How do Suzuki riders feel about Harleys?

[High Plains Thumper]

Originally Posted by RadarO'Riley

The only thing I envy Harley riders is the tone of the exhaust.

Then it's that classic

Potato - Potato - Potato - Potato sound you envy.

With an aftermarket exhaust system, your Savage will do:

Spud - Spud - Spud - Spud ....

- HPT

[Pinhy]

my riding buddy has the Cobra exhaust on his Vulcan 1500 and it is nice and loud when he gets the RPM's up but has a nice sound when cruising....great sound to them

[cobra marauder]

Had a 93 Springer Softail. Paid $14000 sold in 98 for $16000 with 13K on it. Go figure???? Bought my 98 marauder for $6000. BANKED $9000. Had to put some goodies on the marauder........... But the Marauder out handles out performs and gets a lot more looks than the hog ever did. Yea I get a lot of ribbing from the guys for having a ricey....... I dont care though. They have all riden it and most agree.

Besides I once heard that almost 90% of all Harleys ever made are still on the road.......... That means that about 10% have atleast made it home rite

[NickGS500E]

I still don't know what all the fuss is about the sound of a harley. If I want something with a big lumpy engine note, heaps of power and an inability to get around corners in a hurry I'll go and buy myself another 1976 XB Falcon Coupe with a 460ci big block in it(yes, I do wish it had been the original Mad Max car but no, it wasn't). AND IT'D STILL BE QUICKER THROUGH A SET OF BENDS THAN ONE OF THOSE OVERPOLISHED, UNRELIABLE SLUGS!!!!

[insanecycleguy]

yep I have a suzuki intruder 1400 and its faster than a harley make less noise than a harley and doesnt go through oil like a harley I've never been a harley fan you only pay for the name not the quality, Its sad an american feels this way but in todays age you have to get the most for your money and harleys just aint got it. yamaha and suzuki both have excellent machines to offer for a lot less money!

[Dave2122]

In my circle of friends Harley's are "Me To" bikes......

You know two guys are talking and one says "I own a Harley" The other guy responds "me to"!!!

[Gary Swymeler]

What's a Harley?
The S-50 is a great bike.

[nocones]

There's both a Suzuki and a Harley in our garage. I ride both with a wide grin (internal so I don't look so silly to everyone else). I wave to most bikers--I'm not always the first to wave but then again, it's not a contest, just a greeting. I've even waved to a guy on one of those big mopeds although I had to look around to see if someone saw me, but it probably made him feel good.

Why did I choose a Harley? Because that's what I wanted. Yep, it's big and shiny. I like keeping it that way just as I do my car and most of the other stuff I value. I wear leather and a doo-rag, biker boots, stickers on my helmet, patches and pins on my jackets. Why--because I like it and also because leathers keep my old butt warm in cold weather, the skull rag keeps my bald (but beautiful) head from blistering; stickers on my helmet because I have a sense of humor; patches because they mean certain things to me. Does it make me look like a Harley biker bad-***? Probably to some folks but I don't worry about that. I wear the same stuff when I ride the Suzuki, except that the logos are Suzuki or Metric oriented. I do the same in the car--wouldn't wear a Ford T-shirt and drive a Chevy, etc...unless it was the last clean one I had.

I frequent a local biker bar in Jacksonville (The Rooster) that is about 2/3 Harley and the rest Metric cruisers. Everyone gets along mostly because it's about riding and carrying on at the bar, not the marque. I don't find it strange at all to see guys and gals ride in or out on a mix of bikes.

Point is, there's a jerk in every crowd and for every Harley jerk there's a Metric jerk to match. They have a place in society too, even if it's just to serve as bad examples. Ok, I just fell through the soap box so I'm done.
If any of you should ride through J-Ville, send me a note and we'll go for a ride and have a beer (or whatever).

Tim

[Gixxerdale]

Originally Posted by Dave2122

In my circle of friends Harley's are "Me To" bikes......

You know two guys are talking and one says "I own a Harley" The other guy responds "me to"!!!

Then I say "I used too, but then I got a bike to actually ride!"

I guess I'm just not enough of a poser! I like the ride more than the look.

But I stilll take pride in my ride!

[ddarais]

Hey I have ridden both....The Sportster 883 is a joke for a bike. It is like riding a vibrating 2x4. My friend sold his cause he couldn't ride it more than a couple of miles without getting sore....The company I work for gave away a couple of brand new Fat Boys $20k bikes as a maketing promotion. I got to test ride them before we delivered them. Both of them had problems...right off the showroom. I am not impressed. I have had Honda's, Kawasaki's, Yamaha's..now my first Suzuki...I love it so far. I have loved all my jap bikes!

