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R.E. - Am interesting Story

World events may very well get people to look at vehicles that get better than 4mpg. My 2001 is coming up for sale too.
 
Yes, interesting.

I'm always a bit skeptical at the "vintage" bike craze and the offerings on the market. In my mind, there's a reason they went out of production. Customers voted with their wallets to buy the newer models, especially since the price probably wasn't much different.. Now, it seems like the manufacturers ran out of ideas for something new...so went to updated vintage models.

HD stayed with the vintage idea...but never improved and kept jacking the price up. Maybe "never" is an overstatement, but I can't help thinking..why buy a new HD when it isn't markedly different than a 10 year old HD? Or a 25 year old HD?

But if you can capture the simplicity and fun of a vintage bike...give it decent reliability and keep the price down where a college kid can think about buying one...you have something there.

Hmm...I'll bet I might even be able to pick up a RE if it fell over. :unsure:

Chris
 
I ride with a buddy who has an old HD Road King, which is as vintage as it gets. I have to ride super slow for him to keep up and can’t really pass anyone, since it takes a mile of road for him to try to pass anything faster than an ox cart. The bike is so loud that I can’t hear much of anything if I ride on the exhaust side of him.

Last summer, he bought a 2023 HD Road Glide Ultra. The bike has a 114 Milwaukee 8 and decently muffled pipes. My hope is that he will have more than 50 hp at the rear wheel. It would be cool if he might keep up with moderate riding on my 09’ C14.

I never understood the whole HD thing, but there are a ton on the road. I do not fault anyone who wants to get out and ride. Seems that if they wanted to be The American Bike, the direction would be to resurrect the sportster and dyna models priced south of $13k. How many folks will continue to be able to shell out $30k+ in the coming years?

My 2cents worth.
 
I think the whole "vintage" thing appeals to many for a number of reasons, it harkens back to a simpler time, simpler bikes, and more realistic prices for what you are getting. The older riders remember older bikes and the younger riders are intrigued by all the other vintage stuff out there that they buy and sell. These vintage looking bikes bring a look and feeling of older stuff but newer designed frames,brakes and suspensions that don't require as much attention as the older bikes.

I read a recent article about the new Triumphs and I'm about ready to ditch my '79 Bonneville as I would rather ride than work on my bike.
 
rlievenski4555 said:
I ride with a buddy who has an old HD Road King, which is as vintage as it gets. I have to ride super slow for him to keep up and can’t really pass anyone, since it takes a mile of road for him to try to pass anything faster than an ox cart. The bike is so loud that I can’t hear much of anything if I ride on the exhaust side of him.

Last summer, he bought a 2023 HD Road Glide Ultra. The bike has a 114 Milwaukee 8 and decently muffled pipes. My hope is that he will have more than 50 hp at the rear wheel. It would be cool if he might keep up with moderate riding on my 09’ C14.

I never understood the whole HD thing, but there are a ton on the road. I do not fault anyone who wants to get out and ride. Seems that if they wanted to be The American Bike, the direction would be to resurrect the sportster and dyna models priced south of $13k. How many folks will continue to be able to shell out $30k+ in the coming years?

My 2cents worth.
Click to expand...

Was the Road King a 90s model with a stock EVO? They were a bit on the slow side but still 14-ish in the 1/4. Later bikes are better and the 103 was decent.

Still, unless you are running at license-revoking speeds all the time, any Road King should be fine. It's not a bike you ride when you're in a big hurry, much more pleasant at normal speeds. No reason to blasting past cars.
 
Merle Lowe said:
Was the Road King a 90s model with a stock EVO? They were a bit on the slow side but still 14-ish in the 1/4. Later bikes are better and the 103 was decent.

Still, unless you are running at license-revoking speeds all the time, any Road King should be fine. It's not a bike you ride when you're in a big hurry, much more pleasant at normal speeds. No reason to blasting past cars.
Click to expand...
I believe his RK is a 2004. He is much happier on the newer bike with much more usable power and the comfort to ride for more than a couple hours. I am looking forward to rides with him this year.
 
It would seem to me that Endfield's success is due to the bikes being stylish, inexpensive and fun to ride. There's something to be said for a bit of lightheartedness in the MC world. The 350s are pretty low on power but fun and relaxing to ride on suitable roads. Not so good for west Texas however.

A good example would be my summer morning runs... On the bike as the sun is coming up, meander through the back roads among the little farms and forests, stop to grab a biscuit and get home just in time to punch in for work (I work from home). No need for speed. Mostly rolling along under 45. Pull over to let the commuters by. Been doing this on my Burgman 400 past two years. Great on a light easy bike, not so much when you are closing on the 700 lb mark.

Also consider that younger folks not only might lack the funds for a big modern bike, but also the ability to leave work for a longish tour. If you can only get one week off, you don't need a big touring bike to cross the country.*

*Unless you are Mike Saunders and cross the country with a 50cc Honda Ruckus lol
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2018 Cross Country Ride

The last month was a great break from daily riding, as much as I love it. Many new roads and hidden places were revealed in the recent trip to Baja with Matt. The cost of travel was cheap and the...
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