Evel's Baseball Bat wrote:
I think that people who have strong interest in motorcycles in general really don't care about all that stuff one way or the other.
I ride a Suzuki, but I think the Street Rod is one extremely cool looking bike. I may buy one someday.
Your obviously a person with great qualities & taste!
I like you already! -
I'm very happy with my Street-Rod!
- check out the 07 models on H-D.com
Evel's Baseball Bat wrote:
I think that people who have strong interest in motorcycles in general really don't care about all that stuff one way or the other.
I ride a Suzuki, but I think the Street Rod is one extremely cool looking bike. I may buy one someday.
Your obviously a person with great qualities & taste!
I like you already! -
I'm very happy with my Street-Rod!
- check out the 07 models on H-D.com
This thread was very entertaining.....thanks people, for making me chuckle!
Are Harley-Davidson motorcycles Cool? Well, yes they are. But they have the culture, the "look" and the sound thanks to the marketing of The Company and The Riders (1%ers) that give the Harley-Davidson the respect and admiration on the road today... BUT, I'm not saying Harley-Davidson's are THE coolest motorcycles out there, some H-D's are well, ugly.
I think you would have a hard time to say a Harley-Davidson motorcycle isn't cool in the right settings...
From July 2006 to Jan 2011... Thanks for renewing this thread, this is something I have been dealing with.
Harley Vs. everyone else? When I was in auto shop in 9th grade, 1976/1977 an older guy in my class had a 50’s Harley- don’t remember much about it other than it was black, stripped down, loud, nasty and I wanted one! That is when the Harley fascination started for me. This dude was cool. His last name was even Mussleman! Life moves quickly. Started dating a girl in 10th grade, we got married right after we graduated and had 2 kids within the next 3 years. Jobs, kids, sports, finances, TIME etc etc etc all kept us so busy. I rode many bikes, most of which were bought as a hobby. Meaning bought for next to nothing, in various stages of disrepair- repaired, ridden and sold all to be repeated again. All this time, I wanted a Harley, but basket cases and the parts to fix them were out of reach. Jump ahead to 2010. Still married to my sweetie. Kids are grown and independent. Still riding “japanese” bikes. Laughing, metrics now.
I am finally in a position to afford to spend 8-10 grand on a used Harley. My wife is all in favor of it. All my buddies who ride Harley’s have told me repeatedly that when I was ready, they could hook me up with a great Dyna for 4-7 thousand. Sweet! The day comes. I put the word out I am ready. This is October 2010. Funny thing is, BS is cheap. No 4-7 thousand dollar bikes exist. (they do, but not that I want) Everyone has an excuse as to why. No prob, I start looking in the paper, online and at all the local dealers. It turns out that for 5-10 grand I can get a good Sportster. That’s all fine and good, but I do not want a Sportster. I want a Wide Glide. Can’t touch a used one for under 9K, and for that, I wouldn’t even begin to think of buying it. They ALL have very high milage. Most 40K miles and up. Saw one with 84,000 miles on it and the wanted $12,500 for it? WTF? And they all had an explanation as to why it cost so much.
My local metric dealer has had several bikes sitting since last summer, I live in Colorado, so winter time not much sells. One of them was this sweet 2002 Bandit. I look at it every time I go in the shop. My wife was pushing me to go ahead and spend whatever I want to get the bike I want,even if we had ti finance the difference, which I am grateful for. I tell her I want to go back to Grand Prix and check out the Bandit again. The sticker on it was $3299.00 The bike had 4900 miles on it. The bike had been dropped, just a ding in the tank, I was told it “fell over in the previous owners garage” everything else was solid. I offered $2000.00 cash to ride it home. I really pissed off the finance manager, who came out all butt hurt and said no way, $2800.00 is the best he could do. I got off the bike and started to walk. The sales man asked why, and I said “not worth it” I had my phone with both NADA and KBB up showing the value at $2900 in very good condition. After showing the sales manager this I said I would go $2200 and not a penny more. He was angry and really had a poor attitude during the paperwork phase, but I got my bike for $2200.00 + tax etc. When we got home, my wife was and still is a bit confused. I had wanted a Harley so badly for so long. I feel I got a better bike, for ¼ of the price. By better, I mean lower miles, better maintained than the high mileage bikes, way less wear and affordable.
