For the Over 40 Crowd
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,008
Likes: 8
From: Dogtown, Oakland, CA
... I often wonder if at 16 or 18 or whatever if I would have appreciated my motorcycle as much, not to mention the fact that I may well have killed myself during those years of heavy partying and doing crazy stuff like (fill in the blank, y'all know what I mean!). I do know one thing, I'm making up for lost time and not looking back. I wonder how many kids in their teens nowadays are consumed by the desire to own a Harley, and no other bike is even in their consideration. Just some 5:00 A.M. rambling......
it wasnt a "lifestyle", it was the center of my life.
that's not something you can buy at any dealership.
i know some people put off riding for whatever reason. there is riding, and there are dream bikes. i wouldnt put off one for the other. when you ride, you often run into people who talk about getting a bike someday, or that they used to ride, but for whatever reason dont anymore.
oh well.
Last edited by dogtownmax; Oct 1, 2009 at 01:43 AM.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 3,471
Likes: 5
From: Ocala, FL
Didnt want the HD I have now... but, it's better than NO MOTORCYCLE.
My partner (IE: WIFE) pointed out that there was "no way in hell" I was buying one of those "crotch rockets" and if I did, divorce papers would be waiting for me when I brought it home.
Being a thinking man, I thought "yeah, better try another angle" as I really didnt want to deal with the aftermath.
Ok, so what to get? Ooohhhh... Yamaha FZ1 - sportbike power and handling in a "ride all day" package. "But honey, it's NOT a crotch rocket!". Nice try but no dice.
Ooohhh... that Star Raider looks pretty mean and has horsepower! Ok, maybe I can do the "cruiser" thing after all. Wife says - "Uh, we are not buying that. It's ugly and I've always wanted a Harley."
I start thinking about it as an investment. HD will certainly hold its value better than the YamaStarRaider (which by the way, I now think looks cartoonish compared with the classic HD styling).
Anywho, Mr. Fatbob catches my eye on the website, I get tunnel vision and don't try / ride / look at anything else. I walk in and buy the Fatbob. "Let's get it done" I'm thinking. Harley's a Harley right? WRONG
"Holy crap this thing vibrates a lot" is what I'm thinking as I ride it away from the dealer. So I shrug and say to myself "must be what a Harley is like".
$3k plus in HD and aftermarket parts (seat, pegs, pipes, programming, air cleaner etc etc) and I'm still not really that happy with it. I'm basically convinced I need to spend another $3k to get it to the power and comfort level I'm looking for. Wife says "you're not spending another dime. Why can't you just enjoy what you have? You're lucky that with a 2 1/2 year old daughter, you have a motorcycle at all. Most women wouldnt be as cool."
What do you think she said when I told her I wanted to trade the Fatbob for a bigger bike so we could be more comfortable riding together? (I really feel cramped on the Dyna with a passenger). You dont even want to know what kind of look that comment got me! If looks could kill... lol
So I am in the process of "enjoying what I have". YAY
Not your typical response here!! lol
Signed: HD Hostage (BTW: turning 43 next month. 09 Fatbob is my first HD. Have owned several UJM's over the years and have ridden all different kinds of bikes, including a soft tail custom - but never a Dyna)
blast away fellow members *dons flame proof suit and headgear*
My partner (IE: WIFE) pointed out that there was "no way in hell" I was buying one of those "crotch rockets" and if I did, divorce papers would be waiting for me when I brought it home.
Being a thinking man, I thought "yeah, better try another angle" as I really didnt want to deal with the aftermath.
Ok, so what to get? Ooohhhh... Yamaha FZ1 - sportbike power and handling in a "ride all day" package. "But honey, it's NOT a crotch rocket!". Nice try but no dice.
Ooohhh... that Star Raider looks pretty mean and has horsepower! Ok, maybe I can do the "cruiser" thing after all. Wife says - "Uh, we are not buying that. It's ugly and I've always wanted a Harley."
I start thinking about it as an investment. HD will certainly hold its value better than the YamaStarRaider (which by the way, I now think looks cartoonish compared with the classic HD styling).