[stp1971]

Hey nocones,,, I used to live in Jax (aka-- freakville) for five years,,, I have a friend that live over in the Regency area where Monument and St. Johns comes together,, is the rooster over off of Atlantic?? I remember seeing it I think,, just can't remember where. I am coming down there for Biketoberfest and once my friends divorce settles down I will be coming down there during the summer,, maybe I'll ride my bike down for the weekends. Gotta surf though while I'm there!!!! Jax is a great bike town,, LOTS O BIKES there,, I remember seeing plenty everyday riding around,, alot of times even in the winter, since the winters aren't that brutal,, I might have to move back there one of these days.

[nocones]

Nope, the Rooster is actually in Bayard (south of Jax), which encompasses maybe four square city blocks. Located right at US1 (Phillips Hwy) and St. Augustine Road. I agree with ya, Jax is a fun biking place. That's why I don't always wave at every biker I pass--my arm would fall off because during the summer it seems that every 15 seconds or so another bike is coming at ya! Sometimes ya gotta nod instead. As much as I like Jax, I think Lake County is even better for riding/cruising, especially for an old fart like me (maybe I should drop the Nocones and go for Grumpy50).

[stp1971]

ONly thing about living down there is chrome rusts ALOT quicker due to that salt spray from the beach,,, don't know where that bar is then,, will have to check it out next time I go down there. My friend is trying to get me to come down there for the 4th of July,,, not sure on that one right now.

I know where the Gold Club is on Atlantic though!!!! Alot of bikers used to hang out down at Jax beach at the Lynard Skynard bar if it's still there,, and at the Sun Dog in Neptune Beach.

[nocones]

Hey, I work about a block from the Freebird (Lynard Skynard)! Tuesday is the Beaches Bike Nite and is held at Dick's Wings in Jax Beach but the Sun Dog and that area is still popular for bikes, too. I live south of Mandarin (Fruit Cove) so I get a nice long cruise when I ride to work.

[QuacktheDuck]

personally i like victory motorcycles better than hd (more stylish/unique imo), but don't get me wrong i don't dislike hd at all. Problem is both victory and hd cost more than id care to spend on a bike...perfectly happy with what was offered on the table with the m50...

[stp1971]

I like them all,, well except a few,, but like Quack said,, don't want to mortgage my house for one,,, would like to have one of those Orange County Choppers just to tool around on around town,, but not to ride for fun!!!!! I have a perfect bike for fun riding!!!

Nocones,, if I get to Jax in the near future we might have to hook up and ride around,,, I know those areas you are talking about,, had a friend that used to live in fruit cove,, lost touch with her though. Wish I didn't..... anyways,, if my friend doesn't lose his mind from this divorce then I'll have a place to crash when I am down there.

[nocones]

Sounds good--lemme know.

[JES883]

Originally Posted by ddarais

Hey I have ridden both....The Sportster 883 is a joke for a bike. It is like riding a vibrating 2x4. My friend sold his cause he couldn't ride it more than a couple of miles without getting sore....

I've got a 2003 883. It's not a joke for a bike after you pump about $3,000 into engine mods, a seat, suspension upgrade, exhaust, carb mods, forward controls, weird "Harley" tools, major re-wiring to fix what the factory screwed up, etc.

Yeah, in stock form, 30-45 miles was the limit before a break was needed. Now, the gas tank capacity is the limit. VERY comfy with seat, forward controls, bars matched to my preference.

Yeah, it vibrates. That's good. "She" likes that when she's on the back.

Yeah, it's LAF. But WAY fewer people cut me off then when I'm on the gixxer. Do loud pipes save lives? I don't know, but they sure get you noticed.

Yeah, the quality isn't on a par with my gixxer. But I knew that up front.

Yeah, my mom likes me on the Harley instead of the gixxer. I try to tell her that if I go down on either one, it's gonna' hurt the same. It doesn't matter to her. The Harley's not a "crotch rocket".

I love my new Gixxer. I also love my Harley. For totally different reasons. Maybe someday I'll give a jap cruiser a try. I'll probably never go back to a Harley. We'll see.

[oldgeezer]

All the stuff you mention about your 883, HD fixed starting in 2004, ie rubber mounted engine, larger tank, more HP. I don't have a beef with HD's or metrics. Ride what you want to ride.

[sachmo]

The first guy to waive at me was on a harley. and the HD 833 ads were what got me looking at getting a new bike. In the end I just liked the M50 more. If you hate someone just because they ride a Harley you kinda become what you are saying is a real negative about Harley riders.