Why do people buy/own Harleys?

[OB_FalconCOP161]

Had a 99 Road king Twin cam,,nice smooth ride with the rubber mounted Engine. but just looking at the fact that "ALL I WAS PAYING FOR WAS THE LABLE ON THE TANK" "H-D".

I sold it with only 3600 miles on it,,over the Internet,,and the only thing good was it's resale value,,paid $16,500,,sold it for $17,800

I won't pay for just a name again,,great 2nd bike,,but thats it.

161 ®

[OB_maui]

Most the guys (and gals) that I know who are in to Harleys, love them. They love to work on them, take them apart, polish every thing possible put it together, and take it apart again. These would be the "pan and shovel head" guys. Evolution bikes don't need nearly as much attention to keep going. These guys are a lot harder to categorize. I've seen Cisco's bikes, he's just a die hard biker who love bikes in general (and can work on em too). I've seen Doctors and Lawyers bikes too, these are wannabes. But there are more people out there who think them selves as "Harley guys". To me, if they're happy with what they have, more power to them. I owned a soft tail springer for a while. It was a fun bike. It was very easy to look at. And (as per Duc's testimony) VERY popular with the ladies (which is probably why I got one).

* note: AMF did not count as "harley"

[This message has been edited by maui (edited 13 November 1999).]

[OB_jim p]

You know what they say," If it don't go fast chrome it".

[viol8r]

Hey guys I was just a local motorcycle shop on a main highway and there was 4 bmw's there. Since my busa's down(waiting for pilots)I'm riding a 1980 1000cc sportster that looks like a flat tracker knobbies,black,skull and cross bones on the gas tank and home made seat. These riders loved this thing and took pics and would'nt quit. I made my rounds to the amb shed, garage and the bar. On the way home, about 3 miles of gravel twisties, I think averaged 60 mph. I love my busa but I had a hell of a good time on that harley, as usual

[OB_Konrad]

Maui,
wannabe what??? All the docs that ride around here[about 10 myself included] are not wannabes,whatever the hell that means: wannabe employed,
wannabe respected,wannabe a Hells Angel?
Just what are you saying, professionals
dont know how to ride? dont appreciate
fine machines ? What,because you work hard
and have enough scratch to buy a new bike ?
Some have Harleys,some BMWs,one Busa etc.
I know business guys worth millions who
ride Harleys,have a great time riding,and really like their bikes. Beware of the
ole cliche...and have fun in paradise grrrr


[This message has been edited by Konrad (edited 13 November 1999).]

[This message has been edited by Konrad (edited 13 November 1999).]

[OB_Bob]

Some of my friends have Harleys and I just don't get it. Even the 2000 models only put Harley into the 80's in technology.

November's Fast Bikes Mag. (UK Publication) has the same opinion as me--"Its **** " They tested a FLHTCUI Ultra Classic Electra Glide ETC.

Its not performance driven buyers for sure.

I think its for those who like to see themselves in the chrome. Which means status like all the yups that buy them now.

Could be for hard a-s-s-e-s, which is again some kinda of status symbol thing.

"These HD guys sure do like their chrome. I thought as I looked at the bike from behind my Oakleys, behind the black visor of my helmet. Its shiny to be sure, as polished as the company's long practiced marketing patter which sells their expensive and at best mediocre performers to gullable individuals ready to lap up all the propaganda and buy into the carefully orchestrated b-u-l-l-s-h-i-t"
What am i missing with these things? You can buy a BUSA and a ZX12 for the price of one Hog.
Bob

[OB_ducmanic]

Chicks like em -
LA

[OB_Bob]

duc--one of the few answers that work.

[sherm]

I agree Konrad. I had a 1980 Lowrider for about seven years and at no time did I wannabe:

-tattoed
-the loudest noisemaker in my neighborhood
-a convicted felon
-a beany wearer
-a barrooom brawler
-a practicing criminal
-a grease covered do-it-yourselfer (although some of this was inevitable considering that something was going to go wrong every couple of hunderd miles whether you were near a Harley shop or not.)

The bike was enjoyable to ride. At that time the speed limit was 55 on all highways, and that happened to be the sweet spot for my bike with its rigid mounted motor. Cruising at 65 would have been out of the question.

[OB_Dirty Pete]

The biker attitude and cameraderie is fun, as long as you're not a wannabe. It must be hell to look yourself in the mirror when you have to fake that stuff, but hundreds of thousands do.

A radical raked chopper with ape hangers is absolutely a gas to ride, especially if it's got some grunt.

Women will gladly ride on a dresser with you. Any woman. Major babe magnet like Duc says.

Good for guys who want to ride but are nervous of bikes that move. I think that's a legitimate thing. The guys who choose Harlies for this reason rarely admit it though.

Good for conformists. They can get a sense of belonging and being a rebel at the same time.

Mainly I'm with Bob though. I just can't see it.

In the river of life there are crocodiles and there are hippos. They swim in the same water but that's where the similarity ends.

[OB_Hapo]

...different mind set...I once was tryin to gett a Hardly(a motorcyle) dealer to explain why a Big Twin would out handle a Sportser on a curvy road, being over 100 lb lighter and all, and he kept telling me stuff like I could go 55mph around any corner on the state hyways, and that was the speed limit any way....we do have some freinds with "hopped up" Hardlys and they ride hard but the bikes are just pathetic....they don't even make excuses, the attitude is, well what did you expect? or Whats Your Hurry? If you have to explain, your better off not...

