Riding Bicycles Along With the Harleys

Gus Riley

Yesterday we went out again on the 6th annual Poker run here to 7 of the area Veteran's Clubs. A couple of us ride our bicycles on it. We get a metric century out of it.

This year the weather was clear but was the first real cold snap morning...39 degrees when we started. The weather report stated there would only be 2-4 mile winds from the NE. We got started with the wind blowing from predicted direction but more at like 15mph! Bummer, it was in our faces for the first 30 miles.

We were happy (but cold) in the knowledge that once we made the turn, we have it (the wind) mostly at our back (Except for the last ten miles.

We made our stops, got our cards, had some refreshments (sometimes water, sometimes a beer...once a Mountain Dew and a shot of Jose! )

We actually arrived sooner than most of the motorcyclists. Those at each stop made us feel we were part of the ride and some were amazed we were so crazy to be riding soooo far!!

We made the turn and lo and behold the wind had changed!! Now we rode a long while longer into the wind. But that last 10 miles were we thought would be a headwind fight was actually at our backs!

None of us had a winning hand. I was looking for a 6 to complete a straight.

It was a fun time and a ride of a different flavor. If anyone is in our area next year, come join us! All are welcome. The posters read "Bring what you brung!"

__________________
My single: Aegis Aro Svelte
Our tandem: Cannondale RT3000
Our triplet: Santana

dbackmtg

Riding amongst Harleys you probably did finish before most of them, with all the wrenching they have to do every 10 miles to keep them together. I bet you had to watch out for the oil they left behind on the road.

mongooseboy

my moms boyfriend has a harley (2007 electraglide ultra classic) and its been very reliable except for a few MINOR adjustments that harley made optional, and free.

he had a 1998 for 3-4 years and never had an ounce of trouble with that one, either. In fact he says he likes the riding position much better than hondas and the like...but thats personal preference too. he changes his oil and filter before they need it, and has seasonal tune-ups. pricy, but its a part of responsible motorcycle ownership. Probably the guys that have problems/leak oil are A: on older machines with LOTS of miles (HD guys ride a lot), or B: are trash themselves and cant afford the upkeep ON TOP of the cost of the bike.

on top of it all, his bike gets about 50mpg. its a BIG bike too...heavy not too aero...carrying two riders (my mom too). thats good for a big v-twin...

Of course i prefer bicycle...i was thinking about getting a bike, but id rather play with human powered cycles

stlblues

Heard that. There were couple of a harley on the side of the road on I70 today. I've ridden motorcycles for most of my life and I've never seen a harley I'd ride. Live begins at 150mph and if you aren't scraping pegs, you arent riding. When I'm not on my bicycle, its crotch rockets for me.

What do hound dogs and harleys have in common?
Initials are the same and they both spend a lot of time it the back of pickup trucks.

A friend of mine likes to pull up next to harleys and say "at least my briggs and straton will cut grass".

Gus Riley

None of them broke down. They had as much fun as we did.

I remember one line I heard about Harleys that I liked and good heartingly pass on to them...especially when we're riding our GoldWing...

"Did you know that 95% of all Harleys are still on the road today?!.....


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"The other 5% made it home!

__________________
My single: Aegis Aro Svelte
Our tandem: Cannondale RT3000
Our triplet: Santana

Pendejo

Perhaps we bicyclists should consider dressing a little differently so that we, too, could stike fear in the hearts of "citizens."

Gus Riley

I think you might be way behind in this Harley stereotype thing. There are now a bunch of very civil and civilly dressed Harley riders out there.

Besides, considering the way we dress, who are we as cyclists to criticize another group's dressing habits??

__________________
My single: Aegis Aro Svelte
Our tandem: Cannondale RT3000
Our triplet: Santana

stlblues

Maybe where you live, around here, they are greasy scuzballs, beards, dew rags, and leather with patches.

One guy posed the question, why do harley riders wear $500 in leather and an ash tray on thier heads and us sportbike riders wear $500 helmets (mine was $616) and Tshirts and shorts.

mongooseboy

harley riders arnt racing in and out of traffic at speeds up to and sometimes over 150mph. unless they have a V-rod... besides, they value all the tattoos on their body, the leather will protect their skin. fall off a bike at even 40mph with t-shirt and shorts your gonna be laying in a pile of blood....

alienator

Pretty much what he said. I'm not a Harley guy....rode my father-in-law's Custom Classic a couple times and hated it....but the Harley demographic has completely changed. That vast majority of Harley riders are either older professional types, yuppies, or something quasi-like that. The idea of Harley riders being Hells Angels was outdated years ago.

What isn't outdated is the number of idiots that somehow got the idea that the street is some sort of racetrack. What's funny is damn near every street hotshot that I saw making it to the track to go racing--where things are really fast--ended up being the slowest, most timit riders on the course. To damn near a man/woman, racers know that the street is no place for "life begins above 150." Anyone dragging their sportbike pegs on the road has no clue just what risk their putting everyone else at, nor do they have any idea about where the edge is and what it means to actually be in control. I'm all in favor of street racers, the "life begins at 150 crowd", finding a grill. They give the rest of us riders a bad name.

Stlblues so lazy that his thought can only range as far as stereotypes. Real critical thought has completely evaded him and remains pitifully far from his grasp.

dbackmtg

Boy, I didn't want to get the Harley vs sportbike crowd going. There's nothing wrong with a Harley. It's all in what type of machine you desire. Most motorcyclist get along nowadays no matter what one rides. There are a few idiots out there but most get along.

alienator

Nah, you didn't get anything started. It's not your fault that some "150mph Hero Wannabe" chimed in. And you're right: these days, most motorcyclists get along. We have to. Motorcyclists have a compromised image, in the eyes of car drivers, like cyclists do. I used to occasionally ride with my work partner when we was paramedics, him riding his Harley and me on my GSXR750.

Gus Riley

I like my GoldWing and wouldn't trade it for a Harley but I sure would like to have the same quality chrome that Harleys have. They are some beautiful machines.

__________________
My single: Aegis Aro Svelte
Our tandem: Cannondale RT3000
Our triplet: Santana

mongooseboy

yep, but ill probably never own a harley either, as much as i like them...just too much money and way too much preventative maintanance to keep warranty...

ill get a honda or kawisaki most likely. I like the Ninja 250R (yep underpowered) but i dont want speed, i want mileage, and the 250 is said to get between 60-75 depending on how you drive it, best of all: $3,000 brand new!

for now id much much rather have my bicycles...speaking of which i better get to bed so i can get up for a ride