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im an old guy but the cycles got too big for me to be fun. i liked the 350 hondas of yester year.
Amen to that. I went from a big old vee-twin to a Yamaha XT250 last year and never looked back. And I'm enjoying the heck out of the nimble handing, great gas mileage, and ability to go just about anywhere without disturbing the fauna and flora.
"Riding a 'slow' bike fast beats riding a 'fast' bike slow."
There's nothing wrong in buying a H-D, they have come along way since the AMF days. I have a number of friend who I ride with that have H-D's. As for myself I ride a Gold Wing, I don't get ribbed for riding a Japanese bike, all Gold Wings manufactured between 1978 and 2010 were made in the US and mostly US manufactured parts, I think about 90% of the parts were made in the US.
I really like the Rushmore H-D's but I'm a Gold Wing type of guy, love the comfort, reliability and the handling and the gas mileage isn't all that bad for such a big bike.
Only thing I "Hate" about them is the loud muffler. So annoying. And don't say "loud pipes save lives" because helmets do too and most the riders don't wear them so no excuse for loud pipes aside from the craving for attention.
Only thing I "Hate" about them is the loud muffler. So annoying. And don't say "loud pipes save lives" because helmets do too and most the riders don't wear them so no excuse for loud pipes aside from the craving for attention.
I have a 2012 Road King. It is very quiet. Any bike can be made loud if the owner changes out the pipes and messes with performance upgrades.
I have a 2012 Road King. It is very quiet. Any bike can be made loud if the owner changes out the pipes and messes with performance upgrades.
Well, I don't know about very quiet but that's relative. My CBR came with full Akraprovik exhaust with a shorty can I replaced with a full can and no baffle since it was so loud I would have been getting ejected from track days. That said, I loved the way the shorty sang and it had nothing to do with attention. I tried to keep the rpms down and low throttle inputs in town and really only opened it up outside of urban areas. With the long can, it's just as loud as Screamin' Eagle pipes (generally the quietest of Harley loud pipes). With the shorty, you could drown out sirens in the upper third of the RPM range and full throttle.
They 'Sold' people on that if you bought a bike, and a bunch of leather (WITH their name on it) and chrome that you were a 'Bad*ssed biker...
And all the hollywood that goes with it.
I've got 2 bikes at the moment, a Honda XR650L and a BMW R1150R and I'll never buy a Harley for the following reasons:
-Overprices for what you get:
Much of their technology is WAY behind the times, and they charge WAY too much for what you get due to the 'Brand'
I don't pay for brand, I pay for the ride.
That's why, after 3 Hondas I bought the BMW due to it's longevity. They routinely go over 200,000 miles. (I know of 2 people with the same shaft drive with over 400,000 miles on theirs)
-Acessories and parts are much higher than for others.
-Poor performance.
Granted, I don't own a bike that does much over 130 now, but...
-HD's break.
I ride in excess of 10,000 miles per year... (Only took me 4.5 months to do that last year) and I keep passing these HD's broken down on the side of the road.
And here's the thing... the arn't ridden that much!
Most just take them out and ride on a sunday afternoon (Dressed as 'big bad bikers' in their clean leather)
I could keep going but I'm sure you get the picure, I can get a superior machine for less money, less aftermarket, which will be more reliable, and I'll admit... I want nothing to do with the fake culture their marketing department had put so much work into.
I'm not a biker, I'm a rider.
^^^ I haven't ridden in years - no equilibrium - but when I did it was an 80's SJM - standard Japanese motorcycle. I was a guy who happened to own and ride a motorcycle. Guys I knew who got HD became "bikers" overnight replete with every tacky piece of clothing and accessories emblazoned with HD on it. Tattoos grew like weeds in a swamp. Their wives got in on it and became faux "biker mommas"; tats and all.
Yep, marketing and image. Trailer the bike to Daytona and/or Sturgis to play bad ass biker" for a week. It actually means your motel is a mile away and you rode your bike to a bar and parked out front for the day with every other dip who does the same. Your bike may get 100 miles on it the entire time you are there.
One of my friends went off the deep end and traded in his 3 year old HD for a $40K limited edition model on the showroom floor. How many Yamaha VMax bikes could I get with that kind of cash?
The HD he got has all the bells and whistles a new car has; Including GPS, heated seats and other stuff that isn't a motorcycle but who cares? What happened to wind in your hair and looking for twisty roads? His bike is good for 65mph rides on interstate highways with a stereo blasting over the exhaust.
Sounds like a movie script.
Maybe I'm old school and don't appreciate or get it.
Harley markets a "lifestyle" with the bike being just a part of it. The beauty is the other stuff they sell besides the bike. Have a few riding buddies with Hogs and most of them are clothed in HD all the way. Have owned more than 35 bikes and not one was a Harley. The Japanese tech is far superior in every way but re-sale and impressing the girls. If you want speed and reliability that will blow the HD guys mind get one of the Japanese machines.......
You can sort of compare Harley VS Japanese bikes the same way you would compare a 69 Mustang to a late model Honda Accord.
Yes, all logic says that the Accord is the better car.
It's more technologically advanced, safer, better brakes, better handling etc.
In fact one could argue that the Accord is superior to a 69 Mustang in every conceivable way......except one.
It's not a 69 Mustang.
And as much as the Asian bikes try to copy Harley, they will never BE a Harley.
I'd say it depends on the Japanese bike. You're right, a sport bike (or sport touring bike) doesn't compare with an HD. But all the Japanese manufacturers have v-twin cruisers. And most, IMHO, manage to "out HD, HD". Better looking, better performing, more features. I have to admit, I really like the M109 Boulevard. The Yamaha Raider series are also beautiful bikes. As well of course the HDs and Victories (really starting to like the Vision).
At the end of the day, we're all part of the same brotherhood. Ride what YOU like.
I'd say it depends on the Japanese bike. You're right, a sport bike (or sport touring bike) doesn't compare with an HD. But all the Japanese manufacturers have v-twin cruisers. And most, IMHO, manage to "out HD, HD". Better looking, better performing, more features. I have to admit, I really like the M109 Boulevard. The Yamaha Raider series are also beautiful bikes. As well of course the HDs and Victories (really starting to like the Vision).
At the end of the day, we're all part of the same brotherhood. Ride what YOU like.
HD riders were always loathe to wave if you were on a MIJ bike. I always liked the Kawasaki Vulcan - not the dressers. I liked the 1400 from the early 80s best and were what HD wanted to put out at the time.
I also like Yamaha's Star bikes.
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