"the Harley has become a big status symbol of the middle aged lower and upper middle class who stick to their pack en-masse on weekend rides"

Most of the bikes we get around here (and we get quite a few because of the bendy country roads and nearby coast) are ridden by disparate groups. Maybe a pair of sports bike enthusiasts taking advantage of the curvy roads here or there. Or perhaps a dozen eclectic bike enthusiasts tearing off for a Sunday jaunt to the coast for some chips and beer. Or even the couple of trikes (I haven't seen them lately) with beefy tattooed geezers wearing WWII helmets.

To be honest, I haven't seen much of the kind of homogeneous group "anti-conformity" conformity described above. And I never have been impressed by Harleys, too flashy for my taste. Personally, I prefer my 'rebels' to be individualists. But I can appreciate the appeal for those who DO get a kick out of big tribal group gatherings. Even if it does only amount to the purchasing of a fantasy persona for the weekend - let 'em have their fun!