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I think I want a Harley!

P

pdsgt

Moped
Well there you have it.  I think I want a Harley-Davidson!  Don't get me wrong.  I want to keep my connie.  I just want a second bike.  I think I want a street glide or a road glide.  My Connie is great in so many ways, but to be honest after about 200 miles in one day I am starting to be sore.  Mostly it's my knees and my ass.  I've tried the custom seat and the bead thing.  As far as my knees, they get real tender and sore around 200 miles.  I stand up, sit on rear seat, let my legs hang down.  I do all those things.

I think I would like a cruiser with forward controls and a big plushy seat for extended long hauls.  It's got factory cruise and a radio.  What else is there? 

Not to mention I always wanted to be a pirate for halloween. :))
 
A GL1800. Wont have the forward controls, but if you want something designed for the long haul, with factory cruise, etc. it would be my choice.
 
I looked towards the GL1800 at one time and it didn't trip my trigger.  I really don't want to like the Harley, but I keep finding myself going to the Harley stealership and sitting on them.  Weird!
 
Come and buy my Harley Road King, I want to get rid of it! :mad: Between the economy and the issue of supply and demand, they just aren't worth anything anymore. The old days of Harley's holding their value are gone. :'(

 
PdLt,
I know what you mean about wanting the Harley.  I test rode the Electra Glide Ultra Classic at Americade and am SOLD.  I've ridden my '04 Conc more than a 100k miles so far and also had a GL1500 Wing at one time, but I love the way the Harley looks and rides. The Wing was great but just didn't have any "character" for me - if that makes any sense??  I'll always have a Connie, but the Ultra will fill a different need...

Best part is my wife likes it too, so sometime this Fall I'm hoping to add one to the garage.
 
When the daughter graduates from college I'll finally have the money to buy my strictly touring bike.  Choices are GL1800, Harley Ultra, or Triumph Rocket.  I guess the thing to do is rent them for a weekend to sort things out.  I'm thinking the wife would like the wing the best.
 
Yes please go test ride a Victory before you waste your money on the HD.  HD is always playing catch up with Victory's upgrades.  The Victory is completely made in the USA and HD parts are made outside the USA!!!
 
The only issue I would have with a Victory is dealer network.  There are none in my area.  So if I had an issue I would have to be traveling extended distancefor service work.  I owned a BMW for awhile and eventually gave that up because I was traveling 100 miles 1 way for service.  If it was something they could do while I waited, it was no problem.  But usually I had to leave the bike.  So 100 miles to drop it off, 100 miles home.  100 Miles to go pick it up.  100 miles home.  No thanks, never again.

Thanks for the thoughts though.  Keep them coming.
 
That would drive me nuts that is for sure.  That is way too far to travel.  I am still anti-HD at this point.  I sold my Street Glide to purchase the Concours 14.  As long as you are happy with the bike that's all that matters. Ride safe!!!
 
There's nothing wrong with liking the Harley. I've never owned one myself, but know others that do and/or have. The newer Harley's seem to be very well made reliable bikes. Yes some of the designs are low tech and not cutting edge. But they have incorporated some newer technologies like theft preventive systems, fuel injection and such. Plus the newer Harley's seem to be very reliable. If you like like the bike, get it. It's about you and your riding interests. So what others think really shouldn't matter!  ;)
 
AngryBaby said:
That would drive me nuts that is for sure.  That is way too far to travel.  I am still anti-HD at this point.  I sold my Street Glide to purchase the Concours 14.  As long as you are happy with the bike that's all that matters. Ride safe!!!
Click to expand...

Fill me in.  What was your bad experience?
 
I have a Harley for sale and it hs some advantages over the Concours, it's a 93 Electra
Glide Sport with a leather Mustang seat 38k on the odometer I've put 10 k the last year
I've owned it, it is pretty simple one carburator, easy to change oil very comfortable.
It has no leaks oil or gas has a beautiful maroon red paint job uses no oil does not smoke
I would ride it to Alaska, the down side is I don't like spit shinning something all the time.
I feel like a deacon in a whore house when it gets dirt and grime on it and I spend lots of time polishing this thing, if you are used to cornering hard well forget it cause if you don't
the floor boards will be digging in the asphault  the rear wheel will come off the road
and you'll be sitting in the midddle of the road wondering how did this happen.
I remember a Connie rider pulling into a BP around 1999 I asked hey you on that
croch rocket don't that hurt your back, no he said just the opposite and he was correct.
The Connie is the most comfortable I've rode.  for sale harley 6500.00 firm
 
I think I have a kidney stone.  I used to keep a '68 Sportster around to shake em down stream.  Enjoy the freeway sculpture but yeah, keep a motorcycle around the house for when you get over it.  Don't ride too close to anybody riding one.  A few famous quotes come to mind:

"I don't know much about art but, I know what I like."  (works fine if you never learn anything about art---like not knowing your fly is open)

"You shouldn't care what other people think."  (right so, why else would you buy a Harley---wow, look at that tough guy on the Zundap)

"... so I look over there and I see beer cans rollin all around and I see my leg over there and I think, I wonder if there's any beer in that can?"

