Conference csc32::fxrs89::cycles

    
    	Harley is selling more bikes in the US than any other brand. I 
    beleave in the over 750cc class more than all the rest put together.
    
    I don't know what it says for Harley owners if you notice their bikes
    on the back of trucks or on trailers. It does appear that Harley Riders
    do like to attend more big gatherings then other riders.
     
    	Europeen manufatures don't sell enough bikes in US to rattle any
    feathers.
    
    	The impressive thing is not how many Harleys you see but when on 
    the open road, at least 40-50 miles from any major towns how many
    Beemers you see.   
    
    	This conversation ought to stir up a few feathers.
    
    	
    	Tony
    

    Feather-ruffling to order ...
    
    the situation in the bit of the UK I'm in couldn't be more different to
    what you describe,  the majority of bikes are japanese,  a lot of these
    are sports-tourers or sports biased.  Cruisers of any sort are fairly
    rare, and a genuine H-D would rate a serious double-take as so few
    people own them.  One change in the last few years has been the
    increasing popularity of Triumph in particular which is good (saw a
    black T595 last week, wow !).
    
    Euan

    More feather ruffling from a H-D owner...
    
    re -.2  One reason that you see "alot" of beemers 40-50 miles from
    home is that they're probably lost :-)

One thing that struck me last summer as we were touring the southwest was the
number of Harleys out on the road. I would bet that 3/4 of the other bikes out
there were harleys. If it wasn't a Harley, then it was a Goldwing. 

				Brian...

    
    re: .2
    
    Yeah, those T595's are sharp looking!! Just saw a yellow(gold?) one
    the other day in my garage..:)
    
    Sas..
    
    

I'm curious to know why (I know this is a broad statement) Harley riders are
more prone to trailer their bikes to major gatherings, as opposed to riding to
the event.  As a Wing rider, it is very rare to find a Wing rider trailering
their bike anywhere.  It might be that the older Harley's were prone to
breakdowns.  I know the newer ones are very reliable.  Since I've not riden a
Harley for any extended length, I can't speculate as to their high mileage
comfort.  I know that a Wing is designed for high mileage rides.

Just seems a curious observation.

John C.

    
    I don't own a Harley, but I do know a few fellows who trailered it from
    NJ to Daytona this year. Three to be precise. They did it because they
    drove straight down and were able to do it in shifts so they could
    maximize their time at Daytona. While there, they also went down to the
    Keys while I sat here in NE and they rode in the sun. :-)
    
    IMO, I don't think it really makes a hill of beans. If'n ya like to
    trailer, by all means do it. If'n ya want to ride, super. Someday when
    the fad is over, I will be able to pick and chose from some real nice
    low mileage bikes at a very reasonable price.
    
    Alpo  

    
    
    From what I have been able to observe, ( and yes I do ride a Harley)
    there are 2 main groups of people now riding Harleys. One is the
    "older generation", since they are the ones that have the money
    to own one.  They trailer the bikes because, quit frankley they are
    too old to ride for very long distances.  The other group that I see
    trailering are the ones entering shows. And that speaks for itself.
    Although I must admit, it sure does urk my shorts when some chick 
    takes her bike of the trailer and rides it around for 30miles, for
    the "ride in bike show" when the rest of us have put on a few 
    hundered.
    
    I have owned my Harley since 1989, and have only had it in the back
    of a truck one time.  I was the one broke not the bike. The rides
    now-a-days are very reliable. My ole' mans is a 1978 1/2 (yep the
    1/2 makes a difference) any way, his bike is a bit more touchy. We
    only had one major problem, and that was the rectifier regulator kept
    biting the dust, found out that is was a design problem, and we did
    some modifications to it and haven't had a problem since.
    
    Well that's my $.02.
    SIS
    

    When I rode from Boise to Sturgis in '93, I was delayed first by 1/2"
    hailstones (yep, in August), then on 2 other occasions by heavy rain
    and fierce winds. I lost 2 days when I holed up in Buffalo, Wyoming
    (so, okay, there was a trike convention/party there, but just by
    coincidence, and I stayed to play with the nice people). But a
    pickup/trailer sure would have made the hailstorm a lot more fun if I
    didn't have to ride those 15 miles to the next overpass. The old helmet
    really came in handy.
    
    Hey, Sis, cut out that old folks crap! (:^)
    
    dw

    
    
    Why does the "old folks crap" apply???? As she goes laughing into
    the distance.  I went ot a HOG meeting the other day, they said
    "we got new blood" meaning of course a new member, I looked for
    a "younger than dirt guy", I was seriously disappointed when it
    was a 68yr. His blood could not be the "new". 
    
