A Harley Davidson observation.

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Not bashing, just an observation. My next door neighbor was having a yard sale so I went over to BS with him, he's a retired CHP motor officer and a avid Harley rider, any ways he has a beautiful full dressor, I think it's an ultra classic? and it has every bell and whistle on it you could imagine, I was standing on the RT side of it while we were BSing and I counted twelve places that I could see without moving around the bike where it said either Harley Davidson or HD on it, I bet that thing says Harley or HD on it at least thirty times, he says the HD stands for Hundred dollars, because nothing cost less than a hundred dollars on it.

It's a beautiful bike, I wish I could afford one, but I often remove my emblems off my cars, I bet they would think your crazy if you asked the dealer , can I get one without the thirty HD logos on it?
 

Rob Hephner

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No, you can't

Just curious.....what did you replace your valve covers with?

And your side bags...
 
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Bones

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Just for fun, try counting the number of times you see BMW or a blue and white roundel. At a rest stop, we found more of those on a friend's K1200GT than we found HD emblems on a Heritage Softail that another guy in the group was riding. Look closely...master cylinder covers, brake capilers, etc.

I think we came up with 5 HONDAs on my ST: 2 inspection covers, 2 on the tank, 1 on the nose. Mine came with a sticker over the tail light but that came off with all the DOT safety stickers, and there's a Honda logo between the bars that's covered on my bike so I guess that makes 7. There were something like 30 on my buddy's Beemer.
 
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Most of that stuff is farkle. You can buy a cover, label, crest, or whatever you want with the words Harley Davison on it for any place on your bike, including the valve stem cap. Or skulls.....
 
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I'll look at my Sportster sometime, but I believe that most of the HD logos are off. I have after market tank and fenders, so I never put on any HD logos on there. I've always believed that people should look at it and be able to tell it's a Harley. You know, the same reason why the Yankees don't have the names of their players on the baseball jerseys.
 
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Isn't it stamped into the clutch housing, too?

--Mark
Not on most of them. There's only one HD on my sportster engine at the end of the crankshaft. You can replace all the covers with HD branded stuff and most of them you see with HD all over them have done that.

Don't the valve covers on the ST say Honda on them? Except the chrome badge on the front that's the only place I remember "Honda".
 

Bones

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I meant on the ST's clutch housing.

--Mark
It's there on the Beemer's clutch housing as I recall. Lots of itty bitty roundels stamped or cast into parts if you care to look. We had to hassle my buddy because he even added one on the rear fender.
 

dduelin

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Here's one difference that is marked for Harley fans. Besides farkeling up the bike with chrome they get to farkel up the truck or whatever - the extensive use of HD decals, graphics, license plate holders, trailer hitch receiver covers, bumper stickers, and assorted chrome or simulated flame gee gaws applied to their four wheel conveyances is unique and then there is the $50,000 orange and black HD edition Ford pickup trucks with the above stuff slathered on.

I can't remember the last time I saw a Honda wing or other logo nor BMW roundel in the back window of a vehicle. I guess I have seen a few on the back of a track van or track trailer along with a Amsoil or Parts Unlimited sticker.
 
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Honda and BMW both make cages, so I guess it would be rather strange to see one in a rear window, especially if it's not a Honda or BMW. In fact, I would bet that the average person thinks of the cages when they hear Honda and BMW as opposed to thinking of motorcycles. Not so with HD. As to the HD "stuff" in cage windows, I guess it's no different than a bumper sticker. It's not something I've ever been accused of doing.
 
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brianm767
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Here's one difference that is marked for Harley fans. Besides farkeling up the bike with chrome they get to farkel up the truck or whatever - the extensive use of HD decals, graphics, license plate holders, trailer hitch receiver covers, bumper stickers, and assorted chrome or simulated flame gee gaws applied to their four wheel conveyances is unique and then there is the $50,000 orange and black HD edition Ford pickup trucks with the above stuff slathered on.

I can't remember the last time I saw a Honda wing or other logo nor BMW roundel in the back window of a vehicle. I guess I have seen a few on the back of a track van or track trailer along with a Amsoil or Parts Unlimited sticker.
That reminds me a a friend of mine, he was going through some tough times, divorce financial etc, he was not a rider, but he needed to get a hobby before he did some thing drastic, if ya know what I mean, he was so depressed, any ways we got him interested in riding, he took the MSF course and soon bought a Harley sporster then a Dyna Glide, in his younger days he had some additions, now he's got a great wife, he's cleaned up and he's now a AA regular, well he just changed from a substance addition to a Harley addition, I mean he didn't just start riding, he started living Harley, his wife, kids DOG! all wear harley stuff, at any holiday, Christmas , birth day or what ever all his family, dad Mom aunts or what ever get harley stuff, his dog has a harley leash, food bowls, it'r ridiculous , but atleast it's harmless, I'm glad he found some thing to be addicted too thats healthy, but he did test ride a Honda VTX, he fell in love with it, but he said he couldn't buy it, because his friends would not let him ride with them on a Honda, and if he bought it, he would have to park around the corner when he goes to his normal hang out, yes it's a bar, he's in AA, but he still stops at this harley bar in our area since his friends are there. Great friends!
 
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