Ducati Monster Forum

For years I've never really "gotten" the whole Harley riding thing, and today I realized why. I was following a guy on a sportster who himself was following a motor home that was creeping along.  The guy had many opportunities to pass, and despite all the slagging we do on Harleys, I'm sure he'd have gotten by the bus in an instant, and certainly could have handled the corners quicker. But no, he seemed content to ride behind the thing, staring at a vast expanse of fiberglass.

And then it hit me - what strikes me as odd about Harley riders is that they don't take advantage of the inherent capabilities of motorcycles. They pretty much ride them like they were cars. To me, one of the main benefits of a bike is you can do things you couldn't (or wouldn't) possibly do in a car, like pass quickly, corner fast, or lane split.  But Harley riders seem to seldom do these things, and I just don't get why. Their bikes are certainly capable. Maybe it is a whole mindset that is alien to the Ducati rider. I dunno.

 [clap] [clap] [clap] [clap] [clap] [clap] [clap]

Harley Riders...just cagers on two wheels.

They are rolling couches

Sorry what is this about  ???

I got distracted by looking at Itsasickness avatar  :o

It makes perfect sense to me.  A lot it has to do with the engine characteristics of those bikes and the ergos.

Cruisers go lump-lump-lump-lump.  It's actually more pleasurable to ride them at lower RPMs because of the feel and the vibration.  It's soothing.   You sit back with your feet up and your arms outstretched, not really making any sharp moves (or any moves at all).  It makes you wanna just . . . uh . . . cruise along.  It's a bit hypnotic.  And it's way different than a car, which has no real sensation when it just lopes along.

You're right that cruisers/Harleys don't take advantage of the physics of power to weight, etc.  But those bikes are about a different kind of riding -- just enjoying being out in the open on a lumpity-lump sounding/feeling moto.  It's just a different kinda fun.  Less adrenaline, to be sure (and less fun--much less--in my book).  But still fun.  On the right day, that'd totally be my cuppa tea.  

Two wheels good.  Four wheels bad.  [moto]

Yeah, you're prolly right. I'd take one over a car any day, but then I'd probably be trying to get a knee down on it too.  ;D

Alternatively, they know that passing a motor home on a Harley means trouble.

harley crash at deal's (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZFpIpaFMlc#lq-lq2-hq-vhq)

That's a classic.

Dang, hope he was all right.

 [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [laugh] [clap] [clap] [clap]  Oh - it hurts it hurts RONTFLMAO  [laugh] [laugh] [laugh]

No I apologizes for laughing at the pain of others which on a basic level I think is a little twisted, but that was M F funny.
It's just that he was going about 20 when he disappeared quietly into the ferns with a nice wide tarmac next to him.


You know it's not the cruising I don't get. Cruising - what ever. You go slow sometimes.
It's the brand identity that I have a problem with.
Did you hear the people in the RV. "Let's get out of here before they kick our asses."
Fat-assed 60 year olds are not going to kick anyone's ass.

They are so laughable with this "I'm too good to look at you and I'm a bad ass going 23MPH in a straight line with my custom leather tassels," brand.
This squeezing the last drop of blood out of the post war look - I don't get.
The 'it's really really loud and shiny and shakes like a freaking epileptic and always broken and costs are by the pound' I don't get.

Funny video. I guess the whole "ride it like a car" thing is made up for by the "outlaw" thing. ("Don't stop, they're going to beat our asses.")


<glass house> Cough. Last MOB group ride </glass house>

Actually, that's an astute observation..from both you and Desmostro.

I thought the view from the RV WAS the Harley riding ;D

I always feel its appropriate to honor Women who admire Ducati's, mmmmm nice personality  ;D

It's just that the tan line on that model makes it look like a fairly new appreciation  [cheeky]

Wait. That's not your butt?

You guys should ride with my dad...

Picture smoky burnouts that go into wheelies that last for several blocks through town.

my $0.02 - From my interactions with both Sportbike riders and Harley Riders is that I think more Harley riders are willing to admit they aren't the "king shit" on a bike. Where as more Sprotbile riders are going to push themselves to proof they are "king shit" on a bike.

I know a lot of people who patiently listen to me snivel about the cost, the repairs, the waits for parts, how it's not good on the track, how so many Ducs are just left in the garage, the perceived elitism, the real elitism, blah, blah, blah... and they ask me so *why* do you love these things so much when there are better bikes out there for you and the kind of riding you do and your budget?  I only real answer is that I like who I am better when people know that I ride a Ducati, and I like other people who are into the same stuff as me--cuz I'm pretty self-important, ya know, to me.   [cheeky]  It's probably not that way for everyone chiming in on this thread, but  I'm going to guess that a lot of honest answers from Harley riders will sound similar to mine--once again--because it's all about MEeeeeeeeeeeee.   ;D

I like them because they rattle the fillings in peoples' teeth as I wheelie past them on the sidewalk.