It all comes down to who you think you are and what you think you're riding.  I said that, Daytona 1975.

The best motorcycle in the world is the one you own... it's the one you get to ride.  I think I said that too.

"One drink a wheel!"  (a good rule of thumb... unless the wheels are on a Harley then it's one drink for every 400 feet it takes to stop sober)

"Hell, I just like to roll one, go out in the garage, get in my easy chair'n look at it!"  (get the FAT BOB)

''Monkeys buy shine."  (and hats and gloves and shirts and chaps and buckles and bangles and bling-ga-ling-ga tassels on da willy... )

I actually heard about a guy that had his bitch freeze-dried and chrome plated so she'd shut-up about the little pad back there.

Go ahead... get a darn purple one with a stuffed puppy super-glued to the fake gas cap there on the left.  Have 'em throw in some polish.
 
Yeah, Sean from NY, Your wife might like the Harley because she saw some other woman wearing one.  If she's anything like my wife she'll have you pull over, she'll get off, thumb a ride to the nearest bus station where she''ll buy a ticket home, where she'll be waiting for you if and when you get back.  You know those sparkly things you see along the road when the sun is at your back are chrome plated Screaming Eagle handlebar end caps... forty two dollars each.
 
Shiney said:
Join the Harley Owners Group if you do buy one. Their customer support is unmatched in the industry.
Click to expand...
...actually lately, around my neck of the woods anyway, there has been a huge inconsistency with customer service among different HD dealerships on the police side. More and more central FL police agencies have been experiencing poor service at the many dealerships in my area from repair problems (long turn around times) to service charge discrepancies. More and more agencies around here are taking serious looks at the Connie and Victory and like the idea of getting training to maintain the bikes in-house as a part of a sales or lease agreement. Victory and Kawasaki seem to be the only ones making a real effort to help lower operating costs (which in this economy means a lot and is going a long way). BMW has also taken a kick to the groin too lately due to miscommunications between BMWNA and Orlando/Daytona BMW to the point where Daytona BMW would rather not deal with police bikes at all (not to mention their price tag seems to increase every year along with servicing charges). If HD don't pull their heads out soon, there maybe a new Victory Dealer coming to your area. For those wondering about Honda, well there here and will answer questions and inquiries but are not actively going door-to-door like Victory has been doing nor getting any big press in the last few years like Kawasaki has. The one thing, to my surprise (or not), is the huge police following that Kawasaki has from those motorcops and police administrators because of the KZ1000-P that is definitely working in Kawasaki's favor. Many agencies would love to see a new updated version of the KZ return. The KZ was cheap to operate and maintain and could take a beating without skipping a beat.
 
Andy said:
Shiney said:
Join the Harley Owners Group if you do buy one. Their customer support is unmatched in the industry.
Click to expand...
...actually lately, around my neck of the woods anyway, there has been a huge inconsistency with customer service among different HD dealerships on the police side. More and more central FL police agencies have been experiencing poor service at the many dealerships in my area from repair problems (long turn around times) to service charge discrepancies. More and more agencies around here are taking serious looks at the Connie and Victory and like the idea of getting training to maintain the bikes in-house as a part of a sales or lease agreement. Victory and Kawasaki seem to be the only ones making a real effort to help lower operating costs (which in this economy means a lot and is going a long way). BMW has also taken a kick to the groin too lately due to miscommunications between BMWNA and Orlando/Daytona BMW to the point where Daytona BMW would rather not deal with police bikes at all (not to mention their price tag seems to increase every year along with servicing charges). If HD don't pull their heads out soon, there maybe a new Victory Dealer coming to your area. For those wondering about Honda, well there here and will answer questions and inquiries but are not actively going door-to-door like Victory has been doing nor getting any big press in the last few years like Kawasaki has. The one thing, to my surprise (or not), is the huge police following that Kawasaki has from those motorcops and police administrators because of the KZ1000-P that is definitely working in Kawasaki's favor. Many agencies would love to see a new updated version of the KZ return. The KZ was cheap to operate and maintain and could take a beating without skipping a beat.
Click to expand...

Yep, all Kawasaki needs to do is stick a ZG1200 Voyager engine in a KZ1000-like chassis (with shaft drive) and nobody else could touch it. From a maintenance standpoint the big downsides to the KZ1000 were chain drive and valve clearance adjustments. The Voyager engine solution has neither of these. More wheaties comes with the deal.

Dan
 
There is a couple of things I love about the Harley is the MPG, I get 55 MPG at 70 mph,
and the handle bars and engine is rubber mounted and only a pleasing occasional shake
come through, the pipes are not loud but emitt a sound that is very pleasing.
This is probably my most enexpensive bike since I intend to sell it for more than I paid for it.


Russell From KY
 
Kintail said:
There is a couple of things I love about the Harley is the MPG, I get 55 MPG at 70 mph,
and the handle bars and engine is rubber mounted and only a pleasing occasional shake
come through, the pipes are not loud but emitt a sound that is very pleasing.
This is probably my most enexpensive bike since I intend to sell it for more than I paid for it.


