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V-Rod riders are Squids

15K views 105 replies 54 participants last post by  Vambo 
#1 ·
Huh? I was informed today by a few buddies that ride I with that most Harley riders don't consider Vrods real harleys. Also, I found out that the majority of V-ROD owners are new to riding and buy there vrod as there first bike for the cool factor. I will say this is my first Harley but coming from sportbike racing, I wanted to have a smoother transition by getting a VRod than going to a full blown cruiser. Is this true all true? If it is I give a rats ass cause I really like my V-Rod. :D
 
#46 ·
Rock, not true. V Rod riders are a rare breed. My Vrod is my 6th Harley and by far the BEST! I work at a HD dealer and Vrods come in for tires and oil changes. Just because they dont break like the air-cooled POS doesnt make it a Harley. BTW The Vrod was Willie G`s baby. This was his invention to capture the younger rider, well it worked on me as well. Im almost 50. I love the performance right out of the box, and it didnt cost me 5K to make it run like it would of a air-cooled vtwin. Next step is a stage 2 kit with 2 into 1. Still a fraction of the cost, more reliable and all modern technology! Ride on Bro!
 
#50 ·
I point to the DoD sticker on the side of my bike and tell 'em "I've been to combat, I ride what I focking want to." Besides most of those idiots are RUBs buying their $30K CVO with extra chrome option bike to carry them in luxury only when the temperature is between 70 and 80 degrees. Most of the time you see them in their Prius going back and forth to their 9-5 white collar job.
 
#51 ·
What I really don't understand about the CVO crowd is. How can you buy an expensive bike and just let it sit in the garage. I meet guys that boast that they put 2K a year on their bike. ROFLMAO !!!! I do admit I really hate the cold and rain but I do ride about 1K a week in good weather.
 
#64 ·
When I ride my 39 Knucklehead, I look at all the other "late" model air heads and think to myself, "they are not riding original Harleys, bunch of wannabeeeeeesssss.................

In 36 when the first, was supposed to be the first OHV was produced, there was an 8 valve race bike produced by Harley back in the 19teens
( http://mecum.com/auctions/lot_detail.cfm?LOT_ID=CA0809-82451 ) that was produced to compete with Indian 8 valve race machines.

Then there was the first first twin cams model, JDH which was produced in 1928 and only until 1929 ( http://www.motorarchive.com/includes/motor_detail.php?id=346 )

When the Knucklehead model was released in 1936, riders did not take to the bike for the first couple of years as everyone swore up and down that flatheads were the way to go...some people still love flatheads to this day because of their simplicity.

So these johnny wannnabbbeees with their overhead valve twin cam made bikes are squids too, because they are riding a somewhat new technology and not riding flatheads.

When you explain this to them, watch their eyes roll up in the heads and the spit dribble from their lips.....squids....all of em...if you ain;t riding old iron, you ain't riding an original Harley!!! :angeldev:
 
#65 ·

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#67 ·
Well that's how it goes, Flatheads looked down at the knuckles, Knuckles looked down at the Pans, Pans to shovels, Evos/Twinkies - Revo ect. ect. Don't even start on the K models and Sporty's. There was even rigid/shock, springer/internal spring and hand/foot shift competition or bad blood. Ridiculous isn't it? HD is a phenomenon and always has been.
 
#68 ·
20 years from now, Revo riders will look at the new models in the 2023 lineup and say they aren't real Harleys... Trust me on this. ;)
 
#69 ·
2005 Sportster, sat too high and vibrated too much, 2008 Street Bob still too much vibration, and ran hot, but much more an all around ride than the Sportster. 2010 VRSCA, almost no vibration, runs cool, people always make comments how good it looks. Stops and handles well, ABS is great. Almost set up for touring. Will put the Hepco and Becker Box on the back this weekend. Box is just the right size for tool roll and a few emergency parts, helmet and gear while stopped. Who cares what anyone else thinks?
 
#71 ·
Brim's Imports.Six blocks from my home, better bring $$$:

 
#76 ·
5 pages I read 3 of them. I'm sure it's been said, but maybe worth repeating: if you like the Vrod, ride it, love it.

I ride with a handful of fatboy/road-king friends. They seem genuinely impressed with the bike. They tease me sometimes, but that stops when we hit a bendy stretch of road and I disappear ;)
 
#78 ·
For the most part I always had positive comments from airhead riders about my bike.
I did tell this story here in an old thread though.

I stopped in at my usual biker bar and this dickwad starts making noises along the lines of "that's not a real Harley, I ride a real Harley, blah, blah, blah."
I decide to get into conversation with him and say "oh is that right, which bike is yours?"
He proudly points to his 2009 Road King. I carry on the conversation and it then comes out that he just bought it a few months ago and it's his first Harley ever!
As the conversation carries on the bar maid and a patch holder greet me by my first name.
Mr. dickwad newbie biker pulls on his doo rag and gets the hell out of there.
I've never seen him back since. LOL.

btw, I still never did see this guy again. Maybe he sold his bike, lol.
 
