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topcat -> RE: Dominance and Harleys ? (4/22/2006 7:31:10 AM)
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Greetings, all-
I have been riding for 27 years, since I stole my first bike from my grandfathers garage after his furneral ('38 Indian four) and winding up, nineteen motorcycles later, with my BMW K100, and a Honda Hawk (see my profile for pics). At this point, I have lived more years without cars that without bikes, and haven't owned a car for more than a few months since 1993. I ride daily, year round in New York, and have ridden from NY to Ca, Caribou Me, and Key West Fl. My Bikes are never trucked or trailed, ecept when broken, and I do all my own work.
I think that makes me a biker, though I tend to resist the definition (I can't be a real biker- I have a stright job<g>). The local HA chapter usuallly gives me props as being a hardcore biker (specially when they show up at the local in their cars, and I on the bike- and it's snowing<g>).
There have been four Harleys in the mix, and my general comment is that I am too old for Harleys- or too smart, but one way or another, I out grew 'em <g>.
Now the Motor Company has made some great strides, and are no longer producing the sort of product that nearly doomed them, and yes, the V-Rod is a hella Machine (but so is the Viper, and it's not the first thing I think of when someone says 'Dodge'), but a weekend rider on a harley makes a soccer moms Hummer look like a practrical choice. It's at the point where I can't call most 'Choppers' custom- you don't order a chopper from a catalogue,and if you bought it that way, it's not custom. A chopper is what happens when your buddy wrecks his bike, and you have a welder in your garage. The best choppers I have seen in recent years started life as a Bonneville and a BMW /2 .
That said, to me, it's more important that you ride, that what you happen to be riding.
As to the OP, Its been a few years since I was sure I wore leathers because I ride- lately I wonder if I ride so i can wear leathers<g>.
Stay warm,
Lawrence
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