riders . Honestly , it seems that some times we are dealing with the same herd mentality that elephants display when a young unsteady calf is trying to keep up with the herd . Instead of one or two females staying behind to protect the baby , the entire herd stays with the "beginner" .

 Dusty

[pyoungbl]

I no longer have a BMW but still am a member of the local BMW club.  They are a decent bunch and I enjoy their company.  They are also the only local group that actually meets and talks about bikes without much stigma against other brands.  The president had a Multistrada!  I went on one after-meeting group ride.  Never again.  It's all the negatives mentioned above, plus the problems with getting a congo line of bikes through stoplights and everyone stopping because one guy needs gas...and soon thereafter another stop because one person has to pee.  Too much like hearding cats. 

Once, on a solo cross country trip, I stopped in a visitors center to get a map of the new state.  The elderly gentleman manning the map desk asked how many were in my party.  I replied "One".  His comment still rings true "Ah, the perfect number of traveling companions."

Peter Y.

[Testarossa]

I always yield to overtaking traffic. That said, on the Guzzi I'm happiest at about 10 knots north of traffic speed. This means that in fun rides on two-lane mountain roads, I often come up behind knots of slower traffic. Usually I get to pass as soon as the yellow line breaks up. If traffic is lined up behind a slow truck, I'll pull over and wait a bit.

Two weekends ago I did a fun solo loop north along the Peak-to-Peak and down Colo 7 to Lyons -- a wonderfully sinuous downhill with some tight turns where the river has undercut the cliffs. Came up behind a couple of fast red sports cars and was happy following them -- until they arrived at the back of a pack of bikers following a painfully slow CanAm Spyder. The Spyder guy took occupancy of the center of the lane for 10 miles, all the way into town. I could have pulled over to wait but I expected the crowd to pass him. No one even tried. I threaded my way forward through the pack. There were cruisers and adventure bikes. No one checking their mirrors. Especially not the Spyderman.

I never did get by him. He motored into Lyons consistently 5mph below the posted limit.

State law says if you're holding up more than three vehicles you're required to pull over. I'm not aware that it's ever been enforced. It's not even posted.

I don't have a point. Just venting.

[Tom]

The Spyder operator would have been ticketed in WA or ID.  What an idiot.

[mjptexas]

What's the matter...?  Didn't have enough nuts to get around them all...?  :D  Go big or stay on the porch there Bubba.

Not many straight sections for a long pass.

[mjptexas]

I get your grrrr. Been there.

JMHO: when you encounter a group ride, either pass them all carefully or pull  off for lunch...

unfortunately on this particular road that would simply mean another half dozen packs getting in front of you.

[mjptexas]

I really need to start riding with you guys.  I ride with a great group of guys, but they're slow, stop often, and don't want to go very far....

There is a small group of us in Austin that ride regularly, usually no more than five at a time.  Eclectic group - 3 BMWs, 2 Moto Guzzis, a Triumph and a Kawasaki.  Typical one day weekend ride is around 200 miles, give or take.  Group runs at the speed limit to +10 mph, depending on the road.  What makes this group work is we know what to expect from each other, and, no one is chronically predisposed to doing really stupid things.

[mjptexas]

We stopped at a Wal-Mart fuel stop today with Luap's beautiful brand-new MGX and a group of those clowns didn't even have the good grace to walk 10 extra feet and compliment him...

For some of them it seems to be much more about the 'image' than motorcycles...sad 

In rural Texas people would regularly ask me 'What kind of bike is that?'  I'd say 'Moto Guzzi'.  All too often the response was 'Who makes it?'  Finally I just started saying I was riding an experimental Harley with the engine installed sideways...

[mjptexas]

I think there are a lot of gray areas that are being passed over in this discussion.

What's more unsafe, riding side by side or high above the speed limit?

Equally dangerous, unless you are riding side by side high above the speed limit 

What's more selfish, 20 people riding tight at the speed limit on a one lane road....

I'm actually pretty tolerant of anyone traveling at or close to the limit.  It's the 50mph in a 65mph that tries my patience.

I don't like being caught behind a row of vehicles going slower than me, but sometimes that's just life and unless they're going much lower than the speed limit..

Yep.  On of my regular access roads to great Hill Country riding is a prime example.  Some days I ride the full 35 miles with nary a car.  Other days I'll come up on an endless caravan running 15 mph under the limit.  In those cases I just sit back and take it.

[mjptexas]

And here's one more.   We keep saying "Harleys" when there's no way we looked to see what brand all the bikes were that we are weaving behind, trying to keep up enough speed to keep from falling over.

Nope.  I'm talking Harleys.  Pretty easy to pick out a Harley from behind.  Not saying the Metric Cruiser guys don't do the same thing, but I just don't see that many of them on the road in these situations.  (Maybe they ride at the speed limit?)

