pfbmgd
Well-known member
With 50 over lose your license .Harley looks good for general riding .I never thought I would own one .But now that I`m old it`s not so bad .
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Today, I rode a Harley
- Thread starter Pete5000
- Start date
lol. like the writing in your sig... best i seen yet on the web
XenoVibe
Well-known member
Yes, I live here. lol
It's that heavy Industrial area, I never knew before because I'd never gone that far east of Crazy Al's unless I was on the highway.
EaZ8
Well-known member
my last bike was a harley, i wish i would have kept it when i bought my CBR....i really didnt have to sell it was just hard to justify 2 bikes with our short riding season and crap insurance premiums.
now ive been looking for a cheap one to bobber out. i think in a few years i may get another harley (besides my potential bobber project) maybe the NightRod or a softtail, but ill still keep a sport bike.
now ive been looking for a cheap one to bobber out. i think in a few years i may get another harley (besides my potential bobber project) maybe the NightRod or a softtail, but ill still keep a sport bike.
That's why I ride Japanese
I've ridden Harleys and other manufacturers power-cruisers. Not my thing as of yet but I would like something else in the garage that doesn't need to be going Mach1 to be fun (maybe a V7, Thruxton, etc).
Ahhh, the eternal question. Why, can't a young, inexperienced, sport-bike rider appreciate or "get" Harleys? I make the brave assumptions you are young, a sport bike rider, and inexperienced which I'll qualify as either lacking time in the saddle, or experience with other types of mounts.
There's only one answer: you are either not "ready", or not the "type".
Not ready for a Harley, i.e. too young/inexperienced; or not the type, i.e. think all motorcycles are about bang for buck spec sheets or "lap times", to appreciate all the qualities HD offers, including pride of ownership.
And there's nothing wrong with that other than maybe trying to question why HD is the world's best selling motorcycle: 250,000 buyers of new HD motorcycles per year, and one can only guess at how many are sold in the used market, simply can't all be stupid people. They "get" what you don't.
And there's nothing wrong with that.
I had a Harley, 2003 anniversary edition Low Rider, (I see they're bringing it back..good decision) and kept it for 2 years. Traded in on my present bike because I wanted something that was better, all around, for me...but...I miss it. If I go back, a Switch Back Dyna Glide is certainly tops on the list.
If peeps still think HD are anachronisms they are wrong. HD's are thoroughly modern bikes materials and technology wise, that maintain the classic looks they helped create and others still try to emulate, even down to the single pin crank sound.
I likened my Low Rider to a '59 Vette with a better chassis and better engine. Sure, a new Vette would still "blow it away" but those late fifties Vettes sure look cool, and when it comes to style, HD wins hands down because all others, except Indian, are simply copies of the original. (I always get a chuckle when I see a metric cruiser stripped of its tank badges, and the rider wearing an orange and black jacket)
If you can't appreciate slower, smell the roses, local or cross country, (yes, anybody who's been cross country can attest HD's are the #1 bike on the road) type of rides, you won't "get" HD's.
And there's nothing wrong with that.
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Because I get it I also wanted a Harley. But couldn't justify the cost. So I examined all the positive attributes of the classic HD (underpowered, overweight, bad suspension, questionable brakes, slouchy ergos, chrome trinkets) and shopped around for something compatible at lower cost. Luckily there are some options available for those of us who get it but are greenback challenged. Like everything in life compromises are inevitable but I got almost everything on the dream list by going Triumph retro. While my bike is outrageously overweight for what it is it's still about 200lbs shy of my dream HD. Looking to address that with chromed lead outriggers disguised as styling treatments to give the classic grinding sounds if I ever hit a twisty. Also looking to address the ergos. At present I'm sitting almost upright. That's not good. The quick fix appears to be ape hangars and forward controls. Lots of work tho, wish I could just afford a HD and not have to work on my own bike. Does anybody know a good chrome consultant?
I've ridden many bikes including a Harley (whatever model that has all the bags and stereo, like a goldwing) and wasn't impressed. Tried passing a transport truck at 120km/h and the buffeting wind hitting the fairing which is attached to the handle bars just makes the bike squirm down the highway. Not to mention it could barely get out of its own way from 100-120km/h.
