What is it with the Harlry Davidson image?

[Venarius]

Wow way to go everyone for only showing PART of my quote.

Yeah I consider them not as bright as they can be...because I consider bright to look solely at

1)performance
2)reliability
3)price

Holy crap...I must be bonkers to think those are important when purchasing a vehicle!!!

And for that, Harley isn't in the lead when compared to the compitition.
I'd take a victory over a Harley any day.

But, if any of you would care to finish my quote...As long as the Harley rider doesn't give attitude...I'm fine to ride with them in my group.

Can I tear down motors and rebuild them?

Not personally. However, how many new Harley owners can? Or GSXR owners for that matter? Very few.

The Harley owner of the 60's is a different story and different breed. But the Harley owner of today? Why else do you think Harley makes so much money on service...its no secret that their service and upkeep costs more than the compitition...

The old harley guys I hang out with...Kudos to them. THey know their stuff, they know how to take care of their engine (if only out of neccesity). But the Harley owners of today (by and large) would simply rather pay to have it done. So, No, I don't consider Bright the ability to tear down an engine...

As I said before

1)Performance
2)Reliability
3)Price

The Harley afficianado's consider different things... like
1)Sound
2)Vibration
3)The ability to feel American

Or whatever. They have their reasons...and I'm sure they don't consider me "Bright" for riding a metric.

We just have differing opinions of what Bright means.

I came from inline 4's and V-twin sportbikes...so I am "Bright" enough to know that what defines a "motorcycle sound" isn't Harley, Every bike has its own sound and pulse and no one is "More motorcycle" than another.
Coming from that background...I also believe that More vibration is not a good thing...but rather a bad thing.

And as I've said in the Harley dealership thread (in detail I might add)...Just because they "feel more american" doesn't mean they are...in fact it can be construed as the opposite.

[King Frog]

WHao NOt trolling . I actually said in another thread the HArley I would buy is the lowly Dyna Wide Convertable I was in a Dealership yesterday as well as HOnda and YAmaha looking to buy my next ride. After having owned BOTH a harley and a HOnda Shadow I know both bikes. The HOnda was prefered by far since I had an "AMF" HArley.

I stopped in to see if the dealerships changed since the $k mark up days and to see what used Bikes were on the floor. ( A shadow 750 Aero was one of them)

The thing that struck me momst was the prices on the bikes as compared to the proces on the technologically superior japanese Cruisers. I realized again after looking at all th HD logo'd yard sale flea market crap this was not about a motorcycle. This was about being in a non exclusive club without rules but instant life long kinships.

I decided I would not spend the 12k for the used Dyna and would take another look at the JApanese offerings as well as Triumph. I dont want to have to keep an eye on my parked bike 24x7. I dont want to wake up my neighbors when coming in late.

I do want a cruiser with a low seat and twin cylinder motor. 900-1100 cc I could care less whether the "badge" was on any hat, T shirt, watch, boot, or Bar Mirror I might own. YAmaha is trying hard with the STAR logo to become the merchandising giany HD has going. IT may work.People need to belong to something where others may look up to them, ITs just the quality of those looking up is suspect.

AS for me

IM just eliminating the king of that genre..No more no less. When you spend 60k on a Lexus YOu get a 60K automobile. When you spend $20k oon a HArley you get s $12k Bike...the rest is well only HArley riders can answer that. I saw nothing that inclined me to make a deal . For financial reasons becasue of the allure I would only buy the HD if I had to spend $12k on any bike.

[Social Distortion]

If it helps any,
my wife picked up a Hatley Leather jacket for me and it was made in China.

thought that was somewhat odd.


strangely.....
I didnt even know they had cows out there!

[camthepyro]

Well, there isn't an emoticon for not feeding the trolls, but there is an image I made, feel free to use it:






The only problem I have with Harley, is that they charge outrageous prices, simply because they can, based on their image.[/quote]

[Ninja Geoff]

Venarious, i apologizze for missing the whole quote, thought that it was a dig at harley owners as people, i misread/didn't read the post/half the thread. And I agree, they cost a lot, and in some cases can have a hard time staying together. But performance? Road King's perform well. And i remeber reading a comparison of the VTX1300 VS Sporterster 1200. I think it was a tie, and the harley woulda won if it weren't as expensive as it was. I mean sure, those aren't shining examples of Harley's entire line, but that goes back to what i said before. A company can make some horrendus bikes, but shouldn't be judged as a whole if they make some decent ones. And them Victory's are nice. BTW, my stepdad is a harley owner. He can rebuild the motor in his RK. Same with his KX250. And he was thinking of getting some sort of crotch rocket in the next few years, as a second bike. Maybe he's one of the 60's ones re-incarnated and rides it for the ride and how he feels riding it, not for the image Harley likes to put out or to be "cool".

A stuck up harley rider sucks though. As does a stuck up Honda rider. or a stuck up Kawasaki owner.

[Loonette]

Harley is MORE reliable today as are FORds and Chevys...BUT the Japanese were ALWAYS ahead in that area and still are.

The buy Ameica "mantra" I hear from Harley riders (with there japanese front ends and more) has the same logic as the "Loud pipies save lives" sticker on the back of a Clamshell or worse helmetless rider.

