Respect Harley... NEVER!!!

[805triple]

This was posted on the TriumphRat site and generated quite a stir...

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Personaly, I think the only thing Harley is doing right is letting their marketing staff come up with this stuff. What better way to still automotive technology as old as the Colt 1911 (which is infinatly more reliable by the way). Yeah... I know they have recently added such state of the art improvements as "fuel injection", "overhead cams" and "water cooled" engines... wait a minute... those have been around for decades... oh well... I still find it hilarious that their most reliable engine was designed by Porsche. So much for American engineering... :D (yeah, i know it's a fucked up thing to say, especially coming from an american going to school for engineering...)
No offense to you Buellba fett.. I don't really consider Buells to be related to Harley anymore. Thanks to your bike I have respect for Buells, not that I would ever trade my Speedy in for one though... ;)

[Tillers_Rule]

Geez, what a poor commercial.

[Kyoseki]

Hey, Harley is THE model for marketing, name one other manufacturer that has you pay a premium for an inferior product based on mystique, heritage or other similarly unquantifiable ideas.

[dalsmthme]

As a recent engineering school graduate (2004) I can certainly say that the American automotive enviroment (cars and bikes) is not a good example of American engineering and innovation. I work in the auto industry for BorgWarner and I can honestly say that the accountants run the industry. American automotive companies are more worried about profit margin and cost reduction than quality and inginuity. It is not that American engineers (automotive engineers) are stupid, but we have to do what we are told. It is really sad. Now I hate my job.......doh!

[Punkbrad]

so if i buy a harley - i can bone other dudes ladies?

thats weak.

harley perpetuates its own self-indulgent bad-boy image like no other -

honda on the other hand - set them selves apart when they first started US marketing -

with marketing a slogan "You meet the nicest people on a Honda" that- is good marketing!

[agirls]

That was a lame commercial !

[SVNerd]

Yeah, pretty lame (and saw the "noise" on the RAT forum). What I doubt is that this is a legit H-D ad.

Speaking of a 1911, that dude would be facing the wrong end of one just for parking that leaky POS on my lawn.

[RoninApache]

I can't say much for this kind of image, and I'm not interested in Harley bikes for myself. However, I will say that I do respect a lot of things about Harley Davidson as a company. They started out as a family company that has treated its employees well, for the most part (currently, there is a strike underway, but that's another story). Second, they have a policy for vets that allows you to postpone payments on your bike if you get deployed and are suffering financial hardship due to said deployment. No other company in the US does anything like that.
True, most Harley riders are wannabe bad boys and very few are actual riders. But a lot of Harley riders are older guys who just want to cruise, and are a lot more active in charity rides than the general sportbike population.
Again, I'm not siding with the cruiser set. I ride an SV, and the only reason I would ever get a Harley is the onset of age and to upgrade the comfort level for my wife, should we decide to go two up. All I'm saying here is don't be afraid to look outside your own borders and look for the positive. Also, we have a squid thread, so think about the people who might see you as one of those jackass sportbike riders. It floats both ways.
We're all on two wheels out there. Rodney King wants to know; "can't we all just get along?"

[Setter32]

Originally posted by roninapache

We're all on two wheels out there. Rodney King wants to know; "can't we all just get along?"

...because........the majority of them look down their noses.....at anything that doesn't have a "harley" tag on it?.......:confused: .....

....which is the essence of irony.....






:D

[apropos]

Why does going cruiser style automatically means you're looking for a Harley? What about Japanese cruisers? I rarely see people talk about cruisers that are not Harley, but it seems most people here don't like Harley engineering. Do the Japanese cruisers suck even more?

[jayson9253]

Riding sport bikes since i was legal to, i've never had respect for hd. i rode a buell blast for about seven thousand miles. great first bike since it had absolutely no power therefore i couldn't really get into trouble. after said seven thousand miles lost the trans. after the rebuild which cost more than the value of the bike lost the head. sold it for scrap. Metric cruisers i can hang with. often if you get the nod from a cruiser i'd bet money it was a metric. that's my experience anyway.

