The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Are You a Stereotypical Motorcycle Rider?

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Stereotypical Harley Davidson rider

Ask your non riding friends to describe the typical motorcycle rider, or better yet, ask someone who doesn’t know that you ride, to do the same. Do you recognize the person they’re talking about? Once you’ve been riding for any length of time, it quickly becomes clear there is no average rider, no “typical” job, education, age, socio-economic status or lifestyle that sets riders apart from anyone else. The only real difference between riders and non riders is that simple fact; one rides, one doesn’t.

Harley Davidson has begun a new advertising campaign with photos of a series of riders identified by the Twitter hashtag – “#StereotypicalHarley [fill in the blank].” The fill in the blank portion could be “soccer mom,” “gourmet chef” or most anything else. Harley has probably had more of a stereotype associated with it than most other brands, and it’s often completely baseless, but motorcycles in general have had the same identity issues and most of those opinions and views held by non riders or even riders of other brands or types of motorcycles, tend to be based on nothing more than one or two specific experiences, if that.

I like the idea of the campaign. It confronts the misconceptions of who rides a Harley and shows the typical rider might be more like you or me or practically anyone, than those holding those stereotypical images in their minds would like to believe. They also invite Harley riders to upload a photo and description of themselves via Instagram, because their campaign is based on actual owners and riders.

I think this idea could be expanded to include almost any motorcycle rider, not just those on the Motor Company’s models. Who is your average or stereotypical Honda rider, or Ducati or Royal Enfield or …? Pretty interesting.

Harley press release:

MILWAUKEE: Harley-Davidson rider…three words that tend to create a series of stereotypical images which span age, ethnicity, socio-economic status and lifestyle. Today, Harley-Davidson introduces the latest evolution of its “No Cages” campaign, which puts real Harley riders in the spotlight, while challenging stereotypes and launching the new Seventy-Two Sportster model.

Titled ‘E Pluribus Unum,’ or “out of many, one,” the new campaign is the first content born out of Harley-Davidson’s new crowd-sourcing Facebook application called Fan Machine. Fan Machine allows Harley-Davidson’s 3.3 million Facebook fans to review an advertising brief, submit ideas and vote on submissions from other community members.

The centerpiece of the new campaign is a series of digital videos featuring genuine Harley-Davidson riders and a corresponding stereotype showcased as a Twitter hashtag – “#StereotypicalHarley [fill in the blank].” The ads are designed to start a conversation that will come alive in the social sphere through Harley-Davidson’s Web site and social platforms.

“The beauty of the ‘E Pluribus Unum’ campaign is that it uses the element of surprise that exists in every Harley-Davidson owner to inspire people to think about riding our motorcycles,” said Scott Beck, Harley-Davidson’s General Manager of Marketing Operations for North America.

Link: Harley Davidson

Posted on Filed Under: Motorcycle advertising

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Comments

  1. Stereo Typical Harley Rider = An accountant or a lawyer that likes to wear leather on the weekend. 😉

  2. Interesting, considering many “Harley riders” wear aesthetic gear that evoke a universal image.

    This could be said for much of the various gear aligned with various bike styles, but a single “image” is most pronounced among the Harley customer.

    Good marketing angle to maintain the successful status quo, while adding new riders

    • HD riders typically wear the image that goes along with the bikes. For the most part, especially the softails and touring bikes, that is leather and denim.

      I don’t think HD riders are any more pronounced in this than any other style of bike. When I am riding around on the weekend, just about everyone I see on a sportbike is clad in full leather body armor and a full face helmet. Those on cruisers, HD, Victory and metrics, are all in looser leather jackets, jeans and maybe chaps.

      I think it is good HD is trying to dispel the image HDs are for old geezers.

