I've been all over the place and have interacted with all kinds of riders. Motorbikes are the most regional vehicles (except for Marin County, California and Tesla's) that I can think of. If I ride to Alice's Restaurant in SF Bay area there are Italian bikes galore, it I'm riding on a Sunday Morning in the North SF Bay there is every form of new and/or clapped out Japanese sport bike you could think of with riders all having scrapped leathers. In the mid-west and Rockies HD's are the most prevalent. I did find that in New England there were a lot of older motorbikes of all kinds and I wonder if that's because they spend time parked because of the winters.
Rather than drone on the one thing I really am surprised about motorbikes is how the riders, no matter what they're on are friendly and tend to give you a wave or talk to you at fuel stops. I'll never forget heading home from Canada and stopping for gas someplace in Wyoming. I was riding my ( GS with a aftermarket exhaust) BMW and had passed a group of Harley riders about 25 miles back. I was parked taking a breath and this huge guy comes over to where I was sitting. I then noticed he was a Patched member of a 1% club and I figured "oh boy here it comes" nope he says he noticed that I was from SF (CityBike Magazine sticker (local Biker Mag.)) on my saddle bags. All he said to me was they were just heading home from Sturgis, how far had I come (I didn't even know it was the Rally's weekend) and that they were part of the Oakland Chapter. Last thing he said was he liked the sound the flat twin made with the custom muffler.
I know we'd never be pals but it does show that some place in all our souls bikers are in some ways all alike.
Cheers
Great attitude
@rich46 … I’ve had similar experiences with HD’ers. In the beginning of my ownership of Blitz my Beemer I tried riding with a half-dozen groups of bikers including some clubs that didn’t actually exclude any particular kinds of motorbikes but none the less were ALL HD’s anyway. Nice group of mates but for me it was a like a duck running with a flock of chickens … I just didn’t fit in. They treated me like a visiting fellow biker .. turns out their right, it lasted for three rides and I was off to the next group …. I tried that for about a year on and off with many types of clubs and decided I’d just stay a lone wolf and ride .. if and when and with who I chose from now on. I tend to want to make my own decisions and I don’t usually enjoy following so group stuff doesn’t appeal much to me, at least full time… and most of these groups want your allegiance too.
If you are to pledge, it’s exclusive to that club …. That’s crap ! I ride where and with whom I choose… end !
I kind of feel sorry for HD riders, I don’t think most of them even know that they bought into an illusion ..and I know most of them have never even ridden a big Beemer. ….. I feel when your about to float a lone for 10K … (HD) … how much more is it going to hurt to go for 15K …(BMW) … if you actually knew how much more motorcycle that extra 5 would buy you .. I don’t think you’d hesitate and go for the BMW. I think most HD guys just didn’t get that memo in time and ended up with a sagging reputation instead of bad-ass Beemer … Sad but true. Some pretty machines but far from the top of the food chain ..
These days, If I can tell it’s an HD coming at me down the street, …I don’t wave unless he does And I’m noticing I’m getting more waves and nod’s than I used too.
Maybe I was just to anxious to make a friend UpOn2…….……..Blitz
GoFast-HaveFun Get out of the grand stands of life and get in the game, there’s still time !
Let me just state that BMW, Moto Guzzi, Triumph, and Ducati riders feel more my brethren than the HD crowd...so no love is lost with a denied wave!