Russell From KY
Click to expand...

Good luck selling a Harley for more than what you pay for it. I've been trying to sell mine for $10,000 less than what I paid and haven't even had an offer. The times, they are a'changin!
 
Interesting conversation, since I am on the Harley side, looking at the C14.  Cred is 25,000 on a 98 Road King, 70,000 on an Ultra Classic, and about 2000 on a Heritage Softail. Road King is sold, and I am thinking about selling the Ultra to pay for the C-14.  The upside about the Harley is the fit, finish, predictable handling, and comfort.  I ride all year here in the Northwest, and the weather protection on the Ultra is very good.  I carry lots of stuff, and it stays dry. I've done the fast bike thing, and am very happy with the HD.  Ride it within its limits, and it will not let you down. (And yes, you will grind it down on both sides)  The Heritage is too much of a cruiser, but for short trips it is fine. Wings are nice, but don't fit me.  BMW doesn't fit.  (I have some physical issues..)  When I get enough money, I will start test riding bikes.  C-14 is top of the list, Norge next, then maybe the Tenere.  If they don't fit, I will buy a Road King for my last bike.  Victory is getting good reports, but the last time I looked, the Vision and its variants have a fixed handlebar, that you can't change.
 
Pdlt

Are you kidding?  I love em to death!  I wish B of A treated me as well as HOG has over the years.  It bought me a few toys. 

Even if I hadn't made money on HOG I still love comedy and theater.  Pasadena's DO DA Parade has nothing over Sturgis!  What can't you see there?

I'll say it again, it's who you think you are and what you think you're riding.  Your's is the only real truth.  The search for significance goes on and on in all forms of disguise. 

I wanted to get one of them big "Whore's Doom" tatoos and spurs but my wife put her foot down... said if I didn't leave that dog alone she'd divorce me.

Nah, I'm just funnin' with ya all.  Then too if you can keep a kid from going bad... why not?  Mom used to say,  "If the other kids go jump off the bridge are you going to do the same?"

The only gripe I truely have for the Harley Clothing Chain is what they did to Eric Buell, Steve Anderson and the Boys after they put Harley back in the limelight at Daytona... corporate idiocy.  Not kidding that time.

But you're right and I apologize.  I myself am offended by a lot of what I think of me.  When I've had enough I just laugh about it.
 
domo said:
But you're right and I apologize.  I myself am offended by a lot of what I think of me.  When I've had enough I just laugh about it.
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I'm not offended at all!  I chuckled about your posts.  Ride on!!!
 
Cha-Ching:

I rode one of these for several years. Great bikes. Great prices. Great dealer network. Plus, all the stuff you said you wanted to gain:

http://pics.midsouth-mr2.com/Default.aspx?moid=23063

Other options that aren't too bad IMO either:

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/photogallerys/Tour-front-beauty.jpg

http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/photogallerys/2009-Kawasaki-Voyager-blue.jpg

Just remember: Chrome won't get you home, and you won't like cleaning it very much either. Good luck.
 
There seems to be people that claim to hate Harley's and there are some that actually do hate
them, then there's the Archetype that claims to hate Harely's and as soon as they inherit a
little money they'll in the dealership buying one.
Then there's the archetype that is trying  to obtain some type of fellowship by owning a
Harley some type's think Harley is the only motorcycle in the world, it takes on a religious
zeel as if they were crusaders going to retrieve the holy land.
Then there's the chick thats names her kids Harley Davidson and has a tatoo of a Harley
on her butt cheeks.
Me I want to be in Jay Leno's club and own a Black Shadow 50 degree V-twin the one
that broke the land in speed record in 1948, I'm hoping to win the lottery.
Now a chick with a Vincent Black Shadow tatooed on her butt cheeks, CLASSY
It's all relative and it's all good.
 
I've had 3 Kawasaki's, 2 Yamaha's, 1 Suzuki, and one Harley. I liked them all, but the 2005 Sportster 1200 was my favorite by a significant margin. Explaining "why" goes beyond my vocabulary.

Sam
 
... no doubt.

By the way, if it's Jay's club you want to join just buy anything because Jay owns at least one of everything, a couple of which he bought from me... not a collection, rather just a horde which suggest/calls for another bit of finger pointing.  You inherit money, not brains.  You (with or without money) develop taste and common sense... or not.
 
I will forever hate what HD did to Erik Buell and his company.  There is a lot to be said about their latest offerings.  They are competent, reliable, comfortable mile eaters.  Some people like pickup trucks, some people like lamborghinis.  Therein lies the diversity of life.

No shame in liking HD bikes. I like my HD powered Buells.  If HD saw Buell as an asset rather than a liability I think it was their ticket to american made motorcycle dominance.  They got scared.  The economy scared them.  Their investments in financing were in jeopardy and they cut and ran.  Spineless entrepreneurial spirit if you ask me.  You have to please the shareholders I guess. 
 
I grew up with Harley Davidson in my little town. When I was too small to see over the dash of my dad's car, we went to the Harley shop several times a month. A guy named Kitchen used to ride a knucklehead around in the parking lot on the rear tire when things were slow.

