Bonneville America Forums Forums General Motorcycle Forums Other Bikes "You're Buying A Lifestyle"

I've been looking at other bikes over the last week or two (sorry, but I want something a bit quicker than my Speedy).

One of my options was the V-Rod, so I wander down to my local HD dealer. Plenty of V-Rods in the showroom, including an unregistered '04 model that was being offered at significantly less than a '06 or '07. I take a sit on the bike, and seriously consider a test ride.

I start talking to the salesman, who does a pretty good job on me, until he utters the immortal words..."Of course, you're not just buying a bike, you're buying a lifestyle",

WTF? NO I'M NOT. I ALREADY HAVE A FREAKIN LIFESTYLE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I JUST WANT A BIKE TO ENJOY AS A PART OF THAT LIFESTYLE.

Exit one potential HD owner, muttering under his breath

Later that day I was in a Honda dealer, and the guy told me of a mate of his who went touring on his Kawasaki cruiser with a load of guys on HDs. He said that the mickey taking because he wasn't on a HD got to the point where it went beyond a joke, and he returned vowing never to ride with the HD owners again.

If that's even half true I won't ever be buying a HD, because I honestly don't care what people ride as long as their attitude is cool.

I don't know any HD owners, but I'm sure that the vast majority are just normal guys. However, I can't help wondering if there are a few who believe the hype

BTW, I'm test riding a Rocket this afternoon

Hiya Simon

If you haven't already ridden one mate, take reinfoeced drawers with you .. you'll LOVE it!!

You want more speed? You'll have it and plenty to spare mate.

Enjoy.

Forgive me Lord the blasphemy , but I believe I could be OK if Santa slipped one of these under the tree - http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/honda_rune_1800cc_6_cylinder/

If you can hold off until this fall, hopefully there will be that much anticipated full dresser Rocket III.

Soren

It kinda makes me laugh to read your post, to think that the "Rub" mentality has insidiously insinuated itself into another country! Kinda sad though.

Hey, its true. My wife's unlce never had a bike, until last year. He bought a brand new HD dresser, with a vanity plate, 06HD. Skip to last month, he was making dinner in the 100k motorhome which he uses to tow the bike around. Severed us dinner on HD plates, with HD mugs, but what blew me away was the HD salt and pepper shakers. In fact I have a bet with my wife that he will have the eagle and bar tatoo done within a year. Maybe you can finance that Tattoo along with the rest of the floatsum right at purchase.

You're actually just leasing a lifestyle, the spending just keeps on going....dogfood bowls, baby boots, diapers (really!) etc etc.

The other day when I parked my bike at work, a guy pulls up on some sort of scooter. I sez 'Howya doin'..' he responds in kind with a smile and we move on. Today I park and am gettin my stuff situated and a guy on one of the newer HD softtail variations pulls up next to me. I sez 'Howya doin'...he looks as if he's gonna fart, utters 'Mornin'', looks down at the BA and hightails it away. Hmmm, me thinks the scooter guy may have been the real biker of the two.

Well, as the owner of both an '06 TBA and a '03 H-D Ultra I can share that so far my experience in the S.E. area of Virginia is that if you are a safe rider, neither group (HOG or RAT) really care what you ride.

Will there be comments? Sure - part of the fun. But when its crank-up time, its the ride and fellowship that counts.

My 2¢

Hey Simon
How did the test ride go??

Did you take the bike back?
Do we need to get Interpol involved to track you down?

Or get your cheque book out there and then??

Up to now that has been my experience also. I ride with some dyed-in-the-wool HD guys and some Honda guys as well. They don't really care as to the choice of mount. My place of employment is full of 'superior' types. Perhaps this guys' 'tude had nothing to do with motorcycles at all. A bran muffin in the morning could help.

And if you're buying a V-Rod, you're getting a POS in addition to that "lifestyle". A friend of mine has one, and about a week or so ago he hit a big pothole on his bike and his right front peg broke off. Normally that'd be no big deal on a bike, but the boss on the frame was what broke, not the peg. Yep, the entire weld failed and he had this gaping 1 inch or so hole in his frame. Luckily it was under warranty, so he got it replaced for free. And the frame is bolted together just above that footpeg, so he had just that piece of frame replaced(I guess they have a bolted together frame to make it easier to pull the motor). What's also a little alarming about it, is Harley doesn't have a recall on this part, but there is a different part number now for that piece of the frame....which tells me they probably know about the problem, but wouldn't issue a recall.