I like Ducati's because the brand has treated me well:

Ducati Island.
Ducati Monster Challenge.
DMF / DML
Popular bike as far as the aftermarket goes, and the aftermarket has pretty good taste in what they build for it (Not a lot of neon kits for Ducatis)
Good bike for mechanics (i.e. Underbuilt enough that you can get more from the air-cooled motors without sacrificing durability)

I use to care what other people ride and how they ride it but now It doesn't really bother me... Why should it really.

The reason that I am on a Monster is simple. It fit me and I just stuck with it. I used to care about the brand name but I could care less now.  I do love the sound of the bike though.

Every year I go to Laguna Seca I swing my leg over a Hayabusa. I cant get over how well that bike fits me and how comfortable it is. I will say it..... I would love to own one but for some reason I would feel like one of those Harley guys... Like some sort of poser you know =)  but I guess who cares what other people think of you... as long as you are not a dick head about things and generally a nice person.

Yeah a Hayabusa is like twice as crazy as getting a brand new Streetfighter  ;D

ah, no.

You would have to have no taste first.












 [cheeky]
No dude, seriously, I agree with the "everyone should ride their own ride thing." Absolutely  [thumbsup]
But seeing a row of TurboBusas on Canery Row last weekend with custom airbrush sunsets, neo lights, stereo systems, faux-custom spikey mirrors and faux-custom seat-camel-hump-thingy-Fk-if-I-know-what-that-thing-is-on-the-back, changed my vote to: Busas live in their own very very strange world.
Despite the ugly ass look of them, people say they ride extremely comfortably.  [roll]

DOOOOO EEEEEET!!!!  And please bring it on one of our rides.  And then you have to lead, and we'll all kinda hang back and pretend it's hard to keep up with you.  Then we need to stop at Alice's and smoke and sigh a lot and go, "Wow!  That guy can move on that thing!" really loud so everyone hears it.  After we leave you need to act all nonchalant and let every dude with a complex catch up to you so that they can show their big brass ones, but you just cruise and wave 'em by... ah...that'd be fun.   [cheeky]

Can you do that on any bike I bring. It doesn't matter what I ride. it will be be the same result  ;D

Yeah I don't like the ones that were on Canery row either. But I do respect the stock Hayabusa's people ride the crap out of  [thumbsup] [moto]

It's not the same....it has to be a 'busa.

wow the mob is turning into the stereotypical ducati group  :-\


Ill ride anything with two wheels on it and a few things without  :P. Really been checking out the nightster lately better looking in person

(http://www.erictomorrow.com/gallery/albums/motorcycles/nightster_DSC_0014bg.sized.jpg)

Yeah thats a sweet ride. We were breifly talking about that earlier tonight. I also had a thread going a while back about wanting one of those.

Duck Stew has one and he loves it

That's cool Dan, just promise to actually ride the snot out of it instead of meekly following a Winnebago for 10 miles.

It was just an observation...hardly a statement about superiority or anything like that.  I mean, we ARE better than everyone else, but there's really no reason to vocalize that.   [cheeky]

I like that bike, dan-o.    [thumbsup]

Maybe he was trying to avoid things like this? http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=26541.msg0#new? (http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=26541.msg0#new?)  :P

Yeah, Dan's pretty young, so they wouldn't cut him the same "be kind to seniors" slack.

Seniors and chicks always seem to get away with the tickets. That icon vest and hoodie probablly really threw that cop off  :P

The best thing about Harleys is...catching them on descents on my bicycle!  ;D [cheeky]


 [laugh] [laugh]

The other reason to hate on Harleys is that awful racket. They take perfectly good V-twins and eff up the timing, remove the silencers and ride around making noise... often with goofy ass riding positions.

BTW, you'd ride slow as hell too if you were always dressed in a t-shirt and a brain bucket.  [evil]

beh ... i thought this thread was about one of the nine new models harley is introducing this year ... to help them make up the 91% loss in earnings they experienced this quarter.

Got my '08 Nightster1200 in June last year.  Got 7000+ miles on it, NO chicken-strips on the front tire, a 1/2" one on the rear (can't lean any further), a 1" wide concrete-applied racing stripe on the bottom of the front muffler, a seriously ground-down side-stand, and a bad habit of burn-outs.

She runs, but she cruises too.  Oh, and passing groups of HD 'purists'  [roll] through corners is REALLY fun!  [thumbsup]

So, suffice to say....  I'm not your typical HD clown.

