I accidentally ended up in the middle of a Harly Block party with my ST

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I accidentally ended up in the middle of a Harley Block party with my ST

So, this past weekend my wife and I decided to go to a new restaurant ... We jumped on the ST, and took a nice little ride over, and pulled up downtown. I've been to this city many times. It's a dinky town with a couple cute little restaurants.

Anyway, we parked downtown and where we parked there were a few people just starting setting up tables on the block in front of us. Literally we were the first spot next to the roped off area where 2 or 3 people meandering around and apparently setting up for an event. No biggie ... it was Friday night, and I thought maybe there was a Farmers Market the next day or something. There were a couple Harley's on the street, but no more than normal: There is a weekend bar 1/2 block away.

Fast Forward 2 hours: My wife and I walk out of the Restaurant to hear music BLARING ... Sure enough, since we had been in the restaurant, the block had been fully transformed into was a Harley Block Party complete with a couple hundred of Harley riders, wives, and girlfriends in the full leather getup, all drinking beer (which I never understood ... how do drinking and riding ever mix???), listening to music, tire-ticking, talking about chaps (that's what they do right?) ... the whole 9 yards.

Needless to say, we didn't exactly fit in. The good news was that we had to walk right through the middle of it to get to my bike, which was quite the attention grabber on it's own, considering that since we had got there, about 30 decked out, flame covered, high handlebar Harleys we're parked ALL around my ST.

Of course, since we had parked in the perfect spot, we were right next to the line of 100+ waiting to get in: There was absolutly now way to drive away unnoticed. All 100 gawked at us as we walked to the bike, put on our helmets (who wears those these days right?) ... started it up with it's "loud sexy low growl", and "roared" away. Lol.

Based on their stares, I am pretty sure they all clearly were loving the bike. If I had stuck around much longer I probably coulda sold it for 2x its value :) I'm just glad I didn't drop it or anything.
 
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LOL. Yeah that'd be about the worst time to drop it. Maybe shoulda stuck around and talked bikes. There are HD riders not just owners to. Even some that just have a burger and a beer and hang out.
 
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I ride a Road Glide, plus my other bikes, and hang out with other Harley riders all the time. They do not care what I am on, and never have. Mostly good folks just trying to have a good time.
 
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wwegert
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Mostly good folks just trying to have a good time.
Nothing against Harley Folks ... In the end I think most people are just good folks trying to have a good time, I just thought the situation was a bit humorous and uncomfortable as I stood out like a sore thumb: Worth sharing for a chuckle either at or with me :)

I am sure if I had stayed they would have been very friendly.
 

st11ray

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I blew past a large group of Harley's one day on I-40 and gave them a wave as I went by. A couple miles down the road, I get pulled over by a State Trooper. I pulled down to a turn out type place at the bottom of the exit ramp. There happens to be a McD's there. Guess where all the HD guys I passed were going? They all blew their horns and waved at me standing there with the Trooper!
 

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Joe
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To assume only folks on Harleys drink and ride is to be narrow-minded... The best we can do is set a good example ourselves.
 

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Joe
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Sorry, I wasn't really addressing you directly. .... and, I hope you got help... lol That does look pretty COOL though.
 
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Whatever we say about Harley riders, they are the ones I see most often on the road. There must be 10 of them out riding for every owner of every other bike. Riding back from OHSTOC, I blew by a guy on a chopper. He was wearing the usual obligatory uniform; heavy boots, t-shirt w/ sleeves ripped off, mirror type sunglasses, jeans, no helmet, no ear plugs, tattoos to protect him in case he got off the bike at speed. This guy sped up and paced me - for at least 50 miles. It was fun having a riding 'partner'. We waved as we parted.

I would have bought him a beer.... if I did alcohol....
 
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wwegert
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I'd a like experience a while back as reported in a post called Drowning in a Sea of Chrome. You might like my two pics there. ;)
"Jap Bikes Are Like Soft Porn - Why make um?" ... Love it the direct hit.

I mean if we really think about it though, Batman needs the Joker for the narrative to continue ... Being a Harley rider wouldn't be the same without "wimpy jap riding" bikers like us ... and who would we be without the hating on the "senseless leather tough guys." Every group needs a rival :) For the most part I don't think many harbor any REAL animosity ... It's just a harmless part of what makes up our identity.

Whatever we say about Harley riders, they are the ones I see most often on the road.
True Dat ... At least they're promoting riding.
 
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I started riding about 45 years ago. That would be around 1970. I was interested in Triumphs because they had much more of a reputation for performance than Harleys, but I bought a Japanese bike (Honda CB350) because it was all I could afford. The "made in America" vs the the "Jap" bike rivalry was very real back then. It was more like disdain than rivalry.

Things are much better now. There's so much more of a ride-what-you-like mentality that I resist the urge to condone stereotypes, not always successfully because I do see a lot of bad boy image posing, but I've stopped amidst bikes from all over the world and engaged in a lot of bike talk and I no longer feel any of that old, pointless animosity.

On the other hand, I've never been to Sturgis, nor plan to, so maybe my experience isn't universal.
 
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There are good people on all sorts of bikes and cars, and there are jerks on all sorts of bikes and cars. I have met both kinds on Harleys, STs and other bikes. The leather thing, especially the chaps actually have a purpose. The design of a HD is not textile friendly for pants. My Kevlar overpants have a few melted spots on the inner right leg from hitting the exhaust. (Little legs, rub against the exhasust mounting and dismounting). Leather does not do that. I personally don't like the look of the chaps, but I want protection with out melting it all over the bike or ruining the gear. So you may see me in some leather chaps at an ST event.
 
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Leather does not do that. I personally don't like the look of the chaps, but I want protection with out melting it all over the bike or ruining the gear. So you may see me in some leather chaps at an ST event.
Leather can be damaged by heat. This will not happen as quickly as synthetics melt, but leather is skin, and it is weakened and will burn from heat. Chaps provide good abrasion protection and originally protected cowboys from thorns and brush while riding. Of course, if you have to get off your bike in an accident at speed, it is advisable to NOT land on your bottom and slide down the road leather side up.
 
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Leather can be damaged by heat. This will not happen as quickly as synthetics melt, but leather is skin, and it is weakened and will burn from heat. Chaps provide good abrasion protection and originally protected cowboys from thorns and brush while riding. Of course, if you have to get off your bike in an accident at speed, it is advisable to NOT land on your bottom and slide down the road leather side up.
Yes, leather of course can be damaged by heat, but the quick brush against the exhaust does not affect leather like it does synthetic. Yes, originally worn by cowboys and yes no protection on the butt. I hope this was said as a joke as a relative to Captian Obvious of Hotels.com. So proctection better than no protection.
 
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I hope this was said as a joke as a relative to Captian Obvious of Hotels.com. So proctection better than no protection.
+1 joke. Unless of course you spend a couple of thou on custom race leathers, in which case, it is better NOT to get off and scuff the suit. On second thought, it is probably always better not to get off your bike. Just keep on riding.....
 
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