My Decent (Part Three)

So now I am a Harley owner. When I show my friends at work the bike, they are duly impressed. They love the look and the condition of the bike. One of them warns me about getting sucked into the Harley marketing machine. "You're gonna wear all that crazy logo shit, aren't you?" He says, grinning at me. I tell him that I find those idiots I see off their bikes in chaps, leather vests, and faux bandanas stupid. I told him I may get some of the things that go along with riding a bike. Namely a leather jacket  and a chain wallet. But those will be for truly functional reasons. A leather jacket for safety reasons and a chain wallet to keep my wallet from vibrating out. He just looked at me. I think he realized I would succumb to the bar and shield. Like a prophet from the wilderness, he called it. Soon after I got the bike, I would end up walking out of a H-D dealership with another new logoed shirt. To be honest, I don't think I have gone overboard with the logo crap. I refuse to stick a logo on my car. Who cares whether the guy (or gal) driving a Cadillac Escalade rides a Harley? And I tend to not wear my logoed crap away from my bike. But when I do, I am usually at work where there are people who are more flaming logoholics than I ever could be. So with the amount of Harley gear I sport, I still get irritated by those in the biker community who really go overboard in either direction. I mean, I see some guys straddling a sweet Softtail Heritage in shorts, sneakers, and a full face helmet. I feel like telling them to get off of the bike and get a Honda (as a corollary, I've seen guys on Hondas with more biker garb than most 1%ers wear). Then again, there are guys that get so dressed up to get on their ride that they look like they're auditioning for a re-make of "The Wild Bunch". Again, I try not to look the part. I do own pretty much every piece of motorcycle-style clothing, but that does not mean I'll wear it. I see guys on the bar-hopping circuit wearing chaps. In the summer. Along with their cut-off gloves, biker doo-rag, rally shirt, and leather vest. Again, to go bar hopping. I just shake my head at them. I must say, that whether they are dressing all out to play a part, or if they do it just because they feel they are safer covered in leather, at least it appears as though they are having fun. And that is the essence of riding.