Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

[chuck-p]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

HD makes a dang fine bike, did you know that 80% of all the HDs made are still on the road. the other 20% made it home.

 

[beezee28]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

DLM, Offended! non-taken, was expressing my $0.02 worth, that's all. <br /><br />I would say that all bikers are in a way helping the economy, directly or indirectly, by using less gas as these machines are know to have high gas milage and be less dependent on foreign oil. <br /><br />IMO, there are only 3 catogories of bike users: Safe Biker, Unsafe Biker, and IDIOTS Bikers. Safe biker are those whose are defensively riding their bike and are aware of their safety and those of others. Unsafe biker are those who chose not to obey the law of the road... IDIOTS bikers are those who think they are invincible and have ego the size of Mount Everest but brains the size of a pea, showing how macho they are without the thought of their own safety and others who uses the same road as them...<br /><br />Again my $0.02 worth.

 

[demsvmejm]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

I guess from DoctorCad's post that HD finally came into the 20th century with their design. But is that sophisticated engine used in all HD models? Did you know that the original HD twin was developed by gluing a second cylinder onto a single cylinder block(yes I know it wasn't literally glued on). That is why they had split connecting rods and the distinctive exhaust note. Sure it took some engineering trickery to make it work, but not as much engineering sophistication as seperate crank journals and cam lobe timing.<br /><br />I am glad to hear that this AMERICAN icon has finally evolved. But no twin will ever rival a 4 or 6 cylinder for smoothness and sophistication. It is just inherently so, no matter how elaborate the set-up of balance shafts (does HD have those yet?) reciprocating component balance, or powertrain mounting. I would love to own an American made bike, but from what I have seen, I will keep my 24 year old Suzuki. And from what I have seen and experienced, I will keep my opinions about Hardley Ableson riders as a generality. Arrogant and ignorant rebels without a clue. Save for a few who ride HD's for the love of the bike, not the image and ego that so many others do.

 

[Winger Ed.]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

Originally posted by jtexas:<br /> let me guess, Winger, Eagle Mountain Lake?

No, the only times I ever went there was on the '74 Yamaha 650---- when it was fairly new, and I was stationed real close/sort of in, Grand Prarie back in them days.<br /><br />Over the years, my worst experiances always seem to happen either on the water, or on the beach of Lake Dallas.<br /><br />Nowdays, its called Lake Lewisville.<br /><br /><br />Back then, I often rode with several guys on different sizes and vintages of bikes on the weekends. We'd go anywhere from 10 miles, to a couple of hundred to a State park or area lake for the day. All them times, we never looked for trouble, and trouble never found us either. We'd just go to one park or another, hang out, watch the world go by for a few hours, put our left overs & wrappers in the trash can, then leave. <br /><br />As you'd expect, we'd bring everything we planned to eat or drink for the day with us. <br /><br />After about 3 go-arounds of riding with guys that had a Harley back then:<br /><br />I always saved a sandwich and a beer or 2 for when we all got ready to leave. <br /><br />That way, I didn't get hungry or thirsty waiting while they tried to get them monsters started when it was time to head home. <br /><br />Sure, it was funny to watch my buds get propelled up & over the handle bars a few times trying to kick-start one of them things running on 105 octane Premium, but that just didn't look like something I felt necessary for me to do.

 

[pjc]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

DLM, HD V-Rod is balanced. So are Big Twin Softail platform.<br /><br />Shallow as it may sound, females are more attracted to a offer for a ride on a Harley than on metric bikes. Something about "want a ride on My Super Glide" -vs- offering a ride on a Suzook Water Buffalo. <br /><br />Remember the Suz. water pumper from the 70's? Or the Suz. rotary motor. Pretty cutting edge considering cycle technology back then.

 

[magster65]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

Yeah, I've met lots of bikers (a 'different crowd' for a while) and wannabes in my 23 years of riding. I've never seen a bunch of 'bikers' (or 1 percenters) run away like that. If they were a 'gang' they'd have confronted you for sure. <br />As a motorcycle enthusiast though, I'll take the Harley any day. I don't race around or travel a ton of miles so for my style of 'cruising' a Harley is the right bike for me. How many japanese bikes can you buy, put a pile of miles on and then sell it for what you paid or even make a few bucks on? Investment-wise, besides some older classics, they're unbeatable. <br />I guess what I'm saying is that as an investment, the bikes 'personality', styling, flair, and as a package... other bikes just don't measure up (for me). One of my best buds is a Harley mechanic, he rides a new V-rod with a bunch of go-fast goodies (including nitrous). There's no lack of technology or performance there.<br />This is IMHO folks, I don't want to argue about which bike is best... that's why there's so many to choose from. <br />Happy trails

