The wave isn't about liking each other's bike, or style, or anything like that. It's about acknowledging that were both out here, enjoying the ride. It's just wishing each other a safe ride, 2 wheels down, get there safe, have fun.
Right on brother, we’re all just enjoying the ride at the end of the day right, being courteous to your fellow drivers and having a good time is what it’s about.
Harley rider here. I always wave and I would never, under any circumstances, drink while I'm on the bike. Ever. Period. Drinking and then getting on a bike will always be a terrible decision. There's no excuse for it.
Good luck brother, life is better clean/sober (37 years) and when you are my age you’ll still be riding bro ..(50 yrs/still going cross country) @@UnderestimatedA1
I don't ride with out a helmet, in my state it's the law. When I go somewhere you can, I still wear a helmet. Kinda like the seat belt law, just got use to, so I always buckle up,. Now I do get friends trying to get me to wear a better helmet. Mine is dot, but the , a beanie style. Hell I admire the nuts I see dodging the pot hole with those tiny wheels. Keep your knees in the wind.
I ride a Harley , and will frequently see Harley riders not waving back to me. Always, a full bagger, riding in group, no helmet, and no wave. I love riding my Harley, but often don’t care for the typical Harley rider. 🤷♂️
I am a Harley owner and rider . I choose to wear gear when I ride . I also respect all motorcycles and riders and always acknowledge them. For Me it’s all about riding and the freedom that comes with it. Everyone ride safe
Im 55, just bought a 2015 Katana, riders have waved to me, I dont have the skill to take my hand off yet, but once that comes I will initiate the wave. Ride safe and have fun.
Rode a Harley, got sucked up in the Harley culture and HOG group think, had an intervention and detox, switched to a BMW, much, much happier. Life after Harley is so plesent.
Back in July of this year, 2023, I was on the I-33 going around Marysville, OH (A lot of good American built Honda Motorcycles use to be built in Marysville) and noticed a decent group of about 13 bikes coming up around me. As they passed me I noticed darn near every bike was a BMW ( 1200 series, K 1600 series mostly and one Honda sport bike ). They all had one thing in common, including the ones with women passengers. Helmets, and armoured clothing and proper boots. I have never owned a BMW, my main bike since 2017 is a Victory Cross Country, however I had a lot of respect for that group.
Harleys are bad motorcycles compared to virtually every other motorcycle available in the American market. Harley riders are doomed to idiocy/image-seeking from the start.
I have not felt any hate toward or from Harley riders. I ride a Honda and wave at everyone with the exception that I am engaged in a situation that needs full attention. I'd rather be rude than have a mishap. Safe riding to everyone. Thanks for a great video.
I grew up on sports bikes. I ride a Harley now, and I always wave at everyone when I see them and not working the clutch; heck, I even gave the two down wave to a young lady on a scooter the other day. I figured she is in the beginning stages of her motorized two wheel journey, and I wanted to encourage her.
I ride a Harley and have owned 4 other bikes from different manufacturers. All riders get the same feeling as me. I do not recommend to anyone, what bike to buy or ride. We all our grown and have our own preference.
Exactly. I agree with you, Ride your own bike and don’t worry about anybody else is doing as far as Harley riders. That’s a bunch of bullshit doesn’t matter what kind of motorcycle you’re on as far as waving to people I’m tired of lifting my left hand up to wave all the damn time.
The next subject he talks about is revving your motor up. We all do it if you’re cool about riding your Harley you don’t need to rev your engine you get more respect from not being obnoxious and revving your engine and people just look at you as a punk ass, and no not everybody does it not everybody weaves in and out of traffic not everybody needs to show off it’s like why would you do a podcast with rifles and guns in your backdrop that’s just a sign of insecurity more so than popularity or trying to be a tough guyI said it bothers me these people get on here and they don’t know what the hell they’re talking about and on the first person to call somebody out I don’t have a problem with that
Been riding over 50 years. All makes and models. These days it’s a KLR. I wave at everyone. Whether it’s reciprocated or not, I enjoy the ride. As far as gear I wear it all the time. Had I not had my helmet on in 2008 I wouldn’t have survived. As it was it left me temporarily paralyzed. To each their own. Ride smart and be safe.
Dutch biker here. About riding...sometimes i wave, sometimes i don't. Sometimes i wear gear, sometimes i don't. Sometimes i do all the things mentioned, sometimes i don't. Most of the times i just enjoy life when i get on my bike. Currently hating winter and desperatly waiting for spring. Stay safe ya'll.
Absolutely, l have a helmet and leather jacket and sometimes helmet/jacket stays home. Different day and a different attitude. Riding the bike is always therapeutic for me.
As a person who doesn't ride a motorcycle, I don't hate HD riders....but....pretty much every time I encounter someone on a motorcycle who's gone out of their way to be obnoxiously loud, that person is riding a HD. In the video this is chalked up to possible jealousy but for people who don't ride and are just going about their lives, no, it isn't jealousy. At all. I think the feeling of people like me is "If you want to ride a motorcycle that's awesome, you should absolutely do it. If you want to wear no protective gear, well, that wouldn't be my choice but you do you, that's also awesome. But respect goes both ways and when you blast your engine just for the sake of blasting your engine, you're basically screaming at me, and that's not cool at all."
I can certainly understand why you feel the way you do. Not speaking of your reasons, but there are also a lot of nervous drivers on the road that really just get surprised and scared by sudden loud sounds, so I can see how this could be viewed as annoying. I am not sure what you mean by "going out of their way to be obnoxiously loud," but obviously there is a minority of obnoxious people in ever group of every kind of people, not just bikers; however, as a Harley rider with fairly loud pipes, I do know that most of us are NOT doing it to be obnoxious. It is more of a safety issue for most of us. Think of how many times you might have heard a motorcycle beside you before you seen them. We have cars come over in our lanes and risk running us off the road all the time. The first thing a car driver says is "I did not know you were there." Bikes are much smaller than cars, and they tend to get lost in the side view mirrors and blind spots quit easily. We rev our pipes up in an attempt to help drivers identify that we are there. I know whenever I am rolling up to a stop in traffic beside other vehicles, I will rev my pipes loud enough to warn others that I am there so they will not suddenly change lanes and crash into me; but I do try to do this with respect and restraint to keep it to a minimum decibel level.
@@Chris-rg4jx What I meant by "going out of their way to be obnoxiously loud" I mostly meant people who unnecessarily rev their engines at lights in urban areas. Certainly riders on other brands do this, but my experience is that Harleys are the biggest culprits. As an aside, I've seen several motorcycle channels asserting that the belief that "loud pipes save lives" is a myth not born out by science. I have no idea if that's true or not. But if it is true, it seems odd that riders on one particular brand of motorcycle would rev their engines more than others. If it were about safety, you'd also expect people riding the noisiest motorcyces to also wear the most protective gear, no? But if anything the opposite is the case. Regardless, in urban settings it certainly feels like it's not about safety, and is instead similar to people who have massive sound systems in their cars and blast their music for the rest of the world to hear. Both seem about ego and imposition.
@@ArchilochusOfParosI I do know that you experiencing Harley Davidson riders do it more is mathematically reasonable based off the law of average. Since there are more Harley Davidson’s on the roads in the United States than any other make or model of bike, it is reasonable to presume that you will have more interaction with Harley Davidson’s than any of the others. I think most people’s perception of bikers in general comes from Harley riders due to this fact. As for those who make the argument that there is no scientific evidence that loud pipes save lives, we do not always need a scientific study to prove things we are able to comprehend through basic common sense. I feel the scenario I gave above was a pretty valid and reasonable example as to how sound can improve bikers chances of being noticed on the road. Human beings have five “scientifically proven” senses; eyes are just one of those senses. Whenever we stimulate more than one of those senses, we increase the amount of information available to us, thereby increasing our perception of our surroundings. It’s really not rocket science. As to what the actual motives are of “those” who are in denial of this, I cannot say, but too each their own I guess. Live and let live.
@@Chris-rg4jx While it's true that HD has the largest market share of any single motorcycle manufacturer in the US, HD has a minority market share overall at 23.4%. In any case, as I mentioned, if loud engine revving were for safety then I'd expect HD riders to also be the ones wearing the most protective gear but, if anything, protective gear seems to run counter to the general HD ethos. Now, to be fair, while I find HD riders the most annoying group of riders in urban settings, I also find them to be among the best on the highways. While sport bike riders are more likely to speed and weave, HD riders generally hang out peacefully in their lanes. On the highways, HD are some of my favorites.
@@ArchilochusOfParos Fair enough my friend; I do appreciate the respectful conversation. As for the safety gear, I can only speak for myself on this issue. Yes, I am concerned for my safety as noted in our conversation, but I also want to enjoy my ride. Wearing all leather, full face helmets, or other full clothing with body armor is miserable and suffocating in the hot summer months. The heat I feel and the sweat constantly running down my face and body makes the ride totally not enjoyable for me, and if I am not enjoying my ride, why should I ride at all? I do wear all the gear in the cooler parts of the year. Yes, I know it is dangerous not to at all times, but life has risk; we just have to weigh the risk vs. reward, and that conclusion is different for each individual. For the record, I grew up on sport bikes. I mostly had Honda’s, but I owned a Kawasaki and a Suzuki at one time also. I have nothing negative to say about those bikes; I enjoyed and loved them immensely! This is actually my first time owning a Harley and I am loving it every bit as much as my other bikes. I had racing headers put on most of my sports bikes, so they were every bit as loud as my Harley is. My gear back than in summer was tennis shoes and T-shirts; at least I wear boots, gloves, and a leather vest now, so partially a step in the right direction I guess. Take care!
I agree with your views, at 54 years old I just wish everyone would just act like a simple decent human being, I think this world would be much different.
I owned 14 Harleys for over 25 years. I was in an MC. I bought a Kawasaki Concours 14. I ride all year long. I can no longer do the image, polishing chrome, or the old guy midlife crisis anymore. I wanted to enjoy riding something that didn’t cost as much as a car and has modern technology and just wanted to enjoy the ride, by myself.
I sold my HD, kept my 20 yr old metric cruiser, and snagged a Concours. Now I own my 2 favorite forever bikes, one is a rolling recliner, the other a rolling rocket.
Enjoying riding your motorcycle? No way, it's supposed to be about the image and being seen and being heard, and making others think about you what you want them to think about you. As for me, I had a motorcycle when I was 16. My divorced dad took it from me because his live in nut bucket decided she liked it. So I abhor motorcycles, glazed donuts, Siamese cats, catholics, american pony cars, and liver. She had a vaginal yeast infection, and it got into his sinusses. They kept accusing each other of infidelity. Hating HD riders? No way, not if they do their own maintenance.
