5 October 2012

The Harley Owners' Group are coming to Canberra

| johnboy
Join the conversation
47
harleys

Che has tipped me off to a planned National Rally of the Harley Owners Group with over 1,300 registrations (and god knows how many just rocking up).

They’re planning a “Thunder Ride” over over 1,000 bikes from the race course, along the GDE, Capital Hill, Kings Avenue, and Parkes Way concluding at Gold Creek.

21 October will be a big one.

Join the conversation

47
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest
Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd4:20 pm 09 Oct 12

EvanJames said :

breda said :

I am watching Bathurst. Here’s a tip. The noise is part of the experience. Like, oh, I don’t know, music at a concert, or physical contact at the footy.

So let them confine their noise to a footy field, or rock concert venue. NOT on Bunda St, or the suburbs, or any street with other people on it.

It’s anti-social wankery. Any grey-haired pudgey accountant can go into a shop and buy a harley, and stick on the loud pipes. It’s not cool, it’s for failed people who desperately want to be cool so they think they can buy it.

And they’re too bloody loud.

I was pleased to read that the cops defected a bunch of them. How about a 3 strikes and you’re crushed policy? Three defect notices… bike is crushed. easy peasy.

Yep.

Doc Dogg said :

You wouldn’t hear someone say that they saw a member of the Hyundai Owners Group get pulled over by the cops for having a loud exhaust and the cop was intimidated by the tough guy in the car.

I dunno, it seems the CrapCel is the car of choice for some very toothless rednecky rural types these days.

breda said :

I am watching Bathurst. Here’s a tip. The noise is part of the experience. Like, oh, I don’t know, music at a concert, or physical contact at the footy.

So let them confine their noise to a footy field, or rock concert venue. NOT on Bunda St, or the suburbs, or any street with other people on it. It’s anti-social wankery. Any grey-haired pudgey accountant can go into a shop and buy a harley, and stick on the loud pipes. It’s not cool, it’s for failed people who desperately want to be cool so they think they can buy it.

And they’re too bloody loud.

I was pleased to read that the cops defected a bunch of them. How about a 3 strikes and you’re crushed policy? Three defect notices… bike is crushed. easy peasy.

Innovation said :

I haven’t checked but are you sure the larger bikes are more economical than cars?. To exaggerate the point, I’m not sure how a 2300cc Triumph Rocket could be more economical than a 1200cc lightweight car.

Some Quick googling suggests that a Triumph Rocket III (2294cc) gets about 5.5L/100km.

A Toyota Corolla (1798cc) gets 7.3L/11km.

Whether you consider that efficient in comparison kind of depends on where your interests lay. The Corolla will sit five (smallish) people in warm dry comfort. The Corolla will not intimidate anyone. Although it is an unfair choice for this comparison – either you should be comparing the fuel efficiency of a Dodge Viper (8400cc) at 14.7L/100km or a Suzuki GS500 (487cc) at 3.9 to 4.7 litres per 100 km at 80–90 km/h.

I really liked Mythbusters a while back, but I can’t watch it any more because I always be frustrated at the simplistic way they look at problems- yet simultaneously performing complex one off tests. Motorcycle will never be more fuel efficient per passenger then a full bus – but what percentage of trips in Canberra are single-person-in-car-and-can’t-find-a-good-park?

Funny how everyone is complaining about the noise level….

#41 – interesting (quick) read but I suspect that they are still comparing similarly sized engines. And my comment about public art was flippant. Too many people on RA (probably including me) complain about things they don’t like or don’t appreciate and the resources expended (in this case police) even though it might be to the benefit of other groups.

Don’t get me wrong though, I love big bore bikes and, as posted by others earlier, a nicely angled V twin that’s reasonably baffled makes a lovely sound and the bikes are usually beautiful to look at.

#40

Apparently you’re right about emissions. Or partly right:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/greenspace/2011/09/mythbusters-motorcycle-emissions.html

But I stand by the point about parking, and general road space used, and the fact that each motorbike uses less raw material to make is inarguable. And you can like bikes and public art!

poetix said :

Deref said :

breda said :

I think it is also worth mentioning that some of these bikes are works of art

Absolutely.

And their appropriate place is in an art gallery.

Yet, each motorbike frees up space and uses less petrol than even an economical car. They are better for the environment. And I do think they are beautiful, and add variety and a different tone to the roads. Admittedly sometimes a loud tone, but that doesn’t really worry me.

I haven’t checked but are you sure the larger bikes are more economical than cars?. To exaggerate the point, I’m not sure how a 2300cc Triumph Rocket could be more economical than a 1200cc lightweight car.

