• There has been a recent cluster of spammers accessing BARFer accounts and posting spam. To safeguard your account, please consider changing your password. It would be even better to take the additional step of enabling 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) on your BARF account. Read more here.

All the sh!t talk about Harley Davidison

I am looking for a bike suitable for two-up riding, and require something with a maximum 30" seat height. Most folks keep pointing me towards a cruiser, but I have never liked the ride position. Still, everyone says there is no more comfortable ride for the passenger, especially with a back rest. So I looked at a couple of H-D models recently. May rent one some weekend just to try it out. The dealers seems like pretty decent folks.

Harley has been incredibly successful with "branding". They attract a very specific crowd. I just never felt any interest in becoming part of that scene. The bandana, brain bucket, wife beater, blue jeans scene just seems foolish to me. I also find nothing sillier than a white collar guy pretending to be blue collar just when riding on the H-D. And as an ATGATT kind of rider, I figure I would look goofy riding a Harley wearing a full faced helmet with full gear.
 
Harley works hard to sell LIFESTYLE not just bikes--that's the important thing. If you want to study branding and brand loyalty, you study Harley. It isn't just about the bikes, it's also about how the bikes make the owners feel; that's one of the reason there's the violent tribalization of the brand. HD owners look at attacks on HD as direct personal assaults.

When we went searching for a bike to do more videos on we looked long pretty seriously at a Nightster or a Fat Bob... we went with a Honda because it was less expensive, had a killer warranty, service costs were less, has Honda reliability AND the wheelbase was an inch longer than most Harleys...(we're trying to retire that 'my bike won't do that' mentality we often find in CruiserWorld by using it for demonstrations).

Not to mention we could have bought 2 brand new Phantoms for the cost of 1 new Fat Bob.

I'm old school about branding:

Whatever gets you off...just don't get any on me.
 
72SBC said:
I dunno bout that, the glide is pretty damn stable, Harley reworked the frame geometry on the big bikes to make them more stable/smooth. Comfort, I wouldn't know.. I know my bike has air ride stock tho :teeth
Click to expand...

It's not just the frame... It's also the steering geometry and overall feel of the Voyager. It's hard to describe the difference, especially since the Harley Baggers are very good bikes. That's the thing though... The voyager is a little better, and comes without the Harley price tag and rider culture.

I was impressed by the V-Rod, but hated the seating position. The engine on that thing is magic. I rode a soft tail, and had an 'oh-shit' moment getting on the 84 overpass. I hit a bump in the pavement at 80 miles per hour, and the frame on that bike started to flex in a way that I wasn't sure would be recoverable.

slower than... said:
Still, everyone says there is no more comfortable ride for the passenger, especially with a back rest.
Click to expand...

Bullshit. The GL1800 and K1200LT are far better bikes to ride as a passenger. Hell, you'd be hard pressed to find a more comfy recliner. Also... Although not a motorcycle, the new Spider RT is also an excellent 2-up vehicle. Can you say 'passenger radio controls and heated grips?'
 
I like Harley riders (the carefully folded bandanna ones) because I can make them feel inadequate when I pull up on my 1948 Indian I built just for that purpose.
 
Been riding since I was 12, maybe a 1/4 million miles on two wheels by now.

If it's got two wheels, I'll ride it. I never understood the brand loyalty part of buying something...you paid for it, it costs you, and you say its the best in the world to feel good about yourself?

HD: What is individualistic about all dressing similarly? I'm more about function than fashion.

Sportbikes: It seems people like to wear uniforms, maybe to feel important? Seeing some clowns on sportbikes pretending they are being paid to advertise for their "sponsors" with company logos and brands plastered all over them is funny as hell. Kind of has that "I'm a tool" appeal

Dirtbikes: City riders, do yourself a big favor and take a dirtbike for a ride offroad. You're on-road riding skills will improve greatly...braking on slippery surfaces, avoiding obstacles, and getting comfortable with floating/sliding...and you will see what nature really is.

I've owned Jap bikes for most of my life, and a few Harley's. I prefer the feel of sportbikes most of the time. But sometimes it's a blast to just cruise around on a loud HD tractor, doing the 2-gear rev from each stoplight. Get's old though.
I did rent both a VROD and a Roadglide recently and was very impressed. The VROD felt almost Japanese, good power, handling and brakes. Did not like the seating position. The Roadglide will be my next bike. Rode one to Arizona, and on the freeway it criused at 85-90 calmly, actually had a little ground clearance for cornering, and the brakes were much improved....didn't feel like any stock Harleys I've ridden before. A very comfortable highway bike.

