I've met some wonderful people over the years, a lot of the truly wonderful stories I've heard have been from lovely old gents who used to ride many many years ago. I got to chat to a lot of them whilst working as a pacemaker physiologist in Weston Super Mare.... the story of the scrotum , the car bonnet and the policeman will haunt me forever....
And then every now and again you meet the most horrendously rude bikers as I just did yesterday at a Harley Davidson rally in France. I had just turned up at the same campsite, travelling through on my Honda XR125 when I saw a couple of British reg's and decided to have a chat. It turns out this couple were from my town in Bristol and had come down for the rally. I wish I hadn't bothered stopping, they told me that because I didn't have a HD then they didn't really want to talk to me!!! They said how could I understand how it feels to be a 1 percenter if I didn't have a Harley and that they had nothing in common with me. They even said that they had stopped going to one of the local bike nights as they were fed up having Japanese crap being parked next to their bike! And then said that they only bought the newest bikes because anything else was unreliable to travel on...
I bid them a good eve and left them to their thoughts and headed to bed, saddened that fellow bikers were not fellows at all
Anyone else met any like that?
People that you meet...
- Godspeed
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People that you meet...
The Meandering Moustache
Going Big and Riding Small
Honda PCX125 (sports tourer)
Honda Innova ANF125 (Adventure bike)
Going Big and Riding Small
Honda PCX125 (sports tourer)
Honda Innova ANF125 (Adventure bike)
- AlanHolt
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Re: People that you meet...
I laugh at people like that. The all American Harley is now made from parts from all over the globe, including Japan. Only 30% of a Harley is American, 70% is imported.
Current bike is a Yamaha T7
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Re: People that you meet...
Sounds like you had a lucky escape, you could have been stuck for hours listening to their Billox
Open your eyes and you see what is in front of you, open your mind and you see a bigger picture but open your heart and you see a whole new World.
Re: People that you meet...
were they true patched outlaw MCC 1%'s? If so I could imagine a frosty ish reception but to be fair the 1%'s ive met aren't into single brand loyalty and are happy to talk to people.
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Re: People that you meet...
Harleys are that unreliable eh! :whistle:And then said that they only bought the newest bikes because anything else was unreliable to travel on...
Some folks are too thick skinned to get through to.There are plenty of good biker folk to talk to just forget you met these wazzaks (thumbs)
An American mentioned about this the other day and stated they are essentially only built in the US all from foreign parts.AlanHolt wrote:I laugh at people like that. The all American Harley is now made from parts from all over the globe, including Japan. Only 30% of a Harley is American, 70% is imported.
- Godspeed
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Re: People that you meet...
Nope, they said they belonged to the Harley Davidson owners club, but that was it :whistle:FAT MATT wrote:were they true patched outlaw MCC 1%'s? If so I could imagine a frosty ish reception but to be fair the 1%'s ive met aren't into single brand loyalty and are happy to talk to people.
The Meandering Moustache
Going Big and Riding Small
Honda PCX125 (sports tourer)
Honda Innova ANF125 (Adventure bike)
Going Big and Riding Small
Honda PCX125 (sports tourer)
Honda Innova ANF125 (Adventure bike)
Re: People that you meet...
I'm out on my Harley Davidson every weekend riding around the Yorkshire Dales.
I wear the same HG jacket and trousers I used on my RTW ride.
Its fair to say that the riders who don't wave back at me tend to be riding so called Adventure Bikes or Harley riders dressed in the all " Peter Fondle " gear.
Biking has changed and now a days they are cock wobblers on all brands of bikes (thumbs) :whistle:
I wear the same HG jacket and trousers I used on my RTW ride.
Its fair to say that the riders who don't wave back at me tend to be riding so called Adventure Bikes or Harley riders dressed in the all " Peter Fondle " gear.
Biking has changed and now a days they are cock wobblers on all brands of bikes (thumbs) :whistle:
Re: People that you meet...