So, long story short, for ME and ME only, I find as long as I can ride a bike I really like, I am very happy. It's not what I ride, but it is that I can ride. The value of the bike is also so important to ME and ME only. I really do love my Bandit. I think it was all about the image that had me so enthused all of these years. Never really gave it much thought. But I do have to say, for many years, I had a full beard and always wore a bandana on my head. On numerous occasions, leaving taverns or other places while walking out with other folks we just me for the first time and I got on my ZX7R I got more than my share of funny looks.
I guess if it looks like a duck, it must be a duck. Even in stores, people would ask what kind of bike I rode, Kawasaki seemed to make their brains smoke as they looked at me. Quite funny actually. But on a serious note, to ME only it is not worth it financially to spend the considerable difference between a Harley and a Suzuki. Even parts, service and accessories are so much more. $250 to tune my Bandit $750 to tune a wide glide as quoted by both dealers. AND this summer, I am taking my wife on a killer Alaska cruise with the extra money, and still have a couple of grand left over. I still respect the Harleys and the people that choose to ride them, but this has been a real eye opening experience for me.
Also the thing that has always perplexed me is why is it that if you ride a Harley you can’t wear a full face helmet? Here in Colorado, you don’t have to wear a helmet, and the ones that do just wear those little half helmets. Have they never fallen down and gotten a boo boo? I will not ride without the right gear, just an observation on my part. And I have asked a few different times, I am pretty much given the same lame answer, “It’s about the freedom, man” Really? Sorry this is so long, I am glad to see it is active again. I also notice here in Colorado, most Harley riders do not wave back. I thought it was something we all did because we all have something in common, not the price tag of our bikes.
Thanks for reading.
Just a modern primative (caveman) in the snow, lost in a strange time.
Wow Bandit Brad, that is a really good read. It's kinda hard to read with it being all 1 paragraph but well worth it. I like what you said:
It's not what I ride, but it is that I can ride.
That is very true.
See, Harley-Davidsons's (that is how The Company calls them as they don't like "Harley" without the "Davidson" or even Harley Davidson without the - in the middle) were all about bad attitude, freedom and rebellion in their day. They were HUGE engine sized bikes (this was before the CB750K), today they are still big engined, but not as big a cc difference as they used to be. Also H-D's were cheaper back then (from what I heard) so more people could own and ride one, but they were seen as a bad @$$ bike thus not many did till after WWII.
Today, H-D is still the bike choice for 1%'ers but are also a status symbol and thanks to Harley-Davidson marketing the #1 bike (I would guess here) first off the tip of the tongue by non-bikers. (would be interesting to do a poll on this).
I've rode a lot of bikes, all different brands and it's interesting that H-D really comes out first in the biker culture... call it bad or good but it's works for selling bikes, accessories, clothes and a lifestyle... if Suzuki or Honda or even BMW could duplicate it they would.
Most of the time I find if you ride ANYTHING different you will get the attention many riders are looking for. You would think buying a new bike you would get attention, but in my experience a 20+ year old bike will get you more.
Sure, Harley-Davidson's are indeed cool, not everyone rides one and there are better bikes out there for the price... but there is just some magic in the name and the style thanks to the marketing.
Bandit Brad wrote:Also the thing that has always perplexed me is why is it that if you ride a Harley you can’t wear a full face helmet?
Just for reference, me on a H-D Dyna Wide Glide riding with a full face helmet and bright colored jacket
I agree with you, I would rather be safe (by wearing a full face and jacket) and have a long motorcycling career than hurt and having the most fun I've ever had on the road cut short.
Bandit Brad wrote:Also the thing that has always perplexed me is why is it that if you ride a Harley you can’t wear a full face helmet?
Just for reference, me on a H-D Dyna Wide Glide riding with a full face helmet and bright colored jacket
I really apologize; I did not mean for it to be everyone as a blanket statement, does not wear a full face helmet nor do I mean to offend. I can say truthfully, here in Colorado on any given day, my wife and I eat at many typical biker bars,(weather permitting, we have 12” of snow on the ground now) we sit by the window and watch as the bikes roll in. The Harley-Davidson riders, without exaggeration, about 1% (maybe less) wear full face helmets, about 30% wear ½ helmets and the rest wear nothing on their heads other than cool shades and maybe a bandana.
While other manufacturer bikers come in dressed in various forms of gear. It is almost never that I see a sport bike rider that does not atleast have a helmet on. At the very least, I wear my dot/snell helmet, textile jacket with armor, heavy jeans, gloves and boots- even to run to the store that is less than a mile away.