    I too hope to get this old....
    In another 35+yrs
    
    SIS (smile guys)

    33??? Heck, I've got underwear older'n that! While I was at Sturgis, I
    met a 73 year old dude who rode his SPORTY in from southern Florida. I
    noticed that he did stand while eating, tho. 
    	Ah, well, the weather's fine and the shop's almost finished with the
    scoot. Guess I'll hop into the Jeep and take a service call.
    
    dw

    
    
    Well maybe you should change it heheheheh
    
    YeH I know, actually my daddy always told me it's not the years
    but the miles.  I do respect the guys who can still ride, after
    alllllll those years. 
    
    
    I hope to go to Florida, my 1/2 brother lives there now. And my
    nephew and his family.  (he is older than me) Confused. My mamma
    was a granny when she had me.
    
    I don't have the pleasure any more, of shagging calls that is.
    
    SIS

    re - .9
    
    	What's with this old guy stuff and "being too old to ride long
    distances"?  That's as biased a statement as saying women should not
    ride motorcycles 'cause women really belong in the kitchen.  I take
    offense when I hear somebody imply that either statement is true.
     
    	This past summer my wife and I rode our Road King from Boston to 
    Sturgis.  From Sturgis we rode into Wyoming, turned left and rode down the 
    Rockies to Santa Fe, turned right and went to the Grand Canyon.  From 
    there we rode over to Four Corners, then on to Memphis(for the H-D rally 
    on Beale st) then into North Carolina and the Blue Ridge parkway and 
    finally, we rode back up to Boston.  Just a short 7800+mile, 4 week run.  
    We traveled alone with no fixed itinerary and eat all our meals sitting 
    down :-)    We passed alot of "younger" poeple trailering their bikes.  My 
    guess is that they were not as luckly as us and just didn't have the time 
    to ride cross-country like we did.
    
    	Regards 
    	Bob(a 50 yr old H-D and Triumph rider)
    
       
    
    	
    
    

    
    re -1
    
    Hey Bob... no offense intended, by the way 50+ isn't old, at
    least in my book, but then no one really did ask for my opinion
    I guess I am just a giver.
    
    I think it's great that you and your wife went on a long distance
    ride.I wish I could.  We all do our time, working doing the family
    thing ect. Then we finally get the time to really ride. At least
    if we are lucky.
    
    SIS

    SIS....
    
    	I guess I'm just getting sensitive about getting older.  As the
    saying goes, I sure wish I was 30something again knowing what I know
    now.(and having the time to ride).  A friend of mine and his wife both 
    ride HD's.  He says his dad is "old" at 54 and he thinks I'm "young" at 50.
    Maybe it's the fact that Sharon and I REALLY like riding, or perhaps old age
    is just a state of mind. 
    	
    	Regarding an earlier thread about trailering HD's, here's another
    point if view that I never really considered but I'm sure is applicable
    in a lot of situations.  
    	My friend with the "old" dad, has 3 kids, ages 3,4 and 5 yrs old. 
    He also owns his own business.  He'd and his wife would love to go to 
    Sturgis but, he can't leave his business for more that 7-10 days.  He 
    choices for attending Sturgis are:
    
    	1. Ride both ways, 4 days each way from Boston(2050 miles), spend 
    	4 days in Sturgis.  Gone for 12 days.
    
    	2. Ride one way and ship the bikes home.  4 days out, 4 days in
    	Sturgis and 1 day flying home.  Airfare and shipping are $1200 one
    	way for two bikes and two people.   Gone for 9 days.
    
        3. Trailer the bikes to Sturgis, swapping drivers.  2 days out, 4
    	days in Sturgis, 2 days to get home.  Gone for 8 days.
    
    	Option 3 saves a few days of "away" time.  Since baby sitting 3
    	kids is expensive about (125/day) trailering the bikes save a bunch of 
    	bucks and solves the problem or riding in bad weather or having a 
    	breakdown 1000 miles from home.  He bought a trailer this past winter.
    
    	As a side note, my friend expects to use his trailer to bring both
        of thier bikes to dealer for service.  It's much easier than riding
    	one bike at a time and having his wife and 3 kids drive to the dealers 
        to pick him up when leaves a bike and then drive him back to pick
        up a bike. With a trailer, he can deliver and retrieve a bike
    	without having to pack up the family twice per service event.  If 
    	someone didn't know what was going on, it'd look like HD's are being 
    	tralier all over the place when in reality he's making life a lot
    	easier of himself and his family.