Derek. To what degree can your friend do his own maintenance on the V-rod. Just looking at those things close -up looks like lots of dealer time for standard mainenance items.

Personally, I've always wondered how much horsepower and torque, and how well those new Twin-Cam "Lifestyles" handle out there on the road.

I HAVE heard that some of those optional TATTOOS can add up to 17 BHP sometimes!(and THAT'S at the REAR WHEEL even...NOT just at the CRANK, from what I hear)

AND, those ubiquitious H/D T-shirts??!!(not to mention those H/D cigarette lighters, among the plethora of other H/D...ahem..."merchandise")

Well, I've been informed that they REALLY make for a MUCH better handling machine when it comes to those tight twisting little mountain roads too!

Cheers,
Dwight

Well, at least you're staying with a Triumph, sorry to see the Speedmaster go, hope that you'll be happy with your literal rocket.

My friends who got blown away in Wilma are finishing their rebuild. They now have an HD room. EVERY friggin thing in there is HD branded. My eyeballs hurt when I was in there.

Almost as bad, their TV room is all Steelers! Talk about ugly!!!!

Wa hay!!

I can't see anyone who really wants one of these being dissapointed after riding one!

I really want one but refuse point blank to pay the insurance!
I nearly bought one when they came out, then again about a year ago, then again just before buying the ST.
The insurance is what does for me though!
The ST cost an EXTRA £280 per year on my dual bike policy.

This site is wicked.
Nice harley bashing
http://www.goingfaster.com/angst/

Some of that is so funny!

I love the section on replies he's received .. my favourite:

"YOU JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW ALL OF OUR LIVES WE'VE BEEN SOCIAL RETARDS AND AS HARLEY OWNERS WE ARE INDIVIDUALS AND REBELS WHO LOVE TO GET TOGETHER, GET DRUNK, AND SEE WHOSE BIKE IS THE LOUDEST. DARE TO BE DIFFERENT AND GET A HARLEY LIKE THE REST OF US ... "

Sorta sums it up really!

But then there's....

"We've all seen that bumper sticker: If God rode a motorcycle, it would be a Harley. I thought to myself......now I know why God hasn't made His second coming..... He's still stuck in a cornfield out in Nebraska or somewhere waiting for parts!"

and

"I think of these people (HD owners) as oxygen thieves, stealing it from those of us
that can really use it."

although Shawn took offence to :

The roar of a Harley is really just the growling of a sheep in wolf's clothing, and the bleating of the image driven lemmings that ride them.

I enjoy bursting the HD snobs bubble by asking why, if HD is so great, did HD have to go have Porsche design the engine for them on the VRod? They simply hate that, and usually mutter and try to change the subject.

Hey Kevin,

I don't think any of them work on their bikes like we do. I mentioned "butt dyno" the other day to a few of them after I had put the Freak in, and they looked at me like they'd never heard of it. I think most of them spring for the H-D maintenance program where you pay some outrageous amount for them to change your oil. And I know here in Tucson, with only 1 H-D dealership, they charge over $80/hr for labor. What this town needs is another Harley dealer. I never hear anything good about the one down on Grant, and I know more than one person who've gone to the Phoenix area to buy a new one. Usually at Superstition H-D or Buddy Stubbs.

What a good man for turning around and walking out the door. What a joke azz coment that salesman made.
Hey what about the other favorite one they say. It's when they don't have the part you want or they have no clue what your talking about. They say... Well, I could sell you something you don't really need, but I'd rather tell you the truth and have you come back and do buisness with me when you really do need something. I'm just trying to save you some cash. SHUTUP STOOPID! Thats what I tell them. Then all they see is my azz and elbows heading for the door.

Ok, finally experienced the so called “lifestyle”. Went on my first poker run yesterday...pulled up and was one of a kind
in a sea of many and I was OK with that. ALL of the HD’ers were in head to toe gear and tattoos to boot.
Well this man came up to me and says “how do you like that LITTLE new Triumph?” I told him that
little Triumph gets me where I’m going. And he pops back with “they sure do use a lot of plastic these days”.
I replied with “no more than any other company” and I added “ the best part is my bike does not look like
22.5 million other bikes sitting in the same lot”. He humphed and walked away…the guy next to him
leaned over and said “we all don’t think like that, he is just narrow minded and pissed he paid so much
more than you did, I think your bike looks great” and walked away.

You will not believe this but!!!