 

[ErikDC]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

I think Winger's handling of the situation was genius! If a bunch of of drunk bikers are yelling insults in a family environment, the a-holes deserved to be intimidated themselves. That being said, I personally have never had a negative encounter with a HD rider, in fact, back in '87 my family and I were heading to Yellowstone and stopped for a weekend in Keystone, the small town at the base of Mt. Rushmore. This was about a week before the Rally 'n Races in Sturgis and it was horizon to horizon with bikers. We had stopped at a gas station and my sister, (8 at the time was washing the windows with a squeegee with a toothpick hanging out of her mouth. When she was done, a massive biker walked over and asked her if he could use the squeegee. My mom snapped a pic of my little red-headed sister handing the squeegee to the mountain of a biker, who also had a toothpick hanging out of his mouth! Priceless!!! I wish I could find the pic. <br /><br />Edit: Just remembered it was '89 not '87.

 

[saxis]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

I used to work for my parents on the beach in the summer in our tourist town, where our population went from about 2,000 people to close to 30,000 on summer weekends. We have a Sun & Surf Harley convention with 200-500 bikes in town every year. It was probably our 2nd or 3rd busiest weekend of the year. By FAR, the biggest bunch of a-holes we had to deal with... EVERY year. Even our busiest weekends we'd have maybe a half dozen pretty intolerable customers... on Harley weekend, it was about 50% of anyone wearing leather.

 

[gonfishn]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

Easy riders sponsor the Rodeo here in Chillicothe Every year..Over 30,000 bikers showup for this event.. We have never had any major problems..<br /><br />The image of what a biker is has changed over the years.. many years ago we got called out to respond to a lady giving birth at a rest stop..When we got there three rough lookn bikers who had called us had stayed with her until we arrived..They were sure glad we came when we did cause a baby girl entered the world about five minutes later..<br /><br />Later we found out they went to the hospital with some gifts and proclaimed they were her new uncles..

 

[pjc]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

to saxis...sell your mom and daddy's business and go work for folks that will ensure that you only deal with customers you favor. If ya do not like to sell your wares to the motor cycle enthusiasts, market elsewhere. nuf said.<br /><br />sorry for the rather direct response, but beating up a customers behaviors, however you choose to assess it, is wrong. Should you market to blue nosed bird watchers, thats the customary behaviors ya should expect. Should a group of "bikers", or a more responsible lable..."motorcycly tourists" chooses to spend their monies at your business, either provide them with your services, or directly ask them to move on. You as a business owner have the right as well as responsibility to clearly communicate what your businesses acceptable customer behaviors are. nuff said again

 

[danie]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

Touche!<br />I should think that a customer also has a responsibility not to make a pig of himself just because he might have some money in his pocket.

 

[snal]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

Wow! Seems that no matter what forums I read...there's eventually gonna be a HD thread.<br />I've been riding for 27 years...jap bikes and Harleys...(currently only harleys). I get a different "look"...or attitude from folks when I'm on the HDs, sometimes good, sometimes not.<br />I can tell you that I have met, and come to know, some of the best folks that I've ever met, within the HD crowd. Most would go far out of their way to help anyone in need, be it fellow biker, stranded cager, anyone! We gather regularly at a motel near where several of us race our crude, non-tech Harleys...and the local law enforcers have paid us a visit many times...and we've found that although they probably either got a call about a bunch of "bikers", or our gathering "looked" like it needed to be addressed...we get respect since we respect them.<br />I currently own 2 Harleys, and have owned 2 others, and I've never had a lick of trouble out of any of them. I don't believe they are any more overpriced than comparable metric bikes...my new Electraglide was actually less than a new Goldwing (apples to apples)...but!...my now used Electraglide is worth much more than the same vintage Goldwing.<br /><br />Riding a Harley, or even the type of attire that I choose to wear while riding, will have some folks forming an undesirable opinion of me, that's their problem. <br />As for dangerous riders...my opinion puts the crotch rocket fools (not to include ALL sportbike riders) on the top of that list!<br /><br />One statement puzzled me, someone remarked about no headlight AND extra lights being dangerous? I agree on the "no headlight"...but I run my auxillary driving lights ALL THE TIME! It's a "be seen" thing!

