The wife and I don't get worked over what brand or how many wheels. Idiots ride all makes and models. We often ride our own ride. We have ridden with another local Spyder couple and had a lot of fun with them.
As for the Harleys or Sport Bikes, yes, they often seem to turn up a nose at the Spyder. We attended the local Cycle Gear bike night recently and a guy arrived on a Honda NSR 250 with Rothmans Bodywork. When I first started to talk with him he turned me off. Sadly, later he came around for other reasons. Not on account of the Spyder or that we are all riders, but rather because he learned I am friends with the guy he wants to tune his machine and other moto people I know, and to cap it off, his daughter works with my wife. Ultimately, not a bad person, just difficult.
Our one experience with a larger group ride was a charity ride sponsored by my wifes work. As the ride left the start location, and this was a poker run, we got scooped into a group of Harley riders. We rode as the last machine except for the sweeper. The parading through lights did not bother me or the wife, however their attitude on the road was not cool with us. The lead machines rode like idiots, and in my opinion jeopardized the other riders to the rear. It was as if they expected every other vehicle near them to yield the entire lane or slow to a snail pace to respect the Harleys. The group also had no measurable respect for posted speed limits or speed of the moving traffic.
Being a Poker Run, the first stop was a Tikki Bar, actually, every stop served alcohol. Within a few minutes it was obvious how the day would unfold. The wife and I new the area and the stops, so we did our own ride through quiet horse country and roads less traveled. We had a great time and helped others with our donations. Some attitudes did change, when promoters learned my wife was somewhat involved in the event via her work. The best people we met at the event all were co workers with my wife. They too rode their own groups or as individuals. At the informal banquet / raffle announcements, this moron that was all Harley and into himself started hitting on my wife. Needless to say that did not settle well with me. Before anything happened his wife came to his side, and pretty much told him what an idiot he was. So again, it's people not metal.
As has been mentioned in other posts, is people not a decal that make this sport great.
For us, possibly the most welcoming group has been Goldwing riders. My wife and the wives of the Goldwing owners always enjoy each others company and common sense. They also respect the Spyder and my wifes fear of not being a two wheel girl. Also, many of the Goldwing riders openly admit that they know three wheels is in their future.
When we ride, groups of Harleys seldom wave and most are rude and make a lot of noise. Harleys either one up or two up riding as a bike or two often wave. Sport bikes sometimes do or not. And without doubt, Spyder to Spyder has always gotten the wave.
PK
