The Harley Davidson motorcycle has a wonderful American history. Millions have been sold. A few bad years, but they’re really popular with some people. When a Harley comes from the factory, it is quiet, smooth, and beautiful. 99% of owners absolutely refuse to leave them as quiet bikes. 99% of buyers and owners instantly throw away the factory mufflers and substitute either straight exhaust pipes, or loud mufflers. This syndrome, to me, speaks of something, and I am certain many will disagree with, but I have an opinion on everything. Harley owners take great delight in making a loud noise. BMW or Honda Gold Wing owners take great pride in making no loud noise. Many professional wealthy lawyers and doctors take weekends irritating everyone with their Harleys, and often, in an attempt to be ’one of the guys,’ even sport fake tattoos, fake beards and long hair. Why? Is it possible that these imitators of the real "Hell’s Angels," type of club, are suffering from a childhood that was bereft of parental love and affection? Are they sons of wealthy families who had little or no actual parental love and family life, thanks to parent’s being too busy making big bucks? Are they saying, "Look at me. I have a loud bike, and I am a real man making all that noise and irritating everyone. I didn’t have any attention when I was growing up, but now look at me and give me attention!"
Why else would a professional man or woman take such great delight in making a loud noise and trying to be like the actual creeps who are criminals, and have loud bikes, long hair and beards? I live in a small town, 30 miles from America’s most rugged mountain range, with three 14,000 foot peaks and lots of camp sites and gorgeous scenery. Hundreds of Harleys go through my town in summers, and 99% of them are loud, and their owners take great delight in screaming high revs and loud exhaust. Last Saturday, over hundred Harleys congregated at a local restaurant, and were off on a trek to the mountains. The bikes were gorgeous, perfectly polished, and all were very loud…deliberately. This goes on all summer. Lots of BMW’s, Gold Wings, and other quiet bikes also go through, but their owners don’t have sky high handlebars, loud exhausts, and other paraphernalia and appearances seemingly always present with Harley riders.
My home is an 1887 brick Queen Anne, which was out in the country when it was built, but now it is in town, and on the main street, which Harley riders use to get to the mountains. All summer long, we sit on the porch and observe thousands of vehicles go by, and it is fun. Motor homes, SUV’s, and thousands of cars and motorcycles. We take them all in stride, but we wonder just what type of childhood the loud, boisterous Harley riders must have had to have the, "Look at me, I’m making an ass of myself, and irritating everyone I come in contact with, but that’s tough, and you can’t do a damned thing about it." We go to Silverton, Ouray, and Durango Colorado some times in summers, and the Harley crowd gives those towns a bad name they way they act and sound. I’ve had four bikes, two of them ’Beemers,’ and at 81, I consider myself too old to ride any more, and besides a motorcycles is actually only good for about three or four months a year, and then in dry weather, so I’ve outgrown them. Never had or rode a Harley. Some say they’re underpowered, and aren’t even close to a BMW technically. Maybe true, but I don’t know. I’ve had three motor homes, and want no more of them either. Big blunderbusses getting a few miles per gallon, and the cost of the fuel alone compared to a car would pay for a motel and restaurant with no hooking up electrical, plumbing, antennas, etc. Had four swimming pools, and they’re far too much trouble and expense for the few times you use them. Ah! Old age is grand. You can look back at all the stuff you have done and discarded as pointless, and smile. I never get tired of gold and silver.