How do you deal with "Buy a REAL motorcycle" Friends?

[sav0r]

There's no reason for gate keeping in the motorcycle community. Poking fun with each other is absolutely fine. At the end of the day, one's masculinity (or other quality a person might try to achieve) isn't even remotely tied to the motorcycle you ride. For those who think their masculinity is in fact tied to their motorcycle, well I'm sorry. For those who enjoy motorcycles for the many reasons there are to enjoy them, it's a great way to enrich your life. That said, sometimes you have to let those who are ignorant (no hate or judgement intended here) continue to learn and grow. So it might just be best to move on.

[IR8D8R]

Here it's the 300lb+ guys on huge bagger Harleys who often have something to say. Usually it's "That thing is too small fer me" somewhat derisively. ...Yeah it probably is.

But I can hardly hear them over 'Sweet Home Alabama' on their stereo.

Smoky Mountain Harley Davidson complex is just down the road from me so there's a lot of them around.

IR8D8R

[Organicjedi]

I can't say I ever got that with my 400. People usually think it's really cool. My mom calls it my "little bike" though. 

We're in an age now where small bike popularity is up and cruiser popularity is on the decline.

Back in the 80's when my dad first parked the 400, he did so because he got one of those low slung KZ900 LTDs. He did refer to that as an upgrade back then. It was more comfortable and smooth. He's a short guy so it was easier for him to ride too. He's on his tip toes when straddling the RD.

I don't see it as an upgrade. I see them as two way different bikes for different purposes. Now he likes to show off what I've done to the 400. The KZ900 is long gone and the RD went to his son. If that means anything.

[sped3540]

Hello everyone!
     Years ago on a Friday night I'm heading home from work on my CT70.  I had a gentleman pull beside me on his 600 sportbike! He looked down at me, laughed and then left me behind. After getting cleaned up I rolled my stretched, lowered and turbo'd KZ1000 out of the garage and headed uptown hoping I'd run into him!
    Just so happened I was able to roll up beside him, at a main stoplight. He looked down at me with his jaw hanging open! I asked him if he remembered me, and just told him "You shouldn't make fun of somebody because of what they ride! Because they might just have something like this at home!"
    I kept my eye on the light and left him sitting there all alone!
     

[davedogg]

Sometimes when I am introduced to people they usually say, "Dave rides and works on motorcycles." I ask what they ride and they mostly respond with some Harley model I don't know.  Them riding a Harley is not an issue with me. It's just that they have no idea about motorcycles and usually can't even do their own oil change. I tell my wife, "We both ride motorcycles, but literally nothing else in common about bikes."

[jradnich]

Myself, I haven't had any problems with Harley riders. Maybe it's because I have a Dyna too. Most of the older bikers I've met seem to appreciate my rides. In fact, a local HD club is doing a spaghetti feed fund raiser soon and I plan on riding there on a RD.
I do try to avoid conversation with the KTM crowd though. I think they stay up all night remembering the specs on their bikes so they can recite them to anyone on 2 wheels.

[Old Brit]

Myself, I haven't had any problems with Harley riders. Maybe it's because I have a Dyna too. Most of the older bikers I've met seem to appreciate my rides. In fact, a local HD club is doing a spaghetti feed fund raiser soon and I plan on riding there on a RD.
I do try to avoid conversation with the KTM crowd though. I think they stay up all night remembering the specs on their bikes so they can recite them to anyone on 2 wheels.

You can add BMW (2 or 4 wheel) owners to that 

[m in sc]

You can add BMW (2 or 4 wheel) owners to that 

I was thinking the exact same thing 

[Djg8493]

Myself, I haven't had any problems with Harley riders. Maybe it's because I have a Dyna too. Most of the older bikers I've met seem to appreciate my rides. In fact, a local HD club is doing a spaghetti feed fund raiser soon and I plan on riding there on a RD.
I do try to avoid conversation with the KTM crowd though. I think they stay up all night remembering the specs on their bikes so they can recite them to anyone on 2 wheels.

It's funny to me that this is now the image of Harley riders today and is in fact mostly accurate.  I worked at an old school shop through college that worked on mostly older Harleys that the dealerships wouldn't work on.  Guys that ride Pre Evo Harley's all came in very knowledgeable about their bikes (partially as they had to, insert the Harleys only stop leaking when they are out of oil joke)

I do have to say that the negative attention has been scarce for me, the Harley crew has usually been good to me on different style bikes.  I sill run a winter ride for that shop every year and have done it on all kinds of bikes, there are usually over 100 Harleys and I am one of only a handful of different bikes.  Usually the old ones like my RD or KZ400 get more attention than the $30K+ Harleys.

[RDryan]

Myself, I haven't had any problems with Harley riders. Maybe it's because I have a Dyna too. Most of the older bikers I've met seem to appreciate my rides. In fact, a local HD club is doing a spaghetti feed fund raiser soon and I plan on riding there on a RD.
I do try to avoid conversation with the KTM crowd though. I think they stay up all night remembering the specs on their bikes so they can recite them to anyone on 2 wheels.

Ha,ha well  I suppose you can count me in with that lot as I just got me a new to me 2016 1290 Superduke GT. Got her because she's "the beast"....I was sold on the 100 ft. lbs. of torque and handlebars and hardbags. Really it's just a whole different bike to ride. Funny thing is after riding the katoom I will get on either my rd250 or my k61k and they both seem very small and have a completely different feel regarding the gearboxes and brakes. I owned the gsxr1000 long before the RD  but immediately feel in love with the RD's stock bolt upright riding position. Thus inspiration for the katoom sport tourer which truly is a bench setting state of the art bike. Ironically I love the look of Harleys but that katoom will eat them alive for breakfast, lunch and dinner and have me feeling fresh like daisy every day.

[edgefinder]

When are you gonna buy a REAL motorcycle? Like a Harley. Or a... *insert whatever larger displacement bike here*.

Tell em your compensating for your manhood just like everybody else.
I ride a DT50 in town a lot because of the ticket factor and its really fun railing turn without slowing much

[m in sc]

it was a lot worse 15+ years ago. I get odd looks on the grom, even before the 2 stroke swap. i mean whatever, they have their opinions.

[Hail Satin]

My rz350 has been down for almost 10 years (and will hopefully be up and running within a couple of months).
The funny thing is that when I was on the road with it, 9 times out of 10 the guys who would flag me down
were riding Harleys... The conversation usually started off with something along the lines of "Hey, I had one of
those when I was a kid". Never had any derision or condescension (and this is in SoCal to boot...). Maybe I've been
fortunate but the people on motorcycles I've encountered while on my dinosaur have been pretty good folks. Hearts
definitely in the right place.

[Czakky]

I mostly get guys with fond memories, sometimes pretty inflated memories. One of my favorites was the guy who after following me through an s-curve said,"if I was on my old RD I would've dragged my knee through there..." I laughed, thinking to myself in any semblance of decent posture you'd be going 110mph to drag a knee.