| Author | Message | ||
     Court |
>>>there were no munchkins! I want a refund! I took yours. Want me to bring them next week? Tramp is advertising "coffee and donuts" right . . . . I'm having reservations about having Tramp cook . . .we'll see.  | ||
| Chellem |
Hey! I got there at 3:00, there were no munchkins! I want a refund! Well, I'll call the guy, but they're not used to putting blood BACK into the donors. We'll see what we can do.  | ||
| Tramp |
No worries, Court- We hit the Dunkin Donuts en route to the run (That's why Holly and Sue often show up in cars) for fresh donuts and coffee...and hot cocoa. Who's coming up from Liberty HD? | ||
| Tramp |
I give Buellgrrrl credit... for unifying the freethinking folks of this board. While I actually understand at least the basis of BG's perma-gripes (I, like Hammer, am not angry, nor do I like the Koolade) Chellem makes great points, as always- Why is it that folks like BG complain about a lack of clubs/consumer-generated support in their area? There are few things easier or more rewarding than getting a make-specific run, or club, together. Lamenting the absence of any factory-generated initiative toward this end simply examples a desire, if not a need, to have everything spoon-fed to the consumer. It's directly analogous to the politico-pathology exhibited by socialists who whine for bigger government to wipe their as$es for them. You want government to work? stop asking it to run your household. stand up and do something for yourself. You want a motorcycle manufacturer and/or dealer to work? Same thing- go out and form a consumer-based riding group, for exchanging ideas and workspace. Please don't give me that "There are no other Buellers in my area" Bullsiht- You can't intelligently state this until you've probed a bit. There is a point where we, as riders, need to receive the ball, (or recover the fumble) and run it to the goddam goal. Neither the dealer, nor the mothership, should be relied upon for this, their hands are full as is. Chellem, you owe NOBODY any further explanation, esp. when personal insults are being hurled your way. Buellgrrl, You're STILL welcome to join our HH4 next weekend, where you'll be treated like gold, and you'll have a great time, regardless. You wanna improve your Buell consumer experience? step up and put some fliers out at your local dealers', etc., for a run or a bike night at a local eatery. You wanna whine incessantly? That's why Al Gore invented the 'net. | ||
| Court |
Well put. You really going to have coffee and donuts? Do not screw with me . . . . | ||
| Skinstains |
I would like to see Buellgrrrl at the HH ride. How can anyone not like the freakshow that is Buellers ? | ||
| Court |
By the way . . internet squabbling aside . . . unless this event (and I know Tramp well enough to know is it . . ) like all other Buell events is an "attitude free zone". We may squabble here but regardless of how screwed up your politics or values are they are no worse than my morals so we'll get along peachily in person. All and any will (I'm confident) be welcome and treated in a dandy fashion. Tell me if I'm wrong Tramp. | ||
| Tramp |
Absolutely correct- When you consider the lifestyles/occupations of the organizers, it should become immediately apparent that we can find drama enough in our other spaces, and we look forward to this as one hell of a celebration of genuine love for our shared addiction. I'm honestly humbled by the kickass pack of folks who show up each year and share wide grins and a thirst for twisties. That our dear friend Court will be joining us at the start point is a great treat. | ||
| Court |
I'm much less of an ••••••• in person . . . . . | ||
| Odinbueller |
That was a great summation, Tramp. I agree completely that people shouldn't whine so much unless they have something constructive to throw in the ring. I would love to come up for your run, just need to see if I can work the family/work thing around it. | ||
| Court |
Odin: If you want to go, let me know and I'll interceptiate you enroutable . . . they got coffee and donuts. . . I am so ••••••• there! | ||
| Glitch |
There are few things easier or more rewarding than getting a make-specific run, or club, together. True that! We call them unorganized non-events, and everyone enjoys them. | ||
| Buellgrrrl |
Tramp, thanks for the invite. While I'd love to put some miles on my Buell before the extended warranty expires and it moves to the back of my shop... I live over a thousand miles away from the HH ride. Despite having sold around 100,000 bikes in the US, Buell has yet to develop much of a 3D community beyond major population centers like NYC. Part of this is due to the personality of many Buell owners- independent "I can do it myself" loner types who avoid group involvement, and part due to the lack of a critical mass of surviving Buells out here in metro areas of less than ten million population. I'm not the person to start a group either- a late 50s rider who looks like many Buell riders mother doesn't have the cred to start a successful Buell group. So if you want a Buell group in Minnesota, somebody else is gonna have to start it. | ||
| Court |
I'm feeling bad now about all my trips to meet Buell owners in the Twin Cities! Huh? Buell has an awesome, has since being the FIRST EVER MOTORCYCLE COMPANY to have a website, online owner community. You're more than welcome anywhere but your cred is slipping with each post. We betting or not? | ||
| Glitch |
So if you want a Buell group in Minnesota, somebody else is gonna have to start it. It's already started, here's a link, now, go meet some other Buellers in your area, and have a good time! | ||
| Ferris_von_bueller |
Part of this is due to the personality of many Buell owners- independent "I can do it myself" loner types who avoid group involvement I'm picky. What can I say....lol | ||
| Cityxslicker |
BRAG has been gone over 2 years. It would be nice to have the road side assistance that was there. Our weekly rider group, that is open to all brands, has rides all year long, every week with participation from 3 to 25, on every thing from Hyosung to MV Agusta's. It is nice to meet and ride with people and have a good time. There is a no support from Buell Corporate on this, but it is sponsored by our local shop. Its a good time. Its about riding. remember riding ? really, get out and ride already. It puts the rest of the cr@p in its place. | ||
| Froggy |
