Ask the average, non-motorcycle riding “Joe” on the street what they think of Harley riders and I would bet you would get a good number of responses that would include “rebellious”. Ask the average Harley owner and I bet you would get similar answers.
But something I observed recently leaves me perplexed.
You see, I have been catching up on a little of my reading over on The XL Forum. The XL Forum is “The International Portal for Sportster and Buell Motorcycle Enthusiasts”. I have started visiting it frequently because it is a great resource for Sportster (Sporty) owners, which is a requirement for membership, and just happens to be what Pulchritude is.
I was recently reading a thread about putting a radio on a Sporty. The original poster simply asked for options to mount an FM radio on his handlebars and got a wide variety of answers. The suggestions ranged from specific mounts that are available to using an iPod or MP3 player. All great suggestions, in my opinion.
What got me to thinking was the negative responses to the post. Here are a few:
“thats why geezer glides were invented”
“please do not mount a radio to your sportster’s handlebars.”
“If I am gonna have a windshield and a radio. I’m gonna buy a convertible…..”
“buy a damn suburban then if you want all that s–t or a geezer sled.”
Remember, these responses came from people who own Harley Davidson motorcycles. Do you see where the irony is this?
You have people out there that ride a motorcycle because they want to be DIFFERENT from those that drive cars. They “rebel” against the “cagers” (those who drive autos) and fight for their right to be different. Yet they decry their “own” when one wants to add an accessory to their bike that they don’t like. Something that would make them different!
Isn’t it interesting how often this type of scenario occurs in our lives? How about in our personal and work life? Have you ever worked for a place that encourages creativity … but only to a certain point? Or a boss that says he has an open door policy, but really you know he doesn’t? Or a boss who’s behavior says “If I want your opinion, I’ll give it to you!”
In the end, creative freedoms are part of what make our country so great. Our right to have varying opinions, and to be able to express them openly.
So with that, I wish each and every one of you a wonderful Fourth of July! And I encourage you to remember those who were so rebellious many years ago so that we might enjoy these freedoms today.