      • one rider stands in front of you with jeans, chaps, black leather jacket or black leather vest, and a half helmet.

        another rider stands in front of you with either leather or textile jacket (that is black, grey, red, blue, etc.), full face helmet that could be any type of color, jeans, leather or textile pants

        pick a bike for each rider. It would be more difficult to guess the type of bike for the 2nd description. He/she could ride anything from a cruiser, touring rig, cafe, race, sport touring, adventure, etc. You are less likely to see the 1st apparel on this list of bikes. This is what I meant by a single image most pronounced

        I said I like the idea.

  5. There’s two kind’s of rider’s , “Those that have been down and those that are going down ” Until you
    know or understand this enjoy your m/c at the dealership . Hopefully they are old school and have free coffee. ride safe fast eddie

    • Reminds me of words of wisdom I received in 1983 from a rider 20 yrs my senior… “there are old riders and there are bold riders, but there aren’t too many old, bold riders.”

      • Reminds me of the tendency for motorcyclists to be vapid and heavily reliant on cliched wisdom.

        Somebody says something they reckon is clever and 20 years on people are still spouting the same crap.

        No old and bold riders? You might want to have a chat with somebody like Pip Higham.

  6. This is amusing, considering how carefully Harley has cultivated that image all these years, and how so many people are drawn to the cruiser market because they WANT that image. Why else do they feel the need to dress like one of the Village People ?

    • Spot. On.

      Perhaps somebody at Harley forsees an end to the market position they’ve enjoyed for a long time, one reliant on a stream of guys who want to fit in with the stereotype? Hmmm.

      • Lets take a good look at this, My brother rides BMWs and wears the Tourmaster gear as most of the Beemer guys do, My neighbor rides Sport Bikes and dresses like a Power Ranger, The Hog guys wear leather.. It seems that all brands have their official uniform. Everyone wants to be an Induhvigual.LOL.

      • I would say, more likely they are hoping to draw in more people who don’t consider themselves part of the stereotype.

  7. What’s keeping jilted Buell riders from spamming this Twitter feed up with negative comments?

    • Nothing except the thousands of other ways a crowd-sourced social media marketing effort could backfire.

      Harley is counting on its loyal riders to keep this campaign on message but basically has no control. So, hack it if you want to, I guess.

  8. I see people from varied ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds expressing their independent “wild side” by falling lock-step in with H-D’s massive marketing machine. I think it says a lot about both the people and Harley… H-D still can find buyers for anything they decide to sell. I find it sad, but it works for them. P.T. Barnum must be so proud.

  9. From the Buells in my parking lot (not mine, sigh), I think they’ve moved on and just don’t care about Harley. The end of Buell came up last week and I (BMW rider) was the only one still angry about it.

    • They’ve moved on because the 1190 RS has been revealed. Rejoice! Can I get an Amen!?

        • There is a bright red Buell 1125 CR over at the DSU unit that just screams ‘call in a sickday’… It looks like an illegal amount of fun.

  10. Generalizations are hard because it’s always easy to find someone who disproves the rule. But I think you can broadly say that riders have a greater tolerance for/different view of risk, than the poor souls who don’t ride. That said, I find that the risk of riding (for an experienced rider, at least) is broadly overstated by those who don’t know what they’re talking about (non-riders). “Oh you ride a motorcycle? It’s so dangerous, you know.” I say “Really? What’s it like on the moon? Tell me something else about which you have no clue!”

    • Well said , I’ll try to remember that line when the time is right , usually about 25 times a year
      when I’m putting on 40,000 mi . in the northeast . It would be 60,000 in warmer climates.
      Thanx , Fast Eddie

  11. The Superglide is gone, but I still wear some of my H-d gear. The 10″ Buell patch looks good on the back of my Alternator jacket when I’m buzzing around on my M2 – with full face helmet of course ; )

  12. Hey, coxster, I have a few pieces of “flawed” gear myself. (Harley logos….:-P) They do put their name on some decent gear. (And then jack the price…..).

