What not to wear

Posting this may be controversial, but I gotta speak my mind about my opinions and views.

I hope I don't offend anyone. And if I do offend you, I'm sorry. We all have choices. What you choose, and how you choose to do it is your own deal. I've made my choice. I choose Harley Davidson. Ever since I actually started riding motorcycles, I always wanted a Harley. I know that not everyone does, so bear with me here. But for me anyway, Harley Davidson has always had the look for what bikers ride and look like. I'm not saying that other bikers who don't ride Harley's are not bikers. I'ts like Art. Everyone sees a painting differently, and interprets it differently. I'm just talking about my personal view. Example...When I saw a crotch rocket for the first time as a kid, it was in a race. These to me were racing bikes. To me they didn't fit the image in my minds eye as what I thought bikers looked like. They looked like motorcycle "racers". The term "biker" can mean whatever "you" want it to mean. Again, just what "I" thought.

So when I started riding motorcycles, I obviously couldn't afford a a Harley at 19 years old. I bought a Honda Rebel 250 to learn on. It was cheap, and I thought it kind of resembled the Harleys I loved and admired, and hoped to someday own. I remember when a friend called me and said I saw you riding a Harley the other day, is it yours? I had to tell him it was just a Rebel 250. He was fooled from a distance.

I moved onto other look alikes and always tried to make them look as much like a Harley and sound like one as possible for hopes that at 20 to30 yards away, going down the road, someone would think it was one. This seems to be a pretty big trend in the metric cruiser industry, to make there bikes look and sound as much like Harley Davidson as possible. There are exceptions I know. Riding a "looks like a Harley from a distance" bike worked all fine and dandy for me untill I'd pull up to a stop light, and have a Harley pull up next to me. Then I was brutally reminded how much this was not one, and longed for a Harley even more. I know from speaking to just about everyone I know who owns a Harley, that They have all gone through this phase in the beginning as well.

Remembering the days of when I wanted a Harley, and couldn't afford one is good. It is humbling. It makes me proud to be on the Harley when I ride. It took me a lot to get here.

Back to the days of wanting and not owning. I did own a Harley T-shirt or ten. And yes, being really young, I got asked do you own a Harley? Hell people still ask that today. I had to say "No, but I love them, and want one so bad I can taste it." However, I always made sure not to wear the Harley T-shirt while riding my Honda, because I thought it wa s a FASHION DON'T., and I still feel that way today.

This brings me to my post title: What not to wear..... while riding a motorcycle.

I took a picture of a young biker fellow who has not learned that message.

While riding on a ...Honda Motorcycle....Do not wear...

West Coast Choppers T-shirt with Harley Davidson Boots.

I'ts one thing to wear a black non discreet Harley jacket while riding on a Honda, because you like the jacket, and it's anther thing to wear an obvious product statement such as this West Coast Choppers T-shirt on a competitors brand of bike. Just looks silly to me, don't it?