Harley Davidson

[lloydie]

They ain't my cuppa either tbh
As I like the triumph rocket 3 :-) and that is what I want when I'm no longer able to ride a sports bike .
But a motor guzzi will be the transition bike

[Furrybiker]

Well I have never wanted one, to me they are a bike for car drivers. Also a bit his'n'hers matching knickers, Harley of course

A friend wanted one so we went looking, it was a recent one in sort of camo. The build quality was rough, it had exposed wires hanging out of plastic sheathing by the item the wiring was serving, now this bike was brand new, so hadn't been hacked about. We went in search of Harley owners to find the true gen. Well either they didnt think we were true believers or they just didnt like us but their tales of poor quality, high prices and poor dealers put us right off!

The bikes seemed not too expensive but the parts seemed horrendous.

A neighbour had an 883 for a few years, rode it everyday, when it started to cost money the bills rose so quickly he sold it.

On the otherhand I met a guy who commutes on one says it thrives on neglect and is totally reliable.

Thinking about this I wonder if the bikes are a ploy to entrap you in a world of Harley endorsed merchandise where they can rape your wallet, as anyone who has been on the ride of respect or the run to the wall will have seen!

[Virt]

They ain't my cuppa either tbh
As I like the triumph rocket 3 :-) and that is what I want when I'm no longer able to ride a sports bike .
But a motor guzzi will be the transition bike

Only problem with the Rocket III is that there's so much chrome! For every hour spent riding it, especially in winter, the next 23 hours will be polishing the damned thing

[StormingHonda]

Well I have never wanted one, to me they are a bike for car drivers. Also a bit his'n'hers matching knickers, Harley of course

I am far from a car driver, but nowadays you do get lifestylers buying them, they dont have a clue what the lifestyle, but they saw it on sons of anarchy

A friend wanted one so we went looking, it was a recent one in sort of camo. The build quality was rough, it had exposed wires hanging out of plastic sheathing by the item the wiring was serving, now this bike was brand new, so hadn't been hacked about. We went in search of Harley owners to find the true gen. Well either they didnt think we were true believers or they just didnt like us but their tales of poor quality, high prices and poor dealers put us right off!

As I said the new Harleys are as bad as the new jap bikes, maximum profit, minimum outlat and yes new Hondas I have seen are not good. ( still not as cheap as the chinnese bikes ) the evos are GOOD build quality

The bikes seemed not too expensive but the parts seemed horrendous.

The parts are no more expensive than japanese ones, go to indie dealers and it gets better, however try a Triumph for expensive parts.

A neighbour had an 883 for a few years, rode it everyday, when it started to cost money the bills rose so quickly he sold it.

Why would it cost money?, theres not much to them, he must of negleted the bike for it to cost money.

On the otherhand I met a guy who commutes on one says it thrives on neglect and is totally reliable.

There not funny in the freezing cold I done it for two years and mine suffered carb icing.

Thinking about this I wonder if the bikes are a ploy to entrap you in a world of Harley endorsed merchandise where they can rape your wallet, as anyone who has been on the ride of respect or the run to the wall will have seen!

Yes these are usually people with more money than sense, you can also see the same types with the latest rocket machine with matching leathers and clean knee sliders armed with a dyno of their bike.

Sorry couldnt help it

[lumpyv]

ive never ridden one. when I look at the big "dresser" models I don't even recognise them as a motorbike. the only ones I would be interested in are the little stripped out ones just as a runabout. these lifestyle geezers are just posing really. they never seem to want to chat , just look down their noses at you (not you jay ) .

[NHSH]

I have ridden many Harley's in the 90's as part of my job testing different bikes.
If you are for the heavier the better, I have to say... some are not a bad ride for a heavy beast and plenty of torque, it may appeal to some riders as the style they prefer, but if you up for real riding and you want to get the most for your hard earned money, that wouldn't be the right choice! It's as simple as that!
The only reason Harley still have a huge success is marketing and in the states that rules! Unfortunately most HD riders are the type of the weekend warrior that ride to the bar and back pretending they are the real thing, makes people feel they special? Approval needing? Whatever makes then tick, that's who this marketing crap work for.
In all honesty I don't really care what bike you ride... But if you are a pretender, at list be nice and respectful to all other bikers, that's the part that most annoying me!!! The fact you riding a 100 years old technology heavy rig with chrome that weigh half the bike, not to mention useless apparels, doe's not make you a better rider or person! Just another marketing statistics!!!