I vaguely remember booming through the county farm country, on the back of my dad's bike. When I was really young I rode in front of him, with my own little pair of goggles.

When I got my license, I got a M on it by taking the written test and riding my dad's panhead around in a figure eight on the riding test.

Then I went off to West Point, and everything changed. I got some brain injury which in 1970s was misdiagnosed as merely a "severe concussion" and it rewired my brain. My grades went into the basement, and I barely graduated. Behavior problems too. My time on active duty wasn't much better, and I got hurt again in Airborne School too.

Somewhere along the way, my mind decided I had to have the fastest motorcycle imported to the US. So I never had a Harley because it never fit my requirements.

Thank goodness for psychotropic medications, because now that I am going back to Harley Davidson, I feel like I'm going home.
 
Rent one for the day, its cheap compared to buying one and then not being happy. For your knees I added Millerized highway pegs and that fixed that, also helps with my butt.
 
Thank goodness for phsychotropic medications indeed... and Bengay and whiskey and weed and the Disney Channel and Mom's apple pie and mechanical engineering and (oops!) and...
 
I bought my 2011 C14 3 months ago and have been riding it exclusively. Yesterday I figured it was time I took my 04 Road King out for a run to charge up the battery etc... I took it over some of the local roads that I'm most familiar with and was amazed at how rough it rode and how much it didn't like to change direction in the curves! It just brought home to me how much everyone is different and that there are so many different bikes out there that cater to every individuals requirements. Just don't kid yourself that Harley's maintain their value anymore... they don't! I can't sell the bike unless I decide to give it away, (which I won't!).
 
domo said:
Thank goodness for phsychotropic medications indeed... and Bengay and whiskey and weed and the Disney Channel and Mom's apple pie and mechanical engineering and (oops!) and...
Click to expand...

Some of that I use today, some I haven't had for a long time. Clearly you did not understand. ;)
 
Oh, I did.  I still use most of it and I do thank heaven.

My first Harley was a 750 Tracker that my mother took away from me.  That bike still owns part of me and I wish she'd bring it back but it won't happen cause they're both dead.  Dad said I should ride a Norton cause that's what we sold... right.

My second Harley was the very first electric start 800 sportster.  You figure it out.  I sold it in 1979 along with 67 other bikes none of which were Japanese although we also sold Bridgestone and Kawasaki when they're biggest bikes respectively were 175cc and 125cc.

My third Harley was An AMF bowling ball LOW RIDER.  That's the one my wife got off in Naples and took the bus back to Miami in 1975.

My fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eight Harley's were all Buells which I supported in spite of the utter stupidity of Harley Davidson.

It's a wonderful thing having these experiences.  It's a damn shame to keep having the same ones over and over and over and over...
 
domo said:
It's a wonderful thing having these experiences.  It's a damn shame to keep having the same ones over and over and over and over...
Click to expand...

I've ridden motorcycles since 1966. Don't think I've ever had to repeat any experiences.

Some of them I hope I never do again, like throwing a highly modified ZX11 away in an uphill 120 degree hairpin at 60 mph in the Santa Cruz mountains. On the way to Alice's Restaraunt.

This new bike will be an entirely new experience. I thought the ZX14 would be my last, but fate conspires to keep things interesting.
 
I think the XR1200 races at Indy this weekend kind of summed up my feelings about H-D.  The XR is a cool looking bike and with the Vance and Hines pipes, sounds wonderful.  The racing was fun to watch and competitive.  BUT they were SEVEN seconds per lap SLOWER than the 125cc bikes!

Read today that one of the problems is chassis-flex but one of the "selling points" for the XR is the hydro-formed "high tech" stiff frame!  I guess H-D measure stiffness on a lower scale than everybody else!
 
Is true. Was one of my reasons to avoid the issue of being a Harley fan but not buying one for many decades.

"Not fast enough"
"Doesn't handle well enough"
"Brakes aren't good enough"

And so forth, and mostly true.

What do I know about new CVO Ultra? It has top of the line Brembo front brakes, dual disk, 4-pot, and it stops pretty darn good. It rides like its floating on air, but when you want to do low speed maneuvering in a parking lot or whatever, its terribly easy to handle, and quite nimble. Not "for a big bike", just plain, quite nimble. Compared to my ZX14.

Do I care it won't go as fast as my ZX14? Nope, not what I want to do with it.

I watched the XR races, and agree it was great fun. But consider, they are not allowed to gusset or change the frame in any way. So they lack the stiffness of WSB and MotoGP bikes, or even the ZX14 I have, but nobody expects them to. That is part of the fun of it all. You could tell who had put Ohlins forks and shocks on them, though, something they are allowed to do I think.

But the real point is, what happens on the track is of little relevance to what happens on the street. I will never flex the frame of my CVO Ultra, because I will never push it hard enough to flex.

Its why we were given control over our wrists and hands.
 
About those hopelessly attracted to the otherwise unattractive, Mom used to say, "Son, love lies where it falleth... even if it is on horse manure."
 