I rode up to meet uncle charle, matt, ctspeed and lj300 and couple of others at the Toy makers for breakfest yesterday and after went on a ride with Matt on the way back I had to stop in Torrington for gas, there was 15 to 20 HD all ready there must have been taken a break.

I pulled up to the pump with a few stares and couple of guys came over and told me they liked the new look and how did it run. One guy even offered to buy me a coke.

When I pullled out I got thumbs up and head nods from the rest. I do not believe it myself.

Maybe, just maybe the masses are changing? I guess we have to remember baby steps. They followed each other in mass to the dealership so maybe the kindness will be followed in mass as well? either way, no skin off my nose..I know my bike is great looking and will be running long after theirs breakdown in the middle of nowhere.

Any Harley-ite worth their salt will pay their respects to your Triumph. Just a couple of weeks ago one of the bunch I ride with had some of us over for tacos(his wife cooked up 120 taco shells). He has one of those "Harley parking only" signs in front of his carport, and when I pulled up he had a piece of paper taped below it that said "and Triumphs". LOL, I got a big kick out of that one.

See I always said Speedmaster riders, know what speed is all about & have taste!

Well done mate, what colour is it?
Now Shaun can't just pick on me at the BA.Com rallies

There is a reason that they call it JET black....

Funny.....i have a speedy and looked at a Vrod the other day too. Not seriously tho because i can't justify that kinda dough. But they are awesome. It's the only HD i'd ever consider. But the one thing i just can't get past is just what you're talking about......the harley lifestyle. Or more to my way of thinking, not really a lifestyle because as you said i already have one. But the whole idea od being part of a group of lemmings. I like being unique and i like not following the crowd, especially when that crown looks so pathetically mindless to me in thier "follow the leader" fashion. I cannot seem to get past that very easily. especially coming from a bike that makes everyone who sees it go wow, and proceed to tell me they've never seen one before. There is also the question of reliability. I know a lot of people say new hd's are reliable, but i just don't see it. everyone i talk to that knows someone who has one tells me of thier troubles, as does my friend who's brother has had many and has had his new one in the shop already for problems a few times in the year he had it. I just don't trust them. if i did, and if not for the lifestyle or whatever similar wierdness that goes along with them, i'd have my sights set on one as my next bike. i still may tho it's unlikely....but they are just awesome in power, looks, and in the build quality. if triumph offered a bike that struck me in the same ways i'd have it, period. (no, not the rocket...i want a bike, not a car)

By the way, give me a speedy with the same power and build quality and custom paint as a Vrod and there will NEVER be another bike ever made that i would rather have. NOTHING !

Its interesting how many Harley bashing threads there are on non-harley sites. I own a Speedie and a Harley Street Bob (used to have a Road king) and I love both bikes. I did not buy the Harley for the lifestyle, but for the grin it puts on my face when I ride it and look at it. I bought the Speedie for the same reason. I also belong to a HD forum and I have never read a Triumph bashing thread on the forum. It seems to me we should be out riding instead of making fun of people who ride a different brand of motorcycle from us. As for those who bash Harley quality, I have never had any problems with either of my Harley's but had my Speedie break down on me twice during the first month I owned it. The plastic fenders and plastic chrome on the Speedie are cheap, but the metal fenders and chrome on my Harley are not.

Even though my Speedie has given me more problems than my Harley, I do not bash Triumph and Triumph riders. I still like it and ride it to work 80 miles round trip most days. Some of the Harley riders I have met are the nicest people I know. If they want to get a Harley tattoo and wear Harley t-shirts its not my idea of cool, but more power to them. They enjoy their "lifestyle" and their bikes. Sounds like a good thing to me.

The only attitude I have ever seen when riding my Harley or Triumph has been from some Sport Bike riders. I've lost count of the amount of times they blow past me in the carpool lane with one hand on their hip, while I am doing 80 mph or they do a wheelie in front of me. I guess that is supposed to impress me. It doesn't impress me, but I don't let it bother me either. I would not bash the sport bike riders because I was young and stupid once and rode outside my limits. They enjoy riding like the rest of us, some of them just have a little growing up to do.

Anyway enough of this, I'm going to go out and ride my triumph for a while. I'm not sure if I will roll up my Triumph t-shirt sleeve, to show off my Triumph tattoo. I might also wear my classic British helmet with the Triumph sticker on the back, with my Triumph chaps and Harley boot. Oops I meant Triumph boots.