    I’ve often wonder how many people would ride motorcycles if they had no “image”, if bikes were all beige and looked the same (but performed differently). I think the numbers would be GREATLY reduced if bikes were all about the ride and not a fashion accessory.

    I know some SERIOUS cruiser riders, but I’ve also been to rallies and seen the guys in suits who pull up in a $$$ truck with a $$$ trailer, then roll out the bikes, change into ripped jeans and “distressed” leather, and ride up and down Main Street going “We bad…..we bad…..”

    • Maybe in US motorbikes are usually seen as a recreation-only vehicle.

      However, specially in third world countries, bikes are seen as both fun and utility vehicles. While in US pizza boys deliver them in cars, here in Brazil they use small 125/150cc motorbikes to do the job. Many many people buy small motorbikes not because they like to ride, but because they can´t afford a car, and are fed up with the terrible public transportation.

      But even in countries like Brazil, India, and African countries, there are some who see (even the smaller) motorbikes as fun. Even though the larger (I mean larger than 500cc) bikes are only a small fraction of the market here in Brazil, for example, there´s an interesting phenomena: Brazil is the largest Harley-Davidson market outside US (and H-D bikes are assembled on the city of Manaus in CKD). Brazil is the country that Honda sells the largest quantity of CB 600F Hornets. Brands like BMW , Triumph and Ducati are coming (BMW already assembles the G650GS, F800GS and the F800R in Manaus) and building up their plants here.

      All the riders have their own stereotypes. Cruiser riders (even riders who ride “cruise-a-like” 150cc chinese bikes) usually dress leather vests and open-face helmets. Sport bike riders usually wear full suits and expensive full face helmets. Big dual-purpose riders usually wear full protective gear (but not a sport vest) or a pair of denim pants and a “cordura”(or similar) jacket, and try to act like they don´t fit in any stereotype at all, but add big side and top cases on their bike like they were going to cross the world (even those that use the bike only for small spins on the weekend)… even the pizza boys that like to “show off” their bikes on the weekend have their stereotypes, wearing hoodies, tennis sneakers and painting accessories of their bikes in strange colors such as fluorescent lime… so we are all full of stereotypes.

      Do you really want to know what are people who don´t care about motorcycles but buy them? Take a look at China, the largest motorcycle factory and market on the world. Bikes are mere “motorized work horses” for them.

    • I once heard the expression ‘Fashion over Function’ used to describe the AMF Harley product ( not sure it stops there ). Yes I love my H-D gear, and still buy the wife a slinky shirt or two : ) Great post David

  13. Recently saw a HD rider wearing a full-face, no body advertising, no loud pipes and riding alone. Hows that for breaking the stereotype? There are “Bikers”, and there are “Motorcyclists”. I think we all know the diff.

    Fretka

  14. Apparel is a big profit center for HD. So does this mean they’ll start pushing riding gear and T-shirts that look like something soccer moms and chefs would wear, so other people can tell, oh, there go Harley riders very much like me so I guess respectable folks can ride hogs, too? Because the people they reach are far less likely to see HD ads that they are to see HD riders on the street. Or maybe HD should encourage its mainstream riders to wear their HD apparel to the office, PTA meetings and church.

    • I once knew a dentist who had at least 8 H-D logos on him at any one time….while seeing patients.

    • So true, these ads are going to go into Easy Rider magazines, not Good Housekeeping and “O”.

      -todd

  15. Of course, I DO NOT fit a neat stereotype – been riding GoldWings for 25 years, including my MUCH younger days.

    Can’t tell you how many times I’ve had people following me say to me ‘I didn’t know you could DO THAT one on of those!” 😀

  17. There is a type that rides a Harley. They wannabe serious. Hard-core. The One per-cent.

    Ya whatever…I still laugh when I think of the office lady that wobbled up beside me on a chopper that cost her more than my first house. It had a jack-shaft bearing that was done-in. I could hear it over her 117 inch engine from 20 ft away. I told her she had a problem, but she wouldn’t take advise from a guy on a scooter….that’s not the way it flows.

