View Full Version : Is the SV considered a soft option?
pegasus
18-01-05, 08:10 AM
Had a little incident last night, down marleybone road...i was at the red lights waiting to go when a harley roars up next to me.i give him an appreciative nod (as if to say nice bike - which it was), and he looks up and down at my sv, smirks (open faced helmet) and then proceeds to deafen everyone with a blast of throttle. Got me thinkin' are our baby's considered lesser bikes by others.
help !!!!!! need some reassurance.
Nah, if he's anything like some of the (censored) here who ride Harley's, he would do that to ANY other bike (except another Harley mind you). Take refuge in the fact that the money he spent would get you 2 SV's and change for gear. :D
ooo, such language ;)
Yes it is, but remember, 95% of all Harleys produced are still on the road...the other 5% made it home.
ArtyLady
18-01-05, 08:48 AM
Dont worry Pete theyre all like that - anyway youd lose him on the twisties :D
Given that they're both V-twins and therefore related, you think he'd have been a bit more friendly :wink:
There are decent people who ride Harleys but most are complete tossers. You found one of then latter group.
Dont worry Pete theyre all like that - anyway youd lose him on the twisties :D
He would have been lost long before that.
pegasus
18-01-05, 08:58 AM
lost him filtering ... he coudnt get his handlebars through the gaps
Balky001
18-01-05, 09:00 AM
I bought an SV when I passed my test as it was seen as an ideal first bike - so I guess many would see it as a soft option, I wouldn't have wanted a ZX10R! But don't make me laugh - a Harleyhas its place in life but it isn't at the top of the pile. The SV is a soft option for beginners, but also many experienced riders will go back to SV's once they have had the bigger bike fun as they are top bikes and so useable, and a good rider can get a lot from them - wheelies, stoppies and just general fun. It's only as soft as the rider :wink:
Steve H
18-01-05, 10:08 AM
Dont worry, it was probably a fat celebrity type or someone with a mid life crisis and a small pecker!
My old Kawasaki ER5 would have blown him away, let alone your SV.
Worry not any longer! :wink:
Ceri JC
18-01-05, 10:47 AM
I've nothing against Harleys, nor the people who ride them. Some are what I'd consider "proper bikers". I remember a grizzly old hells angel-looking chap when I was on my DAS who intentionally moved to bloke some cars for us and gave a nod and flicker of a smile.
That said, a lot of Harley riders have more money than sense and go for style over substance. Some are wannabe badasses and others are mid-life crisis born again riders. Personally, I'd go for a Jap Cruiser over a Harley, even if the cost was the same. I like the styling more, more punch and I have no patience with unreliability.
Spending over £10,000 on a bike that struggles to get past 110mph and can't get round corners seems bonkers to me.
Broadly speaking there are two type of Harley owners.
1) Bikers who happen to like cruisers / Harleys and are as enthusiastic about their machines as you are about yours. These are the sort of folk that'll return a nod or stop to help if they saw you broken down at the side of the road.
2) Tossers (generally of the fat, balding and middle aged variety) with more money than sense trying to buy into the 'Harley lifestyle'.
With apologies to all fat, balding, middle aged SV and Hornet riders!
Broadly speaking there are two type of Harley owners.
1) Bikers.
2) Tossers.
Needn't have said any more than that........
......other than to include fat, balding, middle-aged Hornet riders in your apology :wink:
Cloggsy
18-01-05, 11:35 AM
Surely the Harley is the soft, expensive option :?: :toss: :roll:
......other than to include fat, balding, middle-aged Hornet riders in your apology :wink:
How could I forget! #-o
Now corrected. :wink:
I bought an SV when I passed my test as it was seen as an ideal first bike - so I guess many would see it as a soft option, I wouldn't have wanted a ZX10R! But don't make me laugh - a Harleyhas its place in life but it isn't at the top of the pile. The SV is a soft option for beginners, but also many experienced riders will go back to SV's once they have had the bigger bike fun as they are top bikes and so useable, and a good rider can get a lot from them - wheelies, stoppies and just general fun. It's only as soft as the rider :wink:
That'll be me then :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:
You know its not just harley riders that do it, for one my farther-in-law has a harley and also a elminatour, and the bloke dont give two hoots what you ride, if its got 2 wheels then you ok, now ive not come across that many fat arsed harley riders but the ones i have, have been ok, ive noticed that i get more odd (your a p*ss ant, thats not a bike) looks from the bigger jap riders, gsxr's, ninja's. So i woud say that, that sort of thing depends more on the rider than the make of what there sitting on. :roll:
Mind you i did see on the plate of a harley (no jap crap)
Hmmmmm
carelesschucca
18-01-05, 10:31 PM
don't know what your worrying about, he rides a loud tractor with chrome, and is barely living a dream... Harleys have their place in life I think you call it a museum, the only decent engine they have in their range is German (very American that one)
but hey it could be worse you could have been on the Harley!!!