As Oscar Wilde said,

“I have found that all ugly things are made by those who strive to make something beautiful, and that all beautiful things are made by those who strive to make something useful.”
 
Heh, on this Willie G. has it right. Excuse my paraphrase.

"There is no one-size-fits-all motorcycle. How motorcycles operate is more determined by the rider than the technology."

There are C14 riders who throw their bikes away on curves I could negotiate on a big old Electra Glide just fine.  Beauty is only an opinion, and we know about opinions.

Its all what fits the rider, and every rider is different. Trying to say another rider should ride what you ride because it works for you is the height of arrogance and ignorance.
 
Its all what fits the rider, and every rider is different. Trying to say another rider should ride what you ride because it works for you is the height of arrogance and ignorance.
Click to expand...

+1
 
wild man said:
Its all what fits the rider, and every rider is different. Trying to say another rider should ride what you ride because it works for you is the height of arrogance and ignorance.
Click to expand...

+1
Click to expand...

+2 (Not forgetting that it works both ways!) :-*
 
One of the odd things I find about H-D owners is that most of them know very little about their motorcycles.  So, for the H-D knowledgeable, a two question quiz:

1.  The V-twin motor was copied (shock, horror) from another design - what was it?

2.  The H-D V-twin motor has a feature that is unique in the automotive world.  What is it?
 
Limey said:
One of the odd things I find about H-D owners is that most of them know very little about their motorcycles.  So, for the H-D knowledgeable, a two question quiz:

1.  The V-twin motor was copied (shock, horror) from another design - what was it?

2.  The H-D V-twin motor has a feature that is unique in the automotive world.  What is it?
Click to expand...

I'm willing to take a SWAG...
1. copied from Indian
2. it's sound (exhaust note) which is derived from having one pin.
 
Steve hit number one right on the head!!

but for number 2 I think its The 45 degree angle has the cylinders firing at uneven intervals or something like that causing the potato sound.......
 
Kinner.

Master rod.

Don't care so I'm just guessing, but here's one back at you:  So you think the Moto Guzzi is Italian?
 
Master rod is correct - the H-D is the only automotive engine that uses it.  Lots of aircraft engines and even marine diesels, but no other cars or bikes!

Not Kinner - think european!

Not sure about Moto Guzzi not being Italian - it was certainly started by three Italians: Carlo Guzzi, Giovanni Ravelli and Giorgio Parodi.
 
Wow! My research led me to see that Harley copied the BMW R71! A Teutonic Twin! :)

Edit: Hmm, maybe not... Daimler perhaps?
 
Nah, the first H-D motor was a copy of a single cylinder made by Panhard et Levassor.  The twin was simply two glued together.  It always amazes me that all those flag-waving Harley riders owe their heritage to the French!
 
It makes sense that gluing together any two things French resulted in... wait a minute!  That quiz sucks because no twin is a direct copy of any single and no single has a master rod, they just have a rod.  This HD guy was looking at a whole bunch of stuff but, the kicker here isn't that he glued together two singles, rather that he cut off some 270 degrees of a radial engine.  I want my entry fee back and I want it delivered on something Italian... or German.  A V-Twin Morgan is allowed on the property.
 
If you want one, go get one!  There's a whim you should be able to satisfy for not a lot of dough, given the market and number of guys looking to unload them.  What some people find intolerable, others find pleasurable... and who's the bigger group- sport tourers (like most COG'ers) or the HD koolaid drinkers?  There must be something tasty in that drink.  :eek:  It doesn't exactly behoove us HD dislikers (and I are one  :nananana:) to stand on our principles and smarter-and-faster-than-thou attitude if we really want to promote the brotherhood of riders.  Times change, people change, why waste energy and peace of mind worrying what others think?  If it makes you smile when you ride it then you've hit the nail on the head.  :motonoises:

The whole HD culture/attitude/lifestyle thing really used to burn me up, especially when they tied it in with the 'made in America' and patriotism thing- but that's changing too, and now it seems like it was just an extended phase that alot of the (mostly) male population in general needed to go through??  But if it finally settles out into everyone respecting everyone else's ride then that's a good thing.  :beerchug:
 
... stuck on the shear insightfulness of "what some find intolerable..."  Both my ex wives have remarried!  Bet a Harley would sound pretty good to those two old boys... even a French one.


Which Morgan?  Any that don't leak oil on the pavers or I'll have another X.
 
I went to a HD dealer yesterday. Whenever I'm in the area I go in and look around. My daily riding boots are HD badged. About 10 bikes on the showroom floor in a building roughly 120 feet X 50 feet, bikes took up about 10X20 feet. The rest was clothing, every last stitch made in China. Brilliant marketing, I salute them. Good for them.
 
1.  You're not a large percentage of people...

2.  Literacy

3.  Your mother told you its better to neither be seen nor heard.

4.  Your father was a jeweler.

5.  You haven't even yet worked up to walking into the post office in the nude.

6.  The same thing as #5 which is, there are people who you care about what they think.
 
I used to get a lot of heat from other motorcops about my BMW and how it was a girls bike compaired to a HD and that it (BMW) sounded like a sewing machine. I would tell them that If I really wanted to buy American I would have bought a Victory  :p ! This would usually shut them up long enough for me to tell them the following story I heard from a Boeing employee when I was in the USAF.

