Never heard it put quite like this..
#21
12-09-2009 | 05:55 AM
Tourer
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 455
Likes: 0
From: front door of Glacier NP
'Harley riders in general are also older, more experienced, and don't try to break the sound barrier every time they leave a traffic light".
Sez who? There has been plenty of information put out that suggests that many Harley riders are in fact older but are not experienced riders. When Harleys became the "toy du juor", how many folks were out buying? Harley-Davidson's common stock said that there were a lot of bikes being sold. Who was buying them? Young kids with minimum wage jobs? Not likely. Last time I went to Sturgis, there sure were a lot of Class A motorhomes towing large trailers with their bikes. I dare say that there a lot of Harley riders who have no more riding experience than some young kid on a rice rocket. Where I live, plenty of people have bikes because they can afford them. The insurance industry points out that a lot of bikers (Harley and all the rest) are middle aged folks doing something they did not do when they were kids. They do it later in life because they can and it is "cool"...and they can afford to. They watched Wild Hogs one too many time and "Sons of Anarchy" are giving them hard ons. The dealer that I bought my first scoot (not my first bike) told me that on occasions, he had misgivings about selling bikes to some folks he felt should not have been riding. As he said, it is a "free country"....if you want to kill yourself.....and he still had to put bread on the table. Bottom line...plenty of folks out there riding Harley's that have no vast amounts of riding experience and if you think otherwise, you are fooling yourself. Witness the stat that indicates Harley riders do a little more imbibing whilst out and about. Does that indicate experience? I have been riding on and off for the past 35 years. I am on my second Harley. I took the MSF course years ago. I am thinking it is time for a refresher course. Be safe out there.
Sez who? There has been plenty of information put out that suggests that many Harley riders are in fact older but are not experienced riders. When Harleys became the "toy du juor", how many folks were out buying? Harley-Davidson's common stock said that there were a lot of bikes being sold. Who was buying them? Young kids with minimum wage jobs? Not likely. Last time I went to Sturgis, there sure were a lot of Class A motorhomes towing large trailers with their bikes. I dare say that there a lot of Harley riders who have no more riding experience than some young kid on a rice rocket. Where I live, plenty of people have bikes because they can afford them. The insurance industry points out that a lot of bikers (Harley and all the rest) are middle aged folks doing something they did not do when they were kids. They do it later in life because they can and it is "cool"...and they can afford to. They watched Wild Hogs one too many time and "Sons of Anarchy" are giving them hard ons. The dealer that I bought my first scoot (not my first bike) told me that on occasions, he had misgivings about selling bikes to some folks he felt should not have been riding. As he said, it is a "free country"....if you want to kill yourself.....and he still had to put bread on the table. Bottom line...plenty of folks out there riding Harley's that have no vast amounts of riding experience and if you think otherwise, you are fooling yourself. Witness the stat that indicates Harley riders do a little more imbibing whilst out and about. Does that indicate experience? I have been riding on and off for the past 35 years. I am on my second Harley. I took the MSF course years ago. I am thinking it is time for a refresher course. Be safe out there.
#22
12-09-2009 | 05:56 AM
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,078
Likes: 6
From: Michigan
Yep, Thank god my kid is only 25 and says he's done with the 150+ BS and the rice rocket, now wants to get a harley and ride in comfort and style.
.
#23
12-09-2009 | 07:05 AM
Banned
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 3,719
Likes: 1
Witness the stat that indicates Harley riders do a little more imbibing whilst out and about.
Main Entry: im·bibe
Pronunciation: \im-ˈbīb\
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): im·bibed; im·bib·ing
Etymology: Middle English enbiben to absorb, cause to absorb, from Latin imbibere to drink in, absorb, from in- + bibere to drink — more at potable
Date: 14th century
transitive verb 1 archaic : soak, steep
2 a : to receive into the mind and retain <imbibe moral principles> b : to assimilate or take into solution
3 a : drink b : to take in or up <a sponge imbibes moisture>intransitive verb 1 : drink 2
2 a : to take in liquid b : to absorb or assimilate moisture, gas, light, or heat
— im·bib·er noun
Pronunciation: \im-ˈbīb\
Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): im·bibed; im·bib·ing
Etymology: Middle English enbiben to absorb, cause to absorb, from Latin imbibere to drink in, absorb, from in- + bibere to drink — more at potable
Date: 14th century
transitive verb 1 archaic : soak, steep
2 a : to receive into the mind and retain <imbibe moral principles> b : to assimilate or take into solution
3 a : drink b : to take in or up <a sponge imbibes moisture>intransitive verb 1 : drink 2
2 a : to take in liquid b : to absorb or assimilate moisture, gas, light, or heat
— im·bib·er noun
Last edited by CroK; 12-09-2009 at 07:11 AM.
#25
12-09-2009 | 07:37 AM
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,889
Likes: 102
From: Mississippi
'Harley riders in general are also older, more experienced, and don't try to break the sound barrier every time they leave a traffic light".
