Motorcycle Challenged - (help please)

[McKenna]

Does anyone out there know anything about motorcycles? Preferably someone with knowledge of Harleys or Indian Motorcycles or something. If you know anything about Sturgis, that'd be helpful too.

I'm wondering what would be considered a "sweet ride". I can describe a motorcycle from a novice point of view, but I'm looking for someone with a little more knowledge and experience than I have.

Anyone?

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Does anyone out there know anything about motorcycles? Preferably someone with knowledge of Harleys or Indian Motorcycles or something. If you know anything about Sturgis, that'd be helpful too.

I'm wondering what would be considered a "sweet ride". I can describe a motorcycle from a novice point of view, but I'm looking for someone with a little more knowledge and experience than I have.

Anyone?

well,

A harley, with a v-twin 1100CC motor, packed pipes and a kick-A paint job is a sweet ride

How detailed do you need?

 

[McKenna]

Hey Colly, that sounded very knowledgeable. Can I have a ride?!

I think I found some help over on the General Board (will wonders never cease?!) but thanks for the reply.

 

[Equinoxe]

Hey Colly, that sounded very knowledgeable. Can I have a ride?!

I think I found some help over on the General Board (will wonders never cease?!) but thanks for the reply.

The General Board is sometimes helpful, just usually not on the topic you ask for help with.

I know nothing about and utterly despise the variety of motorcycles and culture surrounding them that you're looking for, so I'm afraid I can be of no help.

 

[Colleen Thomas]

Hey Colly, that sounded very knowledgeable. Can I have a ride?!

I think I found some help over on the General Board (will wonders never cease?!) but thanks for the reply.

I can't even start one But I dated a girl who rode one, so Iknow a bit about them

 

[McKenna]

The General Board is sometimes helpful, just usually not on the topic you ask for help with.

I know nothing about and utterly despise the variety of motorcycles and culture surrounding them that you're looking for, so I'm afraid I can be of no help.

No problem, Equinoxe.

 

[McKenna]

I can't even start one But I dated a girl who rode one, so Iknow a bit about them

I bet there's a story in there somewhere...

 

[Equinoxe]

No problem, Equinoxe.

You're welcome for my witty banter in the other thread about Zen and the Art of Vehicle in the Thunderbolt Maintenance. *insert emotion here*

 

[McKenna]

You're welcome for my witty banter in the other thread about Zen and the Art of Vehicle in the Thunderbolt Maintenance. *insert emotion here*

Oh come now, you're posting about on the AH. Emoticons are not only allowed, they're favored.

 

[Equinoxe]

Oh come now, you're posting about on the AH. Emoticons are not only allowed, they're favored.

My general disuse of them is more of my own design, but occasionally I enjoy *insert emoticon here*. Someone actually did insert an emoticon once when quoting me, which was nice; I believe it was the the happy cat.

The mood comes and goes though, sometimes.

 

[Belegon]

If you still need it later McK, Lucky and I both have a little knowledge (oh such a dangerous thing) on the crotch-rocket side, although I promised my mother I would stay away from them and have not owned one since...(that was 15 yrs ago and yes, I do keep promises to my mommy, ya trolls )

As far as cruising bikes, I can ask around with friends, but not really my niche...

 

[McKenna]

If you still need it later McK, Lucky and I both have a little knowledge (oh such a dangerous thing) on the crotch-rocket side, although I promised my mother I would stay away from them and have not owned one since...(that was 15 yrs ago and yes, I do keep promises to my mommy, ya trolls )

As far as cruising bikes, I can ask around with friends, but not really my niche...

Thanks Bel, I think I've got it worked out though.

 

[Rhys]

Actually, I need some information about Italian motorcycles...repair, rebuilding etc.

 

[Guest]

At Sturgis just about anything American is considered a sweet ride. Ride in on a fully restored perfectly stock 1938 Indian Cheiftan and you will have a couple thousand new friends. Just the same you could bring your 1950s Harley chopper and get the same treatment. Or bring a like new 70s sportster or full dresser or for that matter a one of the Teutle's latest creations and you'll get cheer from the crowd.

You see, at Sturgis it's not so much about what you ride as it is about the riding itself. You could prob'ly even show up on a Norton Commando or an old Webley-Vickers and be accepted. From what I have heard even the ricers have gained some acceptance lately. So as long as it's not absolute junk you'll likely get compliments.

EDIT: Probably the one bike that will draw the largest crowd and the most admiration this year will be Indian Larry's last creation. Histragic death last year was a huge loss to the motorcycling world and there will no doubt be numerous tributes to him at this years ride in.

This might give you some help: Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Official Website

If you check out the photos pages you will notice a huge diversity of bikes.

 

[gauchecritic]

As far as I'm aware a Honda Goldwing is the sweet ride. Not having ridden one I couldn't possibly comment. Here's the google for it.