In the late 1970's Boeing designed anti-lock brakes for the C-5 (largest plane in the USAF that can carry tanks and hummers) because when the plane would land its tires had a hard time spinning during braking due to its weight which resulted in flat spots in the tires when the brakes would actually seize due to the forces involved. This meant that the $200,000.00 a piece tires needed to be changed often which got expensive for the USAF quick. To get the max amount of use out of the tires for the C-5, ant-lock brakes were developed to utilize the entire circumference of the tires to assist in braking by making it a lot more efficient and significantly lengthened the life of the tires. The engineers soon realized how this could benefit the automotive world so Boeing staff contacted Chevy and Ford and others (like BMW) soon followed with inquiries. The CEO of Boeing at the time was a biker and attempted to pass on the anti-lock brake idea to HD and how it might make braking on a bike that much more effective since the testing on cars was going so well. HD thumbed their noses at the idea and provided their usual response of, "our bikes ain't broke, so there's nothing to fix!",  :-[. Needless to say BMW contacted Boeing and ended up being the first to put ABS on their bikes and offer them as a standard option. Everything about BMW motorcycle performance and innovation is a product of the American Aviation industry and BMW will proudly tell you that because of this, American aviation enthusiast/hobbyist buy their boxer engine bikes, rip out their engines to use on their custom aircraft.
HD took till 2005 to offer ABS to police as an option on their bikes for extra cost and only in 2008 did they make them standard on police bikes. This tells me they don't give a crap about safety, they just want to sell their bikes and will only make changes after customers demand it. I don't see any attempt by HD to advance their product by innovation and new ideas which is why I'm not an HD fan and not surprised that they are finding themselves having to play catch up. Kawasaki was smart to take a break from the police market and Victory is rising quick, now both Kawasaki and Victory are beginning to mop the floor with HD in the police market (BMW's only problem is their price tag right now) by listening to customers, providing better customer service without the elitist attitude and offering to help their customers to learn how to maintain the bikes themselves and reduce costs, not to mention produce a better product that costs less to maintain. The only thing keeping HD alive is biker gangs, name recognition and people who think that loud noise make other motorist notice them. Unfortunately the loud pipes make old ladies here in the south think there's a jacked up Bigfoot type pick-up truck behind them, so they end up changing lanes to get out of the way only to run over the HD  ;D
 
Interesting story Andy, thanks for sharing.  Unfortunately, not very surprising- but maybe Erik Buell, Motocsyz, Motus and others can help to re-birth motorcycle manufacturing in the US- the time is long overdue!  :(
 
Some smart man said, "you'll never go broke by underestimating the taste of the American public." I believe that is true. Our culture celebrates very low-brow pursuits (Nascar, Jersey Shore, Fox News, HD). I personally am an effete, impudent snob.
 
Connie Mark said:
Some smart man said, "you'll never go broke by underestimating the taste of the American public." I believe that is true. Our culture celebrates very low-brow pursuits (Nascar, Jersey Shore, Fox News, HD). I personally am an effete, impudent snob.
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That post deserves a 'like' button! ;)
facebook_like_button_big.jpg
 
I like NASCAR (been to the Daytona 500) and I like Harleys (look, there's one in my garage now)...
Rarely wear a helmet when I'm riding for fun and dress for comfort, not "the crash"...
Got a black leather jacket, leather ass-less chaps and a large collection of "do-rags"...
Been to Rally week in Sturgis, Daytona and Laconia (and a few COG rallies too)...
I've actually been known to stop for a beer when I ride...

I guess I'll never be good enough for you people... oh well...
 
Camper Dave said:
I like NASCAR (been to the Daytona 500) and I like Harleys (look, there's one in my garage now)...
Rarely wear a helmet when I'm riding for fun and dress for comfort, not "the crash"...
Got a black leather jacket, leather ass-less chaps and a large collection of "do-rags"...
Been to Rally week in Sturgis, Daytona and Laconia (and a few COG rallies too)...
I've actually been known to stop for a beer when I ride...

I guess I'll never be good enough for you people... oh well...
Click to expand...


That's OK Dave. I guess I'm kind of a rebel at times too. So if they have to flame you, they will hit me first. That will make it harder for them to hit you. I'm a pretty big target standing in front of you!  :))
 
Camper Dave said:
I like NASCAR (been to the Daytona 500) and I like Harleys (look, there's one in my garage now)...
Rarely wear a helmet when I'm riding for fun and dress for comfort, not "the crash"...
Got a black leather jacket, leather ass-less chaps and a large collection of "do-rags"...
Been to Rally week in Sturgis, Daytona and Laconia (and a few COG rallies too)...
I've actually been known to stop for a beer when I ride...

I guess I'll never be good enough for you people... oh well...
Click to expand...

Dude, you only need to be good enough for you.  So you live a double life, who cares?  :great:
 
Well, all I can say is that I like the riding position.  I like the sound of the stock pipes.  I like hte feel of the bike going down the road.

