What is it with Harley riders?

[RobertN]

The next steps up for my bike would have been adding an air shifter, then lightening the crank shaft.

Now they use a Quick Shifter". Once you let the clutch out in 1st, all you have to do is bump the shifter. Been on a lot o brands of bikes for a while now (Aftermarket)

 

[Jstpssng]

Most of the reasons given make sense… IF the bikes actually had some kind of muffler. Some guys do it just to be d-heads, however.
The same can be said for truckers with straight pipes going through town playing with the jake… “Look at ME”, while giving all truckers a bad name.

Years ago (1983) I was in my Ranger and had to stop for somebody making a left turn. The punk behind me on his 350 Honda with straight pipes thought it was funny to pull up beside me and start blipping the throttle, while his girlfriend on back sat there giggling. I just worked up through the gears driving normally while he matched my speed. It wasn’t until the straight stretch ran out that he realized how fast we were going and that grin came off his face, turning to fear when he discovered the bike didn’t have what it took to get in front of me.

 

[5030]

What I find interesting about most Harley riders is.. The are all role playing. Acting like 1%'ers on their potato bikes then going home and turning back into suburbanites or office rats. I find in amusing.

When I was much younger and much stupider, I was a member of the Saints MC in Cleveland, Ohio, way back when, wore my colors, participated in beer parties ands orgies, smoked plenty of dope and other things too. It was an experience. I had a 45 inch Harley Shovel head chopper. Those days are long gone and to be candid about it, I outgrew it and got on with life. Was an interesting time back then though. Part of growing up I guess and I'm glad I did it anyway.

When I ride any of my bikes, I do wear a leather jacket, heavy jeans and a full face helmet and leather boots. One never knows and on a bike you are always on the loosing side, no matter what. Put a ton of miles on bikes over the years and (knock in wood), never even had a close call, but then I ride defensively all the time.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

I have more than one motorcycle, but I ride my Harley the most.

I bump the throttle when down shifting, but I still have the stock exhaust my bike, and I have no intension of removing it.

SR

 

[MossRoad]

Now they use a Quick Shifter". Once you let the clutch out in 1st, all you have to do is bump the shifter. Been on a lot o brands of bikes for a while now (Aftermarket)

Air shifter once you launch, all you have to do is push the button with your left thumb to shift. No footwork.

 

[MossRoad]

Air shifter once you launch, all you have to do is push the button with your left thumb to shift. No footwork.

One other thing...

Between the time you take off and the time you need to make your first shift, you have to be extremely quick AND accurate with your foot placement or you blow the 1-2 shift. Quick shifter does not resolve that issue, as you have to get your foot off the ground and onto the pegs in an instant.

Air shifter eliminates that completely.

 

[WinterDeere]

He also owns two of the three following means of letting the world know their awesomeness:

1. Vanity plate(s)
2. Bumper stickers
3. Truck nuts

 

[CalG]

I ride
I don't like loud pipes. Loud pipes do NOT save lives!
I LOVE the mechanical whirrr of gear driven overhead cams.
I enjoy sliding through town on main street without a turned head,
Riding for 55 years + will do that to a fella.

The Harley individualist image is marred by the predictable uniform.

But I would ride, and sometimes drool over a clean KHK!

 

[tacticalturnip]

He also owns two of the three following means of letting the world know their awesomeness:

1. Vanity plate(s)
2. Bumper stickers
3. Truck nuts

I've had vanity plates on and off for most of my time driving...

 

[oosik]

I rode a Harley - FXDL -for more than 25 years. I never had to bump the throttle when coming to a stop. Now I wonder what I was missing. It had a turnout exhaust system. It could be VERY loud if I wanted it. Seldom found it to be necessary.

 

[Hay Dude]

I have more than one motorcycle, but I ride my Harley the most.

I bump the throttle when down shifting, but I still have the stock exhaust my bike, and I have no intension of removing it.