 

[Twidget]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

If the auxilary lights are adjusted properly, its a 'be seen thing', if they are adjusted high, its a 'cant see a damn thing'. <br /><br />I am not a biker and never have been. Personally, I think you guys are nuts getting out in the traffic like they have around here. I get nervous in a car sometimes.

 

[snal]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

Motorcycles aren't for everyone Twidget...kinda like boats too I guess. I do Land Speed Racing on one of my bikes, and several others...I had one of the car guys tell me I was nutz...after doing a run that was in excess of 174mph....I feel much safer doing that speed on the track than I do going 45 on public roads. There's a freedom found while riding, that makes it worth the risk for some. <br /><br />www.snartracing.com

 

[DJ]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

I used to ride in my younger days-a Honda CB 750.<br /><br />I got tired of close calls. I never wrecked, thank God, but got tired of having to ride as if I was invisible. I'm sure it's even worse today.<br /><br />I have nothing against HD's. It's people that make the difference, not the machine. I just don't like the whole "bad boy" image that some people think they need to adopt when they get on one.<br /><br />I'm glad HD is making a go of it.<br /><br />The only complaint is that so many of them are so danged loud. Anybody ever heard of a muffler?

 

[CATransplant]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

"The only complaint is that so many of them are so danged loud. Anybody ever heard of a muffler?<br />"<br /><br />Hah! They all come from the factory with mufflers, even Harleys. Guess what's the first thing folks do? Put louder pipes on. I guess annoying people is their goal. If so, it works.<br /><br />I'm an old bike rider from way back. My first was in 1963, and it was a Harley. I've owned a couple dozen others. All had, and kept, the factory muffling. I didn't ride to impress anyone...just rode because I liked to ride.<br /><br />Loud pipes, IMO, are like anything else that is done to attract attention. They just draw attention away from the shortcomings of the person on the bike.<br /><br />Phooey!

 

[ratracer]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

Originally posted by pjc:<br />Shallow as it may sound, females are more attracted to a offer for a ride on a Harley than on metric bikes. Something about "want a ride on My Super Glide" -vs- offering a ride on a Suzook Water Buffalo. <br />

Hey, I never had problems getting young women to go for a ride on my old Water Buffalo (a 750 2-stroke Triple, for you neophytes)!

 

[snal]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

Whoa ratracer!...isn't that what they call the "widowmaker"?...wicked fast! I'd love to see one of those at the track. We're racing a Cagiva Mito 125, and a Suzuki RGV 250...both 2 strokes.<br />Got a fluke (tailwind) run of 124mph out of the Mito...and the RGV just topped 136....not bad for the cc's.

 

[saxis]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

Originally posted by pjc:<br /> to saxis...sell your mom and daddy's business and go work for folks that will ensure that you only deal with customers you favor. If ya do not like to sell your wares to the motor cycle enthusiasts, market elsewhere. nuf said.<br /><br />sorry for the rather direct response, but beating up a customers behaviors, however you choose to assess it, is wrong. Should you market to blue nosed bird watchers, thats the customary behaviors ya should expect. Should a group of "bikers", or a more responsible lable..."motorcycly tourists" chooses to spend their monies at your business, either provide them with your services, or directly ask them to move on. You as a business owner have the right as well as responsibility to clearly communicate what your businesses acceptable customer behaviors are. nuff said again

No where in my post did I say I didn't like taking their money as customers. Many of these customers are actually the nicest people we cater to also, but our services didn't include accepting free sexual harrassment and verbal abuse with every purchase. That kind of behavior is strictly worth "beating them up" over. The verbal abuse we dealt with, but the sexual harrassment incidents involving our 15-17 year old employees and 50 year old drunk "motorcycle tourists" were not tolerated. We've had as many as 30-40 incidents in a single weekend. Many were lucky they only got escorted out of town by police rather than charged with the harrassment suit. By making this post I was not simply "judging" them on their "biker" looks. There was plenty of reason behind my judgement.

 

[Nos4r2]

Re: Ever have a biker gang harass you on the ramp?

Incidentally, on a bright sunny day if you run with the sun behind you and your lights on it can actually make you harder to be seen.Your lights make you blend in. At all other times,yeah-fair comment if thats what you want to do.<br /><br />I run with very little silencing at all on my bike-it's surprising how much more car drivers notice you. If they aren't looking (and lets face it most aren't) then at least they hear me and know to look. I go down to the yearly MOT test with a dirty great muffler on there and I notice quite markedly how many more people cut me up.Loud pipes DO save lives.