Nearly the same deal here. Nothing against H-D, but I picked up a lightly used '16 Concours 14 two years ago and found out what a "real bike" actually consists of.
That is correct i have the same , a good rider makes a better driver !, i think it is because that is if you ride your bike you realize that you are more vulnerable !
@@Vapourwear true enough...the closest I feel 50 mph while not on a bike is in a jeep with no doors and that hardly comes close. Inside a car with the windows up, you might as well be playing a video game as well insulated against the weather, noise, wind, and speed.
The day my dad graduated from high school, he bought a brand new 1955 PanHead. When I finished US Navy boot camp, he gave me the bike. It was my only transportation for 15 years, until I left for University in Germany in August 1995. I never felt hated for riding a Harley-Davidson. Often, other riders on other bike brands, would comment on how much they wished they had a classic Harley-Davidson, and how lucky I was to have it.
@@clarson2916 People nowadays, specifically the younger generation, don't know what a normal human interaction is like. Every thing is binary and everything is so serious. A very valid comment would be about motorcycle clubs who for the most part ride Harleys, trying to impose their roleplaying on other road users.
I'm 76, closing in on 77 and just bought a HD, even tho I haven't ridden in a long time. I decided that I needed some adventure in my life hence the bike. I looked at Indians & Triumphs, but Harley is America's bike. I'm excitedly looking forward to riding season (May - September here in Michigan), just need to find someone to ride with (or not). Wish me luck, maybe I'll see you at Sturgis.
I used to not give a shit what other riders wore safety wise until I had a chat with a considered rider at a MC Rally a while back. He pointed out that if some idiot crashes on the boulevard, wearing his tshirt, flipflops and shorts, thats now one less emergency room bed. Then there's the staff, specialists etc when he may have limped away. Now some other human who wasn't being reckless and needs emergency services are being shunted in an ambulance. When I think of freedom, I think about civic duty as well. The only reason we are Free is because of consideration of our selves and our impact on others around us.
It's political. Harley riders tend to be more conservative, metric riders lean more liberal. In these times, that's all that's required for people to hate each other.
1989 FZR600 rider here. Harley guys like to separate themselves from everyone else but lack the skill, knowledge, and courtesy that 90% of other riders do. Harleys are a fashion statement more than anything. It’s the worst feeling getting stuck behind them on mountain roads going 15 below the speed limit.
100%. They don't ride fast enough to compress the suspension in the curves. Though maybe it's because they are distracted because Cartman crapped on their seats.
Your bike was my first new bike I bought in 1990!! I am in my 50s and ride Harley’s and no they are not a fashion statement for many of us it is a way of life. And by the way I would love to have my of FZR again it was a wicked bike👍
I ride a Kawasaki and a Harley-Davidson. I wear full gear every time I ride. I took a 15 mph spill on my Kawasak while back road ADV riding (dirt) a couple weeks ago and that taught me I was right to wear my gear. My jacket and pants saved me from a knee injury and kept my skin intact. I also wear that gear every time I ride my H-D. I don't care if people think I look goofy or I'm not fashionable.
I had a few Harley riders hated on me already. One saying, nice scooter to me like his bike is better than mine, another look at me making fun of my sportbike by acting like he was on a sportbike looking at me. Since then I stopped acknowledging people. We are all motorcycle riders we should respect each other.
Right in the middle of this video I got an ad from Viking Bags showing a girl on a Harley wearing tights, a small tank top, and a half helmet to show off her caterpillar eye lashes.
I ride a 2003 Honda VTX1800R. My Harley buddies are pretty cool, but I’ve seen some of these things. My favorite is my buddies jokingly call mine a "Hardly Davidson." I love it, told em to bring me a badge for my tank.
@@PeterAngles-jq7gr i like both. One day I plan to own a shovelhead. I'll probably put a tiny shovel on it to go with the old joke, "why do they call it a shovelhead? Gotta stop every few miles and shovel up all the pieces that fell off." Both are cool to me, I just love my VTX cause its my 1st bike. Honda is cool. I plan to own a CT125 or the like as well. Cheers!
Don't be hating on mopeds Hegshot! I have two Harleys, but when my wife wants to ride her moped, I hop on mine and ride mine too! And I have to say, they're a lot of fun!
Sometimes, people just miss the wave entirely or they are not comfortable yet removing a hand off their handlebars (me for most of this year). As you do not know the experience of the oncoming rider. With me being a new rider and just about to finish up my first season of riding. I know I have missed the waves entirely by concentrating on the vehicles around me or the other reasons you mentioned. I feel bad for missing the waves every time, and I have shrugged off the times I didn't receive 1 back. Awesome content.
True... sometimes I'm just focused on the road, if I missed returning the salutation it's never intentional. But most times I always try and return it. 👍🏻
I wave usually. I don't care what you're on. I even wave to mopeds. If I don't then I was zoned out, in traffic and concentrating on the car in front of me or just saw you too late. I ride a Harley Fat Boy and often don't get waves from other Harley riders either so. I dunno.
My reasons are the way I have been treated by them, right from the start. I took the MSF class, after I bought a Honda Rebel 500 from a friend, never rode before. Class was at a Harley dealership, and from the moment I mentioned what bike I had when they asked if any of us already owned one, they treated me like crap. The class was done on Street 500s, understandable, but the whole time these guys just kept pushing how Harley was the only bike to get, mocking why anyone would get a non Harley, things like that. I did the class, did the final drill better than half the students, they still failed me. One dude even dumped the bike first try in the box, they let him go again. I got it first time through. When I asked what I did to fail they said you know why and walked away. Got into a class a few months later at a tech school, and I passed with flying colors.
Think about how hard it is for the new CEO who wants to diversify the brand to new riders and the hate they get when they want to change. The whole brand is broken.
So as a Harley rider and Honda and by the Grace of God 47 years in the saddle I'll tell you I'd personally have that Honda over any 500/750 Harley Street POS . Fact . They had them bikes as stated as learner school bikes to encourage the younger set to get into their bikes . But now they don't even sell them anymore, dropped from the lineup. My buddie had a 750 street , it could move out but butt ugly in my opinion and the rear cylinder base was always puking antifreeze ( water cooled) . So stick with the Honda man . If anyone is a wannabe it's those street riders.🤔😁😎
Sounds like your Harley instructors were a bunch of jerks. Did they think their attitudes would somehow endear you to the Harley brand? I love my Harley in spite of what anyone else thinks. Have owned 4 Harleys. Liked one, hated one and loved two. Most Harley riders are decent people but when I tell them that I prefer my victory for cross country trips,13 states this year, I do get strange reactions from some 😊.
Time to name and shame the class at the Hartley dealer. Here in the UK, they're known as "Hardly Ables" cos they're hardly able to go 12:33 round corners. Even my old GS750 handled way better than a Hartley.
Very little waving in Australia. Mostly because on the other side of the road. Brake hand is on the lever and no fingers available. Not that common here. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Plenty of us nod our heads, but rarely do old guys on Harleys or Adventure bikes. I find them comical … 😂 p.s. The right hand is on the throttle, so obviously can’t let go to wave. The brake lever has nothing to do with it unless you’re riding hard through the twisties …
I always wave to other riders . Always have. But riding with my wife I noticed she never waves to anyone. When I asked her about it she said she's just focused on the road and doesn't even notice other riders. I'm not sure how that works but ok. I'm from NC and to be honest I had never seen other riders who didn't wave until I spent a couple of years in Florida.
I ride with my wife also she always says she doesn't get waved back to and I always get a return wave she cant get no respect it accually pisses her off I just laugh
I passed a group of about 30 Harley riders going 15 km's an hour under speed limit, and they were not happy. My brother rides a Harley and when I ride with him he goes so slow. Is this normal for Harley riders?
Those pile of shit Hardley Makeitson's won't move any faster. That's why they always have that pissed off look on their face. Think about it. You would be mad too if you had to ride one of those pile's of shit.. A bike that could have been built in the 1920's and they pay today's price for it.
Last time i road my bike it took both hands and both feet to operate, i can drive a car with one hand and one foot which do you think requires more focus and concentration
I ride a Harley, but have not been riding very long (two years). Our group consists of Harley and non-Harley alike, and I've seen none of this. Sounds like I have a lot to look forward to. Ha! Always enjoy the content, sir!
You haven’t encountered this behavior because only a small minority of Harley riders ruin the reputation for the rest of us. I own both Harleys and non-Harleys and ride them all. I rarely encounter motorcycle riders who aren’t cool, love the hobby, and appreciate all motorcycles. Doesn’t matter the ride, there will always be dipshits.
I ride a 2022 g310gs. I am a new rider with just over 1500 miles and I always feel guilty when I don't wave but every wave or head nod has been reciprocated. I love this community
Years ago I used to be a heavy drinker. Fortunately I quick drinking alcohol before I started riding motorcycles. When I'm out riding I'm in high alert at all times. You see all kinds of things going on that could potentially kill you that you don't see or think about when driving a vehicle. So you owe it to yourself to be your best when riding a motorcycle.
I've been riding for 30 years and I've been on Harleys for the last 20. I find I prefer to ride alone because riders in groups tend to do dumb things or turn everything into a competition. Then you get the douchebags that think the price of their bike establishes some kind of pecking order. I don't mind riding alongside a good friend once in awhile but groups of Harley riders often annoy me despite being on a Harley myself. I'll stop and help a broke down bike and I wish my fellow riders the best but I've discovered I prefer using my riding time to get away from other people, not be with them.
I don’t fit into most of these categories either. I don’t really wash my bikes, but I do wipe them down and mainly clean off the dead bugs. I also always wave if I can. If I don’t, it’s because I just didn’t see them until it was too late. I’m focusing more on traffic ahead of me and I sometimes won’t see another rider until they are already passing.
I have a Harley Street Bob and a Kawasaki Vulcan S. I wave at everyone when I can. Sometimes I just can't, like you said there are a lot of things that can keep you from waving. I ride to work at 5 am and the sprinklers in the esplanade's are on at that time so polishing every day is not happening. I wear full gear and full face helmet. Because that's my choice just as its other peoples choice not to. Here in Houston Texas it's hot and I see a lot of ridders on all sorts of bikes lacking gear due to the heat. I won't wear my jacket some rides if I'm not getting on the highway. I have met Harley snobs and street bike snobs. Most ridders I meet are chill and just see it as being on two wheels is all that matters.
I ride a Ducati on race tracks and, for the first time ever, I bought myself a Street Glide Special for the road last year. I absolutely love it as I do my Ducati on the track - different tools for different jobs. Riding through the whole of Europe, I was filtering on the autobahn in a traffic jam and I had two GS1250 riders deliberately block me from filtering - no reason - just ignorant Harley hating Germans. Really surprised me. But it was the only incident on the whole 2000 mile trip.