[Kyoseki]

Originally posted by apropos
Why does going cruiser style automatically means you're looking for a Harley? What about Japanese cruisers? I rarely see people talk about cruisers that are not Harley, but it seems most people here don't like Harley engineering. Do the Japanese cruisers suck even more?
I'm not sure the Japanese cruisers have quite got the styling right (but I do quite like the M109R), but the engineering is just as good as the sportbikes.

I don't hate Harleys, I just hate the people who buy into the marketing bullshit and think that riding a Harley makes them automatically better than those who don't.

They're like Mac users ;)

[agirls]

I am certainly no harley basher, but that commercial is lame regardless what brand it was trying to promote.

Originally posted by Kyoseki
They're like Mac users ;)

:lol:

[jayson9253]

can I just say now having watched the commercial (My first post was from my phone so I couldn't see it) I Hate Harleys even more? I keep my K-bar on my bed post. I'd have cut the idiots balls off and shoved them down his throat!



Sigh....



Ok I feel better now. Sorry bout that...

[ronin]

Some of the older HD guys can be cool. I've had them come up to me and actually want to discuss the SV, and bring up their good memories of their old Honda's, etc.
A few newer HD riders in my neighborhood are total douche bags though. The sort that only bought them because of the new ad campeigns convincing them that if they buy one they'll be bad asses. You know, the ones that dress like cheap halloween pirates.

[ADRATH]

Originally posted by ronin
Some of the older HD guys can be cool. I've had them come up to me and actually want to discuss the SV, and bring up their good memories of their old Honda's, etc.
A few newer HD riders in my neighborhood are total douche bags though. The sort that only bought them because of the new ad campeigns convincing them that if they buy one they'll be bad asses. You know, the ones that dress like cheap halloween pirates.

I have had the same experience with the old Harley guys. They love bikes and love riding. The only reason they aren't the biggest fan of sports riders is the attitude that they give off and that most are squids which isn't too far off (funny from the other side eh). The new Harley guys the R.U.B's (Rich Urban Biker) are all assholes and are the ones that buy into the myth of Harley Davidson to appease their midlife crisis.

[RATT!]

I met an old Harley guy bringing my dog out to the park every morning and his and my dog would play. Never knew he road until I told him I got a bike... and since then he's had me over multiple times to help me with odds and ends on the bike, even though I ride a sportbike.

We were working around in his garage and I was carrying something and squeezing around his Road King and he said "be careful... if you hit my bike you'll get to see an old man cry". I thought that was kind of funny.

Plus he invites me out on rides all the time, so yeah the old Harley guys are ok in my book!

[SV650R]

If I had no other choise and had to buy a cruiser I may opt for the Yamaha Warrior... :grin:

Harley Davidsons are way over rated... They are expensive because they are all chrome... :confused: Right?

But, all that fancy Chrome does not help much you when the motorcycle is broken on the side of the road every other time you use it. :mad:

I feel more American riding the SV anyway... :p Luis

[Darth Lefty]

Originally posted by Kyoseki
Hey, Harley is THE model for marketing, name one other manufacturer that has you pay a premium for an inferior product based on mystique, heritage or other similarly unquantifiable ideas.
Coca Cola.

[Kyoseki]

Originally posted by Darth Lefty
Coca Cola.
I didn't realise it was trendy to drink Coke over Pepsi, nor did I think Coke was more expensive than Pepsi.

They both have huge marketing campaigns to encourage you to drink their product, but it'll still come down to whichever you prefer since price isn't an issue (although availability is).

[sugart!ts]

my ex wanted a harley....
i should of ran the opposite direction when he said that

[805triple]

If I had to get a cruiser, it' be the Rocket III. Nothing like having more displacement than most import car motors!!
My brother calls these "new breed" harley riders "WABBA's" WannA Be Bad Asses. Couldnt' be closer to the truth if you ask me.

[gitarjunky]

I don't hate Harleys. Yeah, there are a lot of douche bag Harley riders. But there are a lot of douche bag GSXR riders and R1 riders and BMW riders and "fill in the blank here" riders.....

