Why can some people not admit ...

[ago-o4]

I have a rant. Why can some people not admit that their are other
legitimate motorcycles that perform as well as or better than a
Harley Davidson?

I was at a friend’s house, which I will mention has never been on
a bike, and showed him a Valkyrie model I just bought. I said
now here is a bike that is as mean if not meaner than any
production Harley.

He responded, "That is just because the Japanese have nothing
better to do with their time."

I don't get it. I don't dislike a Harley. I just firmly believe that
I will get better performance and reliability out of a Honda. This
is the same logic I use from experience in dealing with American
cars, verses a Honda, or Toyota, and one I will admit doesn’t have
as much bearing as it did ten to fifteen years ago since American
manufacturing companies decided to become competitive in the
global market.

I could learn to hate the mention of the brand for the ignorant
bias of people who have no experience, and the downright
elitist attitude of those who do ride the blasted things.

[himiler]

Ergo, I choose not to ride a Harley even though I used to own one. I also choose not to put up with a "Holier Than Thou" attitude.
Heck, I'll even stop to help a Harley rider who's on the side of the road!

[cyranodb]

Meh..some people belong to the cult of harley davidson and believe the only bike worth having is a HD. I don't belong to that mentality. I personally believe they are over-priced and you're spending more money on branding than on bike. I'd rather spend 5 grand on a bike that I know will be more reliable and then spend the rest on upgrades and customs goodies
_________________
Judge me by my size do you? And well you should not, for my ally is the Force. - Yoda - Empire Strike Back.

[gareb85]

Why are some people dumb enough to pay three times as much for a bike ? Why buy a bike that sits in the garage and gets polished more than it gets rode? Not all Harley riders have the attitude,some are very nice people. I have just as much fun on my 7G bike as they do on their 20 G bike..LOL

Jerry
_________________
Patience Hell,I'm going out and kill something !

[wheezeburnt]

[Duke]

Ago--

There are, as has been mentioned, a lot of HD riders who don't have that issue.

Most of those people without the issue are decent folks, but want me to believe that they -- people without HD 'attitude' are in the majority. Sadly, in my own experience, the exact reverse has been true.

I have absolutely _no_ research to base this on, but my working theory right now is that these people- the ones with the 'attitude'-- bought their HD because they thought _I_ wanted, and they figured they'd be basking in my envy.

When it didn't happen...

When they woke up to realize that they had spent a whole pile of money to prop up their own ego, or because they thought they were getting the 'bestest' (which is subjective, and therefore impossible) or the 'fastest' (which is not only measurably incorrect, it was measured and proven incorrect generations before they bought theirs), or the 'comfiest' (which is also subjective, and therefore equally impossible), or whatever it was that they thought they were going to buy...

only to discover that they didn't---

that they didn't get what they wanted; that their neighbors weren't green with envy; that they didn't become instant lady-killers or win that promotion based on the shininess of their gear...


No one wants to admit they made a mistake. Even those folks who can make the admission don't want to admit it. That's why we blush, see-- chewing crow takes a lot of bloodflow, see

And anything that reminds them of it: like a guy who's genuinely happy with his bike-- which is nothing like Mr. Attitude's bike--

well, it gets to him

Just a theory, and nothing to back it up,


but it seems a bit more sensible than "he's just a jerk."


_________________

Duke
"Skills must be Learned"
------ Herb Christian

[Not A Hog]

All marketing, like Billy Ray Cyrus. Nothing especially wrong, but nothing especially special either.
_________________
Lynn

[hercman]

Why do people have to get so wrapped around the axle as to why people are so adament about product x over product y.

A shoulder shrug and carrying on smartly has kept me pretty happy.
_________________
Romans 12:18
www.patriotguard.org

[Duke]

Yeah.

