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In Defense of Harleys

There is a conversation I have had, and witnessed, many times. I will dramatise it now:

Me: I like Harleys.

Other guy: What? Why?

Me: I don't know. There's just something about them that is really satisfying.

Other guy: Yeah? They're overweight, underpowered, and don't do corners well. They're based on basically ancient technology and the suspension is set for comfort, not handling.

Me: I know. I still just like them.

Other guy: Why would you ride a bike like that? You wouldn't drive a car like that!

Me: Uh...... Yes I would. As of today, I do!

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........???? This was the first post of this thread.....

& the thread was about what

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........???? This was the first post of this thread.....

& the thread was about what

Sent from my LGL34C using Tapatalk

A common refrain is that nobody would drive a car which could be described like a Harley. Well, I like Harleys, and I DO drive a car which could be described like a Harley.

- Overweight
- Underpowered
- Doesn't do corners well
- Suspension is too soft
- Based on ancient technology
-Still awesome
 
A common refrain is that nobody would drive a car which could be described like a Harley. Well, I like Harleys, and I DO drive a car which could be described like a Harley.

- Overweight
- Underpowered
- Doesn't do corners well
- Suspension is too soft
- Based on ancient technology
-Still awesome

I think you still miss the point.

Overweight - if they were lighter they wouldn't ride as well, all the heaviest vehicles I've owned were great road vehicles

Underpowered - can you exceed the speed limits (yes) so who needs more, vehicles like these, why get in a hurry, you're riding in the lap of luxury.

Doesn't do corners well and suspension too soft - this is what gives you the ride and as noted above 'no hurry'

Ancient technology - got nothing for that but....isn't it wonderful, ride along listening to music and enjoying it all!

To me they are the points of those vehicles, which includes my Road Glide. A ways back I gave up on the sporty type stuff. :thumb:
 
I think you still miss the point.

Overweight - if they were lighter they wouldn't ride as well, all the heaviest vehicles I've owned were great road vehicles

Underpowered - can you exceed the speed limits (yes) so who needs more, vehicles like these, why get in a hurry, you're riding in the lap of luxury.

Doesn't do corners well and suspension too soft - this is what gives you the ride and as noted above 'no hurry'

Ancient technology - got nothing for that but....isn't it wonderful, ride along listening to music and enjoying it all!

To me they are the points of those vehicles, which includes my Road Glide. A ways back I gave up on the sporty type stuff. :thumb:

Me? I'm not missing those points! Those are the points I'm making!
 
I am a big fan of those cars. Good MPG, roomy, comfortable, safe, and dependable.
 
Not sure the Harley and Crown Vic/Marquis/TC are comparable when it comes to reliability.
 
yeah, i also like Harley Davidson motorcycles. i don't own one at present,but i have owned ,ridden and actually loved my HDs.
The biggest problem with the motorcycle is not the design, build or materials, the trouble is the dealerships.
there is a dealer on I-10 in Boerne that demanded a friend of mine leave because he was on a GL 1800. He gave me a ride there to pick up a new motorcycle i had just bought. Haven't been there since.
 
yeah, i also like Harley Davidson motorcycles. i don't own one at present,but i have owned ,ridden and actually loved my HDs.
The biggest problem with the motorcycle is not the design, build or materials, the trouble is the dealerships.
there is a dealer on I-10 in Boerne that demanded a friend of mine leave because he was on a GL 1800. He gave me a ride there to pick up a new motorcycle i had just bought. Haven't been there since.

Yep, there's a dealer I won't patronize! Bad attitudes are not limited to HD, there are a couple of Honda dealers that if they were on fire, I'd crack out the marshmallows (I hate marshmallows also) to throw on the fire and keep stoking the fire till there was nothing left to burn. In fact the local HD dealership is the complete opposite of that attitude, that's the reason I now own an HD.
 
Told the story before, but I was broken down on my RT across the street from Gruene HD one Sunday. A guy named Trevor walks up, hands me his card and asks if I would like for him to open a bay at the shop to get out of the rain while I tried to get the bike running. If I'm ever in a market for a new HD, I'm going over to Gruene.
 
I've never been treated well at an HD shop. They ask what I'm riding, and once I tell them, they walk away, no longer interested. So far (there've a few, a buddy rides an old HD), I've been to about a dozen. Same story in each one.

So I leave. With a bad taste.

I've tried and tried, but just can't bring myself to like them. They're forever waking me up at night, irritating the neighbors and making lots of noise for no reason.
 
I've never been treated well at an HD shop. They ask what I'm riding, and once I tell them, they walk away, no longer interested.

Absolutely my experience now as well. They cater to they Harley loyalists and that's it. When I tell them what I ride, I get eye rolls and I can see he is itching to get away from me. When I tell them I used to ride Harleys, THREE of them but no longer do, they look at my like I have a screw loose.... I got so tired of it I made a pact with myself to just never go into another HD shop ever again.