For what it is worth, before I bought my Buell I was very anti-social. I don't know how, but a combination of the bike and this board turned me around. Before the Buell I only rode alone, hated riding in groups, hated hanging out with people. I used to be addicted to World of Warcraft, that consumed my soul till I brought home my Uly. Now I am always out and and about, cruising around meeting new people, and I actually am starting to talk to people now. Ask Fritz and the guys I went to Buelltoberfest 1 with, I didn't say a single word during the 900 mile drive. These days once you start talking to me, I don't shut up, but usually I am quiet because I just try and sit back and suck in everything. | ||
| Tramp |
I don't get the whole antisocial Bueller thing...I've seen the opposite, myself (Message edited by tramp on October 20, 2008) | ||
| Buellgrrrl |
"Bowen Dean says antique Harley-Davidsons have been her passion "ever since I was 9 and saw a picture of Janis Joplin sitting on a chopper." On Tuesday, a federal civil rights agency sued the San Francisco woman's former employer for thwarting her dream to be a motorcycle mechanic." Full text at: http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/ 10/01/BAJ2139B40.DTL More telling is that she's being blackballed by other Harley dealerships- none of them will hire her. If this is the way HD/Buell and their dealers treat women, I'm taking my money elsewhere. | ||
| Jramsey |
Dykes on Bikes, BG thats funny. | ||
| Glitch |
I don't get the whole antisocial Bueller thing...I've seen the opposite, myself You've seen social Buell owners become loners? I'm not sure I understand. | ||
| Chellem |
If this is the way HD/Buell and their dealers treat women, I'm taking my money elsewhere. Once again, one dealership makes you angry and so the entire network should be boycotted. Do you overreact this way to everything? This little 3 or 4 paragraphs is probably not the whole story. And to be fair, one year of trade school doesn't necessarily qualify you to work on bikes. "The agency said Dean, 44, had completed a one-year training course as a mechanic when Dudley Perkins hired her as an entry-level lot technician in June 2005." The mere fact that they were willing to hire a woman as a tech in the first place implies they are not gender biased. Isn't it possible she just wasn't as good as she thinks she is, and so instead of firing her, they moved her elsewhere? I don't know. Taken at face value, yes, this seems crappy. But please, let's not assume this one incident, if it even is an incident, is systemic. Can't you just be mad at THIS dealership? Oh, never mind. You exhaust me. ->ChelleM | ||
| Court |
Froggy: I enjoyed the heck out of visiting with you the other day and always look forward to seeing your latest farkleization. See ya next weekend. . . Court | ||
| Jb2 |
One year of training does not a mechanic make. We all started at the bottom. I remember bodymen starting in our trade who had just graduated from trade school and thought they were going to set the world on fire. They soon figgered out that they had to push a broom and wash cars before we'd let them change a bumper. After a few years of changing bumpers and taking on the shit jobs(rust-buckets) they EARNED their way into collision repair. We were hard on them for a reason... to sort out the weak and untalented ones. I can only imagine the lawsuits if those would have been girls paying their dues into a trade. In all fairness they should have put her on oil changes and clean-ups. That would have been fair. Not sure why they would have put her at a desk job. That does suck. | ||
| Court |
>>>>If this is the way HD/Buell and their dealers treat women. I doubt it. Find me a motorcycle company in the world that has a larger WOMAN'S OUTREACH (that's the name of the group) corporate division than Harley-Davidson. Many here remember Leslie who is in that group and has just been joined by Laura, who most recall did the spectacular job of pulling off the 25th Buell Anniversary. Buell, in 1987 with 2 employees, was 50% female . . . and today ain't far from it. There was a time, although it wasn't planned, that nearly the entire Blast assembly line was women. Buell has some of America's finest engineers and males and females are glowingly represented including some tremendously sharp folks who have been the #1 Top Dog of a couple huge programs. Spend you money elsewhere if you want, but I think your decision may not be based in fact. . . . but then I married one of those opposed females who earns 12 times what I do and has a reputation as somewhat "assertive" on Wall Street. She cam in at a time when Wall Street was a "old boys club" kicked down the door, worked three jobs and was a full partner at 23. She failed to get the memo I guess. Court P.S. - if you were given a bonus check less than the males would you have guts enough to walk up while the chairman was lunching in the exec dining room, tear up the check and tell him "you've got till 3:00PM to correct your stupid ••••••• mistake". Now you know why I behave at home. P.S. - Take a look at some of the well known Fortune 500 execs who have come from Harley-Davidson. The more I look at it, and think of folks like Gail Lione, the more I think the entire premise of the post was baseless. If you have a problem with Perkins, take it up with Perkins. | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
Just wondering how many gals working as mechanics at the honda dealers in Japan? So out of thousands of dealers one got a gender suite? Hmm our government has had hundreds, most major companies have had some. That doesn't make it right, but come on it's a franchise, not H.D. whom was discriminating. Bad mouth the dealership, that I understand, but H.D.? They had nothing to do with it. I'm sure they r not happy about it. I bought my bike from a girl at an H.D. dealer. They seem to give fer the upmost respect in there. As do I. And by the way that girl learned me how to ride in the parking lot. | ||
| Buellgrrrl |
What's troubling is that other dealers in the area are blackballing her- clearly the problem extends beyond just the Dudley Perkins dealership, but fortunately not to Chell's dealership at the other side of the country. Note also that HOG isn't doing anything to bring these dealers in line with HOG's corporate diversity policies. Not that I'm surprised- I've seen some pretty racist BS posted on a Harley dealer's bulliten board and nobody took it down. | ||
| Crusty |
I'm wondering how many women work as mechanics at BMW shops in Germany. | ||
| Glitch |
Probably more to the story also. It is possible that other dealerships in the area are owned by the same person. I know around here that can be the way it is. |
