Can We All Just Get Along? The Older Harley Generation vs the New.

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Can We All Just Get Along? The Older Harley Generation vs the New.

by Brian Zerkel (Schumacher)

Aceospades Introduces a New Member to the Harley Family

This is another one of my editorial pieces and in no way reflects the opinons of Internet Brands or of Harley Davidson. They're just the ramblings of a mad man.

This article has been floating around in my head for some time now. When I originally suggested this article to IB, I had a clear picture in my mind of what angle it was going to take and how I was going to present it. After doing a lot of reading in the forum and talking to a few of the younger generation of riders in HDF, I completely changed my point of view on the subject.

A person's initial response to the title of the article would make them think it's an old versus new battle, with both sides clinging to what they believe and not budging an inch in response to the other. I'm really starting to see that it isn't as true as some would think. What I've found is a younger generation looking and respecting at what the older one has done, but wanting to do it their own way while echoing the past at the same time.

Confusing you say? Not at all. Let's take the current crop of Sportster customizers as an example. What they are doing to Sportsters is just amazing. It takes great deal of confidence to buy an eight thousand dollar bike and break out the cutting torch. I was a little bewildered watching this, but when some of the end results were posted, the work these guys did was amazing. A lot of these guys are the ones straight off the crotch rockets, and they're turning work out like this. Imagine what they could do in 20 years.

Ergoknight's Excellent Nightster Build Thread

The decided to pick the Sportser guys based on a thread I read long ago. It was about the new bunch and the work they were doing. A lot of the older crowd at that time were downing them for doing it. "You're screwing up a bike" they said. "It will have no resale", and so forth . At that time, I thought to myself "isn't that the way it was done?" A few older riders respected what they did and understood where they had come from. After all, we were all new at one time to the scene, everyone has to start somewhere. Some of the new guys though demanded instant respect (something that still goes on in the forum to this day) and naturally that didn't sit well with the established crowd.

Just for clarification, when I say older crowd, I mean established in the Harley community. I have had some of you tell me that you're not new to motorcycles and have been riding for years, and didn't want to be called "new". For the sake of explaining viewpoints in this particular article, you'll be part of the new. It's just the best way to show both sides of this argument.

I guess what I'm hinting at is this whole us versus them thing is more about respect than anything else. A majority of the established crowd won't just instantly give any of the newcomers respect. It's just not gonna happen, simple as that. They like to be shown some respect first, and then the newer guys will get some in return. I read so many threads in the forum where the main protagonists are old versus young and it usually has to do with some sort of lack of respect. Don't get me wrong: neither crowd is always right (you've seen me have some fun with that), but from what I have seen, it's usually the newer guy catching it. My generation was taught to respect your elders, and to some young people (not all) that seems unimportant. I think those few make the older guys leery of everyone overall. It's about respect people.

Not all is lost though. There are topics in the forum in which the old stand right beside the new. The perfect example of this was the infamous lane splitting thread we had not that long ago. Never before had I ever seen both sides come together like that. It seems lane splitting in California could be called a motorcyclist's religion, and all those who don't live and or drive there should just mind our business. It was a brilliant argument from a riding community, and not just a faction of riders, in that moment they had great respect for each other.

The younger generation respects the older a lot more than the older realizes. I personally didn't think it ran as deep as it does. Like I said, when I first suggested this to IB, I didn't really see it. I do now though. I was just going to write a standard versus story and go on from there. The things a lot of them are doing to their bikes are amazing. As I said before, I admire someone not afraid to cut up a lot of money. They want to be a part of this community, and just for that, I have some respect for them. Everyone was new to this whole mess we jokingly call "the Harley Family", and hopefully some of this rambling article will give a few some sound advice.

It really is about what your momma told you, and more are following that than you think.

What's your take? Let us know your opinion in the forums.

Brad N Starlene Woods (Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:34:57 -0800): Nice work! Looks Great!

Daniel A. Navarro (Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:10:34 -0800): its still a sporty, no matter how much bling you put on it, I wouldn't buy it or ride, that's my personal opionion.