The Mass
18-01-05, 10:38 PM
The SV is a totally cool bike, take no nonsense off a (more than likely)short arsed Harley rider!
Always remember in the A-Team (which is also American) all the cars used to blow up when someone threw a pebble at them.
I went to Racine (WI) last year, apparantly the home of the Harley, what a load of ****. Every nob ed over there had one.
It was like groundhog day! :shock:
:toss: the lot of em..trust me! to see, is to beleive :wink:
pegasus
19-01-05, 06:48 AM
nice comments from everyone, but somehow i think that when you decide what bike you are going to ride...your choice is based upon an extention of your personality, e.g all sv riders seem to be friendly, harley riders (imho) seem to be born again cruisers - denoting some sort of mid-life crisis.
It all seems so political, what ever happened to the easy rider philosophy - brothers in arms - and all that, shoudnt we all respect each other, no matter what 2 wheels you have under you. wether your a racer or cruiser or even a pizza delivery person, we all have to go through the same obstacles every day...personally the best feeling i get on my ride to and from work is an acknowledement from a fellow rider...but what do i know!
i like harleys... but then i am losing my hair :shock:
i like harleys... but then i am losing my mind :shock:
:shock:
i like harleys... but then i am losing my mind :shock:
:shock:
never claimed to have one of those in the first place :lol:
svpilot
19-01-05, 01:54 PM
nice comments from everyone, but somehow i think that when you decide what bike you are going to ride...your choice is based upon an extention of your personality, e.g all sv riders seem to be friendly, harley riders (imho) seem to be born again cruisers - denoting some sort of mid-life crisis.
It all seems so political, what ever happened to the easy rider philosophy - brothers in arms - and all that, shoudnt we all respect each other, no matter what 2 wheels you have under you. wether your a racer or cruiser or even a pizza delivery person, we all have to go through the same obstacles every day...personally the best feeling i get on my ride to and from work is an acknowledement from a fellow rider...but what do i know!
Amen! :wink:
mrbizzy
19-01-05, 03:44 PM
Maybe it was just me but when i went to the bike show at the NEC i found the least friendly people seemed to gather around the big jap sports bikes. It seemed pretty easy to strike up a conversation with a fellow visitor as you both admired most other bikes at the show (including harleys) but the big sports bike fans seemed to be most up themselves. :?
Balky001
19-01-05, 04:43 PM
Maybe it was just me but when i went to the bike show at the NEC i found the least friendly people seemed to gather around the big jap sports bikes. It seemed pretty easy to strike up a conversation with a fellow visitor as you both admired most other bikes at the show (including harleys) but the big sports bike fans seemed to be most up themselves. :?
You know why - the group around the sports bikes were Harley riders slating them off and the guys around the Harley's were sport riders saying 'Oh, not so bad, each to their own'. Or was that just me?
fizzwheel
19-01-05, 04:46 PM
nice comments from everyone, but somehow i think that when you decide what bike you are going to ride...your choice is based upon an extention of your personality, e.g all sv riders seem to be friendly, harley riders (imho) seem to be born again cruisers - denoting some sort of mid-life crisis.
It all seems so political, what ever happened to the easy rider philosophy - brothers in arms - and all that, shoudnt we all respect each other, no matter what 2 wheels you have under you. wether your a racer or cruiser or even a pizza delivery person, we all have to go through the same obstacles every day...personally the best feeling i get on my ride to and from work is an acknowledement from a fellow rider...but what do i know!
