You Are What You Ride

Yahoo Financial News ^ | 30MAR05 | Progressive Insurance

[Melas]

You Are What You Ride: Progressive Survey Finds Differences Between Harley and Sport Bike Riders Go Beyond Bike Type

Wednesday March 9, 1:33 pm ET

Both Dig Body Art But Harley Riders More Likely to Wear What They Ride, Says America's Top Motorcycle Insurer

MAYFIELD VILLAGE, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 9, 2005-- What can you tell about a person by the kind of motorcycle they ride? Plenty, according to a recent countrywide online survey conducted by The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies, the number one seller of motorcycle insurance in the U.S. The survey finds interesting differences - and similarities - between Harley-Davidson riders and those who ride sport bikes.

For example, everyone knows that Harley riders wear their passion for biking on their sleeve... literally. The survey finds Harley riders are three times more likely than those who ride sport bikes to own clothing or artwork that displays the brand of motorcycle they ride (93 percent versus 30 percent, respectively). Harley riders are also more likely to have body art such as tattoos and piercings (52 percent versus 40 percent).

The survey also finds that Harley riders are more likely than those who ride sport bikes to plan rides around where they'll eat (32 percent versus 23 percent).

Sport bike riders are three times more likely to eat at fast-food restaurants (18 percent versus six percent), while riders of Harleys are nearly four times more likely to pick restaurants with the nicest looking waiters/waitresses (11 percent versus three percent).

The survey confirms that both rider groups have much in common, too. For example, both say "freedom" is the number one reason they ride. And though sport bikes are commonly known as "crotch-rockets" or "road-rippers," only six percent of those who ride them say they do so for "speed" while fewer than one percent of Harley riders say the same. Both groups listed the same top excuses for justifying a quick ride: running errands, testing the engine and visiting friends.

Progressive's survey also finds that ninety-five (95) percent of all riders acknowledge their fellow bikers while riding. Waving is the preferred method of acknowledgement (37 percent), although Harley riders are nearly twice as likely to acknowledge other riders by pointing two fingers down (29 percent versus 16 percent).

Harley riders are six times more likely to only acknowledge those riding the same style bike (18 percent versus three percent).

Additional survey results include:

An overwhelming majority of riders (88 percent) donate time or money to charities. Two-thirds of Harley riders (67 percent) and one-third of those who ride sport bikes (33 percent) participate in at least one charity ride each year.

Sixty-nine (69) percent of all riders daydream at work each day about riding their bike.

Eighteen (18) percent of all riders call in sick to work at least once a year to go riding.

Women prefer to ride with their significant other (58 percent), while men choose to ride with their friends (63 percent).

Adding custom parts that enhance the look of their bikes was the number one choice for Harley riders (73 percent), while adding performance equipment was the top choice for those who ride sport bikes (44 percent).

[wardaddy]

C&S is still around. Several stores around Middle Tennessee.

[Melas]

The Shadow is a wonderful bike. Nothing to scoff at, at all.

[Melas]

I have a friend who rides one right now. It's bagless and no fairing. He picked it up for $1200 on Ebay. It's kind of cool actually.

[Melas]

Lol, I've been waiting for that line this whole thread. I thought everyone was going to let me down.

[Betis70]

There is one of those in my apartment complex (just about the same color too). I thought it was just a CX500 with a fairing.

[BraveMan]

One of my rides was a 1982 Honda CB750F. I am fairly familiar with Cogadh na Sith's ride. That bike is about as close to the UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle) as you can get, which explains much of the animosity Cogadh na Sith has towards all things HD . . .

Double Overhead Cam inline four, stamped steel "Comstar" wheels, rubber mounted turn signals, inverted bucket shim valve clearance adjustments, Stand/Squat shaft drive, etc., etc. Typical Japanese fare; decent performance, conservative non-offensive styling and subdued electric hand buzzer vibration permeating the bars and pegs at all times. Apart from the Hi-Lo transmission selector ala Honda Trail 90, it personified the UJM; reliable, economical and bland as white tofu.

I'll cut him some slack; he's probably never ridden anything that has soul, and thus feels compelled to denigrate and criticize what he can't understand . . .

[Melas]

Not me. The the only thing I like better than a 3,000 mile round trip, is the look on peoples faces when I tell them how far I am from home, and yes, I got there on a Sportster.

[Melas]

I'll bet the tattoos look infinately better on you than the beard would have. I love tattoos on women, even though it's an oft topic of derision here on Freep.

[506trooper]

...or a sadistic pack of orthodontists. "

Them, I don't worry about....however, had you said proctologists, I always wave....I always wanna know where their hands are...

[woollyone]

and we "crotch-rocket" riders love to taunt harley riders to "do a wheelie!"

...all in fun, and beats the thumb

[Melas]

I owned the exact same bike only different. :) A Suzuki GS-550 Interstate. It wasn't a bad motorcycle, but it was so bland, so vanilla, so lacking in personality that librarians thought you were boring when they saw you on it.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

I ride a Fat Boy. Does that make me a gay chubby chaser?

[-YYZ-]

No, in the same areas I'm out riding in I'll see tons of sport bikes, touring bikes, sport tourers, etc, but it's nearly always the cruisers that will be parked in front of the bars and restaurants. Actually, I'll agree that most riders, not just of sport bikes, treat them like toys. Look at bikes for sale on Autotrader or someplace like that and see how many miles most of them have on them - not too many. And that goes for Harleys as well as sport bikes. In fact, while many sport bikes are owned by weekend posers, so are many Harleys. You know the guys: buy their new Harley and a bunch of standard issue black leather, beanie helmets and such at the same time; trailer their bikes to the rallies and then ride them in the last 20 miles.

BTW, you know, there are more types of bikes in the world than cruisers and crotch rockets.

[Melas]

Ummmm....

[A CA Guy]

A chick's ride no doubt, or Elton John's!

[Jersey Republican Biker Chick]

They do not have to like tattoos. I just choose to display me artwork on my body instead of the wall. Lenny Dwayne (RIP) put it best, he said "Tattoos are putting a little bit of your inner self on your outer self.".

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Save some money buy a real bike (Ducati…)

Ah yes, the preferred ride of Mr. Lawng Jawn Kerry ("Do you know who I am?"), Esq.

[Melas]

Emelda Marcos rides a trike!!!!

[Melas]

You know the guys: buy their new Harley and a bunch of standard issue black leather, beanie helmets and such at the same time; trailer their bikes to the rallies and then ride them in the last 20 miles.

That's why I have a sticker on my sissy bar that says, "SILLY YUPPIE TRAILERS ARE FOR BOATS"

[Melas]

The look on their faces when I do the wheelie is priceless. Wait until you see your first bagger wheelie.