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D.Bradfield
Active Member
Lots of good videos of Harley wheelies on utube. He's pretty good on this bike. Have seen a guy with enough horsepower to pull the front wheel while sitting in the seat at 35 mph on a streetglide. Now that's impressive.
This may be someone's idea of fun but I find it foolish. Stunting on public roads does nothing for the image of motorcyclist. Drivers have enough trouble seeing us without some fool pulling wheelies on a multi lane highway. Does anyone really think this is safe and the way we want the public to think of us? We have enough image problems and law makers just looking for a way to regulate us even further.
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Jack Klarich
Guest
I remember in Salt Springs Don showed us a video of some guy doing all kinds of tricks with a bagger, it was pretty cool tho I would not do it
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dbmg
Guest
I agree Don that stunting on public roads is definitely a bad place for this sport. I can not tell you how many times over the years while on the highways around Pittsburgh that the bejesus is scared out of me by one of these type guys flying pass me on one wheel. I always wonder when this is done in a pack when they wreck how many other go down while trying to avoid.
Anyways my reasoning for the video is to show that these stunts on a Harley with 2 cylinders and upwards of 800 plus pounds of motorcycle can be done as well as a guy a on a 400 plus pound 4 cylinder sport bike.....
Anyways my reasoning for the video is to show that these stunts on a Harley with 2 cylinders and upwards of 800 plus pounds of motorcycle can be done as well as a guy a on a 400 plus pound 4 cylinder sport bike.....
dolt
Well-Known Member
.I would point out that this video was obviously done under controlled conditions. There were cameras, no other traffic on the road and the rider has mad skills. It is an advertisement for Uknown Industries and Bagger magazine.
Stunting on public roads and in traffic is stupid, foolish and does project a bad image. Another point worth making is that motorcycle enthusiasts are generally divided between the Harley tribe and the sport bike tribe; even most non motorcycle enthusiasts know this. How many members of the Harley tribe do you see popping wheelies and stunting in public? Very few I daresay. On the other hand, how many member of the sport bike tribe do you see popping wheelies and stunting in public. Quite a few I daresay; at least that is my experience.
Can't lump us all together; some might try but it just doesn't work.
Stunting on public roads and in traffic is stupid, foolish and does project a bad image. Another point worth making is that motorcycle enthusiasts are generally divided between the Harley tribe and the sport bike tribe; even most non motorcycle enthusiasts know this. How many members of the Harley tribe do you see popping wheelies and stunting in public? Very few I daresay. On the other hand, how many member of the sport bike tribe do you see popping wheelies and stunting in public. Quite a few I daresay; at least that is my experience.
Can't lump us all together; some might try but it just doesn't work.
dolt's last sentence is true BUT the general public doesn't know the difference between a Harley and a sport bike so as said before, stunts like that give us all a black eye.
dolt
Well-Known Member
Sorry Jack butIdon't believe the general public is as unaware as one might think. Most do know the difference; two completely different motorcycles, two completely different sounds, completely different rider garb and you rarely see a Harley rider acting out, (set aside the "loud pipes save lives" thing) but see plenty of sport bike fools stunting and zipping in and out of traffic at high speed.
Now, whether or not riding like a idiot in public gives ALL motorcycle enthusiasts a black eye is another matter but there is no data available to prove that one way or the other. Not a subject for debate here but you might be correct; I just disagree.
I would wager that if one did a survey asking the general public which motorcycles should be banned from public roads and the survey showed a picture of a decked out sport bike rider on a Yamazuki and another picture of a rider on a Street Glide wearing a bandana, sunglasses, jeans and boots, 75% would pick the sport bike as the bike to be banned. That's not to say that given the option to select "both of the above" 75% would select that option; want to stick with the premise that the general public doesn't know the difference between the two. What do you think?
Not being argumentative, just having a little fun with the subject matter of the thread.
Now, whether or not riding like a idiot in public gives ALL motorcycle enthusiasts a black eye is another matter but there is no data available to prove that one way or the other. Not a subject for debate here but you might be correct; I just disagree.
I would wager that if one did a survey asking the general public which motorcycles should be banned from public roads and the survey showed a picture of a decked out sport bike rider on a Yamazuki and another picture of a rider on a Street Glide wearing a bandana, sunglasses, jeans and boots, 75% would pick the sport bike as the bike to be banned. That's not to say that given the option to select "both of the above" 75% would select that option; want to stick with the premise that the general public doesn't know the difference between the two. What do you think?
Not being argumentative, just having a little fun with the subject matter of the thread.
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dbmg
Guest
My self being a Harley rider now versus years ago when at the mall or a restaurant or even church parking lot it appears that the only brand that is truly celebrated by license plates, windshield banners, stickers on windows, clothes especially t-shirts and even most tattoos you see on both male and females. Even pick up and big trucks are built representing the brand.... Not to think about all the brand associated accessories for your pets and home. And guess what the brand is, HARLEY..... So I would believe that there is a larger segment of the public that is more aware of Harleyism than Sportbikeism. Ever experience the little one riding with Mom and Dad in a vehicle light up when on a Harley or cruiser type bike. Or pull into a diner or ice cream store and end up talking to either a older male or female about when they were a kid and road on Dad's Harley way back then.I would wager that if one did a survey asking the general public which motorcycles should be banned from public roads and the survey showed a picture of a decked out sport bike rider on a Yamazuki and another picture of a rider on a Street Glide wearing a bandana, sunglasses, jeans and boots, 75% would pick the sport bike as the bike to be banned. That's not to say that given the option to select "both of the above" 75% would select that option; want to stick with the premise that the general public doesn't know the difference between the two. What do you think?
I did not get the same reaction when riding my Sport bikes years ago..............
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Sorry Jack butIdon't believe the general public is as unaware as one might think. Most do know the difference; two completely different motorcycles, two completely different sounds, completely different rider garb and you rarely see a Harley rider acting out, (set aside the "loud pipes save lives" thing) but see plenty of sport bike fools stunting and zipping in and out of traffic at high speed.
Now, whether or not riding like a idiot in public gives ALL motorcycle enthusiasts a black eye is another matter but there is no data available to prove that one way or the other. Not a subject for debate here but you might be correct; I just disagree.
I would wager that if one did a survey asking the general public which motorcycles should be banned from public roads and the survey showed a picture of a decked out sport bike rider on a Yamazuki and another picture of a rider on a Street Glide wearing a bandana, sunglasses, jeans and boots, 75% would pick the sport bike as the bike to be banned. That's not to say that given the option to select "both of the above" 75% would select that option; want to stick with the premise that the general public doesn't know the difference between the two. What do you think?
Not being argumentative, just having a little fun with the subject matter of the thread.
I'm basing my comments on what I would here from the general public. 30 years in law enforcement and the complaints and remarks I would get tells me the general public as a whole could not tell you a Haley from any other bike out there. When we'd get complaints of bikes racing and or careless drivers more often than not the offenders were crotch rockets. My experience tells me all they see is 2 wheels flying down the road. Thus my remarks, those kind of riders give all of us a black eye.
I think that's about as close to a survey as you're going to get without doing a scientific poll.
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