Having said that, I like the sound of most of the louder bikes. Like any group though, a few bad apples make theirs painfully loud and it ruins it for everyone. And for the nongs that think loud pipes save lives, that may be true but by the same analogy, should I drive around with a siren on top of my car?

As for this group, I hope they have fun, don’t cause too much trouble and bring lots of money into town. For those of you who don’t like them being here, perhaps they will stop and look at all of the useless roadside artwork that you probably do like.

And #37 Bundah – LOL. I haven’t had a good laugh for a while but please don’t do that again. Coffee up your nose is not a pleasant experience.

What a laugh some of these comments have given me 🙂

I laughed out loud at the thought of a police officer being intimidated by someone who is a member of the harley owners group (I know that wasn’t specifically what Bundah was saying, it just gave me the image)…considering the harley owners group are the equivalent of any old car or bike owners group. I’m sure they have one or two members who are rough, but the majority of them are just ordinary people who bought a harley and filled out the membership form in the dealership.

You wouldn’t hear someone say that they saw a member of the Hyundai Owners Group get pulled over by the cops for having a loud exhaust and the cop was intimidated by the tough guy in the car.

Who needs the RTA when the Riot Act fun police are out in full force…

breda said :

#35

What has your anecdote got to do with a future event involving people from other places?

Well bugger me i didn’t realise you were a moderator.I’ll tell ya what send me your email details and i’ll check with you before i post!

#35

What has your anecdote got to do with a future event involving people from other places?

Yep gutless like the time an extremely agro harley rider was pulled over by a ‘green’ cop outside the cab rank in Bunda St. The bikie pulled up in the middle of the road and refused to move so back up was called and after much yelling and cursing re an excessively loud exhaust on the bike they finally let him go some 15 mins later and he roared up the road at speed with the cops looking on shaking their heads.

They could and should have defected the bike on the spot but no it was obvious listening to the argument that the cop was intimidated and it was just all too hard!

Golden-Alpine3:55 pm 07 Oct 12

It should be made clear that the Harley Owners Group and the Rebel’s are two different groups.

bundah said :

troll-sniffer said :

Jethro said :

Deref said :

Jethro said :

Why do people have to complain about something which can simply be enjoyed?

If I enjoyed mindless noise I’d just stick my head in the back of a 747 engine. Or buy a doof machine.

I was referring more to the fact people would prefer to whinge about the noise (which in all likelihood will not affect them, as the bikes don’t seem to be doing a trip through huge chunks of suburbia) than to see this as an opportunity to go out and see something a bit interesting.

I do have a very real problem with the Harley riding cockhead who demonstrates his ownership of a very small penis by riding up Bunda St in the city with zero muffling and flooring it at every opportunity especially in the enclosed space of the pedestrian crossing near Dobinsons. Amongst quite a few other similar losers around the city. A properly muffled Harley with a decent note is a thing of beauty and joy, a pointlessly loud and anti-social harley truly does earn the title of shitbox. (the lack of a capital H for harley is in this case totally deliberate).

Look at me,how cool am i? The real question is why the cops don’t defect them? Could it be that they’re gutless?

What, gutless like an anonymous internet sook? 60 year old men on Harley’s are pretty frightening.

I am watching Bathurst. Here’s a tip. The noise is part of the experience. Like, oh, I don’t know, music at a concert, or physical contact at the footy.

Harleys have been the soundtrack for a lot of popular culture, probably starting with the hit single “Leader of the Pack” (brmm, brmm brmm). The sound is unmistakable, and it’s like a tank rolling over rough country.

Apart from the xenophobic desire to repel visitors to the national capital who are not exactly like them, the substance of the complaints made by the righteous is ridiculous. They will not be shattering the peace of garden suburbs like Charnwood. Most of the participants will be over 40, and are not here to drop the next load of ice. They want to have a ride and create a memento by circling the nation’s monuments, for which they have paid. What’s wrong with that?

I can assure you that NSW Pol are out in force on the federal highway today. They have picked up a few fellas.

I don’t care how loud the exhaust is to be honest with you, if it prompts a motorist to check their mirrors, and avoid hitting someone on a motorbike.

I do however suspect there is more to this meeting that just Harley’s though 😉

Apparently the legal decibel noise limit for Harleys is 100db however someone i know at rego has said that they have recorded Harleys at 115 up to 118 db which is effectively 3 to 4 times louder,and not too dissimilar to loud rock concerts.

breda said :

Perhaps the politically correct brigade who want to harass these visitors – who are Australians and have every right to enjoy their national capital – should be demanding drug testing and sniffer dogs for all conference and convention delegates. After all, the laws are there to be enforced, right?

Nah, that smeg sounds like it’ll make it way harder for me to score my weed. We should just do the noise violation thing 😀

Deref said :

breda said :

I think it is also worth mentioning that some of these bikes are works of art

Absolutely.

