Harley-Davidson in China

[Lao Jia Hou]

Is the sportster a Harley creation or custom?

It is the stock Harley 883 Iron (new one is around 120,000 rmb).

[kikikillercat]

Stripping off the business suit, and dressing up in a pirate costume with lycra tattoos is good for returning to our childhood Halloween memories. And acting like a redneck (it comes more naturally for some) can also be fun for a day. It helps one "fit in" at the local trash saloon (bad food, high prices, crotch-sniffing dogs roaming from table to table, and "attitude" that is thicker than those undercooked horse-meat patties laden with e-coli). Fake beards help too.

i agree...HD are basically "no go show boats" that make noise and vibrate to the tune of 'showing off'

[Lao Jia Hou]

It is about safty and this is a good thing. There is not one school in China, which trains how to ride a bike this size and weight. There is nobody to teach how to ride in a big group.
I believe the Harley chapters need to teach the beginners.

HOG already has plenty of free classes, of all different types (complete beginners to whatever you wish), with good instructors (everything in Chinese). But you need a legal bike and be a HOG member (first year free with a new HD purchase). Full info on the HOG website. BTW, HOG uses plenty of professionally done training videos from the USA (with Chinese subtitles).

[Lao Jia Hou]

i agree...HD are basically "no go show boats" that make noise and vibrate to the tune of 'showing off'

Haha - true! Then again, many cars, boats, etc. also serve that purpose. Nevertheless, HDs are still fun to ride in the correct circumstances. But I still prefer my scooter in town ... by a factor of about a million!

[Lao Jia Hou]

seems everyone in China is into signalling and Road Captains these days.....

No kidding.

Personally, when I get conned into a large group ride, I definitely prefer to be the very last guy ... too damn dangerous inside the group, IMHO ... and my ego doesn't need to be stroked by playing "Mother Goose", with all the little goslings trailing behind me. No fun at all.

Did several HOG rides (mostly back home - only a few here), and I never really found them relaxing.

Like you mention, 1 or 2 other riders is more than enough for me (spread far apart). It is easy to notice when a buddy has pulled over at a rest stop, or if I somehow manage to be out front, it is easy to pull over in a visible spot.

Back in the day, I learned the hand signals ... but now, I only remember one (yeah, that one) ... which I use for all circumstances.

[TB-Racing]

Back in the day, I learned the hand signals ...

mate, ya' better watch out with them road captains and the hand signals......

[Lao Jia Hou]

mate, ya' better watch out with them road captains and the hand signals......

Group fun at its finest!

Damn, the guy on the right looks like Timmy (but no Duc?) ... the "guy" on the left, with his salmon colored pants (politically correct name for "pink"), should be the one in the middle with the stick-on pony tail.

PS: Surprised they are Jing'rs ... I would've guessed Shanghai.

[TB-Racing]

combined HOG rider and safety training without wonder woman and the cartoon movies....
http://hoghd.cn/viewthread.php?tid=11959&extra=page%3D1

[TexasAggie]

My motto is: All Motorcycles are good Motorcycles

I am always happy to see expendable holiday or hobby funds/resources spent on any responsible motorcycle riding, meetings, and general clean 2 wheel fun in China. I am not a Harley rider but I am happy they are starting to see success. The more the better because that will bring on others to join in the fun. Add a few people with government guanxi to the mix and maybe some of the idiotic prejudices against all motorcycles will subside.

[SabineHartmann]

Yesterday evening we decided not to join in the national ride. I dont like the registration form. They even want to know the blood group. Pure data collecting