Good topic.   For reference we own a 2008 Vision ....all black.....and I mean all black

We go on rides held by ole time motorcycle club and most of the bikes are Harleys.   So far we own the only Victory.

What I have found is every person on the rides has a keen interest in our Vision and ask many questions the first time they see the Vision.  At gas and eat stops we sometimes are there with another group......again mostly Harleys......and many owners ask questions and passengers on the Harleys come over and talk to my wife also.  So in this environment where we are part of the Harley group everything works out fine.  I have found most will say they like that Victory is made in America and some will say a friend of theirs has bought one or is thinking on the purchase.  Others never have seen a Vision close up and in general like the styling far more in person than photos or at least this is what they say.   Passengers are impressed with the Vision seating and some have ask for a test sitting ...if you will.

In general when we are riding alone it is different at gas stops where there is a group of Harley Owners and half the time they simply ignore us by intent.   At eating/ice cream stops when there is one or two Harleys most often they stop over and we talk about each others bikes.  

On the road with us riding alone some Harley owners will wave, most to not.   Same for BMW owners.  Couple times a year another a Harley not riding with other bikes will want to give it a go.....in this case I show no mercy and the results are predictable.

Sooooooo.....what do we tell our Harley friends?   Nothing......we let their conversation or questions lead the way and go from there.  Frankly......we dont have to preach about the Vision nor would we....it pretty much speaks for itself and when you are riding with 15 Harley owners and some have 40k plus in their bikes and at a gas stop non riders and other riders not in the group show up and walk right past their bikes and come over and talk to us......what is there to tell them.

Mike

I guess this is the part I left out in my prior reply.......sorry.

Their group rides have good destinations, but normally they poke along on the main highways so our work around is to not ride back to the clubhouse with them.   We pick other routes or places to see and sometimes a few decide on the ride to along at which point we are leading the ride and more/less in control.

Also not covered in my reply is we ride about 75% of our time with just us and the Vision and we also ride with my friend and his wife...he does not own a Harley.

Mike

Blue Sky Guy - 2011-04-27 11:12 AM good analysis 222. The fact of the matter is that most Harleys CAN keep up with us unless we are riding hard, then, as you say, the results are predictable. I think my problem is that a couple of my Harley friends don't want to ride in a group and tend to fall back. So, on a tour if you are riding at plus ten and they are just maintaining the speed limit, in the two hours between gas stops, they fall twenty miles behind you, and you end up waiting an extra fifteen or twenty minutes for them to catch up, only to repeat... (I don't want to wait.) Maybe this is just the nature of a "group ride". The slow poke takes the chance of being alone on the highway in the event of a breakdown and loses an hour at the pool at the end of the day. Most of my rider friends are happy with the ten plus program with an occasional wild hair. Life is good, so I probably should not worry about the slowpoke. I started this thread looking for a way to convince my slowpoke friends that their bikes are totally capable of running at 80-85mph by the hour. But now I'm thinking the real problem is between the ears of these guys. So who wants to say that the REAL problem is between MY ears because I want to ride a little fast? Chances are that that person does not ride a Vision. BTW, I've had only one speeding ticket in fifty years on the highway.

See my reply below that you and others can use if you want when it gets tense at times with other riders related to the notion that one bike brand is mandatory for all Americans.

>>>>>>

My uncle was killed in WWll.....my dad and his brothers served and made it home.  They did this so all of us would be free.....and also..... have the freedom to pick the bike to ride we wanted.

That is that!

wilsondude - 2011-04-27 3:47 PM wilsondude - 2011-04-27 12:26 PM My best buddy, who I ride with 95% of the time, also has a VV. I won't ride with anybody else who has something different; what would we have to talk about?! The only other bikes I'm even moderately interested in are one-off customs-they might get a glance or wave. How full of crap am I?!! Actually my buddy does own a VV, but neither of us cares who rides with us, or what they ride. All my friends know that I'm gonna give them heck/crap about something-maybe their bike-but it's all in fun. And of course, I expect them to give it back in spades!! Keep it all on the light side, ya' know?! I even get after him, 'cause he doesn't have as much chrome as I do - always messin' around!

Hmmmm, I can't imagine where all the hostility would come from.  There surely has never been a group of bikers who thought they were better than everybody else and they had the only  "real" motorcycles.  Gee, this phenomenon just reared it's ugly head over the  last 10 years?  Funny, that's about when another American company came along and gave us all a choice.

Let me go to my room and think about it while I make some more posters.

The small ole club I spoke of in my prior post which is mostly Harleys has the same problem with people falling back on group rides, but the situation we have is the group leader is riding the speed limit and there are some that still fall behind.  Now they dont fall behind 20 minutes in an hour, but still there is this wait at route change of directions and this has everyone else sitting along the road on the berm just waiting for some distracted motorist to plow into us.