The difference is that I would own any of my three current bikes regardless of what name was on the tank. I wanted THAT bike... The vast majority of the HD crowd would never even consider anything else and most couldn't tell you a thing about other makes and models. That's not a put-down, they just have no interest in other makes.

Having said all that, I do get the attraction to them but once I started riding some other bikes I realized that a BIG, heavy, air-cooled bike just no longer appeals to me.
 
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Absolutely my experience now as well. They cater to they Harley loyalists and that's it. When I tell them what I ride, I get eye rolls and I can see he is itching to get away from me. When I tell them I used to ride Harleys, THREE of them but no longer do, they look at my like I have a screw loose.... I got so tired of it I made a pact with myself to just never go into another HD shop ever again.

The difference is that I would own any of my three current bikes regardless of what name was on the tank. I wanted THAT bike... The vast majority of the HD crowd would never even consider anything else and most couldn't tell you a thing about other makes and models. That's not a put-down, they just have no interest in other makes.

Having said all that, I do get the attraction to them but once I started riding some other bikes I realized that a BIG, heavy, air-cooled bike just no longer appeals to me.

I have a very good friend who along with his brother back in the 60's bought Indians. Nobody wanted them, they didn't stop well, handle well or go well. But other than that they were a great motorcycle. They never paid more than $300 for any of them. He sold the last one a few years ago for around 18K not a bad profit.
I had another friend who was a died-in-the wool Harley fan. Now this was an old shovel head back when they were new. He got tired of it being in the shop all the time and bought a Gold Wing. Took it on a trip to Tennessee from AZ. He said he had a problem with it on the trip, a fuse blew on his radar detector.
The old slogan of "I would rather push my Harley than ride a Honda" Never pushed one.
I knew a police motor officer who bought a Yamaha Star motorcycle. His "friends" gave him a bad time about not buying a Harley. His reply was that he saved 10K and was using that money to take trips.
 
Head to bike night on Thursday at Texas HD. Those guys are always nice no matter what I ride up on and none have ever been HD. To be fair this morning, I passed a Wing and a HD this morning on my F6B and neither waved to me.


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Me: Uh...... Yes I would. As of today, I do!

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Nice slab. Now be a proper Harley guy and customize it. You'll be riDONKulous before you know it:

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BTW, all kidding aside, I like Harleys, too. I even came close to buying one a couple of years ago, but ultimately couldn't bring myself to pull the trigger. The FZ-07 was calling me too strongly.
 
First time the air bags went out we did the coil conversion, highly recommend it, Lincolns Town cars are king of the road.
 
I have never been ignored by a Harley salesperson, quite the opposite, I can't get through the door without getting attacked. I'm always offered the option to "upgrade". I learned to never give them contact information. You'll never get rid of them.
 
Hmmm,

By far the most courteous, knowledgeable and professional sales encounter I have ever had at any motorcycle dealer was with a HD shop on the SW Freeway near Sugar Land. After they vetted me, the sales guy really took time explaining the various options, etc and were more than willing to let me test ride.

Can't say that about a lot of dealers: walk in and instantaneously ignored. Happened at our new MG dealer also on SW Freeway and turned me off quickly. Too busy for even a greeting, can I help you even though I rode my V7R in. Really? Erratic at my Triumph dealer, also on SW freeway.

Oh well.

On cars I can say I have often dreamed of a 59 Chevy, the one with the big horizontal fins and narrow rear lights. Technology is not everything.
 
I have never been ignored by a Harley salesperson, quite the opposite, I can't get through the door without getting attacked. I'm always offered the option to "upgrade". I learned to never give them contact information. You'll never get rid of them.

Ha! I got a call from Texas Harley just two days ago asking if I wanted to trade in my Road King for a new bike... Th Road King which I hated from day one and sold it years ago. He asked me what I am riding now, I told him and could hear him sigh. I was waiting for the "why don't you get back on a "real bike" line.
 
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I have nothing personal against Harley's, nor their riders. What I do take personally is when they ride stupid - just like those dirt-bike and 4-wheeler hooligans. It does happen, and quite often. I get riding in groups, but I won't - absolutely refuse - to ride side-by-side with anyone, even my best friend. There's no room for error, which can be anything right down to a rock in the road. Staggered, yes.

The bike is simply not my style. I don't have the lifestyle for the breed, and I won't ride without the proper gear, which seems to be a major foul on any HD. Little half hat and leather vest just isn't enough for me. I value my life, and my skin - and my wife's opinion, which is there's never enough gear. I put my head in a $700 helmet because my head is just worth $700. If you believe yours is well protected behind $20 sunglasses, go for it. I won't stop you. I'll just watch for the signs on the highway to tick over one more number in their display of "xxx people killed on Texas roads this year". I'm not heartless, I just don't stand well for stupid.

Maybe it's me. I'm told I generally look like I'd rather just rip off someone's head and **** down their neck than talk to them. I don't know about that, but I do know that when walking through a mall or someplace, when people see me coming they do tend to give me space. It's funny how the outward appearance belies the guy inside it.
 
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