| Author | Message | ||
     Schmity |
I'm just curious since I haven't been around the motorcycle scene too long, but what do the older Harley riders think of Buells and their riders? I rode to the 105th with my dad and a few of his friends, and most of them think that my M2 is a crotch rocket, and seem to stereotype me as the typical teen rider who leans over the tank just because of the bike I ride (and mainly because the Buells don't have the foot rest or ape hangers). All of them admit that my M2 has some scary power, but besides that, they hardly give the Buells any respect at all. Harley riders barely give me the two finger salute when riding. What gives? Any thoughts? Are Buellers deemed not good enough by Harley rider standards? | ||
| Danger_dave |
>>Any thoughts?<< Gees Schmity....I had to think about it - after due consideration...I still don't actually give a f*** what Harley riders think about my bike. :-) | ||
| Cityxslicker |
You would be surprised how little that they think about you... more surprised that you care as much why they do. Go ride. I will worry about what someone else thinks about my bike/bikes/riding style/riding apparel when they pay for it; otherwise they can Kindly Pi$$ off. 2006 XB9sx, 2005 Xl883R, 2003 XL883R, 1986 XL250, 1988 CX450, and pending the 2009 Derringer in orange of course. | ||
| Badlionsfan |
my response is is the same every time as to why I don't ride a harley. I drive a heavy, ill handling and under powered truck every nite at work. Why would I want to ride a heavy, ill handling and under powered motorcycle for pleasure? If I was a race car driver, a harley would give me the difference I seek between work and fun. Usually gets the point across. | ||
| Danger_dave |
Dunno about that Lions - All the Harleys I've ridden lately have been a delight. That Fat Bob handles great. What they don't have is a great lean angle - but within it they handle just fine. The 2009 tourers are here next week - very interested in a spin. | ||
| Jramsey |
Ditto what Cityxslicker posted. Ride your ride and don't worry about "the image". I have a S3T and an X1 and my daily driver is a Zuke 650 Burgman, guess what gets ridden the most? I've pissed off every 883 owner in my area with the Burgie, they for the most part avoid me like the plague. Forget the blown out Levies, fingerless gloves ect. | ||
| Jramsey |
Fat bobs handle great? Reread Badlionsfans post. | ||
| Danger_dave |
Yeah - I fully understood it. | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
I find it easy to ignore them. Try it. Also, if you carefully ignore their chrome butt-jewelery, that seems to hurt their little feewings. Walk right past them and make a comment on an old jap bike nearby. | ||
| Nevrenuf |
buell owners are a breed of their own ian. they don't care what other people think or what they ride, just as long as they ride. they like to be different and won't conform to the norm of everyday motorcycling. we get excited when we see another buell because not everyone gets it and their few and far between in most cases. for the most part, we haven't met a bueller that wasn't decent people and when someone is down we do what we can to pick them up. i have two harleys but i hate daytona bike week. i also have three buells and can't imagine what life would be like without them. just my opinion. | ||
| Hr_puffinstuff |
Disclaimer: i know riding w/o a helmet is a bad idea. i have the scars on my head to prove it. ATGATT, your head is only worth the helmet you put it in...ect,ect,ect. that being said, i have noticed that riding in a helmet makes me invisible to the assless-chaps crowd. they don't even look, let alone wave. swap the skid-lid for a doo-rag, and all of a sudden, i'm a biker. they look, wave, even had a few guys throw the shocker. this extends to gas and other stops where there are M/Cs present. helmet = silence, no helmet = greetings, questions, and congrats on my new harley. anyone else notice this?? | ||
| Paw |
In all my experience i have noticed the hardcore looking biker give me a wave. But the fair weather weekend warrior Harley rider sticks his nose in the air. My self i wave no matter what two wheels your on. Hell i just waved to a guy on a 250 scooter on my way home from work. So Schmity, Take Danger_Dave's advice and fu(k'em. If they can't respect you just because your on to wheel they are worthless. | ||
| Xbpete |
I guess I am an old Harley rider, having turned 56 last week. I have owned Harleys since 1968. I have had 900 and 1000 Ironhead Sporties, XR 750 Flat tracker, Panheads, Shovelheads and the newer Sportster in both 883 and 1200 form. I gotta say the first ride on an XB12R was like having sex for the first time... it didn't last long enough but I knew I wanted more!!! I love my own 12R, the MOST fun I have had on two wheels and I think it every time it starts up ( can't say that about the HD's on my list! LOL ) I don't give a rats arse what some leather wearing biker wannabe geezer glide riding old SOB thinks about Buell... | ||
| Kyrocket |