  18. I think much could be learned by giving a test to each group. Like one group.
    Q.Do you change your own oil?
    A.No but I can drink a lot of Beer
    Q.Do you do any motorcycle maintainence?
    A.No but I can drink a lot of Beer
    Q.Do you ride much on weekends
    A.No but we do a lot of Beer stops
    another group (so you know I am not stereo typing)
    Q.Do you change your own oil?
    A.No but I did 174 yesterday
    Q.Do you do any motorcycle maintainence?
    A.No, but the cops can’t catch me
    Q.Do you ride much on weekends?
    A.On one wheel or two?
    You see everyone is different and I don’t fit either of the above groups.

  19. There is nothing more distressing than distressed leathers, my first leather jacket fell apart from the elbows down. That’s distressed! My current leather jacket has real rips and scratches. It takes real time in the saddle, and under the bike fixing something on the side of the road, to wear leathers in.

  20. Harley Davidson needs to find new blood for their brand and I think they may have a winner. Reminds me a lot of “you meet the nicest people on a Honda” only it’s “you meet all types of people on a Harley”. People like to belong to a club where they feel included. Even us who ride alone, there is still something comforting in a wave or a nod that says I see you “not in a cage”. On foul cold rainy days that wave is even more poignant with the acnoledgement that there are other die hard motorcyclist out there experiencing life on the edge. There are some who ride that never go that far but for some of them, just getting on two wheels is over the edge. I try to respect the fact they are on two wheels, not safe and secure in their air bag equipped heated / air conditioned cage. Try to remember to wave, I know it makes my day.

  21. Irregardless of the IQ or wannabe image seeker of the “average” Harley rider, HD itself is not all that dumb.

    Last I checked, the cost of an ad campaign to go after a new market segment is a LOT cheaper with a LOT less risk and long term financial concern than R & D to develop a new motor and platform (I don’t think they;ve recovered costs yet from the VRod) and a LOT less costly than new tooling and real estate to house the production of a new bike(s).

    HD has proven to itself that The Motor Company doesn’t have the competency to develop and support anything other than the image. Having multiple displacement, multiple purpose machines such as the Asian/Japanese builders is quite impossible for them, because they view that market as one in which they cannot gain a majority share.

    But they have proven salesmanship. Once you’ve conned and cloned your first PT Barnum stereotype, it must be really tough to break the habit. It does actually embarrass me to admit that once upon a time I was an HD fanatic. I finally got wise from all the other more open minded riders pointing out that HD no longer produces the best street machine in any class whatsoever.

    Then again, think of all the dead cow skin not filling up our landfills because they are quickly processed into chaps and sleeveless shirts for the HD faithful.

    • This is a hopeless arguement but here goes nothing.. So if Dentists and Lawyers now make up Harleys market, does that meen they have a low IQ??? Harley has 3 engine lines Evos, Twin Cams and the Revolution V- Rod. the good new is you can rebuild these lumps and get another 100K out of them in stead of them going to a junk yard like the engines redesigned every 2 years. Nothing is so weak as using generalations to express your opinions. P.S. I wear a Full Face Helmet, looks like I may need a Fire Suit also.

      • “Generalizations” and stereotypes exist because there are people out there who fit them. If you’re a lawyer who owns – and rides- a motorcycle, props to you. If you’re like my former neighbor who had more money than God, and owned two Harleys…..but had to keep them on display in his office window because his wife wouldn’t let him keep them at home, then yeah, I am going to MOCK your ass and you’ll deserve it! 😀

      • @TinMan2…if I read your response correctly, then I should assume that your IQ missed my deliberate stab at painting the “average” HD picture as sarcasm.

        And three different version of a V-Twin (of which two are so close they might as well be one) is a long shot from, say the lineup of Kawasaki where there are 3 or 4 versions of singles, twins, V’s, and inline 4’s, and models ranging from true entry level (too young for road license) to naked’s to sports to cruisers and an ATV PWC line.

