Call it tough love, but as a lifelong, and second generation biker, you’ve got it all wrong. Anything that gets you out of the cage and into the wind is a good thing and worthy of respect, not disdain.
This attitude towards trikes is the same as the dumbass, yuppified nonsense that a Sportster is a girls bike. Usually spoken by a guy who wears a tie 5 days a week, but is now hard with 3 days of stubble. They’re usually known for mouthing a silent “who?” when I tell them that Sonny Barger rode a Sportster.
I’d mess with them more and just say “Ralph rode a Sportster”....:)
Ask them what Knieval used *before* the XR-750.
You have a good an decent attitude towards your fellow riders, BTW.
I think I owe Salamander an apology. He’s right. It’s a free country and people can and should ride what they want.
I have my strong opinions. I ride ATGATT on a R1150R and my favorite thing is being leaned hard over (peg scraping if I’m ballsy enough) in a corner. Nothing brings a bigger smile to my face. I’m a motorcyclist, not a biker. If I were a rich man, I would fill my garage with marques like Triumph, Aprilia, Ducati, BMW, and KTM.
Melas, you’re right about one thing, a Sportster isn’t a girl’s bike. But I don’t get the H-D thing. It just seems heavy, overly chromed, poor handling, styling that’s a throwback to the 40s. I shake my head at choppers, especially the ones with ginormous rear tires. I don’t understand why anyone would ride a motorcycle to a bar. I don’t understand why anyone would ride bare shouldered, handed, etc. or with just a do-rag to protect the noggin.
I guess I would classify as RUB, but I ride because I like to ride not for any other reason. I’m learning to wrench on my own bike because it’s fun and satisfying to do my own repairs. I don’t do it for any image. I have enough man points in the bank to drive a pink miata to work and not give a hoot.
But I don’t want to be snob either. And I think I crossed the line with Salamander and should’ve kept my comments to myself. Life is too short to be an a-hole. If I ever change my mind and find myself in the market for a trike, I’ll have to look him up. Since I get a discount :)