Tell em "real" Harley owners don't make payments

 

can somebody please tell fake harley riders what a REAL harley rider is?????

 

Wear what you want.

 

Maybe I'm butt stupid here. If I ride my own Harley I will certainly consider my self a REAL Harley Owner

 

Hopefully you don't have the "Who is and who is not a real Harley rider thing going on in Norway." As Harley's have become more and more popular in the U.S. there has been a lot of friction between the more traditional riders associated with the brand and the folks who buy a $20,000.00 Harley, a leather jacket and a $15.00 helmet and overnight become "Instant Bikers."

As it is there are some "Instant Bikers" but at the same time today you have lots of riders who, while not a part of the traditional culture that went with the bike at one time, are out there riding the wheels off their bikes. Those folks look like "real Harley riders to me." Ultimately, what makes you a "real Harley rider" is your commitment to riding -- not what you wear.

 

This is maybe a weird anecdote or maybe even paranoia, LOL, and it's maybe a bit off topic too.

I've been reading this helmet thread since the beginning with interest. I have little recent experience with other riders since I moved here twelve years ago. (I'm usually riding alone; it's chilly, foggy and rainy a lot of the time and I like the back roads.) Also I don't visit the dealer very much (almost never) so I haven't been personally aware of the helmet "cults".

I hadn't noticed this until I started following this thread. But lately, it seems to me that there are quite a few Harley riders that don't acknowledge a friendly wave as they pass by when I'm on the highway. OK, so what does have to do with helmets ?

I wear a full-face helmet, leather jacket, boots and so forth ... to put this post in the context of the initial thread.

For the last two weeks it's been warm and there are a lot of touring/cruising bikes passing through, both single and two-up. I've noted that most of the guys that ignore my wave are the ones wearing 3/4 helmets (a few with 1/2 helmets) and almost none with full-face helmets unless they are obviously preoccupied.

Anyone else notice this with cruisers and touring riders; is this just more disdain for safety-conscious riders like me ? Solo riders on choppers and Sportys, regardless of helmet, mostly seem to respond ...

Cheers -

PS: Or maybe these are just old, oblivious, brain-dead guys (like me, LOL). But I WILL wave at anyone, half-helmet or no helmet

 

We have the same true biker/wannabe biker/HOG(hotel&gourmet)biker/builder biker - debate going, it's weird but funny from a distance as I don't care much what category I belong. I do all my wrenching, riding as much as possible and enjoy the concept of me and my bike, I have a family w 3 kids so I am what I am biker or not a biker at all I still have my harley, my safety gear my family.

 

I think too, with the many new riders taking the MSF/BRC/Riders Edge courses over the last 10-15 years or so, these classes have made a huge impact of riding with helmets and protective gear. These classes teach wearing helmets, etc.

So I see a lot of people now with full face helmets in the summer and wearing mesh jackets riding Harleys now. I think the attitude has shifted a bit towards helmets and you will see more people wearing them in large part because of these classes.

 

I would be one of these riders. Did the MSC in April and got my 48 in May. Just rolled 3000 miles. Used the 3/4 helmet in class and bought a FF the same day I bought the bike. I don't call it dressing up but I wear FF, leather jacket and gloves ever time I ride.

I actually wanted a half helmet but I can only think of one time the FF bothered me, it was 108 degrees and the wind was blowing all the heat from the engine right to me. I can think of several times I'm glad I had the FF helmet in the short time I have been riding.

The real Harley thing, whatever. Some guys wave some dont. If I had to compare the sport bike riders wave more than the Harley guys around here.

 

It seems to me that the rush hour commuters are more likely to be sporting all gear regardless of the bike brand. The evening and weekend warriors, not so much.