BTW, streching your legs forward is in a way a death trap, if the bike goe's down, you go with it! You really have less chance to jump your butt off, just something to think about
Cheers

[NHSH]

Happy New Year to all

[StormingHonda]

ive never ridden one. when I look at the big "dresser" models I don't even recognise them as a motorbike. the only ones I would be interested in are the little stripped out ones just as a runabout. these lifestyle geezers are just posing really. they never seem to want to chat , just look down their noses at you (not you jay ) .

I have had it done to me when I wasnt on my Harley and they are just idiots. The thing is with the big Harleys is that they are made to munch up miles on a highway and not for up and down the road, which is one of the reasons I like the sportster which to me is more of a street bike.

Personally I dont like the electra glide, if you want something like that you might as well buy a car, I look at Gold wings in the same way. Its the same with trikes, I dont see the point unless you were diabled and didnt want a car or didnt have a car liscence, I would not put a family in a trike.

[StormingHonda]

I have ridden many Harley's in the 90's as part of my job testing different bikes.
If you are for the heavier the better, I have to say... some are not a bad ride for a heavy beast and plenty of torque, it may appeal to some riders as the style they prefer, but if you up for real riding and you want to get the most for your hard earned money, that wouldn't be the right choice! It's as simple as that!

If I were doing serious miles, I wouldnt want to do it on sports bike, what do you call real riding?

The only reason Harley still have a huge success is marketing and in the states that rules! Unfortunately most HD riders are the type of the weekend warrior that ride to the bar and back pretending they are the real thing, makes people feel they special? Approval needing? Whatever makes then tick, that's who this marketing crap work for.

I think this can apply to all segments of the biking community, I mean how many idiots do you see on sports bikes that fit the criteria I said earlier, or how many BMW riders you see with the full mcgregor suit, standing up on their bike in a face slap moment. The sad fact is idiots are everywhere.

In all honesty I don't really care what bike you ride... But if you are a pretender, at list be nice and respectful to all other bikers, that's the part that most annoying me!!! The fact you riding a 100 years old technology heavy rig with chrome that weigh half the bike, not to mention useless apparels, doe's not make you a better rider or person! Just another marketing statistics!!!

I don't care what other people ride, a motorcycle is a motorcycle to me, I am not a brand snob either, but what I like about my Harley davidson is that old bike feel, and I wouldnt buy a new one because they have lost that to some degree ( along with the build quality name the built up with the Evos ), the new Harley engines are more modern than the evos and not the dinosaur engine ( like the evo ) everyone seems to think it is, Japanesse cruisers just dont feel the same to ride, they are too smooth and clean for my liking.

BTW, streching your legs forward is in a way a death trap, if the bike goe's down, you go with it! You really have less chance to jump your butt off, just something to think about
Cheers

What causes the most damage in an accident is hitting something, and the higher the speed you are going the harder you hit stuff, I have been trapped under a sports bike when its gone down. All bikes are death traps.

[lloydie]

One thing I will say no matter what or how old you are or how you ride we all get the same feeling When riding FREEDOM and that's the main reason why I ride a motorbike .

[StormingHonda]

One thing I will say no matter what or how old you are or how you ride we all get the same feeling When riding FREEDOM and that's the main reason why I ride a motorbike .

Exactley, its one of the reasons why I done a vote and thread on this subject, to me a motorcycle is a motorcycle, certain brands/manifacturers cater to different style, if that style doesnt suit you then you don't buy it, the problem with Harley Davidson is there is an image of them being ridden by 1% biker clubs, the bad boy back street rogue image if you like, they also carry the old AMF years build quality tag, when the build quality really was shite, I think the trouble is people listen to much to what people who don't like them and/or who have never ridden them say, some of its out of jealousy and some of it is the type of people who seem to hate things for the sake of hating things, however you do get genuine people who have owned one and just couldnt get on with it, or had so much trouble with it they wouldnt buy another, how many people do you hear saying I wouldnt buy a <insert brand of aNYTHING here> I wouldnt buy another, if I were to say a brand I wouldnt buy it would have to be Yamaha, I have had nothing but trouble with them.