@@64Goef Nope. It’s totally legal in German autobahns, UK and in the rest of Europe. The only place where I’ve heard it being illegal is in some States and Canada.
@@JR-gc5ef In Germany and France its still not legal as per 2023. Not saying that its not happening but if the police stops you its defenitly costing you money.
Love the video! I think I'm in between the ride it till the dirt falls off and the jug rubbers who will rub the Chrome off the pipes before they can ride for the day. I hose mine off and wax it a couple times a season.
when my girlfriend was learning to ride, she finally bought a little ninja 300, and I got her to go out on the roads, the first person to give her the biker wave was an old grizzled up harley guy, on a big bagger, she was so excited lol, yeah they don’t always wave , it neither do guys on sport bikes. ride your ride, ride YOUR bike. who cares at the end of the day we’re all on two wheels. I even wave to mopeds idgaf they are on surface streets on two wheels.👍🏻👍🏻
Years ago when I first started riding, if someone didn’t wave back I thought what the heck man. But I don’t think twice about it anymore. Probably only the newer riders are bothered by it.
I live in Milwaukee and commute on my motorcycle nearly every day. I've seen less bikes on the road this year than ever, but overwhelmingly when I do, it's a HD parked in front of a bar.
Share a few of my experiences. The wave. I will wave to anyone coming at me or along side me on a motorcycle, even those weird ass CanAm two front wheel things. Mopeds, not so much. I wave to cops on Motors, only once have any of them waved back. No offense taken. I lived in the DC/VA/MD area for years and had to wear a helmet there. Moved to Florida in 2014, and thought, hey, no helmet required here. That lasted about 5 years, until I laid my bike down at 45 mph to slow down for a rescue vehicle entering the road from the right. Didn't take into account, 6:30 am and middle of the road was damp. Bike slid for 150 ft, I slid for about 100 ft ending up in the grass. Rescue came to help, until another RA arrived. I was not wearing a helmet and got some bruises on forehead and side of right eye socket. also scraped knees and elbows along with 7 broken ribs. No LOC, didn't feel any pain, adrenaline took over. They kept me down till ambulance arrived. One of the Rescue guys picked my bike up, little if any damage, just to the engine guards a few scrapes. My EDC slid out and one of the rescue guys found it. I asked him to secure it in my tour bag. One of the rode my bike up to the station like 200 feet further up the road. AAA picked it up later that day. That day, I had an epiphany and wore a helmet ever since. I have Reinharts on my bike also. It's a 2008 Ultra with 113k miles on it. Garaged and when I think about it, I wash and shine. Went about 6 months without doing that, due to the heat and cost of gas under this dictatorship. Love riding, not into group riding anymore. Maybe willing to ride with one or two other riders, but hard to find some riders who like a casual ride along the beach. Just remembered what I wanted to add. I made a mistake when stationed in Belgium back in the late 70's. Had a few too many beers and rode bike home. Keep in mind, Belgium, lots of cobble stone roads, rain and curves. Rode my bike off the side of the road into some bushes. Minor damage to the air filter, scratches, a mirror and tail light. Ever since then, I won't drink while riding. 2 wheels and beer/booze do not mix. My opinion and that is how I look at it. But you other riders, you do you.
I have an 07 Softail standard and yes I’ll wash, wax, and polish what chrome it does have to keep it clean and also to help it last. It’s not a garage queen it does get its share of mileage and road trips.
My only peeve about the HD rider are the ones who practically don’t have a muffler. The ones where the DBs are off the charts and assault your hearing from miles away. I understand trying to be heard for safety, but It’s the “look at me, I’m cool” factor that exudes extreme selfishness.
You simply have NO comprehension of as to why some pipes are loud. Yes, one can put louder pipes on a bike, but when one has a BIG displacement engine, one ends up have to make their OWN stepped headers to get the engine breathing right. So blame YOUR E.P.A. for the headaches you seem to suffer from.
I have been riding for about 40 years my current ride is a 1948 FL II don't give a tinkers damn what or how you ride as long as you don't endanger myself or my friends. The last thing the motorcycle world needs is a devisive video like this. If you give respect you will be treated with respect I am not a cop, I am not hear to tell anyone what to do or how to do it. If you see someone riding without a helmet, mind your business, they could be returning from a funeral run or they may be overheated from wearing that lid. If you go around calling people names for choosing to excersise their freedoms you are cruising for a bruising.
I agree with you. I currently am riding a Triumph. I wave at all riders if I can free my left hand. I've had a few Harley riders not wave back at me, I don't take it personal. The guys most likely NOT to wave back are the sport bike guys in my experiance. Guess they are afraid to take their hand of the bars at 150mph. They might be right, I'll never know. Don't want to. A friend of mine who rides a old school Harley bagger with chrome everything but tires told me this; "as long as "their knees are in the breeze", they are bikers. Wave to them, stop and help them if they need it, just like you'd want them to do for you. It's a 2 wheel club, not a name brand or v-twin, or inline deuce club. 2 wheels, gas engine= Biker. I rarely ever see a Moped, but I'd probably just wave at them too.
You also have to figure sometimes the person didn't see you or are "in the zone" which is kind of dangerous as they probably aren't paying full attention.
I wave at bicyclists; they're working harder than I am on the road and have less ability to get out of someone's way if things go bad. Plus I commuted on a bicycle for many years before I could afford a motorcycle, so they have my respect.
@@davebrunson125 It's not perfect, and not particularly fast by my context but very fun and reliable so far. Fast enough for me now. Still gives the rush.
I rev my carbureted Harley when it’s cold, because it needs to, but when it stabilizes it is kinda stupid to keep doing that and I doing wave to anyone because here where I live there are thousands of motorcycles all the time, but I understand that there aren’t a lot of motorcycles in the US.
Im the same as you on all your view points.. i do drink but never on my bike or in a vehicle when im going to be riding or driving. I hang out at biker bars and with a ton of people that do ride when their drinking and im cool with them doing it but i personally dont enjoy riding after ive been drinking because i will admit ive tried it and i find it takes away from my real enjoyment of being on the road on my machine.! Also riding in a pack after my buddies have a good buzz going i notice they goof around more and are not actually as good of rider as they are before they started drinking..
I've always worn a helmet for as long as I've been riding. I started out with a 3/4 helmet when I first started riding at about 7 years of age. At around 12, I got my first full-face helmet, and I've owned quite a few of them. At around 50, I got my first modular, and for me, that's the way to go. While I don't always wear the proper gear, due to the excessive heat in southern Louisiana, leather boots, gloves, and a modular helmet are mandatory for me. Waving is something I do, no matter what somebody is riding. While I've never had a sport bike (not my style), I've had mini-bikes, motocross bikes, and cruisers, and they were all Japanese. So, to me, "It's not what you ride it's that you ride." It's really hard to believe how many sales people at a Harley dealership are Harley "snobs". I walked right out of a dealership after the salesman I was talking to started making stupid remarks about the Suzuki Volusia I was riding, and I was thinking about trading it in for a Road Glide. As it turned out, the Indian dealer didn't seem to have the same problem with my bike, and I bought a 2022 Pursuit Limited, and Indian gave me twice the trade-in price Harley was going to give me and threw in a driver backrest. Riding brings me relaxation and peace of mind. Now that I've retired, it's even better because now there is no timeline to be back on a Monday morning. Keep up the videos.
One reason I now own TWO Indians. The Harley dealer in my own town went out of business. I’ve Road Harley’s my whole life and was thinking about getting another but I bought another Indian instead. Why? Because the idiot CEO of Harley announced to the world that they are converting their ENTIRE motorcycle fleet to Electric. They have also added Made in China bikes to their fleet. Harley is DEAD. Now I won’t even walk into a Harley dealership anymore. If they think I’m trading my Indian in for an electric one they have SHIT FOR BRAINS!!! Them COMMIE BASTARDS will have to SHOOT ME off of mine
Great video! I think that you nailed it. I'm a Harley rider and for the most part couldn't care less what you ride. The exceptions are: if you ride a Harley, we probably have more to talk about; if you ride a Softail (which I ride), we have have a little more to talk about; if you ride a Sport Glide (my bike), we have a lot more to talk about. On the other hand, if you don't ride a Harley, I may lean something from you. I suppose that's true about pretty much anything though. Keep up the great work!
I ride Harley Davidson, many riders think they’re tough guys just because they can afford a HD. Bullsh1t SOA wanna be. It’s very annoying especially if you’re riding in a 1% club. Be who you are, enjoy the ride, owning a brand of bike doesn’t mean you can take a beating.
I usually wave to every bike. Sometimes Honda or other bikes like that are surprised that I wave and it looks like they might crash lol. If I don’t get a wave back, eh…no big deal. Been sober for almost 29 years I’m not a big fan of sitting in the bars but I’ll go in if it’s time to eat. I’m glad I found your site. Good stuff.
In over 45 years of riding it's a little hard not to notice that some , no all but some newer riders have a real bad case of I am better than you. I will tell you this I have been on almost every kind of motorcycle , big , small, Harley chopper , bobber you name it and I am not a prick about it. I worked at a Harley Parts Warehouse in California. Newer Harley's do nothing for me at all but I love 1970's Shovelheads and own two. I have way more respect for older riders and older H-D's. Show some respect for old school riders.
Sometimes I wear a helmet, sometimes I don't, but I think it's silly for ppl to get upset about what other people wear. People who wear full track gear to go down to the strip mall to sip coffee for instance...lmfao. I like clean bikes, but I don't like doing the cleaning..:/ If I go to the garage to see my bike, it's usually to ride. I also have a really long dirt driveway too, so, as soon as I leave, it's already dirty right off the bat anyway :/ :/ and yes, everyone revs their engines...admittedly, sometimes it's just to make sure the bike stays running haha.
I agree with the info of the vid. I think you are correct with everything you’ve said. I hope this reaches everyone on 2 wheels. That is my opinion. I’m a first time new Harley rider/owner. It’s good info for me and should be for everyone who rides. Thanks for the vid.
Love your comments, spot on! I started riding a Honda 90 in 1969 as a teenager, then to a Honda 350 twin, 500 four and to a '93 Harley that a rode for 25 years and sold to a police officer (he got a great deal) but now ride a Suzuki and KTM as I live in Southern California and am addicted to Baja and desert riding and occasionally on my BMW R 1200RT for street riding. Most (95% at least) Harley riders wave at me and I've been to many biker bars in SoCal and everyone gets along very well and helps each other out.