 

[Wildcard Ky]

There's three distinct and different mindsets in the motorcycle world:

The Harley crowd

The quiet cruiser crowd

The Sportbike crowd (crotch rockets)


The Harley crowd would include other American bikes such as Indian. They are deeply loyal to their genre. They generally like their bikes to be loud, and have lots of chrome. For the most part they don't wear helmets. They tend to dress the part when riding their bikes. They like to congregate when they ride. Sturgis is all about the Harley crowd. A sweet ride would be a Road King, or a custom Fat Boy.

The quiet cruiser crowd (which I'm included in) just likes to ride. There's none of the congregating, certain attire, or any of that. We don't really like loud bikes. A sweet ride in this crowd is the previously mentioned Goldwing.

The Sport bike crowd gets off on the performance of their bikes. They're fast and agile bikes. They tend to be showoffs and adrenaline junkies. They look for the curviest roads they can find, and take them as fast as they can. The ultimate sweet ride for them is a Suzuki Hayabusa. It's the fastest production bike in the world. The purists of this group can't stand the term "crotch rocket". They always call them sport bikes.


Sturgis is for the Harley crowd, as are several other rallies. There are other rallies that are simply for bikes of all types. Daytona bike week is like that. It's for bikes of all types.

If you want to do some true research for your story, come to Ky. We have a rally coming up in August called "Little Sturgis". It's in a small town called Sturgis, Ky. It's a three day event that's open to all bikes. It generally draws about 10,000 bikes. It's a pretty wild time. I'd be more than happy to take you and show you the ropes.

 

[ElizabethWest]

I'd be more than happy to take you and show you the ropes.

Ahem!

 

[McKenna]

For anyone who wants to see what other bikers had to say on the subject, I posted a twin thread on the General Board: Motorcycle Challenged


Dran- Thanks for the link and the info. I grew up in a tiny Wyoming town not too awful far from Sturgis. From the end of July to about the end of August there are bikes driving through the area in droves. I always thought it was neat to see the vast variety of people making their way to Sturgis.

On a side note, I found this page with statistics about the Sturgis Rally particularly interesting. In the year 2000, law enforcement officers made 56 felony drug related arrests in the one week of the rally. Holy Crap. That same year (within the week of the rally) 197 marriage licenses were issued.


Gauche, thanks for your input. I might save the Goldwings for another story.


Wildcard KY: I'd take you up on the offer, but it looks like E.West beat me to it!

 

[Belegon]

The purists of this group can't stand the term "crotch rocket". They always call them sport bikes.
:

while a lot of the crowd I have talked with in the last few years seems to share this idea of that being a "negative term", I usually thumb my nose at them and tell them I was riding in triple digits when they were riding tricycles. So I'm entitled to use "old-school" terms...

At 40* years old, I usually am by far the oldest person in the discussion...

*ok. 39 1/2. close enough and still usually oldest by 8 or 9 yrs.

 

[R. Richard]

There's three distinct and different mindsets in the motorcycle world:

The Harley crowd

The quiet cruiser crowd

The Sportbike crowd (crotch rockets)

Actually, there are several more mindsets or at least sub-mindsets.

"The Harley crowd" can be broken down into at least 1) the classic Harley crowd, 2) the performance Harley crowd 3) the chopper Harley crowd. Of course, as defined here the "Harley crowd also includes Indian and several other American makes as well as some of the Royal Enfield bikes that are actually Indians manufactured in England. Of course, choppers are American manufactured bikes with mostly Harley engines and gearboxes, although some of the large foreign engines are represented.

The quiet cruiser crowd ride bikes like the Honda Goldwing, Kawasaki Vulcan, Suzuki Intruder, Yamaha Road Star, BMW 1200. The bikes are intended for long distance road cruising.

The sportbike crowd can be subdivided into the cafe racer bunch and the on/off road people.

Then there is the commuter bike crowd.

There are, of course, several more sub-sub-mindsets.

 

[oggbashan]

Actually, I need some information about Italian motorcycles...repair, rebuilding etc.

'Italian motorcycles' covers too many types.

What make of Italian motorcycle? Laverda, Moto-Guzzi?

Og

 

[nushu2]

hardtail: solid, unsprung rear wheel
softail: sprung rear suspension
chopper: modified, usually long front forks and hardtail
An unusual mod would be something like a hand shifter.

Harley engines: panhead, shovelhead, evolution
Harley models: sportster, fat boy, electraglide

 

[Wildcard Ky]

Ahem!

You wanna go to little Sturgis? Fair warning........ You might be asked to do things like show strangers your boobies

 

[Wildcard Ky]

Wildcard KY: I'd take you up on the offer, but it looks like E.West beat me to it!

You can both come. How cool would I look with 2 beautiful women accompanying me?

 

[kendo1]

while a lot of the crowd I have talked with in the last few years seems to share this idea of that being a "negative term", I usually thumb my nose at them and tell them I was riding in triple digits when they were riding tricycles. So I'm entitled to use "old-school" terms...

At 40* years old, I usually am by far the oldest person in the discussion...

*ok. 39 1/2. close enough and still usually oldest by 8 or 9 yrs.

Not as old as some.

I was riding my AJS when you were still in primary school. Then on to a Norton Dominator and a Triumph Thunderbird. Good old British oil-leakers. I wonder why they all folded? (Insert emoticon here)