Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Thoughts on Harley bashing.

Pretty well sums it up...

Here is my '76 EG I bought new and we rode for a total of 126,000 miles, 1 complete rebuild and 1 top end only. Went to Sturgis 3 times, Daytona 10, the Keys MANY times, Joliet,IL twice and rode when it weren't rainy season. Never rode the back of a pickup or trailer. Sold it in 1992 and wish I hadn't!!!

First repaint in 1980


Second in '88


An ABATE helmet rally late 80's IIRC



We really looked like Hells Angels when headed out for a weekend ride!

It seems only natural for people to from likes and dislikes based on things other than actual experience. For instance, I would imagine that a good number of those who dismiss things like Tasco scopes have never given them a try.

Frickin hilarious...

Not so hilarious...

Sorry man, but I just ain't buyin' that a motorcycle designed to handle badly and shake itself apart is okay. If yer into that kind of thing, that's okay with me, but I'll never say the machine is exceptional or even acceptable. I'm more of a "form follows function" kinda guy. That's one of the reasons I like the euro-bikes and certain Japanese bikes too (some of them "crotch-rockets" and some not). With the exception of the models designed to compete directly with a Harley, they are mostly about what the bike will do - not how they look.

I'll admit that there is some silliness going on with the current crotch-rocket crowd that we never saw back in the day when we had to build our own, and I'll admit that the typical such bike isn't much more than an exciting toy - certainly not a practical way of traveling. But those aren't my preference either. My favorite bikes are more in the "sport-touring" or "adventure -touring" category.

But none of that has much to do with the fact that the Harely-Davidson company has chosen to put all it's centavos behind a line of bikes with a very narrow range of appeal (for those who can tolerate a bike that handles poorly on anything but open interstate), when they could have diversified just a bit without offending their core clientele and had a healthier market.

I have laughed off years of "Jap-crap" remarks from Harley riders who couldn't negotiate a curve or go a week or a month without some repair, and in that other recent thread it didn't take long for one of 'em to slink out of the darkness with the same kind of asinine retort. Why would a tough-guy Harley rider get all teary over a likewise, but kinder response?

Edit: Kinda silly for me to even get into this, since after 40 years of all kinds o f riding I've pretty much lost interest in motorcycles, for myself anyway. The other thread was more about taxes, business, and market forces - then someone had to get snarky.

While modern day Harley's don't really do much for me, I'll admit I love the looks of the old stuff. There was some flat track racing last weekend in town and they had several old Harley's out there and they looked awesome. Owning a bike out here just doesn't make much sense from a practical standpoint,seeing as the riding season is so short and the roads pretty crappy. BUT...I've been contemplating and enduro/dual sport type of bike I could ride around the dirt roads all around here and still drive it to town or work if I wanted. if I can find one for the right price,I might just try it.

I haven't been riding for nearly as long as some of the guys on here, only 7-8 years. However I put a decent amount of miles on for a few of those. On my third bike I put around 14000 miles on it the first year I had it, and a buddy of mine had a Harley he rode about the same type and amount I rode my Kawasaki. I replaced the chain the tires and the fork seals (I bought it used). In the same amount of time he spent more fixing his Harley than I did to buy my bike. Plus I had to hear from him and all his Harley buddies how they were so much better than mine and how "real men only ride Harley's." I think that is the main reason I have pretty much always hated Harley's. Not just that they handle like a logging truck and break more often than a county road crew, It's the arrogance and condecending attitude of a lot of their riders.

If you owned a store, and there was this one family who wouldn't buy anything from anyone except you and your store... how would you treat that family as customers?

In 2001, H-D released the V-Rod to the world. MSRP $17,995. I called several dealers who told me they would accept nothing less than $22,995... I believe that they completely sold out. Good for them... I guess.

Same year, same time, Honda released their new Limited Edition RC-51 state-of-the-art race bike. Only 2,000 were scheduled to come to America. MSRP $9,995. I talked to a dealer who showed me a memo from Honda; "Any dealer caught charging more than the $9,995 MSRP will lose their license to sell Honda motorcycles". They sold out, too. The dealers could've easily gotten 50% over MSRP considering the exclusivity of the bikes. Honda wouldn't allow their customers to be raped.