But compared to modern sportbikes, it's on a differnet planet. Today's sportbikes are amazing, bone stock.

As for the dealers, f*** 'em, I go into the HD shop in shorts and loafers, and some kid behind the counter, wearing his shiny black leather vest and boots, and trying to grow a Van Dyke is talking to me like I'm a "new" owner/rider because I didn't dress like him. Hell, I had more miles on this kid when I was 5 years younger than him....and I'd still smoke him thru the turns or in the dirt....but he conformed to the HD branding and looked "cool".

Don't get me started on the "Mac proprietary system" vs. PC.
 
Like I said I own a Dyna for the same price I could have a Ducati, in retro spect the Duke offers more for the $$$. Next time I am buying used, as most harley owners take care of their bikes and put very little miles on their bikes.....wimps

My Harley is an 08 and has 20k plus, my 08 Gixxer has 21k. Brought each one brand new. If you own it, ride it...or it will rust...
 
Also the worst is riding in a group.....most bikers have no idea how to ride in a freaking group.
 
Have you ever actually ridden one?

Yep. Rented a Fatboy.

Do you have experience with their customer service?

Yep. Went down to Dudley-Perkins, talked with Chris Perkins and I was really impressed.

Harley Davidsons cost so much....

Not that they cost so much, but that you can find a similar bike for a lot cheaper.

The HD culture and it's people are a joke.

A good friend of mine is definitely part of the culture, and I respect him greatly. But on my last trip to Grass Valley, I saw 50 riders with as much protection as I wear on a mountain bike ride.

Harley riders are so slow!

Well, I tried to screw it on when I was on the Fat Boy, but it wasn't that impressive.
 
Last edited:
I will only say this:

I hated Harley's until I rode one, not for one day, not for a week, for a couple months. Something changed at that point. What you ask?

I stopped complaining about what a Harley couldn't do as well as my sportbike, and started appreciating it for what it does extremely well.

After I opened my mind up to that aspect of it, I started to really appreciate them for what they are. Now I can't wait to buy a Street Glide.
 
Kornholio said:
I edited my post for clarity. :D
Click to expand...

Good. I needed to know what part of your post I had to shoot down. :teeth

Windows machines were crap (but with good software support) up until February 17th, 2000. The Macintosh was crap up until March 21st, 2001.

If you want to go back to the windows 3.1 days, a good argument could be made that OS 7 was sufficiently superior as to qualify as 'not crap.' Though to be honest, neither could hold a candle to the quality of a good Unix distribution at that time.

These days, both Windows 7 and OSX are pretty high quality products. The stability is there, the UI is pretty clean and functional.
 
raybobb1 said:
e9d423e8.jpg


saw this perfect set up last night at the sprintcar races in Calistoga...
Why would they park there???
Click to expand...

cant read.:rofl
 
1948 Indian?

larry kahn said:
I like Harley riders (the carefully folded bandanna ones) because I can make them feel inadequate when I pull up on my 1948 Indian I built just for that purpose.
Click to expand...

That was you on Lincoln Avenue this morning?
 
Burning1 said:
Good. I needed to know what part of your post I had to shoot down. :teeth

Windows machines were crap (but with good software support) up until February 17th, 2000. The Macintosh was crap up until March 21st, 2001.

If you want to go back to the windows 3.1 days, a good argument could be made that OS 7 was sufficiently superior as to qualify as 'not crap.' Though to be honest, neither could hold a candle to the quality of a good Unix distribution at that time.

These days, both Windows 7 and OSX are pretty high quality products. The stability is there, the UI is pretty clean and functional.
Click to expand...

You guys are going to get this moved to KS or the geek subforum. Lets stay on topic of finger pointing and such. :x
 
slower than... said:
I am looking for a bike suitable for two-up riding, and require something with a maximum 30" seat height. Most folks keep pointing me towards a cruiser, but I have never liked the ride position. Still, everyone says there is no more comfortable ride for the passenger, especially with a back rest. So I looked at a couple of H-D models recently. May rent one some weekend just to try it out. The dealers seems like pretty decent folks.

Harley has been incredibly successful with "branding". They attract a very specific crowd. I just never felt any interest in becoming part of that scene. The bandana, brain bucket, wife beater, blue jeans scene just seems foolish to me. I also find nothing sillier than a white collar guy pretending to be blue collar just when riding on the H-D. And as an ATGATT kind of rider, I figure I would look goofy riding a Harley wearing a full faced helmet with full gear.
Click to expand...

The VMAX 1700cc a guy had at the CG fest on friday night looked and sounded Fantastic! What a F-ing Beast!

http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/yamaha/yamaha_v%20max%2009.htm
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top