        That is not a generalization.

        As for the fire-suit…doesn’t matter what brand you ride, there’s always someone deriding your choice. Can’t stand the heat? Get into some other form of motorsport. Oh, wait, Ferrari owners think that Vette and Beemer drivers are posers, too!.

        And I forgot to mention the all time best selling HD performance accessory, which is also a great way to keep low grade cow hide out of landfills…..the handlebar tassel. Another indelible “image” of the HD rider.

        And YOU forgot to mention that in addition to rebuilding that tired but reliable 100K motor into another lopo lump that will last for another 100K, that with just a few passes of the paint gun you can have a “new model”! How cool and everlasting is that?

        Don’t worry, the full face helmet won’t get anyone confused, they still see what you’re ridin and know which line of marketing nonsense overwhelmed your very specific mental capabilities. Placing yourself in an inferred elitist group is the absolute confirmation of an image dependent personality. That’s sad even if you are a dentist, etc., etc..

  22. Dammit! I was going to post a crack about Harley’s new slogan being “You meet the nicest people on a Harley” yesterday, and didn’t get a chance….and here you go and beat me to it…. 😛

  23. No matter where you stand on this contentious issue, the more motorcycles and riders on the street, the better. Amen!

  24. Went to a halloween party once and there was a blonde babe in full Dominatrix black leather. She got annoyed with me when I didn’t recognize her as “Harley Barbie”.

  25. At the spa yesterday I saw a Harley ad in a fashion magazine of all places. The rider was a very attractive successful looking woman, with the above mentionned cereal bowl on her head, and a pink stencilled bike. I think I got a sense of what as been discussed about creating an image, some pretty slick marketing. Oddly not a word about the features of the bike or what actually be customized. The ad focused on how they could build a bike as unique as you. I would never think of the environment of a spa and a fashion magazine being a forum for Harleys, but obviously thats a market they are looking to tap.

  27. Thank you Paul for this revealing topic.
    To quote Firesign Theater “We’re all Bozos on this bus”.
    Who else gets to legitimately wear a sport specific costume in general public. A fisherman in waders at the theater? a cowboy in spurs at the market? or perhaps football spikes clicking on the office floor?
    That we use our toys as transport to life’s scenarios serves as a thin excuse to dress up as the action adventure figure of our choice.
    When I ride my dualsport its Ewen and Charlie slyle textile kit, on my hog its leather with assless chaps, when I roll out my sport tour it could be either and though before helmet laws I would at times go lidless I’ve learned to love a full face but the visor is usually up to some degree, it’s the wind I crave! As a youngster I learned to read the codes and would never dream to transmit any message other than the joy of riding fast and free. Those who cast broad aspersions at anothers “style” are by their very preocupation exposing themselves as posers.
    Mind you though that the poser is my best freind of all.
    He will buy the latest greatest bike and lovingly pose, polish and profile, then dump it at a discount to acquire the next fasion accessory.
    And then brothers, we will ride.

    • “…a cowboy in spurs at the market?”

      I take it that you, sir, have never been to Oklahoma.

      • No indeed, I am in California where men wear head to toe leather at the market even though they arrived in a Mini.
        As an update on stereotypes and clothing choices, as a result of thoughts addressed here in The Kneeslider I climbed off of my KLR yesterday when I got home from work and since the rain had cleared decided to take a short ride on my recently purchased VRSCR. No need to change costuming! I’m a motorcyclist not some fashion clown! As I waited at a junction near my house to enter traffic I noticed a pronounced hot plastic smell. Only after I returned home did I find the inside of my right pant leg burnished with melted nylon and an unsightly stain on the heat shield.
        Yes sir Mr. Davidson, leather it will be. I’ll just have to get used to the enthusiastic greetings from that guy in the Mini.