Sez who? There has been plenty of information put out that suggests that many Harley riders are in fact older but are not experienced riders. When Harleys became the "toy du juor", how many folks were out buying? Harley-Davidson's common stock said that there were a lot of bikes being sold. Who was buying them? Young kids with minimum wage jobs? Not likely. Last time I went to Sturgis, there sure were a lot of Class A motorhomes towing large trailers with their bikes. I dare say that there a lot of Harley riders who have no more riding experience than some young kid on a rice rocket. Where I live, plenty of people have bikes because they can afford them. The insurance industry points out that a lot of bikers (Harley and all the rest) are middle aged folks doing something they did not do when they were kids. They do it later in life because they can and it is "cool"...and they can afford to. They watched Wild Hogs one too many time and "Sons of Anarchy" are giving them hard ons. The dealer that I bought my first scoot (not my first bike) told me that on occasions, he had misgivings about selling bikes to some folks he felt should not have been riding. As he said, it is a "free country"....if you want to kill yourself.....and he still had to put bread on the table. Bottom line...plenty of folks out there riding Harley's that have no vast amounts of riding experience and if you think otherwise, you are fooling yourself. Witness the stat that indicates Harley riders do a little more imbibing whilst out and about. Does that indicate experience? I have been riding on and off for the past 35 years. I am on my second Harley. I took the MSF course years ago. I am thinking it is time for a refresher course. Be safe out there.
Sez who? There has been plenty of information put out that suggests that many Harley riders are in fact older but are not experienced riders. When Harleys became the "toy du juor", how many folks were out buying? Harley-Davidson's common stock said that there were a lot of bikes being sold. Who was buying them? Young kids with minimum wage jobs? Not likely. Last time I went to Sturgis, there sure were a lot of Class A motorhomes towing large trailers with their bikes. I dare say that there a lot of Harley riders who have no more riding experience than some young kid on a rice rocket. Where I live, plenty of people have bikes because they can afford them. The insurance industry points out that a lot of bikers (Harley and all the rest) are middle aged folks doing something they did not do when they were kids. They do it later in life because they can and it is "cool"...and they can afford to. They watched Wild Hogs one too many time and "Sons of Anarchy" are giving them hard ons. The dealer that I bought my first scoot (not my first bike) told me that on occasions, he had misgivings about selling bikes to some folks he felt should not have been riding. As he said, it is a "free country"....if you want to kill yourself.....and he still had to put bread on the table. Bottom line...plenty of folks out there riding Harley's that have no vast amounts of riding experience and if you think otherwise, you are fooling yourself. Witness the stat that indicates Harley riders do a little more imbibing whilst out and about. Does that indicate experience? I have been riding on and off for the past 35 years. I am on my second Harley. I took the MSF course years ago. I am thinking it is time for a refresher course. Be safe out there.
Well said...I have witnessed what you are saying many times.
#26
12-09-2009 | 08:06 AM
May our Moderator Rest in Peace
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 11,386
Likes: 29
From: Rochester, NY
FLHP1034ME,
Relax, remember we're here to enjoy ourselves and maybe learn something new in the bargain.
While everything you said may and could very easily be true, lets face it even if the new Harley rider isn't as experienced as you or I may be and I have only been riding a couple of years longer than you.
I said that Harley riders tend to be older, so 'as a group' we have managed to acquire enough of the kind of life experience that has taught us that we're not as invincible or invulnerable as we thought we were in our teens and early twenties.
Just surviving as long as we have has taught us that stupid hurts (or should have) and we're not overly eager to find out how much.
Where drinking and riding is concerned, no thanks, I'll pass on that one. But I must admit that there seems to be far too many people out there who's common sense and good judgment takes a back seat to reason whenever there's a beer or three involved.
That or they 'think' that they have been doing it for so long their immune to its effects. But the reality is that alcohol in virtually any amount and riding, or driving for that matter, should NEVER be mixed, ever. Cause sooner or later it is going to catch up with you and then if your lucky you might live to find out just how much and how long stupid can hurt.
As far as taking a class A motor home someplace with the bike on a trailer, why not? If I could afford one I sure as hell would do it. OK so it isn't the 'purists' way to travel, but I'm old enough to have been there, done that, and it was fun, but to be honest I like my creature comforts.
Besides many of us (myself included) are now of an age where we have begun to reap the rewards of our misspent youth and much as we might like to. We no longer have the physical capacity to ride for days at a time. If that makes me a lessor biker to some, so be it. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. I ride for fun not recognition so as soon as it stops being fun, I stop riding.
Relax, remember we're here to enjoy ourselves and maybe learn something new in the bargain.
While everything you said may and could very easily be true, lets face it even if the new Harley rider isn't as experienced as you or I may be and I have only been riding a couple of years longer than you.
I said that Harley riders tend to be older, so 'as a group' we have managed to acquire enough of the kind of life experience that has taught us that we're not as invincible or invulnerable as we thought we were in our teens and early twenties.
Just surviving as long as we have has taught us that stupid hurts (or should have) and we're not overly eager to find out how much.
Where drinking and riding is concerned, no thanks, I'll pass on that one. But I must admit that there seems to be far too many people out there who's common sense and good judgment takes a back seat to reason whenever there's a beer or three involved.
That or they 'think' that they have been doing it for so long their immune to its effects. But the reality is that alcohol in virtually any amount and riding, or driving for that matter, should NEVER be mixed, ever. Cause sooner or later it is going to catch up with you and then if your lucky you might live to find out just how much and how long stupid can hurt.
As far as taking a class A motor home someplace with the bike on a trailer, why not? If I could afford one I sure as hell would do it. OK so it isn't the 'purists' way to travel, but I'm old enough to have been there, done that, and it was fun, but to be honest I like my creature comforts.
Besides many of us (myself included) are now of an age where we have begun to reap the rewards of our misspent youth and much as we might like to. We no longer have the physical capacity to ride for days at a time. If that makes me a lessor biker to some, so be it. I don't have to prove anything to anyone. I ride for fun not recognition so as soon as it stops being fun, I stop riding.
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