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CombatMedic posted:Well yeah, Harley guys aren't gonna buy it. Think about the problems Cadillac had 10 years ago. Most of their buyers were old, and dying. The cars were big, slow, and comfortable. They had big displacement V-8s that were more or less unchanged since the early 80s, and young people saw Cadillac as the old peoples' brand so they weren't buying. Harley's shown a few times they aren't interested in young people's money. Look at what they did to Buell. The best we get is blacked-out versions of their regular bikes, like the Nightster, as bikes targeted at non-retirees. My dad has an '06 V-Rod and loving loves it. He upgraded to it from an '03 883R, so he's clearly got a thing for the unloved.
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Oct 17, 2011 17:21
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Marv Hushman posted:And they've shown that they are, but it's rarely an original effort. The Hummer 125/165 was created from DKW drawings appropriated from defeated Germans. No big, so was our space program. The Sprint was a rebadged Aermacchi. Still no big, as this was a common practice back in the day, with everyone from Sears to Montgomery Wards selling small displacement gateway drugs. Yeah, but that was how many decades ago? Maybe it worked to get young people interested then, which is why old men love Harleys so much now. Lately, though, if you wanted something from the Harley family and you were under 35, you had to face the wrath of Harley dealers by shopping Buell (if you could find them, covered in dust in a back room) or face the wrath of a Harley dealer by shopping Sportster, unless you're a woman. And now Buell is gone completely. As for small beginner bikes, you're SOL. Sportsters weight a quarter ton, and their attempt at a real small bike, the Blast, was poo poo.
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Oct 17, 2011 22:18
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Phat_Albert posted:If they can make it, it will be impressive. Since it's Polaris, which has been doing alright with Victory, I can see this incarnation of Victory doing just fine. That said, according to the website, the '12 Chief Classic (the cheapest model) is $26k, and the cheapest Road King (clearly its big competitor) are $18k. Yikes. That's a lot of money for long fenders.
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Oct 25, 2011 05:11
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Probably Hates You posted:Honestly, I'd say no. You might be able to ride it after the MSF but I promise it'll get you into trouble(not the good kind.) The bigger the bike the more serious it's going to be in a crash or dump scenario. Sportsters may not have as much power as other Harleys but they are definitely full on motorcycles than can full on gently caress you up if you make a mistake. Because a 250 is only a half-on motorcycle and, thus, cannot full on gently caress you up! An 883 is fine for a first bike, the power comes on predictably and there really isn't that much of it. A stock 883 puts what, 35hp down at the rear wheel? The bigger issue I'd have suggesting a Sportster for a first bike is the weight. My dad's '03 883R weighs 531 pounds.
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Jan 4, 2012 06:13
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Olde Weird Tip posted:Those are all very heavy bikes. I think the Japanese bikes are lighter, not by a whole lot but easily 80+ pounds. And likely not as tall. High Protein posted:The first bike I rode substantially after getting my license was a Sportster 1200. I really enjoyed it, and it wasn't one bit scary or unpredictable. It is really, really heavy though (but stopping was alright enough on the dual disc one I rode), and the gearing is such that you have to ride around slipping the (extremely heavy) clutch at low speeds, which is surprising given how torquey the engine is. I really hate the Harley indicator system too, both the hard to reach buttons and the auto-canceling. Quite comfortable to actually just ride though, nice seat and arm position. I'm sounding negative here but I'd love to actually own one. I think 2004 was the first year of the rubber mount. As for lowering it that depends a lot on the model of Sportster. There are so many varieties with different suspension setups, control mounts, and exhausts (and brakes, and seats, and...) that it's hard to make overarching statements about them. I agree with most of your assessment of the Sporty. I don't recall slipping the clutch so much, but I'm pretty sure the 883s and 1200s come with different gearing (shorter on the 883), and I was on an 883. The 2003 883R I've spent time on had a nice upright riding position with mid controls and a pretty neutral bar reach. Dual front disks worked pretty nicely. The vibration from the rigid engine mount can be rough at certain RPMs - I actually found myself shifting just so I could use my mirrors. The R is a drat good looking bike. I'm constantly tempted to buy it from my dad and put 1250 cylinders on. 
Gay Nudist Dad fucked around with this message at 19:48 on Jan 4, 2012 |
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Jan 4, 2012 19:40
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So my dad has an '03 XL883R he half-heartedly wants to get rid of, and every now and again I toy with the idea of buying it from him. Then I think about pushing a 530lbs beast around and dealing with Harley shops for parts and I reconsider. But then I see poo poo like this...    From here: http://www.bikebros.co.jp/vb/american/apc/hdpc-04/ Google translate is moderately useful. This is loving beautiful. It's not even far from stock, it looks like it's just some bolt-ons and powdercoating. gently caress, I want it. I want it so bad. For reference, here it is stock:  My dad's has a lower-profile solo seat, detachable windshield, and detachable sissy bar/luggage rack, but is otherwise totally stock (even the exhaust!).
