V-Rod

[Aurelius]

........Forgot to mention....I've had three Harleys......

All three never used a drop of oil, or ever broke down, or needed a spare other than a consumable.....

Harleys.................better than you might think.......

I've slowly come around to that view myself. I used to laugh at Harleys and the people who ride them, most of whom I took to be posers, not "real" motorcyclists. But over the years their product line has improved dramatically. I recently test rode a number of '06 models, and couldn't find anything to cricitize about them except for the relative lack of ground clearance. As for reliability, an old friend of mine has a Harley Road King with 175,000+ on the clock. In all those years, the bike has required nothing more than routine servicing, and it still gets about 50 mpg.

 

[Butler]

if you get an Evo or the later Evo twin cam 88 they are reliable.
if you're not a big fella, sportsters are superb.

mine always started first hit of the button.

My Dyna Wide Glide would happily plod along at 80 on the motorway. Ok 2 up. (Bit of a squeeze on the sportster 2 up tho)

If you're not going for a road king or the like, it's a case of throw overs or a rucksack.

If you think panniers for a BM are steep.... phone up HD and ask for a price for Hard cases for a sportster and you'll love youre BM to bits.

 

[Mutley]

''All three never used a drop of oil, or ever broke down, or needed a spare other than a consumable.....

I shouldn't think so. Getting 55bhp out of 1450cc is hardly going to stress the engine out much, and a bit of loctite during the pdi will stop bits falling off

Still, hardly a dynamic motorcycle is it? I have friends who ride them, surprisingly long distances in all weathers . They seem plenty quick in a straight line but cornering and stopping are not really up to any modern standard.

Horses for courses I guess.

 

[Aurelius]

I shouldn't think so. Getting 55bhp out of 1450cc is hardly going to stress the engine out much, and a bit of loctite during the pdi will stop bits falling off

Still, hardly a dynamic motorcycle is it? I have friends who ride them, surprisingly long distances in all weathers . They seem plenty quick in a straight line but cornering and stopping are not really up to any modern standard.

When was the last time you actually rode a Harley Davidson, Mutley?

 

[Gipsy]

Wife and I rode a Harley Lowrider each when we did Route 66 last September. 2,700 miles and came to love my bike. So much so that when funds allow I am going to get one, in addition to the 1200 Gs.
Comfortable on 400 mile days and cruising easily at 70. Could be much quicker with the addition of a small fairing/screen.
No reliability issues in 5,500 biking miles done in 2 weeks.
To carp on about the speed/braking/handling issues is IMHO completely missing the point. There are those days when it is just really nice to amble along and take the time to enjoy oneself and for me a Harley fits the bill wonderfully. On other days when the red mist mist comes down, then the CBR 600 comes into its own. And for all those bits inbetween the Gs is perfect.

 

[Mutley]

When was the last time you actually rode a Harley Davidson, Mutley?

Saturday

 

[Mutley]

There are those days when it is just really nice to amble along and take the time to enjoy oneself and for me a Harley fits the bill wonderfully. On other days when the red mist mist comes down, then the CBR 600 comes into its own. And for all those bits inbetween the Gs is perfect.

Precisely the point I made, I think: horses for courses

If bimbling is what you want to do (or posing) then a Harley is ideal. I intend to hire one this summer as I'm going to do a fly - ride to sunny California. I'll be keeping to speed limits and doing no more than 200 miles a day with the wife on board so it will be ideal

If I had the money for a range of bikes in my garage then you can bet I'd have one, wouldn't be standard though As I said I think it would be very easy to improve on the existing models and I think HD are lazy for not doing so. I'm not surprised that very little breaks on them because it is difficult to ride the standard models in a way that will stress the bike.

 

[Aurelius]

Saturday

Which model?

 

[Aurelius]

I'm not surprised that very little breaks on them because it is difficult to ride the standard models in a way that will stress the bike.

One would think the same would be true of the 1150GS, which makes a paltry 75 hp, yet they seem to have a healthy appetite for drive shafts, transmissions, and final drives.

 

[Mutley]

Which model?

2005 Fat Boy

 

[Timolgra]

 

[Mutley]

One would think the same would be true of the 1150GS, which makes a paltry 75 hp, yet they seem to have a healthy appetite for drive shafts, transmissions, and final drives.

But then what does an 1150 get used for? Surely it's more likely to have been up a green lane / loaded up with camping gear / wheelied than any HD?

Let's get this straight, I like Harleys. I'd buy one if I could afford more than one bike. Some of my friends ride them. I admit they don't break very often (although bits vibrate off if you don't use loctite!).