I think of riders not wearing a helmet similarly to how I view open-carry among the public. In both situations, it’s more comfortable and can be “freer” and I support a person’s ability to do either. But those are not the choices I make for various reasons. Everyone has to live (or die) with the consequences of the choices they make. I choose to wear a good helmet and carry concealed. For everyone else, you do you. I ride a Harley. As for waving to others, I wave to anyone riding… even scooters. Most of the time, they’ll wave back, but occasionally they won’t. I usually chalk it up to them being otherwise occupied because sometimes that same thing sometimes happens to me in reverse. Hell, yesterday I waved to a dude on what looked like an e-bicycle. He had a confused look on his face. 😂
I have never owned one but I like HD riders and bikes. The machines usually need some maintenance and owners always like to change things up a bit when nothing else is needed. I wave at all of them when I am on my sportbike, enduros, or even my moped. They may be my next customer! I don't care what you ride, just love to see others riding.
Loud pipes! They are a nuisance to other people and no good for the general image of motorcycling, and it seems to me that a disproportionate number of Harley owners fit them on their bikes, compared to owners of other brands. If they would stop doing that, my guess is that most people would just ignore them rather than hate them. The question is, would they prefer being ignored?
I rarely get a return nod from the cruiser boys. (Because we drive/ride on the left in Australia we don't waive since the clutch hand is on the "outside", instead we nod)
Well I am old. I don’t wear gear but since my wife decided full gear is cumbersome, I removed the passenger pegs and pillion. Back when the road was less crowded and the speed was 55mph we had the time of our lives squiding around in sub-one hundred horsepower motorcycles, of which non-Harleys felt like recycled aluminum and sounded like lawnmowers. Sad to see it go. Sad to see all the results of decades of governmental grift also. 😥
Man oh man you are so right about the Govt Grift. So irritating to see elected bureaucrats take freedoms away from “We The People”. Forcing us to all go electric when they pollute the environment more and rely on slave labor in places like the Congo to make those batteries. Real freedom is the freedom to choose and not being penalized for not jumping on the environmental communist movement. Capitalism is about letting the consumer decide and lies and coercion.
Good video, and I agree on most points. I don't like the whole biker bar scene, when I'm riding I don't really drink, at most I will have a beer with dinner and that is it. I got the Indian Challenger Dark Horse in matte paint and blacked out pipes just because I hate cleaning and polishing the bike. I'd rather be riding than polishing.
I’ve owned two Hayabusas and noticed Harley riders waved at me numerous times. Kinda thought it was weird as it’s a sport bike. Was at the HD shop riding with 4 friends all on Road Kings and the shop employees all came out and was asking questions about the Busa. Just told them I ride in back on flat land and once the mountains arrive I’ll move to the front. Don’t like heavy less braking capable bikes riding behind me.
Great video and very good comments regarding HD riders. Like you I fit some of them but not all, I wear a full face helmet, gloves and a protective jacket when riding my Street Glide, if it's just around town I may just wear my leather vest but always full-face helmet and gloves. I don't do the biker bar scene, I will not drink and drive, but that's just me. I work in healthcare and have seen firsthand the trauma from motorcycle accidents.
Hate seeing riders not wearing helmets. I always wear a helmet especially since my daughter came into this world. doesn't matter how good of rider you are you can't control the person in the car next to you. I do see a lot of riders not wearing helmets probably 90% of those being Harleys. In my opinion, especially if you have a family, not wearing a helmet is one of the most selfish things you can do. Riding is a dangerous hobby, and I love riding as it helps me clear my head, but I'm also going to make sure I take the precautions to make it back to my family in one piece or at least alive in the worst scenario of a crash.
Harley riders in Australia mainly only wear useless brain bucket helmets, because helmets are required by law. Crazy how helmets aren’t mandatory in the USA. It’s also crazy to not wear a full faced helmet. I have a friend who rides a Harley and has suffered for years wearing a brain bucket helmet just because of the image. I just tease him about it now … 😂
A couple comments: 1) The wave - I wave at other riders as a prayer that each of us has a safe ride. I don’t take it personally when someone doesn’t return it. 2) Cleaning - I’m a serial bug killer. I kill bugs, clean them off and then kill more. I do a cursory wipe down if there’s any dust or the previous ride had rain. Keep up the good work, Howard!!
I try to at least lift my fingers up and nod if I can’t take my hand off the bars at that moment. I’ve seen people endanger themselves waving when they shouldn’t be. Scary.
What's funny is that I am literally the opposite of most of these... I wear full gear all the time. I have dedicated summer and winter gear that I switch up for different weather. I don't rev my bike at all beyond the little blip before leaving a stop and one blip when I park. That's it. I wave at EVERYONE. Even scooters. I do sometimes miss bikes because I am paying more attention to traffic songs me than I am traffic going the other way and just don't see them. The only thing I don't wave at is Can Am scooters, and those 2 seater slingshot things. Passed one of those yesterday and the guy tried to wave and I felt bad refusing but just because you have no roof and less than 4 wheels doesn't make a member of the riding community there Mr Seatbelt. I am a "waxer" though... not gonna lie about that. But I do it on my own time. Usually before events, maybe the odd bike night, charity ride, etc. I'm not much of a drinker. I'm not saying I won't have the occasional one beer with lunch or at dinner once in a while... even if I'm riding. Only one beer though. One beer isn't even getting close to the legal limit. I'm a big dude (pushing 300) and even though I'm not really a drinker, it takes three beers before I start to get tipsy at all.
First off, who gives a fuck what anyone else thinks. It's no one's business what another rider does. Wear what you want to wear. Mind your own business! We ALL know the risk.
What stuns me is the price you'd pay for a Harley and what you actually get for your money. Way overpriced, marginal performance, dependability issues, etc.
I like your backdrop. I don't disagree with a thing you said. Biking is a form of true love for all that we feel when we ride. It's beyond what anyone can fully understand until they really experience "Riding a motorcycle". Ultra cool!
Great video. I have respect for all riders no matter what they are riding, since 1974 i always waved and i have my happy to be riding face,some people put on a mean face and act cold. I do agree on no booze n driving,lost to many friends cause of booze. Merry Christmas to all and blessings.
Been riding street bikes since 1986. Always wear a full face helmet. Chin bar and face shield have saved my face several times. Since buying a new 2022 Heritage (my first Harley) last September, I have been less inclined to wear my jacket or pants while riding the Harley this summer. Too darn hot. I still wear my full face helmet, boots and gloves in the summer though. Starting to get cooler now here in Pennsylvania so jacket and pants will start to be worn full time. While on my Harley I’ll wave to anyone on a motorcycle (a two wheeled single track vehicle). I’ll even wave to someone on a Can Am (three track vehicle) but not a Slingshot. I don’t smoke or drink, gave that up in 1989.
What concerns me most when riding is people head deep in their smartphones. Can't tell you how many times, I had to come to a complete stop pulling over because a cager had drifted into my lane coming from the opposite direction especially in the twisty mountain roads. Be safe out there.
I started with a 50cc moped. 150cc racing scooter. 750cc shadow. Vulcan 900. And this Friday, I'll officially be picking up my 2010 Heritage Softail and couldn't be happier 🤘
I live near Asheville North Carolina yesterday ten hogs waved at me riding my v strom 650 Japanese bike they were typical Harley riders and I have noticed that everyone basically waves at me with my gear on it may be my demeanor . I usually nod or give two fingers down and I wave at everyone who has two wheels down .
The wave isn't about liking each other's bike, or style, or anything like that. It's about acknowledging that were both out here, enjoying the ride. It's just wishing each other a safe ride, 2 wheels down, get there safe, have fun.
Amen!
Right on brother, we’re all just enjoying the ride at the end of the day right, being courteous to your fellow drivers and having a good time is what it’s about.
I was driving the fast lane and a H-D rider was in the middle lane and gave a wave but I thought she was going into my lane but was waving .
Harley rider here. I always wave and I would never, under any circumstances, drink while I'm on the bike. Ever. Period. Drinking and then getting on a bike will always be a terrible decision. There's no excuse for it.
iam harley rider and i always wave and never drink. never. This thinking about harley riders is worst then racism
I quit drinking partly to ride and it's definitely the way to go for shure. 15 months now still going strong.
Good luck brother, life is better clean/sober (37 years) and when you are my age you’ll still be riding bro ..(50 yrs/still going cross country)
@@UnderestimatedA1
I don't ride with out a helmet, in my state it's the law. When I go somewhere you can, I still wear a helmet. Kinda like the seat belt law, just got use to, so I always buckle up,.
Now I do get friends trying to get me to wear a better helmet. Mine is dot, but the , a beanie style.
Hell I admire the nuts I see dodging the pot hole with those tiny wheels.
Keep your knees in the wind.
@@terryclay6668 I always wear helmet and gloves as well. Everytime. No excuses, but that's my standard for me.
I ride a Harley , and will frequently see Harley riders not waving back to me. Always, a full bagger, riding in group, no helmet, and no wave. I love riding my Harley, but often don’t care for the typical Harley rider. 🤷♂️
I am a Harley owner and rider . I choose to wear gear when I ride . I also respect all motorcycles and riders and always acknowledge them. For
Me it’s all about riding and the freedom that comes with it. Everyone ride safe
Im 55, just bought a 2015 Katana, riders have waved to me, I dont have the skill to take my hand off yet, but once that comes I will initiate the wave. Ride safe and have fun.
That's exactly how it should be too. But unfortunately it isn't.
Been riding Harleys for many years. Over that time, I have never had a problem with anyone on any make of bike. Main thing is to ride.
I agree...enjoy the ride and be safe!
And make excessive, unnecessary noise and annoy the hell out of everyone around you.
Rode a Harley, got sucked up in the Harley culture and HOG group think, had an intervention and detox, switched to a BMW, much, much happier. Life after Harley is so plesent.
being sucked anywhere is your fault only. riding a harley and never want to switch
Back in July of this year, 2023, I was on the I-33 going around Marysville, OH (A lot of good American built Honda Motorcycles use to be built in Marysville) and noticed a decent group of about 13 bikes coming up around me. As they passed me I noticed darn near every bike was a BMW ( 1200 series, K 1600 series mostly and one Honda sport bike ). They all had one thing in common, including the ones with women passengers. Helmets, and armoured clothing and proper boots. I have never owned a BMW, my main bike since 2017 is a Victory Cross Country, however I had a lot of respect for that group.
Harleys are bad motorcycles compared to virtually every other motorcycle available in the American market.
Harley riders are doomed to idiocy/image-seeking from the start.
@@wesspe81 but it has to suck riding a HD.
I would get married before I ever bought a Harley … 😂
I have not felt any hate toward or from Harley riders. I ride a Honda and wave at everyone with the exception that I am engaged in a situation that needs full attention. I'd rather be rude than have a mishap. Safe riding to everyone. Thanks for a great video.
