Delivery people, mail people, lawn people, and random people stop by when my big door is open, and they see all the motorcycles. One thing I tell them is that newest bike is a 1975 and that one belongs to a customer, all the rest are 1974 or before. Then they look at me and ask if I ride them - they are amazed that I do and that the bikes are so old and look so good.
I've long said that a vintage Norton or Triumph looks like a proper motorcycle and most modern bikes look like bugs with tubes all over the place and a hidden engine. The casual visitors seem to agree! I even stopped for gas recently and a 20 or 30-something woman who was filling her car came walking over asking me all about the bike. For a young woman to approach a man, even in broad daylight must mean that the bike has quite a draw (I certainly don't attract women!)
Another time I was test riding a newly built bike and stopped to check something. I little girl (maybe 6 or 7) outside with her father came running to look at the bike. She studied everything with me cautioning her what not to touch and get burned. Then she wanted a ride - I told her I couldn't since I didn't have a helmet for her and her feet wouldn't reach the passenger pegs. So, I explained what the controls did and sat her on the bike and let her pretend she was riding while her father and I talked. She had a ball!