Nice Wide Glide by the way. hope I didn't offend you or anyone else here, just my observations only.
Just a modern primative (caveman) in the snow, lost in a strange time.
Bandit Brad wrote:Also the thing that has always perplexed me is why is it that if you ride a Harley you can’t wear a full face helmet?
Just for reference, me on a H-D Dyna Wide Glide riding with a full face helmet and bright colored jacket
I really apologize; I did not mean for it to be everyone as a blanket statement, does not wear a full face helmet nor do I mean to offend. I can say truthfully, here in Colorado on any given day, my wife and I eat at many typical biker bars,(weather permitting, we have 12” of snow on the ground now) we sit by the window and watch as the bikes roll in. The Harley-Davidson riders, without exaggeration, about 1% (maybe less) wear full face helmets, about 30% wear ½ helmets and the rest wear nothing on their heads other than cool shades and maybe a bandana.
While other manufacturer bikers come in dressed in various forms of gear. It is almost never that I see a sport bike rider that does not atleast have a helmet on. At the very least, I wear my dot/snell helmet, textile jacket with armor, heavy jeans, gloves and boots- even to run to the store that is less than a mile away.
Nice Wide Glide by the way. hope I didn't offend you or anyone else here, just my observations only.
No offence taken at all, in fact, I am agreeing with you 100%.
The full helmet doesn't seem to go with the reckless "bad biker" style, also a full face doesn't look quite right on a cruiser, something about a full face says "speed and sporty", which a cruiser isn't that well known for vs a sports bike. But I do agree, all riders should consider a full face helmet, they will save your jaw in an accident (it worked for me).
The Wide Glide was a very nice bike to ride, a true "raw Harley-Davidson" in many respects, but it isn't much of a match for my ZR7F, but then again, my ZR7F didn't get the attention that Dyna Wide Glide did even though it was a "better bike" in many ways.
I really must jump in here. I'm a motorcycle lover. As a matter of fact I find myself looking at the designs of all motorcycles. I would like to point out that most of the metric bikes have the "Harley" look to them now! I ride often and always wave to My fellow bike riders and, unless it a "crotch rocket" I can't tell the difference if it's a Harley or not when they are coming towards me. Like I said, I always wave at ALL bike riders no matter what the ride.
Brad, you mentioned that you wanted to buy a Harley but you couldn't believe the price for them. Your right, they are high dollar. I too wanted a Harley but not the typical Harley, I wanted a vrod. You see, I'm not much for the air cooled engines and the loud, vibrating sound of the harley. I did not think that was to cool! What I thought was cool was the vrscaw vrod. They are not big sellers for Harley but they sell enough to keep the line around. It's water cooled and runs so smooth you can barely hear the engine running! As a matter of fact, a few metric bikes are air cooled and that makes no sense to me but that was harley influence again!
I had been out of street riding for a while , but decided to start riding street bikes again and ended buying a few and reselling some. What I found was that the market was weak and I found some great deals (made a little money in the process). There is only two that I really wanted, a vrod and a vmax and that's what I currently have. What's so interesting about these two bikes is the owners themselves. It seems to me that some if the vrod owners (not all) don't like the vmax and the same is true for the vmax owners. What's so ironic is I really like them both! It doesn't matter to me what people think, I love to ride and ride what I love! I even had a guy tell me (Harley owner too) not long ago when I was riding my vrod that he didn't like vrods, I told him good because I didn't buy I for him anyway! So my point is this, as long as your happy with what you ride, whether it's a $30,000 ride or a $300 dollar ride and you pass me, I'll always wave!
Oh and as the helmets go, well, I'm guilty for not wearing one. I have one and just don't wear it. I just don't like to wear one but that's my choice not a "Harley biker" thing. But here is an interesting question for you all. I live here in central New Mexico, and have farmed all my life. I have branded cattle, trained horses, hauled hay and I know that farming is one of the most dangerous occupations that one could do. But here is the question, what is more dangerous riding horses or riding a motorcycle ? And if you ride horses do you wear a helmet ? I'm not making excuses for not wearing a helmet just thought I would start more "talk".
Oh and brad if your ever here in New Mexico, give me a shout, we can go for a ride either by bike or horse!
Mark
Life may begin at 30 but it gets real interesting at 140!
hope I didn't offend you or anyone else here, just my observations only.
Mike 
