Japanese motorcycles hate

[Inhouse Bob]

There are only 2 things, I hate:
1. prejudice,
2. Harley riders.







Disclaimer: This is a joke! If you don't get it, you may be a Harley rider.

Disclaimer 2: This was another joke!

Disclaimer 3: I'm a German and an engineer. People of both groups are not supposed to make good jokes.

+ more

[the Ferret]

Perhaps the word "hate" is too strong.

But I do feel hostility whenever I mentioned about the possibility of buying a non-American motorcycle and for being interested in "Japanese plastic junk", etc.

I did not experience the same level of hostility when I said I was also interested in German and Italian motorcycles.

PErhaps you need to quit discussing your possible purchase with others and just buy what makes you happy. Are you buying it for you? Or for them?

[dwcurton_imp]

For years I rode an ADV bike pretty much daily - no choice, I didn't own a car. A lot of people sneeringly dismissed the bike as just another "crotch-rocket". No hate, just a smug kind of condescension as if it wasn't a real bike just because it didn't say H-D on it. I quickly noticed that they fell into two groups - those that didn't have a bike to begin with, and those who just bought a H-D recently. Pretty soon the new bike owners sold their rides and moved on to some other fad, and here I am still riding. So I mostly ignored them.

The long term riders never had an issue with it.

The same people that put down my V-Strom don't really know what to make of the CB1100. It doesn't fit their idea of crotch-rocket, has a pretty mean stance, and so I've gotten some surprised comments about how good it looks.

Howdy dw. I grew up in Dickinson. Wish I still lived somewhere that I could use a bike for primary transport all year round!
My old Baycliff/San Leon Harley-riding friends give me a hard time about my ride choice, but before that they gave me a hard time about other things. All in good fun.
I knew that the "Harley or Die" thing was shifting when I saw an interview with Sonny Barger where he said that he regretted sticking with Harleys. He said unequivocally that the Japanese were making better, faster, more dependable bikes. If HE says it, it must be so.

Ah! Found the quote from his book... "But Hell's Angels started riding Harley-Davidsons mostly because, unlike today, they didn't have much choice. In 1957, it was either ride a Harley or settle for a Triumph or BSA. They'd already stopped building Indians. It's always been important for Hell's Angels to ride American-made machines. In terms of pure workmanship, personally I don't like Harleys. I ride them because I'm in the club, and that's the image, but if I could I would seriously consider a Honda ST1100 or a BMW. We really missed the boat not switching over to the Japanese models when they began building bigger bikes. I'll usually say, "#$%* Harley Davidson. You can buy an ST1100 and the mother#$%*er will do 110 miles per hour right from the factory all day long." The newest "rice rockets" can carry 140 horsepower to the rear wheel, and can easily do 180 miles per hour right out of the box. While it's probably too late to switch over now, it would have been a nice move, because Japanese bikes today are so much cheaper and better built. However, Japanese motorcycles don't have as much personality."

Howdy dw. I grew up in Dickinson. Wish I still lived somewhere that I could use a bike for primary transport all year round!
I certainly enjoy the year-round ability to ride, but when it was MANDATORY it was sometimes a pain. My wife and I had a certain disagreement on how many outdoor accessories a man really needed, and somewhere along the line I ended up with just one running motorcycle as primary transportation. Any time I weakened my resolve and started looking for a truck, my wife would gently remind me that "It doesn't get that cold in Texas" and "You said you could ride year-round, so get to it".

But honestly, the traffic density has increased dramatically in the past 4 or 5 years, with lots of new construction going on. Not a lot of fun on the morning commute.

[kballowe_imp]

There are only 2 things, I hate:
1. prejudice,
2. Harley riders.







Disclaimer: This is a joke! If you don't get it, you may be a Harley rider.

Disclaimer 2: This was another joke!

Disclaimer 3: I'm a German and an engineer. People of both groups are not supposed to make good jokes.

OMG, I've been found out !!!
.
.
.

[Inhouse Bob]

For years I rode an ADV bike pretty much daily - no choice, I didn't own a car. A lot of people sneeringly dismissed the bike as just another "crotch-rocket". No hate, just a smug kind of condescension as if it wasn't a real bike just because it didn't say H-D on it. I quickly noticed that they fell into two groups - those that didn't have a bike to begin with, and those who just bought a H-D recently. Pretty soon the new bike owners sold their rides and moved on to some other fad, and here I am still riding. So I mostly ignored them.

The long term riders never had an issue with it.

The same people that put down my V-Strom don't really know what to make of the CB1100. It doesn't fit their idea of crotch-rocket, has a pretty mean stance, and so I've gotten some surprised comments about how good it looks.

