Harley's.......... I'm amazed

[gnarlykaw]

Well, I got bored on my day off, and decided to take a look at the new harley line-up, since I have wanted one for awhile. so, i'm standing there looking at a "fat boy", and slung my leg over, and pulled in the clutch. guess what?? It's juice!! new ball and ramp pressure plate too, and it pulls in with minor effort. that's it, I'm sold. he shoots me a number, and nope, they still want your first born for it. I started to scheem on how to rob peter to pay pual to get it, and had an I dea, but the broker basicly called me nuts, and to sit tight for a while yet. so I ran around the house mumbling, and pouting because I couldn't have what I wanted. misery loves company, so i made life hard at home for everybody, and started to cut corners on the bills and change some things around,and I'll be, were savin money now! And just where do you think that extra money is gonna go??
IN THE DARN BANK!!
the morel of this experience is to stay the hell away from the bike stores, this includes window shopping as well!!!!

there, I had to get that off my chest.

 

[ComradeMikhail]

Nice man! My dad rides a '77 Sportster. I forget what model it is (like XLH), but they made very few of them, and he has one of the only few known to exist in working condition.

 

[Dirty Di]

Well, I got bored on my day off, and decided to take a look at the new harley line-up, since I have wanted one for awhile. so, i'm standing there looking at a "fat boy", and slung my leg over, and pulled in the clutch. guess what?? It's juice!! new ball and ramp pressure plate too, and it pulls in with minor effort. that's it, I'm sold. he shoots me a number, and nope, they still want your first born for it. I started to scheem on how to rob peter to pay pual to get it, and had an I dea, but the broker basicly called me nuts, and to sit tight for a while yet. so I ran around the house mumbling, and pouting because I couldn't have what I wanted. misery loves company, so i made life hard at home for everybody, and started to cut corners on the bills and change some things around,and I'll be, were savin money now! And just where do you think that extra money is gonna go??
IN THE DARN BANK!!
the morel of this experience is to stay the hell away from the bike stores, this includes window shopping as well!!!!

there, I had to get that off my chest.

____________________________________________________

We, my husband George and I, have 4 bikes. George wanted a new Harley in September of 2004 and we found a way to get it but I made him pay: boy did he pay. So, for $19,000 he basicly owed me big, very big because I got stuck on the back of the damn thing. I got my revenge in October when I was shopping at the local dirt bike dealer where they also happen to sell Yamaha street bikes as well. To make a long story short I basically sold my body and soul to get a brand spanking new R6. Obviously George was apprehensive, husbands always worry but that's kinda sweet. So, what was the deal? Easy, George said drop it or get a ticket and he gets to sell it. Pretty simple and I'm going to make him eat his words......

BTW: I'm still trying to figure out why I can't have the same shot at that land yacht he calls a motorcycle. Any help guys???

Dirty Di

 

[tyesai]

____________________________________________________
To make a long story short I basically sold my body and soul to get a brand spanking new R6.

BTW: I'm still trying to figure out why I can't have the same shot at that land yacht he calls a motorcycle. Any help guys???

Dirty Di

First off I am not a Harley hater. If you have the money and want one then get one. I think they are overated though. For twenty thousand you get something that drives like an old farm truck with a broke azz A/C system and no radio that is worth a couple of hundred bucks. When you got the R6 for nine thousand dollars you got something that runs like an open wheel race car. Those types of cars don't come with A/C and radio so it isn't really a disappointment. And their cost is in the hundred thousand dollar area, or more.

 

[gwcrim]

Full sized Harleys are too expensive. Especially if you don't ride them often. I have a couple of Sportsters. They are great. With a little creativity they can be anything from a cruiser to a chopper to a hill climb bike or a flat track racer or even a bike that can show it's tail to an R6 in the twisties. Torque is a wonderful thing!

I'd love to have a bigger Harley. One with a radio and luggage room. I tell the guys at the local shop if they can find me the time to ride more, I'll buy one. But there's no sense in having a five digit priced bike sitting in the garage collecting dust. I've already got 3 street bikes and three dirt bikes that sit idle too much.

 

[Vic]

Maybe you could settle for one of these. They can be had for ten grand.

 

[jeffd]

When looking at the price tag of a new Harley don't forget to factor in the cost of all the accessories you'll need too. The list is long and expensive:

Genuine Leather Harley Jacket - $400
Genuine Harley Gloves - $75
Genuine Harley Boots - $150
Genuine Harley Chaps - $295
Genuine Harley T-shirts (all black) - $27 each x 7 (one for each day of the week) $189
Genuine Harley Eyewear - $35
Genuine Harley Half-helmet - $160 (optional, you can substitute for a Genuine Harley Cap or Bandana @ ~$20)

Grand total for all the required items to compliment your new purchase: $1,304

I mean, ya gotta have that genuine Harley "look" too, right? All in good fun :)

Just don't put streamers on the bike if you do get it. The only bikes that should have streamers are the little pink ones at Wal-Mart. ;)

 

[tyesai]

even a bike that can show it's tail to an R6 in the twisties.

