I sincerely don't understand the people who need to make their Harley as loud as possible. I'm happy for you that you've found something that makes you feel cool, but you don't need to tell everybody around you how it makes you feel. Are you really as desperate for attention as a neglected 6 year old? When you gun the engine out of a stop light and cause a minor earthquake, do you think people look at you and say, "Boy, he sure is cool!"? Because that isn't what they are thinking. Honestly, the whole thing seems a lot like the negative attention seeking that you find in maladjusted children. When I see someone like that, my honest to god first thought is that they have psychological issues. I'm pretty sure "psychological cripple" isn't the cool-guy image such people are trying to project.
The other thing I've seen that I don't get is people doing long road trips on interstate highways on bikes with ape-hangers and those high up foot pegs that make them look like they are in the stirrups at the gynecologist's office. I get tricking out your bike for show, but at that point, it probably should be for show and it isn't a good idea to take it on a 500 mile road trip. That seems like a Driver's Ed training film waiting to happen.
Actually that originated for safety purposes believe it or not. The louder you are the more likely you are to be seen/heard by other motorist. I rode for years (Yamaha R1) and the way people drive now days talking, texting, eating etc...it can save your life. Now my bike wasn't over the top loud but it did have an aftermarket exhaust. As to why some riders feel compelled to be obnoxious and rev up their engines for no reason, that's more likely like you said the "look at me syndrome"
I thought about getting a Harley, because I thought it would make me look younger. Went with an electric bike, instead. No, it's not as loud, doesn't go as fast, and can only carry me and possibly a Hobbit, but it will go 20 mph, and 20 miles on a charge (if I peddle a little). Goes right up the hills of Austin, no problem. Would enjoy a Harley, though. Perhaps in another life?
Some funny things happened when the "chopper" craze hit a bit after 2000. Everyone and their mother bought choppers and similar to the .com era, the market on them crashed. Right now, you can't hardly give away a custom chopper. Their values have literally dropped by 50-60% from what I have seen. Harleys, on the other hand, have always held their value for the most part. When the chopper market crashed, their values dropped just a wee bit, but more in line with most everything else in the down economy. Some Harleys are almost an investment. Get a good one, ride it on the weekend and keep it in good shape and you might get your money back out of it years down the road.
Yes, you would look even cooler and, i suspect you'd be safer. Does it exclude you from bicycle lanes?
Not at all! It's considered the same as a bicycle, and I ride in bicycle lanes. Happily, Austin has a lot of them. I don't think I look cooler than I would if I was tooling around on a Harley, though. Still, it's a lot of fun. It's very quiet. Sorta like a hot air balloon on two wheels. ;-)-
Just curious, what do you bike guys do if it rains? Would any 'bike fans' want to ride something like the bike in Tron Legacy...you know, the white one that's covered?
the perfect excuse to strip & use the dryer +, aside from the increased vigilance, i kind of enjoy out of getting soaked...my adult compromise to forsaking the pleasure of peeing in my pants i suppose
You ride in the rain. I have these that I keep in my saddlebags when they're on the bike, but I've rode plenty in the rain without them.
that is a load of BS. You cannot hear a bike even with straight pipe that is in your blind spot in any decently insulated car over the radio, AC and road/tire noise. It is justification for being an asshat.
You do know that these ape bars and highway pegs have been around longer than most people on this board? And if you really have to question why we put highway pegs on our bikes you will NEVER EVER get it. And that's cool. Because to "get it" you'd actually have to ride alittle. And not everybody rides. Noise? Keeps YOU awake and me alive. 500 mile road trip with ape bars? meh Rain? What? Really? We're not p***y cats you know. Anyway a rainsuit does just fine...like those frogtags. And finally, all the money I saved for NOT drinking Starbucks coffee I bought a HD trike. :grin:
Anybody have any suggestions on a beginner/commuter bike? The more I read about bike safety, the more it seems that, while you're more likely to die (duh), you're less likely to actually get in an accident. So, it's all about being careful/responsible and not letting yourself get in that situation in the first place.
Thumbs up on the FroggToggs. Light, breathable, and smush down into a relatively small package so they are easy to stow. You still get a little wet (some water still seems to work its way through the seams it seems), but way better than riding without. The worst part of riding in the rain is the reduced visibility. Even with RainX treated face shields and a windshield set at the right height (just below eye level) you still need to swipe with the glove and do the quick look to the side to clear the wayer away. And... drivers see you even less... always the danger in riding. I remember one of my earliest rides... no windshield, long cold ride up Highway 6 escorting a hearst that was supposed to keep the speed down but the driver kept creeping his speed up to 80. It then started to rain. By the time I got to the cemetary past Waco I was a wreck. My hands hurt from the "death grip", I was wet, cold, exhausted physically and mentally. I almost left the darn motorcycle at the cemetary. Instead, I bought a windshield, rain gear, and eventually a bigger bike better suited to longer, faster rides.