Spot on :thumbsup:
Dicky Ticker
19-01-05, 06:55 PM
After 40years, off and on riding, I must agree that the old "kindred spirit"seems to be somewhat lacking in some off todays bikers and the worst ones do seem to be among the born again bikers and possers I am a "re-incarnated" biker myself but unless somebody is something special
we are awe Jock Tamson,s bairns and its them that have the attitude problem ,not me,so let them get on with thinking they are gods gift
WE KNOW DIFFERENT :lol: :lol: :lol:
Wiltshire7
19-01-05, 07:03 PM
i nod to just about every rider i see except chavs on scooters. The only people who almost never nod are people on custom/harley type bikes.
god knows why, all i can think is they think they r better. i dont nod to chavs on scooters cos i dont like em or respect em, maybes its the same when they see me.
Dicky Ticker
19-01-05, 07:20 PM
Wiltshire I think you might be a little unfair with regard to scooter riders as we all have to start somewhere and like many things in life there is good and bad in each lot Some that frequent my local are not kids and genuinely enjoy riding scooters,whilst I agree there is the other fraction who behave stupidly but once they have come off a few times they will learn I just am thankful that the law has changed because when I learned it was on a 110mph 250cc sports bike and I dread to think what damage they could do to themselves,or others
Wiltshire7
19-01-05, 07:46 PM
im not saying all scooter riders, i said chav scooter riders....
hoodie wearing scum bags.
Baldyman
19-01-05, 08:51 PM
Hmmm, now I'm having an identity crisis....let me see.... fat, bald, middle aged, new to (on road) biking.....
SH$T I've bought the wrong bike!!!!
Me? I've even been known to nod to bikers....... when I'm in a car ;-) but that could just be the middle aged bit :-)
Carsick
19-01-05, 09:30 PM
Is it weird that I even nod to police bikers? :wink:
For me the harley is the soft option, low power outputs and barge like handling. Beginners should all start on cruisers, learn the basics and then move onto more powerful bikes.
What bugs me about some harley riders is their contempt for japanese products which borders on racism. Japanese bikes are far better than American bikes. If they had been inovative instead of using the same pushrod style motor for 50 years then maybe they wouldn't have to rely on their bad boy image to sell stuff. H-D make more money from t-shirts than they do from actual bike sales.
They're also a company with an ageing customer base, most owners are 45+. Younger riders want better than H-D have to offer.
As for the SV, the power output is the same as mid-eighties Ducati racers. Funny how now that outputs are 100BHP+ for most bikes, we forget so quickly that 70BHP for a 650 is a lot of grunt.
I bloody hope the SV is a soft option! I bought one on the strength of it to reduce my chances of ending up in the front of a truck after a born-again moment.
im not saying all scooter riders, i said chav scooter riders....
hoodie wearing scum bags.
:lol: totally agree dude. Scooter riders never nod in london, they are too 'cool' it seems! They ride in droves, 14 of them on 50cc peds all in R1 jackets and L plates.
I was at some lights not so long ago, about 5 kids on peds all pulled alongside me and they are looking at me in a 'menacing way' revving their little engines rolling back and forth and im thinking ' :lol: what exactly are you gonna do???'
Dicky Ticker
20-01-05, 02:02 PM
IN A WORD -------"accelerate"
-----and let them sniff the fumes Realise what you meant now you have clarified the "CHAVS" They probably enjoy sniffing anyway
Is it weird that I even nod to police bikers? :wink:
Nope - do it all the time down here. Nod usually returned, too.
Dicky Ticker
20-01-05, 02:30 PM
Can see that is a man into self preservation :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
ArtyLady
20-01-05, 05:47 PM
I bloody hope the SV is a soft option! I bought one on the strength of it to reduce my chances of ending up in the front of a truck after a born-again moment.
