What's wrong with Harleys?

[Clint]

I really like that 650, too. But that's another thread.

[dichotomous]

last weekend I was out and looking at bikes, first I went to go see my baby still in the warehouse all shiney, then looked at the M50 for next year. Then I went to the HD dealership. I told the guy right off that I bought a bike this year but it was my first not my last, and whats the deal with harleys and their name and price, he said he used to ride a busa, but stopped cause he'd kill himself. he said that mostly with a harley you are buying into a family and told me about chili cookoffs they have and such. I was thinking "who cares about a chili cookoff, I dont wanna spend that much more so I can buy into a family, any family that you have to buy into isnt a family I want in on" but I sat on some bikes and listend to their specs and prices. a dyna was around 12-14 grand, a softail about the same, they had the evo 88 engine (I belive) which he says throws out 57hp and 80something ft/bs of torque, which is a lot. for my frame 6'2" 225lbs, the bikes were very comfy, had 6 speed trannys, and the parts seemed beefier and more substainsial than the japanese counterparts. so I guess, when you look at it, for the power and build quality it doesnt seem they are WAY off, I mean sure add some extra for brand name and the ability to market better, but they seem pretty equal to me. then again I dont really like the look of any of the harleys, so I aint buying, but still.... and at least you know if 30 years your harley will be worth more than it is now..... like audis, more expensive than VW's, but they stay that way.

[Uechi Kid]

Originally Posted by viper94bite

Price, performance, quality thats enough reason for me to stay metric.

I agree. I work hard for my money and want to get the value for the dollars I spend. That said, I can afford any bike I want. I like HDs, but after I did my research, the bike that met my wants the best was the M95.

[dichotomous]

what I mean by build quality is stuff like the foot controls were built beefier and more substansial than on most jap cruisers I've seen, the handgrips and levers felt wider and the material felt a little more polished. The seats felt a little more comfy, there was truck bed type wicked tough finish over the tranny and crankcase. The bike just gave me a feeling of being more solid and substansial. of course this all weighs more, but if I am buying a cruiser I'm not out for speed now am I? If they made a cruiser that looked like the M series from the zook.... I'd buy, I really would.

[MagnumForce]

Been there, done that with a Sportster 1200. The yellow bike you see to the left is quite an upgrade. Actually, I wanted a sportbike and I had to let one of the cruisers go. Guess which one? And yes, when it comes to Milwaukee iron, I'd much rather have a Buell. Who would have thought a Harley motor CAN be improved.

[Trapper]

We had a 06 FatBoy in the restaurant that the Fire Dept were selling tix on. I noticed the "rivit" type of attachment for the fenders and IMHO it looked cheap.

[bajaraider]

Please anyone correct me if I am worng here. Going back to the looks of the V-Rod and how it doesn't match the other Harleys... IF I'm not mistaken didn't Porsche help with the design??? Maybe that's why it looks better. But again correct me if I am wrong.

[MagnumForce]

IIRC, Porsche helped HD with the engine design. There were some cooling problems with the engine and Porsche was enslisted to help eliminate it. Other than that, the design is still HD. If I get around to it, I'll try to find an article.

[Trapper]

I think you're right about the Porche thing.

[dichotomous]

yeah its too ugly to be called a porsche.... then again they DID make the cayanne...... awsome suv, never gonna see anywhere near its usefullness off road though..... still ugly though.....

[Trapper]

No Way! The V-Rod is the prettiest cruiser out there , IMO

[dichotomous]

prettiest harley yes, I prefer the new version of your ride however. does the Vrod qualify as a power cruiser?

[MagnumForce]

Yup, it's a power cruiser.

[dichotomous]

well then thats enough for me to drool.

[inspiron]

Porsche was involved in the engine, and IIRC, BMW provided the gearbox.

[MagnumForce]

The Revolution engine in the "Rod" bikes is based on the engine used in the VR1000 superbike. Here's an article on this bike:

http://www.motorcycle.com/mo/mcharley/vr1000.html

[dragbar]

i grew up around Harley's, so nothing against the bike per se. But Spending a large amount for a bike that I would have to customize heavily to get where I want hurts the wallet.

When it comes to attitudes, Yes I encounter them alot, but the vast majority are from people that don't even own a bike. My city hosted the state H.O.G. Rally this year and everywhere I went I got tons of questions asked about my M50 and met alot of good people.

The only thing I really like on American made cycles are the seperate gear boxes and belt drive. Other than that, I find much more tech in a much cheaper priced ride.

[cjjtulsa]

Originally Posted by dichotomous

yeah its too ugly to be called a porsche.... then again they DID make the cayanne...... awsome suv, never gonna see anywhere near its usefullness off road though..... still ugly though.....

It has no usefullness off road; it's a high performance SUV. Off road vehicles are all about torque and traction. I could go in reverse in my old Bronco places that Cayanne couldn't going forward.

[bajaraider]

Great article. Good find. And most importantly thanks for the correction.

[Shea]

Funny thing is, Harley STILL won't actually be racing a true Harley in any super bike races any time soon. The newst addition in the AMA is the Buell, and once again, it has the Harley name on it, but was not even close to being designed by Harley.