Right on Bubba! I've had my new Ultra for 2 months. I had my 1000 mile service 1 week after I got it and currently have 3000 miles on it. I've slowed down a bit because I just don't enjoy it very much when it's 110 degrees outside (go figure). My wife and I are leaving for Sturgis in a month and everybody I talk to says "You're riding the bike the whole way? Why don't you put it in your trailer and take it up there? You guys are insane!" They just don't get it. We bought a Touring bike so we could tour on it, not put it in a trailer and take it places. We've made the trip from AZ to northern CO a dozen times in the last twenty years. We always went in the cage and always took the Interstate because we had the kids. Well now the kids are about grown and we are going to Sturgis without them! Woohoo! We are taking the scoot, and if we ride more than 100 miles on the Interstate I'll be surprised. We are looking forward to the ride there as much or more as actually being there. I can envision circumstances where I would trailer the bike somewhere, but never as a first choice. As for posers, I'd be willing to bet that there are more HD owners and wannabe HD owners posing as bikers than any other brand owners for the simple fact that there is not the same perceived prestige in owning anything else. For the true enthusiast, there is nothing better than the bike they have chosen regardless of brand name.

Steve

 

My neighbor (rides a VTX) said he'd quit ridin' with me if I bought a trailer. I mentioned borrowing a trailer for Myrtle Beach last month and he told me to change hotels also. We rode. 15 hours up.

 

first of all, i would like to say hello to everyone. second, i would like to share a little story. i really don't consider myself a biker, i like to think of myself as more of a rider due to the facts that i am soon to be on my 5th bike overall, 3rd HD and my current bike is an 02 flstci wich just turned 30,000 miles. my 05 flhtci should be here any day. anyway, this last april the wife and i were heading home from laughlin which is a little over 400 miles from our home. not a bad days ride. as any biker/rider knows the roads get pretty cluttered w/ bikes during major rallies. so, as we were starting out there must have been hundreds of bikes, trucks, trailers and motorhomes congesting the road, but 3 bikes stood out in particular. they were 3 guys w/ brand new bikes and all the brand new gear. my first thought was "these guys are obviously buddies and most likely they went out and bought bikes together, more power to em". i usuallly try not to pass judgement because i was once a newbie. as the miles went on i noticed that these guys seemed to have a bit of an attitude. they were very inconsiderate riders. they were cuttiing in and out of traffic, pulling up next to people, revving their motors, speeding up and slowing down. just being real pains in the butt! i didn't gas up before i left so after about 75 miles i needed fuel. of course the same 3 guys needed fuel also. the gas station was packed w/ bikes. once again, as any biker/rider knows when waiting in line you just simply turn off the motor and wait your turn. not these guys, they were revving their engines, pulling up very close to other bikes appearing as if they would jump at the opportunity to cut in line. once again, very inconsiderate guys with attitudes. i am actually shocked that they did not get their butts beat. once i gassed up we hit the road again. after a few miles here come the 3 pains in the butt again. they were doing their same routine, in and out, revving engines, just being inconsiderate and rude. finally after about 50-60 miles traffic freed up a bit. the 3 guys turned it up a notch and broke free. i wanted to do the same, but i decided to let these guys get some distance between us so the wife and i could relax and enjoy the remaining 250 miles or so. as we were cruising along for another 50 miles my wife tapped me and pointed to the side of the highway and the same 3 guys are loading their bikes onto trailers! WHAT A FRIGGIN JOKE! anyway, i have absolutely no idea when a bike, t-shirt and leather made someone a badass, toughguy or king of the road. so, stories like this one remind me to "let it go" and simply accept that these wannabe's, rubs or whatever are not going away and probably never will. in no way am i trying to preach or put anyone down. i just wanted to share the kind of story that makes me chuckle inside and keep on racking up the miles!

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Great story. Thanks. Art

 

What is a 'RUB'? I hope I am not one.
I have been RIDING an '04 Duece since May of 2004 (1st scoot). Just turned 7600mi.
No long trips but ride as much as I can. I definately do NOT fit the biker image on the outside.
I spend my days chained to a desk - mouse in hand. (lots of time spent on this site)
Would rather be on the road.

 

Why do so many peolpe have to qualify themselfs by how many miles they ride in a year? Who cares. If a guy buys a bike with his own hard earned money and only rides a few miles a week and has the time of his life, this disqualifies him from being a biker? Maybe he works a lot or has many other hobbies. So a guy buys a HD that sits in his garage so he can tell his friends he owns one. Big deal. If it makes him happy then great for him. Who the hell is he hurting..no one. It seems like everybody is so quick to judge a person on how many miles in the saddle. I don't even care if a guy trailers his bike 30 miles as long as he doesn't have an attitude. Maybe he doesn't feel comfortable riding on the highway but wants to be a part of an event. I say let a person be happy with their choices without others judging them. As far as jerks with attitudes, well just F@*% them.

...mike

 

Posers, RUBs, MIR's, MIRR's, WTF????
Let's see.... I have only been riding for 33+ years so I really don't have a clue of what is going on... No I haven't done any Iron Butt rides, really don't want to... My dad has several Iron Butt patches, but now says in hindsight he wished he hadn't and instead slowed down a little and enjoy the ride and scenary... When I was just a young pup, the old salty rider friends of my dad would always get into an argument about if they were bike riders, bikers or riders... To me it really doesn't matter, although I call myself a Rider... In years past the acronym MIR and MIRR was slung around (middle income rider, median income rider, middle income redneck rider,...)
I still don't know why folks get so hung up with who is what and what that means... I really DGAS... I ride 'cause I love to ride, that's it...

 

For me, it's all about the bike and riding in the sunshine. I don't even own a HD t-shirt! I bought a WCC shirt BEFORE the Discovery Channel made Jesse James a star. I bought the shirt because it was cool and his bikes are really cool. I don't look like a biker in any way shape or form. I have short hair, tattoos that are not visible, I wear a suit to work and I sit on my *** all day in my air conditioned office. When I ride, I wear jeans, my Doc Martins, and if it's cold, a sweatshirt. If it's hot outside, I wear short sleeves.

I don't wear gloves, bandanas, chaps nor do I sport a beard. My passion is for the bike.....riding all day and night, scraping bugs off my sunglasses, just being alone with my thoughts. For some, it may be an image they're trying to achieve, a lifestyle they wish they could live. I don't try to be anything I'm not.

I'm a RUB, and damn proud of it! I've itched for a HD ever since I was six years old and just a few months ago, I was finally able to achieve that life-long dream when I found a custom bike an old salt was willing to part with on the cheap.

 

 

I never owned anything with HD on it until I actually owned one. Around where I live there are is this unwriitten law that if you wear the stuff you better have a Harley. They call these guys would be's or wanna be's . I carry my key and a pic of my ride so as to prove to the real bikers I actually own one . I guess it varies where you live but they reallyu ride these guy's buts who are pretenders . I wear the Tshirt and hat but never until I owned one . Just kind of what I have been told . But I ride mine whenever I can I know too many people who own them and keep them in the garage to impress there friends and maybe they may ride down to the local bar once a week . I bought mine to ride it .