It's not just the riders who snub us. I went to the local stealership yesterday against my better judgement, after calling to confirm they had my brakes in stock they tell me they only have the rears, well being the great procrastinator I am I stop by only to find they don't have either. When I told them the brakes were for a Buell the counter jockey said Buell humph, like they shouldn't even be sold there. Well my local place had already lost all my service business now they just lost all my parts business too, they just don't know it yet. If I was a quick thinker I'd said something snide about the CBR sitting there with the new Harleys. And back on topic, I've found in my years of riding that the ones that are jerks while on their motorcycles are usually jerks in their cars also. | ||
| Teeps |
Schmity Posted on Tuesday, September 02, 2008 - I'm just curious since I haven't been around the motorcycle scene too long, but what do the older Harley riders think of Buells and their riders? Never really done a poll; so from my view, don't know, don't really care. What gives? Ignorance, arrogance, intolerance? Any thoughts? See first answer. Are Buellers deemed not good enough by Harley rider standards? Good word "deemed", probably from those on that side of the road, so to speak. "Can't we all just git along?" | ||
| Mnbueller |
I too have noticed that many of the classic harley riders dislike buell's, but they also dislike the v-rod, just because its liquid cooled...It really boils down to an 'exclusive' club that is more and more becoming sport bike riders, doctors, accountants, etc...and the hardcore 'hells angels' type bikers are feeling threatend, their club is loosing its badboy image. Best thing to do is just wave, smile, and be the bigger person. Grade school is over. | ||
| Danger_dave |
Harley guys root for Buell guys on the race track jack. | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
With the 105th being here this past week, I had alot of opporunities to speak with the members of the "traditional" HD gang. The consensus is that its too tiny, makes nice noise, is ahead of the curve in technology, looks badass, but isn't for them. only 1 person out of the 100's I spoke with gave me crap. Harley people are open to Buell if you educate them on it and be polite about Buell being different than a Harley. I agree 100% about th VR comment above as well, the same HD folks who hate Buell, also hate the VR. I call them "The Easy Riders" | ||
| Etennuly |
For me it is fun to smoke the HD branded riders and the sport bikers and remove my helmet to my gray hair getting double takes. The HD guys expect a younger rider and the sport guys don't know what to think about the old fat guy that rides the Buell with the luggage. Most of those leather/chain folks that I have met still think that anyone wearing ATGATT are riding a BMW and still cannot pronounce Buell. It is fun to hear them explain their riding heritage and talk the whole time about having ridden a BMW one time while standing near my Uly with all of its Buell badges and all of those on my Buell jacket, shirt, and riding pants.  | ||
| Buellinachinashop |
"Harley guys root for Buell guys on the race track jack." I was rooting for Andy Hines and his VR this weekend, but he lost in the finals to a Suzuki. | ||
| Trackdad |
Well I'll tell ya... spent most of the weekend in Milwaukee and wore only Inside Track, Buell, and Buell 25th shirts. Alot of people asked me about Buell and many wondered why more Buell riders weren't in town. I did not have any negative comments said, only praise! Had a great time! | ||
| Firebolt32 |
buell owners are a breed of their own ian. they don't care what other people think or what they ride, just as long as they ride. As long as it's not a fat chick on a scooter. Poor scooter... | ||
| Skinstains |
I can only speak for myself. That being said, I don't ride Buells to be different. I am cursed with being different and it's obvious to most. I guess the Buell is just a by-product of being "different". I am my own type of elitest i suppose as well. The doofier a rider or his bike look the more I ignore him. I figure that most of the time a $15,000.00 paint job and $15,000.00 worth(less)of chrome screams "look at me" "I'm tough" and "I have a huge unit". In my mind I feel that ignoring those bungholes is the worst thing you can do to them. Like it or not you're a red-headed stepchild just like the rest of us. Suffer. (Message edited by skinstains on September 02, 2008) | ||
| Ironken |
My opinion on the whole motorcycling deal is this. You have, "Bikers," and, "Motorcyclists." A biker is not somebody I tend to fraternize with. I enjoy spending time with motorcyclists. In my experience a motorcyclist will stop to help if you are on the side of the road. A biker will just ride by with his bad face and leather firmly in place. I walked into a watering hole one afternoon (okay, it was a sports bar, but, watering hole sounds better) and seen a guy I knew in the traditional Harleyween garb. He looked out the window and commented on my rice rocket (Buell S-1.....you remember, the Buell that you could really see the V TWIN sportster based power plant on). I told him that the Japs are copying the Sportster motor to a tee now a days. Friggin' chromosexual wanna be! No clue about motorcycles! None! I have to say that I have ridden with motorcyclists that own Harleys and been around bikers that own Hondas um or should I say Honda-Davidsons or Charlie-Davidsons. (Message edited by ironken on September 02, 2008) | ||
