Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

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Gowing
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#106

Post by Gowing »

I road a 2012 heritage softail. 2000 miles on it. Didn’t shake at idle. Couldn’t stand on pegs if a big bump in road was coming. The floorboards are to far forward. It had a fuel injected 107 cube motor I believe.
In 2007 I think the heritage softail had a different frame, and a smaller rear tire. That’s how I tell when I walk up to a harley. I look for the skinny rear tire. That means it’s older. I had to wait to shift between gears a bit. Wouldn’t shift nearly as fast and smooth as my Honda ST1300, or my 75 goldwing either. But the harley has lots of power, lots of low end, I like that. Just a couple things I can remember.
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stretch160
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#107

Post by stretch160 »

Never owned one, but ridden a couple. I enjoyed the sportster, but the newish electraglide i rented once handled worse then any bike I have ridden.
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#108

Post by Tin Man »

My first bike was an 81 GL1100. Have owned 4 different HD bikes (Dynas, softails) and now have a Sportster and a 77 GL1000. I can say the torque and rumble can be cool and fun. Both my Goldwings were/are more comfortable. The HD’s are faster, but I don’t really need that. I like the looks of them, and the classic heritage can be cool. That being said, after years of working at a HD dealership and dealing with that clientele, I am not all that impressed by the bikes. I like my Sportster because I did a lot of work on it and it is distinctly ‘mine’. It’s a fun bar hopper. Even good for up to about 75 miles or so. But I don’t like a lot of the stigma of the Harley riders in my area. I get more crap for riding my ‘Japanese bike’ than I care for. I like all sorts of bikes. I have found a group of people who don’t get all bent about it and ride a huge variation of bikes, but on the whole, the clique nature of HD bikes has left a sour taste in my mouth.

As with everything, your mileage may vary.
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CYBORG
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#109

Post by CYBORG »

you live in Harley country,...it's to be expected. I have seen the same thing. They have been drinking the coolaid.///they just don't know any better. But I have seen a few Harley riders, you can tell by the dress, who have switched to Goldwings….and they are smiling
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x01660
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#110

Post by x01660 »

I never got the whole Allies vs Axis mentality when it comes to motorcycles... I mean, the people riding today didn't even fight that war.....

Bottom line is the Japanese and the Germans build what are (in my own, personal opinion) some of the most reliable and fun motorcycles. Anyone who denies that based off of some misplaced sense of faux nationalism is just dumb, lol....

I mean, are HD's even made in America anymore? Half the parts are from China.....

Ok, I'm done. :)
-x01660

"The best motorcycle is the one well ridden" anim-cheers1

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." ~Friedrich Nietzsche
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Boxer4
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#111

Post by Boxer4 »

An interesting read when considering American vs Japanese motorcycles. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rikuo_Motorcycle
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bhaycock
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#112

Post by bhaycock »

My best friend and riding buddy is a Harley rider. We have gone on a couple of shorter and longer multi-day trips together and it's customary that we always trade bikes for a while each day. Since the question was about the impressions on the different riding experiences, here goes. I really liked riding both his older FXRS and the newer FLH with the nice batwing fairing (really nice fairing design). His bikes were stock, so yes some vibration and lumpy idle etc but nothing that bothered me at all. Also, stock meant whisper quiet pipes which was nice as well. At the time I was riding a CB900c and a GL1000, and the one thing I couldn't get used to was the forward mounted foot controls on the HD's. For me, this meant a less comfortable sit, especially on long stretches between stops. I'm sure with all of their after-market accessory options a more neutral riding position is possible, which brings up the last point. I went with him to a local HD dealer in Vancouver, and the walls were covered with all manner of accessories and bolt-ons that would fit his 25 year old bike. I'm lucky if I can find a mirror that will fit my GL at my local Honda dealer, so I think HD and their aftermarket have done a better job of that whole ownership community thing. I love my 'wings but I could quickly adapt to and like the two HD's that I have ridden (a few hundred miles on each). Since I'm kind of a putt-putt rider, I didn't really notice the power delivery difference except when passing - with their focus on low RPM torque, the HD's did run out of jam a little sooner than on my Hondas. During normal highway riding I wouldn't give it a second thought.
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Aberdale
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#113