  28. Now I’m very confused. I don’t know how to dress, act or behave when I ride my Zundapp.But I always wear my full face helmet on the Kawasaki, Yamaha, Triumph,and yes on one of my Harleys. That way none knows I’m a Gezzer. ..Z

  29. How much do you wanna bet they are going to neglect their “core” demographic in this campaign? They’ll weed out the typicals for the choice 0.001% unexpecteds.
    It reminds me of the time I saw the tatoo’ed and pierced, mohawk couple on the PC800..

    -todd

  30. I think that, at least in part, the stereotypical appearances are intentional.

    You have some guy who is an accountant or some other office job that doesn’t seem so exciting, so on weekends he wants to look and feel “dangerous” and dress like a pirate, or a prison inmate, or Marlon Brando.
    Another guy with a similar job might want to be an adrenaline junkie on the weekend to let loose his pent up emotional stresses in a Power Rangers suit at 180mph.
    Another guy on a dirt bike might get all dressed up in a motocross outfit trying to emulate one of his heros.
    Some woman might be wanting to break the female stereotype and get on a Harley and dress like a pirate too.

    I really think that role-playing is a big part of this stuff, as a form of escapism from their otherwise mundane lives during the week.
    They WANT to look like some stereotype other character. That’s part of what it’s all about for them. Become somebody else for the weekend.
    Nothing wrong with that either. A helluva lot of people seem to be doing it. And if they are doing it on motorcycles, it keeps our favorite industry rolling along on 2 wheels.

    • Aye matie, you hit the nail on the head! Can’t say I want stop anyone who wants to be a weekend tough guy but their toughness seems to end at the first corner. The only thing slower than following a schoolbus is getting stuck behind a large group of pirates on a curvy road. Fortunately, in Wisconsin they generally stick to the main highways and leave the nice roads for other riders.

  31. Well, well. Since I am an ol geezer (huh) my pearl of wisdom says everyone is right. BUT I think in all opins the point has been lost in that The Motor Company without any challenge or question is and has been on the cut edge of PhD marketing for the last decade.
    How ever you slice it The Motor Company with malace and loads of forethought have built their product around the Harley theme/genre. The ad with the pretty girl in the mag in the hair stylist shop didn’t need to extole the virtues of the Harley. It got attention as intended. When you buy one they (HD) are not short on what you can add or wear. AND often what you can add must have all sorts of other additives to make the trinkit fit. Trust me they REALLY know what they are doing and stepping back from the trees and looking at the forest, they are really good at it.
    In the end it should be all about the ride and wind in your face, not whether you look like prince charming or the king of scowls. Just ride.

    • Excellent points Jim. I have to say that when it comes to encouraging more women to ride, Harley has a lot of resources. I was really pleasantly surprized when I went on the website, and once your there it has some of the more technical details. They even have a mentoring program for new riders, garage parties, info on how to lift your bike etc. I am would love to read the stats on how that particular campaign works out. Ironically though, I didnt notice the ad, it was my husband that did, and he in turn showed it to me. But I guess the end result is the same, I saw it and then went on the website which is the goal of the marketing department.

  32. Good question. If there’s a stereotype for someone who takes owning and riding a motorcycle seriously then that’s the one for me. My riding gear is appropriate for the riding I do. I don’t want to stand out like I’m wearing a costume. My motorcycle is not flashy, either. That all’s sounds dull but I’ve been riding for years. It’s as natural to me as walking.

    If HD wants to appear more approachable then they have to change the “outlaw” vibe they put out.

  33. Changing the vibe is what this campaign is all about.
    As to outlaw. Those days are drifting to an ancient memory. Well enough too!
    A schoolmate of mine’s father built choppers in his home shop . When his clients came to collect the bikes us youngsters were forbidden from the property. So we would peek out of the woods to see panel vans of Hells Angels arrive and quickly depart. I saw casualties on both sides in my rural community, a gas station operator beaten to death by outlaws and a cyclist shot and left next to the highway by a Highway Patrolman.
    In the first 20 years of my cycling life I avoided Harley so as to distance myself from a culture of violence and death. I still find skull icons to be as illogical for cycling promotion as a biohazard symbol would be for a resturaunt.
    So my first bike was a ’69 Honda 350 because “You meet the nicest people”.

