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BMWs not welcome at Michigan's Bike Week

Z

ziggyland

Guest
Just got back from Ogemaw Hills Bike Week (formally the West Branch HOG Rondevue). Wanted to watch the hill climb last Sunday but the tickets to the event cost $60 apiece.
To view the event (already 2 hours into the race) we would have to by a week long pass ($50) into the main fairgrounds area where the hill climb isn't even held... Then pay $10 to get into the gravel pit.
I was treated rudely and when I complained of the pricing and treatment on their sites guest book I was told by the events ppl on their site..
http://www.ogemawhillsbikeweek.com

you MY BOY,. ARE THE TYPE OF PPL WE JUST DON'T NEED AT OUR EVENT ANYWAY... SO PARK WHATEVER THAT THING IS U CALL A BIKE IN THE GARAGE AND LEAVE THE BIKING TO US

I guess the rowdy reputation of us K1200Lt riders are scaring the organizers, hehe. They already threw out the local HOG chapter a year or two ago.

So beware, BMWs are not welcome in West Branch Mi.
Not to mention to go watch one of the race it will cost you and your girl no less than $100 to get in.
See you guys this weekend at the Muskegon Bike Time Festival!
 
Sounds like it's thier loss! That lil' club of thier is gettin' more and more expensive to be a part of.
I like all bikes and respect everyones choice of rides. Sadly though, the more shallow the gene pool...the more shallow the person.
 
Hey all; unfortunately,there seems to be a mind set among some HOG folks. They seem to have bought into the whole "attitude is everything" idea. As the man said, their loss... They seem to turn their collective nose's up at my 100RT, but they give me a thumbs up when I ride the R90, Go figure. Muskegon is having their bike time this week end, and while it is mostly a cruiser/ Harley event, a fair number of "off brands" will be there as well. Pretty good vibes there. Vaya con Dios, Dutch
 
I like to wave at Harley's when I'm riding my Vespa ET4.
The reactions I get are hilarious.
I hope it really screws up their flatheads.
 
No, What it is though more and more Harley riders are jumping ship. Me for instance 04 Roadking to an 2006 in 06 K1200LT. Why we wait so long?Out of six guys I ride with only one left on a Harley. See what I started. I am not so sorry. Their lost.
 
Look at the bright side.. it keeps the "riff raff" out...heheh.. one "riff raff" to another, that's ok with me. :nono

At least we don't need a specific bike to show our manhood....:deal :nyah:nyah:nyah
 
No, What it is though more and more Harley riders are jumping ship. Me for instance 04 Roadking to an 2006 in 06 K1200LT. Why we wait so long?Out of six guys I ride with only one left on a Harley. See what I started. I am not so sorry. Their lost.

"Their lost" or did you mean "Their loss" either way very interesting post.
 
And yet, this afternoon I pulled into a rest area in southern Ontario in my R12GS sidecar rig, my 3 year old golden, Barley, riding shotgun. Two Harley riders moved their bikes so I could park the dog in the shade, then watched him for me while I ran inside to get a bite for both of us.

It's not the bike, it's the rider...and it often works both ways.

Pete
 
And yet, this afternoon I pulled into a rest area in southern Ontario in my R12GS sidecar rig, my 3 year old golden, Barley, riding shotgun. Two Harley riders moved their bikes so I could park the dog in the shade, then watched him for me while I ran inside to get a bite for both of us.

It's not the bike, it's the rider...and it often works both ways.

Pete

tends to be our experience as well. I have pulled up to gas stops with other brand riders and not had even a g'day mate from them..... and some riding our cherished brand have been big offenders (ok, so I don't have the newest rig eh? and, I like my leather rather than that 'whatever' you're wearing). Then some riders who we think would not give us the time of day are just the opposite. Some folks just have attitudes and some of them even ride bikes. Life eh? (see you at the RA Pete... look for the Salty Fog Riders sign) - Bob
 
Most Harley riders will initiate a wave to me and most Harley riders will wave back when I initiate a wave. But I have had some Harley riders turn their heads away when I wave at them, like how dare I even wave at them.
 
And yet, this afternoon I pulled into a rest area in southern Ontario in my R12GS sidecar rig, my 3 year old golden, Barley, riding shotgun. Two Harley riders moved their bikes so I could park the dog in the shade, then watched him for me while I ran inside to get a bite for both of us.

It's not the bike, it's the rider...and it often works both ways.

Pete

+697 on that one!

Just last week some crusty snob approched me at the gas station. (oh great here it comes!) He was in a 25 year old rusty POS van bragging about this and that. Then he asserts "hey most people don't really know that BMW really stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke, I bet you didn't know that either did ya? Yeah most people don't but the real ones do and back in my day..."

