Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

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OCR
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#16

Post by OCR »

The mention of V twins brings me to my current ride, the mighty CX500C.
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#17

Post by Bugdaddy66 »

If you look at extremes, sometimes the stuff in the middle makes more sense. Compare a large bore single cylinder dirt bike to a 6 cylinder GoldWing. Grab a handful of throttle in either bike (assuming correct gear selection/RPM range) and both will accelerate. But as you can imagine, one will be accompanied with an increase in vibration and noise, the other with near electric motor smoothness. Exhaust notes are very different, not one better, just different. Because of this I find the feedback from my singles and twins more involving than the rheostat like throttle response of the 'Wing. Again this is subjective. The feedback that makes it feel more alive to me may be an annoyance to you. The perfectly linear throttle response of a modern multi-cylinder motorcycle may be perfection to some, boring to others.

BMW builds two touring bikes, a 1200cc twin and a 1600cc 6 cylinder. Most in that community will agree both are great bikes, but very few love them both, the "feel" is just too different.

The challenge for Harley Davidson, and probably all the big twin touring bikes is striking a balance between these two extremes. Harley seems to have found what works for its customers and stuck with it. Will the wants of the consumer change and leave them in the dust of history like big single street bikes? time will tell, but it has worked so far.
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#18

Post by x01660 »

In other news, I just discovered the K1600 B.... yeah I may end up with a Beemer.... o.O
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#19

Post by duke182 »

I have an 84 gl1200 standard.
Also a 97 road king.
The gl feels like a smaller bike to me. It's low center of gravity and the lesser rake make it a little more nimble.
But nothing like a sport bike.
The gl also accelerates quicker and tops out faster.
The road king seems a bit more top heavy and requires a little more steering effort at slow speeds.
It isn't as nimble but it is just as stable at highway speeds and can cruise all day, just like the gl.
Ironically, the road king gets better gas millage.
Both bikes are fun to ride, get lots of attention. Now I just need to finish putting the gl back together and do a little pm work on the rk so I can put some more miles on both of them.
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#20

Post by brokentoe »

Lucien Harpress wrote:Me personally? I don't want to spent a load of money for a name, at least if I'm not getting something else in return. It stems from the fact I financially CAN'T, and even though I've been known to spend too much on a bad idea (cough, KZ1300, cough), there's enough of a tradeoff on the flipside that I'm okay with it. Not to mention that, while I've put a lot of money into this bike, comparatively it's really not that much.
The money aspect is huge. I was given my GL1000, which was in horrible shape.
I won my first Harley (Street Bob) in a drawing.
I was given a Suzuki (another basket case) because someone heard I liked bikes and they wanted someone to just get it out of their garage.
So I've never actually paid for a motorcycle, except I dolled up my Street Bob and traded it for a Softail Deluxe.
My stock GL1000 seat is uncomfortable after an hour (Honda Butt).
My Softail is so comfortable I can ride all day, as in 400 to 600 miles a day, and be ready to go the next day. I don't care about vibration one way or another.
I like being able to shift faster with my Goldwing as opposed to the Harley. Shifting a Harley seems slower and clunkier than the smoothness of my GL1000.
In six years I have never had a mechanical problem with my Harley.
I have broken down in five different states on my Honda (probably not the bike's fault).
I will say the Harley dealers I have met made me feel like family, and the Harley museum in Milwaukee really rolls out the red carpet.
I would probably love any bike I had.
That may be more information than anyone wanted, but I like to talk about bikes, even if no one wants to listen.
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#21

Post by robin1731 »

In response to the original question.

Answering that would be like trying to explain why people like to ride motorcycles.

Or in my case trying to explain why I would put on a full leather suit, gloves, and boots, along with a full face helmet when the outside temp is sometimes 100 plus degrees. Then sitting something made to accelerate from 0 to 130mph in 5.5 seconds.

Or why my 88 year old dad still rides. Is planning a trip to Wyoming. And still wants to make the ride to Alaska. One of only two states he has not ridden in.

The answer? Because I can. lolol anim-cheers1 :crosso dancr

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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#22

Post by chewy999 »

robin1731 wrote:Or why my 88 year old dad still rides. Is planning a trip to Wyoming. And still wants to make the ride to Alaska. One of only two states he has not ridden in.
Now that demands respect! action1 action1 action1
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#23

Post by Dirty Dave »

IMHO motorcycles are like guitars.

