Younger Riders...
Road Warrior
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,775
Likes: 6
From: Simpson County Kentucky
I've always had bikes and currently have 8 machines; one of which is a Harley. I have 2 grand sons that both ride and have since age 7. The older is into dual sports and sportbikes. The younger is into Harley and the custom machines big time. The older is the Poindexter engineer type where the younger is a full blown wrench head. It's funny how they have both developed their own likes and dislikes toward bikes. I would be hard pressed to change their minds and wouldn't think about it.
I think Harley ia all about style and fitting in with a 100 plus year tradition. It is however limited in that owning a Harley can be and often is a financial burden as not every young rider is into the less expensive Sportster and owning a Harley is not cheap beyond just buying the machine. Additionally, owning a Sportster doesn't always fit in with the mainstream of Harley owners as it is still considered a girls (redheaded step child) bike to many of the BT folks and after having owned 3 of them I have pretty much heard it all.
Buying a bike is not like buying a cage. Riders would do well to start small and go big after some time in the saddle but nowadays it would appear we can forget skills and just go big right out of the gate. This is interesting in that insurance rates have gone right up because of this too. I don't think there is an age limitation on owning a Harley but there sure is a monetary limitation hence the reason we see far fewer young Harley riders and I don't see this changing.
I think Harley ia all about style and fitting in with a 100 plus year tradition. It is however limited in that owning a Harley can be and often is a financial burden as not every young rider is into the less expensive Sportster and owning a Harley is not cheap beyond just buying the machine. Additionally, owning a Sportster doesn't always fit in with the mainstream of Harley owners as it is still considered a girls (redheaded step child) bike to many of the BT folks and after having owned 3 of them I have pretty much heard it all.
Buying a bike is not like buying a cage. Riders would do well to start small and go big after some time in the saddle but nowadays it would appear we can forget skills and just go big right out of the gate. This is interesting in that insurance rates have gone right up because of this too. I don't think there is an age limitation on owning a Harley but there sure is a monetary limitation hence the reason we see far fewer young Harley riders and I don't see this changing.
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 352
Likes: 0
From: Greenwood, IN
Younger riders welcome
My whole family rides, but only I have a harley. Others just could not afford the money and my wife fell in love with her new Kawasaki Vulcan 900 touring bike, all decked out like a small road king for $8,000. She just wasn't ready for a bigger bike and the smaller sportster didn't appeal to her.
All my family rides together whenever there are "open", that is not closed only to Harley H.O.G. members rides. The key is that none of my younger family members cares for the crotch rockets .... they enjoy weekend rides and cruises.
That's the difference...I NEVER see more than one or two sport biles at charity rides in indiana. All makes and models of cruisers, and varying age of riders as well.
I don't even know where these thousands of sport rocket riders go on the weekends. See pockets of them occasionally, but not at the major rides advertised that draw from dozens to hundreds of riders. Exception this year was the GP500 at the Indy 500 track
Anyway, I'd like to pass on this great HD heritage to younger folks.
Here's my stable of bikes, minus the wife's
All my family rides together whenever there are "open", that is not closed only to Harley H.O.G. members rides. The key is that none of my younger family members cares for the crotch rockets .... they enjoy weekend rides and cruises.
That's the difference...I NEVER see more than one or two sport biles at charity rides in indiana. All makes and models of cruisers, and varying age of riders as well.
I don't even know where these thousands of sport rocket riders go on the weekends. See pockets of them occasionally, but not at the major rides advertised that draw from dozens to hundreds of riders. Exception this year was the GP500 at the Indy 500 track
Anyway, I'd like to pass on this great HD heritage to younger folks.
Here's my stable of bikes, minus the wife's
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 107
Likes: 0
From: New York
Maybe its an evolutionary things which takes time to cultivate. I started out on a Schwinn, then moved to Honda Civic, next came a metric ATV. Soon I realized with the metric ATV that a Ford F250 Crew Cab diesel was needed. Soon after that a revelation to ride an 08 HD RKC happened. Next thing you know you come home from work and wife is grinning ear to ear telling you she just got her permit and signed up for the MSF course.
Most of my friends who are still on sport bikes start realizing around 30 that their joints can no longer spend time in a race position. Give it time, they will come around or get a BMW.
As for a 17 year old, get a bike, let's ride. I haven't met anyone that you cant share a good ride with. Once your done, sit, eat, chat about the day. Your age has nothing to do with sharing your experiences. In fact you will help keep me young by sharing your view.
PS the fact that a 93 sporty held its value that well is truly amazing. Great looking bike too.
