Do you know the only difference between a Harley and a Hoover? Where the dirt bag rides.
Marc
I don’t know where you pulled this from.
Some saying I liked from awhile back went something like “Harley Davidson, most efficient way of turning a fossil fuel into nothing but noise.”
Actually, Marc, the punchline is “the position of the dirtbag”, but your joke is waaay funny nonetheless.
Bandaids, please…my sides are splitting.
Yes, I’m afraid so. The erosion of civil liberties in the past three years has stirred me to do my best to unseat Emperor Bush and his executioner, John Asshole. But liberals are not making it easy. This whole hate speech craziness has the same dark ethical heart as the Patriot Act.
My brother in practicality, please note that most if not all of the people who have used the phrase “hate speech” in this thread are using it sarcastically. “Possibly offensive” is how most people who take the discussion seriously are describing the speech in question. Just an attempt to not offend that most people outside of the extremes follow in their daily lives and nothing to worry about.
(checking the Harley website) Hmmmm, a base 883 Sportster for $6500? That’s not much more than a tricked Italjet scooter and a lot less embarassing to ride. I wonder if I could get better mufflers? OTOH, I don’t have to worry about waking my neighbor with his 427 Nova.
Well, at least Harleys don’t shatter the battery after 10k miles anymore.
Yeah, they’re an image bike, by and large these days… but, well, a Harley is… well, a Harley. Anyone got any reports on that new engine they put in? The one that’s not a V-Twin?
I’ve heard the same thing about BMWs, by the way, and I’ve heard interesting things about Hondas… the larger ones. They’re okay, but if something goes wrong, you’re looking at seven kinds of hell.
Oh well, I just heard it for the first time the other week and it provided me with some mild amusement.
Marc
dropzone, c’mere.
…
The Sportster is a girl’s bike.
Thought you should know.
Dammit, dammit, dammit.
No, they’re not true. (D’oh!) Fighting ignorance means fighting stereotypes, folks. Not all bikers are the greasy, unwashed, drunk fat types you keep seeing. And not all Harleys are “neighborhood-deafening” loud. Take my dad’s, for example.
I was raised in a biker family. My father owned a late 80’s Kawasaki and currently owns a '95 Harley Sportster, which is a lot quieter than, say, a Fat Boy, which is the loudest type on the Harley market last I checked. My godmother (who’s beautiful, fun, and looks as far from the biker sterotype as you can get) owns a custom-built Softail. My stepfather is currently saving up for a Road King.
Granted, Japanese and European bikes are nice. They’re fast, cheap, and quiet. However, for whatever reason, some people prefer Harleys. Maybe it’s their shape (bigger, and less like a robotic wasp), maybe it’s a sense of patriotism for an American product (mostly- lots of Harley parts are actually manufactured in Japan). Hell, maybe people just like 'em because they make noise. It is possible.
I know some of you will still smack down on bikers. Hey, your opinion, you’re entitled to it. But don’t automatically adhere to the stereotypes. The vibe I’m getting from some of you is that Harley bikers couldn’t possibly be intellectuals or thinkers or non-drinkers, and that’s simply not the case. Hells’ Angels is just the tip of the iceberg.
Please correct me if I got any of my info wrong. I’m still rather angry and don’t really feel like checking for accuracy.
LadySybil
Straight-A Student, Sober Teen, Aspiring Teacher, and Biker.
(I know, some noise can’t be helped, I’m ranting about what I would call voluntary noise. Construction will make noise. It’s not voluntary. Harleys don’t HAVE to make noise.)
If there are quiet Harleys out there, I have not encountered them. The Harley fans I know, and I know quite a few, all enjoy what the call the “rumble” of the engine.
I find it categorically annoying, as I do the over-pumped stereos (esp. the bass) of some car drivers. To bring this noise near me is an invasion of my privacy. It is also a health hazard, as noise pollution does more than just damage hearing.
If you want to be loud, ear-threateningly loud, I think you have some obligation to:
- Do it somewhere where you can’t bother those who don’t want your noise. This goes for your music, your engines, your untrained dogs, etc.
- Avoid going deaf.
So, if you ride your Harley up and down the same street, over and over again, I don’t care what else you do/are in your life. At that point in time, you are an asshole.
Cheers!
I agree, Bucky. I have, unfortunately, met bikers who set off car alarms just by roaring their engine…and are PROUD of this fact.
During a biker rally in the early afternoon when everybody’s having fun, this can seem kinda funny. Leaving the bar my mom worked at around 1:30 AM purposely roaring the engine past sleeping people’s houses isn’t funny in the least.
Hmm…
Insight!
Does anyone know if the Harley Corp. is planning or is currently selling devices to quiet the engine’s sound output? That might make bikers a little better-liked.
This is true.
In fact, given what a new Harley costs, i tend to assume that someone riding a new one is most likely some overpaid accountant or CFO trying to portray an image of working-class masculinity on his way to Starbucks.
Not sure if that’s better or worse than the “greasy, unwashed, drunk, fat” stereotype.
Well, I’m not sure what category I fit in
Employed? Check.
Washed? Check.
Greasy? Uncheck.
Fat? Uncheck.
Love to ride, and will stop to help any biker broken down on the side of the road, regardless of make, and also will wave to any biker, again, regardless of Harley or Rice? = Check.
Y’all be safe, and have fun out there. And try to keep an open mind.
Thanks.
I know that. I also know I am secure enough in my masculinity to be able to pull it off.
I’m also a beginner who can’t afford better. Hell, I don’t even know if my carpal tunnels would allow me to ride long enough to make it to work. But a GOOD thing about Harleys is that they seem to retain a lot of their value so I could learn the bad news and not lose much when I sold it.
People from Afghanistan are Afghans; the Afghani is thir unit of currency. (Thanks, AP stylebook!)
Nonsense. I have worked on and ridden every nationality of bike. Modern Harleys are among the most reliable machines built.
Most harleys are fuel injected and have electronic ignition. My 30 year old carb equipped harley has never left me on the side of the road. My previous harley was 50 years old…It did get a flat once, but other than that…
Be honest with yourself and realize that you dont know what the fuck your talking about.
What a silly comment. The gas tank on most harleys is larger than most aftermarket tanks…not smaller. My stock tank hold five gallons.
Most of them now have dual front disks and more than adequate braking.
not really…no…Its not gonna compete with a ducati speed wise, but its not meant to either. Much more comfortable to ride than a ducati though.
NO, again, they come with a really large gas tank. And perform quite well for their inteded purpose.
More nonsense
The ground clearance problems were pretty well gone when the rubber mount frames came out in the early eighties. Mines old enough to drag, but its a 1974 model.
This kind of drivel was silly when you posted it years ago. Ignorance and bigotry are such an ugly thing…Even when its relates to bikes.
Lest anyone think otherwise, I have nothing against any make of bike, and don’t think that harley riders are the only “Real Bikers”
I learned to ride on brit and euro bikes. I have worked as a mechanic on Brit Euro and Japanese bikes. They have their good points and bad points, and all have their bad time periods and good time periods.
Be nice to motorcyclists–you may be getting their organs someday.
