As has been mentioned before, in part, its the marketing strategy of the MOCO and people buy into it. Its all good in some respect. 30 years ago you were an outcast if you look like a main stream biker of today. Granted the phenomenom of do rag,azzless chaps and finderless gloves were not as popular then,lol. And the bikes were shinyer and the riders dirtier.

LOL, I just looked at the road grime as "seasoning."

I will say this, my bikes stay cleaner now. I think that even on the old bikes--which we thought we had corked up and no longer leaked--there was some sheen or spray or osmosis through the gaskets. I was always scrubbing and gunking those old bikes.

Now I just wipe new bikes down with Bug Slide and Windex and they stay clean for weeks.

As for MoCo's marketing, don't get me started. They trashed us then, now I'm 'iconic.' Oh, and the best bike they ever made--the Buell--they found it to be too much competition, they bought it back and then tried to destroy it. No wonder R. Lee Ermey now rides a Victory.

Buells were junk with potential,at least the one I owned,1996 S2T. It was fun, I had it for 11 years rode the piss out of it but there was always something faulty about it. Kick stand was funky/faulty from day one,intake leaks for no reason. Tons of recalls. It didn't hold its resale value for shat either. I think it retails at 2250$ or something?

The MOCO didn't find it to be too much competition, what they found and like every business did at the time, was the economy was tanking like a MFer and drastic measures had to be taken. They also bailed on the Augusta motorcycle. Nothing personal. Heck Honda moved from Ohio back to Japan with its tale between its legs. HD stock dropped to 7-8$ a share(I bought it like a mother at that time knowing it would rise againi). HD stock went way way way back up like I knew it would and I did good. Sold when they peaked at like 40$ or something I forget.

You might have had a singular example that was junk, but Erik was one guy and he found ways to double the BHP of the engines he bought from Harley.

I worked in finance for 30 years. MoCo could have put Buell engines in existing Sportsters and dominated the middle-displalcement cruiser market. Instead they moaned, groaned and complained about all the usual BS. Things like marketing, manufacturing costs, distribution, ad nauseum. However they bought the Buell Company back, failed to support it, and then killed it. It smells.

I'm not convinved that MoCo really wants to re-tool a thing. They want to sell the same bikes year after year. Now we all suffer from extreme heat on the +2006 bikes.

They do sell a lot of doo-rags and leather in their motor-clothes section. And for several thousand dollars and fresh ink you too can look like Peter Fonda's wannabee brother-inlaw.

ha ha ha And lord knows the steets are full of harley riding Peter Fonda wannabee brother in laws,lol.

You crack me up.

In discussing this topic both on forums and among friends I am getting more and more comfortable with this 'playing dress up' thing. One factor is cost.

For example, Mr. Fonda bought four motorcycles for the movie. They were junker police bikes he procured for a few hundred doors each. I went through a scrap heap of discarded Harley parts to build up a set of custom forward pegs for a Super Glide when I was still in my early twenties. That's what we did.

However, now bikes cost thousands to buy and about as much to customize. The bikes seen in magazines built from the ground up cost even more. In fact, these custom shop built choppers that were prevalent just a few years ago, but those shops are closing or going bankrupt. Look at the story line for OCC.

It takes a guy with big money or a suburbanite to buy into the sport now. He's no longer an outlaw, he's a dentist. And along with his status he brings touchie-feelie social attitudes. And the world we know/knew dies. Maybe he even talks himself into believing he's 'paying homage' to that era. I think he's kidding himself, and I wish guys like that would just be honest, keep wearing his Dockers and buy a Gold Wing.

I agree. Post those comments on most any other forum you will get banned for hurting most posters feelings,lol.

Yeah, I know. I met the Doof Clenas on a "biker" forum. Go to Bing and type either 'squat' or 'when' or 'peeing' their club colors pop up.

I should have recognized it as a trend.

It is the trend. And as all time honored traditions or old school traditions in any walk of life or profession, things change, shift or take on new meaning and significance. Nothing is more consistant then change. And the baton is passed.

Remember when women weren't allowed to vote? Or the man worked and the woman stayed at home? You could hit the quarterback in the NFL?

Every generation has their time in the sun. My father and who was a life time rider of HD and Indian and his friends did things their way. Me and my friends did things our way and my son and his friends will do things their way and so it goes.

And our complaining is yet again another generational tradition. Our fathers bitched, we bitch and our sons and so forth will bitch about the new generation.....

Well, I keep having to learn the phrase, "Shut up and ride."

It was calm, sunny and in the mid-70s today. My wife got me a new gas card, and I received a new knife. I've spent most of the last 48 hours riding and sharpening. It gives you perspective.

What were we talking about?