Funny Things Overheard

[Ohio-Rider]

Just for fun I was wondering how many of you guys may have overheard someone making a funny remark about your vintage bike, this past season? I’ve heard a couple good ones this year but I’ll start with the latest remark I overheard just last week.

I found myself kind of lost again while out on my 45” because I normally leave the house and choose a direction to ride without any destination in mind and stick to the back roads so every now and then I realize I don’t know where I am. That happened again last week and I found myself stopping for direction at some off the path country bar that had a few other bikes sitting out front. Since I’m already there I grab a beer and ask where I am. Anyway as I’m setting there enjoying my suds, a few more guys ride in on nice newer looking super glides. Here’s the funny part. As these guys are walking towards the bar, one of them says to the others “Hey check out the front end on that old bike.” And without breaking stride one of the other guys say’s, “Yeah, all those “old junky” ones had springers.”

I’ve heard a couple other good ones this year as well. But I’d rather hear about yours.

[Buzz Kanter]

Ah....to idle through life without a clue :-)

[ratfink]

Happened a number of years ago. I bought a 68 FLH chopper and returned it to stock. I roll it out on a Friday night for a ride with the local HOG members. When I pull up, everyone is gawking at a member's new Road King.

A few guys break away to check out my bike. Quickly they return to the Road King and one exclaims:

"Yeah but check out the new Road King. It is based on the old Electra Glide. It even has a digital dash!"

[c.o.]

Steve!!! "All those junky one's had springers"???? What ran through your mind at that moment???

I've heard all kinds of things over the years.....

This summer while riding with friends we were stopped at a convenience store for a refreshment and a couple guys pull up in a pickup and one of them yells over to my buddy, "Is that one of those new Indians?" My friend says "Yup"... so the guy yells again "So what year is it?" My buddy looks at him with the straightest face and says, "1947".... I burst out laughing right there....

[hd44knuck]

I made the mistake of attending a HOG club meeting many years ago and rode my 63 Pan there. After answering the question "what year electra glide is that?", I kick started (a miracle 1st kick) and rode away. Another favoite one was someone asking my friend what year Harley quit making Indians.

[Tom Lovejoy]

That's what I have heard, doe's not matter if I am on my Henderson or an Indian. People ask when did Harley stop making those?

[T. Cotten]

Quite often I am asked by passers-by:
"What year is that Indian on your roof?"

.....Cotten

[fillibuster]

Riding the Chiefs in a parade, the announcer reports: " and we have (name) on a 1947 Harley-Indian, and (name) on a 1948 Harley-Indian.." I stopped and yelled (I can holler), "it's NOT A HARLEY!"

[aka HAWG]

not the same funny but here we go

went to a locate cruise night with my 1940 indian ( second trip on it ) and a prominate classic car 'know-it-all' askes if the indian is mine and if I am local. I reply yes to both. he then proceeds to say in a really nasty voice " you can't be local I have never seen the bike before"
I then tell him it is its second trip so unless you saw me 2 days ago out on it you would have not seen it, once again without missing a beat says he has not seen it so I must not be local and why would I lie to him

decided to let it go as you all know car guy's. And I found they get a bit upset when we attend their events and they can't attend ours

aka HAWG

[Rubone]

Several years ago I was at a gas station on my '47 Knuckle and my wife on her '47 45. A couple guys on late model H-Ds were looking at them and one asked what year they were. I told him they were both '47 and he told me I was wrong since Harley-Davidson didn't build any bikes during the war! After a good laugh in his face and a suggestion he brush up on his US history as well as H-D history, we kicked them both to life and rode away shaking our heads. Not worth the breath to try and explain.
I often get asked why I don't ride a new Harley. All the above a responses are a big part of the reason. I have never been accused of suffering fools gladly, and fools with a store bought attitude put me right over the edge!
Robbie

[Paquette]

When I ride and folks ask what year is it I always respond " It is 2010 "----M-6671

[46EL]

I had a 46UL for sale at a local swap meet a few years back. Two very knowledgeable kids in their 20's stop and stare at it in silence for about 10 minutes. Then one kid looks at the other and says, "this is one of those Big Twin 45's Harley made years ago". They nod yes to each other and walk away.

[Sargehere]

Funny Things Overheard

Wish I had a nickle for every time I heard someone, looking at my H-D UL US Army sidecar rig, asked me, "Is that a German bike?"
Granted, the only place is says "Harley-Davidson" on the military bike is on the footboard rubbers, but I figured out, finally, that it goes back to the Hogan's Heroes TV sitcom from the '60s.
In the introduction to every episode there's a momentary shot of an unmistakable OD-painted Harley sidecar traveling through the front gate of Stalag 13 carrying a Nazi officer, with a big, white, German cross like on an ME-109 painted on the sidecar. That little cheap shot by the show's Prop master forever identified outline of the distinctive Harley "dutch shoe" sidecar in viewers' minds as a German-made seitwagen.

EDIT: WELL, I'll be d****d! (probably) When I was a kid growin' up, I was taught that the spelling 'nickel' meant the metal element, and the 5¢ piece was spelled 'nickle.' No more! I've heard from a couple of people that there's no such thing as 'nickle' and everything's spelt 'nickel' now. I looked it up. Sure 'nuff, the culture has gotten lazy, and 'nickel' is the preferred spelling for both. Some, more literate dictionaries acknowledge 'nickle' only as an archaic spelling for the 5¢ piece. Even the U.S. Mint uses the 'nickel' spelling for its products. I'm just an old, obsolete artifact of a by-gone age. When did the change occur?

[Ohio-Rider]

Those are all great stories guys. I’ll add one more I heard this year. As I was coming out of a gas station there is this older guy looking over the 45 and I give him my usual greeting of, “so you like the old ones?” He doesn’t realize that I’m its owner and starts telling me how this was the first year harley started using automatic transmissions. I play along and ask how he can tell? He points to the tank shifter and tells me that is how you can tell the difference, to which I asked him what that rocker pedal down there is for. He confidently told me that it was a transmission brake. These old bikes are a lot of fun in a lot of ways.

[20scout]

There always seems to be one in the crowd that will walk up to my 40 sport scout and ask "where is the other peddle", to which I answer "it is a motorcycle not a moped". Then with a confused look they ask "well then what is this button for"? My reply "the horn".......