I pretty much agree with everything you say, and I am old too and have been riding for many years too. So I'd just like to add, "get over yourself."

I own a Honda and a Harley and I can tell you right now, since this is the very first post/troll you've made, that this board is much more GW friendly, than any GW, BMW or other generic bike board out here on the wild wild internet.

>>> I don't ride a HD anymore because I need more reliability and access to cheaper parts.

This statements a lot of "doo-doo" because the HD parts are much more reasonable that Honda parts. A side cover for my Valkyrie is $275. It's a small piece of plastic!

Like I said, get over yourself, stick around and get to know this board and you'll find out.

Congrats for being old and still able to ride.

 

Dude... first post and you are ripping my thread? It's a joke man ... You want good tips? you came to the right site .. You want satire? you came to the right site ...

 

I can agree with that.

I'm kind of amazed (in a disappointing manner) at the division people can make within a group. Granted, there is usually "fanboy-ism" within any category out there...but I have to say, it seems much stronger now than I recall it. Maybe because I'm returning to bikes after a long time..and we have the internet now, and forums...where people are all 6 foot 250 pound marines behind their keyboards and just like to nay-say anything to start an argument, of make themselves feel better by looking down their noses at almost anything else but theirs.

I was lightly into bikes a long time ago, then got into boats for the past few decades. The only division I recall within the boating community was motor vs sail..but even then it wasn't such a big division. Any boater would help out any other boater, and either side could just appreciate being out on the water, no matter what they were on. Water was a common denominator. People are the other common denominator.

With bikes...IMO it should be the same. The common denominator is 2 wheels and open. And people!

2 weeks ago my wife and I were out for a ride on that lovely 60something degree autumn day, we're cruising down a backroad that led from the beach community we went through, leading back towards our town. Joining behind me from a sideroad was another bike..following me for about another 2 miles of fun twisties before we enter the back of town and approach a stoplight. He comes up sorta next to me, we glance at each other...he says "Nice day for a ride isn't it?" I forget what my wife said to him..something pleasant and giggly I'm sure, but I nodded..with a grin...and said to him "Nice ride". He was riding a nice BMW bike...an older R100 model.

According to some people I shouldn't wave because I'm on a Harley and he's not?

One of my buddies was instrumental is getting me back into riding, 2 years ago he bought some Yamaha yzf600....a sport bike. So I shouldn't ride or even be see with him since I have a Harley?

Even more disturbing is the division and non-acceptance within the Harley community itself...if a guy rides a "Sportster"...he's prone to stabbing comments like "Hey...my wife has a bike like that!" <group laughter pointing at the guy>

Or us Dyna riders deal with comments from SoftTail crowd of "Your bike looks like a Honda!"

The division even breaks down to what options you have on your bike....
Reading through a recent thread about windshields, one comment likened touring bikes to something like "It's a convertible wobbly cage".

Meh, to me...it's about the person, not the bike..the bike is secondary in importance..the person is first. I'll sit and have a beer and chat with anyone...no matter what they rode in on.

 

Honda GW? Not 4 me. Way too bulky. I'll go with a Street Glide if I want a bagger thanks...possibly even a BMW. But, the only 2 guys to ever seriously rip on my Harley right to my face were both riding Honda Goldwings. Not sure if that means anything but both times I just looked at them and laughed.

 

I came on here and posted a legitimate post not trying to knock any one then I get flamed to"Get over yourself" Man where did that come from. And yes the parts on my 84 Goldwing are much cheaper then HD parts or a newer Honda for that matter Very few electronics. E bay is full of stuff. I can tell you this and some didn't get it..You ride and you ride what you want. Thats it. Why knock a person for what they ride if its a HD fine if its a foreign Bike Fine..I could care less. I have never placed anyone in some category by what they ride. My first sentence about the Fords and Chevy deal should have proved that. I will say that yes.. some of the postings were correct about all of that electronic junk on a bike but heck I have run into some dressers that had just as much. Heck but they have it because they want it. Even though I chuckle to myself about some of the stuff.Whats wrong with that? It's a free Country.

I spent 25 years as a Grunt in the Army and had time in combat in Four countries. I am WAY WAY over myself. I ride proudly with my state PGR group and have never got a negative comment from any HD rider or have never heard one from them about my wing or anyone else s.

Come on guys why the flames and Troll calling? My intent was to explain there are folks that are Riders and there are folks That Ride. No matter how its done and what ever its done on it's still riding. Myself I have had my bike for quite awhile and its like a buddy. I know it inside out and it has never failed me. I take care of it it takes care of me. To be honest I nearly bought a Glide before I came by this bike
The only reason I didn't get it was the Shock travel on the glide.No other reason at all. I needed a little more travel then what was available. HD is a good Bike there is nothing wrong with them it was just not what I needed for what I wanted to do.

Heck when I do go on the local trips with HD Riders The topic never comes up about Bikes its always about where we are going Time schedules and so on. Man come on guys You like HD's then hell ride them. You are not wrong in the least. Neither is that guy or gal out there riding something else.

 

I took my uncles Goldwing out for a poker run because he insisted. I spent the whole day gettin blown around by the huge bodywork and revvin the guts out of it to get around cars on the interstate. By the end of the day I was so happy to return it I couldnt explain the relief. Mushy suspension, vague handling,poor aerodynamics,no power. Not for me. I would go for a Victory before I ride another Goldwing. I have no problem with anybody who likes them.

 

Don't worry about it .... welcome to HD Forums .. this is a great site .... but you got to embrace the sarcasm ...

 

The one thing I noticed about the few guys I know or knew that rode GW's is they were loyal to thier bikes. That's enough to give them respect alone. I would never own one, but it is what it is.

 

i rode with a guy who has a honda shadow. about 8 yrs old. 1100cc. he likes the honda and plans eventually to get a GW. not sure, but i think he is concerned about reliability.

so yesterday i asked if he wanted to go riding. he said his bike was in the shop getting some new pipes, the baffle on the old ones was rattling.

so i said, lets ride anyway and that he could ride my daughters sportster.

so we leave and go to franks. frank was cutting his grass with a honda lawnmover. told john that he could ride that if he felt better on a honda.

frank went to get on his boots. john started cutting the grass. never took his helmet off. shoulda got a picture.

after riding for awhile john mentioned that the sportster was heavier than his honda. i didn't have the heart to tell him that metal weighs more than plastic.

yeh we have fun ribbing each other.

the other day we passed a honda dealer with a number of new bikes parked out front. john said 'see those bikes there, they are not in for maintenance, they are actually for sale'.

bikes are cool - don't care what kinda.

ducati's are really neat, put out some awesome power, bmw's are great for bad cross country riding conditions. just depends on what you like.

 

Post number 1. "I been riding forever, BSA when you guys werre in diapers... blah blah blah.. Honda this, parts are cheaper, and how many miles that, and Trailering Harleys and blah blah blah..." then Post number 2: I been in the Army and PGR and blah blah blah.. why you guys telling me to get over myself?"

Oh man,,, stop throwing the bait.. I might bite! Really, this is the last place in t world where they beat up on other bikes.. it ain't like the GWRAA or the Valkyrie or the GW1800 forum where every other thread is anti-HD.

We actually talk about riding most of the time here. ...well, except when we talk about tassles, fingerless gloves and assless chaps.