I have a couple of bikes Harley and kaw I wave like you unless safety is a concern rush hour traffic ect.
That's not rude we all know what's up
I grew up on sports bikes. I ride a Harley now, and I always wave at everyone when I see them and not working the clutch; heck, I even gave the two down wave to a young lady on a scooter the other day. I figured she is in the beginning stages of her motorized two wheel journey, and I wanted to encourage her.
I ride a Harley and have owned 4 other bikes from different manufacturers. All riders get the same feeling as me. I do not recommend to anyone, what bike to buy or ride. We all our grown and have our own preference.
Here’s an idea. Ride your own bike and mind your own business.
Tell Harley riders that 😂😂
Exactly. I agree with you, Ride your own bike and don’t worry about anybody else is doing as far as Harley riders. That’s a bunch of bullshit doesn’t matter what kind of motorcycle you’re on as far as waving to people I’m tired of lifting my left hand up to wave all the damn time.
The next subject he talks about is revving your motor up. We all do it if you’re cool about riding your Harley you don’t need to rev your engine you get more respect from not being obnoxious and revving your engine and people just look at you as a punk ass, and no not everybody does it not everybody weaves in and out of traffic not everybody needs to show off it’s like why would you do a podcast with rifles and guns in your backdrop that’s just a sign of insecurity more so than popularity or trying to be a tough guyI said it bothers me these people get on here and they don’t know what the hell they’re talking about and on the first person to call somebody out I don’t have a problem with that
There this guy goes again?” but at the end of the day.” I mean how many times are you gonna say that in your podcast? Seriously🙄
Live your life the way you choose. Isn't this supposed to be America?
Harley riders aren’t hated. They are laughed at.
Big difference.
Been riding over 50 years. All makes and models. These days it’s a KLR. I wave at everyone. Whether it’s reciprocated or not, I enjoy the ride. As far as gear I wear it all the time. Had I not had my helmet on in 2008 I wouldn’t have survived. As it was it left me temporarily paralyzed. To each their own. Ride smart and be safe.
the KLR is for sure a right of passage bike , everyone i know has had at least 1
Love my KLR650
@@kennethcooley3445
My 2002 KLR is my best friend............ Always faithful.
KLR650 outstanding!
@@bobsullivan5714ur a KLR
Dutch biker here. About riding...sometimes i wave, sometimes i don't. Sometimes i wear gear, sometimes i don't. Sometimes i do all the things mentioned, sometimes i don't. Most of the times i just enjoy life when i get on my bike. Currently hating winter and desperatly waiting for spring. Stay safe ya'll.
Absolutely, l have a helmet and leather jacket and sometimes helmet/jacket stays home. Different day and a different attitude. Riding the bike is always therapeutic for me.
As a person who doesn't ride a motorcycle, I don't hate HD riders....but....pretty much every time I encounter someone on a motorcycle who's gone out of their way to be obnoxiously loud, that person is riding a HD. In the video this is chalked up to possible jealousy but for people who don't ride and are just going about their lives, no, it isn't jealousy. At all. I think the feeling of people like me is "If you want to ride a motorcycle that's awesome, you should absolutely do it. If you want to wear no protective gear, well, that wouldn't be my choice but you do you, that's also awesome. But respect goes both ways and when you blast your engine just for the sake of blasting your engine, you're basically screaming at me, and that's not cool at all."
I can certainly understand why you feel the way you do. Not speaking of your reasons, but there are also a lot of nervous drivers on the road that really just get surprised and scared by sudden loud sounds, so I can see how this could be viewed as annoying. I am not sure what you mean by "going out of their way to be obnoxiously loud," but obviously there is a minority of obnoxious people in ever group of every kind of people, not just bikers; however, as a Harley rider with fairly loud pipes, I do know that most of us are NOT doing it to be obnoxious. It is more of a safety issue for most of us. Think of how many times you might have heard a motorcycle beside you before you seen them. We have cars come over in our lanes and risk running us off the road all the time. The first thing a car driver says is "I did not know you were there." Bikes are much smaller than cars, and they tend to get lost in the side view mirrors and blind spots quit easily. We rev our pipes up in an attempt to help drivers identify that we are there. I know whenever I am rolling up to a stop in traffic beside other vehicles, I will rev my pipes loud enough to warn others that I am there so they will not suddenly change lanes and crash into me; but I do try to do this with respect and restraint to keep it to a minimum decibel level.
@@Chris-rg4jx What I meant by "going out of their way to be obnoxiously loud" I mostly meant people who unnecessarily rev their engines at lights in urban areas. Certainly riders on other brands do this, but my experience is that Harleys are the biggest culprits. As an aside, I've seen several motorcycle channels asserting that the belief that "loud pipes save lives" is a myth not born out by science. I have no idea if that's true or not. But if it is true, it seems odd that riders on one particular brand of motorcycle would rev their engines more than others. If it were about safety, you'd also expect people riding the noisiest motorcyces to also wear the most protective gear, no? But if anything the opposite is the case. Regardless, in urban settings it certainly feels like it's not about safety, and is instead similar to people who have massive sound systems in their cars and blast their music for the rest of the world to hear. Both seem about ego and imposition.
@@ArchilochusOfParosI I do know that you experiencing Harley Davidson riders do it more is mathematically reasonable based off the law of average. Since there are more Harley Davidson’s on the roads in the United States than any other make or model of bike, it is reasonable to presume that you will have more interaction with Harley Davidson’s than any of the others. I think most people’s perception of bikers in general comes from Harley riders due to this fact.
As for those who make the argument that there is no scientific evidence that loud pipes save lives, we do not always need a scientific study to prove things we are able to comprehend through basic common sense. I feel the scenario I gave above was a pretty valid and reasonable example as to how sound can improve bikers chances of being noticed on the road. Human beings have five “scientifically proven” senses; eyes are just one of those senses. Whenever we stimulate more than one of those senses, we increase the amount of information available to us, thereby increasing our perception of our surroundings. It’s really not rocket science. As to what the actual motives are of “those” who are in denial of this, I cannot say, but too each their own I guess. Live and let live.
@@Chris-rg4jx While it's true that HD has the largest market share of any single motorcycle manufacturer in the US, HD has a minority market share overall at 23.4%. In any case, as I mentioned, if loud engine revving were for safety then I'd expect HD riders to also be the ones wearing the most protective gear but, if anything, protective gear seems to run counter to the general HD ethos.
Now, to be fair, while I find HD riders the most annoying group of riders in urban settings, I also find them to be among the best on the highways. While sport bike riders are more likely to speed and weave, HD riders generally hang out peacefully in their lanes. On the highways, HD are some of my favorites.
@@ArchilochusOfParos Fair enough my friend; I do appreciate the respectful conversation. As for the safety gear, I can only speak for myself on this issue. Yes, I am concerned for my safety as noted in our conversation, but I also want to enjoy my ride. Wearing all leather, full face helmets, or other full clothing with body armor is miserable and suffocating in the hot summer months. The heat I feel and the sweat constantly running down my face and body makes the ride totally not enjoyable for me, and if I am not enjoying my ride, why should I ride at all? I do wear all the gear in the cooler parts of the year. Yes, I know it is dangerous not to at all times, but life has risk; we just have to weigh the risk vs. reward, and that conclusion is different for each individual.
For the record, I grew up on sport bikes. I mostly had Honda’s, but I owned a Kawasaki and a Suzuki at one time also. I have nothing negative to say about those bikes; I enjoyed and loved them immensely! This is actually my first time owning a Harley and I am loving it every bit as much as my other bikes. I had racing headers put on most of my sports bikes, so they were every bit as loud as my Harley is. My gear back than in summer was tennis shoes and T-shirts; at least I wear boots, gloves, and a leather vest now, so partially a step in the right direction I guess. Take care!
I agree with your views, at 54 years old I just wish everyone would just act like a simple decent human being, I think this world would be much different.
A simple decent person would never ride an obnoxious chrome air compressor down our road at 5 AM !!! arrogant assholes at work here!!!
I owned 14 Harleys for over 25 years. I was in an MC. I bought a Kawasaki Concours 14. I ride all year long. I can no longer do the image, polishing chrome, or the old guy midlife crisis anymore. I wanted to enjoy riding something that didn’t cost as much as a car and has modern technology and just wanted to enjoy the ride, by myself.
I sold my HD, kept my 20 yr old metric cruiser, and snagged a Concours. Now I own my 2 favorite forever bikes, one is a rolling recliner, the other a rolling rocket.
Enjoying riding your motorcycle? No way, it's supposed to be about the image and being seen and being heard, and making others think about you what you want them to think about you.
As for me, I had a motorcycle when I was 16. My divorced dad took it from me because his live in nut bucket decided she liked it. So I abhor motorcycles, glazed donuts, Siamese cats, catholics, american pony cars, and liver. She had a vaginal yeast infection, and it got into his sinusses. They kept accusing each other of infidelity.
Hating HD riders? No way, not if they do their own maintenance.
Nearly the same deal here. Nothing against H-D, but I picked up a lightly used '16 Concours 14 two years ago and found out what a "real bike" actually consists of.
My bike has bed liner for paint. I slap a bag around the air intake, hose it off, and ride.
Ive been riding for only 6 years and I notice the higher senses since riding. It makes me pay more attention driving too.
That is correct i have the same , a good rider makes a better driver !, i think it is because that is if you ride your bike you realize that you are more vulnerable !
@@richard2951960 Most people have no fucking clue how fast 50 mph is.
@@Vapourwear true enough...the closest I feel 50 mph while not on a bike is in a jeep with no doors and that hardly comes close. Inside a car with the windows up, you might as well be playing a video game as well insulated against the weather, noise, wind, and speed.
The day my dad graduated from high school, he bought a brand new 1955 PanHead. When I finished US Navy boot camp, he gave me the bike. It was my only transportation for 15 years, until I left for University in Germany in August 1995. I never felt hated for riding a Harley-Davidson. Often, other riders on other bike brands, would comment on how much they wished they had a classic Harley-Davidson, and how lucky I was to have it.
I'm sure it's fun being broken down every 3000 miles or less
@@PeterAngles-jq7gr The bike broke down on me once, in Houston, TX. Dealer had me back on the road the same day.
Yeah, saying people hate Harley riders is a bit of an over statement.
@@clarson2916 People nowadays, specifically the younger generation, don't know what a normal human interaction is like. Every thing is binary and everything is so serious.
A very valid comment would be about motorcycle clubs who for the most part ride Harleys, trying to impose their roleplaying on other road users.
@@PeterAngles-jq7gr Typical douche canoe response from someone who never threw a leg over anything with two wheels.