Anywho, Mr. Fatbob catches my eye on the website, I get tunnel vision and don't try / ride / look at anything else. I walk in and buy the Fatbob. "Let's get it done" I'm thinking. Harley's a Harley right? WRONG
"Holy crap this thing vibrates a lot" is what I'm thinking as I ride it away from the dealer. So I shrug and say to myself "must be what a Harley is like".
$3k plus in HD and aftermarket parts (seat, pegs, pipes, programming, air cleaner etc etc) and I'm still not really that happy with it. I'm basically convinced I need to spend another $3k to get it to the power and comfort level I'm looking for. Wife says "you're not spending another dime. Why can't you just enjoy what you have? You're lucky that with a 2 1/2 year old daughter, you have a motorcycle at all. Most women wouldnt be as cool."
What do you think she said when I told her I wanted to trade the Fatbob for a bigger bike so we could be more comfortable riding together? (I really feel cramped on the Dyna with a passenger). You dont even want to know what kind of look that comment got me! If looks could kill... lol
So I am in the process of "enjoying what I have". YAY
Not your typical response here!! lol
Signed: HD Hostage (BTW: turning 43 next month. 09 Fatbob is my first HD. Have owned several UJM's over the years and have ridden all different kinds of bikes, including a soft tail custom - but never a Dyna)
blast away fellow members *dons flame proof suit and headgear*
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 3,555
Likes: 119
From: Brockport, NY
Hey Texas, Awesome thread you started on here...
Had a Schwinn Pea Picker when I was 8 y.o., Metalflake Green bike/seat, Tall stick shift and Ape bars, LOL.
Had minibikes, Rupp Enduro (Red), Scrambler (Metallic Green) and Can-Am Dirt Bikes 125cc, 250cc and 370cc. Dad preached me to slow the hell down cuz I was one wild crazy and fast rider eventually busted my right knee which contain 4 surgeries afterwards. Dad took the bike away from me and said, "No more !."
Attended 2 colleges with 2 degrees and landed a good job. Partying and Huffing was my top priority when in the mid 20's. Decided to buy a crotch rocket. Dad found out and screamed the hell out of his lungs like there was a never tomorrow. His point was..."Son, You're supposed to bury me, Not the other way around, Sheeshus !."
Married, Have 2 kids and got divorced. Kids in Elementary/Middle Schools living in Florida with their mom. I'm all alone up here in Brockport, New York.
Life after Divorce: Never thought I was going to ride a bike again after 20 years of I dare to say, "crazy hiatus". Also, This millionaire buddy of mine was going through a divorce too. He took me out for a ride in his pickup truck and said, "Let's go to Harley Davidson store." Looked at motorcycles as we're drooling everywhere, but I didn't have the money to buy at that time. Buddy said, "Pick out a bike you want and just pay me the payments whatever you can afford." He picked out Fat Boy while I got myself Sportster XL 1200C. He wrote a check of $29,000 and we truly had a blast riding starting out in '02.
Buddy remarried, have a son and picked me as a Godfather. 7 years later at age of 45, I'm on my 3rd Harley...Ultra Classic. My buddy's 40 and on his 2nd Harley Street Glide. We still ride together these days.
Thorey
Had a Schwinn Pea Picker when I was 8 y.o., Metalflake Green bike/seat, Tall stick shift and Ape bars, LOL.
Had minibikes, Rupp Enduro (Red), Scrambler (Metallic Green) and Can-Am Dirt Bikes 125cc, 250cc and 370cc. Dad preached me to slow the hell down cuz I was one wild crazy and fast rider eventually busted my right knee which contain 4 surgeries afterwards. Dad took the bike away from me and said, "No more !."
Attended 2 colleges with 2 degrees and landed a good job. Partying and Huffing was my top priority when in the mid 20's. Decided to buy a crotch rocket. Dad found out and screamed the hell out of his lungs like there was a never tomorrow. His point was..."Son, You're supposed to bury me, Not the other way around, Sheeshus !."
Married, Have 2 kids and got divorced. Kids in Elementary/Middle Schools living in Florida with their mom. I'm all alone up here in Brockport, New York.
