A compliment!

[cactusjack]

I was returning from my ride today and had stopped at a Quiktrip to fill up and get something to drink. I moved my bike away from the pump area in order to enjoy my beverage in what little shade I could find. A couple of grizzled old bikers rolled up on a couple of Harleys. Both had long, grey beards and one was wearing a top hat like the guitarist Slash wears. How you ride a bike wearing a top hat, I'll never know. I had engaged them in a little small talk and then left the area to throw my water bottle away, when I came back both of them and their ladies were still by the bikes and as I walked past, one of them said "damn, that's a nice-looking bike". I turned around and I must have had a dumbfounded expression on my face, and both bikers nodded their heads in agreement. I thanked them and rode home. That almost made my day.

[coacha]

Don't you just love it when you get that kind of compliment, specially from the H/D crowd? It always makes my ride more enjoyable.

[audiogooroo]

Nice!

It just goes to show you that the "H-D crowd" is not all of a piece. IMO the ones you can expect honest opinions and honest respect from are the ones that have been on the road the longest and have been wrenching the longest. The ones who barely ride (like my neighbors) and hardly know a vicegrips from a toilet plunger are far less "liberal" in their assessment of other machinery and other riders.

I ran into a couple of old Harley guys at some tiny general store cum diner up in the hills while we were touring. They kinda looked at my shiny bike, and our shiny helmets and matching leather jackets and you could tell from their looks and conversation that they'd written me off as some smooth-ass city boy. It did't help that I told them I worked on computers for a living. I was just another RUB with a Visa card.

But we talked a little longer about the work I'd done on the bike and the tribulations of a water-cooled motorcycle, and how I'd changed my own tires on the floor with a set of levers carved from an oak broomhandle because I couldn't find any suitable tire irons in town...stuff like that. We talked about old-school stuff like making apehangers from a chrome dinette chair and how to spot an authentic Knucklehead primary cover from a fake. Anyhow we took off first but they caught up with us 60 miles down the mountain, and you could tell the difference. There was a whole different attitude in their appraisal of us. Maybe we still weren't "real" bikers to them, but we were something more that tourists now. Sometimes you just have to talk to people to get that across.

[joesnomad]

I went to Gettysburg Bike week today. I had my seat reworked and it seems quite a bit more comfortable than before. While setting out side the booth many complements were given to the Nomad even one from one of the guys who were giving the HD test rides. I also seen 7 other Nomads, last year I seen 1, and the year before none. Looks like people more and more people are going the Nomad way. Just think of the trips you could go on saving 6-8K under the HD price tag.

The word is definately getting out. ;)

[waterman]

Nice story CJ. Compliments do come from those who admire bikes and not the name.

[dkdixie]

Originally Posted by waterman

Nice story CJ. Compliments do come from those who admire bikes and not the name.

And what's wrong with CJ's name?

Gotcha Jack!

It's cool to get compliments on our bikes... makes us feel good! i ride with my bro in law all the time....whenever we're stopped and people walk by, it's the Nomad that gets the compliments..... he rides a Dyna Lowrider.... you can tell it bugs him!! LOLOL

One other thing to note is half the time the compliment is "Nice Harley" LOL...

[skeeter]

Give praise when it's due. I've seen some nice lookin HDs. Wouldn't trade for them but their nice lookin.

[scion0]

I got a, Man that is a nice Kawasaki! by a HD dude three days ago.

[doctorgski]

We have a real good friend, he is 69 years old. He and his wife both ride 1995 Ultra Classics. I helped him install the S&S Cams in a 2002 Harley, ( I handed him things). The man knows motorcycles, been riding for 60years... He loves my Nomad. Likes the looks, and thinks they are well engineered and built. He never gives me crap about it being a Kaw, but on the other hand I don't give it to him... The Harley's of today are good bikes, I just think about 7-8K more than they are worth. I'm a Chiropractor, and have been for the last 27 years, so it is well in my spirit to be out of the "Mainstream"... Perhaps this is something that all of us Nomad lovers have in common, we just want to be an individual.
SO HERE IS TO THE SPIRIT OF BEING AN INDIVIDUAL !!!

[Kawhead]

When I first joined this forum I commented on the heart warming comments I received on my Nomad. Sometimes I really don't know how to respond. Usually all I come up with is "Thanks thats a nice ride you have too". Honestly, when I removed the "Badges" from the gas tank people thought I traded ! If you look at the tank you realize the designers did a fantastic job on not only that but the whole Nomad with the exception of the risers, the lowers and the baffles. I gladly fixed those. Now it's perfect.........Oh and put Metzlers on it. ;-)

[blowndodge]

Nico, you've actually got a compliment on your beat up Nomad????

I get compliments all the time on my bike, but most of them are from non-rider types. I got one from some white-haired gal in her 70's at the the Jack-in-the box. She didn't know what I was riding, but she remembered motorcycles from the 50's and the styling was right but she could tell mine wasn't really an antique. I was impressed that she remarked on that. Most old ladies just kind of shy away from me.