[oldbike54]

 Mike , in all fairness to the Harley riders Two Wings is referring to not asking about Luap's new X21, well , if TW hadn't flipped them off as we were entering the station 

 Dusty

[mjptexas]

....You come up behind a line of bikes.   They're running 50 MPH on the straight stretches.  When they see anything that looks like a curve, they stomp the brakes and slow down to about 25 or 30 MPH.   When they finally come out of the curve and see that the road is straight, MY what a roaring of open drag pipes, and waving of leather fringe as they accelerate madly back up to 50 or 55 before repeating the same procedure 50 more times, while you yawn and wait for the chance to pass ....

Is sitting behind these guys "Busy Having Fun" to you?   It's not to me.   For a few minutes, I have the job of setting up for a pass and then taking it, finding in the meanwhile that getting around either (A) The incompetent ones that are wobbling all over the road or (B) the batards that "don't want you to" pass them because that emasculates them, isn't easy or "fun".

Do you really just sit back and idle for however many miles it is to the next bar?   Maybe so; "fun" is different things to different people.

Lannis

:1:

[mjptexas]

Mike , in all fairness to the Harley riders Two Wings is referring to not asking about Luap's new X21, well , if TW hadn't flipped them off as we were entering the station 

 Dusty

Hell, Two Wings was just communicating in a language they understand.

[oldbike54]

Hell, Two Wings was just communicating in a language they understand.

 In case you missed it earlier , the boss also said in a loud voice , "we ain't ridin' Harleys , we can't be stopping every 20 miles" 

 Dusty

[nc43bsa]

Harley riders are natural leaders.


Don't believe me? 

Just look who's at the front of any long line of slow traffic.   

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

It's not isolated to Harleys,..
I got a real Amish/ mennonite  road hogging problem here in southern maryland!!
I live in a rural areal with most roads small with turns and bends with few places tp pass without crossing a double yellow.
The farmers pull over when traffic begins to back up. The school busses pull over and let a string of back ups pass. The Amish? no way buddy! cilp clop, clip clop, at 10 mph with their smug little offspring staring back at the cars with glee! Will they pull over?? not likely!
Mostly kidding about this but I encounter this frequently. True no one HAS to let traffic pass, but some folks understand and pull over if bogging the flow. OK I'm done

A few weeks ago I got behind some old farts in their Model A Fords. Those bastages just wouldn't pull over and let me pass even though they were only going 45 in a 55 zone. You know you're going slow when someone in a (normally aspirated) Mercedes 300CD wants to pass! 

[LowRyter]

I remember riding at the Sturgis Rally back in 2000.  I was riding up 385 going from Custer to Sturgis with a huge line of slow moving motorcycles (Harleys) being held up my an RV.  Then I saw them make a corner at the top of the hill and the RVs were being held up by a longer line of Harleys.  I am talking dozens of motorcycles going 15-20 under the limit.

I don't get it.

[Arizona Wayne]

I have on occasion encountered the rolling road block. Everyone plodding along at 37 mph feet up on the highway pegs, smoking cigarettes and getting their Starbucks latte out of their LED laden screamin; eagle chrome cup holder while their stereo is blasting out some awful 80 crap rock. I have no issue running up through the pack passing whoever I can when safe and filling back in until the next passing opportunity.

The South Park episode is so true for the 90%+ of the Hardley riders:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGyKBFCd_u4

Me too, assuming I have enough oomph to leave them behind if needed.    Which I have had to do on occasion if they think they own the road.   Many times they all have to pull over for more gas before I do. 

[Arizona Wayne]

The Spyder operator would have been ticketed in WA or ID.  What an idiot.

Or Cal. if caught doing that.  Holding up 2 lane traffic for any reason is an automatic ticket there no matter what your vehicle is.

[Huzo]

I remember riding at the Sturgis Rally back in 2000.  I was riding up 385 going from Custer to Sturgis with a huge line of slow moving motorcycles (Harleys) being held up my an RV.  Then I saw them make a corner at the top of the hill and the RVs were being held up by a longer line of Harleys.  I am talking dozens of motorcycles going 15-20 under the limit.

I don't get it.

They get a buzz from being anti social and are daring you to " do something about it", I'm reminded of the lion in the Wizard of Oz, "What's it to ya", answering the question that no one asked.

[sturgeon]

I remember riding at the Sturgis Rally back in 2000.  I was riding up 385 going from Custer to Sturgis with a huge line of slow moving motorcycles (Harleys) being held up my an RV.  Then I saw them make a corner at the top of the hill and the RVs were being held up by a longer line of Harleys.  I am talking dozens of motorcycles going 15-20 under the limit.

I don't get it.

Posing is a time-consuming pastime.

[twowings]

You guys go on ahead...I'm gonna hang back and let 'one or two females' take care of I mean, 'protect' me...