Fuzzygalore.com What Is It About Harley-Davidson That Makes Them So Polarizing?
In the Town of Port Jefferson there is a parking lot that has stalls marked for motorcycle only parking. There are a few picnic tables and benches in this area to allow people to sit and hangout. When the weather is nice the lot attracts many motorcycles.
A few months ago I snapped a picture of one of the benches on which someone wrote “Harly’s Suck.”
Do we need to talk about the murder of grammar and spelling here? If you’re going to try to insult someone, I think you should probably try to get your shit straight.
While in town yesterday, I saw that another bench has been marked up, this time with “Harly < ; BMX.”
Again, poor spelling but I have to give them an ‘A’ for consistency.
It got me to thinking~
What is it about Harley-Davidson that is so polarizing?
Harley-Davidson seems to be one motorcycle brand that many people are very vocal about their love or dislike of.
There are the diehard brand loyalists who buy and proudly wear their branded gear, bandanas, t-shirts from dealers afar. Some riders get tattoos of the company logo, have stickers on their cars and trucks and seem to see Harley-Davidson as a facet of the American dream.
And then there are the people who are pretty vocal about hating everything HD stating reasons such as – outdated technology, poor performance and peddling a lifestyle above all else.
I cannot think of another brand of motorcycles that divides people so clearly. But why?
Comments
Good question. I ALWAYS ask WHY when someone is so proud of their Harley (or Harly) I think it goes back to group dynamics…you have to believe your group is so much better than everyone else’s or you wouldn’t take any pride in being in that particular group. And, well, it’s hard to be an outlaw when you are riding a BMW or a Suz.
I mean, who’s going to notice you pass by when they don’t have to hold their hands to their ears and look around ten minutes before you get there????
The season 13 South Park episode, The F Word, succinctly answers the question. Cartman addresses a gaggle, “Nobody is intimidated, actually. Everyone realizes that people who are so needy for attention they need to dress up and be as loud as possible are you guys and sixteen year old girls.”
^^^This^^^
It’s interesting that no one wrote ‘jap bikes suck’ or ‘bmw sux’. That is to say, this brand snobbery is not coming from HD owners, at least not in the neighborhood where this bench exists.
Some people like to say HD owners are ‘compensating’ for other ‘shortcomings’ in their lives (wink wink). I notice they never make this charge in the presence of HD owners. And frankly, that argument is so tired and cliched that it no longer has any merit. It’s something people with no imagination say to sound smart.
I took up motorcycling late in life. I needed to find something to do besides watching time go by, waiting. So I decided to become a motorcycle rider. I had a 750 Honda Shadow for a few months before I bought my HD Road King. Why HD and not some Japanese crotch rocket or Italian cafe bike? Because I’m 6’4″ and almost 300 pounds and I wanted a substantial machine. An American machine. As for the HD ‘lifestyle’… I went to Sturgis last summer, but I don’t think I’d go again. I have some HD-themed articles of clothing, but I don’t live in them. I have one tattoo I got in 1976 and no plans for any more. I couldn’t tell you whether I’m a biker, a rider, or a motorcyclist. All I know is, when I’m riding my motorcycle, it’s the best part of that day, or the best day of that week.
Every motorcycle brand has its own followers. Car and truck guys are the same- Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge. These arguments or rivalries will never be resolved. And they don’t have to be- to each his own. Whoever scratched those words on that bench doesn’t understand that.
This a great comment, Jones but this says it all for me:
“- to each his own. “
When I started riding (13 years ago), I was attracted to cruisers for their traditional beauty. I had no particular attraction to or hatred of the H-D brand and bought a candy-apple red Kawasaki Vulcan 750.
Over time, I learned from several unpleasant experiences with Harley riders, that many who ride Harleys do not respect others who ride any other brand, even other cruisers. That unwelcoming attitude refuted the “brotherhood” I was expecting among motorcyclists. While not all Harley riders are exclusionary and elitist, a good number of them are and their lack of friendliness to other riders leaves me cold.
My negative feeling about the Harley “lifestyle” has nothing to do with the bikes but, rather, the attitude of jerks sitting on top of them.
If you see me ride by on my Harley, I submit that you won’t know a damn thing about me, other than I ride a Harley.
Agreed!
I would agree but in reverse…Meaning….How is it that when I wave at a biker on a Harley and they start to wave at me then don’t when they see my bike is not a harley? Like you, I propose they do not know me yet refuse to wave…I suspect this was his point…
It is to this silliness this discussion exists…And he is right, many HD riders are cool, but many more cop an attitude of superiority
Here is my take
A throw back to WW2 when HD’s got their start..a certain hatred for non American things…Then the biker gangs….It is a type of belonging…for me the curiosity is this..