IMO a large % of members of HOG ( Harley Owners Group ) are weekend riders . They are NOT a MC ( 1% ) by any stretch of the imaginationGodspeed wrote:Nope, they said they belonged to the Harley Davidson owners club, but that was it :whistle:FAT MATT wrote:were they true patched outlaw MCC 1%'s? If so I could imagine a frosty ish reception but to be fair the 1%'s ive met aren't into single brand loyalty and are happy to talk to people.
ps you should have told them . If they want a bike thats more American built than their Harley Davidson they should buy a pre 2009 Honda Goldwing
- boboneleg
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Re: People that you meet...
Jesus Christ, I now need to check that my brother and his wife are not in France :laugh:
To be fair my brother although he's into his Harleys big time he would chat to you no matter what bike you were riding (thumbs)
As someone who owned and rode a Harley for eight years I never got into that 1% business, in fact I have to confess that I have no idea what it's all about.
Feck 'em Chris , carry on your way though France and chat to French bikers, they won't give two hoots what you're riding.
To be fair my brother although he's into his Harleys big time he would chat to you no matter what bike you were riding (thumbs)
As someone who owned and rode a Harley for eight years I never got into that 1% business, in fact I have to confess that I have no idea what it's all about.
Feck 'em Chris , carry on your way though France and chat to French bikers, they won't give two hoots what you're riding.
one-legged adventurer
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Re: People that you meet...
I talk to anyone and over many years have met some really interesting people. The badge on their tank or the size of their engine doesn't bother me. Why? Long ago found out the guy who shows up on something older or not exactly mainstream will ALWAYS have a story to tell. Generally doesn't give a toss about what other people think.Godspeed wrote:I've met some wonderful people over the years, a lot of the truly wonderful stories I've heard have been from lovely old gents who used to ride many many years ago. I got to chat to a lot of them whilst working as a pacemaker physiologist in Weston Super Mare.... the story of the scrotum , the car bonnet and the policeman will haunt me forever....
And then every now and again you meet the most horrendously rude bikers as I just did yesterday at a Harley Davidson rally in France. I had just turned up at the same campsite, travelling through on my Honda XR125 when I saw a couple of British reg's and decided to have a chat. It turns out this couple were from my town in Bristol and had come down for the rally. I wish I hadn't bothered stopping, they told me that because I didn't have a HD then they didn't really want to talk to me!!! They said how could I understand how it feels to be a 1 percenter if I didn't have a Harley and that they had nothing in common with me. They even said that they had stopped going to one of the local bike nights as they were fed up having Japanese crap being parked next to their bike! And then said that they only bought the newest bikes because anything else was unreliable to travel on...
I bid them a good eve and left them to their thoughts and headed to bed, saddened that fellow bikers were not fellows at all
Anyone else met any like that?
The guys on the shiny new machines MAY have a story to tell but it might well be about how they get a new bike every year and couldn't possibly ride anything over 2 years old. The guys on the filthy dirty new machines generally do have a big smile on them and good stories to tell. I have travelled on a 125 and a CD175 and thoroughly enjoyed it and met plenty on similar. Coming back from ABR Ireland with my friend, he was on his Ducati, we picked up a locally registered original 1961 Jawa travelling along with us doing a nice steady 60mph and just increasing the smoke levels on the uphills. Clearly a guy enjoying his bike which was clearly in good order but not a showroom model. I wandered into the middle of a Harley ride out one day and got more waves and nods than one would imagine and compliments on a nice old machine so I am not using a label other than to say some folk no matter what machine you put them on will be an ass.
All you need in France is any kind of bike and a 'bonjour'.
1992 K100LT June 2010 110,000 miles
1984 K100RT July 2013 36,000 miles, 90,000
1983 K100RS Nov 2018 29,000 miles, 58,600 miles
1996 K1100LT Oct 2020 37,990 miles, 48,990 miles
1984 K100 Sprint March 2023 58,000 miles, 62,000 miles
1984 K100RT July 2013 36,000 miles, 90,000
1983 K100RS Nov 2018 29,000 miles, 58,600 miles
1996 K1100LT Oct 2020 37,990 miles, 48,990 miles
1984 K100 Sprint March 2023 58,000 miles, 62,000 miles