SR

I blip the throttle on manual transmissions when down shifting to match the engine’s RPMs to the transmissions RPMs so you don’t lurch your vehicle forward when the clutch is engaged.
Makes for a smoother slowing down process.

 

[mrmikey]

I blip the throttle on manual transmissions when down shifting to match the engine’s RPMs to the transmissions RPMs so you don’t lurch your vehicle forward when the clutch is engaged

I haven't owned a standard for decades other than my current bike, an '09 Kawi Voyager but that's something I've always done. I've always thought it was a necessity if you wanted a smooth downshift.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I rode a Harley - FXDL -for more than 25 years. I never had to bump the throttle when coming to a stop. Now I wonder what I was missing. It had a turnout exhaust system. It could be VERY loud if I wanted it. Seldom found it to be necessary.

you don't have too... it depends on if you use the brakes or if you mostly use the engine as brake or how fast you down shift while breaking... if you use your break and wait until the rpm and speed is very low to down shift then you don't have to rev match (bum the throttle)... lets say your in 3th gear at 2500 rpm at 40 miles per hour and you down shift to second gear at that same speed you engine will be at 5000 rpm so if you don't match the RPM prior to let the clutch go the rear wheel has to force the engine to reach that RPM and in the process will cause a rapid deceleration (jerk motion) and can momentarily lock that wheel... so it all depends on the RPM differences between the gears at a set speed.

 

[5030]

I've had vanity plates on and off for most of my time driving...

So have I and still do actually, all our vehicles have them and they all have the farm name (ARD) followed by a number starting with 1 and continuing through 6.

 

[5030]

I haven't owned a standard for decades other than my current bike, an '09 Kawi Voyager but that's something I've always done. I've always thought it was a necessity if you wanted a smooth downshift.

NOPE

 

[5030]

Loud pipes are loud pipes on anything. One of my renters has a Dodge RAM pickup truck with a Cumapart turbo diesel and a straight exhaust that I get to listen to every morning at 6AM when he goes to work and little does he know that I based his last rent increase on his noisy 6AM exit. I find that exhaust noise irritating when it awakens me from sleep in the morning, so I compensated for it......lol

 

[WinterDeere]

I drove manual transmission cars for 30 years, until they simply became unavailable on the model types I was buying, and also usually downshifted to slow to a stop. I did it out of a combination of habit and fun, but one lingering thought always in the back of my mind was how much more work it is to replace a worm clutch versus worn brakes.

 

[5030]

I drove manual transmission cars for 30 years, until they simply became unavailable on the model types I was buying, and also usually downshifted to slow to a stop. I did it out of a combination of habit and fun, but one lingering thought always in the back of my mind was how much more work it is to replace a worm clutch versus worn brakes.

Of you match the engine speed to the mainshaft speed on ANY transmission it will slip right into gear with no 'blipping' of the throttle needed whatsoever and no clutch wear at all because the dry clutch is never disengaged. Did that for over 40 years (and still do it today) with a big truck (diesel semi) as well as my tractors. Clutch's to me are optional and just for coming to a complete stop and starting out from a complete stop and I never replaced a clutch in a big truck either.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I drove manual transmission cars for 30 years, until they simply became unavailable on the model types I was buying, and also usually downshifted to slow to a stop. I did it out of a combination of habit and fun, but one lingering thought always in the back of my mind was how much more work it is to replace a worm clutch versus worn brakes.

Clutch only wore out in the friction zone while it's slipping (half engage) , rev match while down shifting might be harder on the motor (higher RPM while doing it then not and using the motor for breaking so bigger effort) if anything, but not the clutch if anything it is better on the clutch since you make the fly wheel spin at the same speed as the clutch during the point of contact.

edit: I must add that your method of breaking first and downshifting ''too slow'' at very low speed or RPM has the same effect as rev match for the clutch. I guess the advantage of rev match is you are always in the peak torque zone if acceleration is suddenly required, always in the proper gear and arguably a more control maybe also faster deceleration while preserving your breaks.

 

[5030]

Keep in mind that almost all motorcycles have wet clutch's not dry clutches.