My brother has a new toy

[SC-Sp00k]

Originally posted by lazs2
ahh... kawa davidsons and honda davidsons...   "well, no... it's not really a Harley but it is really better because... where are you going darling... ?"

Heh. Those days are over my friend. The Fonz is no longer ! "Ehhhhh!" is as fashionable as "Cool" and the thumbs up is now the thumbs down.

The Jap bikes out compete the tired and weary HD's at a 3rd of the price and a 10th of the maintenance. Trouble free performance which HD simply cannot match.

Sure you can keep your HD in the garage under a blanky to ride on a Sunday with your shiney black faceless helmet (devoid of splattered bugs) and your tough looking leather jacket with knee length western tassles and a silly cartoon biker club motiff on your back, and in 10 years your bike will still retain its most of its value to be sold only to another HD sucker who will have to buy his own Authentic HD socket set.

In the meantime, ill be clocking up 1000's of trouble free kilometres with the wind in my face and the bug hits to prove it.

As I passby the non smiling, non waving HD bikers caught at the side of the road with a spanner in one hand and an Expensive $40 authentic HD nut in the other, I shall always remember to wave and smile.

Cause thats what pi$$3s them off the most

[Doberman]

Yeah, I get a hell of a laugh outta all of these middle aged doctors  & lawyers & indian chiefs who think that plopping down 20 large at their local HD warehouse makes 'em "rebel outlaw bikers."

I find it really amusing how they "express their individuality" by dressing exactly alike in their still shiny unbroken-in leather chaps & tassled leather vests that only get worn to the Harley gathering on Sunday morning.  The HD eagle emblazoned bandanna convering their balding heads is a nice added touch.


The only reason an old HD is worth anything is because nostaliga is the currency of middle aged baby boomer America.   It's certainly not coveted for its mechanical value.  How better to impress the dozen other guys at the watering hole who have the exact same bike as you than by telling 'em the obscene amounts of $$$ you just spent on an old rattle trap panhead?  Of course, you'd never be caught dead actually riding something that old with that many problems.  Egads, you might get oil on your HD brand riding boots with the bright chrome buckles.  

The term "one percenter" has lost a bit of its meaning these days, but  I think the basis behind it still stands true.  The true hard-core American "biker" rides a Harley Davidson.  Most everyone else who does is doing so soley to ride upon their coat-tails.  

D

[LtHans]

There are several reasons why its a Kawa and not a Harley.

1.  The old vets at the company I work for, real old crusty biker guys with tatoos and ponytails who've been riding all their lives told me not to get a HD.  They shook their heads at me when, as if I had bought into the hype that Harley is king.

They told me not to and gave me a list bikes to look for.  Also, they said they're more reliable.

2.  The local Harley dealer is a love muffin.  He is more interested in money than you.  One of those old crusty bikers was in the store, and our company's chief executive walked in.  The staff all started polishing his bellybutton with thier lips, and left the biker guy standing alone.  You know what?  The biker was going to buy a bike there, but our boss only popped in to get some free popcorn they had and didn't want a bike.  

3.  I'm not made of money.  The Harley's cost x3 the ammount of the same style rice grinder.  Give me your money, or STFU.

4.  I don't like bullet bikes.  Their for racing, not riding.  I want to toodle around the backroads, not race down the concrete drainage ditch.  They're for kids.

[Duedel]

For the bullet bikers:

[LePaul]

Well, let me throw some fuel on the HD vs Jap bike thing.

A good friend of mine owns the local Harley shop.  He used to always dog me for not having "a real bike".  Like you guys have pointed out above, the reliability and ability to repair without selling a second vehicle is a biggie.

My favorite example is this:  One warm summer evening, some Harley pulls up next to me in his 2000 Harley, revving it up (and thus waking everyone up) and telling me I need a REAL bike like a hog.  I politely chuckle and as the light turns, listen to this mutant Briggs & Stratton pull away.  Clearing the smoke, I pull ahead and watch as the Hog man hits a hug pot hole, something falls from his bike and he coasts to the side of the road.  As I approach, I slow down to see what fell from his bike....his carburator (spelling).  I *gleefully* pick it up and bring it over to him.  Not a word spoken, just a big smile, hand him his carbs and away I go.

Now look, we can go into my bike is better than your bike all day.  I just find it amusing that the Harley crowd tries to rub their brand in our faces as "superior".  I've found the Japanese motorcycle guys much more modest.

Oh, and I did visit the Harley shop 2 weeks ago, since Jennifer wanted to see how much they cost.  When we got there, the entire shop had *3* motorcycles, the rest was Harley brand clothes, trinkets, etc.  Pity they dont sell bikes anymore?  

[Xjazz]

Originally posted by Duedel
For the bullet bikers:


ROFL!

[lazs2]

I haven't rode bikes in a dozen years or more.   When  I rode bikes we didn't wear helmets and accountants didn't by scoots with their platimum card and get dressed in Gucci leathers.   they had these big levers that stuck out the side and you kicked em down and back to start the bike (after retarding the spark to 5 degrees and "pushing through" wile placing your hand over the carb till it was wet with 100 octane leaded fuel) .   Women did not ride em.

