MCADXmag

“If you have to ask, you wouldn’t understand anyway.”


This Harley –Davidson advertising slogan has been so successful that it has easily made its way into our cultural vocabulary. I don’t know if the background assumption has more to do with the expectation of poor comprehension on the part of the hearer, or just the off-chance that the person explaining this ephemeral mystique might be less than articulate. Either way, I still want to ask; I still want to understand.

The slogan is supportive of the notion that there is something mythical, powerful, and exclusive going on here. You have only to gaze deeply into the chrome (Your eyes are getting very heavy…) and hand over a cache of cash to gain understanding.

So, after trying repeatedly to pry this closely-held information from some of my Hog-riding friends, I decided to take their nearly universal advice and go to Hell. Fortunately, that’s only about a 25 minute ride from my house. And yes, it freezes over every year.

Darwin Road leading westward into Hell. Does anyone else think this is funny?

I expected the road to be paved with good intentions, but like many county roads in our impoverished state, this one appears to be paved with indifference…


The Dam Site Inn is the cultural center of Hell, and it must have an unusually strong magnetic field, based on the amount of Milwaukee Iron it attracts. Or it could just be the waitresses.

As I rode in, taking care to park my VFR well away from the row of cruisers, I was slightly concerned that my quest for knowledge might cost me an ass-whooping… but the first person I met in Hell happened to be a reverend who had literally fallen into Hell from paradise, having been transferred from his Navy Chaplain posting in his native Hawaii.

Rev. Charles Smith brought a piece of his personal heaven with him from the island, though; his 2007 Ultra Glide. He was interested in my Roadcrafter suit, because he wants to ride every Michigan day that he can. A couple more suggestions: an electric vest and snow tires...

I struck up a conversation with him, and after he rode away, the conversation continued as other riders came and went. There were several brands of bikes in the parking lot, including various metric cruisers and a deliciously restored ’73 Triumph 650 Daytona; but most of the bikes that loped in and roared away were from The Motor Company.

The people I spoke with were invariably friendly and eager to discuss the merits of their bikes. I warmed them up with a couple of general questions before I asked them to reveal the location of the Grail. Here’s what I learned about these people and their HD experience:

They ride.
Some of the people I met may not put on a ton of miles, but when the weather is good, they tool around with them a lot on a local basis, enjoying social rides, HOG rallies, swap meets, a cruise down a river road, or a blast up the highway for dinner. The motorcycles definitely occupy a large place in their life, as well as their garages. Others I met put more than ten thousand miles on their bikes each year, often in the company of other buddies who ride the brand.

They fly the flag.
Not just the American flag, though without exception each rider cited the American origin of the bike as a key component in the mix of factors that ‘some people don’t get.’ Every single person I saw riding a Hog had H-D branded apparel on, and a couple had tattoos that they will take to their grave.

They are proud descendants.
Some are second or even third generation HD owners. A couple of them specifically mentioned bikes that their fathers owned, along with some satisfaction at the fact that at a distance, the profile of their own motorcycle looks much the same.

They personalize.
To my untrained eye, there was little difference between the bikes of the same model, but their owners were quick to point out the distinctions that, while subtle to me, represented a lot of investment of money and time – yes, and individuality- to them. These mods often included

Screaming Eagle performance enhancements, which varied from the pipe-chip-and breather “stage 1” to serious displacement and camshaft enhancements producing triple-digit HP and torque numbers that work very well in the straight-line environment that these bikes often inhabit.

Applications for comfort and convenience, including a hydraulically adjustable backrest on a Road Glide, highway bars, extra lights, and my favorite; “passenger shit for my wife."

Appearance modifications. You have to know what comes on the bikes stock to appreciate the amount of chrome, striping, powder coating, blacking, and other esthetic improvements people undertake. I don’t, but they do. One thing I am happy to report, the ‘fringe on the handlebar’ thing seems to have fallen out of favor a bit, at least in Hell. Still no evidence of carbon fiber, though.

Sound. Though factory Harley pipes are stunningly expensive, they are quite common, as are aggressive aftermarket systems. One guy was so angry when his dealer sold a set of lightly used pipes out from under him that he just got a 5/8” drill bit and a long extension and engineered his own. Months later, they were still blowing fiberglass over the county, and were just loud enough that he could still hear the stereo … perfection![BREAK=The answer to the age old question]


It was interesting: when I finally asked these riders what they found so special about Harley Davidson, to point out that indefinable 'something' that people without ownership experience can’t appreciate, they all began to extol the riding experience that we all love–the freedom of the open road, the ability to travel in an adventurous way anywhere, anytime, the wind blowing your face, being able to see and experience everything around you without an automobile's numbing sense of detachment, the friendships, the fun.