Easy there Malcolm. Most of this so-called "Harley bashing" is just all in good fun. Or at least it is when I ride with my Harley buddies. I don't know how many times I've been ribbed about riding a Triumph, but I give it right back to them. Underneath it all though there's some respect given by both them and me.

Occasionally though I will come across a pack of rubs who think if it isn't a Harley, it isn't worth owning. I just blow off people like that and ingore them.

You do bring up an interesting point about the sport bike riders though. I like to think of them as the bikers/riders of 40 years ago. Back then pretty much all motorcyclists were seen as a bit nuts by the general public and scorned by most people. Today's "stuntas" have the same sort of stigma attached to them. They're seen as lawbreakers, punks on two wheels.

And just last night I was watching that new show on Speed, Super Bikes!. They had some guy on who says he gets paid thousands to do stunt shows, and he just ripped on Harley riders saying he couldn't understand why they put $40,000 into a machine. He said something like; "They throw all that money at their bikes so they can look good...I'd rather have a junky looking bike and show them how I look good actually riding the bike, taking it to the limit." What was ironic about this is that the next segment on the show was about blinging out a asport bike. They showed this guy working on a bike that had who knows how much money into a pair of spinner wheels, paint job, and all kinds of other nonfunctional mods.

Oh, and by the way...I have 42,000 miles on my 03 Speedmaster.

I saw the same show last night. Tuesday is my favorite night on ther Speed Channel. I get to TiVo American thunder, Corbins Ride On, Super bikes, Build or bust etc. and watch my pick of them when I get home from work. I know that a lot of the ribbing is in good fun but unfortunately there are always a few who are serious. My son rides a Triumph Speed Four Sport Bike and while shopping with him for his bike I was tempted to get a Speed Triple. What a great looking naked bike. I came to my senses when I realized my back would last about 30 minutes on that bike.

Right now my son would not go near a cruiser of any kind, Harley, Triumph, or other brand. I'll bet in a few years he will change his mind if he is still riding. I'm just glad he gets to experience the fun we all get when we ride a motorcycle, no matter what he is riding.

Yep, it's not what you ride, it's just good to have something to ride. The group I hang out with now has mostly Harleys, but there's also some Hondas and Yamahas.

Personally, I can't stand much of American Thunder or Corbin, because most of the time it's just one long informercial. Like last night with the segment on the headlight. What should have been a couple of minute explanation about how much brighter that bulb was over a stock one, turned into half the show pitching that product. I guess I've just been spoiled with all the motorcycle shows on TV the last few years. Used to be I didn't care what they showed, I'd watch it if it had motorcycles in it.

I wish I was young enough to ride a Speed Triple. If I had one I know there wouldn't be any temptation for my wife to jump on the back of it like she does my Speedmaster with the America pillion. Oh, I still like my Speedmaster enough, but it did take some getting used to riding the cruiser position. Maybe when the young uns' today have a few knee operations like I've had, they'll make the switch too. I've even started to become a believer in "it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast, than it is to ride a fast bike slow". I just don't see the point in having a bike that'll do a 150 mph+, when it'd be insane to do it on most roads.

But I've been thinking since I got my knee replaced that I could get back to a more upright riding position. Maybe not sportbike position, but something like the new adventure style type bikes like a Tiger or a V-Strom. I've always wanted a parallel twin Triumph though, so the next bike will have to share time with my Speedmaster.

I just tell it like it is. I say hd's are built better with nicer quality and details all the time. Said it many many times. But i also say i feel they aren't that reliable and i think a triumph will out handle them. i get razzed for saying anything negitive about them by those who have hd's, but they never seem to notice the fact i also said the build quality beats the heck out of triumph. that should tell you something.....it tells you i'm not bashing, i'm telling you what i actually think !

So what am i supposed to say? Everything about them is better? can't there be any faults, or at least IMO w/o being called a basher? I say negitive things about my speedy all the time. Doesn't mean i don't love it. I think words like bashing need to be defined. It should be defined as unfounded negitivity towards something because you are simply biased. saying it like it is can be defined as describing what you have read and experienced and heard about something. But instead you can't be honest w/o being labeled a basher? i say lighten up guys ! if you tell me hd's build quality is much better than my speedy i won't call YOU a basher.....i'll agree ! Give me the same simple respect.

point is, what do you want others to say......do you want them to lie or be politically correct towards hd's, or do you wanna hear what they rfeel is the truth as they see it?