You could find your bike at the parking lot of the bar even tho there were 30 others.   Nobody had more that a couple of grand in their bike and everyone built their own.   Every bike not only looked different but was different.    You drank as much as you liked and there were no thumb starters.   If you could start your bike you were probly sober enough to ride it.  I didn't see any bikes out there that looked like Spider Man was on a promo tour.

I put maybe 100,000-200,000 miles on very old bikes that I had built and figured if the bike didn't start 3rd kick then I better look to see what was wrong.   I never got stranded any worse that a flat tire except for one motor that ate a valve.   I have rode the things when they used more 60 weight oil than fuel and the pistons  would swap holes the bores were so worn out..  I have rode home with no clutch cable or no throttle cable or on one cylinder.

I still know a lot of the old guys (the ones still alive) and... I bet they did take one look at you and tell you to buy something other than a Harley.

Motorcyles are dangerous.   most of the spider man specials are simply no fun to ride unless you are being even more dangerous.   You will get hurt.   You will probly die on one if you ride long enough.   I don't want to die on a spider man special.  

I feel that there is a certain "feel" that even some of the new more women and wimp friendly harley's have that can't be had with any other bike.   Harley's are fun all the time.

For me... they are a lot less fun than they used to be but... spider man specials and spandex outfits just aren't me... the acceleration is not worth the embarassment.

yeah.... i'm a dinasour but .... man.... it was a blast back then!   People would actually come out of their houses to look when you went by on a Harley...  we were riding bikes that were worn out 10 years earlier (and fostering the unreliable image) and having a ball.  Every ride was an adventure.
lazs

[LePaul]

Lazs

Pretty well said

There is a show airing on Discovery Channel this month....I dont recall the name, but its about Monster bikes or the sort.  Basically, using modern technology, these guys are making incredible choppers and such.  On the show I saw Sunday, they were building a custom bike for Shaq.

You're completely right about the Harley's being invaded by yuppies.  It used to be that those guys all rode Gold Wings, which are largely Honda Accords minus 2 wheels....yet I see kits where they have 3 and look like silly "Big Wheels" from my youth (just need that noise maker thing in the back wheel rim spoke...)

My Uncle had a Triumph, don't recall the year, but I remember trying to start the thing when I was 10 and literally couldnt make the kick start budge jumping up and down on it.

My other Uncle is a die hard Harley rider.  He took my ZX-9R for a ride once and came back looking like he'd flown an F-16 for the first time.  He came back with a big smile and commented how fun it is, but definately a lot different kind of bike for his likes.   some like Chevy, some like Ford.

Anyways, try to catch that show on Discovery, you might get a kick out of the bikes those guys are custom building.  No, these aren't your typical bikers....heck, they are all driving Acuras and such.

[lazs2]

lepaul... I believe the guy you are talkintg about is jesse james.   he is pretty much a throwback to the old days but he is cashing in on the yuppie crap.   A lot of the oldtimers were "artists"  some of the best welders and fabricaters and painters to ever role down the pike lived, breathed and died on Harley's.   I think that jesse is laughing his bellybutton off and having a blast... good to see some young guys who can think and have talent and..... get paid for it for a change... Hope he is fleecing all those dipshits royally.  

The new generation was coming on strong when I got out... guys like Arlen Ness ("boy is your bike nessed up" )   candy painted modern art for candy tulips who like modern art...    You started to "meet the nicest people on a Harley"...  

That trend went into the dumper along with Harley...  They (HD) took a look and  decided to cash in on the nostalgia that existed only in the peoples minds who had never lived the life.

I was shocked to see Harley "create" bikes that were copies of mine and my freinds scoots.... sanitized, safer cookie cutter copies...   Right down to the friggin flames on the gas tanks!!!   You can not believe how startlling seeing a Black fat bob Harley with a home brew krylon  flame job was 25 years ago and how ho hum it is now...

Still... let's not forget the  darker side.   It was quite real.   It is also one of the reasons that Harley's are so popular today.    Everyone wants to be a bad bellybutton but really.... It was a pretty rough road and they are rightly avoiding the reality while maintaining (or tpretending to) the perception.

And that friends is the capsule version of the history of the Harley according to lazs.  
lazs

[LePaul]

 

[lazs2]

 geeze... that was kinda preachy and know it all ... even for me.  maybe all my ex wives were right after all.

naa... i'm right.
lazs

[Bonden]

This is my ride:D

assuming the image goes through

[easymo]

He he.  You could get whiplash being a biker in my generation.  I spent the first 20 years being thought of as a filthy, drug crazed, rapist (Thanks Hollywood. (finger)). I spent the next 20 being thought of as a overpaid yuppie who couldn't change a spark plug, much less rebuild an engine.  The whole time, all I was, was a guy who loved motorcycles.

[airspro]

I had a 77 FLH , sold it in 84 . Wouldn't own one now , for most of the above reasons .

I found me a 1972 CB 450 Honda three years ago at a swap meet for 300 bucks . I tuned it up , new front wheel bearing , tire etc and I got a nice rat bike for 400 bucks that costs just under 60 bucks to ins. for the year .  It's a top heavy pos but sounds nice and it's the year I grad. out of HS so brings back a lot of nice memories . Hell sometimes I just start it up and rev it some , it's enough , and go back inside for a nap

Funny as hell to see all the yuppies now on the road , they come through our town alot . I really don't get all the leather they were all the time , gd it must be hot as hell in that toejam .