BUT they don't (in the main, you'll find some get ridden very hard) get ridden hard for a number of reasons:

You can't corner most of them hard due to ground clearance
As standard it is difficult to get them to rev out in top
Most people don't buy them to ride hard
When you do ride them hard they are mostly uncomfortable due to lack of wind protection (so they don't get ridden hard for long)

So given that they are over engineered it's a bit of a given that they don't break down and hardly something to be applauded. Especially as they have been making essentially the same engine for what, 100 years? They should have got it sorted by now.

 

[Gipsy]

Extras make the BMW after market add ons seem very cheap. But for what it's worth I'd spec a twin disc set up for the front wheel, stage one engine mod with screaming eagle slash pipes so's it sounds really nice.
As for corners, scraping the frame rails is distressingly easy, but IMHO less scary, and more predictable than catching hero blobs or having a footpeg lever the rear wheel off the tarmac. Didn't try weight shifting to see what effect it had!
Wouldn't mind some sacrificial titanium blobs attached to the lower frame!

 

[Lord Snooty]

I've just sold my Sportster and when the time is right I will get another cruiser but it will probably be one of these. Superbly built, much better quality of finish than a Harley and brakes, handles and goes far better also.

 

[steveuk]

police v-rod?

i was driving (not riding) into london this afternoon on the A40 and coming the other way was a police biker on a harley v-rod..........(uniformed rider) .... ? Met police using v-rods?

 

[Aurelius]

2005 Fat Boy

Well that explains it. Here's what someone who works for Harley Davidson recently wrote about the Fat Boy:

"I know the Fat Boy is a popular bike, but compared to many other Harley models it rides like a log wagon. I'd take most any H-D big twin available over a Fat Boy."

If you get the opportunity, give the 1200 Sportster or Dyna Superglide a try. I rode these several weeks ago, and they both made a very positive impression on me. The new six speed gearbox is better than anything BMW has engineered so far, and the handling is excellent. The brakes on the Superglide struck me as mediocre, but the ones on the Sportster were quite powerful. You have remember that cruisers are designed with very strong rear brakes (unlike my K1200S). When used in conjunction with the front, they'll stop the bike in a hurry.

 

[Aurelius]

But then what does an 1150 get used for? Surely it's more likely to have been up a green lane / loaded up with camping gear / wheelied than any HD?

Not according to owner's surveys; very few riders ever take them off road. According to a nationwide owner's survey published in Motorcycle Consumer News, 1 out of 7 1150GS's suffered a serious mechanical failure in under 30,000 miles. A local rider I know has already had the transmission on his 1200GS replaced once, and the new one is failing. Two ignition coils have already been replaced, and now he's having problems with the brakes. Not exactly my idea of robust engineering!

So given that they are over engineered it's a bit of a given that they don't break down and hardly something to be applauded. Especially as they have been making essentially the same engine for what, 100 years? They should have got it sorted by now.

One could say the same about BMW's Boxers, yet they still seem rather problem prone. When 90% of the bikes that had to quit the race in the 1994 Iron Butt rally due to mechanical failures were BMW's, it doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

 

[Mutley]

I'm not really interested in arguing whether Harleys or BM's are better motorcycles, that's like trying to decide whether carrots or swede are better vegetables. I have never tried to suggest the BM make reliable motorcycles. I think a swift tour of this site would put that straight. I'm sorry if your friend is having a tough time with his 1200, he is not alone.

On the other hand I am amazed that you think that because somebody at HD thinks that his bikes are better than BMs then I should too.

Similarly your statistics are not watertight. Responses to voluntary surveys are notoriously innacurate - happy riders are out there riding, not complaining to anyone who'll listen. I'm sure that 90% of the bikes retiring from the 1994 iron butt rally due to mechanical failures were BMW Boxers, and I'm sure that the overwhelming majority of the bikes taking part were BMW boxers as well.

I reiterate my case: HD cruisers are low stress bikes that operate in a low stress environment. Unsurprisingly they don't brake much. If you disagree with this point then by all means continue, I have better things to do.

I'm not really interested in the discussion you are trying to start.

 

[oblertone]

Victory Vegas 8 - Ball

I'm with his lordship on this one, and as soon as I can manipulate the mortgage i'm off to the shop for one of these:-

 

[beemerboy9]

I quite fancy a Rocket III, but I don't know why either. Just finished reading a favourable review on the Suzuke M 1800R Intruder, which, with 125 BHP, is the only twin that approaches the Rocket.