A friend of a friend's Harley (warning rant!!!))

[Irish]

I recently traded in my 250cc Road Warrior for a 2006 Harley Sportster 1200 w/ a Trike Kit & you'll never see it trailered anywhere! I also take it to Wal*Mart & the other stores. One thing that I've noticed on this site is that everyone says that Harley riders are prejudiced against Scooters. It seems to me that it's the other way around. Everyone is riding & that's what counts! Can't we all just get along? Anger is the wind that blows out the light of the mind! Irish

[Houndguy]

I don't think it's just us Irish. In a lot of the that I belong to (Rounders - year round riders) and reading about various long distance riders and such. Harleys are generally seen as sh*t and "garage queens".

Seems the serious riders are on BMW's, Honda's and scooters. Yes, scooters.

Scooters tend to be the ones in the rain and being ridden every day. That's tough.

[zumaguy123]

Yeah I think you're the exception Irish. Other than the local HA chapter, the Harleys don't come out around here until the weekend (and only then when its warm and sunny). And even then you'll see some of em being hauled around on trailers. Sorta like the stretched Japanese bikes that have become popular in my city--they are warm and sunny weekend riders.

Personally, I think of riding a Harley as a hobby or a cool accessory for going to a club or bar (if you're into that kind of thing), or something for a Saturday/Sunday afternoon ride with your Harley buddies. They are cool but not very practical for shooting to the store for a jug of milk, ya know?

And then of course probably 99.9% of Harley guys (and pretty much everyone else on motorcycles) are prejudiced against scooters (but this could also be said about most people in America, especially in my state and others where they are regarded as "liquor-cycles"). Not that I particularly care, just saying. There's been probably hundreds of times when I'd be coming head-on towards someone on a motorcycle and see them start to throw the motorcycle hand signal or wave and then quickly take their hand back when they realize its a scooter lol. Its all good though.

[rlshepard]

A guy I work with rides a Harley, he is constantly giving me grief. Now he goes home at lunch on nice warm sunny days and comes back on his Harley.

Now I'm not hardcore by any stretch, below 35 or rain and I'll head for the 4 wheel enclosed vehicle. His excuse is he can't fire his Harley up that early in the morning or his neighbors get upset...

I do get the waves and nod from other bikes around town even a few of the Harley guys but more often then not, I get subbed by the Harley guys.

It's all good though, starting to see a lot more scoots around...

[wheelbender6]

A lot of guys that buy the big bikes cannot do the daily commute on them due to weather or the circumstances of their job. My old boss has a street glide but would not commute on it because he hated freeway riding.
In my many commutes through, around and across Houston, I have seen many Harley, BMW and Gold Wing riders that commute daily in all but the most treacherous weather.
Most sportsters have the small peanut tank, but they still have as much range as my 125cc scoot.