What would you have said to this Harley dude?

[akmnstr]

We had this great evening and the wife and I rode to Girdwood from Anchorage.  A nice 30 mile ride and we usually meet and talk with other riders at the station when we get there.  This night there was only this Harley couple there.  We started talking and I soon surmise that the guy, like many Harley riders I've met, is unaware that there are other manufacturers of motorcycles.  He comments that his twin cam bike is in the shop and tonight he is on his go-fast bike, a sportster.  He goes on about the mods, screaming eagle pipes, air cleaner, a power commander,  and what a screamer the bike is.  He's a nice enough guy, but I keep thinking things like “your bragging to a guy riding a Ducati that your sportster is like, rocket fast?”  But I'm with my wife, and she is trying to make me into a better person and less of a smartass so I just listen and act like I'm impressed.  Now what I should have said is: (please fill in the remarks you would have made if it had happened to you, smartass answers will be accepted, graded, and may be reused at a later date)

[herm]

We had this great evening and the wife and I rode to Girdwood from Anchorage.  A nice 30 mile ride and we usually meet and talk with other riders at the station when we get there.  This night there was only this Harley couple there.  We started talking and I soon surmise that the guy, like many Harley riders I've met, is unaware that there are other manufacturers of motorcycles.  He comments that his twin cam bike is in the shop and tonight he is on his go-fast bike, a sportster.  He goes on about the mods, screaming eagle pipes, air cleaner, a power commander,  and what a screamer the bike is.  He's a nice enough guy, but I keep thinking things like “your bragging to a guy riding a Ducati that your sportster is like, rocket fast?”  But I'm with my wife, and she is trying to make me into a better person and less of a smartass so I just listen and act like I'm impressed.  Now what I should have said is: wow, yur bike must be fast. wanna race for pink slips? i hear scrap iron is at a premium right now.

[GLantern]

We had this great evening and the wife and I rode to Girdwood from Anchorage.  A nice 30 mile ride and we usually meet and talk with other riders at the station when we get there.  This night there was only this Harley couple there.  We started talking and I soon surmise that the guy, like many Harley riders I've met, is unaware that there are other manufacturers of motorcycles.  He comments that his twin cam bike is in the shop and tonight he is on his go-fast bike, a sportster.  He goes on about the mods, screaming eagle pipes, air cleaner, a power commander,  and what a screamer the bike is.  He's a nice enough guy, but I keep thinking things like “your bragging to a guy riding a Ducati that your sportster is like, rocket fast?”  But I'm with my wife, and she is trying to make me into a better person and less of a smartass so I just listen and act like I'm impressed.  Now what I should have said is: Fast really?  When was the last time harley updated that engine, dont they run on steam or something?  Im surprised they arent all in a museum somewhere along with the ford model T........

[red baron]

We had this great evening and the wife and I rode to Girdwood from Anchorage.  A nice 30 mile ride and we usually meet and talk with other riders at the station when we get there.  This night there was only this Harley couple there.  We started talking and I soon surmise that the guy, like many Harley riders I've met, is unaware that there are other manufacturers of motorcycles.  He comments that his twin cam bike is in the shop and tonight he is on his go-fast bike, a sportster.  He goes on about the mods, screaming eagle pipes, air cleaner, a power commander,  and what a screamer the bike is.  He's a nice enough guy, but I keep thinking things like “your bragging to a guy riding a Ducati that your sportster is like, rocket fast?”  But I'm with my wife, and she is trying to make me into a better person and less of a smartass so I just listen and act like I'm impressed.  Now what said is, betcha got a Corvette too.

[acalles]

[MTBryan]

How about:

"Gee, I hear you can get up to 60 horsepower with that engine!"

then:

"That's awesome. Oh, and I ride too."

Even the Harley dude will be curious and ask what you ride. At which point, you will have to explain what a Ducati is, where it is made and a brief history of it's heritage. On second thought, maybe you did the right thing by keeping your mouth shut.

I had an '01 S4 several years ago with all the goodies on it. I was at a gas station near my house. I got some questions from a Harley dude that had quite a few mods done on his bike. He was telling me how fast his bike was now with the mods, bla bla bla. He must have thought  a Ducati was a Buell.

I smiled and rode away after saying goodbye, only to have him pull up at the stop light. I could see down the road about 1/2 of a mile (roughly) to the next stop  light,  and knew it was clear of traffic and police.  I didn't want to race him, but HE STARTED IT by revving his engine, then when the light turned green by getting on the gas. I kid you not, in that 1/2 mile, I was slowing down at the end at the next light, and I looked back and he was only 1/2 way from the previous! I hit WELL over 120+ some mph before I backed off (I didn't really pay attention but I did see 120 go by). The light turned green when he got to me (I was turning left at a red light, and he was going straight), and I waved as he went by. He didn't wave or even acknowledge my presence.