Life after Divorce: Never thought I was going to ride a bike again after 20 years of I dare to say, "crazy hiatus". Also, This millionaire buddy of mine was going through a divorce too. He took me out for a ride in his pickup truck and said, "Let's go to Harley Davidson store." Looked at motorcycles as we're drooling everywhere, but I didn't have the money to buy at that time. Buddy said, "Pick out a bike you want and just pay me the payments whatever you can afford." He picked out Fat Boy while I got myself Sportster XL 1200C. He wrote a check of $29,000 and we truly had a blast riding starting out in '02.
Buddy remarried, have a son and picked me as a Godfather. 7 years later at age of 45, I'm on my 3rd Harley...Ultra Classic. My buddy's 40 and on his 2nd Harley Street Glide. We still ride together these days.
Thorey
Madame Moderator
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 25,140
Likes: 12
From: The Peach State
I've wanted a Harley since I was in the third grade in 1969 when we lived in California and I first heard of the Hell's Angels. A couple of neighborhood friends and I formed our own "gang" and soon were seen cruising the neighborhood on customized Schwinns with three foot sissybars and 16" apes. The playing cards clothespinned to the frame made the perfect drag pipe staccato as we rode en mass up and down the streets. Unfortunately the government (moms) forced the "gang" to disband when we donned our "colors" which consisted of white "James Dean" tee shirts with mean mustachioed biker dudes (complete with helmet and cigarette) drawn in permanent marker. I think it was the swastika we placed on the helmet that forced the government's hand...
My husband had wanted a motorcycle as a teen but his parents had always said no way jose. He took a wild ride on the back of a friend's Honda anyway once and they wiped out in some gravel. Hubby got some nasty abraisions from that and his parents read him the riot act but he still wanted a bike. Thought about getting one while in the Army stationed at Ft. Hood in Texas, but another friend had a bad accident on a bike so again, no bike. We met and married; were poor for what seemed like forever but finally when he's 41 and I'm 40, we got two Sportsters. He had been reading Neal Peart's books based on his travels on his Beemers and got the bug again. I had always said if I didn't have horses, I'd have a Harley. We could finally afford both and it's something we really enjoy doing together. Flesh and blood horses or steel horses, it's all good in my book and good for the soul.
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 826
Likes: 2
From: nw Kansas
I turn 40 in December so i guess i almost qualify ! I grew up with a dad that rode in a MC and he decided the worst thing i could do was ride so i naturally grew up wanting to ride so bad i couldnt stand it ! i worked at a taco shack when i was 16 and saved up enough money to pay cash for a little honda 650 id never ridden before and i paid the guy then waited till noone was around and drove off looking like a total idiot im sure lol!well my dad found out and there was hell to pay so no more honda.I then bought a sportster at 18 but soon after was deployed with the service and while away my girlfriend at the time needed cash so i let her sell it.when i got out i got a honda shadow 1100 but that just never felt right. so this summer i have had some health issues that may mean i little less future in my frontview and i decided i was gonna get a H-D one night i ran across my little 93 dyna low rider and it was a steal ,i know its no shiny new 09 or anything but i love it and have been putting miles on her since day 1 lol and have alot of ideas for this winter to make her just mine!
Advanced
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
From: Hatfield, pa
Nice to hear similar stories.
I am now 43, started riding when I was about 19, on a honda cb350 that cost about 200 bucks.
My mother and father both rode, not sure what, but they used to ride with me on the tank
Not safe, but man it was cool.
At some point my cb350 broke down and a mechanic where I worked gave me a lift. He had a sportster, not sure of the year or anything. I got hooked on the whole experience. The sound, the feel of the shake, the looks from people in cars. A whole different vibe than being on my Honda.
Had that bike for a couple years, then sold it and did the Navy thing. Tried to forget about bikes, same as most... kids, girls, the whole life thing gets in the way. As with most that doesn't last long. Then comes the string of jap bikes because of price. Used they go cheap and just ride. Honda 600, Yamaha maxim 750, Kawasaki, etc.
Anyway, now at 43, after selling my old Yamaha to help start a new business, My girl actually signed the loan for me to get a sportster used that is already customized the way I wanted. ( helps to save $$$)
Gotta say, Love her for it!!