H-D has LEGIONS of DEATHLY LOYAL CUSTOMERS, and how do they repay their allegiance? How do they allow their dealers to treat the deathly loyal customers?

I, personally, think that the "FatBoy" is one of the SWEETEST motorcycles ever built. Its Harley-Davidson the company that I really don't care for; and really can't support. I'm also a speed-freak, so I ride a sportbike.

EDIT: I also wear a color-matched leather coat, gloves, full-faced helmet, and steel-toe boots (black because they are work boots where I'm riding to and from most of the time) with jeans. You say gay, I say I dress for the crash, not the ride!

My buddy rides the crap out of his RKC .. I'm thinking he's over 100k now with nothing but valve adjustment.

Sweet bike, did I mention I will own one soon?

Can't understand the bashing, really, I like Triumphs and BSA's, but thats just me, wouldn't mind an older 883 to build into a hillclimber, but I ain't call call someone out over what they ride. Now if you disparage my savage rifles I'll calmly tell ya what I think of you and your remchester crap.

It's not the bikes, it's the 90% a$$ holes that ride them.

Some interesting responses, and it's remained fairly civil.

As expected, most of the detractors have basically zero first hand experience, and most of their negativity is based on the usual "my brother in laws best friend" or a "good buddy of mine" type thing. I get a big kick out of those who claim a Harley won't handle. Check out a few YouTube videos of some LEO Motor Officer rodeos. I'm also guessing the "chicken strips" on my Road Glides tires would compare favorably with that of guys driving Gold Wings, and their equivalent.

Always a pleasure to hear the usual Harley rider stereotypes. I guess I'm the oddball H-D rider. I have a job, no tatt's, short hair, and I don't refer to my wife as my "old lady" or "seat meat". Don't dress like a pirate either, just protective gear, for the possibility of a crash.

As for reliability. I've logged about 100k miles on several Evo powered H-D's, and now have 6k on my new Twin Cam powered bike. Thus far, I've never had a break down, of any sort. Nor have any parts "vibrated off" any of my bikes. Can't say the same for the BMW R100R I put about 15k on. It stranded me along side the road with electrical problems twice.

The hostility towards foreign bike riders must be a regional thing. I've never seen a brand x rider get hassled at any of the H-D dealerships up here. Pull into the local Kaw/BMW/Triumph dealer here on a Harley if you want to feel the cold shoulder. Talk about snobbery.

Ride safe guys, whatever you're riding.

Jeff

First repaint in 1980


Very nice.Heck I wish I had it.
Heres mine.

And


2009 Roadglide.


dave

Tee hee! You do have a way with words, B. I cut my teeth at 15 on a pumpkin orange '75 Yamaha RD-350B two banger, fell in love and have owned nothing but Japanese street bikes since. '85 Honda 500 Interceptor, '78 Honda CB 750 Supersport, 87' Yamaha FJ 1200, etc. My current ride is an '87 Kawi ZX-10/Ninja/GPz 1000. I admit to having a definite bias against HDs, especially those ridden by weekend warrior H-A wannabe donkeys who in real life are corporate types, but that's not really relevant, I suppose. There's just something annoying about some HD types that gets my goat...

My opinion of the bikes themselves changed a few years ago, when an old school bikie/outlaw type and I began riding together. Strange pair we made, with him on one of his many HDs, like his Superglide, Springer softail, panhead or shovelhead machines, and me on my rice burner with the header that can be heard at a half mile...

Know what? After riding his HDs a few times, I changed my mind. They are cool, and comfy--but still slow, relatively unresponsive to hard riding and expensive. Would I buy one? Probably not unless it was selling for a song, but I did learn that they ARE a helluva' lot of fun to ride.

Im 6 6 and dont fit on a wingdinger.
Roadglides rule.


dave

I don't ride but I am for anything American made!

This may sound backward, but I just can't get comfortable on cruisers in general. It seems like all of my weight is directly on my tailbone. I think I'm a little weird, but I can (and have) ride for hours on my sportbike (1000c.c. Yamaha). Big comfy seat, short reach to the clipons, and rear-set foot pegs which I prefer.

I rode my brother's 1100 V-Star (looks just like a Heritage), and I just kept trying to put my feet on the passenger pegs so I could sit up! Like I said, backward.