I'm 76, closing in on 77 and just bought a HD, even tho I haven't ridden in a long time. I decided that I needed some adventure in my life hence the bike. I looked at Indians & Triumphs, but Harley is America's bike. I'm excitedly looking forward to riding season (May - September here in Michigan), just need to find someone to ride with (or not). Wish me luck, maybe I'll see you at Sturgis.
I used to not give a shit what other riders wore safety wise until I had a chat with a considered rider at a MC Rally a while back. He pointed out that if some idiot crashes on the boulevard, wearing his tshirt, flipflops and shorts, thats now one less emergency room bed. Then there's the staff, specialists etc when he may have limped away. Now some other human who wasn't being reckless and needs emergency services are being shunted in an ambulance. When I think of freedom, I think about civic duty as well. The only reason we are Free is because of consideration of our selves and our impact on others around us.
It's political. Harley riders tend to be more conservative, metric riders lean more liberal. In these times, that's all that's required for people to hate each other.
That's bullshit I ride Harley and Kawasaki an so do a lot of people I know it isn't political
It’s sad. I wish people could just get along. It’s exhausting to be honest
and Euros are facists ? what study was that?
LOL dumbest thing I have heard in a while.
Wait what?
1989 FZR600 rider here. Harley guys like to separate themselves from everyone else but lack the skill, knowledge, and courtesy that 90% of other riders do. Harleys are a fashion statement more than anything. It’s the worst feeling getting stuck behind them on mountain roads going 15 below the speed limit.
agreed
100%. They don't ride fast enough to compress the suspension in the curves. Though maybe it's because they are distracted because Cartman crapped on their seats.
@ronvaughan8041 now that is fuckin funny 😊😊😊😊
Your bike was my first new bike I bought in 1990!! I am in my 50s and ride Harley’s and no they are not a fashion statement for many of us it is a way of life. And by the way I would love to have my of FZR again it was a wicked bike👍
@@Wheelgauge-bt7ox Respect 👊✊ride on brother.
I ride a Kawasaki and a Harley-Davidson. I wear full gear every time I ride. I took a 15 mph spill on my Kawasak while back road ADV riding (dirt) a couple weeks ago and that taught me I was right to wear my gear. My jacket and pants saved me from a knee injury and kept my skin intact. I also wear that gear every time I ride my H-D. I don't care if people think I look goofy or I'm not fashionable.
I had a few Harley riders hated on me already. One saying, nice scooter to me like his bike is better than mine, another look at me making fun of my sportbike by acting like he was on a sportbike looking at me. Since then I stopped acknowledging people. We are all motorcycle riders we should respect each other.
Thing is about your 1st segment. To us Harley riders, we don't care what you wear or don't wear.
I've been riding for 55 years. I have always though the best bike was the one I was on.
must be riding a honda then
Riding and motorcycles are things of the past for me and I miss both every day. Best wishes to everyone enjoying the two wheel experience. 👍🏻🤠🇺🇸
I own a livewire one which was created by Harley Davidson, when i wave to the Harley guys they just blank stare me lol
What is the manufacturer and size bars are on your road glide?
Right in the middle of this video I got an ad from Viking Bags showing a girl on a Harley wearing tights, a small tank top, and a half helmet to show off her caterpillar eye lashes.
I ride a 2003 Honda VTX1800R. My Harley buddies are pretty cool, but I’ve seen some of these things. My favorite is my buddies jokingly call mine a "Hardly Davidson." I love it, told em to bring me a badge for my tank.
I call anything else a, HARDLY as well. That's funny
My VTX has been called a Honda Davidson before, thought it was hilarious
The Honda is a vastly superior motorcycle to a piece of shlt Tractor Davidson
@@PeterAngles-jq7gr i like both. One day I plan to own a shovelhead. I'll probably put a tiny shovel on it to go with the old joke, "why do they call it a shovelhead? Gotta stop every few miles and shovel up all the pieces that fell off." Both are cool to me, I just love my VTX cause its my 1st bike. Honda is cool. I plan to own a CT125 or the like as well. Cheers!
@@thumb-ugly7518 I hate Harley, and the posers who buy them
I washed my bike in May, so I'm glad you brought this up. I need to think about giving it another go over.
Don't be hating on mopeds Hegshot! I have two Harleys, but when my wife wants to ride her moped, I hop on mine and ride mine too! And I have to say, they're a lot of fun!
Sometimes, people just miss the wave entirely or they are not comfortable yet removing a hand off their handlebars (me for most of this year). As you do not know the experience of the oncoming rider. With me being a new rider and just about to finish up my first season of riding. I know I have missed the waves entirely by concentrating on the vehicles around me or the other reasons you mentioned. I feel bad for missing the waves every time, and I have shrugged off the times I didn't receive 1 back. Awesome content.
True... sometimes I'm just focused on the road, if I missed returning the salutation it's never intentional. But most times I always try and return it. 👍🏻
I wave usually. I don't care what you're on. I even wave to mopeds. If I don't then I was zoned out, in traffic and concentrating on the car in front of me or just saw you too late. I ride a Harley Fat Boy and often don't get waves from other Harley riders either so. I dunno.
My shirt 👕 says " YOU CHOOSE NO HELMET I CHOOSE NO WAVE !!!!😂😂😂😂
New Rider here, and I'm trying to learn as much as possible to be safe and responsible. Thanks for your helpful videos. God bless and Happy trails
Thanks man
You left out the.........only reason you don't ride a Harley is because you can't afford one.
@danielwalker3538
Sorry I didn't say anything. I ride an 2015 hd dyna lowrider.
That would be a lot of people, including myself.
I never wave when riding my Harley. I always feel bad but I only have one arm and It’s being used to hold the handlebars.
Well aren't you the selfish one.
You could at least stick out your tongue.
Lol
Ride Safe!
Poor excuse
Gotta hand it to yah.
My reasons are the way I have been treated by them, right from the start. I took the MSF class, after I bought a Honda Rebel 500 from a friend, never rode before. Class was at a Harley dealership, and from the moment I mentioned what bike I had when they asked if any of us already owned one, they treated me like crap. The class was done on Street 500s, understandable, but the whole time these guys just kept pushing how Harley was the only bike to get, mocking why anyone would get a non Harley, things like that. I did the class, did the final drill better than half the students, they still failed me. One dude even dumped the bike first try in the box, they let him go again. I got it first time through. When I asked what I did to fail they said you know why and walked away. Got into a class a few months later at a tech school, and I passed with flying colors.
Think about how hard it is for the new CEO who wants to diversify the brand to new riders and the hate they get when they want to change. The whole brand is broken.
So as a Harley rider and Honda and by the Grace of God 47 years in the saddle I'll tell you I'd personally have that Honda over any 500/750 Harley Street POS . Fact . They had them bikes as stated as learner school bikes to encourage the younger set to get into their bikes . But now they don't even sell them anymore, dropped from the lineup. My buddie had a 750 street , it could move out but butt ugly in my opinion and the rear cylinder base was always puking antifreeze ( water cooled) . So stick with the Honda man . If anyone is a wannabe it's those street riders.🤔😁😎
Sounds like your Harley instructors were a bunch of jerks. Did they think their attitudes would somehow endear you to the Harley brand? I love my Harley in spite of what anyone else thinks. Have owned 4 Harleys. Liked one, hated one and loved two. Most Harley riders are decent people but when I tell them that I prefer my victory for cross country trips,13 states this year, I do get strange reactions from some 😊.
Time to name and shame the class at the Hartley dealer. Here in the UK, they're known as "Hardly Ables" cos they're hardly able to go 12:33 round corners. Even my old GS750 handled way better than a Hartley.
I think HD owners know they’ve made a huge mistake and try to justify it by belittling others.
Very little waving in Australia. Mostly because on the other side of the road. Brake hand is on the lever and no fingers available. Not that common here. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Ride in NZ on LHS, most people wave with left hand
Plenty of us nod our heads, but rarely do old guys on Harleys or Adventure bikes. I find them comical … 😂 p.s. The right hand is on the throttle, so obviously can’t let go to wave. The brake lever has nothing to do with it unless you’re riding hard through the twisties …
I always wave to other riders . Always have. But riding with my wife I noticed she never waves to anyone. When I asked her about it she said she's just focused on the road and doesn't even notice other riders. I'm not sure how that works but ok. I'm from NC and to be honest I had never seen other riders who didn't wave until I spent a couple of years in Florida.
I ride with my wife also she always says she doesn't get waved back to and I always get a return wave she cant get no respect it accually pisses her off I just laugh
In my opinion it's all about respect for other riders, don't act like a fool and you won't be treated like one God Bless us all
I passed a group of about 30 Harley riders going 15 km's an hour under speed limit, and they were not happy. My brother rides a Harley and when I ride with him he goes so slow. Is this normal for Harley riders?
Those pile of shit Hardley Makeitson's won't move any faster. That's why they always have that pissed off look on their face. Think about it. You would be mad too if you had to ride one of those pile's of shit.. A bike that could have been built in the 1920's and they pay today's price for it.
Last time i road my bike it took both hands and both feet to operate, i can drive a car with one hand and one foot which do you think requires more focus and concentration
No matter what people will hate
I ride a Harley, but have not been riding very long (two years). Our group consists of Harley and non-Harley alike, and I've seen none of this. Sounds like I have a lot to look forward to. Ha! Always enjoy the content, sir!
You haven’t encountered this behavior because only a small minority of Harley riders ruin the reputation for the rest of us. I own both Harleys and non-Harleys and ride them all. I rarely encounter motorcycle riders who aren’t cool, love the hobby, and appreciate all motorcycles. Doesn’t matter the ride, there will always be dipshits.
Thanks brother
I ride a 2022 g310gs. I am a new rider with just over 1500 miles and I always feel guilty when I don't wave but every wave or head nod has been reciprocated. I love this community
Years ago I used to be a heavy drinker. Fortunately I quick drinking alcohol before I started riding motorcycles. When I'm out riding I'm in high alert at all times. You see all kinds of things going on that could potentially kill you that you don't see or think about when driving a vehicle. So you owe it to yourself to be your best when riding a motorcycle.
Harley rider here - I I give exactly zero craps what anyone thinks of me. Let them go to their safe space and cry it out.
Right on, brother
I've been riding for 30 years and I've been on Harleys for the last 20. I find I prefer to ride alone because riders in groups tend to do dumb things or turn everything into a competition. Then you get the douchebags that think the price of their bike establishes some kind of pecking order. I don't mind riding alongside a good friend once in awhile but groups of Harley riders often annoy me despite being on a Harley myself.
I'll stop and help a broke down bike and I wish my fellow riders the best but I've discovered I prefer using my riding time to get away from other people, not be with them.