And their appropriate place is in an art gallery.

Yet, each motorbike frees up space and uses less petrol than even an economical car. They are better for the environment. And I do think they are beautiful, and add variety and a different tone to the roads. Admittedly sometimes a loud tone, but that doesn’t really worry me.

troll-sniffer said :

Jethro said :

Deref said :

Jethro said :

Why do people have to complain about something which can simply be enjoyed?

If I enjoyed mindless noise I’d just stick my head in the back of a 747 engine. Or buy a doof machine.

I was referring more to the fact people would prefer to whinge about the noise (which in all likelihood will not affect them, as the bikes don’t seem to be doing a trip through huge chunks of suburbia) than to see this as an opportunity to go out and see something a bit interesting.

I do have a very real problem with the Harley riding cockhead who demonstrates his ownership of a very small penis by riding up Bunda St in the city with zero muffling and flooring it at every opportunity especially in the enclosed space of the pedestrian crossing near Dobinsons. Amongst quite a few other similar losers around the city. A properly muffled Harley with a decent note is a thing of beauty and joy, a pointlessly loud and anti-social harley truly does earn the title of shitbox. (the lack of a capital H for harley is in this case totally deliberate).

Look at me,how cool am i? The real question is why the cops don’t defect them? Could it be that they’re gutless?

troll-sniffer10:57 am 07 Oct 12

Jethro said :

Deref said :

Jethro said :

Why do people have to complain about something which can simply be enjoyed?

If I enjoyed mindless noise I’d just stick my head in the back of a 747 engine. Or buy a doof machine.

I was referring more to the fact people would prefer to whinge about the noise (which in all likelihood will not affect them, as the bikes don’t seem to be doing a trip through huge chunks of suburbia) than to see this as an opportunity to go out and see something a bit interesting.

I do have a very real problem with the Harley riding cockhead who demonstrates his ownership of a very small penis by riding up Bunda St in the city with zero muffling and flooring it at every opportunity especially in the enclosed space of the pedestrian crossing near Dobinsons. Amongst quite a few other similar losers around the city. A properly muffled Harley with a decent note is a thing of beauty and joy, a pointlessly loud and anti-social harley truly does earn the title of shitbox. (the lack of a capital H for harley is in this case totally deliberate).

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd9:49 am 07 Oct 12

breda said :

I think it is also worth mentioning that some of these bikes are works of art, at least if the macrame set are to be believed. People have spent hundreds of hours and who knows how many dollars on them. More significant is the ‘if I don’t personally approve of every aspect of it, it should be banned’ mindset. It does threaten all around.

No they are not.
They are noisy pieces of scrap metal.

breda said :

I think it is also worth mentioning that some of these bikes are works of art

Absolutely.

And their appropriate place is in an art gallery.

I think it is also worth mentioning that some of these bikes are works of art, at least if the macrame set are to be believed. People have spent hundreds of hours and who knows how many dollars on them. More significant is the ‘if I don’t personally approve of every aspect of it, it should be banned’ mindset. It does threaten all around.

54-11 said :

Loud pipes save lives.

Citation needed.

Seriously, does anyone have anything resembling scientific proof of this statement? Just because it’s not entirely implausable and is hard to disprove doesn’t actually make it true. Or legal.

Hmm, perhaps I should add any and all lights I feel like to my car because the increased visibility might save my life.

KB1971 said :

A nicely angled V twin with a partially restricted exhaust = nice sound

An inline four with anything other than a standard exhaust = busted fart

A Harley Davidson with no mufflers at all ( as most of the aftermarket exhausts are ) = the mot annoying thing on wheels on the road.

Loud pipes save lives? Crock of shit, good roadcraft saves lives but even then it is a lottery.

To the people critisisinf the authorities? It taked 10 minutes to change a set of pipes on a Harley, how long do you think the quiet pipes stay on for after leaving an inspection?

Yep, loud bikes are not pleasant but they are a fact of life. Just like Canberra drivers…….

Mmm, I should spell check better, must be the port……

When I was younger I thought Ducatis were the most desirable motorcycle. I loved being overtaken by them whan I was on my Suzuki 250. Their noise is loud, but somehow not annoying. I still think they are beautiful.

Now, though, I think if I ever bought a motorcycle, it would be a Harley. There’s so low; just ideal for the middle-aged. And no-one actually leans them into corners. In some ways they’re almost the step-through of motorbikes…like scooters, but with a little more grunt.

(-:

A nicely angled V twin with a partially restricted exhaust = nice sound

An inline four with anything other than a standard exhaust = busted fart

A Harley Davidson with no mufflers at all ( as most of the aftermarket exhausts are ) = the mot annoying thing on wheels on the road.