I have been part of a Vintage MC Group for Honda CBXs (6 cylinders sport and sport/tour versions...made in 1978 to 1982) and at rallies and rides we solved this by having sport rides and tour/two up rides and this gets people into the group they should be in before the ride starts and generally there are no issues.   Each ride and group on any bike we have owned is sort a unique group/mix of people and there might not be two group ride leaders available so this approach might not work.....but just an idea for you to consider.   Also when a ride destination is the goal....the tour/two up ride would leave earlier, so everyone would get there at the same time.

All of this is one reason we dont ride with larger groups that much, but sort of just tough it out if you will and like to go on these group rides when there is a neat destination ...plus it is good at the gas and eat stops to be able to talk to others about their bikes and all....

Mike  

 Blue Sky Guy - 2011-04-27 11:12 AM good analysis 222. The fact of the matter is that most Harleys CAN keep up with us unless we are riding hard, then, as you say, the results are predictable. I think my problem is that a couple of my Harley friends don't want to ride in a group and tend to fall back. So, on a tour if you are riding at plus ten and they are just maintaining the speed limit, in the two hours between gas stops, they fall twenty miles behind you, and you end up waiting an extra fifteen or twenty minutes for them to catch up, only to repeat... (I don't want to wait.) Maybe this is just the nature of a "group ride". The slow poke takes the chance of being alone on the highway in the event of a breakdown and loses an hour at the pool at the end of the day. Most of my rider friends are happy with the ten plus program with an occasional wild hair. Life is good, so I probably should not worry about the slowpoke. I started this thread looking for a way to convince my slowpoke friends that their bikes are totally capable of running at 80-85mph by the hour. But now I'm thinking the real problem is between the ears of these guys. So who wants to say that the REAL problem is between MY ears because I want to ride a little fast? Chances are that that person does not ride a Vision. BTW, I've had only one speeding ticket in fifty years on the highway.

I agree with you.  This bs of not waving and ignoring everyone not on the bike brand you own certainly was not the way it was when I started riding way back in the early 60s.  In the small coal mining town is SE Ahia and the nearby area it was 98% Harleys, a few Indians and fewer yet Brit bikes.....yet everyone waved, stopped to help if someone was broke down and at gas/eat stops even sat together with other bikers we did now know. 

My situation was I was in High School and rode a BSA Goldstar roadracer on the street that I bought for a song and fixed up.....about as far as one could get from any Harley made at that time, yet the problem discussed above never happened then.   Yes, in bike years (like dog years) ....1960 was a million years ago and there were far fewer bikes on the road then.

I first noticed this.... its my bike (HD) or you are excluded phenom..... when the Japanese bikes starting to be imported into America.....not right off when there were only small displacement bikes.......but this changed in the mid to late 1970s.....when bikes from Japan came in 750cc to 1100cc and the Goldwing started to look like a tour bike.  Ofcourse HD still were the dominate bike one saw on rides then......as now for that matter.......but there were far more non HD on the road for the first time .....and again this is when waving and talking to everyone at stops .......started in my view.   

Fast forward to say 1980s........it is not just HD.....but now BMW riders have joined in and and my view are worse in not waving or being friendly at gas and eat stops. The latter was got so bad lately they would start to wave at us since we were riding a dual purpose 1000cc bike made in Italy.....Aprilia infact.....that looked a bit like the BMW GS1200 at a distance....but when they realized it was not a BMW.....would pull their hand down half way in the waving process.

Ofcourse it is not the end of the world one way or the other and I part of the original post intent so I will conclude with this.....anyone in/near SE PA inteested in a ride  ....let me know.....I will put it together for the great country roads in Mts near here.......super great eats.......lets start there.

Sidebar:  For those interested in this 1960s era of motorcycling in America I put together a story.....true story of how it was for me......color pix and all.   Long read, but from a historical perspective stand point you might enjoy it.   Link  https://backup.filesanywhere.com/fs/v.aspx?v=896d688e596271a66d9d

Mike

 MaddMAx2u - 2011-04-30 12:17 PM I remember the day.......when we were all brothers as we were all bikers. Yes, I have been riding for 40 years (since I was 14) I still do not understand the recent need to bash riders of other brands/types. Seems this phenomenon has arisen over the last 10 years. It matters not what brand you ride. It matters not if you ride a crotch rocket or a V-twin or a chopper. We are ALL family. We are ALL brothers and sisters in a world of cagers. I wave to all my passing brothers/sisters. I stop to offer help to every biker that needs road side assistance. I don't give a schit what they ride. All that matters is that they ride!! It seems motorcycling has become such a large community that many feel the need to play "I'm better than you" Here's a clue........your not! What you ride is just a matter of personal choice, not a symbol of how great you are. Now go to your room and think about it. Come out when you are ready to play nice.