Yep.. everything you said, truth 👍🏻👍🏻
I don’t fit into most of these categories either. I don’t really wash my bikes, but I do wipe them down and mainly clean off the dead bugs. I also always wave if I can. If I don’t, it’s because I just didn’t see them until it was too late. I’m focusing more on traffic ahead of me and I sometimes won’t see another rider until they are already passing.
Whats the guy doing to his bike at 8:36 ?
I have a Harley Street Bob and a Kawasaki Vulcan S. I wave at everyone when I can. Sometimes I just can't, like you said there are a lot of things that can keep you from waving. I ride to work at 5 am and the sprinklers in the esplanade's are on at that time so polishing every day is not happening. I wear full gear and full face helmet. Because that's my choice just as its other peoples choice not to. Here in Houston Texas it's hot and I see a lot of ridders on all sorts of bikes lacking gear due to the heat. I won't wear my jacket some rides if I'm not getting on the highway. I have met Harley snobs and street bike snobs. Most ridders I meet are chill and just see it as being on two wheels is all that matters.
I ride a Ducati on race tracks and, for the first time ever, I bought myself a Street Glide Special for the road last year. I absolutely love it as I do my Ducati on the track - different tools for different jobs. Riding through the whole of Europe, I was filtering on the autobahn in a traffic jam and I had two GS1250 riders deliberately block me from filtering - no reason - just ignorant Harley hating Germans. Really surprised me. But it was the only incident on the whole 2000 mile trip.
Probably they blocked you because filtering is not allowed on the german highways.
@@64Goef Nope. It’s totally legal in German autobahns, UK and in the rest of Europe. The only place where I’ve heard it being illegal is in some States and Canada.
@@JR-gc5ef In Germany and France its still not legal as per 2023. Not saying that its not happening but if the police stops you its defenitly costing you money.
Love the video! I think I'm in between the ride it till the dirt falls off and the jug rubbers who will rub the Chrome off the pipes before they can ride for the day. I hose mine off and wax it a couple times a season.
Nothing ruins a peaceful morning like a Harley with straight pipes, or 10 of them going down the road...
when my girlfriend was learning to ride, she finally bought a little ninja 300, and I got her to go out on the roads, the first person to give her the biker wave was an old grizzled up harley guy, on a big bagger, she was so excited lol, yeah they don’t always wave , it neither do guys on sport bikes. ride your ride, ride YOUR bike. who cares at the end of the day we’re all on two wheels. I even wave to mopeds idgaf they are on surface streets on two wheels.👍🏻👍🏻
Years ago when I first started riding, if someone didn’t wave back I thought what the heck man. But I don’t think twice about it anymore. Probably only the newer riders are bothered by it.
I live in Milwaukee and commute on my motorcycle nearly every day. I've seen less bikes on the road this year than ever, but overwhelmingly when I do, it's a HD parked in front of a bar.
Thanks for another informative and honest video
I've never heard one harley guy saying anything bad about any bike or any gear . On the other hand i had heard sport bike riders do it .
Share a few of my experiences. The wave. I will wave to anyone coming at me or along side me on a motorcycle, even those weird ass CanAm two front wheel things. Mopeds, not so much. I wave to cops on Motors, only once have any of them waved back. No offense taken. I lived in the DC/VA/MD area for years and had to wear a helmet there. Moved to Florida in 2014, and thought, hey, no helmet required here. That lasted about 5 years, until I laid my bike down at 45 mph to slow down for a rescue vehicle entering the road from the right. Didn't take into account, 6:30 am and middle of the road was damp. Bike slid for 150 ft, I slid for about 100 ft ending up in the grass. Rescue came to help, until another RA arrived. I was not wearing a helmet and got some bruises on forehead and side of right eye socket. also scraped knees and elbows along with 7 broken ribs. No LOC, didn't feel any pain, adrenaline took over. They kept me down till ambulance arrived. One of the Rescue guys picked my bike up, little if any damage, just to the engine guards a few scrapes. My EDC slid out and one of the rescue guys found it. I asked him to secure it in my tour bag. One of the rode my bike up to the station like 200 feet further up the road. AAA picked it up later that day. That day, I had an epiphany and wore a helmet ever since. I have Reinharts on my bike also. It's a 2008 Ultra with 113k miles on it. Garaged and when I think about it, I wash and shine. Went about 6 months without doing that, due to the heat and cost of gas under this dictatorship. Love riding, not into group riding anymore. Maybe willing to ride with one or two other riders, but hard to find some riders who like a casual ride along the beach. Just remembered what I wanted to add. I made a mistake when stationed in Belgium back in the late 70's. Had a few too many beers and rode bike home. Keep in mind, Belgium, lots of cobble stone roads, rain and curves. Rode my bike off the side of the road into some bushes. Minor damage to the air filter, scratches, a mirror and tail light. Ever since then, I won't drink while riding. 2 wheels and beer/booze do not mix. My opinion and that is how I look at it. But you other riders, you do you.
I have an 07 Softail standard and yes I’ll wash, wax, and polish what chrome it does have to keep it clean and also to help it last. It’s not a garage queen it does get its share of mileage and road trips.
My only peeve about the HD rider are the ones who practically don’t have a muffler. The ones where the DBs are off the charts and assault your hearing from miles away. I understand trying to be heard for safety, but It’s the “look at me, I’m cool” factor that exudes extreme selfishness.
Loud pipes save lives!
You simply have NO comprehension of as to why some pipes are loud. Yes, one can put louder pipes on a bike, but when one has a BIG displacement engine, one ends up have to make their OWN stepped headers to get the engine breathing right. So blame YOUR E.P.A. for the headaches you seem to suffer from.
@@kevinoconnor2921 nonsense. Some of them are louder than a Hemi without a muffler.
I have been riding for about 40 years my current ride is a 1948 FL II don't give a tinkers damn what or how you ride as long as you don't endanger myself or my friends. The last thing the motorcycle world needs is a devisive video like this. If you give respect you will be treated with respect I am not a cop, I am not hear to tell anyone what to do or how to do it. If you see someone riding without a helmet, mind your business, they could be returning from a funeral run or they may be overheated from wearing that lid. If you go around calling people names for choosing to excersise their freedoms you are cruising for a bruising.
Calling people names is one of the freedoms you claim to support.
I agree with you. I currently am riding a Triumph. I wave at all riders if I can free my left hand. I've had a few Harley riders not wave back at me, I don't take it personal. The guys most likely NOT to wave back are the sport bike guys in my experiance. Guess they are afraid to take their hand of the bars at 150mph. They might be right, I'll never know. Don't want to.
A friend of mine who rides a old school Harley bagger with chrome everything but tires told me this; "as long as "their knees are in the breeze", they are bikers. Wave to them, stop and help them if they need it, just like you'd want them to do for you. It's a 2 wheel club, not a name brand or v-twin, or inline deuce club. 2 wheels, gas engine= Biker. I rarely ever see a Moped, but I'd probably just wave at them too.
You also have to figure sometimes the person didn't see you or are "in the zone" which is kind of dangerous as they probably aren't paying full attention.
I wave at bicyclists; they're working harder than I am on the road and have less ability to get out of someone's way if things go bad. Plus I commuted on a bicycle for many years before I could afford a motorcycle, so they have my respect.
@@kman-mi7su Happens
Triumph has a cool line of bikes, something for everybody. I had an old Tiger back in the day
@@davebrunson125 It's not perfect, and not particularly fast by my context but very fun and reliable so far. Fast enough for me now. Still gives the rush.
I rev my carbureted Harley when it’s cold, because it needs to, but when it stabilizes it is kinda stupid to keep doing that and I doing wave to anyone because here where I live there are thousands of motorcycles all the time, but I understand that there aren’t a lot of motorcycles in the US.
Im the same as you on all your view points.. i do drink but never on my bike or in a vehicle when im going to be riding or driving. I hang out at biker bars and with a ton of people that do ride when their drinking and im cool with them doing it but i personally dont enjoy riding after ive been drinking because i will admit ive tried it and i find it takes away from my real enjoyment of being on the road on my machine.! Also riding in a pack after my buddies have a good buzz going i notice they goof around more and are not actually as good of rider as they are before they started drinking..
I've always worn a helmet for as long as I've been riding. I started out with a 3/4 helmet when I first started riding at about 7 years of age. At around 12, I got my first full-face helmet, and I've owned quite a few of them. At around 50, I got my first modular, and for me, that's the way to go.
While I don't always wear the proper gear, due to the excessive heat in southern Louisiana, leather boots, gloves, and a modular helmet are mandatory for me.
Waving is something I do, no matter what somebody is riding. While I've never had a sport bike (not my style), I've had mini-bikes, motocross bikes, and cruisers, and they were all Japanese. So, to me, "It's not what you ride it's that you ride."
It's really hard to believe how many sales people at a Harley dealership are Harley "snobs". I walked right out of a dealership after the salesman I was talking to started making stupid remarks about the Suzuki Volusia I was riding, and I was thinking about trading it in for a Road Glide. As it turned out, the Indian dealer didn't seem to have the same problem with my bike, and I bought a 2022 Pursuit Limited, and Indian gave me twice the trade-in price Harley was going to give me and threw in a driver backrest.
Riding brings me relaxation and peace of mind. Now that I've retired, it's even better because now there is no timeline to be back on a Monday morning.
Keep up the videos.
Thanks man
That's the Attitude 😎👍‼️
What Dennis said 100%.
One reason I now own TWO Indians. The Harley dealer in my own town went out of business. I’ve Road Harley’s my whole life and was thinking about getting another but I bought another Indian instead. Why? Because the idiot CEO of Harley announced to the world that they are converting their ENTIRE motorcycle fleet to Electric. They have also added Made in China bikes to their fleet. Harley is DEAD. Now I won’t even walk into a Harley dealership anymore. If they think I’m trading my Indian in for an electric one they have SHIT FOR BRAINS!!! Them COMMIE BASTARDS will have to SHOOT ME off of mine
Great video! I think that you nailed it. I'm a Harley rider and for the most part couldn't care less what you ride. The exceptions are: if you ride a Harley, we probably have more to talk about; if you ride a Softail (which I ride), we have have a little more to talk about; if you ride a Sport Glide (my bike), we have a lot more to talk about. On the other hand, if you don't ride a Harley, I may lean something from you. I suppose that's true about pretty much anything though. Keep up the great work!
I ride Harley Davidson, many riders think they’re tough guys just because they can afford a HD. Bullsh1t SOA wanna be. It’s very annoying especially if you’re riding in a 1% club. Be who you are, enjoy the ride, owning a brand of bike doesn’t mean you can take a beating.