HD= Merchandising No more no less. HD wants to be the Rolls Royce WITHOUT the associated quality...A pretty place to be....Money for nothing

With only four posts under your belt, and with no introduction at all, you might want to do a search of the site before starting topics. This "issue" has been discussed countless times here. We all ride what we ride - we all have opinions about bikes - and, as far as I've noticed, the only people who have these discussions (at least to such a great extent) are all on the internet. I know several members of a seriously bad-azz Harley club, and they have never once ridiculed my bike or acted as through their bike is better than mine - they have their connection through their brand of bike, and that's their business. You must know a lot of Harley riders to keep hearing their mantra - maybe you should find new people to hang out with - or at least try to ignore people who are spouting nonsense.

In the meantime, take a few to look around these forums - you will see how much attention has been given to this already. Although, I notice this has gone to 4 pages, so apparently you're not the only one who can't let this thing die. Oh, and you could take a peek at this as well...

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting.php

Aside of my ranting above - hope you're enjoying the forums. There really is a lot to learn and share here. Later!

Cheers,
Loonette

[Loonette]

This is primarily a sport bike forum...

Where exactly did you get the impression that this is primarily a sports bike forum? I think if anything just about every type of bike is represented on this site, with the cruisers, sports bikes, and standards showing up in fairly even numbers. Interesting view...

Cheers,
Loonette

[bok]

HD, Sportbike, metric cruiser....honestly who cares. until you buy me a bike you are not allowed to influence my opinion on what i like and that goes for everything, cars, soft drinks, etc.

I like what i like for my own reasons, but it's like the old saying about opinions and "O-rings"

motorcycle riders have enough other crap to deal with like cages and such that to squabble about which make/model/style of bike is "better" is pretty much mentally challenged.

[King Frog]

Harley is MORE reliable today as are FORds and Chevys...BUT the Japanese were ALWAYS ahead in that area and still are.

The buy Ameica "mantra" I hear from Harley riders (with there japanese front ends and more) has the same logic as the "Loud pipies save lives" sticker on the back of a Clamshell or worse helmetless rider.

HD= Merchandising No more no less. HD wants to be the Rolls Royce WITHOUT the associated quality...A pretty place to be....Money for nothing

With only four posts under your belt, and with no introduction at all, you might want to do a search of the site before starting topics. This "issue" has been discussed countless times here. We all ride what we ride - we all have opinions about bikes - and, as far as I've noticed, the only people who have these discussions (at least to such a great extent) are all on the internet. I know several members of a seriously bad-azz Harley club, and they have never once ridiculed my bike or acted as through their bike is better than mine - they have their connection through their brand of bike, and that's their business. You must know a lot of Harley riders to keep hearing their mantra - maybe you should find new people to hang out with - or at least try to ignore people who are spouting nonsense.

In the meantime, take a few to look around these forums - you will see how much attention has been given to this already. Although, I notice this has gone to 4 pages, so apparently you're not the only one who can't let this thing die. Oh, and you could take a peek at this as well...

http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/posting.php

Aside of my ranting above - hope you're enjoying the forums. There really is a lot to learn and share here. Later!

Cheers,
Loonette

there needs to be still more discussion warranted and will be till the end of time on the Harley/ import subject. The subject you appear to disdain will never die as long as people ride two wheeled machines and as long as the Japanese successfully copy the look sound and provide mega custom accessorries.

There are two distinct camps. I have been in both. MUCH more pride in the HD camp (As there is in any camp where people pay far too much for mediocricy) Prestige demands that. The funny part about those people is they believe EVERYONE would RATHER have a HArley except for price. Well if everybody did...the allure would be gone thus the prestige and prices would fall far below their technologically superior JApanese counterparts.

Although your "video was cute I do not need to be "schooled" in forum ettiquite. There is plenty of both bandwidth nowadays and storage to post without regard to searching with terrible search engines.

MOST search functions including this on do not return anything but subject headings where you have to wade through usless drivel to find a highlited word or words that may or may not have anything to do with your search.

Nor do I suscribe to the "he with the most posts is the most knowledgable . Or he with 2 posts is an idiot LOL. I have a couple thousand posts in some forums. Forums where I may know the least and ask the most. Many post for post numbers in their need to be recognized and "respected as knowledgable". I have no such needs. I post questions and answers IF i have them. OPinion is irrelavant and is just that. BUt opinion IS fact to the opiner. PEople seem to forget that when they claim others are voicing opinion as fact!!!!

The easiest way to get information fast ( speed of information, what a concept) is to just simply ask for it instead of seraching through irrelavant ramblings for a nugget of good information.....Like this one perhaps.

[thebighop]

I don't wanna wrinkle your prom dress there Froggy, but the Harleys today have more japanese and Chinese content than my Yamaha Royal Star Venture...so much for the 'Buy American' mantra.
I have 60,000 on my 99 Venture and never have had a break down or major problem, Can't say as much for the 7 HD's I have owned.
Once upon a time, it meant something to ride a Harley. Now every yuppie larva and his brother have them...the thrill is gone. When some squid goes out and buys a HD, never having ridden or owned a bike before, that says something about the stature of being a Harley owner...I used to ride Harley, exclusively, but I got tired of walking home. Now , all owning a Harley is about is, you have way more money than you need to have , or you don't know how to spend the little you have.
Don't get me wrong, Harley is a beautiful machine, inside and out. They preform well and now a days are built real good, and hold up as well as most others. They're priced way high, because they held their value, now with so many on the road, the resale doesn't hold up as well.
Buying a Harley does not make you a better rider, or make you cool or anything but a Harley owner. And maybe a little less rich.