Howdy dw. I grew up in Dickinson. Wish I still lived somewhere that I could use a bike for primary transport all year round!
My old Baycliff/San Leon Harley-riding friends give me a hard time about my ride choice, but before that they gave me a hard time about other things. All in good fun.
I knew that the "Harley or Die" thing was shifting when I saw an interview with Sonny Barger where he said that he regretted sticking with Harleys. He said unequivocally that the Japanese were making better, faster, more dependable bikes. If HE says it, it must be so.

Ah! Found the quote from his book... "But Hell's Angels started riding Harley-Davidsons mostly because, unlike today, they didn't have much choice. In 1957, it was either ride a Harley or settle for a Triumph or BSA. They'd already stopped building Indians. It's always been important for Hell's Angels to ride American-made machines. In terms of pure workmanship, personally I don't like Harleys. I ride them because I'm in the club, and that's the image, but if I could I would seriously consider a Honda ST1100 or a BMW. We really missed the boat not switching over to the Japanese models when they began building bigger bikes. I'll usually say, "#$%* Harley Davidson. You can buy an ST1100 and the mother#$%*er will do 110 miles per hour right from the factory all day long." The newest "rice rockets" can carry 140 horsepower to the rear wheel, and can easily do 180 miles per hour right out of the box. While it's probably too late to switch over now, it would have been a nice move, because Japanese bikes today are so much cheaper and better built. However, Japanese motorcycles don't have as much personality."

Howdy dw. I grew up in Dickinson. Wish I still lived somewhere that I could use a bike for primary transport all year round!
I certainly enjoy the year-round ability to ride, but when it was MANDATORY it was sometimes a pain. My wife and I had a certain disagreement on how many outdoor accessories a man really needed, and somewhere along the line I ended up with just one running motorcycle as primary transportation. Any time I weakened my resolve and started looking for a truck, my wife would gently remind me that "It doesn't get that cold in Texas" and "You said you could ride year-round, so get to it".

But honestly, the traffic density has increased dramatically in the past 4 or 5 years, with lots of new construction going on. Not a lot of fun on the morning commute.

Yeah, that area has gotten a lot more hectic since I left 30 years ago. And it was already pretty hectic. But it's still better than DC
Ride safe ... and get a truck if you want. If your wife gets po'd you can always sleep in the cab

There are only 2 things, I hate:
1. prejudice,
2. Harley riders.







Disclaimer: This is a joke! If you don't get it, you may be a Harley rider.

Disclaimer 2: This was another joke!

Disclaimer 3: I'm a German and an engineer. People of both groups are not supposed to make good jokes.

OMG, I've been found out !!!
.
.
.

Ohhh! Shiney!! That looks like it was a good day.

[kballowe_imp]

Inhouse Bob Wrote:Ohhh! Shiney!! That looks like it was a good day.
It was. And, it's close to home.


:......................................................................

[suhawk305]

I have been riding Japanese motorcycles since 1966 and I had only a few unfavorable experiences with the HD V twin people. Back in the early 1970's, I was riding an a highway on my 305cc Honda CB77, near Binghamton, NY, when a group of the local Hell's Angles decided to have a little fun with me. The surrounded me and sort of played chicken (coming really close to me, laughing, etc.) I was able to break free of the group, and went up a town road around the hills. They did't follow me for long since blasted my Superhawk through the sharp curves leaving a trail of my footpeg rubber on the pavement. They still got the last laugh. More recently when I pulled into a parking lot, a group v-twin riders were there talking. One of them turned to me smugly said, "That little thing makes funny noises" My answer to him was "If you have been carrying my a$$ around for more than 45 years, you would be making noise too" I have alot of HD riding friends and the are respectful. One of them teases me about leaving a "trail of rice" behind my Honda when I ride, all in fun.

[LongRanger_imp]

I've never come across anyone who expressed contempt for the motorcycle I choose to ride. Not sure why they'd even care, or what they'd hope to accomplish. It'd be like arguing religion or politics.

[Ulvetanna_imp]

I've never come across anyone who expressed contempt for the motorcycle I choose to ride. Not sure why they'd even care, or what they'd hope to accomplish. It'd be like arguing religion or politics.

+10

[cooldrum_imp]

I feel riders who are critical of what brands we ride are missing the point of "the why" we ride. Life is too short, so why get hung up on bikes and their country of origin. The fact that each one of us continues to ride and the choices we have are many. Five decades of riding and it still feels good to swing a leg over the saddle and my bike will take me to wherever I want to go! Truly amazing and blessed. Russ