For all the boasting of independence, they sure seem cult like in their subjugation to a bike brand…Very co-dependent to my way of seeing things…
The higher “road” is the principle we all try to follow, “ride to live and live to ride” and respect others with the same heart!!!
I don’t have anything against Harleys (my brother is the sales manager at a Harley shop) but personally they don’t really do much for me. Well, maybe the XR1200, maybe.
I think part of the Harley hate comes from their logo being so in your face. And by that I mean everywhere. I understand that people are passionate about their bikes but I think in the case of some Harley riders they take it a little over the top.
I am sure there are some loyal followers of other brands that are over the top, but maybe they just aren’t as many of them or not made as public.
I have enjoyed the two Suzuki’s I’ve had but you’ll never see me with a Suzuki tattoo or wearing Suzuki gear. They don’t pay me to advertise for them.
I think it comes down to two things. 1. They only make bikes of a specific style and target group. Every other major manufacturer makes bikes of all riding styles and doesn’t really cultivate a particular image. 2. They are the only major US manufacturer, so I think there is a bit of the pro-USA attitude with many of the riders.
I really want to believe that the public can evolve past feeling superior because they bought or didn’t buy something but… not likely.
Well for one I think Harley owners bring it on themselves with their air of superiority. My friend who rides a vintage BMW K100 often tells a story about riding down Main Street in our hometown when two guys at the side of the road standing next to Harleys feigned kicking his bike over as he passed by. You wouldn’t get that kind of behavior from the rider of any other bike.
Harley riders are also the only peeps who consistently deny me the “motorcycle wave”. There’s the off chance that the person I’m riding past is a nervous noob, or just didn’t see me, and doesn’t wave. But old guys with weirdbeards and no helmets on Electraglides are the ones who most consistently don’t wave.
Harleys are also the most expensive bikes on the road (at least until Motus debuts later this year) but they are not the most advanced from a technology or styling standpoint by a long shot. It really is stale technology and styling at a premium price.
Then there is the matter of the obnoxiously-loud straight pipes that Harley owners seem to love and that have caused numerous moronic politicians to crack down on us…
Oh and BTW…Harley is “peddling a lifestyle” not “pedaling a lifestyle”. I normally wouldn’t tease you about this, but since you opened your post with a critique of the graffiti artist’s butchered grammar, ya kinda left yourself open for it…
Quoting your own blog, Joe:
“I have to admit there is definitely something intoxicatingly sexy about riding a Harley.”
http://nobaffles.com/2012/03/31/sexiest-motorcycles-for-first-time-riders/
And there is! I’m not debating that point at all. The question is why are Harleys so polarizing. They’re polarizing for all the reasons I mentioned.
I have one thing to say about the “wave”. I have been riding for over 30 years. I have had a Yamaha 650, a Suzuki 800, then went about 15 years with no ride. I recently got back into riding when I purchased a 1993 HD. I give “the wave” to EVERY rider that goes buy….when it is SAFE to do so. I have noticed that many riders, HD included, do the wave while going through an intersection (and shifting through gears), or as you go through a turn, or while you are in slow traffic. All times when you should be PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND HAVE BOTH, REPEAT… B-O-T-H HANDS ON THE HANDLE BARS. I do NOT wave at this time.
Since starting to ride again 5 months ago, I have seen 2 HD’s, 3 cafe bikes, a dirt bike, and a jap cruiser all dump their bikes on turns, or slam into the car in front of them in traffic, or slip and pop the clutch and jump out into traffic from a stop sign because the idiots took their left hand off the handle bar to do “the wave”. So if you do the wave, and the other guy doesn’t give it back. Don’t think it is an attitude. Look where you are. Was it a safe place to be taking your hand even partially off the handle bar. Come on, use your head and ride safe.
Let me ask you this. When was the last time you pulled over when a bike (any bike) was pulled over on the side of the road to make sure everything was okay. I do it every time. One time I pulled over, and the old guy on his Goldwing was having a heart attach. Everything looked fine. But I stopped anyway. I have been stopped before and know one ever stopped for me. With my Yamaha, Suzuki, and my HD. Enough with the wave.
Just ride….and ride safe. Anyone else doesn’t like it…tough. It is about you and the open road. NOT the other guy.
