AARP-HARLEY-WHY I RIDE A SPYDER!

[XLT]

Today instead of having one to four people stare approvingly, or at least quizzically at my :ani29: I had eight that I could clearly see. Today instead of having one or two people change their trajectory and walk right up and start asking a bunch of questions (some of which I can't answer) about my :ani29: I had four! When I (years ago) took my motorcycle safety class I remember waiting in the parking lot for the rest of the class and instructors to arrive when from around the corner came three guys two wearing jean jackets with leather sleeves and Germanic style helmets riding black Harleys, and another wearing a white helmet and jacket with modern looking graphics on them riding a flashy crotch rocket. I thought good the instructors are here and this young flashy show off who just whizzed in behind them would - I had no doubt step on his :cus: at some point during the instruction and would to my great enjoyment be put in check by the mature, vastly more experienced jean jacketed Harley Davidson - riding instructors. I walked over to this group of three and as I got closer I was a dumb struck! The kid as I have referred to him pulled off his helmet only to revealed the face of a 55 year old man! He walked over to the Harley riders and said, " You two here for the course?" "Yes", they replied. He said- "How old are UZZZ ? One said "23" the other said "27"- Now in a more authoritative/challenging voice he questions and points "SOOOO your telling me your 23 and your telling me your 27?" To this they each replied "Yes, that's right" To which he responds smiling with laughter in his voice "SO,WHY ARE YOU RIDING OLD MAN BIKES ?... Class is gonna starts in 10 min and you can't wear those helmets their not DOT approved you will have to come over to the shed and I give uzzz two that are.

The poll taken here shows we are ( at least for now) mostly an older group but, I think I see small signs of change in my urban/suburban area. All the looks an interest I get with this :ani29: -much is from young people. With it's modern design and 3 wheeled uniqueness I believe it's more than possible to capture the young tuner culture. They for the most part see Harley Davidsons as wheelchairs or rockers (rockers not in good way). They just don't view them in the same way as their parents and grandparents do...times change. It's gonna be a bit of a struggle in the near future for Harley Davidson that's why they are looking to cut jobs here:gaah: and open an assembly plant in India (it's cheaper):gaah:...India is a big market, they love western goods and designer stuff and they got the money to pay.

As motorcycle rider, I ride a Can Am :ani29: today for perhaps the same reason that the instructor road a nontraditional bike for it's time back then . He liked to be different , he liked modern style and design (I have to be honest I wish it was built here in the US), he liked the speed, he liked the wind in his face, he liked to be a bit flashy, he liked all the attention! The non conformity of his choice reaffirmed what he already felt..... ARP was inevitable, but Harley Davidson for him, was not! RIDE ON HOG AND (GROWING) SPYDER NATION !:2thumbs:

 

[Sarge707]

1- The younger kids are the future and they ALL Love the :spyder2:.
They have NO pre conceived thoughts -:dontknow:

 

[lamarguy]

It really depends on who you ask. Everyone has an opinion.

Most of the people my age (25 - 35) like the look and sound of the spyder (with TwoBros exhaust). A few have referred to it as "gay looking" and comment on the number of "old" folks riding them. Doesn't bother me.

Case in point - my good friend's "Match.com" date (32yr old female teacher) made a comment when I first met her - "Wow, that looks like something my mom would ride." To which I replied, "Sounds like your mom likes to enjoy herself. Tell ya what, invite her over and I'll be sure to give her the 'special' ride.". :2thumbs:

 

[boborgera]

Just wondering, if some guys on the Harley Forums are as preoccupied with what Spyders owens think of them,
as some Spyders owners are preoccupied thinking about what Harley owners think of them ?
If ''Freud'' was alive he might have an answer.

 

[wyliec]

Just wondering, if some guys on the Harley Forums are as preoccupied with what Spyders owens think of them,
as some Spyders owners are preoccupied thinking about what Harley owners think of them ?
If ''Freud'' was alive he might have an answer.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, can't answer that; have better things to think about.

 

[XLT]

I agree with you guys - thanks!

1) Kids..the youth, are the future! It's as simple as that, and as I said I definitely get a lot of questions and interest from them about the :ani29:.

2) Mom sounds like fun ,the daughter however ,.:dontknow:.. well she sounds not very open minded... kind of closed off. Perhaps if you could reach out to her again and try...very hard you just might be able to convince her that not only are three wheels more fun on the road, but this fun advanced forward thinking that Can Am has so wonderfully brought to us all, should be embraced and should and can be applied in many diverse ways...... tell her to come over..so you can show her...tell her to bring mom.

 

[XLT]

Sigmund Freud would have said we are all nuts and charged us the equivalent of 39 cents a 1/2 hour... American, he of course was also nuts.