Post by Aberdale »

I'm a newbie here, and this is my first post since I introduced myself in the "introduction" forum. I found this thread interesting, because I own several bikes (Japanese, German, and American built), including five HDs. Those five bikes include a full dress Roadglide (fixed fairing), a Heritage Softtail, a first year V-Rod, an XR1200, and a base model 883 fuel injected Sportster. I was also a H.O.G. member for several years. All of my bikes are mechanically stock with factory exhausts, so in that respect I'm probably in the minority. One point of interest about me, is that for many years (and even today), I consider myself more of a BMW guy than either a HD or Honda guy, but I have an open mind and believe variety is the spice of life.

I believe Harley Davidson builds a fine motorcycle. They are reliable, fairly easy to maintain and work on, and there are tons of add-ons through HD or the aftermarket to truly make it suit your personal tastes. Overall performance is good, not great. They accelerate well, but many other bikes are faster. They handle fairly well (especially two-up), but there are many bikes that handle better. They brake well enough, but there are far better brakes on other makes. However, the Harleys I own all provide an enjoyable riding experience as long as I don't ask them to do something they weren't designed to do. (Like see how fast I can fly through the Tail of the Dragon.) However, of the five bikes mentioned above, the XR1200 does quite nicely in the twisties, and is easily the most capable of the five. However each one feels totally different so it's difficult to compare a Harley (if you assume all Harleys are the same), to a different brand of bike.

The OP asked about the Harley Davidson "experience". And that, to me, has more to do with the dealership experience, the H.O.G. experience, and being part of the Harley riding community than it has with the bikes themselves. There are many truly good people in the group that would do anything to help a fellow rider in need. There are also a few that can be frustrating, either by the way they ride in a group or how they act when they are with other Harley riders in public. You probably know the type.

Overall, the dealership experience is highly dependent on the dealer, and the individual that you are dealing with. But by and large I find the Harley purchasing experience to be enjoyable. The H.O.G. club provides many options (or excuses?) to go riding with other like-minded bikers. Lots of events, charitable rides, poker runs, bike nights, etc., if you like that kind of thing. Personally, the reason I let my H.O.G. membership lapse, is that I found I didn't really enjoy being in big crowds of people, or ride in a long line of bikes with riders of varying skill and attention levels. I do enjoy riding alone, or in small groups, especially with skilled, courteous, and attentive riders. I doubt that I'm unique in this respect.

So in the end, the Harley experience can be quite different depending on what you choose to make it. The different Harley models all ride and perform differently, and the level of camaraderie can vary widely depending on your personality and how you choose to participate.

Sorry this got so long. I'll try to do better on future posts.

'dale
I'd rather be lucky than good lookin'.

1970 Honda CB450
1976 Honda GL1000
1982 Honda CX500 Turbo
1981 Yamaha SR500
1972 BMW R75/5 Toaster
1978 BMW R100S
1982 BMW R100RS
1987 BMW R80RT
1989 BMW K100RS
1991 BMW K1
1987 Harley Davidson Tour Glide
1990 Harley Davidson Heritage Softtail
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robin1731
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#114

Post by robin1731 »

^^^^^^^^^That may be the best post in this thread. anim-cheers1 anim-cheers1 :orange :orange
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CYBORG
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#115

Post by CYBORG »

robin1731 wrote:^^^^^^^^^That may be the best post in this thread. anim-cheers1 anim-cheers1 :orange :orange
I agree lolol lolol
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#116

Post by rcmatt007 »

I have belonged to 3 different HOG groups. Two of them are ones were I made a lot of friends, one was not. The first two were made of people a lot like NGW
-Rodger-
all it takes for evil to prosper is the want of a few good men to do nothing-Edmund Burke
The question is not how much time do you have, it is what you do with the time that you have Gandalf
"One of the greatest dignities of humankind is that each successive generation is invested in the welfare of each new generation." Fred Rodgers
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76 Ltd "cookies bike" ALMOST DONE
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#117

Post by x01660 »

Here's a question for those of you with HD's and 6 cylinder Goldwings:

How is it for the passenger? I have my toy (my GS1100), but I'm considering a bike for my girlfriend when we wanna go riding two up.

