I think I'm with MadHatter on this one. While stopping to help him was commendable, if I read your post correctly, then your comment was uncalled for. Helping him out doesn't give you the right to dog his bike and what very well may be a number of his closest friends. I've made similar comments to Harley riders, but only to ones that I knew.

 

Read the further comments. I never dogged his bike, It was a kick-start, chain drive shovelhead of the old school. Something I consider classic

Closest friends? I was the only friend he had out there.

I'm ******* the severely judgmental people who ride the same marque. The ones who buy the mystique they parade around on weekends.The ones who couldn't be bothered to render aid. The ones who spent more money to put chaps and vests on them and their frumpy Hausfraus than I spent on my bike. The one's who, when the rubber hits the real road, ain't worth the price of the bandanas on their heads

A rare sunny day in Western Washington and there was no shortage of riders out and yet only I stopped for this guy?

 

A while back I ran into one of the "bandana wearing types" at a petrol station. He had a strange noise coming from his bike he said............I found his chain so dry I was surprised it hadn't snapped..........Clearly routine maintenance wasn't on his important list of things to do..... I helped him oil it. His girlfriend (on her own bike) thanked me......
he was, I think so embarrassed to have to accept help from a guy on a "rice rocket" he didn't say anything........
Typical, sad to say.

It's not the bike at all, it's the attitude of many of those who ride them.

 

Amen

 

Don't let it get to you Woofer. I agree with all that you say but I know I have a far superior bike in terms of build quality and reputation. The only people who think a Harley is some kind of engineering marvel are those that ride them on Saturday afternoons after they trailer them to within 20 km of wherever they are going. I see it when I go to the GP at Phillip Island each year. I've also seen it on toy runs. They aren't true bikers who wrench on their own bikes, pack them up and ride them hundreds and hundreds of km on a ride with friends over a week or how ever long.

They are pretenders and deep down they know it. I don't concern myself with them at all. Don't let it upset you mate. Its not worth the blood pressure. Cheers.

 

I'm trying not to, Bordo.

It's a funny thing though. The more riders I see out there, it seems the more is lost about being a rider.

The kinship and the reasons for it are becoming diluted

In the end, it makes me more sad than angry

 

Hey Wooferdog, Nice going and I commend your action and intentions, but then again I know exactly the way you feel, riding one of the "other style" bikes and not exactly feeling too comfortable around the dress-up "Pirates". I say just be comfortable and happy with what you are riding and the hell with everybody else. I watch Moto GP, World Superbike, and AMA Superbike, and say the Hell with Nascar every Sunday!!!

 

Yup weekend warriors can really be garbage. actually it's the "Yuppies" grown up.

 

True that!

Yuppies have never been concerned about anything but image, but not to make this a class thing, I really do dare them to walk a mile in my boots

 

IMO they don't ride because of the TRUE love of riding a motorcycle. Anyone that's knows what that feels like doesn't need to ask what I mean. These pretenders ( I also call them the white post brigade.......They usually ride to the first white post outside of wherever they live and turn around and go home ) are show ponies and nothing else. They know nothing of comraderie, mateship and knowing what's going on with your machine. If they need an oil change they toddle off down to the bike shop and pay through the nose cause they aren't interested enough in how to do it themselves. I know blokes that cant/wont do anything to their bikes except fill the thing up. They know nothing of what its like to save your hard earned cash and buy a machine that daddy hasn't bought for you. That type stick out a mile. Leather clad GSXR/R1/1000RR riders that have scraped up knee pads, yet when you follow them through any twisties your able to go around them easily, on your 23 year old bike cause they have no idea how to ride and they prove that the scratches on their knee pads were probably from praying that know one finds out how useless they really are. Trying to be someone/thing that your not is a common form of inadequacy imo.

Your right woofer, its more sad than anything mate. They don't make me mad, they make me laugh and then I realise where motorcycling is going........down the tubes for those of us that appreciate what its really about.