I have two buds that ride the big Harleys. We go on extended trips twice a year or so.
Every time we hit the road, 350 miles into it, I say lets get a room and they say, Hell man I thought we were going on a ride.
They are comfortable mile muchers and with the right rider do "ok" in the twisties.

What ever blows your dress up.

David

Funny how I told this story to convey how I felt that I was the "oddball", and the majority of the posts are encouraging me to appreciate thier type of riding.

Please don't think I don't appreciate thier bikes or dedication to the ride, that is not the case at all. Just this morning it was about 22 degrees and I took my cage to work and passed a cruiser on the road. I have many friends that have cruisers and some are real hard core riders.

I will say that riding a metric bike may not get the respect it deserves (at least in the area where I live) and I was pleasently surprised that these guys were not like that.

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'08 Wee

The hard-core Harley owners I know have the least respect for metric cruisers.

If you ride to earn the respect of others, you may be interested in this:


Posers

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Stromin'Nroman NC28729, USA

DL650A K7 (Greywolf Moto Lab's R&D test mule) June 1, 2012 - present
DL650A K7 April 23, 2007 - January 6, 2012, RIP

"Look here brother, who you jivin' with that cosmik debris?" Frank Zappa, 1975

Thanks for the kind words, Keith!

It's pretty hard not to respect a rider like you that will hop on your bike in Florida, Ride 1,000++ miles to the greater Toronto Area in Canada; all to attend a Sunday ride with a bunch of Canadians!

..Tom

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Road Toads Charter Member - 2006 V-Strom DL650: 202,000 km 125,500 miles, 2012 DL650 New March 2012 50,000 km


Why Cars don't see bikes (SMIDSY)
SMIDSY detailed report

I think it was two, maybe three years ago on a nice sunny day in February where I was riding home from work. The roads were all dry but the fields were largely snow covered still. At a junction at a backroad I saw a Harley and rider sitting there as I passed. It was the first rider I saw that season. I went back to see that he was all right and chatted for a bit. He said everything was okay.. he was just out riding and stopped to admire the nice crisp day and take in the scenery. It was a bit of a Zen moment for him I'm sure.

I'm sure this February and March the first bikes I see will be Cruisers.

..Tom

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Road Toads Charter Member - 2006 V-Strom DL650: 202,000 km 125,500 miles, 2012 DL650 New March 2012 50,000 km


Why Cars don't see bikes (SMIDSY)
SMIDSY detailed report

I wasn't trying to tell you to respect them. I was saying many of them may have started like my dad, on a little Honda or similar way back when so, in turn, perhaps they respect all things 2-wheeled.

I definitely have received the 2 fingers down hello from a line of loud cruisers and I was impressed and flattered.

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Wherever you go, there you are.

Sorry... I guess our responses kind of lined up the wrong way. I'm just reacting to a lot of crap I've been reading on web sites that flame Harley riders. Some of them deserve to be flamed for sure, but the hardest riders I've met to date were Harley riders. I met this woman who rode with a women's bike club in CA. She just did 3000 miles in 3 days on her road king with her club and didn't think anything about it.

No worries, getting respect from HD riders is probably easier than being a nOOb on an internet forum

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'08 Wee

I don't think anyone is telling you to appreciate their type of riding or even remotely getting on your case.

A lot of times we think the guy on the other bike isn't going to talk to us so we don't talk to them. Often they are thinking the same thing. Most walls between people are in our own minds. When a conversaton starts we often realize we have a lot in common and I think your story illustrates that.

..Tom

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Road Toads Charter Member - 2006 V-Strom DL650: 202,000 km 125,500 miles, 2012 DL650 New March 2012 50,000 km


Why Cars don't see bikes (SMIDSY)
SMIDSY detailed report

So, there having been, and being so many threads devoted to this sort of discussion, why is that so many riders seem to desire the respect and acknowledgement from the Harley bunch? Why is Harley approval so upheld as the standard among other riders? Why does it matter so much and why is there so much angst at them not waving back or whatever? Just wondering.

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'09 DL650