You get odd looks wearing a full face helmet and leather on a Harley...

Now that's what I'm talkin' about. Ride it like a real motorcycle, not a two-wheeled car!

I still am seriously considering one  [thumbsup] [moto]

Why yes, yes it is.  (http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-transport028.gif)

;)

I got to check out Stu's Harley (and even rode it a few blocks).  It didn't really fit me but I definitely approve of the way he rides it. [thumbsup]

I gave up trippin on the whole Harley thing some time ago. I pretty much don't like em. If others do like em that's fine. I kinda want one of these.

http://www.bmwcoop.com/2009/01/05/2008-bmw-f650-gs/ (http://www.bmwcoop.com/2009/01/05/2008-bmw-f650-gs/)

(http://farm1.static.flickr.com/90/218475619_294438ccd2.jpg)

I wasn't planning on replacing the Monster with this.

Michael, don't know you but I think you're the same guy who also posts on machinist forums?  Anyway, here's my response for what it's worth (and I don't own a Harley).  Who cares what Harley riders do or don't do?  This whole things sounds like just more of the same old "I'm cool because I do this or that, and you're not cool  because you don't".  Far as I'm concerned anyone on two wheels is our brother or sister. 

I note that out on the open road on any given weekend there are a helluva lot more Harley riders than Duc riders.  Maybe they're slow but they're out there riding.

 

Nah you think there are because you catch up every single one of them and have to pass them  ;D

All the real riders are ahead of me at least  [moto]

I kid I kid. -----------> Future Harley owner someday

Uh, are you from the Bay Area?

Nope, not me. I have no idea what end of a lathe is up.

And Harleys are fine - just ride them with a little panache. Crack the throttle. Raise a little hell. We are motorcyclists, no?

Coolest thing I've seen recently is a guy on a vintage smoker Lambretta out at Pt. Reyes. Agostini helmet, leathers, and riding like his balls were on fire. Now that was cool.  It's not about the bike - it's how you ride it.

Spidey, nope, I live outside of Reno and I think I came across this thread by pressing the "Unread posts since your last visit" button.  Didn't pay much attention to the MOB board heading but if it's a private party you're welcome to it and I'm outa here  :)

I think he meant it more like...if you knew MM you probably would have posted differently.  Cuz he's a huge mo-fo and he would kick your ASS!!!

j/k --- he's a really easy going guy who was just making a personal observation, not a judgment on any other riders.   [moto]

Hmmm. I liked it better when I was an ass-kicking huge mo-fo.  ;D

Maybe the Harley guy behind the Winnebago was just following his family or something?   I know I've done that on my ducati before.  And actually, it is nearly impossible to resist the temptation to pass and leave her in the dust!

Here is my funny but dumb harley story ...

I ride at a brisk pace.  I don't have a death wish, but I am addicted to acceleration.  Anyway, I'm riding my usual route to work and I catch up and pass this harley.  Nothing special.  Next thing I know the guy comes FLYING back past me.  I ride about as fast as you should, so he is really fying.  The problem is he's headed to a line of stopped cars and a red light.  he quickly proved (to himself hopefully) that any idiot can twist a throttle as he goes fish tailing through cars and only narrowly escaping disaster.

one more thing i'll say about harley riders.  i've met some really cool ones.  in general, bikers are bikers.  some of them are idiot jerks and some of them are really cool.

Reminds me of a story last year when a group of Harley's all surrounded me at a stop sign reving there engine and laughing at me.

They looked like all adults in there late 30s or 40s wearing half helmets and no gear at all. the Light turns green and they all peel out thinking they are bad ass but one guy gives to much throttle and starts fish tailing all over the place and almost drops it. I just hang back and watch them be ass clowns.

Yeah there are stupid riders no matter what brand they prefer.

They do seem to have more of a attitude than other riders though. They normally are to good to wave back to you and always have this angry s hit look on there face like someone pissed in there wheaties. I can tell this because almost all of them don't believe in proper head protection. Okay I am done bashing them =)

Ride your own ride  [moto]

Ha Ha I was going to quote an old thread from TOB but all I got was this.

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Its just as well because some of you are banned anyway.  [laugh]

duckwrench and I were on a ride in Marin once and got caught behind a group of about 50 Harleys running through Nicasio. Once we hit Lucas Valley we started passing them...inside on the tight corners, outside on the sweepers. Some of them got mad, their pillions kicking their legs out trying to keep us from passing. We just laughed, got past them all, and enjoyed the twisties free and clear. Then we pulled over to wait for the rest of the group and waved at the hogs as they went past...