 

[Raptor]

Personally I don't care what people think of my Spyder. And I don't occupy my thoughts with why people ride what they do. But I have to say that I have not received a single negative comment about it. They are mostly intrigued if nothing else. But if they don't like it, that's cool. It's not for everyone. There are so many bikes to choose from, there is something for everybody!

All I know is that I sure like my Spyder a heck of a lot! Is it my first choice? No. But I'm disabled and the doctors don't want me on a 2-wheeler. I'll probably say the heck with it and get one eventually now that I'm back in the wind, but the Spyder made that happen and I am eternally grateful that it went down like that and that fate led me to our Spyders.

 

[retread]

After my last Harley, I haven't paid much attention to them, too many problems. That said, if I was in better shape, the new Road Glide Ultra would definitely be on my short list. Don't much care what other folks ride, if you ride, you ride, and you know why you ride.

john

 

[taggtr]

A few months ago I had Harley riders waving at me with the birdie. Lately I've been getting the wave, probably because they've seen me riding more often and use to seeing me now. Had a Harley rider pull up next to me at a stop light one day asking how I liked my Spyder and he was even thinking of getting one. Very cool! The crotch rocket riders have been cool with the wave or the nod, had a few who just didn't care.
NOW there's the little scooter riders!!!! Can't even get a smile from those guys!!!! It's like they're in their own little world, probably overly focused on not getting run over and blown over by vehicles passing them! :joke:

 

[WaltH]

I belong to the Harley tribe and the Spyder tribe. I don't see any significant difference between them other than the name on the motorcycle. It is only important that you ride. It is not important what you ride. Don't waste your time worrying about what the other guy is riding. Enjoy life while you can.

 

[JohnE]

Never had any problems with Harley riders. My wife owns a Harley so we do a lot of rides from Harley dealership (nice place to hang out) most of the Harley people like my RT. This morning saw guy that lives down the road riding his Harley Trike to work and wished I had my RT to ride. 2 1/2 weeks in shop this time and still no fix. Has been in shop most of the time I have owned it. I like my RT but sometimes I think I should have bought a Harley trike maybe I would be riding in this nice 80 degree weather we are having today.

 

[Bob Denman]

Brand loyalty is cool... but brand fanaticism... I wave to anybody on 3 wheels or less and more often than not they acknowledge it. As long as we're all riding... :thumbup:

 

[Pincushion]

Just wondering, if some guys on the Harley Forums are as preoccupied with what Spyders owens think of them,
as some Spyders owners are preoccupied thinking about what Harley owners think of them ?
If ''Freud'' was alive he might have an answer.

Third Wheel envy?

 

[sinkhole]

Brand loyalty is cool... but brand fanaticism... I wave to anybody on 3 wheels or less and more often than not they acknowledge it. As long as we're all riding... :thumbup:

:agree:

 

[BajaRon]

I wave at anyone wearing a helmet.... The short bus people appreciate it more than anyone else! And they seem to be happier than most of the Harley riders I meet.

 

[Firefly]

I don't think that it's that any of us sit around and concern ourselves with what HD people think (those that can-- lol)---- but they make up one of the largest demographics of riders out there--- so out of every 10 bikes on the road --- 7 will be HD or HD-compatible it seems.

Most are nice and wave, some don't look over because they think their :cus: doesn't stink... and a very few will make fun or flip you off, etc. Those ones are easily shut down with a twist of the throttle and then watching them quickly become smaller in your rearview mirror.....

Really though-- that is pretty rare. Out at Sturgis people were great no matter what you rode --- UNLESS it's obvious you brought your bike on a TRAILER!

 

[NancysToy]

To me, a wave is a sign of respect. Something I learned some 50 years ago, when the motorcycle fraternity was smaller. It is not important for other riders to respect me, but it is very important to me to respect the other riders...and the roots from which I grew. For that reason I wave, nod, or lift a finger to every rider, if I can do so safely. If I get the same in return, it is a bonus. If not, it is no sweat. I have done my duty and shown my manners.

 

[XLT]

My thing with starting this thread was to get on the board here and tell a somewhat humorous story about myself and the preconceptions I had as a younger person about whose :cus:'s are perched atop a given style of bike. So, I agree completely with what has been said. WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU RIDE SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE -2,3 or even 4 wheels, although I think it's still more than fair to say that unicycles and those who ride them should as a matter of practice be ridiculed. The point is to respect all (except 1 wheelers) and share/enjoy the road. Can Am Spyder - I just thought 3 wheels (2 being in front) was very new and cool! Hey! forget the Harley guys giving the thumbs up, down or waving, I had a pack of collage girl going nuts as I road bye......Hey, they may have had a preconception that something so new and "AWESOMEEE" as the Spyder must have been driven by someone from...say.... Twilight?... the........
Saga....or something. I was gonna say Brad Pitt, but they probably think he's old...well,.. I guess he is.