I like what I like.  Thats all I can say.  I am hoping to keep my Connie and get the HD.  Time will tell.  I think I have decided on the Electra Glide Classic, Police model of course!  Will have to order it in the fall for a spring delivery!. ;D

At least I have the whole winter to decide on what tattoos to get :))

Flame away!
 
I love airplane stories and people who tell 'em.  I've got a few left seat C-5 hours myself.  The thrust reversers do 90% of the "braking" which leaves the brakes being used mainly for low speed turning assist in windy taxi operations and for holding the plane during run-up.  Electric motors start the wheels spinning prior to touch down which is the real flat spot hazard.  A large wheel requires tremendous inertia applied to it's outer diameter to initiate  and accelerate rotation around the axle (hence the larger diameter the brake surface the better) but takes only gravity to initiate rotation at the center bearing.  That's why we have parking brakes.  Yes, over braking at any speed will cause flat spots... on your bicycle, for example.  During proper braking there is little wear on the tire.  Only skuffing creates tire wear in the same way there is no wear being incurred on clutch (yes, do all your coasting in neutral with the clutch engaged) surfaces when the clutch is fully engaged.  Only the slipping transition between disengaged and engaged causes wear.  The greater the power source/load the greater the demand on engagement.  At some point, fluid drive becomes attractive.  The C-5 is a large machine... with wheel bearings that resemble a tall stack of pancakes.  I've towed one around with a riding lawnmower.

This is not intended in any way to defend HD.  However, if tire life is your intent, don't put too much on ABS.  Simply minimize the engagement of rubber to road on acceleration and deceleration and when possible, coast to a dead stop.  Most importantly, keep air in your tires and grease in your wheel bearings.  Gravity is free, overcoming it requires a little thought and can be free too.  FRICTION COSTS MONEY.  The more you get the more you pay.

By the way, the C-5 was initially designed as a glider, built as a glider and deployed as a glider for delivery of heavy ground support equipment.  It's a big baby carriage of an airplane. 
 
Interesting point about the C-5. Relevant, too, thanks!

I never flew anything, I just jumped out the back of them while the pilots laughed at us.

I ride with guys with Harleys a lot. Until I get my appeal hearing on my claim I won't know if I can afford one myself. Was going to get a Ultra Classic, but the more I think about it, the more I think its too big a bike for me. I just don't want the weight and what comes with it. Sure, the Ultra is amazingly nimble once rolling. At low speed, it is more nimble than my ZX14. But get it off balance a little, and you've got almost half a ton on your hands.

So when I can finally afford one, I am thinking I'd like a V-Rod with optional pullback handlebar, cruise control, luggage, and windshield. Or something lighter in that vein. I love the seating position, I love the sound, and these 2012 HDs are NOT what most people think they know about HD motorcycles. That Evolution engine was just the beginning.
 
Code: 
[quote="Camper Dave"]
I like NASCAR (been to the Daytona 500) and I like Harleys (look, there's one in my garage now)...
Rarely wear a helmet when I'm riding for fun and dress for comfort, not "the crash"...


Got a black leather jacket, leather ass-less chaps and a large collection of "do-rags"...
Been to Rally week in Sturgis, Daytona and Laconia (and a few COG rallies too)...
I've actually been known to stop for a beer when I ride...

I guess I'll never be good enough for you people... oh well...
[/quote]
all that's perfectly fine as long as you have a good health plan or lots of money for long term healthcare when you smack your skull in order to look cool . The public should not hae to pay for your mistakes....just sayin...
 
cra-z1000 said:
all that's perfectly fine as long as you have a good health plan or lots of money for long term healthcare when you smack your skull in order to look cool . The public should not hae to pay for your mistakes....just sayin...
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Oh... so you are perfect huh? You don't speed... roll thru a stop sign... eat all the right foods...
So you think that just because you choose to dress how you think is correct, that exempts you from your mistakes?? What makes you feel that the public should pay for your health if you were to go down hard? Do you have some sort of card that says "I'm ATGATT, you MUST pay for me"?? When I ride the way I choose to ride, I am not breaking any "laws"... Well, no more that you are. Just sayin.....
  :(
 
Connie Mark said:
Some smart man said, "you'll never go broke by underestimating the taste of the American public." I believe that is true. Our culture celebrates very low-brow pursuits (Nascar, Jersey Shore, Fox News, HD). I personally am an effete, impudent snob.
Click to expand...

America is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilization in between.

Oscar Wilde
 
Camper Dave said:
I guess I'll never be good enough for you people... oh well...
Click to expand...

As if that line would make anyone really care............... :-\
Dave, you are Okay in my book........  But lately I've been reading a lot of fiction!  HA!  :rotflmao:
 
Jeez, dang near like posting "I think I want a Harley" on a sport bike forum.  Stand by, while wearing flame suit.  Nice shots at NASCAR and Fox news, except that gentleman certainly had tongue planted firmly in cheek.  I think, therefore .....    Any chance a Connie and a Harley can share a garage?  I sure hope so, because whichever of the bikes I have now, sells first, the empty slot will be filled by a C-14.  I hope the softail goes, I really like my Ultra Classic.  My son currently keeps his ZX-14 in the garage, but that rocket is too tight for me.  And now I know why some sport bike riders don't wave at a Harley guy, their wrists hurt too much to lift off the handlebar.
 
