I\u2019ve never really truly understood the Harley Davidson infatuation, until recently that is.<\/p>\n
When I met Big Steve, he was tearing around on a worked up Ducati Hypermotard while I was on 1100 SP, and I had an instant man-crush. It didn\u2019t take long though before he ditched the Duc and got his Dyna though, and I thought, literally, WTF?<\/p>\n
But over time and non-stop ear bashings about different Harleys, constant lunch visits to Harley Heaven discussing what makes a Road Glide different from a Wide Glide (I still can\u2019t tell 100% of the time), they have slowly but surely, grown on me. Just in time for Steve to ditch his Dyna and jump on a Bavarian Bovine.<\/p>\n
Admittedly, I haven\u2019t been that far from them all of my life, having lived four excellent years on a Buell Ulysses XB12X with the tweaked Harley 1200 Sportster engine.<\/p>\n
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But the souped up Apes, the bling and endless Chrome-ification still elluded me. I just didn\u2019t get it. Well, it turns out it just took some time.<\/p>\n
Now I\u2019m slightly infatuated. I think it started with Big Steve, and ended with getting back into drawing, or more specifically illustrating Harleys.<\/p>\n
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While I don\u2019t see a Harley in my immediate future (unless I win Lotto), I would truly love to own a Rigid with Apes. Or maybe even a Heritage so I can get the look of a rigid with the ride of a Softail.<\/p>\n
That is something you would NEVER hear me even whisper 12 months ago. Something old school like this would be cool:<\/p>\n
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Now I can tell a Shovelhead from a Panhead to a Knucklehead\u2026 and I know a bit about their current line-up and I know my Sporters from my Dynas. It\u2019s fascinating and I\u2019ve really enjoyed finding out everything I can about them.<\/p>\n
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There is certainly a stereotype to being a Harley Rider, and I think in part that is what has put me off all of these years. I\u2019m just not bad ass enough, I would feel like a marauder on a Fatboy.<\/p>\n
But slowly and surely, I have changed my mind about this whole thing.<\/p>\n
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I really like Rigids for the classic chopper look. I totally dig big spoked wheels and I have fallen hard for custom paint jobs.<\/p>\n
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And it seems I am not the only one. Harley Davidson have released a PR campaign, as pointed out by The Motorbike<\/a> Writer, that aims squarely at shaking off that leather vest and Outlaw MC stereotype so oft compared to the Harley Rider.<\/p>\n This can be most clearly seen in the new LiveWire electric\u00a0bike<\/a>\u00a0or the new Street models, but it is even more evident that Harely is going for a stigma-facelift in this promo video\u2026<\/p>\n <\/p>\n