I'm not not the Harley type and I couldn't care less about the "spec sheet" or their "lap times". They just aren't for everyone. My guess as to why they sell so well is the older men/women that can now finally afford a bike, their wife/husband will let them and they want to be a rebel/badass and feel tough cruising down the road immediately think that only an HD will provide this. It's not the bike that I dislike, it's the attitude that seems to be attached to the brand and comes standard with every bike and over priced piece of chrome or article of clothing that's purchased.
I do like the yamaha bolt though and if I were to get another street bike it would be somthing like that...with a supercharger.
I'm not not the Harley type and I couldn't care less about the "spec sheet" or their "lap times". They just aren't for everyone. My guess as to why they sell so well is the older men/women that can now finally afford a bike, their wife/husband will let them and they want to be a rebel/badass and feel tough cruising down the road immediately think that only an HD will provide this. It's not the bike that I dislike, it's the attitude that seems to be attached to the brand and comes standard with every bike and over priced piece of chrome or article of clothing that's purchased.
I do like the yamaha bolt though and if I were to get another street bike it would be somthing like that...with a supercharger.
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^ LOL
Anything small displacement. Motard. Standards. Grom. Retro/naked. Scooters. Lots of choices!
Anything small displacement. Motard. Standards. Grom. Retro/naked. Scooters. Lots of choices!
wonderings
Well-known member
I have ridden a few different Harley's over the years and enjoyed them all. Not my first style of choice, nothing gets better for me then my GSA adventure bike. The Harley is a smooth bike when moving, the shaking of the bike only happens when standing still, not while moving. My dad's ultra classic is smooth as butter while riding and is a go all day kind of bike, love that belt drive. Each to their own, its a great thing to have choice and options when buying a bike.
Iceman
Well-known member
I have a friend who has "always wanted a bike", but won't buy one until he can afford a Harley. He is 42, has never ridden anything, even a scooter, but he knows that Harley is the best. Talk about buying into a brand...
Personally, I have ridden 4 different Harley's, none will ever be on my short list. And I have owned a goldwing and a shadow 1100. Now if you want to talk Victory, twice the cruiser of any Harley and actually looks good too. Imo
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Personally, I have ridden 4 different Harley's, none will ever be on my short list. And I have owned a goldwing and a shadow 1100. Now if you want to talk Victory, twice the cruiser of any Harley and actually looks good too. Imo
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That was hilarious! Love the ending with the cab.
I have to admit the new Victory Gunner is a step in the right direction as far as cruisers go. If Victory did a proper MT-01 type replica it would super hard to resist. When pigs fly.
Victory engine has a small fraction of seals and gaskets vs HD engine. Just a better motor period.
RedDogDarren
Well-known member
If you just think about what you want in a bike and then get the one that checks the most boxes you win. Leave the marketing BS of Harley out of it and make your decision. Maybe the Hog is what you will wind up with. It baffles me why anyone is brand loyal to a product when you own no stock in it.
Harley has a major negative with me, and that is the stigma of looking like an idiot who bought into their marketing idiocy. Twin Cooled? That would be liquid cooling but they cannot use the phrase or else upset all the lemmings that have bought into the classic and traditional marketing hype for the brand of the tough guy. Using the same engine for almost every model is not to appease their lies of being true to the past, it's because it saves the company money on tooling costs. Nothing wrong with that but when people only spout off what HD marketing tells you it becomes apparent that you need someone to tell you what to think. Ripe for another cult like religion perhaps?
Logical thought is rare, but it will save you time when presented with the questions in the thread topic. If you have to "get" something then chances are it is complete BS.
Harley has a major negative with me, and that is the stigma of looking like an idiot who bought into their marketing idiocy. Twin Cooled? That would be liquid cooling but they cannot use the phrase or else upset all the lemmings that have bought into the classic and traditional marketing hype for the brand of the tough guy. Using the same engine for almost every model is not to appease their lies of being true to the past, it's because it saves the company money on tooling costs. Nothing wrong with that but when people only spout off what HD marketing tells you it becomes apparent that you need someone to tell you what to think. Ripe for another cult like religion perhaps?
Logical thought is rare, but it will save you time when presented with the questions in the thread topic. If you have to "get" something then chances are it is complete BS.
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This is the big negative for me too.
I'm not saying that all Harley riders are like this. I try to judge people individually, not by the group they belong to.
(except maybe for Ford Nation.
)
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It just looks so damn cool.
Agreed! My favorite cruiser!
The riding position with both arms and legs forward seems less than ideal.
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