My buddy and I were taking a ride through the Rocky Mtns. and a couple of sportbike riders came up on us.They seemed like they wanted to join us as they werent from around here. I didn't care but later my bud stated that those guys are squids and they ruin riding for us and everyone else because they do dumbass things on thier bikes and people see that.

My reply to him was--who cares, we all do stupid things on our bikes and I'm sure you've pissed off your fair share of motorists. In all reality the sportbike riders are usually more protected than we are on our cruisers...We all take the same risks, we all share the same passion, why not try to get along and help the sport survive?

 

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Your wrong. We do not all take the same risks.
Anyone on a sportbike is welcome to ride with me as long as they are not azzhats that will make me look bad riding with them or worse....take me down because of careless, stupid riding.

 

I think hate is a little strong IMO. Speaking for myself, I find it annoying the things the kids like to do on their sport bikes. Like doing wheelies down busy roads, playing tag and weaving in and out of traffic at over 100 mph, etc...To me it's just a maturity thing....they're kids and think this is cool. I'm sure there are a ton ofguys on the forum that had sportbikes when they wereyounger and did all this, and more. I acted like an idiot with my cars when I was younger and grewout of it. At least I think I did.... There's a reason why 99% of the rice rocket riders are about 20.

 

Folks that pick out any class of people, like sport bike riders, and lump them all into the same category is kind of dumb. There are as many different backgrounds riding sport bikesas anything else in life. There are good/bad,smart/dumb folks,rich/poor, old/young the same as there are with Harley riders. It’s even more ridicules when you consider a pretty good chunk of Harley riders started out on sport bikes/metrics. Like you said, "Who cares, we all do stupid things on our bikes and I'm sure you've pissed off your fair share of motorists." I know I have.
Now that I said all that hollier than thou stuff, there is one exception to the rule. No one ever accused me of being very smart soI still think BMW riders, in general, have a ways to go to climb the sociable ladder.

 

I agree 100% Sam......I don't hate on any riders, only stupid riders. Also, to judge and say we've all done stupid stuff on bikes is poor gross generalization. I only hate on the riders that ride like they are on a close circuit race track or decide to stand a wheelie on the road or any other trick or feat that should be performed on a closed circuit or at least a controlled environment. That being said anyone can ride with me no matter what they ride if they aren't a douchbag. However, I do agree that your buddy shouldn't have catagorized those riders as squids just cause they were on sportbikes, because perhaps they were not idiots.

 

The streets aren't the place for "sport". While a higher percentage of sportbikers are abusive of this, they aren't ALL guilty and they aren't the only ones. So the sportbikers always get a wave from me if I have a free hand. But I agree with what most have already said, the ones that ride like it's a sport are definitely not welcome to ride with me and I wish the heck we could get them off the same streets my niece and nephews ride to school everyday on. Someone's mamas, daddies, sons, daughters, husbands, and wives are out there and yet these idiots feel like it's their privilege to do whatever the heck they want.

Kevin

 

You're obviously new to the boards. There are those 'even within the Harley ranks' who will take issue with fellow Harley riders at the drop of a hat; for reasons most would find to be both sophomoric and inconsequential. Good luck.

 

I can see both sides, it is true that most of the sportbikers I see are kids, but there are also a good portion of older sportbikers as well. It's the guys and gals we see playing tag and riding wheelies down mainstreet that we more often see and base our opinions on. I dont think it's fair to stereotype sportbikers because the ones we see more often are more often than not the ones who are being retards on the asphalt. The guys who are taking advantage of the sportbikes are the ones bustin up and down the hills on the twisties usually wearing full leathers and a helmet. Those guys for the most part arent endangering a population of motorists, if they go down they usually only stack themselves against a guardrail or fly off a cliff. Not good, but they are making that choice themselves.
I guess the point of the rant is to recognize "the wave." Correct me if I am wrong but the point of the wave is to acknowledgeALL motorcyclists becuase we ALL share the risks and we ALL share the passion, so why not share the commradary?!

 

I don't care what type of bike a person rides.

If they ride like an idiot and put others' safety in jeopardy, it doesn't matter if they're riding a sport bike or a Harley, they're fools who should be removed from the road... and often are with a spatula!

Cheers!
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