a quick word on biker elitism

way too often i here comments that go something like this:
'knuckleheads are the real soul machines'
'anything newer than a panhead is garbage'
'shovelheads are the last real motorcycles milwaukee ever made'
'sportsters are for girls, but ironheads are way cool'
'period correct is the only way to restore the real soul of a chopper'
'the only reliable motor harley ever made is the twin cam'
'if it ain't a pre-unit, it ain't a real triumph'
'only vintage british bikes are really worth rebuilding'
'old british iron is the only european iron with any class'
'japanese choppers are cheap trash'
'anything under 1200cc might as well be a vespa'
'nothing good ever came out of japan'
...blah, blah, blah, on and on, etc.

the bottom line is ride what you want, what speaks to you, whatever that may be. maybe it's an antique boardtrack racer from 1910, or maybe a 47 knuckle model f, or a full dress restored 67 gennie shovel, or maybe it's a 03 evo sporty, or maybe something in between. maybe it's a 76 cb750 or a 67 bsa or a 85 moto guzzi or 2010 ural sidehack...you get the point.

whether the machine needs it just to run or you need it just to stay sane, diy wrenching and tinkering can be (and imho should be) done with any and every bike out there.
there's always room to tweak the looks, fit, and handling more to your personal preference.
there's always room to bump up performance to fit your riding style and need for speed.
there's always room to rethink and re-engineer any given setup to make it more reliable and easier to repair on the side of the road.

soul is not in the bike you buy, it's what you put into the bike once you start to make it yours. anyone who tells you different is lying and probably trying to sell you something you don't need.

now for something completely different...
last but not least here is a random pic, because who really wants all preachy words and no pretty pics:

"hellyans" from the one and only sir robert williams.
this man is a stratospheric visual genius and a pretty opinionated legit hot rodder in his own right. if you ever get a chance to read "the hot rod world of robt williams" i highly recommend it...or c'mon over and page through my copy. just bring plenty of fresh tacos and don't get the pages all greasy, hahahaa.