The whole HARLEY experience is a total different feel than riding anything else. Just to cruise, relax, and having kids look at you from cars waving is just cool. I remember doing it, and now it's way cool to be on the other end of it. Kids know, they hear it and feel the motor. Just a great experience.
I am now 43, started riding when I was about 19, on a honda cb350 that cost about 200 bucks.
My mother and father both rode, not sure what, but they used to ride with me on the tank
Not safe, but man it was cool.At some point my cb350 broke down and a mechanic where I worked gave me a lift. He had a sportster, not sure of the year or anything. I got hooked on the whole experience. The sound, the feel of the shake, the looks from people in cars. A whole different vibe than being on my Honda.
Had that bike for a couple years, then sold it and did the Navy thing. Tried to forget about bikes, same as most... kids, girls, the whole life thing gets in the way. As with most that doesn't last long. Then comes the string of jap bikes because of price. Used they go cheap and just ride. Honda 600, Yamaha maxim 750, Kawasaki, etc.
Anyway, now at 43, after selling my old Yamaha to help start a new business, My girl actually signed the loan for me to get a sportster used that is already customized the way I wanted. ( helps to save $$$)
Gotta say, Love her for it!!
The whole HARLEY experience is a total different feel than riding anything else. Just to cruise, relax, and having kids look at you from cars waving is just cool. I remember doing it, and now it's way cool to be on the other end of it. Kids know, they hear it and feel the motor. Just a great experience.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 13,402
Likes: 941
From: Illinois
I'm a slow learner so I was 65 before I bought a new 07 FXSTC. Then I got a 08 Buell Ulysses, 09 XR1200 and a 010 Ultra Classic. I have only sold the 07 per instructions from my wife. She didn't think that I needed four bikes.
If every thing goes right, I should have many more in the coming years.
I believe the XR1200 and the Ultra Classic are the best bikes that HD has ever made.
If every thing goes right, I should have many more in the coming years.
I believe the XR1200 and the Ultra Classic are the best bikes that HD has ever made.
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 92
Likes: 0
From: Temecula CA
I got my first Harley at 40. I had Never ridden before except a moped (25cc) in high school ! I never desired to ride either. As a matter of fact I ended up at a biker bar in 2002-2003 and saw girls riding bikes and thought "there is no way you would catch me dead riding one of those things". I was a very lady-like and proper woman. I thought biker chicks were rough and unfeminine. But I loved my biker bar friends.
Then one of the guys dragged me out on the back of his Dyna. I couldn't believe the feeling- it was so awesome! I never forgot it, and as time wore on I had two alternatives to get that feeling again - date someone who had a bike ( which I had done for a time, but I am too proud to be begging rides off guys) or buy my own bike. I opted to buy one! 2003 883 low Sporty. Since I had never ridden before it took some time to get going and I remember the first time I got out on the highway and hit a curve and realized that if I didnt 'lean' the darn thing I was going over the edge! I learned quick.
My BF at the time rode hard and expected me to keep up. He was relentless and me, being somewhat competative and stubborn refused to whine and rode hard right with him, it would exhaust me because the gear range on an 883 compared to a larger bike was alot shorter. I had to shift harder and throttle harder just to keep up. He was a total jerk about it too but looking back he really taught me how to ride. Being a wimp was not an option - keep up or get lost was his motto.
After 6 mo of riding my 883 with him, I decided I wanted a bigger bike, larger engine. I looked at all bikes but ended up test riding a VRSCA . That ride changed everything! I throttled into 2nd gear and took off past 'jerk' and dusted him, leaned deep into the corners of a right turn and friggin realized that i could RIDE!! The sporter never quite took the right leans well - I always thought it was me - the VRSCA dropped so low and shot through that turn that I felt like I was on a rocket! I was sold!! That next week I searched through the ads and found my black 04 VRSCB...all sexy and sleek and the pipes had been modded so it growled like a bear popping off car alarms.....ever since I have been quite an aggressive and confident rider. I have had some ups and downs in life but I would fight the hell out of anyone if it came down to losing my bike.