I don't hate Harleys because they are still bikes, and I'm pretty sure I love all bikes. Do I wanna own one right now? Nope. Would I rather have a Duc? Yep. I need a garage before I get either of those...anyway, beside the point...

My point is, saying 'most/all Harley riders are rich assholes who just like to look at their bikes on Sundays' is ridiculous. There people that ride because they love it and there are probably people who ride because they think it makes them look cool. Find the people who ride because they love every minute of it, regardless of what they're piloting, fuck everybody else, and it all suddenly gets a lot easier.....

[Kyoseki]

Originally posted by gitarjunky
My point is, saying 'most/all Harley riders are rich assholes who just like to look at their bikes on Sundays' is ridiculous. There people that ride because they love it and there are probably people who ride because they think it makes them look cool. Find the people who ride because they love every minute of it, regardless of what they're piloting, fuck everybody else, and it all suddenly gets a lot easier.....
How about we all just agree to hate the muppets parked outside their local Harley dealers all day sunday comparing the amount of chrome on their bikes?

Come on, we can all agree to hate those guys right?

Oh, and anyone with apehangers or fishtail exhausts!

.. oh, and tassles! :D

[agirls]

Originally posted by Kyoseki
How about we all just agree to hate the muppets parked outside their local Harley dealers all day sunday comparing the amount of chrome on their bikes?

Come on, we can all agree to hate those guys right?

Oh, and anyone with apehangers or fishtail exhausts!

.. oh, and tassles! :D

+1

I could not have said it better!

[acer66]

Originally posted by Kyoseki
How about we all just agree to hate the muppets parked outside their local Harley dealers all day sunday comparing the amount of chrome on their bikes?

Come on, we can all agree to hate those guys right?

Oh, and anyone with apehangers or fishtail exhausts!

.. oh, and tassles! :D

no need for hate here, hating someone or something just takes energy away from you we need more :love: :hug:;)

[Darth Lefty]

Originally posted by Kyoseki
How about we all just agree to hate the muppets parked outside their local Harley dealers all day sunday comparing the amount of chrome on their bikes?
As a Muppet, I deeply resent this remark.

[J.Moto]

Originally posted by Darth Lefty
As a Muppet, I deeply represent this remark.

[Darth Lefty]

Hey!

[NukleoN]

That commercial was utterly retarded....those guys (if they were supposed to be different) looked nearly identical....so I didn't know if the chick was cheating on her dude for the Hardley guy or if the Hardley guy was giving the dude lots of time with his woman because his bike was too slow to get back with any urgency. :D

Either way, I'll respect Harleys when they focus less on hype and more on performance.....AND when they start racing again (and winning).

Howzabout Harley enter MotoGP? Now that'd be something to write home about.

[dalsmthme]

My father has tassles and lots of crome on his VStar 1100, do I have to hate him now? What about nipples with tassles. I never met a nipple with a tassle that I didn't like.....

Don't hate the rider hate the ride. A couple of you hit it right on the head. There are alot of asshole sport bike riders and there are alot of asshole harley riders. We all just have a scewed sense because we don't understand why our culture has such a fascination with spending huge bank on a poorly engineered piece of garbage. I would love to have a cruiser to compliment my collection, but I sure as shit wouldn't buy a Harley. I would buy a Honda VTX or a Yamaha VStar. I am sure the VTX and VStar forums don't have threads about wrist and back pain or what to do about my uncomfortable seat. Somedays it is just nice to go cruise on something comfortable and slow. Bottom line is it is all about being out and enjoying the road.

[torreyh]

I wave to every biker I see, it just dont matter!!! If its on two wheels; I got love.
I guess for the sake of knowing they are at the same risk level as myself, or for the sake that I just love ALL BIKES. Yeah sometimes cruisers dont wave back, at the same time there are a few sport bikers out there that wont wave back; I wont hold it against anyone.
I dig my psuedo-sport bike but Im quite sure that at some point in the near future Ill be purchasing a chopper.

[NukleoN]

Yeah it's not the rider...tho you gotta wonder why people go for the Harley 'mystique'...or get pressured into a ridiculous lack of gear so they 'fit in'.