    • HD has to ditch the whole “Easy Rider” mindset. That was 1969. It’s so ingrained to their image that it’s affecting their designs. They need to make a standard, something with normal ergos, with suspension travel and ground clearance. The XR1200 comes close. I still don’t want a HD, though.

      I ride a white Honda Shadow RS. It’s not a cruiser, it’s more flat-track in design. People are surprised it’s not a HD. They’re also surprised that it’s a Honda, and if they know motorcycles, a Shadow. It’s one of Honda’s rare moments of clean, simple, designs lately. (The new plastic-coated stuff looks like guppies on bicycles.) The thing is their attitude changes once they see the Honda badges. There’s a sidewalk cafe by my house and I stop by for lunch on Saturdays. The young guys sneer “HD wannabe” (hell no!), the old guys comment “Honda, nice!” (thank you!).

      The point I wandering towards is that we’re the “ambassadors” for our brands. We set the example and the public perception.

  34. I guess I don’t fit the mold. I ride a cruiser, wear a full Nolan X helmet. As for leather and denim…yup I do that. But I wear textile in the HOT month of July. Harley would hate me because I ride year round. Not any Motor Company guys are to be seen in Minnesota in February. Point is, no rider who really rides is fitting the ‘perception’ of a motorcycle guy or girl. It’s all just for the image brokers. Excuse me now I have to brush the snow off my seat and plug in my vest now 🙂

  35. We see all kinds of people come in our store. We get a few of the “stereo-typical” bikers but most are not. We’ve had hot rod riding grannies to Harley renting business men to retired marines getting back on the road.

  36. Well if one hot blonde was willing to have her picture taken pretending to be a soccer mom/Harley rider I guess we were all wrong about the stereotype. Boy do we look foolish.

    • hey, they gave her cred by parking her in front of a Tatoo parlor. From what I’ve seen, no inked girl on a bike would be caught dead with a long sleeve turtle-neck.

      It’s not a lie; she’s a woman with “natural” blonde hair. They let her ride a Harley after the photo shoot, therefore she’s a rider.

      -todd

  37. Is it just me or are the pictures on the Harley site reversed for the “GREASE MONKEY” and “FINE ARTIST”? Neither looks all that greasy, but why is a grease monkey painting a picture?

    Seems kind of counter to the message of the ad campaign if the company can’t even tell a few of their customers apart.

  38. Nice to see the tolerant among us once again spelling out what exactly you have to do in order to be thought well of.
    Check your prejudices at the garage door and just ride.
    But then you’d have nothing to occupy your mind I suppose…

  39. You can wear a foolface helmet if you want. Kinda reminds me of the story “I am not taking a trip with you if your hair is going to be blowing in my face the whole trip. I am tired of looking at it.” So the guy gets a full face helmet and has his picture airbrushed on the back looking at her with his hair in the breeze. LOL And by the way it’s not just Harley guys. Half the people I ride with ride something other than a Harley but they all wear Harley shirts and jackets wanting people to think they have a Harley. Have you ever wondered why so many of the other V twins don’t even have the brand name on the tank?

  40. The hot chicks and most everyone looks at my red 08 CBR1000RR as I put the kickstand down and dismount in full race leathers, as I remove my gold face shield carbon fiber helmet, it blows them away when they see an old crusty looking bald 71 yr old man riding a crotch rocket appear with a big buck 80 smile, that’s when the 50 yr old pot bellied men walk up and tell me there “I once had a Harley” story and want to start riding again, I also ride and race off road in Hawaii…whodathunkit?
    ~Go faster than the crash~