Hi Floatingchoner!
You're right about cliques and folks wanting to bolster their egos at your expense. It is, unfortunately, the price of an "open" forum where anybody can post. Some folks have nothing better to do than look for opportunities to flame others.
Despite the juveniles on the bikeforums, there are also large numbers of VERY knowledgable bikers who are a virtual gold mine of information. Don't become discouraged by the obnoxious ones. The nuggets of info that can be mined from these forums are worth the hassle.
Keep on riding!