Hi, I am fully prepared for a 'flaming' over this, the usual 'hilarious' responses, etc, but hopefully some of you will read this and take it in the spirit it is intended before the thread is deleted, defamed, ridiculed, has endless 'Smilies ' put after it for the short term gratification of some. I really hope that there are a few of you out there that will take the time to actually consider what I am (trying) to say.

I joined this forum because I was one of those that bought a Buell after their demise, really like the bike, thought I would find a forum as I have on my previous bikes, KTM, Triumph, Kawasaki etc for useful outside the dealer network knowledge, set up stuff, worthy mods, etc, the usuall stuff really - generally make me feel good about the whole ownership thing

I have to say that this is the only forum that I will not bother to log on to any more, no loss for some of you I am sure, you don't know me, and I don't know you.
The problem is , that there is a really nasty strain of both negativism and frankly, bullying, which I think exists on this site, and has poisoned it for me.

I will not go over the threads which have illustrated this to me, they are long enough as it is, but the naming of 'members' in derogatory terms, little snipes, against really easy targets, the endless deriding of certain types of bike which members have bought, and then joined this site with an initial enthusiasm! Surely some of you can not be proud of this. In a bullying environment, what happens is that the lesser members all join in with a pack mentality, eager to please and avoid the ridicule themselves, thus posting a little snipe makes you both feel better, and reinforces the whole horrible ethos. You have to ask yourselves if you would post the same about all members, if not, this is bullying of the worst kind.

The response of 'ahh but we are only having a laugh ', is the age old defence of bullies everywhere. BUT this is a public forum, free for anyone to join with a shared enthusiaism for the subject. Some people want just that out of a forum. Now I am sure that those that set this up, didn't want it to end up like this, maybe you don't really want it to be a public forum, if so - why not have it as a private members club?

BUT - as a public forum which posts, yes , on the interenet , and claims to allow anyone to join,-which can be viewed by anyone, then this site lets itself down badly in my opinion.

Hi Krafty
Sorry you feel that way. it generally works that if someone sets themself up as an over opinionated or aggressive poster they will get shot down in flames fairly quickly.
Most posts on here are of the friendlier side of caustic and you'll generally find it hard to find a better bunch of folks.
Enjoy your Buell, take from here what you like as it has plenty to offer. Dip in as and when you fancy and ignore the puerile stuff that we get up to fairly regularly.
Being in Bristol you have quite a group of very knowledgeable and active members, you'd do well to try to get together with a few.
You'll always get the holier than thou attitude in forums and someone that wants to find that you've used the wrong sized lump hammer to adjust your speedo or whatever but on here the attitude normally ranges from helpfull support to "harden the Fuck Up"
Pays yer money and takes your choice. ( oh yeah most don't even pay )

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I'm a Hornithologist, I get excited by exotic birds.........

Sorry to hear you feel that way mate. I thought along the same lines as you when i first joined but i just look past it all.
From what i can gather a Lot of people on here meet up in person so they know each other and they know how far to push each other.
this is the best forum ive ever been on.
what ever you do dont let this forum put you off owning a buell like it did me i garaged mine all last summer and used a rice rocket instead.

But like your going to get told if you cant take the banter which is all that it is your best of leaving the site.

Those are normal bikes, ridden by normal people. Buells are different, as are their owners

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Wear the fox hat

Totally agree on that..

Krafty

Like you I am a user of various forums and I have to say I find this forum less intimidating that some of those. But you have to speak as you find and you are entitled to your opinion. Don't feel that having expressed it you now need to exclude yourself from it.

Join in with some of the events this year, get to meet and know the individuals. I am sure those who appear to be caustic or whatever online are probably great and sociable in real life. (actually just as in all walks of life some of them are probably also caustic ).

Whatever you decide, keep the shiny side up.

Hi Krafty, I am sorry to see your response with reference to the forum, I am 62yrs young and have been biking for over 40yrs. when these forums d=started appearing I joined them all as I changed my bikes. These were Ducati, Ktm, Triumph, MV, and of course Buell. The point is on all of the forums that I have used there has always been a group of piss takers, but in turn you gain great knowledge and great friendship. My advice to you is lighten up and dont take life so seriously it is TOOOOO SHORT. Regards Lou

Krafty, if you'd ever spent an evening at either of the Deliverance BBQ's at my gaff, or any other UKBEG meet, I'm sure you'd agree that they are some of the nicest people you'd ever wish to meet.
I feel deeply honoured that some of these people say I am their friend and there are some here that I regard as true friends as well, and I don't say that lightly.
I avoid BadWeb as much as possible, there's some people there I can do without sharing my time with. However, to be fair to them, I've contributed very little to that site and not bothered to sit back and get a general feel of the characters there. Perhaps that's my loss?
As with everything in life, you get out of people, places, internerd forums etc, what you put into them.

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If your dreams don't scare you, they are not big enough.

What they all said ... never take things to seriously around here, many of us know each other personally rather than virtually, that over spills into posts (which have no emotion connected) and so can be read in numerous ways.

Check out the websites stats for this month so far ... I wouldn't call that looking bad!

http://ukbeg.com/plesk-stat/webstat/usage_201002.html

I have very dear, close friend that I met on here, they will be life long friends, long after the brand of Buell is but a distant memory.

A lot of sensitive types come and go here, they never give the place of its folk a chance, you can choose to be another one of those or you can HTFU, stick with it and make some genuine honest and life long pals. I think Adam sums it up best with his very last line.

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"With square conduct, level steps, and upright intentions ..”

All of what's been said above. It's a shame you feel this way, there IS an awful lot of good information on here. Spamming isn't allowed in the Tech or How To sections and the wealth of knowledge in there is incomparible.
As for the social section, well, you don't have to look in there, that's just pub banter. Stay and read the useful bits, don't even sign in, then you can't even get onto social. After a while you might get the feel of the place and realise who's mates with who. Buells are pretty rare, these guys travel the country to meet up with each other, and some of them have been around for years, mostly it's just harmelss mates banter, given and taken in spirit.

Krafty, you sound sensible, intelligent and sensitive - so what the hell are you doing here?
No, really, I hope you give it a go here, for your sake and for the sake of others here. Intelligent, well-written posts such as yours will, as I hope all of the above show, bring out what is good about the group. It's a bit weird for me to feel part of things here, yet to be so far away, geographically. I should think that, from where you are, you could try meeting up with some members as the weather turns to (dare I mention the word?) spring, and see if you don't find a place here where you feel comfortable pulling up a chair - even if you're the smart one toward the back, not saying much yet taking it all in.

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2006 XB12Ss..... 1998 S1W..... 1996 S2T
We do not need the help of our friends so much as confidence that they will help us when we need it. –Epicurus

Think I recognize poster's feelings.
Internet user-forums, virtual motorcycling, were bike specific glorified e-mail lists for me until a red XB-R came to garage a little while ago.
These new-fangled sub-divided topical forums, organized like UKBEG and BadWeb, seem to present a faster pace and less thoughtful tone overall.
There's a different process for the user here & now, separating the wheat from chaff.
And, cool smiley tools!

You've met Att then?

Stick around. There's some good folk on here. Just ignore the childish tuber-fueller wars and be happy that YOU bought the BEST Buell.

Right, despite saying that I can't be bothered, please read the original post, and avoid turning this into a back slapping session.
(to Ash)
1. There is nothing 'hard' about bullying, and objecting to it does not leave you in need of HTFU, I am not an internet hero so will not go in to details about my working life, but I can assure you that being overly sensitive is not one of my failings or something that would have enabled me to perform my job for the last 18 years, and my previous to that one for 6 years. I do however despise bullying, even of a cyber nature, and the dreaded seat thread was just that. As is the treatment of a certain bloke from Pompey. To dismiss my criticism as such shows a lack of understanding of the point I am making- maybe you are too close to what is going on and can't see the truth. What I was specifically referring to, and I'll spell it out, is the complete rubbishing of 2 members on here that YOU have never met. One because he 'dared' to post a link to an item he was selling, the other as far as I can work out because you just plain don't like him.

2. The point I was trying to make is that a forum has a life beyond that of the members who know each other, and if you don't want it to be so, then perhaps you should not pass comment on people YOU have only met online, if you expect them to somehow empathise with your real persona - that's fighting with one hand tied behind your back

3. KTMs are not ordinary bikes

Hi Krafty Just been reading your first post in new members.
Good start when joining a new forum!
Now go and read Parasexas intro to UkBeg!

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See God, Then back off! Kevin Schwantz 1991