As for the image thing, sometimes in a forum I will post up a tongue in cheek thread " are you a real biker " and you get people become quite passionate about it, its quite funny really, so what is a real biker, the answer is......who F*****G cares.

An idiot is someone who tries to emulate someting they are not and never will be, wether its that 1% biker image or that rossi, matching leather, dyno chart waver who will never push his bike to the limit, and never get it wet, or that ewan mcgregor type who buys a BMW.

I like all types of bikes, I'm not a great fan of italian bikes, but I would give one a go, I had an angry PM from an italian ducati engineer once which was quite funny, over the Ducati streetfigher, after I said the name was unoriginal and totally missed the point of it, and who ever thought to use it as cheap and a idiot.

At the end of the day ride it of ya like it.

[Virt]

One thing I will say no matter what or how old you are or how you ride we all get the same feeling When riding FREEDOM and that's the main reason why I ride a motorbike .

Exactley, its one of the reasons why I done a vote and thread on this subject, to me a motorcycle is a motorcycle, certain brands/manifacturers cater to different style, if that style doesnt suit you then you don't buy it, the problem with Harley Davidson is there is an image of them being ridden by 1% biker clubs, the bad boy back street rogue image if you like, they also carry the old AMF years build quality tag, when the build quality really was shite, I think the trouble is people listen to much to what people who don't like them and/or who have never ridden them say, some of its out of jealousy and some of it is the type of people who seem to hate things for the sake of hating things, however you do get genuine people who have owned one and just couldnt get on with it, or had so much trouble with it they wouldnt buy another, how many people do you hear saying I wouldnt buy a <insert brand of aNYTHING here> I wouldnt buy another, if I were to say a brand I wouldnt buy it would have to be Yamaha, I have had nothing but trouble with them.

As for the image thing, sometimes in a forum I will post up a tongue in cheek thread " are you a real biker " and you get people become quite passionate about it, its quite funny really, so what is a real biker, the answer is......who F*****G cares.

An idiot is someone who tries to emulate someting they are not and never will be, wether its that 1% biker image or that rossi, matching leather, dyno chart waver who will never push his bike to the limit, and never get it wet, or that ewan mcgregor type who buys a BMW.

I like all types of bikes, I'm not a great fan of italian bikes, but I would give one a go, I had an angry PM from an italian ducati engineer once which was quite funny, over the Ducati streetfigher, after I said the name was unoriginal and totally missed the point of it, and who ever thought to use it as cheap and a idiot.

At the end of the day ride it of ya like it.

+1 to this.

As far as I'm aware that shouldn't be any huge schisms in biking. I love that wherever I go on my bike, if I see another biker there's always the friendly nod at each other to acknowledge everything. Biking is just one large community, a community so big you'll never meet or get to know everyone, where you share a common 'hobby'.. Although biking is more than a hobby, it's a lifestyle choice. You don't get a motorbike because it's more fuel economic or because it's cheaper and safer, because it isn't. You get a bike because you have a passion for them and it's something you really want to do. At the end of the day as long as you can reasonably justify why you got the bike you got, then I have no problems with you.

Example, my best friend recently said he was thinking of getting a cbr600rr after his 2 year restriction was up and he could afford it. At this time I was looking at Triumph 675 Daytona's and thought "yeah, we could go track days together. have a laugh and all that" but he said he didn't want to take it for track days, which poses the question of why would you get a baby-blade then? You're never gonna use all that power on the road because the power is all quite high up, it's just getting one for the image of "I have a super sport and 3 inch chicken strips"

[thumperslaw]

Don't get me started on how sh1t they are

[StormingHonda]

Don't get me started on how sh1t they are

Oh go on, get it off yer chest

I wouldnt say my Sportster is sh1t, infact its got to be my favourite bike I have owned.

[thumperslaw]

Don't get me started on how sh1t they are

Oh go on, get it off yer chest

I wouldnt say my Sportster is sh1t, infact its got to be my favourite bike I have owned.

I've had the 883 sportster and it was wombles sh1t
Tank done wombles all miles and metal they use (sorry cheese) is crap
Standard exhausts rotted within a year so I I got some v&h pipes for its.
Was the f.i one not carb model
Rubber mounted motor was like ridding a washing machine on full chat. Worse bike I ever brought