Yeah, what ever sport'o. Helmet on, conversation over!

:bikes - that's all that matters.
 
I like to wave at Harley's when I'm riding my Vespa ET4.
The reactions I get are hilarious.
I hope it really screws up their flatheads.

When I ride and approch some real serious bikers (you know that kind who only wave to the right kind of people?). I already know they are not going to wave so sometimes I give them a gesture (non-profane) anyway. (see the picture below but imagine it done with your left hand)...

When I was in high school we played this game as we walked down the hall. If I flashed this sign above my belt my friend hand to poke through the hole with his finger. If he was successful then He punched me. If not I punched him. Now If I flashed the sign below my belt he had to ignor it. If he was caught looking then he got punched. This was a well know rule and everyone followed it.

So that's how I mess with non-wavers.
 

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When I ride and approch some real serious bikers (you know that kind who only wave to the right kind of people?). I already know they are not going to wave so sometimes I give them a gesture (non-profane) anyway. (see the picture below but imagine it done with your left hand)...

When I was in high school we played this game as we walked down the hall. If I flashed this sign above my belt my friend hand to poke through the hole with his finger. If he was successful then He punched me. If not I punched him. Now If I flashed the sign below my belt he had to ignor it. If he was caught looking then he got punched. This was a well know rule and everyone followed it.

So that's how I mess with non-wavers.

ha.... we played something like that in Junior High... called Flinch. If you 'flinch' when someone throws a fake punch then you get the real thing in the arm. But this is really a whole other story eh. - Bob
 
In California most motorcycle enthusiests wave when safe, I quit waving to Harley riders because 70% of the time they ignore me. If they wave first then I gladly wave back. Yup those Chiropracters and Plumbers that haven't showered or shaved in a week so they can ride on the weekend just don't seem too friendly at times.
I ride an 08 RT and I appreciate a Harley if you are a living historian however this is the 21st century.
 
I wave at everyone, including Harleys and scooters. I do hesitate to wave at riders dressed for the beach...but I wave at them too!
When you ride a sidecar rig with two kids in the tub, everyone waves at you anyways.
If they do not wave, I chuckle to myself, thinking they must miss out on seeing some pretty cool bikes.
The worst ones are the ones who stop beside you at stop lights, and will not even look in your direction for fear of poluting their eyes with a non-Harley. I feel kind of sorry for them. Having your head so firmly stuck up your butt seems like a sad way to go through life.

:bikes

even Harleys
 
I think this whole "waving" thing has gotten really blown out of proportion, so what if someone does or does not waive? All these inferences as to what it suggests about the other rider seem pretty far fetched if you ask me. As for “messin” with someone who doesn’t/didn’t waive or you deem unlikely to, in all likelihood the significance is completely lost on the individual in question as mostly likely the intended “victim” is completely unaware of the fact they were being “messed with” in the first place! :lol
It all seems rather silly, people waive or they don’t; I hardly think it means much of anything. I don’t much anymore what with the number of riders out there for me its lost much of the (little) significance it once had when we (riders) were a much rarer breed. Maybe a head nod or hand flick while still holding the bar, maybe not. I’m more likely to waive at folks I pass along the road, or sitting on their porch especially as you get into rural areas or maybe the kid that is staring at me from the back seat of a car at light. But those are just “hey there, nice day to be out” or giving the kid a thrill cause you acknowledged them. A sort of waive that's totally spur of the moment as the mood strikes. If the they don’t waive back then ok.. nothing gained nothing lost….and certainly no inference made about the person other than they simply didn’t waive back.
Bottom line, if you enjoy waiving go ahead, if you get a response or a smile, great! On the other hand, if you don’t, it most likely has little if any significance (other than what You infer from it).

RM
 
And yet, this afternoon I pulled into a rest area in southern Ontario in my R12GS sidecar rig, my 3 year old golden, Barley, riding shotgun. Two Harley riders moved their bikes so I could park the dog in the shade, then watched him for me while I ran inside to get a bite for both of us.

It's not the bike, it's the rider...and it often works both ways.

Pete

+1

You don't suppose the OP's situation could have been fueled by the following factors:

- guy shows up to a race two hours late on a +$20K motorcycle
- guy starts crabbing about the pricing to a guy that's probably been standing out in the sun for a few hours.
- guy doesn't bother to find out how much it costs to get in before he shows up, then gripes about information that was readily available somewhere.

Is it that BMWs aren't welcome? Or is it that people that can't be bothered to find out how much the event costs ahead of time but feel free to bitch about the pricing piss the organizers off?

No offense to the original poster, but if I was the guy at the gate, I'd probably have told you that was price and you could take it or leave it.
 
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