FACE! ! !

[Massinova]

Last time I was in Alaska, I saw nothing but HD's on the highways.  Figured that Harely's were the food equivalence to "spam" in Alaska  ...easier to get ...easier to service

[He Man]

i wouldnt say anything. Just smash his face with a ketchup bottle and tea bag him. 

[zedsaid]

We had this great evening and the wife and I rode to Girdwood from Anchorage.  A nice 30 mile ride and we usually meet and talk with other riders at the station when we get there.  This night there was only this Harley couple there.  We started talking and I soon surmise that the guy, like many Harley riders I've met, is unaware that there are other manufacturers of motorcycles.  He comments that his twin cam bike is in the shop and tonight he is on his go-fast bike, a sportster.  He goes on about the mods, screaming eagle pipes, air cleaner, a power commander,  and what a screamer the bike is.  He's a nice enough guy, but I keep thinking things like “your bragging to a guy riding a Ducati that your sportster is like, rocket fast?”  But I'm with my wife, and she is trying to make me into a better person and less of a smartass so I just listen and act like I'm impressed.  Now what I should have said is: Fast, eh?  I thought you said it was a Harley.

[JohnnyDucati]

I think a lot of the Harley folks are just uniformed.  They tend to be bamboozled by the overwhelming media blitz and marketing of HD.  They believe that HD is the be all and end all of bikes.

A few of them also use the patriotism argument (buy American!), not knowing that HD's have plenty of good ol' fereign material and parts content.

They usually have never heard of AMA, MotoGP, WSB, not to mention "exotic" manufacturers like MV or Benelli or Ducati.  The only magazines they read seems to be Iron Horse or the other one with the naked chick on every cover (i forget the name of it).

I try to be sympathetic and try widen their horizons a little when I can.  They are usually quite open to learning about Ducati's if you give them a chance.  Hell, you can entrance 'em for hours just talking about our dry clutch!  When you show 'em the comparative math of power/weight, 0-60 times, etc., they start to be impressed.

A little good will goes a long way.  We sure as heck could use more of it on the roads out there.

[teddy037.2]

meh.

if they're being amiable, I find it easy to reciprocate.

it's not like my bike is fast or expensive, so whatever. who am I to brag?

[myssrhl]

Did his old lady have on a Screaming Eagle "G" string.

Depending upon,, I may have been impressed with that.

[Old-Duckman]

I try to be repectful to all people and it *usually* comes back in kind...However I don't suffer fools gladly but try to be tactful in my "educating" them...In other words I try to make them see the light on their own after I have planted the seeds of thought.

That being said I would have probably said something along these lines..."So how much horse power is you bike putting out with all of those mods?" (his answer...or shrug). "Hmmm, really, and how much does it weigh?" (his answer...or grunt). "Hmm, interesting. My bike weighs less than 450 pounds and has 90+ HP at the crank and puts over 80 of it to the ground. I'm about 150 Lbs. and let's say I get 85 HP to the rear wheel...em that's about 1 HP per 7 pounds...You know that whole power to weight ratio thing. Wonder what yours would calcualte out to???"

You have either baffeled him with your knowledge and he shuts up realizing he doesn't have a technical leg to stand on or...He sits there trying to calculate his power to weight ratio. If he comes up with a number better than yours, then you have the option to suggest a friendly 1/2 mile test run or just grin knowing that he knows your Duck would cook his Hog. Chances are he'll grunt and order another beer...............

[Bick]

Fast really?  When was the last time harley updated that engine, dont they run on steam or something?  Im surprised they arent all in a museum somewhere along with the ford model T........

Yesterday I came up on a couple our for a drive in a beautifully restrored '29 Ford...  Being held up by a pack of Hardly's.

[sno_duc]

Akmnstr you should have invited him for a romp up Turnagain Pass. That hill is a great way to seperate the the wheat from the chaff.

On a side note Bob the former fianance guy at the Anchorage harley dealer owns among other things a 998, Rc51, Rz 400..... at any given time he owns a dozen bikes.
Always has a duc and a H-D. Bob tells a great story about spanking a half dozen squids on R6's along Turnagain Arm on his Rz " you do know that a fat middle aged guy on a 20 year old bike just owned you? "  Not all H-D riders are ignorant.