Do you ride a motorcycle?

[Buick]

I tend to give a nod to people out on two wheels if I‘m riding regardless of what they are on, and a lot of the time I’m on a Harley from the previous millenium. I have heard other Harley riders saying they don't acknowledge non-Harley bikers but I’m not big on looking down on other people. i Like to think that a youngster on a learner bike would get a kick out of being acknowledged by someone roaring past on a big v-twin - I sure would have done. If anything I’ve found it’s the race bike and matching leathers guys that sometimes act like they don’t see you? I also used to drive a ‘71 Beetle and old air-cooled VW owners tend to give a wave or a big smile.

Quick riding question;

One of the lovely things about riding here in the UK is the immediate camaraderie with other riders. Everyone gives you a nod or a wave - big GS riders, 125 learners, old Triumphs, big cc supersports. Everyone.

Likewise I always acknowledge another rider and feel a twinge of embarrassment if I miss giving someone a nod for whatever reason.

The one exception to this friendly "rule" seems to be Harley riders, and I've no idea why. I'll give my usual nod or wave and every single time the Harley rider rumbles on past stony faced. And I know that they're stony faced because they'll be wearing an open faced helmet so I can see.

This happens here in the UK, and I'm sure it doesn't mean that HD riders are grumpy or aloof or unfriendly - but I can't figure out why it is.

UK riders, is this just me? UK Harley riders, do you think this is true? If so, why does it happen?

I'm not trying to start anything btw, I love Harleys the same as all sorts of other bikes. And apologies if I shouldn't be asking this sort of thing here, but I'm not on any other forums so have no one else to ask.

 

[barnabus]

I had a two hour ride back from visiting a friend this afternoon, through three counties. I passed all kinds of other friendly riders, and yet again nobody on a Harley acknowledged me at all.

Oh well!

 

[Yango]

New hack: Aprilia SR GT 400 scooter

View attachment 798751

That's a nice looking scooter.

 

[Mark]

My '24 Triumph Bonneville T100. Usually wear my black Simmonds Bilt biker jacket or my old Cirrus A2 (converted to a cafe racer style jacket). Used to ride Harleys but the Bonnie is much better suited to uk roads.

 

[Bawheid]

Fine winter's day run.
Cool all day tho'.

 

[GuyWithAGut]

Heeyyy! New here and snoopin’ around the forum and find a place to show off our rides!! Here’s My 2021 Road King Special!

 

[Bawheid]

Early morning (9am) meeting spot.
10C at this point
Cappucino intake

Our motley crew at the Riverside pub.
Lunch 'n beers spot.
Reached 20C for the home run.

 

[Buick]

Taken a while to get this imported ‘99 evo road legal but all done now. Loving the face of excitement on my wife, after more than a decade and a half of taking her out on various bikes, she still gets just as excited when there‘s a ‘new’ one.

 

[Bawheid]

"Imported" to where may one ask ?
Your Heritage looks like maybe 1994 ?
By the colour scheme.
I had 2 Evo Harleys new

A 1995 FXD Dyna Superglide
A 1997 FXSTS Softail Custom
Then
A 2000 Deuce
A 2006 35th anniversary Superglide
2007 FXSTC Softail Custom
2008 FXSTC Softail Custom
2008 FXSTSSE2 CVO Springer
(That is now my only ride since 2011)
Fairly often I would have 2 at the same time, splitting the covered K's.
That's here in Perth WA.
They (Harleys) were my daily transport for over 20 years.

Now it's "fun miles only"
Truth be told they all were, even 2/3C morning starts. It was always 15-18 on the home run.

 

[Buick]

"Imported" to where may one ask ?
Your Heritage looks like maybe 1994 ?
By the colour scheme.
I had 2 Evo Harleys new

A 1995 FXD Dyna
A 1997 FXSTS Softail Custom

This one’s a final year evo softail, from 1999, imported from Pennsylvania to the North Island of New Zealand. I’d bought bikes from the same seller before but when I was living in the U.K, and it was a much more straightforward process there. Here, you have to apply for an ABS exemption, which is a tricky affair, to even try registering it (all bikes in NZ made after ‘92 have to have ABS, by law) and I didn’t know that before bringing the bike in.

Have had a few evos in my time (10 or so) but none of them were new. A 1995 FXSTC was my favourite, and giving that up is my biggest bike regret.

 

[Bawheid]

My own CVO Springer is an "import".
Bought in Texas in 2011 while at Daytona Bikeweek in Florida.
110 twincam
6,300 miles (10,000 K's)
Before the ABS standard fitment of 2013.
I had to "make it right hand drive" haha.
Fit Km/H speedo (only K's in Australia)
RHD dipping headlight.
Negate the front indicator running lights. And other sundry govmnt ****e.
Now (right away actually) front running lights put back on.
Not visible in daylight anyway.
The bike is a RARE beast here, only 2 were sold new in WA.
It's a keeper for me , until it gets too heavy. I am currently 67.....

 

[Buick]

Sounds like you’ve made all the right moves and it‘s a worthy keeper. Seems like Australia has similarly ‘enthusiastic’ policies when it comes to bikes! If I was not able to prove that this was a ‘special interest’ bike, worthy of exemption from the ABS laws, it would have been a paperweight. Luckily it was a special limited edition (as far as I know there was only one sold in Australia and none in NZ before this one) due to the paintwork and badging on an otherwise standard softail.

Strangely, even though they were very pedantic about some things with my bike, they were not bothered by the mph speedo. I’ve picked up a sticker for it made in Europe that adheres on top of the standard HD unit but shows the kph values in the right place, for my own peace of mind.

It’s a joy seeing your regular riding posts.

 

[Bawheid]

I am a bit of a self taught Harley mechanic.
Working from my home garage for 31 years, and now that I am retired at 67 it's my "hobby-job".
My mainstay is twincam EFI bikes 2001 to 2017.
I don't do it for the money (but I do get paid), it's more about the interest and personal satisfaction.
Now I have typed that it does maybe sound a bit wierd ?
I do all the maintenance and EFI tuning on all my riding crew's bikes.
To my knowledge, Harley had no ABS bikes until 2008 models, the touring bikes first model platform to be ABS equipped as stock OEM.
That's in Australia at least.
Any USA used bikes brought to Western Australia seemed similar.
I am wondering if your bike being imported used to NZ got caught up in Car import regulations ?
The "rules" on used imports can be bizarre. Here in Australia the Harleys must have brand new tyres fitted here AND new OEM brake pads fitted.
Some asbestos avoidance palaver.
Sorry folks perhaps this thread is the wrong place for this diatribe.
My apologies