I pointed out that we all ride; but I was looking for an explanation about what was unique and fulfilling about Harley ownership in particular.

The more astute riders provided some interesting insight:

The Reverend came up with this gem: “It’s like a dog with his head out the window of a car – if you have to ask, you wouldn’t understand; it just feels good!”

The most partisan proponent of the bunch was a first-time Harley owner who had obviously saved, planned, fought and won the strategic marital battles necessary to achieve his dream. He spoke of Harley ownership as a key to belonging to something:

“I wouldn’t come into this parking lot on anything else …everybody I know rides one. If I were to ride into a rally on anything less, I’d feel like crawling under a rock!” His friend chimed in as they recited a now-familiar litany of advantages – “It has the look, the sound, the prestige…Harley is number one. It’s American. When you rumble in, it’s the bike that everyone looks at.” This guy had consumed the Kool-Aid and left the impression of his teeth on the chrome cup, but he bore no ill will toward anyone who rode a different brand, figuring “You’ll catch on eventually!”

Bobby was a 30- something guy who rode in on a beauty of a Springer Classic.

“It’s a comfortable bike for me. I like the look, the sound, the history, plus no one else has the Springer front end (which rides great and tracks well). It’s not fast, but I go slow so people can see me better!” He admitted that based on his participation on the HD forums, he thought for some die-hards, “It’s just the image of being a badass – there’s the ‘60s biker movie identification, though not all of those guys even rode Harleys; the one per centers, the Hell’s Angels, stuff like that.”

They explained and I didn’t understand. I think I do now.

It wasn’t easy for these riders to express the "gut level appeal for the bike,” but after listening to the interview tapes, I think the real answer was in their first response about the pleasures of motorcycling… I just wasn’t listening hard enough.

All of us go through life with an idealized sense of joy - who knows how it develops? For many of us, a significant aspect of fulfilling that joy can be realized in riding motorcycles, so we gravitate to the experience- and the specific machine- that most closely resembles that ideal.

For these folks, and for the majority of riders on this continent, that ideal consists of riding The American Motorcycle on a picturesque rural road, leaving behind a landscape awash in the sound and image of the rugged American individualist. It doesn’t matter that there are thousands of other individualists on the same road. It’s interior. It’s a dream. It’s close to the heart.

Who can be responsible for what they love? I can’t pretend not to understand this when I share the EXACT same attitude about American made, iconic guitars.

I’m done criticizing Harley owners - even though that may be difficult when I come up on a large group of them riding at a stately pace under a tunnel of trees on a lonely country road, while I'm blasting along seeking joy in my Isle of Mann ‘V-4 Victory’ ideal.

If that mumbo-jumbo doesn't answer it for you, here’s something inexpressible we can all understand. The picture below tells a story that may be the real answer to "What exactly is it about Harleys?"

Attached Thumbnails

 

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CBR929RE

a guy I work with always asks me "when are you gonna get a Harley?" I keep telling him "never" and try to explain to him I want a bike that handles well because as Carl McAllister of the Carl McAllister Motorcycle Safety School says about Harley's "they handle like shit"

but its all good, as long as you don't ride like an asshole I'll ride with ya.

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evl_twn

“It has the look, the sound, the prestige…Harley is number one. It’s American."

Did you happen to point out the Showa suspension or any of the electronics on the bikes?

bwhip

Great article, Dave. Once again you've hit one out of the park.

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oldfogey

An elderly friend, knowing I am a motorcyclist, bought me a Harley-Davidson coffee mug. I hadn't the heart to tell her.

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DrHall

very nice my friend. You have done the near impossible: translated the nuances of elusive emotion into words.

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Heavy-Dee

Very much enjoyed that. Thanks Dave.

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Unregistered

Very well done. One of these days we will have to reacquaint. Been along time since the bagel factory days. I'll be seeing our bud Mr Alexander next month.

David Botsford

Getsome

My father used to ask me "When are you gonna get a Harley?" My answer as always, as I pointed to my 1000RR was "When I get too old to ride one of those....." then I would laugh.

A couple years later when the Warranty ran out on his Harley and it blew up it's motor(even though he was very meticulous about maintenance, but had it done at the Harley shop) he sold the Harley and guess what he rides now??????
