:coocoo: :coocoo: :coocoo:

What are you talking about? Do these people know that you are racing? Or is it that you won't let them go by so they are forced to look at the tail light till you pull over for maintenance. :laugh:

P.S.

I stick to my claim that I am not a Harley hater, just a realist.

 

[gwcrim]

Grand total for all the required items to compliment your new purchase: $1,304

Buy that new highly colorful dirtbike:

Highly colorful helmet: $400
Highly colorful goggles: $65
Highly colorful pants: $120
Highly colorful jersey: $50
Highly colorful gloves: $15
Highly colorful chest protector: $120
Alpinestar boots: $400
Asterisk knee support: $550
Anti monkey butt shorts: $35

Grand total = $1755

There are posers in every motorsports genre. Becareful as you point your finger elsewhere. There are three of them pointing back at you! :fft:

 

[gwcrim]

:coocoo: :coocoo: :coocoo:

What are you talking about? Do these people know that you are racing? Or is it that you won't let them go by so they are forced to look at the tail light till you pull over for maintenance. :laugh:

P.S.

I stick to my claim that I am not a Harley hater, just a realist.

If you hung around the Sportster idiots that I do, you'd understand.

I stick to my claim that it's 90% rider, 10% bike. :moon:

 

[Okiewan]

Anti monkey butt shorts: $35

WRONG!

Anti monkey butt shorts: PRICELESS

Get it right mister.

 

[Okiewan]

I too would love to see a sportster (any HD for that matter) hang with an R6.. anywhere. Spend the money on the R6 that it takes to make a Hardly get out of it's own way?
Buh Bye.

 

[ChopperDave]

I wouldn't know an R6 if it slapped me in the face, but I have embaraced several crotch rockets while on my chopper(only on the straight sections though, w/only 4" ground clearance, curves are done very granny like). O' course it has a little bigger motor than a Sporty does. :cool:

 

[gwcrim]

I know a guy in SoCal who wears the edges out of his tires before the middle.... on a Sportster. And given that a nicely built 1200 can make 90+ ft/lbs of torque, in the hands of a good rider on a tight twisty road, funny things can happen.

Guess I'm just kind of Sportster biased. And if the Sportster suspension and geometry can't get the job done, there's always the Buell line which is very capable and Sportster powered. My point is that the typical "Harley" stereotype is just a stereotype.

I'm certainly not a Harley only person. The NHRA Pro Stock V-Rod is no more a Harley than it is a Stealth fighter jet. CC for CC a Harley can't hold a candle to an overhead cammed, multi cylinder engine. But then CC for CC a four stroke can't keep up with a two stroke. And a flat head Ford is no match for my LS1 Camaro. But I don't sit around and bash street rodders, only 4 stroke dirtbikes. :rotfl:

To each his own. If it has a motor and wheels, I'll ride the snot out of it.

 

[Okiewan]

I wouldn't know an R6 if it slapped me in the face, but I have embaraced several crotch rockets while on my chopper(only on the straight sections though, w/only 4" ground clearance, curves are done very granny like). O' course it has a little bigger motor than a Sporty does. :cool:

Technology... what a concept :p

 

[bikepilot]

On the sporty vs sport bike thing. If you've got a crappy, squidly rider on the sport bike then sure, the sporty or anything with a decent rider will beat the squidly sport bike. I have a crusier (1985 Magna) and sport bike (TL1000S). I frequently pass sport bikes in the twisties on the magna, but they are squidly riders not utilizing 1/100th the sport bike's capabilities. With riders of equal skill there is absolutely no way a crusier is going to keep up with a sport bike in twisty stuff. they are too heavy, underpowered, lack braking ability and the biggest issue, ground clearance. You quickly get to a point on a crusier where you can't hang off anymore and are still dragging stuff, once your at this point no matter how good a rider you are your not going to corner any harder.

On straight stuff a highly modded crusier might beat a sport bike, off the line a crusier certainly should beat a sport bike. I know I can launch my magna harder than the TL. The TL has a much higher CG and the front end comes up too easily. Of course once underway the TL walks away with its huge power/weight advantage.

For the record, new, totally stock 600cc sport bikes are now doing sub 10sec quarter miles (with a pro rider) and typically dyno over 110hp and weigh ~355lbs dry (that's twice the power/weight of the allmightly V-rod). New liter bikes are 430lbs wet and usualy dyno around 140-160hp. For reference, a 883 sporty dyno's at 40hp and weighs 570lbs wet (specs on MCN's site).

