and hell no I'm not vain
This is just wrong...
Road Master
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 822
Likes: 4
From: Huntsville, AL
Now i would have laughed at the guy, believe me! He could have done what me and the wife did. Go in, talk to our friend who works there, have her point us out to the best salesman, talk to him. Give him all our info, show him the bikes we want, then wait for the next 5 hours while they do all the trade and finance paperwork! That gave us plenty of time to shop for over priced clothes. (thankfully she nor i bought any, the bikes cost enough!!) But, it did give me a chance to go set in the lounge and watch some of the people coming in and out. Yeah, im a people watcher, and there is no better place to do it at than a stealership! I have never in my life seen the variety of people! From all walks of life, the "rubs", the committed lifestyle biker, the weekender, the old schoolers (you can tell those because they flat out ignore everything else in the store and walk straight to the parts counter with a slip of paper, and tell the parts clerk EXACTLY what parts they need, no such thing as having to look it up in a book). I dont know where i fall into these categories, and i really dont care, but its amazing how few frowns you see when people are around bikes. Been riding for a decade, and i realize the saying is true...Life is better on two wheels. Go figure huh?
Last Nov. I bought this bike: it was after searching Craigslist and the papers, but it was the SECOND one I looked at. Impulse? Hardly.
Talked down to 12k, pristine, with only 4300 miles on it and clean paper. I only had to buy about $800 in parts to make it mine and I'm done. It even had fresh syn in the boxes.
I allready had my jacket and chaps.
Talked down to 12k, pristine, with only 4300 miles on it and clean paper. I only had to buy about $800 in parts to make it mine and I'm done. It even had fresh syn in the boxes.
I allready had my jacket and chaps.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 11,068
Likes: 1,477
From: Texas! Ya mean there's someplace else?
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 7,950
Likes: 4
My favorite time at the parts counter.... I was having one of the employees get me a couple gaskets I needed.... up walks a short clean cut fellow looking at helmets and picking out some cool 'rider' gear for his new bike. He was wearing a looney tunes sweatshirt.... Yup looney tunes....
6th Gear
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
well Im certainly not one of those fashion show riders. Quite the opposite in fact. I usually wear a full face helmet, as I do a lot of highway riding with no windscreen and I dont care for the taste of bugs. Some folks just put far to much effort into appearances, and the dealers just love it.... im good with my old work boots, some cheap mechanics gloves, and a $5 pair of gas station sunglasses
Road Warrior
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 1,909
Likes: 4
From: Kalifornia
I'm always amused when these threads pop up making fun of the guy buying Harley branded stuff. I'll wager that most everyone here to one degree or another is saying "hey look at me". Nobody seems to poke fun at the threads asking about novelty helmets because "oh goodness, those other helmets make me look like a mushroom head". Actually, the very fact you're riding a Harley is to some extent saying "hey look at me". I see a lot of posts about this and that modification, pipes, chrome and paint jobs, all crying out "hey look at me". I notice the pictures of guys with tattoos, unkempt hair and beards, wearing sleeveless shirts or a vest with no shirt, doo rags, a bandanna wrapped around their head, ear rings and other items, all designed to project the bad boy biker image "hey look at me". When you bought your sunglasses you slipped them on and said these feel pretty good, then you looked in the mirror to see if they looked cool on you. Heck, you probably tried on several pairs and every time you looked in the mirror which was unnecessary if the glasses felt good. Face it, we're humans, its what we do. You probably should thank the guy buying all the Harley branded gear, he's helping keep the dealer and the MoCo afloat.
Me? Yeah, I'm 72 years old and I enjoy the looks and questions from other old dudes that wish they were riding a Harley. I'm usually clean shaved and wear my hair short and don't wear earrings and such but I wear Harley T-shirts and a vest with a Harley emblem on the back. I'm beyond trying to look like a bad boy (it's hard to project that image when you're buying Geritol and Centrum Silver). I'll wager that a lot of us bought a Harley as much for the image and lifestyle as for the bike itself. Instead of laughing at the guy buying the bike and Harley gear you probably should have went over and congratulated him for buying a Harley and the parts guy should have thanked him for a bit of job security.
Me? Yeah, I'm 72 years old and I enjoy the looks and questions from other old dudes that wish they were riding a Harley. I'm usually clean shaved and wear my hair short and don't wear earrings and such but I wear Harley T-shirts and a vest with a Harley emblem on the back. I'm beyond trying to look like a bad boy (it's hard to project that image when you're buying Geritol and Centrum Silver). I'll wager that a lot of us bought a Harley as much for the image and lifestyle as for the bike itself. Instead of laughing at the guy buying the bike and Harley gear you probably should have went over and congratulated him for buying a Harley and the parts guy should have thanked him for a bit of job security.
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Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 13,389
Likes: 26
From: Windham,Maine
Mother and I always enjoyed window shopping at a dealership.Always good people around,great smells,good looking iron,enjoy talking with the techs.Like a night out,what's wrong with that.Life is too short not to enjoy every minute of it.
well Im certainly not one of those fashion show riders. Quite the opposite in fact. I usually wear a full face helmet, as I do a lot of highway riding with no windscreen and I dont care for the taste of bugs. Some folks just put far to much effort into appearances, and the dealers just love it.... im good with my old work boots, some cheap mechanics gloves, and a $5 pair of gas station sunglasses