TheLoneRanger

Amen! I had 5 bikes before I got into sports cars, chopper, tourer, sport, dual sport, and dirt. Whatever mood I was in I had a bike to ride. But with texting getting so out of hand, I decided I needed to get a fun car. Sold all of the bikes, got a C6 vert to keep that wind in my hair feeling. Sort of fixed things, traded the vert for a Z06 and now the world is all back in place. Sure I can still die in a text related collision with someone else, but at least I have a chance at surviving.

Bill

SquareHead

Good friend of mine is a Harley mechanic. He rides a Triumph Thunderbird. Claims he would never own a Harley, unless it was the V-Rod... Hell, even if a Harley was a quality product, I wouldn't own one because of the assocation factor!

Of course I own several BMW's from 1968 to 2011. Hmmm... the association factor there would have to be nerds/ATTGATT! But at least they are a high quality product! Also own a Norton, Triumph, etc.

What I find very interesting is that the Iron Butt Association, which is a group for long distance riders (1,000 miles in 24 hours is the minimum) has very few Harley riders. Many, many BMW's, as well as Honda Goldwings, Yamaha FJR's, etc. I am sure there are some Harley Davidsons in the IBR, but I have personally never seen one.

As a side note, my girlfriend and I went to the Harley Davidson Museum in Milwaukee a couple of weeks ago. Very cool! If you ever get a chance, check it out!

m kraz

bikes and vettes go together like apple pie

MikeERWNC

I have nothing against Harley other than old technology.
It is the narrow minded Harley owners. Harley has tried to innovate their brand their public has held them back.
In season Harley's out number every other bikes here ten to one.
Maybe one in every 100 Harley owners actually know how to ride a motorcycle.
Which is OK. It is the Harley owners who keep us with the best ambulances and helicopters.
It is also nice having so many trauma unit so close to home.
So keep buying Harley's.

This doesn't happen if you learn to ride. All the loud pipes in the world cannot save your life.

vet55

My Beast:

Torchsport

A Harley Davidson is the most efficient way to turn gasoline into noise without the embarrassing byproduct of horsepower.

Most of all, I love dependable, liquid-cooled, long lasting durability in my motorcycles. I have too many friends with HDs that spend too much time in the shop. Or they spend $5,000+ on the engine to get it ALL the way up to 90 horsepower, only to have it break down.
Heck, my smallest street bike (R6) has 125 hp.

I've been riding for 32 years now. Well over a quarter of a million miles.
I know i've NEVER been let down by any of my japanese bikes.

J Vette

Indeed you are right. Many people buy bikes and soon learn that its not what they thought it would be. It's something which must be experienced. No one can fully explain how it feels to ride for miles. I'm thankful for those types because they make for some real good deals on low mileage bikes.

I also rode for 20-25 yrs and sold my bike because business and family seemed to take up my time too much to ride. I hated to sell my bike. But I did so reluctantly. Fast forward 10 yrs or so and my vert has taken the place of my bike easily. Though not exactly the same, it is a close second. Like you, I don't miss the bike, especially with all the phones now attached to peoples ears.

Really? I bet the BMW, Motto Guzzi, Triumph, Yamaha, Honda, etc riders might have a different take. But maybe you meant "among" the top of the food chain. And I am certainly intrigued .as to why a person who knows nothing about bikes would choose a Harley? Is it Image?

saplumr

Perception is everything.

J Vette

Now that's just cruel..., funny,...but cruel. My former Bro-in-law was a Harley man. He was so proud of how loud his bike was, he had to have me hear it. I didn't want to hurt his feelings but I wouldn't have it. Then too, he only rides locally...40-50 miles at a time.

I learned a valuable lesson many years ago during my 1st long distance ride (550 miles). I had just started to equip my bike ('79 Yamaha XS11 Special) for distance. But I still had a 4 to 1 header on it. The bike wasn't real loud until 200 miles into the trip when the baffles had expanded to make for a straight pipe. Long story short, the drone of the motor along with the heat of the day and wearing a black helmet gave me a horrendous headache. I'd have given anything at that point for the stock exhaust. AAMOF, the 4-1 header came off the bike immediately after returning home.

C6York

Thought I might post this last comment before my anger gets the best of me...I have ridden just about every bike made since 1960...English...Italian...German...***. ..and now I ride my HD...

1996 Road King....98,000 miles and only the top end has been off this bike...every summer until last year..( Wife had a Kidney Transplant) my wife and I do 3000 miles in 9-10 days...she also rides a 2002 Fatboy..

Tech reasons aside...Harley produces over 200,000 bikes a year...every year...no other group does...its stock is higher now than most others..yes we have old ideas under us...but my bike has never let me down...seems like the V8 engines in our Vettes have new timing, fuel Injection and such...HD has now moved to Fuel Injection, throttle by wire and yes the Water Cooled V twin will be here in 2015...I have seen the motor at the HD plant here in York for testing..So maybe those antique designs will improve...not sure on the comments about associations...but many in my group would take offense to that...most I ride with are Police Officers, Fire Fighters, Paramedics, Nurses and even to Flight Pilots for Medivac...Keep busting our bikes...we will just keep laughing...all the way down the road...in our groups..with our loud pipes and our leather vests...we like who we are and I personally never say an unkind word about other types of bikes....guess the old saying..if you cannot say anything nice...keep your pie hole closed...

Torchsport

For the record, I don't hate HD. I just enjoy owning SEVERAL great bikes for the same price as one Harley.

Garret

I prefer the vette because then I can take my co-pilot with me as she will not ride on the bike. She says 1 crazy on the bike is enough...

saplumr

Here's another "perception" and I am not a bike fan. You can have multiple manufacturers bikes but if you don't have a HD who cares. Kids around here have crotch rockets and ride like maniacs while the docs, lawyers and business men ride Harley's like they have good common sence. Again from a non biker that's my perception.

SquareHead

I gotta say, though, if I were in the mood to play dress up, I would definitely go for the "pirate look". But, I would be the envy of all the other Hardly Davidson pirates because I would have a real, live, squawking parrot on my shoulder when I was riding!! Maybe even put a miniature half helmut on the little fella!

On a more serious note... Do you know why Harley riders chrome all their parts? Because it's easier for them to spot the parts on the side of the road...

saplumr

Man you bike guys are as bad as the "my automatic is faster than your manual " guys.

SquareHead

I have owned 3 Harleys in the past. Never again, with maybe one exception: If I could find a mint condition, XLCR from 1977-78 I would buy one. It was Willie G's design of a Harley Cafe Racer. Ran like crap, rode like crap, but it really throws HD riders for a loop when they see one! Plus, it looks really cool. Your mind has a hard time accepting Harley Davidson - Cafe Racer? Really?? Can't be... But it happened. Of course, no one bought them....

Torchsport

Really? You think ONLY professionals ride Hardleys, and only punks ride sport bikes?
REALLY?

Garret

Yeah...you are a punk Brad ! LOL

saplumr

You know, does it really matter what I think of you or what you ride? Maybe to sensitive.

Torchsport

You're too funny. Who is sensitive? You are just looking to argue.
Have a nice day sir.