I was sitting on a really nice Road Glide Ultra the other day. I could see that in the garage. But then again, I could see a Fat Bob also. Harley actually named a bike after me. And it feels like I'm sitting on the Mean Streak. So that wouldn't be a really big change.
 
I just sold an 07 StreetGlide. From early 07 to about October of 08, while stationed in NC, I put 18k miles on it. When I PCS'd to Utah I bought a sportbike to ride the twisties. From Oct 08 to Oct 11, I only put 2k more miles on the H-D, I just didn't enjoy riding it in the mountains.

Be warned, If you buy one, it will test your ability to not drop large amount of cash on the smallest of chrome pieces and you'll need to spend about $1k to deal with engine heat. Your first purchase should be a shop manual, services at H-D dealerships are overpriced even by the most generous of standards.


 
I like the new Kawi Voyager....all the good stuff for about 10K le$$.  Good ride, great looks, lower cost of operation from a loved brand.
 
krumgrinder said:
If you want one, go get one!  There's a whim you should be able to satisfy for not a lot of dough, given the market and number of guys looking to unload them.  What some people find intolerable, others find pleasurable... and who's the bigger group- sport tourers (like most COG'ers) or the HD koolaid drinkers?  There must be something tasty in that drink.  :eek:  It doesn't exactly behoove us HD dislikers (and I are one  :nananana:) to stand on our principles and smarter-and-faster-than-thou attitude if we really want to promote the brotherhood of riders.  Times change, people change, why waste energy and peace of mind worrying what others think?  If it makes you smile when you ride it then you've hit the nail on the head.  :motonoises:

The whole HD culture/attitude/lifestyle thing really used to burn me up, especially when they tied it in with the 'made in America' and patriotism thing- but that's changing too, and now it seems like it was just an extended phase that alot of the (mostly) male population in general needed to go through??  But if it finally settles out into everyone respecting everyone else's ride then that's a good thing.  :beerchug:
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+1 on that Mr.Krum.Nice to see someone has a undiluted view of the situation.Never rode a Harley Before, but they look like they would be very comfortable.Is that true?Guess i'll have to try one someday to find out.
 
Sgt Mac said:
Your first purchase should be a shop manual, services at H-D dealerships are overpriced even by the most generous of standards.
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And this goes with every other brand and dealership too!  :mad:
 
Dunno, my local shop is $80, the Harley shop 1 block down is $125-150.....

I have a friend who has a Road King or Heritage Softtail, not sure which, fully dressed, etc..  Looks good, lots of chrome, comfy, the price of a loaded GL1800 + Headsets and the first year of maintenance paid for AND an extended warranty....

OR

a NEW loaded Kawi Voyager + new gear and a set of V&H pipes, and still have money left over. Road trip!!
 
PdLt said:
Well there you have it.  I think I want a Harley-Davidson!  Don't get me wrong.  I want to keep my connie.  I just want a second bike.  I think I want a street glide or a road glide.  My Connie is great in so many ways, but to be honest after about 200 miles in one day I am starting to be sore.  Mostly it's my knees and my ass.  I've tried the custom seat and the bead thing.  As far as my knees, they get real tender and sore around 200 miles.  I stand up, sit on rear seat, let my legs hang down.  I do all those things.

I think I would like a cruiser with forward controls and a big plushy seat for extended long hauls.  It's got factory cruise and a radio.  What else is there? 

Not to mention I always wanted to be a pirate for halloween. :))


thought about dating a stripper once... looked good and no doubt handled great, but i would just feel dirty afterward.  :))

all joking aside, i think i would look at Victory real hard before buying an HD. It seems like people buy HDs to be cool at Dukes or whatever bar they ride to on the weekends. Craigslist is full of HDs with low miles, other bikes too. I dunno, seems to me that HDs have become more of an accessory to the middle/upper middle class. I guess in the end the only opinion that matters is yours, so if you ride it, like it, agree with the ridiculous cost of maintenance and accessories then go for it.
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PdLt said:
Well there you have it.  I think I want a Harley-Davidson!  Don't get me wrong.  I want to keep my connie.  I just want a second bike.  I think I want a street glide or a road glide.  My Connie is great in so many ways, but to be honest after about 200 miles in one day I am starting to be sore.  Mostly it's my knees and my ass.  I've tried the custom seat and the bead thing.  As far as my knees, they get real tender and sore around 200 miles.  I stand up, sit on rear seat, let my legs hang down.  I do all those things.

I think I would like a cruiser with forward controls and a big plushy seat for extended long hauls.  It's got factory cruise and a radio.  What else is there? 

Not to mention I always wanted to be a pirate for halloween. :))
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I'll tell you "what else is there?,"  VICTORY! "The Other American Motorcycle."    :)
 

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