When I got to work this AM, there were two other bikes already in the motorcycle parking area. Both were Japanese fake Harleys. Out of some morbid curiosity, I took a closer look at both. Both were clean and shiny, although neither appeared new. So I'd have to think that both riders were at least somewhat invested in their rides.

But what really struck me was that neither one had any identifying logos anywhere that I could see. I could tell that they were different bikes from some of the structural details, but there was nothing to indicate who the manufacturer was or what model they might be. It was as if they had removed every trace that could easily identify them for what they were - Japanese fake Harleys.

What are these people thinking? That if they remove the Yamaha, Kawasaki or Honda logos that the bikes then magically become something else? Who are they really fooling and why? The greater part of the non-motorcycling public doesn't know and doesn't care whether a bike is really a Harley or not anyway. As a lifelong motorcyclist, I always pay attention to other bikes I see and notice what make or model they are, and as a consequence I am aware of the fake Harleys out there. But most people aren't. So why go to such great lengths to disguise your bike? Other bikers will not be fooled, and nobody else even cares.

 

They must be embarrassed by them. That's the only reason that comes to mind!

 

Did they have stock or custom paint jobs? Maybe they just didn't put the emblems back on.

 

Or it could just be the fact that they don't want all of the extra emblems on their bike cluttering up the cleaner looks. Just because there are no emblems stating what it is doesn't mean that they are trying to pass it off as a Harley. Hell, even my '95 Fatboy has very minimal logos on it. Why? i like the cleaner look of the bike. I don't need all the Moco's logos on there to advertise that I own a Harley. It doesn't matter what you ride, just that you ride.

 

Definitly see where your coming from and I've never owned a Jap cruiser, but I think it can also be a style thing as well.

For all the HD's I've ever owned - none of them have ever had harley davidson painted on the tank. All of them were painted gloss black, no flames, pinstrips, etc. Just gloss black, chrome, aluminum and whatever cables, tubes , etc.. Just love that look.

I've had folks ask me why over the years and my response has always been, if someone is looking at my ride and cant tell it is a HD or what kind of HD it is, i really don't give a ****, I built it for me to enjoy and ride not for them to know what it is.

I've seen some bad *** rides (not plain jane 100% stockers) that were not HD and did not have a single identifying manuafcture's mark on them, they definitly stood out. But, like i said, I can definitly see your point and share it, if it is just a 100% stocker with the tank badges removed, it is cheesy.

 

yea... that is somewhat true, but then again, as there are so many harleys with custom paintjobs and no logos, they might say it's a custom harley and give themselves more props! I've seen that happen!

Back here, there's this dude that custom painted his yamaha roadstar, and striped the H-D skull on the tank and added the same skull emblems to the bike! he stripped it from everything that said yamaha! of course ppl think it's and H-D... the thing's big and with all the h-d logos?
My dad owned exactly the same bike... and he always agreed to keep all the logos it brought from stock. I was even asked one day what harley was it!! and it has yamaha all over!! I inmediately said "It's not a harley, it's a yamaha RoadStar...

bottom line is... it does matter what u ride, be proud of ur ride or get another one, what shouldn't matter is what others think of ur ride if u love it enough

 

The clean look...two things here,don't want you to know what they ride,or easy to wax on wax off...I for one always take my emblems off my cars..Debadge..looks so much cleaner,and yes folks say what is that..now for the HD..fly it proud

 

I don't wear harley t-shirts or any other branded items. If something gets removed off the bike that had a harley logo on it, the logo doesn't get replaced. They are not paying me to advertise for them. So why would I pay to do it for them? Same with anything else I ride or drive.
Logos are ugly, I understand people removing them.

 

I didn't get the impression it was about 'ugly'. More like trying to disguise the fact that these were Japanese fake Harleys...errr... 'metric cruisers'. I don't walk around in Harley gear, although I do have a vintage Harley wings belt buckle and a small, old-school wings patch on the back of my leather jacket. But I'm not about to strip my bike of everything that says Harley-Davidson either, whether it's for a 'clean' look, or to try to make it appear to be something it's not.

I just don't understand how those riders could exhibit the obvious care (and/or pride) it takes to keep their bikes clean and polished, yet at the same time try to disguise them, knowing full well that the disguise only fools those who don't really care anyway.

 

Live and let live. I suspect they ride what they a) want and b) can afford. My first bike was an 82 virago. It was the **** as far as I was concerned. Rode it cross country and up and down the east coast. Back then a Harley wasn't even on the horizon.

As far as trying to "disguise" their metric cruiser, anyone who would care about the difference would know the difference.