Most of my friends who are still on sport bikes start realizing around 30 that their joints can no longer spend time in a race position. Give it time, they will come around or get a BMW.
As for a 17 year old, get a bike, let's ride. I haven't met anyone that you cant share a good ride with. Once your done, sit, eat, chat about the day. Your age has nothing to do with sharing your experiences. In fact you will help keep me young by sharing your view.
PS the fact that a 93 sporty held its value that well is truly amazing. Great looking bike too.
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,515
Likes: 446
From: South Florida
I think a lot has to do with where yu're at socially. HD is more for anti social people, who tend to congregate by themselves. Harleys are more about hitting the open road and leaving all the social crap behind you. If you want to be like everyone else, get a sportbike. Me, I just never got it.
I got a Buell because I had a Road King, and it didn't handle all that well for me. I spent a lot of time riding the Buell then. Well, I traded it for the Softail, and all of a sudden, the Buell just stayed parked. So long that the brand new battery that I put into it is dead.
Don't think I'll ever understand. For me, it wasn't so much what other people thought about me. It was more like what I thought about them, and why I didn't care what they thought.
As far as being fat, bald, and middle aged? Well, can't do anything about bald, or middle aged. Fat? Don't get it yet.
I got a Buell because I had a Road King, and it didn't handle all that well for me. I spent a lot of time riding the Buell then. Well, I traded it for the Softail, and all of a sudden, the Buell just stayed parked. So long that the brand new battery that I put into it is dead.
Don't think I'll ever understand. For me, it wasn't so much what other people thought about me. It was more like what I thought about them, and why I didn't care what they thought.
As far as being fat, bald, and middle aged? Well, can't do anything about bald, or middle aged. Fat? Don't get it yet.
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 91
Likes: 0
From: Whittaker, MI
I'm 25 years old, 26 in a couple weeks. I love Harleys, always have. I also like sportbikes, but just don't feel the need to go that fast on 2 wheels. If I'm on a motorcycle, I just want to be comfortable and cruise. I'm not out there to race anyone or try to show how fast I can go on my slant bike. That, and I will ALWAYS buy American before foreign. There are some slant bikes I would ride, but just choose not to bother with them because I know I can go get an American machine.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 258
Likes: 0
It seems to me there is allot of young guys getting Harley's but they are mostly rat bikes because they cant afford the outlay of cash for a new bike.
It is cool to see the young guys making the bobers and such cool again.
I think allot of guys still have to prove themselves by going faster in the twisties or fastest off the line etc...
The problem with that is at some point you will get your *** handed to you
I have a Kawasaki 1200 that eats most other bikes and so far all the cars exotic or not
It is set up to go fast.
But it will only win in certain parameters.
After your ego gets fed enough you begin to look for something besides landscape as a blur.
On the sport bike I am always out in front and it has gotten boring.
With the Harley I mostly let the traffic pass me by you just don't have to prove any thing on a Harley. I have had allot of bikes all had their good points but the Harley is just special
and maybe its just because I believe it so, But that is a belief I chose to have
It is cool to see the young guys making the bobers and such cool again.
I think allot of guys still have to prove themselves by going faster in the twisties or fastest off the line etc...
The problem with that is at some point you will get your *** handed to you
I have a Kawasaki 1200 that eats most other bikes and so far all the cars exotic or not
It is set up to go fast.
But it will only win in certain parameters.
After your ego gets fed enough you begin to look for something besides landscape as a blur.
On the sport bike I am always out in front and it has gotten boring.
With the Harley I mostly let the traffic pass me by you just don't have to prove any thing on a Harley. I have had allot of bikes all had their good points but the Harley is just special
and maybe its just because I believe it so, But that is a belief I chose to have
6th Gear
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
From: SE Texas / SW Louisiana
I'm 22 and have a 2004 Roadking Custom (my first bike). I love it too! I'd like to get a sportbike to play around with one day though. Guess I'm doing it in the wrong order?!
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Road Captain
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 566
Likes: 3
From:
Yeah, bacause Harleys are really rare, right? If I'm not mistaken they recently surpassed Honda sales in the heavy-weight market. So again, really rare...
Tourer
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 344
Likes: 0
I think a lot of people forget the the allure of Harley is also the price, in that every Tom, Dick, and Harry, aren't and can't ride one due to the cost.
The price is also that makes it something a little more special in my opinion. Lose that, and you might lose a lot more customers.
The price is also that makes it something a little more special in my opinion. Lose that, and you might lose a lot more customers.