Like many here said, many riders are cool but you get the occasional (http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitter_production/profile_images/257795155/bag_normal.jpg).

somewhere there is a harley forum where some dudes wrote ... "we were having a nice leisurely ride when these asshat kids on ducatis came up, trying to race with us, passing too close, and acting like crazy fools.  we put our legs out to get them to slow down.  eventually we passed them on the side of the road.  they must have run out of gas or something."

 [cheeky]

Not a private party at all.  Folks are welcome to join in.  I was just a little surprised to see someone pop into the local board from the ether and in their first post suggest that Michael Moore--of all people--is "just more of the same old". 


You are, MM.  You definitely are.   [laugh]

I think a lot of us feel the brother hood +1  When it comes down to it ya.  [thumbsup]

But that doesn't mean we can't give a little razz to each other either.
ESPECIALLY Harley riders, because they(really a lot, not all, but REALLY a lot) get a little pretentious from time to time and give US razz in a great variety of ways. I could start a long list of stories that go back to the 80's but I'll spare everyone and stay current.

btw you are welcome to give us razz anytime you like.

Oh, and FWIW...  "Real" Harley riders (Big twins) by in large *Hate* the Sportsters.  So, I make it a point to out-drag race them or out ride them whenever I get the chance.

Which occasionally means leaving a stop light like E.J. Potter in a huge cloud of former tire.  [evil]

The question for me is why do they hate sportsters? Do we interfere with their Hardley Ableson is the "BEST BIKE IN THE WORLD" pretension when we pull away from them so effortlessly?

One guy on a Hardley Ableson gave me a ration of crap at a stop light because I was sitting on my vintage '67 Honda.
He got all star spangle banner on me:

"What are you doin' with that Jap-Crap.? Why don't you get a real baike like mine... [puke]"

I figured he was a bit sore because AMC Japan bought Hardley for a few years before it came back here. Who gives crap what someone else rides otherwise?
What's the diff? I just can't imagine that in 2009 people are seriously passionate about the downturn in the American factory sector. Like there is one still.

If so, you'd think the Hells Angels would be occupying their time attacking people with Blackberries instead of iPhones, or protesting out front Chevron Corp for importing oil, or freaking out at Mc Donald's drive-through call centers in Mumbai.

(http://www.si.edu/Encyclopedia_Si/nmah/images/banner.jpg)

Personally I only go to ARCO - which is US oil/gas. At least that.

Near as I can tell:  Cheaper and faster and still an HD.

I always thought that the common wisdom among Harley guys was that Sportsters were girls' bikes and they looked down on 'em as not "real" cuz of it.

I still want a Sportster, preferably an AMF one.

They bag on 'em no doubt, it's the reason behind the 'girly bike' myth that I was commenting on.  Jealousy.

Ya you ever notice it's when you threaten someone's delicate belief system that they get aggravated the most.
 [bacon]

By the mofo'n way....

*THIS* is E.J. Potter (aka: The Michigan Madman)
(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_vRK4ja6aPT8/SWd_HI-M9eI/AAAAAAAAAoA/BVBvriG3Jc0/s400/EJPotter.jpg)

It looks like a V6 sittin in there sideways.  [moto]

AFAIK, it's a 327 SB Chevy.

Here's another pic:

(http://thekneeslider.com/images/ejpotter1.jpg)

http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2006/05/08/ej-potter-michigan-madman/ (http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2006/05/08/ej-potter-michigan-madman/)

he's prolly not even wearin' ear plugs  [laugh]

Nice pics.  [thumbsup]

'member this one...(http://thekneeslider.com/images/motorcyclerollcage.jpg)

Well...there's a guy who posts regularly on the Practical Machinist forum who has a  name spelled Michael Moore and who also knows about bikes and is also from San Francisco.  Seems  like a lot of circumstantial evidence against him being an imposter   [cheeky]

Not to nitpick, but that's no Harley.  ;)

That whole rig scares me, pilot and passenger are worse off with it, IMO.  :(

It's really fun following Stew when he comes into a corner, gets his ass off the seat, knee waaay out there, and takes a CBR600RR on the outside!   [bow_down]  [evil]   By the time the rider realized what was going on, it was too late. We was gone!   ;D  [moto]

I lane split passed an HD with cereal bowl helmet, khakis, and white socks. ..

I didn't notice he got all huffy about it and started "racing" me. When we came up on a red light I came to a gradual stop as he blew passed me full throttle - through the red light - couldn't quit make the turn after the intersection and crosses all lanes missing the left curb by a nose hair on the brakes full. Then creeps back across DY.   [laugh] Good thing the traffic was light. he would have been  [bacon]