I’ve been preaching a lot about inclusiveness lately, and that applies to how Sean is doing Lanesplitter too. He’s not a Harley or a cruiser guy, so he asked people who are to explain why they love what they ride.
That can be a tricky thing for any enthusiast to put into words. If you care about your car or your bike or whatever, on some level it was an emotional purchase. Explaining it to someone else logically might not make much sense to them. Still, we got some really fantastic answers. Here’s one I like from reader lollercoaster:
The fact is that people ride for a range of different reasons. Your view on what’s important about riding is just narrow. I’m a Sportster owner. 1200 custom.
Is it the fastest bike in it’s class? No.
Does it have the turning radius of a modern sport bike? No
Is it lightweight and nimble for it’s size? No.
Can it stop from 60 to 0 in 2 seconds? No.
Those are important things to you. But they’re not important to me. Believe it or not, I appreciate the quality of the build that Harley has to offer when it comes to other motorcycle companies. I would attest that their attention to detail is the best in the world when it comes to bikes. Driving a vehicle is just as much of an aesthetic experience as it is a functional one, especially for motorcycles in my opinion. And, especially in recent years, I don’t think anyone takes the time perfecting the little things like Harley does. I’ve had my bike for 8 years now, and I can’t tell you how frequently I still notice something on the bike that makes me think, “Wow, I can’t believe they thought of this, but it makes so much sense.”
Knowing that Harley cares so much about the tiniest detail in their aesthetic shows a great deal of care goes into the whole production process. And, I think it does a great deal for the finished product. Anecdotally, I’ve hit 20k miles on my Sportster, and not a single problem.
Ironically, I despise Apple as a company. I can’t understand why anyone would pay twice the amount for what is sometimes half the hardware of competing Windows machines. But, when I focus on my own bias for Harley, I understand. You can tell from the craftsmanship that theycare about the product, and they’re just as obsessed as you are with getting everything right. It doesn’t have to do everything so long as it does the things it sets out to do exceptionally well.Harley is an aesthetic lifestyle brand first, and a “Motor Company” second. Same with Apple and their devices.
I look at BMW motorcylces and I have zero appreciation for them. They’re a good example of bikes that are 100% utilitarian. They’ve put all thought into function, but virtually none into form. That’s not my style. But plenty of people dig it.
Great answer. One of many great answers. At the end of the day, it just comes down to passion for all of us, doesn’t it?
Congrats on your COTD win, lollercoaster. Don’t ever let anyone take the road from you.
Contact the author at patrick@jalopnik.com.