Get Back Whips???

So I've been lurking over at the HD Forums (not a member) because I get a chuckle reading some of the "who's a bada$$ biker threads".

I'll admit I'm a little out of touch on a lot of the latest fads and trends. I just read about an item that I'd never heard of or encountered in almost 40 years of playing around with motorcycles. The "get back whip"....

A google search brings up pix of these things and companies that sell them.

I just have to say I've never seen a motorcycle accessory that is more f'n ridiculous in my life. Just for the record, I personally like apehangers and a few other things some serious riders would think are also f'n stupid.

Aside from any "you're an idiot if you have/don't have" one of these things on your bike, arguments, anyone with any experience around machinery or power tools of any kind should know enough to tuck in any loose objects. I've worked in plants that won't even let you wear jewelry.

I think, for me at least, the whole 'Biker Idiom' has finally jumped the shark....

all sparkley-like.

One of the silliest things I've ever seen/heard of on a bike. For fun, I asked a sales guy at the HD dealership about them. He acted like they were the best traffic control tool since the brake light!

My MSF beginners class instructor had one on his giant hog. The first night of class, he walked us around his Harley and I asked "what is that thing?". He said a "get-back whip" for crackin' windshields when cagers piss you off.... a pocket full of ball bearings will work too. :eek1:huh

Nice message for beginner riders.

Never even heard of 'em before. Google to the rescue of course.

This site had this to say about them:

The ones they sell have a quick release snap where they connect to the bike, so the danger is probably mitigated to a great degree.

But still... I don't get a LOT of the Harley crap, even though I do own one.

BUT, with that said, I will have to admit to a time or two that they might have came in handy. I've been chased by dogs on a couple of occasions. Once when I was in a situation that I couldn't speed up and wished I had something to pop him a good one with. Another was a dog on my usual ride route that tried to ambush me every time I went by. He was aggressive and appeared to be trying to bite my legs. I always outran him but my main fear was that he would run in front of me and cause a crash. Don't get me wrong, I love dogs, but sometimes they do need a little help breaking a bad habit.

Different strokes for different folks and all that though.

I'm quite sure that some people think my brown leather seat is the dumbest thing they ever saw, and still other undoubtedly think my GS is hideously ugly. But, I didn't want either one of those things for "them" did I?

for my Sportster. Just to be different ...

To be fair, they tried bear spray.

It didn't go well.

Those guys are so far from being "bikers" it's not funny............................never mind yes it is.

The first time I saw a "get back whip" was on a big group ride our antique bike club used to put on. There were 4 guys on H-Ds each with one of these long things of braided leather dangling from a handlebar. It seemed like a bad idea to me to have something like that on your bike, and I couldn't figure out what they were for. So I asked them. Turned out they didn't have any idea either. They were all rubbies in costume, and none of them knew what it was for. They'd all just seen them in the accessory shop and thought they looked cool.

It took me 3 or 4 rides over as many months, each time asking people who ahd them what they were, before I found a scraggly old-school actual biker who had one and explained it to me. I still thought it sounded like a less-than-great idea, but at least that guy had a purpose for it, and it wasn't just another thing to buy and hang on the bike as decoration.

PhilB

At least you didn't get, " You wouldn't understand." which was the response I got one time when I asked a pirate what his tassles were for.

This has come up in a number of the geezer biker forums, with none of the old riders actually remembering "get back whips" from back in the day. Fringes, yes. But not these super long things, and not anything called a "get back whip" that was used against cars that crowded you.

So I'd say it's a modern urban legend about "the good ole days" that has nothing to do with reality.

You won't see that shit on bikes owned by these guys.

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It sounds like a great idea for a bicycle to keep the dogs back etc.

Motorcycle whips are awesome!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGNoDDjdmAk

I don't mind getting "you wouldn't understand", because when someone says that, they are usually entirely accurate. If given a full explanation, my reaction is most likely going to be "that makes no sense. I don't understand why anyone would do that".

PhilB

Some OMG's prefer the ball peen. It can be quite use full for impromptu repairs and various other uses. Im sure you can mount them somehow. Not exactly my style as I am a practioner of the art of verbal judo.

I understand ball peen hammers, crescent wrenches, lengths of heavy chain, camping hatchets, large Mag-Lites and big padlocks with a bandana tied to them. All these items have multiple uses, no doubt. Gotta admit I've even pondered a machete a time or two myself.....

But I'm not hanging anything off my brake lever!!!

Whipping a 4,000 pound enclosed vehicle when you are riding a 300-700 pound motorcycle just seems... foolish. :huh

People must be watching too much Sons of Anarchy.

I saw a guy, old harley, with a whip on one side, baseball bat on the other.
There are times that i am truly thankful that i don't have a baseball bat.
: )