Any time we stop at a bar/restaurant when out on a ride, my Commando gets all the attention regardless of what other bikes are in the group. My wife gets annoyed because she thinks her Ducati Diavel should be the focus of attention.
I think the reason most bits fall off of Harley’s is cos they’re shite Taiwanese ‘custom’ parts, stamped out by the million, and bolted on by people who simply shouldn’t be allowed tools!Touring switzerland in the summer of 2017 one evening at the quaint little hotel i stopped at, there was also a German called Fritz on a Harley. Talking about bikes with him, he complained that he was always losing bits off his bike...
The following day going up the simplon pass i was following another bike with a funny looking numberplate. He pulled into the cafe at the top of the pass and i joined him for a cuppa and a chat. He was on a harley and his numberplate had fallen off and had to make one from cardboard! He was hoping to get home to germany without getting stopped by the police as it would create loads of bother having to reregister his bike.
Funny you should say that about the L platesI ride a few different bikes regularly. I’m one of those that almost always nods / waves to oncoming bikers, irrespective of the bike. I love waving to kids with L plates, they love the recognition and wave back with enthusiasm and surprise cos they’re normally ignored by ‘real’ bikers.
I’d say that only around 25% ever wave back. Some brands are worse than others, BMW GS riders almost never wave back.
But what’s interesting is that when I ride the Harley almost NO ONE accept other Harley riders wave back.
So don’t blame Harley riders for their brand snobbery, there’s a lot of it about !
Indeed.Funny you should say that about the L plates
A few years ago I bought my son a Honda 125 varadero
While I was was fixing it up I was riding it about using it to commute for a little while
Plenty of bikes flashed/nodded etc but as soon as I fitted L plates ready for him to ride that complely stopped
The thing with those 125 varaderos they don't look like a 125Indeed.
I get the point that we don’t wish to wave to deliveroo riders etc!
But young enthusiasts just starting out deserve to feel more welcomed by us grumpy old b*stards…
I've made a point to acknowledge L platers. I think, in my own mind at least, it might just encourage them to keep going.Indeed.
I get the point that we don’t wish to wave to deliveroo riders etc!
But young enthusiasts just starting out deserve to feel more welcomed by us grumpy old b*stards…
Both the harleys were modern ones, a couple of years old at most. Maybe the harley dealers should issue a bottle of loctite with every sale!I think the reason most bits fall off of Harley’s is cos they’re shite Taiwanese ‘custom’ parts, stamped out by the million, and bolted on by people who simply shouldn’t be allowed tools!
Any Harley built in recent years is at least as well put together by the factory as any other decent brand.
I try to do the same while ignoring everyone elseI've made a point to acknowledge L platers. I think, in my own mind at least, it might just encourage them to keep going.
I've given up trying with Hardley owners though.I try to do the same while ignoring everyone else
Had a similar fractured number plate on my T140 while touring around europe. I wrote the ...882V part of the number plate on a piece of cardboard and taped it to the remaining part of the number plate. Did a load of miles like that, and across several borders. No problems anywhere.Touring switzerland in the summer of 2017 one evening at the quaint little hotel i stopped at, there was also a German called Fritz on a Harley. Talking about bikes with him, he complained that he was always losing bits off his bike...
The following day going up the simplon pass i was following another bike with a funny looking numberplate. He pulled into the cafe at the top of the pass and i joined him for a cuppa and a chat. He was on a harley and his numberplate had fallen off and had to make one from cardboard! He was hoping to get home to germany without getting stopped by the police as it would create loads of bother having to reregister his bike.
Indeed.
I get the point that we don’t wish to wave to deliveroo riders etc!
But young enthusiasts just starting out deserve to feel more welcomed by us grumpy old b*stards…
"Those guys" probably thought you were the one riding behind them collecting and reselling all the shiny parts found bouncing down the road that you had to avoid running over.Just returned from a ride on my 1950 ES2 - absolutely beautiful day . While riding happily along at 55 , which it will do all day long I was passed by a small group of Harley riders . The guy out front smiled and gave a thumbs up as he passed but the rest would not even turn their heads . Caught up with them in traffic and passed most of them . The mommas on the back smiled but their men folk wouldn’t even make eye contact. What’s up with these guys ?
Hard to conceal my smirk …