Great looking Hog! I have a Fat Boy with a turquoise and cream paint job that I love. Harleys are like Ferraris to the extent that neither brand offers the most high tech, neither are the fastest nor best handling in their respective classes, yet there is an experience one gets on a Harley and in a Ferrari that you just can't get on another bike or in another car. Like the moto goes, "...if you have to ask, you wouldn't understand..."
This is the bike H-D should have produced, instead we have Buells If you like black and italian, there is only one choice... Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Frank, If the "Harley Experience" is hand numbing vibration, bad brakes, poor handling, bad build qualilty and unreliability then I will keep my Ducati (bad build quality, unreliable, but very quick, good brakes, good handling, killer looks, Italian heritage) or my Yamaha R1 (Tops in speed, handling, reliability, good looks, low cost, but, yes, not the "mystique" of a "Harley".) or even my new MV Augusta F4 1000 (The best looking bike in the world-bar none-the sexiest bike in the world-bar none, more mystique than any bike ever built, save maybe a Vincent Black Shadow, unknown-but probably bad build quality and relaibility-but not as bad as a Harley.) In the end you buy and ride what you like-but no way is a Harley experience anything like a Ferrari experience-leave that to the Ducati and MV folk. I have asked, I do understand--its just I can't agree!! Anyway enjoy your Harley--I will be the guy at a 60 degree lean angle passing you on the outside of the corner somewhere on the Suches loop, and I will be loving it-but you won't care and thats fine with me!
I never said a Harley was fast and handled like a sports bike...they don't. I too have had a few fast bikes in my life, a Suzuki GS 1100 and GS750, a Kawasaki 900 and 750 H2 which were all very fast for their day. But, that was in my teens and early twenties and I enjoy the more relaxed experience of a Harley now. And, FYI Harleys, since the Evo are some of the most reliable bikes made with world class build quailty... better than anything from Italy I suspect...though I admit that I have never owned an Italian bike. I have had my 1992 Fat Boy since new and it has NEVER left me stranded . The only time it has failed to start was due to a bad battery. It doesn't leak and runs great...although it does vibrate more than jap bikes do...that too has got better with the newer rubber mounted engine models. By the way, I do love the way a MV Augusta looks and sounds and would buy one if they were a little more comfortable for my 48 year old body to ride.
" better than anything from italy " hahahahahahahahaah....hahahahaaha. Hold on my side is hurting........hahahaha ....I needed a good laugh today . Thank you Ron
It is 85 degrees and not a cloud in the sky today. I can't think of many things more enjoyable than going for a ride...even on a Harley. I'm glad H-D exists, even though I doubt I'll ever own one. Different strokes for different folks. They have dramatically improved build quality in the last 15-20 years, but there was nowhere to go but up after the AMF dark ages.
The build quality is good, the reliability is great, the brakes do suck and so does the handling. The vibration is easy to get rid of and Harley knows it but I guess the buyers like it so they keep it. Bottom line, they sell the ***** out of them so I guess they aren't doing everything wrong.
I guess you either are or your are not. And I am not. It's not that I can't see that the Harley fills a need/desire-it's just that as a piece of mechanical engineering-they are just awful. From a style point of view-well that is in the eye of the beholder. What I love others find ugly-no problem. What bugs me is the sanctimonious attitude you get from some (A small lot) of Harley owners. There behavior ruins it for the whole group. A remember stopping on at a roadhouse and saw a "nice looking" Harley outside. (I was on my R1) Went inside and saw a guy who looked like the Harley owner, sat down next to him, said hi and asked if it was his bike outside. He said yes-I said it was very nice looking and that I rode also, and was on my Yamaha R1 today. Well he turned and looked at me and said "Well that's your f**cking problem, then isn't it?" All too often that is the kind of response you get. Now Frank-I know you a bit and please-I am not suggesting you are like this-indeed- you are a true gentleman and enthusiast-period, but it just makes it so easy to dislike the whole "Harley crowd". PS-The guy left and I left 10 minutes later-caught up to him out of Helen, GA. Saw him in front of me, so bad boy that I am-I waited till a nice long fast sweeper-pulled up inside of him, real tight and close, and just let my bike drift to the outside of the turn-forcing him outward as I went. Not very nice, but he panicked like a wanker rider and went way wide in the turn and then shut it down. Like I said-not very nice and only makes me a bit of a hypocrite, but he so deserved it!!
I'm suprised (maybe i shouldn't be) that there is so much divisiveness between riders of different brands. I "get" the Harley thing, i ride with those guys sometimes (I have a V-Rod which, among Harley cognoscenti, is not considered a 'real Harley' even though it shares some of the traditional attributes including bad brakes), and ride with others, too. There is an attitude about Harley and Harley clones that is more than simply brand loyalty- it does border on disdain for anything non-Harley, even though there are many, many more interesting, better engineered, better looking bikes. It is an interesting reflection of the "mystique" thing that alot of Ferrari people have no problem using, when justifying their favorite little red cars from Italy (although, honestly, I think the Ferrari experience is on a whole different level). As to the ultimate classic, i'd love to have a Brough 100, an Indian 4 and yeah, throw in a Vincent. Have no idea how any of them ride, but it can't be much worse than alot of the S & S Twin -based bikes I see everyday. Postscript: On the subject of "it's not meant to be a crotch rocket," i think, as i said earlier in this thread, that's a red herring that doesn't really address Harley's inadequacies. As a business matter, i grant you that the company would probably be insane to change the formula given what loyalists look for. But, my experience in the last couple weeks with a big Moto Guzzi tells me a large bike can still handle, corner, stop and be comfortable. I trust the same is true of other bikes, including the BMW's, which i have not yet had the pleasure of riding. (Their newest offerings look great- both the sportsbike, and the "street" fighter/urban/touring version).
It doesn't matter what you ride as long as you do... But Harleys are the bottom of the barrel motorcycles. They are inferior in almost every way, except for the way in which they make the rider feel like a "badass". If you want a real cruiser, get a jap cruiser. Looks better, better build quality, more power, more reliable, majority handle better.... But then you couldn't tell everyone "ya got a Hardley", and you couldn't walk around in your wife beater drinking some "Bud" from that Harley can holder with your Harley Tshirt and Du-rag, leaning against your pickup truck with that Harley sticker signifying to everyone on the road that you're a "real man". Harley Davidson is a GREAT company. They're extremely successful and they are marketing GENIUSES. Too bad they sell "the harley lifestyle" instead of decent bikes.
I say the same thing. In a way they are similiar. I did own a ducatti 916 for 3 years and other off brands. All the bikes have good and bad. Resale on a HD is a good point. Check out the depreciation on a duck.
I never base what I ride on how much I will make in the end . If that's the case I would be riding an old GPZ or GS etc......buy it for a $1000 and sell it for a $1000 two years later.
It is a good feeling when you trade or sell your bike not to take a big hit. I'm not saying that is the reason to buy HD but it is a good thing as I stated.
Bought three bikes this last year.... A Ducati Diavel, A MV Agusta Brutale and a CVO Softtail Deluxe Harley. The Harley had better build quality, rode better and was more comfortable. I also own a Speciale which means I usually fall into the "Italian is better" crowd but, sorry guys... only the Harley remains. Couldn't wait to get rid of the always breaking Ducati and MV Agustas....
Diavel is not a great bike. Its ugly to look at and not nice to ride. I will stick with the Vrod of the Diavel for a muscle cruiser.
Traded my old SuperGlide with half a million miles on it for a 2016 Dyna "Low." Sure is nice to have fuel injecton.