#79 ·
"Squids"

Well, I am 69 years young and have ridden every thing from early Honda's to Triumphs, BSAs, Sportsters, Softails Baggers and I currently have the '07 Nightrod Special. I consider it the Harley of the future. It does everything I like in a precision machine. I still race, love the twisties and thoroughly enjoy every minute on it with the exception of my last ride to Arizona, and only because my arthritis was acting up. So piss off all of you nay sayers it's a great bike.

Bob
 

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#80 ·
Well, I am 69 years young and have ridden every thing from early Honda's to Triumphs, BSAs, Sportsters, Softails Baggers and I currently have the '07 Nightrod Special. I consider it the Harley of the future. It does everything I like in a precision machine. I still race, love the twisties and thoroughly enjoy every minute on it with the exception of my last ride to Arizona, and only because my arthritis was acting up. So piss off all of you nay sayers it's a great bike.

Bob
You got 9 years on me but I got to say you look pretty good for an old F... LOL.
 
#84 ·
To the op: You won't find many V-Rodders at the traditional Harley haunts. V-Rodders are the REAL rebels of the H-D family since they actually think outside the box, look forward, not to the past - and generally ignore what is socially acceptable in the H-D family/cult.
As for V-Rodders being squids, nah. While you can be a squid at any age, most H-D customers are too old for that - and going fast is relative. Squidly behavior is limited to young sportbikers, which is as cool in that culture as a nice do-rag and wallet chain in cruiser world.
 
#90 ·
Wow! Most excellent analogy.

I like this kind of thinking. However, I never thought of myself as a real "rebel" until now and then it dawned on me that your are correct. But even though I now consider myself a "rebel" - I'm not gettin' no stinkin' doooorag..Period!
 
#87 ·
63 years old here with 43,000 miles on my 05 SE CVO bike that I bought in the summer of 05. It is my first Harley but I've been riding since 1965 on all kinds of jap bikes. At the last super Saturday at Hoosier Harley in Elkhart IN this year I went out to my bike to leave and four guys were standing by it. When I went to put my key in one of them said they had been waiting for the owner to come back, wanted to talk about the bike. Said almost everyone that walked past stopped and checked it out. that drives my riding buddy that has a very nice Softail Duece crazy because when we are parked together most of the people that make any comments about our bikes are usually talking about mine. I've mostly had nice compliments about my bike and if anyone says it's not a real Harley I just say it's not a real slow Harley. There are riders and then there are owners and my experience is that the riders appreciate the Vrod and I could care less what the owners think.
 
#88 ·
63 years old here with 43,000 miles on my 05 SE CVO bike that I bought in the summer of 05. It is my first Harley but I've been riding since 1965 on all kinds of jap bikes. At the last super Saturday at Hoosier Harley in Elkhart IN this year I went out to my bike to leave and four guys were standing by it. When I went to put my key in one of them said they had been waiting for the owner to come back, wanted to talk about the bike. Said almost everyone that walked past stopped and checked it out. that drives my riding buddy that has a very nice Softail Duece crazy because when we are parked together most of the people that make any comments about our bikes are usually talking about mine. I've mostly had nice compliments about my bike and if anyone says it's not a real Harley I just say it's not a real slow Harley. There are riders and then there are owners and my experience is that the riders appreciate the Vrod and I could care less what the owners think.
Spot on, from what I can tell those that get all Up In Arms when people say rubbish like "Thats not a Real Harley" or other nonsense are the people who bought it Because it was a Harley as the most important reason. As you say, when I am faced with the same "Conversation" I say "I know thats why I bought it".
 
#96 ·
i think in the closet that some of us (yes, us - i now ride a screamin' eagle springer) air-cooled, pushrod, 70+ year-old technology riders (they call it "traditional", i think) are actually JEALOUS. i came from standards and sportbikes and used to refer to all harleys as "the most inefficient way to convert fossil fuels into pollution and noise without the side effects of efficiency or performance".

then i rode a stock fat boy and realized my dad's was WAY better, smoother, quicker, and more efficient with the stage 2 kit. i figure if too much is good, then gross excess should be almost enough. this softail rides a lot better than my DX did, but it's not as quick or efficient. gets better mileage though...

we ought to feel bad for the air-cooled crowd. sportbikes won't wave at them; but almost everybody waves at a v-rod. just cruiser-ish enough to get the traditionalists to wave, and the performance folks know what it is and respect it as such.

my two cents from both sides of the fence.
 
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