Harleys represent more a lifestyle...the bike is just a prop....a heavy, slow prop.

[dalsmthme]

It is a status symbol for some. For others it is the lifestyle. I don't think we will ever understand as sport riders. Hell I get flack from the guy that wears assless chaps and a leather vest about wearing full leathers, gloves, boots and a fullface helmet. I have been told I look funny. I personally think wearing skin grafts would look worse..... We are a breed apart......

[agirls]

Originally posted by NukleoN
Yeah it's not the rider...tho you gotta wonder why people go for the Harley 'mystique'...or get pressured into a ridiculous lack of gear so they 'fit in'.

Harleys represent more a lifestyle...the bike is just a prop....a heavy, slow prop.

I don't understand. You say it is not the rider, then in the next sentence you say the bike is just a prop.

Anyways, I think it is the rider myself. It is the rider that buys them, then it is the rider that puts on those ridiculously loud mother fucking pipes (I couldn't help it, sorry, I find them just as annoying as any of you), put on all of that lame bling chrome shit, lower them, and then put on those stupid ass ape hangers. Then they think they are bad mother Fkers. And we all know they are not! They are just lame.

I can't speak for the lame ass wanna be hard asses mentioned above, but my boyfriend rides a Harley because he says he'd get in trouble on a sportbike. So he sticks to his antique bikes and his newer Harley. He does not have all of that lame shit mentioned above as he does not have it for the image. And I believe him. He can still ride faster than me in the canyons. And yes, I know, that's because I am slow. :p But, on one of our last rides riding 2 up, he broke off my passenger peg with me on the back taking a curve. Now when he talks about that, he says he should never have been riding that fast or hard with me on the back (No shit, I was pissed when he took that curve!). And that is on a bike not designed to be a canyon carver. I can only imagine what he would be like on a sportbike and quite frankly, I am glad that he does not ride one. He has no self restraint. And he waves to all bikes and will talk to anyone.

So if you see a dude on an all black harley wearing camo pants, wave to his ass 'cause he's one of the nice harley riders!

And quite being so damn prejudice. You all are just a bunch of squids! :D

[Kyoseki]

Originally posted by dalsmthme
My father has tassles and lots of crome on his VStar 1100, do I have to hate him now?
Yep, sorry.

Hey, I don't make the rules :)

[dalsmthme]

Sweet, hating my dad will get me out of buying Fathers Day and B-day presents. More money for the SV!

What about nipple tassles, do we have to hate those too?

[Kyoseki]

Originally posted by dalsmthme
Sweet, hating my dad will get me out of buying Fathers Day and B-day presents. More money for the SV!
Or you could just sneak out in the middle of the night and cut them off :)
Originally posted by dalsmthme
What about nipple tassles, do we have to hate those too?
I believe those would fall under the category "the exception that proves the rule" :)

[RoninApache]

My dad has been riding forever. When he was younger, he was into the "jap bikes" (as he calls them) because they were the fastest bikes on the road, and he wanted to go fast. Now he has a Heritage Springer Soft tail, a rare bike that only a real rider (not a mid life crisis hack) would buy. Now he just likes to enjoy the wide open roads that the Temecula area has to offer. As far as the tassles go, he told me that inside the grips is a pipe or bar of some kind. If some jackass in a cage cuts you off, the tassles add to the weapon's range, a subtle reminder to pay attention to the road :)

[codzilla70]

That’s an awesome commercial! It really shows you who the real bad ass bikers are. You Jap bike lovin fools better recognize and make way! Now where is my leather vest?




















J/K:D

[jeffmiho]

I wasn't going to comment about this commercial at all, but the more I thought about it, the more I felt compelled to.

I'm really tired of spots that are thought through only halfway. There are many problems with this one in particular. As mentioned before, it's hard to tell which guy is which. Is the husband coming home? That's what I originally thought. Which to me implied that the Mrs. needed to get some loving from somebody else besides the Harley rider. Not the image you'd exactly want to portray.