That happened to me once.
_________________

Duke
"Skills must be Learned"
------ Herb Christian

[paultjack]

I don't like the way my Yahoo email always has Harley advertisements. It's like Yahoo doesn't know there's other bikes out there. Obviously, they are analyzing the email content and providing advertising based on that content. But, since Rebel250.com is the only Motorcycle email I get why aren't there Honda advertisements? Doesn't Honda advertise? Or, do all the Harley people get the Honda advertisements?

And, as Weezeburnt said:

[ago-o4]

Ummm... I think you guys missed something. He doesn’t own a Harley,
or ride. He has never even been on a bike. I was just trying to give
him a frame of reference as to what he was looking at.

[paultjack]

Yeah, I got the point that he doesn't own a Harley. I think he's just being defensive.

I worked with a guy that no matter what you discussed he was always on the defense about it. Drove me nuts! You could have the exact same opinion as him and he would still defend.

I don't know your friend so I'll ask if he is a defensive person about other things? Give it a try... Say something like, "Hey, my XYZ is as good or better than any ZYX made by MZQ" How would he react to a statment like that?

But, as you did point out... Why are people so defensive about HD? I think it's just good marketing with a lot of people that are not open minded.
_________________
Do you know what it's like to fall in the mud and get kicked, in the head, by an iron boot? Of course you don't--no one does--that never happens. - Capt. Rex Kramer

1986 Honda CMX450C - Jola
1978 Honda GL1000 - Piper

[Duke]

Paul:

Was his name Wardell Bennet?

If so, I know where he is now,

and _DEAR GOD_ you are welcome to have him back!!!
_________________

Duke
"Skills must be Learned"
------ Herb Christian

[paultjack]

Sorry Duke, not the same guy. So, I guess there's two of them out there!

My guy used to be my manager at one company. He got fired (he was the fall guy for a managment screw up) Then, I tried to get him a job at another company I was working at. He told me he wasn't the type of guy my company wanted. Then, he put in his resume and got the job! Screwed me out of the finder's fee!

He just loved to argue. Other than that he was a pretty decent guy.
_________________
Do you know what it's like to fall in the mud and get kicked, in the head, by an iron boot? Of course you don't--no one does--that never happens. - Capt. Rex Kramer

1986 Honda CMX450C - Jola
1978 Honda GL1000 - Piper

[ago-o4]

He is not defensive by nature. I tend to be informed, if not well red on
a number of subjects, and am always honest when I don’t know about
a subject, so I’m the one he usually asks for advice on product or
methods. I just don’t get why he was so defensive on a subject he
knows nothing about. I don’t claim to know much about the world of
Motorcycles yet, but a fourth grade student is a genius in the eyes of
a Kindergartner.

[paultjack]

Wow, a real mystery then. Who knows... Maybe it's just good Harley PR. Subliminal or something. Pavlovian? Red White and Blue, Apple Pie, Hot Dogs, Baseball, Harley... Them's Fight'n Words! Don't Mess With Texas! Don't Tread On Me... It's ingrained into American Culture and I guess Harley has a following of both Riders and Non-Riders.

Oh Well, Good Luck with your friend!
_________________
Do you know what it's like to fall in the mud and get kicked, in the head, by an iron boot? Of course you don't--no one does--that never happens. - Capt. Rex Kramer

1986 Honda CMX450C - Jola
1978 Honda GL1000 - Piper

[Shadow Shack]

[Not A Hog]

_________________
Lynn

[ago-o4]

I don't know Harley's but I'm pretty sure my supervisor at a previous
job was full of crap. When I said I wanted to get a Motorcycle, she
told me that she had one at home, but didn't feel comfortable driving
it in city traffic.

She said she had a Harley Spin-tail.

[hercman]

Are those who constantly find fault of HD and their owners/posers just as guilty of the same offenses?

Those who are of the OMG!!! I'd never own an HD?

Personally if one came along at a competitive price to the competion I'd get one. The only fault I have is I can't justify paying 3x the price for a comparable machine.
_________________
Romans 12:18
www.patriotguard.org