| Rick_a |
I've heard it both ways... On one extreme I've had an ex H-D flat tracker tell me how cool my S1 is and how much it reminded him of the XR's he used to race. He told me it'd make the perfect motorcycle for him but that he was too old to be getting into that kinda trouble again. On the other I've had a grizzled old Harley rider ask me angrily what my bike is good for. I replied that it was for anything I needed it to do (at the time I was picking up lunch at a small deli). He replied something about a bike like that ain't good for nothin' or some such. I said something to the extent that it gets me around and is a lot of fun. He watched with his friends as I left so I ran out of that gravel parking lot full throttle just to show 'em what it's good for  I really don't care. Here in NE FL nobody waves. I don't know if it's confusion or indifference but it's not a concern. | ||
| M2nc |
Fun Harley experiences I have had. I like some Harleys as I can find at least one bike from every major manufacturer that I like. I can see myself owning one but can say I still will not fit the mold. I went to Rolling Thunder with my daughter on my 96 Yellow CB750 Nighthawk. It stuck out like a sore thumb being the only I-4 in what must have been 100,000 bikes. The funny thing is it was more welcomed than either of my Buells have ever been received by the HD faithful. I got alot of "I use to have one of those!" At a gas station a cruiser rider looked at my M2 and asked, "Is that a Ducati?" "No it's a Buell." I said. "It looks uncomfortable." He said. "Not at all, I've done some traveling with it." I said. "Really? I am taking a long ride today." He replied. "Where?" I said. "To Seven Springs" he replied. (twenty miles away). "I've ridden this bike to Ohio, if you think Seven Springs is far, maybe your cruiser is not so comfortable?" I replied. "When are you going to get a real bike and buy a Harley!" One guy called out to me at a stop. I replied, "When I'm old and slow enough for one." An owner at a former Buell dealer comments in front of me. "Buells!? Damn wannabe Harleys" I relied, "No the opposite of a wannabe, Harleys are low, slow and all about fashion over function; Buells are high, fast and all about function over fashion. Where do you get wannabe out of that?" Guy at works boast his heavily modified Road King hit over 130rwhp on a local dyno. One of the guys looks at me and said, "Why don't you race him with you Buell?" I replied, "Why, after the first turn it would be all over but the crying" No reply. I find that the M2 is better received than the Uly. I have HD friends that I enjoy cruising with. The one thing I like about the Buells is that they really do a good job bridging the gap between sport bike and cruiser. I ride with sport bikes and cruisers, but not at the same time and have had fun with both crowds. On the way home from the mountains yesterday a group of Harley riders parked under the awning of the pumps instead by me in the shadow of the building. They never came over or even acknowledged me on the Uly. I did the same and never gave it another thought. I ride a bike that few understand, but those that do are usually people that I like to hang out with. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
funny stuff, all. ride to lean. :-) FB | ||
| F_skinner |
I ride a bike that few understand, but those that do are usually people that I like to hang out with. I think that sums it up very well... I went to a big bike rally this weekend and the only guy that knew what I was riding was an old time biker riding the same Shovelhead he bought brand new. He was not up on the new Buells and thought my S2T was brand new but he said the guys that ride Buells seem to know a lot more about their bikes than the new big twin riders. Of course big twin Evo riders are not bad people. They just act like that on the weekends. I ride with my friends, not because of what they ride, but because I can trust them. If you are riding a bike to get approval from a group of people then you are on the wrong bike. Frank | ||
| Ironken |
Of course big twin Evo riders are not bad people. They just act like that on the weekends. That there's funny, I don't care who you are. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
That FXDX with mids is a fat girl hippo ballet through the corners. I was able to get her all the way over and push her through some turns that scared the hell out of the baggers behind me. If my passenger wants to ride, that is my next bike. When have I ever used a bike the way it was intended ?  |