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Feb 21, 2012 03:48
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clutchpuck posted:An 883 is no superbike but it's a fun little scoot and the R is probably the best trim package. In fact I have a friend who recently got a XL883R to go with his 2t Stella and he absolutely ADORES the Harley. I've spent quite a few hours on the 883R, and I have enjoyed all of them. It's just so heavy and vibratey, I'm not sure it's what I'd want to spend a few grand on. But those pictures! gently caress!
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Feb 21, 2012 07:36
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Spiffness posted:Kinda surprised the hands don't all point to "Harley O'Clock" It might be raining 
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Mar 6, 2012 06:45
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Scrapez posted:A Harley shop that doesn't sell motorcycles. Fitting really... There's one in Seattle, too. Emerald City Harley Davidson, mere blocks from tourist central Pike Place Market. Full of $35 t-shirts.
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Mar 6, 2012 22:22
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Marv Hushman posted:Matures give, on average, $1066 per year to 6.3 charities Well if Boomers didn't ruin the economy for us maybe we'd have some spare change to give away  I know there are group sportsbike rides but I can only imagine they quickly devolve into wheelie pissing contests among young, testosterone-fueled bros Z3n posted:Riding in formation on bikes is terrible period. Scooter rides do it alright.
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Mar 26, 2012 01:32
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Deeters posted:So you want to try riding a bike but don't have a license? Well, Harley-Davidson can help you out Oh my god this is brilliant. Harley-Davidson(tm): A Marketing Company (That Also Sells Motorcycles)
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Apr 2, 2012 18:14
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Z3n posted:Aren't the vrods water cooled? They are, and they're the bastard child of Harley's lineup. They're actually looked down upon by Stereotypical Harley people.
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May 21, 2012 03:08
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Harleys will deafen you and BMWs will blind you (with auxiliary lighting and hi-viz jackets)
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May 24, 2012 03:22
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CombatMedic posted:
Does Harley ever really advertise bikes? I'm trying to think of a time I saw a commercial for "The New <Whatever>" and I can't think of one. Just the lifestyle/image stuff.
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Aug 28, 2012 23:29
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Jim Silly-Balls posted:They do print and billboard ads, at least in Milwaukee, although we may be different than other cities for obvious reasons. But are they actually model-specific, like "THE NEW 2013 ROAD KING: PRETTY MUCH EXACTLY LIKE EVERY PREVIOUS ROAD KING BUT IN DIFFERENT COLORS" because those I can't recall having seen.
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Aug 29, 2012 06:22
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When I asked this:Gay Nudist Dad posted:Does Harley ever really advertise bikes? I'm trying to think of a time I saw a commercial for "The New <Whatever>" and I can't think of one. Just the lifestyle/image stuff. CombatMedic posted:
I know they advertise, but in terms of pushing individual models, I never see it. Though they would need to do that with the V-Rod and XR - the rest of their bikes are so traditional as to sell off their history. The new ones, though, would need some outreach - especially to people not interested in the "classic" Harleys. Another thing - for these bikes, and from what I saw when Buell was at their dealerships - they really need to lay down some loving authority about how these bikes are treated at dealerships and force these things to get equal treatment by the sales staff.