Wow, I think polarizing was the perfect adjective. The brand hype makes me crazy. I’m actually pretty indifferent about HDs. Some are actually quite nice. But I really, REALLY hate loud motorcycles, HD or not. You do tend to encounter the most RUBs on HDs. Rich Urban Bikers who buy an HD because they think it’s cool and never really learn to ride very well. It does make me crazy when it comes up in conversation that I ride a motorcycle and the first question people ask is, “Do you ride a Harley?”
Kathy, that “So, do you ride a Harley?” question happens to me all the time, too.
Likewise, when people find out I’m originally from Wisconsin, some of them ask “So do you like cheese?”
Worldwide, folks are guilty of stereotyping and over-generalizing based on 1% of the information available.
Time to go now. I’m overdue on cheddar.
You all should have heard what I was asked while visiting London once. I was at a bar and the group I met was amazed I lived close to NYC because it looked so dangerous after they saw Rumble in the Bronx, a Jackie Chan kung fu click. I was tempted to tell them yes I was the greatest martial artist in NYC. Stereotypes can be really funny when they get ridiculous like that.
As for my opinion on the polarization of harleys? A lot of people here said it well already. Personally if you are riding whether it is just to starbucks, a 500 mile sunday, days in the dirt or weeks on the road i’m just happy your riding. But if you think that your bike is better then anyone else’s you need to get your head out of your ass and stop being a dick. To each their own and if someone worked hard for that beat up rat bike they should have just as much respect as the guy riding around on a 30k HD or MV Augusta. I have met a lot of riders in my riding career so far and most of them are good people. It’s just the select few ruin it for everyone else.
But buy the bike you want, smile and enjoy it however you want!
I have a lot of opinions about various things regarding the Harley “lifestyle”. First off, I own 3 bikes and I put on a pretty respectable amount of miles per year, but I choose the path less followed and prefer dirt to pavement.
I think the biggest problem that most people have is the noise, there is no excuse for it. The bikes are severely under powered and taking the pipes off of it doesn’t help anything. It sure doesn’t help motorcycling in general, because it won’t be long before there are severe restrictions on noise. There is a big difference between the noise created by performance and just plain noise, I mean I could take the muffler off of a Geo Metro and it would be obnoxious and annoying to anyone around it, but that doesn’t make it fast.
Another thing is 20 years ago most of the people that owned Harleys were serious enthusiasts. It was hard to get a new Harley back then, I know people that had to wait 2 years to get one. Now, you can drive to your nearest suburban dealer in your mini van a few minutes later you can be a badass hardcore “biker”, complete with the full costume. Of course, even though its your first bike you can’t wear a helmet because then nobody would know who you were when you were revving it up at the stop lights. Now all you need is to shave your head and cut the sleeves off your shirts.
I have met some seriously cool people that ride Harleys and some of them live and breathe riding. I respect those people regardless of what they ride and because I know they don’t care what I ride, its the fact that I ride that they respect.
The Harley thing just got infested with posers that ruined it.
The graffiti is obviously from kids, hence the comparison – not fair to attribute to HD riders.
The “this is a real motorcycle, anything else is something less” HD mtyhology is one of the most outstanding branding and marketing strategies ever and I do admire the success of it. They also benefit from an American heritage and legacy.
Sweeping generalizations are never accurate, there are always numerous exceptions, but I divide riders into 2 main camps – “show” vs. “go”. There are those who like motorcycles and then there are those who like riding.
“Show” motorcyclists are more into the romance of it all. Bikes are more about form than function. They admire those exotic custom works-of-art show bikes that are virtually unridable. They and their motorcycles are always “on display”. “Watch out for Bikers” is another way of saying “look at me”. They feel safer riding in groups so there’s someone there to help them if they get into trouble – motorcycles are dangerous and you’re quite the brave soul for riding one. Performance is being louder. Handling only comes into play in parking lots. It’s not about speed or riding ability, it’s about the wind in your hair, the sun on your back, and that’s just fine for them.
“Go” motorcyclist is the camp I fall into. The bike doesn’t matter, it’s how you ride it that counts. The bike is an instrument that responds to your input, each with unique attributes and idiosyncrasies to be explored on or off the road. Performance and handling are gifts to be enjoyed, exploited, and enhanced to suit you. “Go” riders often ride alone, confident in their abilities to master whatever presents, looking for the challenge in every curve, seeking the limits and boundaries of each riding situation. Function trumps form. A little adrenaline never hurts.