Loud pipes save lives? Crock of shit, good roadcraft saves lives but even then it is a lottery.

To the people critisisinf the authorities? It taked 10 minutes to change a set of pipes on a Harley, how long do you think the quiet pipes stay on for after leaving an inspection?

Yep, loud bikes are not pleasant but they are a fact of life. Just like Canberra drivers…….

Deref said :

Jethro said :

Why do people have to complain about something which can simply be enjoyed?

If I enjoyed mindless noise I’d just stick my head in the back of a 747 engine. Or buy a doof machine.

I was referring more to the fact people would prefer to whinge about the noise (which in all likelihood will not affect them, as the bikes don’t seem to be doing a trip through huge chunks of suburbia) than to see this as an opportunity to go out and see something a bit interesting.

breda said :

They won’t be going very fast round the circles, though. The old ones steer like a refrigerator on wheels.

The new ones don’t handle much better.

Jethro said :

Why do people have to complain about something which can simply be enjoyed?

If I enjoyed mindless noise I’d just stick my head in the back of a 747 engine. Or buy a doof machine.

gazket said :

Harley Davidson, turning petrol into noise since 1903

Without the side effect of horsepower…

I think it will be awesome. The sound of a Harley is evocative of an era when motorbikes – especially Harleys (or Triumph/BSA for Poms) symbolised youthful rebellion and freedom.

They won’t be going very fast round the circles, though. The old ones steer like a refrigerator on wheels.

Perhaps the politically correct brigade who want to harass these visitors – who are Australians and have every right to enjoy their national capital – should be demanding drug testing and sniffer dogs for all conference and convention delegates. After all, the laws are there to be enforced, right?

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd6:41 am 06 Oct 12

EvanJames said :

54-11 said :

EvanJames said :

And, as usual, the police will turn a blind eye (or ear) to their non-compliant NOISY exhausts. One rule for some, I guess.

Loud pipes save lives. Losers in their cars with stereos up loud, pedestrians with earphones on, and cyclists in whatever world they live in, are dangerous to bikes.

It’s all about being noticed by the morons.

No, it’s all about being a wanker.

Qft

Jethro said :

Why do people have to complain about something which can simply be enjoyed?
.

Don’t mind much insulated in the car, but on the bicycle at the lights, oh, my ears.

As for warning, I’ve been riding in the Cotter and the wind+helmet masked the moto about to overttake me.

It’s debateable how many will actually make it to Canberra. After all, they’re riding harleys.

Harley Davidson, turning petrol into noise since 1903

Why do people have to complain about something which can simply be enjoyed?

1000 Harleys all roaring through Canberra would be a sight to behold. Junior Jethro is almost as excited as he gets in the lead-up to Christmas.

If they fine all of them who don’t have mufflers, it’ll pay for light rail.

54-11 said :

EvanJames said :

And, as usual, the police will turn a blind eye (or ear) to their non-compliant NOISY exhausts. One rule for some, I guess.

Loud pipes save lives. Losers in their cars with stereos up loud, pedestrians with earphones on, and cyclists in whatever world they live in, are dangerous to bikes.

It’s all about being noticed by the morons.

I recently found out that my stock bike and stock exhaust are well over the legal noise limit. And I really don’t think it is that loud.

Having said that, I occasionally hear a bike which is so loud it isn’t funny. Some of those people could probably stand to add a baffle or two.

54-11 said :

EvanJames said :

And, as usual, the police will turn a blind eye (or ear) to their non-compliant NOISY exhausts. One rule for some, I guess.

Loud pipes save lives. Losers in their cars with stereos up loud, pedestrians with earphones on, and cyclists in whatever world they live in, are dangerous to bikes.

It’s all about being noticed by the morons.

No, it’s all about being a wanker.

EvanJames said :

And, as usual, the police will turn a blind eye (or ear) to their non-compliant NOISY exhausts. One rule for some, I guess.

Loud pipes save lives. Losers in their cars with stereos up loud, pedestrians with earphones on, and cyclists in whatever world they live in, are dangerous to bikes.

It’s all about being noticed by the morons.

Conan of Cooma2:37 pm 05 Oct 12

I feel fully vindicated in directing y’all to South Park whilst I call these guys FAGS!

Holden Caulfield2:35 pm 05 Oct 12

That’s some convoy. Will Alan Jones be donning some leathers too?

And, as usual, the police will turn a blind eye (or ear) to their non-compliant NOISY exhausts. One rule for some, I guess.

troll-sniffer2:08 pm 05 Oct 12

A glorious opportunity for those responsible for upholding vehicle noise legislation to conduct on the spot checks and issue defect notices to non-complying bikes. After all, without meaningful enforcement what’s the point in having laws?

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.