Are stereotypes valid?
 

To start with, I'm posting this because I got asked about Harley stereotypes on another thread and I got to thinking.

For a stereotype to be lasting it has to get embedded into public consciousness. It can be negative or positive depending upon the individual at the receiving end. If you're a young African American with no rhythm and no singing voice, you'll view the stereotype in a negative manner. If you're an Asian kid who sucks at math, you'll also get it. If you're a Harley rider who doesn't believe that "loud pipes save lives" you might feel that the stereotype is negative.

For a stereotype to be somewhat valid, it has to fit more than a minority of individuals; it probably should fit over half of the group. If over half of Harley riders have loud pipes, the stereotype fits. With this in mind, I'd like to offer a set of HD owner stereotypes.

Please don't get offended if you are one of those folks who fit into the first paragraph. And please think of all the HD riders you know and how they are.

The stereotype:

No helmet law= no helmet. Helmet law= toy helmet including the creepy German ones.

Clothing: Black leather or denim with bandanas/do rags & dark glasses. Sometimes assless chaps. HD logo on just about everything.

Pipes: as noisy as you can get away but always when asked, you play the safety card and sometimes even believe it.

Riding: the bar/restaurant is more important than the road travelled. Throttle blips at red lights are mandatory. Groups always ride well under the speed limit especially on twisty roads so traffic is backed up following them.

Sportbikes or almost any bike faster than a Harley= crotch rocket, rice rocket, disposable.

Never talk horsepower because torque is what counts.

If someone mentions that Harley technology is 30 years behind the times they "just don't get it."

Believe that apehangers and pipes with little fins actually look cool.

Willing to spend thousands of dollars to boost horsepower to that of a basic 600cc sportbike.

I wear size 16 shoe,and that stereotype is 100% true.:D

So you mean you have small hands... big deal. Not something I'd brag about personally :icon_lolsign:

My stereotype is usually a Bose although I can also be found with the occasional Yamaha. Uh-oh, did I just say Yamaha? I don't really want anyone to see me when I'm playing with one though. Generally, I never generalize, but...... just this one time. Although there was that OTHER time too. Once.

I like listening to the stereo while typing. I also like stereos that type.

I love women with tiny hands though. They make my schlong look bigger.

I love the posts sometimes in the general forum. What are you trying to get at? Oh wait, Canadian...so instead of black leather you just wear all denim, you've probably asked if, in a jam, you could use maple syrup in your oil bag instead of synthetic and Eh!?

Now that's stereotyping.

Do you own a Harley? What is your point?

There are threads on here today with caring, well thought out, compassionate replies that don't fit your asinine stereotypes. I am not going to list them out of respect for the OP's suffering. Many fine people on this Forum.


If you are sure loud pipes don't save lives, I doubt you have ever ridden a bike with loud pipes. Not being seen or heard is dangerous. Anything that helps people see or hear you helps. If you want to argue that it isn't worth how annoying the loud pipes are, that is a valid argument. Saying they don't announce your presence better is stupid. Like this thread.:icon_tongue:

Is what they say about trolls true ?

I haven't read the original post in this thread, but perhaps someone can tell me....did a non- Harley-Davidson rider get his feelings hurt ?

There is no valid stereotype. Each one that you have labeled has more variation within the group than between groups.

So the stereotype that a troll poster is an ignorant inbred mutated moron is not valid. So aren't you happy now?:icon_crackup: