Question Motorcycle Branded Clothing- An Ethical Dilemma

[Penguinsfan82]

Being the owner of two Honda motorcycles, I tend to buy Honda branded clothing when looking at t-shirts, sweatshirts and such. This feels limiting to me, but I just don't feel right wearing an Indian branded shirt or a Triumph sweatshirt- even though I may like the article of clothing.
What's the opinion here? Does wearing a shirt branded for a bike I do not own make me a poser? Or does it just mean I like the shirt? Do you remain brand loyal when buying clothing?

 

[halfSpinDoctor]

Does wearing a shirt branded for a bike I do not own make me a poser?

<sarcasm>As long as you aren't wearing a Honda shirt while riding the Honda! (Just like you never wear a band's shirt to one of their shows!)</sarc>

 

[670cc]

You asked for an opinion, so here is mine. I avoid wearing any clothing branded with any name. I would buy clothing only with the clothing manufacturer name very discreetly marked. For example my riding jacket has a very small patch with "FIRSTGEAR" in little 1/4" high letters.

I would never buy a jacket or shirt that says Honda or any other vehicle manufacturer name. They would have to give me the jacket for free and then pay me a monthly fee for me to wear it and advertise for them.

In my opinion, whoever started getting customers to buy the advertising materials with their own money and then getting the customers to exhibit them for free was a marketing genius. This is an area where Harley-Davidson excels.

 

[Penguinsfan82]

Thanks for the opinion! I have said the same thing to my kids many times...why pay to provide free advertising? Yet I blur that line myself with mc clothing...
Seriously, it's a light topic, so no offence taken and I welcome all opinions!

 

[fleetingyouth]

I don't think it really matters. Maybe you're a fan of another company or really like the logo. It's not likely people are going to actually judge you by what you are wearing and if they are, they probably have a pretty shitty life.

That being said I agreed with both above dont wear Honda on a honda haha and I would never buy any t-shirt/etc with a brands logo on it unless it was maybe vintage or ironic haha

 

[HarveyM]

I only wear Yamaha branded clothing while riding. I want to keep Honda on it's toes....

 

[TacomaJD]

I am brand loyal. I'm not gonna wear another brand besides Honda and Kawasaki. I'd probably run into somebody in public while wearing another brand shirt and they'd be like "Hey man! What kind of Yamaha/Harley/Suzuki/etc do you have?" And I'd have to explain, well....neither of those....I own 2 Hondas and a Kawasaki. I just feel that there isn't a reason to rep a brand that I don't own.

I also don't see it as a negative aspect of purchasing items to market for the brands either. People wear Nike, Adidas, Columbia, North Face, American Eagle, Hollister, etc, clothes.....and so do I. I also have a couple shirts that are Honda branded. I think they are cool. I don't wear them for anyone else but me. I also have several Deal's Gap shirts, a J&P Cycles shirt, a Go Fast Don't Die shirt, and loads more. It's my sense of fashion, and everyone's sense of fashion varies.

I also have a Kawasaki "K" tattoo on my leg because I was riding a Kawasaki ZX10R when I crashed and lost my leg 11 years ago, so I got the K and the date of my wreck tattoo'd on the leg I got to keep. So I'm brand loyal with tattoos too LOL.

What does irritate me though, is seeing young teeny bopper kids wearing Nirvana, Slayer, Metallica, etc shirts and they have probably never even heard a single song from any of those bands. LOL

 

[Penguinsfan82]

I am brand loyal. I'm not gonna wear another brand besides Honda and Kawasaki. I'd probably run into somebody in public while wearing another brand shirt and they'd be like "Hey man! What kind of Yamaha/Harley/Suzuki/etc do you have?" And I'd have to explain, well....neither of those....I own 2 Hondas and a Kawasaki. I just feel that there isn't a reason to rep a brand that I don't own.

I also don't see it as a negative aspect of purchasing items to market for the brands either. People wear Nike, Adidas, Columbia, North Face, American Eagle, Hollister, etc, clothes.....and so do I. I also have a couple shirts that are Honda branded. I think they are cool. I don't wear them for anyone else but me. I also have several Deal's Gap shirts, a J&P Cycles shirt, a Go Fast Don't Die shirt, and loads more. It's my sense of fashion, and everyone's sense of fashion varies.

I also have a Kawasaki "K" tattoo on my leg because I was riding a Kawasaki ZX10R when I crashed and lost my leg 11 years ago, so I got the K and the date of my wreck tattoo'd on the leg I got to keep. So I'm brand loyal with tattoos too LOL.

What does irritate me though, is seeing young teeny bopper kids wearing Nirvana, Slayer, Metallica, etc shirts and they have probably never even heard a single song from any of those bands. LOL

I'm not gonna wear another brand besides Honda and Kawasaki. I'd probably run into somebody in public while wearing another brand shirt and they'd be like "Hey man! What kind of Yamaha/Harley/Suzuki/etc do you have?" And I'd have to explain, well....neither of those....I own 2 Hondas and a Kawasaki. I just feel that there isn't a reason to rep a brand that I don't own.

That's probably what has kept me from wearing the clothing advertising other brands. I do wear a lot of Pittsburgh sports clothing and it gets noticed and commented on whenever I wear it (not always positively, surprising, I know!). I assumed I would get the same kind of comments about MC branded clothing.

And glad you got to keep one leg, you earned the right to tattoo it however you want.

 

[Lomunchi]

I was born in Milwaukee. They issue Harley gear at the hospital. I've never owned a Harley. I like Harleys. I have a shirt. (just to fit in at Summer Fest!)

 

[670cc]

I do have a t shirt I wear sometimes on bike trips. It says something like Red Brand Cycles on it and has a picture of a guy with a leather helmet riding briskly on an old fashioned bike. I think it's just a made up brand name. It shows I'm a motorcyclist but it doesn't advertise a known brand.

As for helmets, a form of clothing, the brand name sticker gets peeled off right away if it's not under clearcoat. I think it looks silly to have some company's name plastered right on my forehead.

 

[dduelin]

If I like identifying with a brand, a sports team, a business, I do. I never thought of it as being duped into giving them free advertising. In a way that shocks me, like all of life is based on what one gets out of it. These are relationships governed by "if I do this, then you will do that." Those are conditional or contractual.

Other relationships are covenantal and based on "I will always do this, no matter what you do". Marriage should be like that - for better or worse and all that jazz. Sports - I'm a Jaguars fan and they are terrible. I'm a FSU fan and it's been a while since they were relevant on the national stage. I still am a fan and have a few items of Jags and Seminole clothing. It's not all of my wardrobe mind you, and never will be. Same with BMW and Honda shirts. I like the bikes they make despite all of the stinkers of both marques.

 

[MZ5]

I'll sell ad space. I tell the car dealers that every time I buy a car. (-:
I will wear conspicuously-branded clothing if it was given me, or discounted if I bought it. I grew up 'promoting' various businesses by wearing the free hats, jackets, etc. they gave me. I will NOT pay _EXTRA_ beyond the 'going price' for an advertiser to advertise on me or my property or chattels. There are certain circumstances where I'll buy a thing with a conspicuous brand on it. They're very limited, though.

Lots of people operate differently than I in this respect.

 

[davidc83]

The only motorcycle related t-shirts I own are the ones I have bought in the past at Deal's Gap (the Dragon) or at the Moonshiner (get together in Illinois which no longer occurs)...I have never bought Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki or any other brands t-shirts...and as with 670cc, my riding jacket has a small label of the manufacturer..

