Met a Harley guy today

[Lannis]

I have owned H-D, Indian, Ducati, Triumph, Suzuki, Binelli, BMW, Honda, BSA, Yamaha & Moto Guzzi motorcycles.  I do not believe that my character or actions have varied depending on my current ride.

Same for me, and I dare say for very many of the people on the WG list.

There are "goodies" & "baddies" on any given make.  Stick with the winners!

True too.    But there are not the same proportions of "goodies" & "baddies" on all makes, as we've all noticed.    There's a marketing culture around HD that seems to draw folks with an attitude far different from most of us here.

Lannis

[twowheeladdict]

Same for me, and I dare say for very many of the people on the WG list.

True too.    But there are not the same proportions of "goodies" & "baddies" on all makes, as we've all noticed.    There's a marketing culture around HD that seems to draw folks with an attitude far different from most of us here.

Lannis

I guess it is also what you consider "goodies" and "baddies".  I have seen many 'bikers' participate in many charities and positive things for the community, so I put bikers in the "goodies" category.

The majority of crotch rocket riders I have come across use public roads as their own private race course and have little regard for the safety of others on the road, so I put them in the "baddies" category. 

I am a moderate and considerate rider for the most part.  I guess it really comes down to maturity regardless of what you ride.  Some folks never mature even though they grow older.

[Arizona Wayne]

It seems to me some riders here think if you ride like they do then you are a 'goodie' but if you don't ride like they do that makes you a 'baddie'.  Since I ride according to what kinds of roads I'm on I can either be a goodie or baddie to some other riders.

I've seen HD riders who like me don't ride just 1 way all the time and only when they go too slow for my liking and don't want to allow me to go faster than they have decided to ride, hogging the curvy 2 lane road doing it, they get upset when I get in between them while passing them.  They act as if THEY own the public road, which they don't any more than I do.  At the same time I've had HD riders blast past me in the same situations and I don't mind at all.  If you want to go faster than me, have at it.

Some riders think I ride too aggressively.  I think they ride too defensively.  I don't like to ride in groups.  Some riders prefer that.  Different strokes for different folks.   

[Tom]

 :1:  I pass traffic that's slower than me.  Sometimes traffic is faster than me and they pass me.  On a 2 lane road usually not. 

[timmythecop]

Like they say at Deals Gap, the tail of the dragon: behind you they are a danger, in front of you, they are entertainment.

[twowheeladdict]

Like they say at Deals Gap, the tail of the dragon: behind you they are a danger, in front of you, they are entertainment.

Hopefully I was neither for these sport bike riders.








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[timmythecop]

I too will never affect anyone else's ride, but I didn't put on my monkey leathers to ride 22 mph behind a rolling road block.

[john fish]

Was recently on a ride with friends when one of them had his BMW break down.  I was on my yellow MZ.  We were by the side of the road, highly visible, for about 8 hours.  We had riders of all brands ride by without stopping.  Only one rider slowed down and asked how we were-- on a bagger Harley.

Folks in cars and trucks were much more helpful.  I always stop if I see a bike stopped on the side of the road that looks in trouble, but I do know that "The Brotherhood of Bikers" is not so much dead, it really never existed.

[Lannis]

Was recently on a ride with friends when one of them had his BMW break down.  I was on my yellow MZ.  We were by the side of the road, highly visible, for about 8 hours.  We had riders of all brands ride by without stopping.  Only one rider slowed down and asked how we were-- on a bagger Harley.

Folks in cars and trucks were much more helpful.  I always stop if I see a bike stopped on the side of the road that looks in trouble, but I do know that "The Brotherhood of Bikers" is not so much dead, it really never existed.

That might be true, I suppose.   

But we can't fix "the world as it is" and make it "the world it should be".   We CAN, however, do our part for the things we can actually do and affect.

Whether I'm in a car or a bike, I never just ride past someone who looks like they might be broken down on a bike.    So far, as I slow down and give the "do you need help?" look, they are generally on the phone and wave me on past with a thumbs up; either they just stopped to make a call, or a tow truck is on the way.   

Last one I was actually able to help was an older (older than me, so that's "older") guy on a 90's Sportster, poking at his clutch lever and cable at the back of a gas station lot.   I went over and asked if he needed help, he said that his clutch wasn't working, I checked and it was obviously something broke under the primary cover.    I went home and got the trailer and came back and hauled him to his house.

When my Eldo broke down (bad condenser) on the way to the Virginia Guzzi rally, it wasn't 30 seconds before a guy on a Harley stopped and asked if he could help.    He could and did ....

So if we just do our part, maybe we don't need to worry too much about "the culture as a whole" .... ?

Lannis

[cookiemech]

Was recently on a ride with friends when one of them had his BMW break down.  I was on my yellow MZ.  We were by the side of the road, highly visible, for about 8 hours.  We had riders of all brands ride by without stopping.  Only one rider slowed down and asked how we were-- on a bagger Harley.

Folks in cars and trucks were much more helpful.  I always stop if I see a bike stopped on the side of the road that looks in trouble, but I do know that "The Brotherhood of Bikers" is not so much dead, it really never existed.

Eight hours, John??? No wonder you don't like BMWs . . . 

Bet it wasn't a K75!

[Tom]

Had to move some stuff around Saturday.  I had the bike trailer and straps with me.  No breakdowns.   

[john fish]

Eight hours, John??? No wonder you don't like BMWs . . . 

Bet it wasn't a K75!

:)  R1100S.  Down in WV.  The poor tow guy was hauling a bike to Pittsburgh and had to come back and get the Beemer and haul it to Pittsburgh, too.  I would've just gone home to get my trailer but AAA kept saying-  "he'll be there in an hour".  Driveline issue on the beemer.  Unreliable buggers.:)

[Tom]

How far down in WV? 

[john fish]

How far down in WV?

About here, about halfway between Davis and Parsons.

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1286979,-79.6048521,11z

Not too far.  One of my usual routes.

[Tom]

Nice part of the country to ride.   

[john fish]

Great roads and some lovely scenery.

[Tom]