IMO (as Ive said before sorry guys) a v twin is more difficult to ride smoothly than a IL4. Having said that Im sure I would have coped fine had the SV been my first bike - Smiffy I think you will reduce your chances of the born-again moment on any bike by the way you ride. :) just take it easy 8) :D
Oh, I do take it very carefully. One of the bonusses of being thirty something is that that fiery pride of youth is on the wane. Bought the bike last April and I managed to get through most of the buttock clenching moments of extreme inexperience without facing imminent doom. Looking forward to learning to be slightly less wussy on the thing this year, while continuing to not die or get mangled.
ArtyLady
20-01-05, 08:15 PM
Oh, I do take it very carefully. One of the bonusses of being thirty something is that that fiery pride of youth is on the wane. Bought the bike last April and I managed to get through most of the buttock clenching moments of extreme inexperience without facing imminent doom. Looking forward to learning to be slightly less wussy on the thing this year, while continuing to not die or get mangled.
good on ya m8 - it only gets better :D
21QUEST
20-01-05, 08:19 PM
Given that they're both V-twins and therefore related, you think he'd have been a bit more friendly :wink:
There are decent people who ride Harleys but most are complete tossers. You found one of then latter group.
And I met one today and he almost killed himself to whilst at it.
Heading towards Vauxuall (London) on South Lambeth Road and when I got to a set of lights there was a harley stopped at the lights. Gave my bike the standard harley riding tosser look then just starred straight ahead(maybe it was the top box :wink: so maybe he has a point eh Jonboy ). In any case no big deal cos I'm having a chilled out day
Lights changed to green and we set off with me behind (no rush). A bit further up the road there are 'road works' and the Lane for oncoming traffic is blocked off so traffic coming the other way has to use the lane which I/him would normally use and we have to use the bus lane. I pulled into the bus lane and harley rider continues on wrong lane. I've got a concience even if I think he is a prat so I speed up a bit and sound my horn trying to get his attention but he ignors me ,speeds up and moves more to the right. I presume to stop me going past if I wanted to. Oh well I thought suit yourself but no! I couldn't do it so carried on sounding my horn. Now there is a car(Range Rover) coming towards him but he carries on regardless. Luckily for him the driver was not asleep as he realised there was a tosser in the wrong lane, blared his horn and braked. At the last second just as I'm bracing my self for the impact tosser swerves narrowingly avoiding being a 'mashed tosser'.
Hopfully he learnt something today.
Cheers
Ben
Yes the SV's a puffs bike.
I'll get my coat :arrow:
Steve H
21-01-05, 08:31 AM
Yes the SV's a puffs bike.
I'll get my coat :arrow:
What, as in Sugar Puff?!!!!!!!! :?
The Polarbear
21-01-05, 08:53 PM
I used to ride a Harley when I lived abroad for five years. The law was too strict and the roads not awfully good for a sports bike and took the soft option and went for a cruiser. I was friends with some other Harley and cruiser riders and ended up becoming a member of a biking chapter. Got to say we were very very different from the Harley riders that I see over in the UK. We were passionate about our bikes and once a member always a member but at the same time, we extended friendliness and comradeship to all bikers! This wasn't just living a "dream" like some City type Harley riders appear to be trying to buy into. We were like a family who just love riding bikes! I can still pick up the phone if I have problems and know that I'm still part of it all! I get the jokes occassionally from them about riding a "Jap Crotch Rocket" but only the same type of light hearted jokes that we make about Hornet riders etc.
I personally nod to 50cc and 125cc riders as well as all the big boys! At the end of the day- if we don't teach the younger and newer riders about nodding and being part of the Biking community it will eventually die out and it will be a lonely lonely ride home from work!
:grouphug:
twnboarder
22-01-05, 03:11 AM
I learned the wave from my Uncle before I was old enough to ride. He waved to everyone, always, and he rode a big Goldwing. Being a rider, I waved to all, but noticed I didnt get the wave/nod back from the Harley types, but usually only the custom 30,000 dollar bike guys, and the big jap bike crew as well, which seem to be the same group that drives around in tricked out civic's wanting to race me and my Acura TL all the time. Either way, i've learned to laugh off the arrogant types and just enjoy my ride and continue to nod to fellow bikers, all whom i consider my bro's. :)
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