To be fair the biggest “Riding Group” is just a Lifestyle Marketing system for “The Motor company” so of course they tell you what you should have.

I take my beat up 03 Z1000 on otherwise HD mostly (or cruisers anyway) rides many times a year. Even ones at the Harley Dealerships and nobody mentions anything other than good natured goofing.

This. It is not so much individuals, but rather the group mentality which comes with large masses of motorcyclists.

I’m not sure comparing a vintage bike to why someone would buy a NEW bike that isn’t much different from the vintage is much use.

If the costs of said crashes/medical bills didn’t effect ALL OF US, I wouldn’t give a damn if you wear one or not. But since they do, I want you to wear one.

You’re one of those people? And I think it should be legal to shoot people in the face that open their car door needlessly in traffic.

I go back and forth on this, but the more I think about it, the less I see a difference between helmet laws and seatbelts in cars. I know that some would argue that seatbelts in cars shouldn’t be mandatory, but the effect of those laws has been a huge reduction in injuries and fatalities, and been a huge benefit to…

Motorrad tested a motorcycle made in India and Lemmy from Revzilla tested a motorcycle made in the US, both of them had crap brakes.

The Street doesn’t have ABS; it’s not standard and is not available as an option. The brakes should be as strong as the grip of the tires. In the tests the grip of the tires far exceeds the strength of the brakes. Harley Davidson cut corners in the wrong places. Japanese manufacturers build much better motorcycles in…

And, one doesn’t buy a Harley for high-performance brakes.....

I believe there is a current European embargo on the Harley-Davidson approved aerosol cans of air for filling the tires.

I approve of all the snark.

Was the tester wearing the approved Harley Davidson long sleeve t-shirt, the approved Harley Davidson gay pirate tie dyed do rag? Did they have their keys on an approved Harley Davidson key fob? Had it recently been unloaded from a trailer behind a Harley Davidson branded F-150 with a Harley Davidson plate bracket?

the assumption of badassery is secondary to the tribal preening and the low center of gravity. half of the harley kin are terrified of anything with a saddle height above 28”, or they’d be rockin r1200rts or fjr1300s — two longhaul bikes with comfort that can actually slang through a corner and light up on the…

If only HD lovers are allowed to review them it’s as valuable as a paedophile reviewing a school.

You’ll have to excuse me for not qualifying my problems with the bikes more, and in a gentler way, but I wasn’t aware I needed to be so careful not to hurt people’s feelings with my stating “this is how I experience them, but I would like to understand how you do so please tell me.”

Here’s the best I can tell you. Although with the caveat that I don’t own a current model bagger. I own a somewhat restored 57 panhead. By somewhat I mean it’s been brought back to life mechanically but still looks a little rough... It doesn’t have the cool springer front end (wide glide) and it’s full on bagger.