Seeing as I DO NOT speed or anything with a passenger, and ride very sedately, I'm thinking an older HD might be optimal for two up riding.

How do you like the HD full dressers over a 1500 or 1800?

and Aberdale: Welcome to the forum! I've read a few of your responses and I like your mentality and knowledge about motorcycle stuff! Glad to have you! :mrgreen:
-x01660

"The best motorcycle is the one well ridden" anim-cheers1

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." ~Friedrich Nietzsche
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Aberdale
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#118

Post by Aberdale »

Thanks for the kind words. You guys know how to make a new guy feel welcome!

Wish I could comment on the comparison between a full dress Harley and a 1500/1800, but I've never spent time on a 1500/1800. However, I own a 2002 BMW K1200LT and could provide a comparison between my Road Glide and the BMW if anyone's interested.

When I did ride with the local H.O.G. group, I learned early on that most Harley guys either love or hate the Road Glide. If the rider is used to a "Batwing" bike (Electra Glide Classic/Ultra, a Street Glide, etc.), they pretty much hated the Road Glide because of the fixed fairing, even though the rest of the bike was essentially the same. Most said they couldn't figure out how to steer it correctly because they were so used to "seeing" the tilt of their fork mounted fairing on their Batwings. I thought it was odd, but took it at face value.
I'd rather be lucky than good lookin'.

1970 Honda CB450
1976 Honda GL1000
1982 Honda CX500 Turbo
1981 Yamaha SR500
1972 BMW R75/5 Toaster
1978 BMW R100S
1982 BMW R100RS
1987 BMW R80RT
1989 BMW K100RS
1991 BMW K1
1987 Harley Davidson Tour Glide
1990 Harley Davidson Heritage Softtail
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x01660
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#119

Post by x01660 »

The K1200 is the twin, right? If I did go German, I'd get the K1600. That's a major concern for me; when I'm hooning up in the mountains, I like a responsive bike. But for cruising long distance, I love butter smooth. That's why I loved Athena; she was so smooth that it felt like she want even running sometimes. I'd be concerned about the vibrations of a twin....

Or is it not that bad? Also, handling is a big concern. And especially stopping. How do the HD full dressers stop?
-x01660

"The best motorcycle is the one well ridden" anim-cheers1

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." ~Friedrich Nietzsche
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#120

Post by rcmatt007 »

I too can only compare a HD ('99, '05 and 17) to an 1000 and 1200. vibrations.... depends on the twin. Touring, rattles at idle but not an issue at speed. The new heritage softail has a lot of vibration. Stopping.... my '17 STOPS! was an issue with bikes in the 80's and 90's. And my '17 has ABS.
Handling…. my '17 is better than my '05, but remember these are touring bikes not crotch rockets. plenty of power, low end power... dang I will be going 60 in 4th and still have two to go

It just "feels" different than a wing.... not saying one is better than the other, but it is a different feel.

caveat... have not driven a 1500 0r 1800
-Rodger-
all it takes for evil to prosper is the want of a few good men to do nothing-Edmund Burke
The question is not how much time do you have, it is what you do with the time that you have Gandalf
"One of the greatest dignities of humankind is that each successive generation is invested in the welfare of each new generation." Fred Rodgers
"it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert" ancient saying
78 constantly modified/customized since 1978, BOTM June 2015 de-evolving this very moment viewtopic.php?f=30&t=65511
76 Ltd "cookies bike" ALMOST DONE
79 project, finished, FOR SALE
'86 1200 (Beth's)(FOR SALE) with motorvation sidecar (sidecar sold) , July 2017 BOTM
'17 HD Road king and 08 HD Heritage softail (Beth's) (FOR SALE). I guess you can say we have MBS
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