“Show” riders wear “No Fear” t-shirts, flames, and skulls. “Go” riders wear armor, look fear straight in the eye, and smile at it.
Brilliant comment. You crystallize what I think and express it with greater lucidity than I could. Bravo.
Met a cool old vet on a Harley last night, nice guy!
I personally just love the style and anyone in my family that rides loves them too.
For me it’s how inconsiderate Harley riders (typically) are. A generalization but it holds true in my experience. I like the bikes, and even considered buying one, and then I encounter another group acting like @ssholes and remind myself I don’t want to be associated with them.
Not sure quite why they’re so polarizing. If I had the means, I’d own 1 or 2 but they are pretty far down on my list. I guess I put the writers of the graffiti you snapped down as people being drama junkies.
Since I have to be picky, my personal order is:
Triumph > other Eurobikes > Japanese > Harley
As for Harley riders, I have as many positive stories as negative. When my Speed3 was crunched up in BC a few years back, a group of Harley riders stopped to see iif I needed help.
I really like the Triumph pedigree/history. The English are crazy about their motor vehicles, they’re just a little different, but the Triumph Speed Triple is a thing of beauty.
hey we’re all bikers, it’s all the same to me
Harleys are expensive, overrated, heavy. Might as well drive my car. Just my opinion, I’ve never had a desire to get one, although the 883 isn’t bad.
As others here have said, I think a lot of it started with the “you ride an HD or you aren’t a real biker” attitude so many Harley riders have. Starting out on a Yamaha I got a lot of comments from HD riders about getting a real bike. Of course, that seemed a little more prevalent back when I was a teenager. Not sure if the situation has changed, or if I just look a little tougher and more grizzled these days. However it starts , those kinds of experiences tend to start vicious circles. They disrespect me, I disrespect them, and on and on it goes. Someone needs to be the bigger person and just decide not to play those games if it is ever going to change.
Nowadays I’m just happy to ride and treat everyone the same no matter what they ride, and try to ignore the jerks that want to behave differently. The majority of riders I encounter seem to feel the same and besides the occasional bad ass that is too cool to wave, I don’t really run into too much brand discrimination.
Now I ride a Triumph Rocket III, and I do think that Triumph may dodge the bullet a little, though I didn’t get much guff on my Suzuki Boulevard a couple of years ago either.
Simply put, you’re a tool if you wear logos.
What kind of a person rides an hd wearing a vest and a helmet that both say hd on it?
A tool.
You aren’t tough and you don’t intimidate me.
Nobody cares you’re riding an hd except you.
So sit there at the red light revving your engine like a 12 year old and think about how much you spent for a brand name…
I see it this way america is freedom it gives us the choice to buy what we want, Ive been riding for 40 years now and owned them all, I look at 3 things in a motorcycle Reliability affordability and performance, The biggest thing for me is the cost of parts, Because when i have to fix the bike or tear the motor down after 100,000 miles in harleys case about 40 to 70,000 the parts can be expensive even for some euro bikes, After many years of this i myself have found the japanese have been the best at the things i have mentioned,Real harley riders such as the hells angels in the a neighboring town, Could give a hoot what you Ride, Most of the RUB,s you see on the street have harleys, Think their machine is superior to yours,Let them Have that, Now when winter come,s ill ride My DNEPR MT11 all winter snow cold, dec jan feb etc, You dont see no harleys then but in the spring summer i deal with it Ride what you like not what they like, Cause the wind feel,s the same no matter what you ride,let them wave first,
Why I bought a Harley…Dyna super glide
Oddly I m NOT a slave to fashion…do NOT have to have brand name stuff with ” cache”.
The LAST thing I am is a snob…people who hange out with me inevitably feel at ease, can be themselves…been told this numerous times.
Repulsed by posers…can’t stand the candy ass whimps who are in the wannabe a thug club.
I bought one because most of my life ive been told to be quiet, watch what I say, to whom I say it, speak Not the truth if it makes the company look bad, play nice …even if that means getting your lunch eaten by the corporate bullies. I bought it be cause there IS something in the H.D. images that says Be Loud, Old school is Cool school, f.u. corp types that can’t see your own lies…to your customers, your employees, your families, your selves. Is it a Madison ave cultivated message…if so it sticks better with Harleys than with anyothet bike. Why is that? Maybe because it fits? I dunno.
But I do know when I fire that Dyna up, hear that “out dated” v-twin chugging n huffing like the 1903 technology it survived from I feel like I’ve pushed back the cube walls, shut the damn email off and the frightened corp screamers out and I can finally …
breath!