When I watched it again, I think it's the other way around. The brilliant ad wizards, oh they're so creative, thought they'd give this cliche scenario a clever twist. It's actually the husband that runs out of the room to make way for this Harley rider. Problems again though. Harley half endorses/glorifies behavior that's a bit sick and twisted.

I was also really interested by dalsmthme's reply because I think commercial production exemplifies his point: profit margins and the accountants trump all. Sort of a problem with American capitalism in a way because the focus is solely profit from a corporation standpoint. If the product, motorcycles in this case, sell more because of design ingenuity, great, but whatever moves money is what gets made. I know our American engineers are just as brilliant as anyone else, they just need a better system to work in. Now back to the rant in progress:

Furthermore, if I were making this piece of crap, I'd give the bike enough credit to announce the arrival with the sound of the engine, rather than keys falling onto the table. On top of that, if you really wanted to play the tough guy Harley rider image, why would this guy want somebody else's woman? If I'm him, I'm not sharing. Keeping with the ultra masculine mindset here, she should be waiting for him to show up, and nobody else should even be able to get the job done like him.

Sorry for the rant, but I was pretty upset by the commercials from the Superbowl as well. Although I did like the "Promotion pit" one although I can't remember who's commercial it was, so how effective was it really?

Chapter 2

I do think there's something classic and nostalgic about the Harley brand which is why I believe so many people own them, brand loyalty, etc. I think you'd be stupid not to acknowledge some of the price and performance issues with the Harley, but still can't entirely fault those who chose to buy and ride them.

As far as the riders and stereotypes go, I prefer to judge on an individual basis. I also like to keep in mind that large masses of people usually behave like morons together. Young and old, there are plenty of supercool riders out there, and plenty of squids, geezers, and wannabes.

I personally like to wave at most every rider I see.

[copperdopper]

I wonder if the husband has to give the bad-boy a ride home when his stinking hog wont fire lololol

I wouldn't say I am an extreme HD hater but that commercial just screams for a come back. Maybe Suzuki should put out a commercial of someone riding a cruiser (camera from far up, slowly zooming in) looks like a graveyard at first.... closer...closer.... oh those are tumes of dead harleys... and look some of them were only a year or two old..... "what a shame"

[Kyoseki]

I'm seriously doubting it's a legit harley ad, the bike doesn't look like a stock model which it would be and it seems to be on dubious ground as to whether it would actually hurt Harley's image.

My guess is it's either a pitch or a viral video (like the VW Polo suicide bomber one) that got released "unofficially".

.. unless anyone's actually seen it on tv :D

[ADRATH]

To me trashing Harley because they are unreliable is like saying "Why would anyone buy a muscle car instead of the latest ricer" Well because people who love to wrench want a simple engine to work with and love the msytique and memories of an era gone by. My dad love his '84 FLH shovelhead even though he works on it constantly (time away from my mom lol) Its a specific model he loves and is simple to work on with lots of option parts for him to toy with. Its a love of a classic engine. People buy early model hondas for those same reasons. I would never fault somone for buying a product if they had reasons for doing it. Sure many new harley owners buy the new models for the attitude and appearances but you can say the same about many people who buy sportbikes. How many Hayden wanna bees buy a honda because they want to be cool like him. To me anyone that loves engines is cool in my book whatever they are. Hgihtech or lowtech torque. It is all about passion (or should be) no matter what you buy.

[Slaughter]

I've found that among bike riders (as among other groups), highly opinionated assholes are still assholes.

Doesn't matter what you ride, what beer you drink, whether you smoke, what neighborhood you live in or whether or not your last name ends in a vowel.

You're welcome to your opinions.

Besides, that was not a Harley commercial. Get real. If you believe that, I've got some Nigerian bank drafts that I'll sell you for half their face value for a 10% deposit.

[summitsix]

Lame commercial. Fortunately, there are enough stupid people that will now go out and buy a hardley based on image more than the quality of the bike itself. Good for hardley, they know their audience, and know how to get them to open up their checkbooks.

[NukleoN]

Nevermind, it IS the rider. :D

[Darth Lefty]

"There it is!"

"What, behind the rabbit?"

Originally posted by NukleoN
No, it IS the rabbit! :D