A freakin V-Star.....................I love it.....


Was a good read though....

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SerialThriller

I'm probably one of the few HD riders on this site, but having spent 10 years on CBRs followed by a pair on VTXs, I've been on both sides of the fence. I don't own any HD apparel and I'm not in the HOG group or anything like that, so I think I can give a fairly objective view.

First off, the "if you have to ask, you wouldn't understand" is a line ALL riders have probably used at one time or another in response to the inevitable "those things are dangerous, my friend/relative/random person got killed on a motorcycle" comment. Basically, I think we all ride for pretty much the same reasons. Why do you choose to ride instead of drive your car? For the sensory experience of riding that not even the sportiest roadster can provide (although many of us are car nuts as well, but that's another discussion ).

Well, for me, the allure of the Harley really isn't that much different than for most bikes, at least in a general sense. We all want a stylish bike that meets the needs of how we use it. I know most folks on this site are mainly sportbikers and wouldn't consider any cruiser, but assuming you were in the market for one, why choose HD over others?

Well, for better or for worse, a big reason a lot of folks probably buy one is for the label. Say what you will, but the HD marketing (propaganda?) machine is genius. How many folks have Harley apparel or stickers on their vehicle that have never even ridden? How many times do people find out you ride and ask if you have a Harley? There are bikes from every manufacturer that I would be happy to own, and most riders I know feel the same way. But strangely enough, most of the snobby responses about HD (and dismissive to non-HD) bikes I've heard come from folks that don't even ride. Anyway...

I was raised on Hondas and I've owned a VTX 1800 and 1300, both very good bikes. And I've looked hard at the Yamaha/Star Warrior and Road Star. While the perception still exists that Harleys are overpriced and lesser quality than their metric counterparts, that's not really the case anymore. The larger metric cruisers such as those I mentioned start around $12k, comparable to several bikes in the Dyna line. And you can find problem bikes from any brand; in my observation I don't see where HDs have more problems than anything else. One factor that steered me toward Harleys is the build quality/fit and finish. For one thing, the chrome parts are actually metal, not plastic like much of the VTX parts. Don't get me wrong, Honda's quality and refinement is legendary, but side-by-side the HD seems to have more of a handcrafted feel as opposed to mass produced. It's part of the "soul" that HD owners talk about. I guess my point is, as the metric bikes have moved into HD price territory, and HD quality has improved to where they've shaken off the perception of unreliability, that seems to have given more folks reason to go ahead and get the Harley.

Another thing that is huge in Harley's favor is the enormous aftermarket support. From appearance to performance parts, if you can think of it someone probably makes it. Like the article mentioned, customization is a big deal to most riders, and it's just easier for HD folks to change their bikes without having to fabricate a bunch of stuff. The aftermarket is certainly growing for the metric bikes, but it's nowhere near that of what's available for Harleys.

Another part of the “Harley mystique” is that they’re viewed by many as genuine, whereas the metrics are viewed as Harley knockoffs or imitators. Now, that may sound more negative than it really is, but of course other cruisers’ styling imitates HD- it’s called appealing to your target audience. (Why do you think Harleys have looked pretty much the same all these years?)

I could probably come up with more stuff since I thought long before buying a Harley, but I’ve typed too much already. And I guess none of this really matters because buying a $10,000 plus motorcycle isn’t exactly a practical decision anyway. But I think the question here isn’t, “Why buy a Harley Davidson?” but “Why do you buy any motorcycle?” You buy what appeals to you the most when you look at it, when you ride it, when you talk about it, when you think about it, etc. Why buy a CBR over the GSXR or R1? They’re all close on paper and probably exceed the limits of your riding ability, so you go with what looks best to you, is most comfortable for the riding you do, which brand you prefer, etc. It's largely an emotional decision. For a lot of people, a Harley Davidson is the first bike that comes to mind when buying a street/touring bike. If you’re a rider yourself, how could you not understand?

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Love everybody

Purpdust

Or this one

I actually do not minde cuizers, they just are not my #1 choice at this time. As for HD, if I am honest with myself, I don't like them for the same reason I did not like the Ipod. It is what the masses have, I would lean more towards a Moto Guzzi or a Jap bike.


Is that new VMax a cruiser

ND4SPD

Thanks for sharing your perspective, ST.

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TAZ

Super article, Dave! I really enjoyed it!