I usually wave to every bike. Sometimes Honda or other bikes like that are surprised that I wave and it looks like they might crash lol. If I don’t get a wave back, eh…no big deal. Been sober for almost 29 years I’m not a big fan of sitting in the bars but I’ll go in if it’s time to eat. I’m glad I found your site. Good stuff.
In over 45 years of riding it's a little hard not to notice that some , no all but some newer riders have a real bad case of I am better than you. I will tell you this I have been on almost every kind of motorcycle , big , small, Harley chopper , bobber you name it and I am not a prick about it. I worked at a Harley Parts Warehouse in California. Newer Harley's do nothing for me at all but I love 1970's Shovelheads and own two. I have way more respect for older riders and older H-D's. Show some respect for old school riders.
I agree 100%. I've been riding for about the same amount of time and have the same experience. I've been riding my 52 year old chopper for 38 years.
Sometimes I wear a helmet, sometimes I don't, but I think it's silly for ppl to get upset about what other people wear. People who wear full track gear to go down to the strip mall to sip coffee for instance...lmfao. I like clean bikes, but I don't like doing the cleaning..:/ If I go to the garage to see my bike, it's usually to ride. I also have a really long dirt driveway too, so, as soon as I leave, it's already dirty right off the bat anyway :/ :/ and yes, everyone revs their engines...admittedly, sometimes it's just to make sure the bike stays running haha.
I agree with the info of the vid. I think you are correct with everything you’ve said. I hope this reaches everyone on 2 wheels. That is my opinion. I’m a first time new Harley rider/owner. It’s good info for me and should be for everyone who rides. Thanks for the vid.
Love your comments, spot on! I started riding a Honda 90 in 1969 as a teenager, then to a Honda 350 twin, 500 four and to a '93 Harley that a rode for 25 years and sold to a police officer (he got a great deal) but now ride a Suzuki and KTM as I live in Southern California and am addicted to Baja and desert riding and occasionally on my BMW R 1200RT for street riding. Most (95% at least) Harley riders wave at me and I've been to many biker bars in SoCal and everyone gets along very well and helps each other out.
I think of riders not wearing a helmet similarly to how I view open-carry among the public. In both situations, it’s more comfortable and can be “freer” and I support a person’s ability to do either. But those are not the choices I make for various reasons. Everyone has to live (or die) with the consequences of the choices they make. I choose to wear a good helmet and carry concealed. For everyone else, you do you.
I ride a Harley. As for waving to others, I wave to anyone riding… even scooters. Most of the time, they’ll wave back, but occasionally they won’t. I usually chalk it up to them being otherwise occupied because sometimes that same thing sometimes happens to me in reverse. Hell, yesterday I waved to a dude on what looked like an e-bicycle. He had a confused look on his face. 😂
That Americans are riding around carrying guns is beyond crazy to the rest of the world. That’s its most likely Harley riders is no surprise … 🤡😵💀
I have never owned one but I like HD riders and bikes. The machines usually need some maintenance and owners always like to change things up a bit when nothing else is needed. I wave at all of them when I am on my sportbike, enduros, or even my moped. They may be my next customer! I don't care what you ride, just love to see others riding.
Loud pipes! They are a nuisance to other people and no good for the general image of motorcycling, and it seems to me that a disproportionate number of Harley owners fit them on their bikes, compared to owners of other brands. If they would stop doing that, my guess is that most people would just ignore them rather than hate them. The question is, would they prefer being ignored?
I rarely get a return nod from the cruiser boys.
(Because we drive/ride on the left in Australia we don't waive since the clutch hand is on the "outside", instead we nod)
Well I am old. I don’t wear gear but since my wife decided full gear is cumbersome, I removed the passenger pegs and pillion. Back when the road was less crowded and the speed was 55mph we had the time of our lives squiding around in sub-one hundred horsepower motorcycles, of which non-Harleys felt like recycled aluminum and sounded like lawnmowers. Sad to see it go. Sad to see all the results of decades of governmental grift also. 😥
I agree, I still ride a 52 year old Shovelhead chopper.
Man oh man you are so right about the Govt Grift. So irritating to see elected bureaucrats take freedoms away from “We The People”. Forcing us to all go electric when they pollute the environment more and rely on slave labor in places like the Congo to make those batteries. Real freedom is the freedom to choose and not being penalized for not jumping on the environmental communist movement. Capitalism is about letting the consumer decide and lies and coercion.
It's simple Harley Davidson riders get all the puntang! The other guys get well other guys 🤣
Never seen an attractive woemyn on the back of a Harley … 😂
Yeah, because hot girls love unkempt beards and swamp ass in leather.
Good video, and I agree on most points. I don't like the whole biker bar scene, when I'm riding I don't really drink, at most I will have a beer with dinner and that is it. I got the Indian Challenger Dark Horse in matte paint and blacked out pipes just because I hate cleaning and polishing the bike. I'd rather be riding than polishing.
Thats a sweet bike my buddy has one and had the engine built! Just to heavy for me.
I’ve owned two Hayabusas and noticed Harley riders waved at me numerous times. Kinda thought it was weird as it’s a sport bike. Was at the HD shop riding with 4 friends all on Road Kings and the shop employees all came out and was asking questions about the Busa. Just told them I ride in back on flat land and once the mountains arrive I’ll move to the front. Don’t like heavy less braking capable bikes riding behind me.
Great video and very good comments regarding HD riders. Like you I fit some of them but not all, I wear a full face helmet, gloves and a protective jacket when riding my Street Glide, if it's just around town I may just wear my leather vest but always full-face helmet and gloves. I don't do the biker bar scene, I will not drink and drive, but that's just me. I work in healthcare and have seen firsthand the trauma from motorcycle accidents.
I don't give a fuck what anybody thinks
I worked in the Harley world for 22 years. 85% of my customers were straight up out of that movie, Wild Hogs. Like watching kids on Halloween.
How long you been riding, dude? 3-4 years?
Hate seeing riders not wearing helmets. I always wear a helmet especially since my daughter came into this world. doesn't matter how good of rider you are you can't control the person in the car next to you. I do see a lot of riders not wearing helmets probably 90% of those being Harleys. In my opinion, especially if you have a family, not wearing a helmet is one of the most selfish things you can do. Riding is a dangerous hobby, and I love riding as it helps me clear my head, but I'm also going to make sure I take the precautions to make it back to my family in one piece or at least alive in the worst scenario of a crash.
Harley riders in Australia mainly only wear useless brain bucket helmets, because helmets are required by law. Crazy how helmets aren’t mandatory in the USA. It’s also crazy to not wear a full faced helmet. I have a friend who rides a Harley and has suffered for years wearing a brain bucket helmet just because of the image. I just tease him about it now … 😂
A couple comments: 1) The wave - I wave at other riders as a prayer that each of us has a safe ride. I don’t take it personally when someone doesn’t return it. 2) Cleaning - I’m a serial bug killer. I kill bugs, clean them off and then kill more. I do a cursory wipe down if there’s any dust or the previous ride had rain. Keep up the good work, Howard!!
Thanks brother
Awesome shirt. Love that company. Great video too, Thanks
I try to at least lift my fingers up and nod if I can’t take my hand off the bars at that moment. I’ve seen people endanger themselves waving when they shouldn’t be. Scary.
What's funny is that I am literally the opposite of most of these... I wear full gear all the time. I have dedicated summer and winter gear that I switch up for different weather. I don't rev my bike at all beyond the little blip before leaving a stop and one blip when I park. That's it. I wave at EVERYONE. Even scooters. I do sometimes miss bikes because I am paying more attention to traffic songs me than I am traffic going the other way and just don't see them. The only thing I don't wave at is Can Am scooters, and those 2 seater slingshot things. Passed one of those yesterday and the guy tried to wave and I felt bad refusing but just because you have no roof and less than 4 wheels doesn't make a member of the riding community there Mr Seatbelt. I am a "waxer" though... not gonna lie about that. But I do it on my own time. Usually before events, maybe the odd bike night, charity ride, etc. I'm not much of a drinker. I'm not saying I won't have the occasional one beer with lunch or at dinner once in a while... even if I'm riding. Only one beer though. One beer isn't even getting close to the legal limit. I'm a big dude (pushing 300) and even though I'm not really a drinker, it takes three beers before I start to get tipsy at all.
Yes, the big parking blip ... I do that too! :)
First off, who gives a fuck what anyone else thinks. It's no one's business what another rider does. Wear what you want to wear. Mind your own business! We ALL know the risk.
A lot of wisdom here.
And a nice calm delivery.
Right. Youre gonna regret not wearing a helmet when an accident happens. Ouch
What stuns me is the price you'd pay for a Harley and what you actually get for your money. Way overpriced, marginal performance, dependability issues, etc.
I like your backdrop. I don't disagree with a thing you said. Biking is a form of true love for all that we feel when we ride. It's beyond what anyone can fully understand until they really experience "Riding a motorcycle". Ultra cool!
Great video. I have respect for all riders no matter what they are riding, since 1974 i always waved and i have my happy to be riding face,some people put on a mean face and act cold. I do agree on no booze n driving,lost to many friends cause of booze. Merry Christmas to all and blessings.
Been riding street bikes since 1986. Always wear a full face helmet. Chin bar and face shield have saved my face several times. Since buying a new 2022 Heritage (my first Harley) last September, I have been less inclined to wear my jacket or pants while riding the Harley this summer. Too darn hot. I still wear my full face helmet, boots and gloves in the summer though. Starting to get cooler now here in Pennsylvania so jacket and pants will start to be worn full time.
While on my Harley I’ll wave to anyone on a motorcycle (a two wheeled single track vehicle). I’ll even wave to someone on a Can Am (three track vehicle) but not a Slingshot.
I don’t smoke or drink, gave that up in 1989.
What concerns me most when riding is people head deep in their smartphones. Can't tell you how many times, I had to come to a complete stop pulling over because a cager had drifted into my lane coming from the opposite direction especially in the twisty mountain roads. Be safe out there.
Can't tell you how many times my life was interrupted by a loud ass Harley, with a guy on it that thought he was cool.......
#1 issue why folks get aggravated with HD riders is EXCESSIVE LOUD PIPES.. not all but far to many think everyone loves the sound...NOT
I started with a 50cc moped. 150cc racing scooter. 750cc shadow. Vulcan 900. And this Friday, I'll officially be picking up my 2010 Heritage Softail and couldn't be happier 🤘
When are you gonna get a real bike … 😂
@@ma3stro681 I did 😂 The new(ish) Harley softails out in the garage now
I live near Asheville North Carolina yesterday ten hogs waved at me riding my v strom 650 Japanese bike they were typical Harley riders and I have noticed that everyone basically waves at me with my gear on it may be my demeanor . I usually nod or give two fingers down and I wave at everyone who has two wheels down .