[Ducati] NDC Anti harley or pro rider training?

[Veloce916 at aol.com]

I don't see that as an anti-Harley shirt - I think it's pro rider training. 
Since it's winter, and this is seemingly a yearly thread, I'd  like to 
address the "differences" in groups. I had a conversation just  yesterday with a 
friend who is immersed in the Harley scene (and  she happens to be an excellent 
rider) and the conversation started  with "specialty bikes", specifically 
Multistrada/GS/etc but soon ran to how  Harley's, while excellent at what they are 
built to do, (cruise) are often  modified to do what they do, but worse 
(lowered until they can't pull off the  road, stretched until U-turns are 
impossible, that sort of thing. And her  response was that a huge part of the 
"lifestyle" is short rides so not much  skill is required to be part of the group. That 
the attraction IS  often the lifestyle, not the riding. Ironically, she finds 
it  difficult to find men who can ride with her at her skill level. (To be 
fair, she  is really good and might have this problem regardless of what bike 
group she is  hanging with) Sure there are people who do not fit this mold, are 
great riders  and like to ride far but here in Florida, I see a lot of this, 
maybe  because we have boring roads and great restaurants. :-) 
However:
Combine that with something that happened to me this week - I attended a  
party at the local HD store, I attend Harley stuff often because I have friends  
that ride them, this was an artwork unveiling (the artist is really good, I  
enjoy his work), I arrived on my Ducati to find a pure Harley crowd (as  
expected) and when the server brought me 2 beers instead of one, I asked if  anybody 
wanted the second one since about a half beer was my limit when riding.  A 
guy at the table said loudly his limit is one beer every half  hour. Nobody 
thought that was odd. (well, except me). So the moral of this  story isn't that 
people might be anti-Harley (I worked for Harley this  summer curating an 
exhibit on the 50th anniversary of the Sportster,  something I was really proud of 
so no point in suggesting I am anti Harley,  I would buy a K bike in an 
instant). We/They just don't share the  philosophy of each other's lifestyle which is 
really socially based.  (all motorcycle groups are socially based, we tend to 
find others like minded) I  think we mostly like all the bikes, we just don't 
"get" each other. HD  folks aren't real impressed with the "rice bikes" 
either. Could be a lot of  this comes from the bad behaviors in both groups - 
everybody gets tarred and  feathered because of the loud piped HD drunk guy and the 
squid going 150 through  traffic on the freeway scaring people because they 
passed so close.
The one thing that in the past was generally true was that the  
BMW/Ducati/Triumph guys can generally walk the line between the groups. I think  that's 
because we behave for the most part, or maybe because we exist in smaller  
numbers so our bad eggs are harder to find, not because our bikes our "more  
accepted".  It all boils down to people, not bikes. Just like everywhere  else in 
life.
By the way - Skid, you fit in everywhere - Harley events, Ducati stuff and  
even an occasional Baja VW social. That pretty much makes you the man. Or a  
freak, I'm not sure. :-)
Vicki
 
 
In a message dated 12/31/2007 11:58:37 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
maquino at ihot.com writes:

Why  would anybody be "anti" any bike?

Were all exposed to the same dangers  and prejudices no matter what we ride.

You are making judgments about  people you don't know based on the brand 
of motorcycle they  choose.

How does that make you different from the Harley  crowd?

pathetic

skid





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