Urgent help needed for an embarrassing situation!!

[balibeemer]

I was speaking to my brother (who lives in California) yesterday and he announced that he was thinking of getting a Harley!
Apart from the fact that one of us is going to have to change our name, I am trying to convince him to get a Beemer instead. Apart from the obvious issues like reliability, cost and image, can ANYONE on this forum come up with anything that I can use to convince him to go down the BMW road
....... oh, and I should mention that he is an actor!!
 

[nhmaf]

As he is an actor, he must know of the difference between the character the actor portrays, and the actor himself.   H-D does make some decent bikes, but alot of people get them purely for the image they want to portray, and not for any actual features or desire to ride a motorcycle day-in and day-out.   some people do get H-D bikes because they like the low seats, lots of torque, riding in a recliner on the road sort of ride that some of them provide.    Whatever the reason, he is certainly free to select what he wants for whatever reason(s), good or bad or indifferent.    I find that sometimes you just gotta let people make their own choices, and either they are happy with them or else regret them and THEN they ask for input/advice and accept input.

I can say that BMW owners are generally a higher percentage of serious motorcycle riders who are happy to go out of their way to help a fellow rider in need.    I've also met the highest percentage of riders on BMWs who wave, act friendly at rest stops, and stop for you if stopped on the roadside.   The dealers are generally very helpful, and there are a variety of BMW owners groups & clubs that are alot of fun, very helpful, and family friendly atmosphere.   This "family" is another bonus to BMW family involvement, IMO.

[Luca]

Well you could turn him on to the V-rod... then tell him it's a Porsche developed engine... then have a stroll past a somewhat similar looking R1200C... yadda yadda yadda.

But the newer Harleys are built much better than their predecessors, and the newer BMWs have their share of problems.  Harley gets a lot of money for selling their image, though.  You can get just as much bike for a third of the money if you go with a Japanese Harley lookalike.

Either way, Bali is a long ways from Cali.  You could probably keep your last name no matter what he decides to ride.  To each his own...

[drew857]

Tell him to ride both bikes for 100 miles and let him make up his own mind...

Maybe he needs a bit of both.

[Julio A.]

One of my personal rule in life is the informal Filipino phrase "Walang basagan ng trip". It can be loosely translated as to each his own.

The riding group I actually settled with has a mixed bag of different bikes. We have people there with KTM, Ducati, BMW, H-D's and some Japanese bikes. All of which are combinations of cruiser, sports, enduro and standard types. We all get along together very well. I really can't see why some people can't.

[k_enn]

The real issue is what type of riding does he do/want to do.  If he just want to look cool crusing down the main drag, hanging out with a lot of guys with the same looking bike, and projecting a certain image, maybe a Harley is the right bike for him.  A lot whole depends on why on why he wants the motorcycle and what he plans to do with it.  

If he is into sports riding, touring, on-road/off-road riding, etc., then he should look at something else.  For sport riding, or sport touring, the K1300S is better than Harely.  For dual sport, the R1200GS would be better than Harley.  For touring, the K1600 or the R1200RT (wethead) would be good choices, at least as good as a Harley.  One nice thing about BMW is the shaft drive, and its low service need when touring.  Then there are whole bunch of Japanese or other European brands that are good.  

As they say:  Different strokes for different folks.  

k_enn

[Dustybin]

Here goes , just couldn't resist.
As a shallow 'luvvie' actor type spending all his time mimicking others or characters in a book or play, following fashion lest he be left behind by the other sheep, then the ready made HD persona bought and sold for ready cash should suit him right down to the ground.
 Given time to develop his own character, likes and wants he will of course rue the error of his ways! If he doesn't we could always burn him as a witch!

Just kidding of course!

[k_enn]

Pardon me for getting a little off topic, but I could not resist.

<snip> If he doesn't we could always burn him as a witch!

Sir Bedevere: There are ways of telling whether she is a witch.
Peasant 1: Are there? Oh well, tell us.
Sir Bedevere: Tell me. What do you do with witches?
Peasant 1: Burn them.
Sir Bedevere: And what do you burn, apart from witches?
Peasant 1: More witches.
Peasant 2: Wood.
Sir Bedevere: Good. Now, why do witches burn?
Peasant 3: ...because they're made of... wood?
Sir Bedevere: Good. So how do you tell whether she is made of wood?
Peasant 1: Build a bridge out of her.
Sir Bedevere: But can you not also build bridges out of stone?
Peasant 1: Oh yeah.
Sir Bedevere: Does wood sink in water?
Peasant 1: No, no, it floats!... It floats! Throw her into the pond!
Sir Bedevere: No, no. What else floats in water?
Peasant 1: Bread.
Peasant 2: Apples.
Peasant 3: Very small rocks.
Peasant 1: Cider.
Peasant 2: Gravy.
Peasant 3: Cherries.
Peasant 1: Mud.
Peasant 2: Churches.
Peasant 3: Lead! Lead!
King Arthur: A Duck.
Sir Bedevere: ...Exactly. So, logically...
Peasant 1: If she weighed the same as a duck... she's made of wood.
Sir Bedevere: And therefore...
Peasant 2: ...A witch!

(Monty Python and the Holy Grail)

So, does this mean Harley riders weigh as much as a duck?  

[Dustybin]

Nothing like the application of a bit of logic to muddy the waters! But I think most weigh the same as a truck and not a duck

[montmil]

My old Grandpa had a saying...

"If every man liked what I liked, I'd have a hell of a time keeping them away from your Grandma."

[nhmaf]

That's a good one, Monte!

[steve hawkins]

I do not think the bike matters so much.  Its more down to buying into the 'lifestyle' that is sold along with it.

If he starts riding around in chaps and tassles, no lid and a t-shirt, sprouts a goatee and starts festooning himself with Tattoos, then you know he is lost to he world.

You could make him sit through that 'wild hogs' film.  Such an rubbish film, with such appalling plot/acting should jolt him off his path.....

Good luck with his education.

Rev Light

[balibeemer]

he is definitely not a chaps, tattoo, tassels person - he is a Shakespearian actor so will probably wear a toga, or tights and a codpiece!

[marcmax]

Tights and a codpiece? Riding a Harley? In California? No worries, he'll just blend in with the background.   [smiley=camera_sm.jpg]

[MrRiden]

Shakespearian actor? I picture such on a Triumph but that'
s just me.