Being a single woman, I can't even think about dating a guy that doesn't ride. Just not an option, I mean, what is he going to do while I am out at the poker runs? And sure as hell he is NOT going to sit on the back of my bike. Therefore I can't understand guys that tolerate their wives that aren't supportive of their riding. I think that would be pure hell.
Then one of the guys dragged me out on the back of his Dyna. I couldn't believe the feeling- it was so awesome! I never forgot it, and as time wore on I had two alternatives to get that feeling again - date someone who had a bike ( which I had done for a time, but I am too proud to be begging rides off guys) or buy my own bike. I opted to buy one! 2003 883 low Sporty. Since I had never ridden before it took some time to get going and I remember the first time I got out on the highway and hit a curve and realized that if I didnt 'lean' the darn thing I was going over the edge! I learned quick.
My BF at the time rode hard and expected me to keep up. He was relentless and me, being somewhat competative and stubborn refused to whine and rode hard right with him, it would exhaust me because the gear range on an 883 compared to a larger bike was alot shorter. I had to shift harder and throttle harder just to keep up. He was a total jerk about it too but looking back he really taught me how to ride. Being a wimp was not an option - keep up or get lost was his motto.
After 6 mo of riding my 883 with him, I decided I wanted a bigger bike, larger engine. I looked at all bikes but ended up test riding a VRSCA . That ride changed everything! I throttled into 2nd gear and took off past 'jerk' and dusted him, leaned deep into the corners of a right turn and friggin realized that i could RIDE!! The sporter never quite took the right leans well - I always thought it was me - the VRSCA dropped so low and shot through that turn that I felt like I was on a rocket! I was sold!! That next week I searched through the ads and found my black 04 VRSCB...all sexy and sleek and the pipes had been modded so it growled like a bear popping off car alarms.....ever since I have been quite an aggressive and confident rider. I have had some ups and downs in life but I would fight the hell out of anyone if it came down to losing my bike.
Being a single woman, I can't even think about dating a guy that doesn't ride. Just not an option, I mean, what is he going to do while I am out at the poker runs? And sure as hell he is NOT going to sit on the back of my bike. Therefore I can't understand guys that tolerate their wives that aren't supportive of their riding. I think that would be pure hell.
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 934
Likes: 10
From: Alberta
Got my first bike - not a Harley - in my mid 20s. Bikes were my only source of travel for about eight years and in that time changed in size from a 650, 750 to a 1200. They were all Japanese 'cruisers'. I used to call my Shadow a Honda-Davidson. My wife (girlfriend at the time) was an avid passenger and when we met she even had her own helmet, boots and jacket.
Then life got in the way. House, mortgage, child and a bad accident that made it so my wife could no longer ride on the back.
When I got back from the Sandbox I returned to the riding scene. My son now rides as my passenger (he's 10) and the wife watches longingly from the window as he and I head out.
Overall I guess I fit into the first part where I have ridden for a long time, but could now afford a Harley and prefer the style of riding.
Then life got in the way. House, mortgage, child and a bad accident that made it so my wife could no longer ride on the back.
When I got back from the Sandbox I returned to the riding scene. My son now rides as my passenger (he's 10) and the wife watches longingly from the window as he and I head out.
Overall I guess I fit into the first part where I have ridden for a long time, but could now afford a Harley and prefer the style of riding.
Last edited by Northern Cowboy; Oct 4, 2009 at 07:18 AM.
Club Member
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 13,453
Likes: 0
From: Indianapolis
For those who didn't get their first Harley until they hit 40+.....My experience was somewhat typical. Fell in love with them at about 16, Mom and Dad said no way in hell unless I moved out, the years went by and life got in the way with women and college and jobs and other hobbies and interests. That old spark never died. Now 30 years later everything comes together and I'm living the dream. I often wonder if at 16 or 18 or whatever if I would have appreciated my motorcycle as much, not to mention the fact that I may well have killed myself during those years of heavy partying and doing crazy stuff like (fill in the blank, y'all know what I mean!). I do know one thing, I'm making up for lost time and not looking back. I wonder how many kids in their teens nowadays are consumed by the desire to own a Harley, and no other bike is even in their consideration. Just some 5:00 A.M. rambling......