[Guest]

In 1967 I was 10 years old and my pop had this buddy named George Marquis....George was a BIG guy and he had this BIG FAT Harley. No front fender, big a** tires and louder than most things I can remember back then. One of the biggest thrills I got was to take a ride on that big a** sled!! I remember tooling down the road behind this huge man on this huge bike...no helmet and with the biggest s**t eatin' grin on my face...I can still feel the wind, the sun, the smells and hear the rumble. I always said I'd own one of those big fat bikes...and I did...and I'll get another one. Don't get me wrong...I love my Busa too, but they're two different rides and they give two different feels...kinda like Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde if ya know what I mean. The he** with images and personalities.

[OB_Konrad]

Who cares,
They like their bikes, we like ours...
The idea is to have fun, not continual
one-upmanship.

[OB_Cisco San Jose]

Why I own a Harley or Harleys.I bought my first harley in 1991 a 1992 Fatboy,man that bike would turn heads and at that time I had a 89 Gsxr 1100 and a 1988 Honda 600 shadow.The Harley was slow stock compaired to the Gsxr but I enjoyed riding the bike it cost me $13,900 out the door with chrome swing arm,chromed front end,running lights front,different cam than stock,ignition change,supertrapp pipe,reworked carbs and the thing ran better but lost gas miles went from 45mpg down to 30mpg.Girl catcher yes,I would take my bike down to Fisherman's Warf in San Francisco and alot of tourist would come up and take pictures of my bike and ask me all type of questions about my bike,that never happened to me with my other bikes except the Hayabusa.Everyone talks about the Hayabusa,but going back to the Harley thing it is fun to own and great to go to some of the Rally's that the Hog groups throw.I get to meet alot of VetNam vets and some jerks at times but that goes on any type of function biker or college.Anyways resale on a Harley is great and alot of Harley clubs are also fighting some of these stupid laws that people try to push on bikers like not wearing motorcycle type gears in nightclubs, eateray type places, riding motorcycles in gated communities and so on.They also work with local politicians and try to vote in people that are biker/motorcycle friendly.It boils down to what you want to ride and what is the purpose of the ride,you would not take a Fatboy to ride the twisties or Hi-speed run.Bottom line treat each other on the road with respect and last of all have fun.

[Guest]

I think you've got it nailed pretty well Bob. Performance is secondary (last?) with those bikes and the buyers neither expect nor demand more. They're willing to settle for much less and pay much more.

[OB_KawAbuser]

So they can be *Eric Von Ziffle* and be a real leader of the pack.

It also gives dentists a tough guy for the weekend strut.

Because they got killed on the trade in of there Jap cruiser bike for that Fat Boy.

To pick up slut biker wenches.

Why do people buy a Busa's - simple motorcycles are a lot of fun!

[OB_Kamikaze]

A Harley is a American tradition,the look and sound has not changed much over the years,compare the resale value with any Japanese bike,I ride a Busa,but I would love to have a new H-D Fatboy sitting in the garage next to it,lets not question other bikers,please.

[OB_maui]

OK, OK,

I generalized. Big mistake! Yes, the cliché is a poor one. BUT, I still say there are a whole bunch of guys (some of whom are doctors and lawyers, some grease covered do-it-yourselfers) who dress up like fools (now I've insulted fools) every weekend to pretend they're bad a ss muthu's. The fact that you're a doctor OR a lawyer doesn't mean you can't ride, nor does it mean you're not a bad a ss muthu. In my own misguided way I was trying to stick up for people who liked a different kind of biking. I said this very poorly, granted, but I still see things this way. If I ruffled your feathers, I'm very sorry.

As far as the following groups of people,
-tattooed
-the loudest noisemaker in my neighborhood
-a convicted felon
-a beany wearer
-a bar room brawler
-a practicing criminal
-a grease covered do-it-yourselfer

Those, are a lot of my friends, in many cases, me (all but two or three, you pick). But I'm not insulted by it. As far as the wannabes part, it's the wannabe Hells Angels I suppose that I don't like. I had one of these guys give me a hard time cause he thought he was a bad *** and I've hated them (cliché?) ever since. I don't go around trying to be a tough guy. And I resent people who do. They ARE wannabes.

Konrad- I don't dispute any thing you said. I'm sorry if I came off trying to dish you or any other profession for enjoying biking. It was not my intent. When I, or my wife, or my children need a doctor, I'm very thankful of your profession. Lawyers,……..ok, I'm gonna have to think about that one for a while.

Drop the grrrrr, come to Maui, I'll buy you enough Mai tais to make you silly.

Sherm,………..You don't like do it your selfers?

I could go back and edit the hell out of my offending post if it would make you feel better. The fact is I'm probably insulting someone with my reply, so I'll just leave it all there. Treat every one the same.

[OB_maui]

Damn Konrad, now my wife is even mad at me for that post. How do I throw this thing in reverse?

[Guest]

Hey Cisco,
Like I have posted in previous threads I too have a '92 Fat Boy, mine is black, do you still have yours? The Fat Boy is the Ultimate Chick Magnet,( The Busa is too).