 

[the Ferret]

Couldn't tell you how large the lettering is on my Tourmaster gear but I don't think it's very big but I've never really paid any attention to it. The HJC logo on my helmet doesn't bother me. I like wearing motorcycle branded gear because I am proud that I am a motorcyclist and the brands I buy (mostly Honda) and the T shirts the local shop gives me for doing business with them. I am treated well by my local dealer, and don't mind giving them a little free advertising. I also have t shirts from the Dragon, Bear Tooth Highway, Route 66, an Edelweiss Tour I took in Europe, several National Parks I have ridden to like Yellowstone and Bryce Canyon, and at least a dozen motorcycle rallies I have attended etc

As to the OP's question I don't think I would wear a Triumph sweatshirt while riding a Honda, but might, if it's a really nice sweatshirt. There are bigger things to get hung up about in this world for me.

 

[Penguinsfan82]

Couldn't tell you how large the lettering is on my Tourmaster gear but I don't think it's very big but I've never really paid any attention to it. The HJC logo on my helmet doesn't bother me. I like wearing motorcycle branded gear because I am proud that I am a motorcyclist and the brands I buy (mostly Honda) and the T shirts the local shop gives me for doing business with them. I am treated well by my local dealer, and don't mind giving them a little free advertising. I also have t shirts from the Dragon, Bear Tooth Highway, Route 66, an Edelweiss Tour I took in Europe, several National Parks I have ridden to like Yellowstone and Bryce Canyon, and at least a dozen motorcycle rallies I have attended etc

As to the OP's question I don't think I would wear a Triumph sweatshirt while riding a Honda, but might, if it's a really nice sweatshirt. There are bigger things to get hung up about in this world for me.

I agree completely...there are bigger things to get hung up about in this world. It was just a light hearted topic to discuss, and I appreciate all the inputs and opinions. Made for some entertaining reading for me anyway. I must admit, I do feel a bit better about buying an Indian sweatshirt now...and might even wear it while riding my Hondas.

Thanks all for contributing!

 

[Rabbit]

I have Royal Enfield gear and a couple Harley t shirts. I don’t mind either. I feel it advertises that I like motorcycles mostly. If you like the gear get it. If someone hassles you just tell them that brand is your aspirational goal. I really like Victory logo but I’ll have to hunt to find it. I think it’s only ‘posing’ if you wear gear and don’t ride at all, ever.

 

[the Ferret]

I agree completely...there are bigger things to get hung up about in this world. It was just a light hearted topic to discuss, and I appreciate all the inputs and opinions. Made for some entertaining reading for me anyway. I must admit, I do feel a bit better about buying an Indian sweatshirt now...and might even wear it while riding my Hondas.

Thanks all for contributing!

Sorry, that was not an indictment of your thread, but in response to some of the replies about not wearing ANY branded clothing, pulling the brand name decals off helmets, or not wearing any brand names (advertising) unless paid to do so etc.

Everybody certainly has the right to do whatever they want/buy whatever they want/ not wear something for whatever reason they want, it's just not big of a deal to me.(says the guy wearing the Honda branded Covid mask in his avatar lol). YMMV

 

[Janus]

I have a Triumph branded neck thingummy, which I got in a swag bag at an event for the Rocket 3 and Trident launch. I don't have a Triumph, but my friend does. Close enough for me. It's functional and free. Comes in handy with covid too, I need an extra mask to cover my big bushy beard. As an added bonus, sometimes I get to tell people that I can't stand liberals when they don't see the "I" or "H" in Triumph. I get a lot of funny looks when I say that. It pays for itself.

The only branded item I paid for is a Honda hat with a 'vintage' tricolor nike wing logo. It's good for covering helmet hair, and letting people know I like heavy bikes.

 

[Penguinsfan82]

Sorry, that was not an indictment of your thread, but in response to some of the replies about not wearing ANY branded clothing, pulling the brand name decals off helmets, or not wearing any brand names (advertising) unless paid to do so etc.

Everybody certainly has the right to do whatever they want/buy whatever they want/ not wear something for whatever reason they want, it's just not big of a deal to me.(says the guy wearing the Honda branded Covid mask in his avatar lol). YMMV

No offense taken! Honestly just trying to have some fun here...life can't be all oil, tire pressure and and seat complaints

 

[Janus]

Did someone just ask what the best oil is?

Spoiler: The answer is

fresh oil