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Aug 29, 2012 17:29
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I went to a HD demo ride event today with my dad. Here are my thoughts on the bikes. My background/experience: I've been riding scooters for 8 years, daily riding a manual-shift scooter for ~3.5. I got my endorsement in '07 (before that I was on a 50, and didn't need one) and since being endorsed I've put quite a few hours on my dad's 2003 XL883R when I visited. So everything I rode today felt fat and dumb (compared to my 150cc Stella) but I'll try to keep that '03 XL883R as the basis for my comparisons. First: my dad's bikes. He's had this '03 883R since new and the '06 V-Rod for a few years now. He loves it, but he sees a new bike in the next year or two.   Next: the 3 demo bikes I rode. Honestly I was a little intimidated by the bigger bikes - plus most big Harleys I have zero interested in - so I kept mostly to Sportsters. The demo was 2013 models. The route was about 10 miles/25 minutes of city, 2-lane highway, and a bit of interstate. A fair mix. No good turns (surprise). I started on the '13 1200 Custom. Compared to the 883R above, this felt shorter, lighter, and much, much more modern (dad's Sportster is 1 year too old for the rubber-mounted engine, and 3 years too old for EFI). And substantially more powerful. I learned immediately that I hate forward controls. The bike felt pretty neutral, but it was also the most similar to the motorcycle I have the most experience with. Next I rode the Seventy-Two, a Sportster 1200 with mini ape hangers, a peanut tank, and a very small seat. It looks great. The apes were about shoulder height and much more comfortable than I expected. The seat may as well have been wood. The tall front wheel (and the bars) made it much harder to turn in than the other bikes. It would be an awesome "look at me, look at me!!" city bike (for much less than $10,700). I really appreciated how much smoother these were than my dad's '03. That thing punishes you for being in the wrong gear by rattling you to death and slowing you the gently caress down, while the new 1200s were much less punishing.  (1200C in the foreground, 72 behind it) Finally I got tired of Sporties and stepped up to a "proper Harley." The Softail Slim. Finally, I get it. I get why people like these. It felt so powerful. The engine vibrations were surprisingly absent - apparently this engine is counter-balanced? It had ABS, which I did not test. It turned in much more easily than the 72. It would have been easy to deal with at parking lot speeds, but the bars were so huge that (short person me) I couldn't actually steer lock-to-lock, I just couldn't get my arms out there. I could own one of these, probably with different bars. Also: floorboards? Heel-toe shifter? Weird! But comfortable.  And it looked loving fantastic in deep blue metallic. One thing all of them had in common was a very lovely off/on throttle transition, making low-speed maneuvering very frustrating. Jerked like bastards. My dad rode the Softail Blackline, the Fat Boy Lo, and the Dyna Wide Glide. He liked the Blackline except for the long reach to the bars, LOVED the Fat Boy Lo, and really hated the Dyna - he said it vibrated like a motherfucker at all speeds and all RPMs, making even his '03 XL883R seem smooth. All in all it was a pretty fun day, though getting stuck behind some timid old men who were afraid to corner or use the throttle was loving infuriating.
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Sep 3, 2012 02:37
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Strife posted:What do you hate about the forward controls? I've been debating putting them on my Nightster because the mids feel a bit cramped at times, but I'm worried that it'll affect my control of the bike. Part of it is because I am short (5'8") with a short inseam (30") - so they felt like a very long reach. A taller person would have lesser issues. It was worse on the two Sportsters, it was better with the floorboards on the Softail. When I ride with mids, I can move my feet forward to use the controls and then back to the balls of my feet to avoid them, if that makes sense. I am also very used to getting my rear end out of the seat over bigger bumps, which is impossible with forwards. With forwards that is impossible and what's worse is the seating position puts all of that bump right through your rear end and up your spine. In general - again a factor of being short, I'm sure - it felt like the forward controls locked me into a single position a lot more than mids do.
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Sep 3, 2012 19:34
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clutchpuck posted:Well, either the can is too loud for the phone's mic or the phone's mic sucks. Either way, I want in on this potato potato stuff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KKNQb8GMuA This sounds good. I love when I hear the potatopotato sound, turn to look, and see a Buell. Always a bit of a mindfuck.
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Sep 21, 2012 22:06
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angryhampster posted:'90-200(3?) Gets you the Evo motor with the 5-speed trans..still solid mounted. Just to confirm, '03 was the last year of solid mount (so '04 was the first rubber-mount) and '06 was the start of EFI. I've ridden an '03 XL883R a lot and did demo rides on two '13 1200s, and the difference is vibration is definitely noticeable. The '13 1200s were also a good deal faster than the '03 883.
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Sep 25, 2012 20:32
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Sagebrush posted:Hm, that is awfully heavy. I guess what I really want is an XR883 or something. Sportsters are all like 530lbs dry or more, 883 vs. 1200 makes no difference.
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Oct 11, 2012 05:42
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HaB posted:Wasn't it you who was telling me someone sued one of the manufacturers because he thought his bike had ABS when it didn't because he assumed the light being on meant ABS was working or something like that? It was a Harley: the article posted:Jack Wilson, who crashed on Highway 99 in California, told the Highway Patrol that his anti-lock braking system had somehow malfunctioned, however, his bike, a 2008 Harley-Davidson Road Glide was never fitted with ABS. IIRC it was never actually lit, but as with the dashboards of all vehicles-with-options, it was sorta visible in certain light. My car has neither ABS nor traction nor a few other things but the spacces for them are present on the dash. They never light, though.
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Nov 18, 2013 04:37
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Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:Sorry for being a dick posting this in the Harley thread when I have nothing useful ever to contribute to the Harley thread, but when was the last time HD made a bike as light as 500lb? Wouldn't that have been like the 50s/60s 750s? 2001:  http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/h-d/harley_davidson_vr_1000.htm unless you mean something people could buy, in which case I bet a lot of Sportsters until the '80s at least tip the scales at under a quarter-ton. But barely.
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Jul 2, 2014 03:06
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Snowdens Secret posted:And double front discs IIRC which are the dead visual giveaway R models had double front discs, XL883R/XL1200R.
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Oct 16, 2014 15:30
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