Each one tends to teach you what it does & doesn't do and how to use it. (I'm a musician & a guitar tech)

Every bike I have ridden or owned has been like this. We all tend to think that what we are used to is the norm and other
variations are off the mark IMHO. My latest acquisition is teaching me plenty. I love the low end grunt of a V-twin as well as the rush of riding a high speed sport bike. I seem to love 'em all.
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#24

Post by scootsx2 »

OCR wrote:The mention of V twins brings me to my current ride, the mighty CX500C.
tumb2

It took almost a thousand miles but I finally came to terms with my CX500C, albeit in trike form. Definitely different than a 'wing but still a fun ride.
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The dude abides.

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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#25

Post by raiddrten »

I went on a cancer poker run. I was the only Honda on the baby 'Wing. Those dudes would no even acknowledge my existence until the third [beer] stop. Then they thought my center stand was cool. Then after a few more stops, i became OK. I started near the back and faked bike trouble to get clear to the back. No way did i want in the middle of a pack of drinkers.

I think the factory Harleys sound pretty sweet. A sweet sound like a Cummins Diesel or John Deere tractor. Not like that blatty mess that I was following that day. Would I own one? Sure, but only a new or nearly new one just because they do not seem to depreciate very quickly.. I might just rent a Harley sometime just to see what the big deal is.

I have seven or eight Hondas right now. All bought very reasonably. You just cannot do that to the same degree with a Harley. The most I have paid is just over a buck a cc for a drop dead gorgeous 1200 Aspy Many are half that much a cc, and some I nearly stole. If my state ever requires continuous licensing and insurance, the herd will thin very quickly
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#26

Post by x01660 »

My buddy let me borrow his 83 Suzuki GS1100 with an 1150 motor in it...

I've put 500 miles on it in 3 days....

Thing is fast and blows my GL out of the water....

It also shakes and vibrates and is REALLY loud.

I guess I just like smooth quiet power delivery.

If that GS was too rough, I REALLY don't think I'd like a Harley...

Thank you all for the responses. I'd love to hear more anecdotes and stories. Especially about 88 year olds that STILL RIDE!!!!!

That's awesome!
-x01660

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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#27

Post by warhead_71 »

Depends who you ask, but a lot of Harley riders proudly claim they "only buy American". I then casually point out that unless their bike was built before the mid 80's, it's probably only about 65% made in America, the rest of the parts being outsourced from Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Germany, Mexico, etc. Whereas newer Goldwings are about 92% built in Ohio. I always encourage them to fact-check.

To others, they just like the "Harley Lifestyle"... growing (but not grooming) a beard and wearing leather and flame-skull tattoos to look like a Hell's Angel. The Director of Marketing for HD is quoted as saying that exactly: "We don't make motorcycles, we make a lifestyle". Well, he was absolutely right. Unfortunately that same lifestyle is now associated with clip-on-pony-tailed divorce lawyers, iron-cross-wearing neo-nazis, and screaming reality-TV-show idiots. But they do get free admission to the wet t-shirt contest at Sturgis... so I guess they have that going for them.

Lastly, there's the chick magnet argument: what woman can resist a 1200lb steel machine that shakes and vibrates its own bolts loose? (Also reportedly a treatment for an enlarged prostate... so perhaps those aging Harley/Accountants are writing it off as a medical device???)

I still prefer to "meet the nicest people on a Honda". But it's a free country...
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#28

Post by desertrefugee »

x01660 wrote:My buddy let me borrow his 83 Suzuki GS1100 with an 1150 motor in it...

***
It also shakes and vibrates and is REALLY loud.
If that Suzuki shakes and vibrates, there's something wrong with it, i.e. it's running like crap. Even built, it should be smooth.
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#29

Post by twowings »

I've owned and rode both 1100 and 1150 suzukis and they don't vibrate. Linear power from 3500 rpm and up. Still have both of them too. Wild ride from 6000 rpm up too full throttle. Hard to shift quick enough to keep up to the power.
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Re: Someone explain the Harley Davidson experience

#30

Post by HOTT »

Dirty Dave wrote:IMHO motorcycles are like guitars. I seem to love 'em all.
Yep. They all play dif'rent and they all have their own tone anim-cheers1


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