I don't hate crusiers or sport bikes, like I said I have one of each and have put ~20k miles on each one over the last couple of years, they are both fun bikes with their own strong and week points. Performance isn't the crusiers strong point, it is the sport bike's strong point. There is no sense in argueing otherwise:)


Of course it is loads of fun to blow by squidly sport bike riders on a crusier in the twisties:)

 

[dirt bike dave]

You guys are great riders or you have some pretty fast Harley's if your spankin' the sport bikes. Besides a top gear roll-on contest, I don't see how the Harley's will be spanking a good 600 sport bike anywhere, anytime (wth comparble riders, of course).

I think the magazines get 1/4 mile times in the high 10's at about 130 mph for the R6 and the other strong 600's. Top speed over 160. Not 750 or liter bike territory, but not bad for 36 cubic inches in a chassis that will carve up the back roads.

 

[ChopperDave]

Technology ain't everything, its all in what you prefer. I am not at all comfortable laying on my stomach when I ride(even though I have an ample belly, LOL). I would much rather sit back and stretch out. At 6'4" and 255lbs I look like a Clidesdale riding a minature pony when I'm on a crotch rocket.
No matter what two wheels are always better than four. ;)

My 1700cc chopper puts out 101 hp. On a bike that weighs 489 pounds dry, old tech or not it will fly. Anyone around middle Tenn with an R6? We could get together at the local track for some testosterone filled excitement!

 

[Senior KX Rider]

I rode the Harleys for 25 years and it doesn't bother me a bit to look at them now. No urges, everything is cool. I do however get the shakes when I get around one of these bad boys. I get this spasm in my arm muscle that makes me reach for my wallet. Its a terrible thing when you lose control and I'm almost there :aj:

 

[XRpredator]

heck with them hog's and crotch rockets, gimme one o' these:

 

[gwcrim]

I beat a ZRX1100 Kawi (Freddie Spencer replica) with my 1200 Sportster 5 out of 5 at a dragstrip one day. But then I'm pretty experienced at a christmas tree and the other guy had no clue. I was in second gearby the time he was leaving. Funniest part about that day was that the Kawi rider came to the track with a pal on an 883 Sportster. I bet he never lived that day down!

I also used to street race a 12 second street car way back when. There were guys who'd bring out real race cars maybe 1 second quicker than mine. But because I was used to launching on a street and not a well prepped track, I could beat them as they matted it and went up in smoke.

Put me on an R6 and your favorite pro road racer on my Sportster and I'd lose every time on a twisty road course. I'm only fast in a straight line.

Anyone who's raced long enough knows it's 90% operator, 10% machine.

 

[jeffd]

Buy that new highly colorful dirtbike:

Highly colorful helmet: $400
Highly colorful goggles: $65
Highly colorful pants: $120
Highly colorful jersey: $50
Highly colorful gloves: $15
Highly colorful chest protector: $120
Alpinestar boots: $400
Asterisk knee support: $550
Anti monkey butt shorts: $35

Grand total = $1755

There are posers in every motorsports genre. Becareful as you point your finger elsewhere. There are three of them pointing back at you! :fft:

The big difference is that all the stuff you just listed is for actual protection and not meant to just give off that "genuine I'm a rider" image.

I laugh my *** off when I see I guy wearing $700 in leather Harley 'protective' riding gear with no helmet... The chaps are super cute though, lol... Especially fringed ones. They make a person look like a member of the "Village People" if ya ask me. :yikes:

 

[bikepilot]

Put me on an R6 and your favorite pro road racer on my Sportster and I'd lose every time on a twisty road course. I'm only fast in a straight line.

Anyone who's raced long enough knows it's 90% operator, 10% machine.

Very true for the most part imo, but in twisties most crusiers run out of ground clearance pretty quickly and once your hanging off like a side hack racer there's not much else you can do about it (If there is please tell me, the pegs on my magna take a beating). I'd wager that a compotent amature sport bike rider on a stock R6 could beat rossie on a stock sportster through twisties. Now put rossie on something with a little ground clearance, but average performace, say an SV650 and our amature on a ZX-10 and rossie would certainly walk away. The way I look at it, a faster bike makes little difference if your not fully utilizing what you've got. If you are then a faster bike will make a big difference. In the case of crusiers in the twisties it doesn't take a great rider to max out the abilities of the bike. Sure rossie could probably put the sporty through the dragon a little quicker than our amature on a sporty, but I suspect the difference would be surprisingly small. Put them both on sport bikes and the difference would be huge.

my 2c:)

 

[gwcrim]

Unless you're lining up for $$$, it's all just in fun anyway. (Now that gnarlykaw's thread is completely highjacked.) :nod: :nod: :nod:

 

[Offroadr]

Its all what you want, I like my HD, Its been paid off for 6 years and all I spend is plates and insurance :)

Gotta love it!