Sadly it’s not had an MOT for three years - it’s obviously sitting in a garage somewhere unridden...
Sad
One more sleep!!
- Thread starter Big Si
- Start date
Sadly it’s not had an MOT for three years - it’s obviously sitting in a garage somewhere unridden...
Sad
I blame Doris for being beastly to the Photographer chappie and now he’s so upset he can’t face riding it. Blates innit.
Hopefully he is away photographing Orangutans in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra or something and will be home soon to put it back on the road. 
Love it mate.......probably of all the bikes I've had, this is the one I look forward to riding the most.....any excuse.
Love it mate.......probably of all the bikes I've had, this is the one I look forward to riding the most.....any excuse.
Great stuff. You’ve now got me looking at them
Great stuff. You’ve now got me looking at them
I know at the age I am, that I am somewhat late to the Harley party. I just wish I had bitten the bullet years ago. There is just something about them, even my relatively new one. I dare say those who have had Harleys for years or in the past prefer the older engines, but hey, I can't make that comparison because apart from a few test rides and borrowing mates bikes years ago my experience of them is limited.
I have had Jap cruisers in the past but essentially they were/ are HD wannabees. On this 114 cui there is gob fulls of torque ...pulls really well and sounds incredible! Fairly recently I had a Rocket 3 which had incredible torque, most of it hardly usable in the UK (well, my part of it anyway).
Enjoy your looking!
Love it mate.......probably of all the bikes I've had, this is the one I look forward to riding the most.....any excuse.
It still baffles me why I am so enamoured with my RKS. I hated Harleys for years, just couldn’t see why you’d buy a shit handling, slow blob of American pig iron, to then ride around mixing with wannabe Merkins with fake accents and Stars and Stripes bandanas.
I still don’t get the last part, but several years ago I rode my brothers heritage Softail and the bug struck. I came close a few times, I nearly bought an old Electra glide from Toad of this parish and also an old 1340 evo road king from eBay, but never pulled the plug.
Finally relinquished and bought a 114 RKS and I’m miserable when I can’t get out and ride it. Even with lockdown I’ve put nearly 4K miles on it in 6 months. It just makes me smile. It’s thoroughly shit in so many ways compared to everything else.
My mates just bought a vfr Crossrunner, and picked it up today, so we went for a ride. It’s faster, more comfortable, handles way better, it’s more economical, smoother, better built, has more gizmos and gadgets and he is over the moon with it...it leaves me cold, I have not a single emotion for it. It’s a lovely bike for him and I hope he enjoys every minute of it, but riding along with him on the RKS, my beautiful 9 year old daughter and best pal chilling on the passenger seat, life just could not be any better. The weather does not phase me, the traffic no longer annoys me, the world and all it’s shite disappears and there is me, my Harley and my kiddy. I’ve never felt so at one with the world as I do when that piece of shite engineering splutters in to life and drags it momentous bulk down the road, it’s alive, it kicks and weaves, it clunks and clatters. It’s mechanical, it’s pure, uncluttered by unnecessary shit...tunes on, gear selected, throttle twisted, senses engaged....It fulfils like only a flawed machine can.
Another buddy has a new V4 Ducati sports bike (is it still the panagale?). He’s now having the same experience. He’s bought a 1000cc Ducati sport which has been customised into a cafe racer. He knows the V4 is faster, lighter, quicker etc etc, but he hasn’t ridden it, because the old air cooled is a more visceral experience, so the V4 languishes in his living room when the opportunity arises to ride.
Maybe it’s age, maybe it’s a wealth of knowledge and experiences that lead you back to that desire to not be mollycoddled by modern excellence and safety features, who knows, but the Harley is staying until I can no longer physically move it...then I’ll by a sporty on a carb and just listen to it tick over in my garage
JuanKing
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Had Buells for 20 years, Harleys for the last 11.....Simple fact is that they are visceral.
DC
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Well, took off the sissy bar, rear seat, screen and saddlebags...........
Big Si.....was the V and H eliminators on the bike when you purchased ? do you know what the difference is between the eliminators and the twin slash eliminators ? apart from the slashed cut end obviously
Hi, do you mean the twin slash V+H slip ons? I know the twin slash are about £100 cheaper. I would imagine they sound similar. Mine came with the bike, but they are the first thing I would have bought had they not been. On a neutral throttle and tick over they are fairly quiet
, but on acceleration they sound bloody great! Youtube is your best bet for different exhaust sound, obviously it also depends on the bike. The new Milwaukee 8's are smoother than say the Evo engines and don't make the same sound (more's the pity). I don't know what bike you are planning to put them onto?DC
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Thanks for that Si, yeah thinking of getting the 114 heritage,sold my Fatboy late last year , been offered a decent deal on one . Just doing some research in the slip ones ,V and H do yours ,the twin slash and the eliminators . As you mention the twins are slightly cheaper, both sound very similar too. Dealer says they can flash the ECU or I can have a fuel pack fitted. Just thinking ahead if I go into Europe on it, lots of countries now clamping down on excessive noise, the V and h fuel pack , will allow the std cans to go back on and adjust the feeling over the fuel pack app. Glad you are still loving the bike
Flip that's brilliantly written, reminds me of Robert Pirsig. I have never fully understood the attraction of Harleys, but having read that, I completely get it.
Weather's cracking today, starting to wish I had a Harley in the garage ...
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Flip that's brilliantly written, reminds me of Robert Pirsig. I have never fully understood the attraction of Harleys, but having read that, I completely get it.
Weather's cracking today, starting to wish I had a Harley in the garage ...
He also talks complete shite...... a converted virgin..if you will....
Hi DC, Yep, still loving it! Although I wouldn't get too hung up with fuelpaks etc., I've got one on mine and, tbh although it does possibly make a difference (which may be all in my head), I'm not sure it's £350-£400's worth of difference. Doris has the right idea......just ride the thing for a while, the odd farkle here and there (loud pipes obvs.!) The 114 has so much low down grunt I'm not sure there's much point. I know the improvements to the softail chassis make the bike surprisingly agile for a H-D but the stock power from the engine means it's still a handful! I am probably going to remove my fp3 and put it back to a stock tune today and see if I notice the difference. There is also the warranty to consider (assuming your's will have at least 12 months? as I don't know whether you are buying new or S/H.?
They are similar to GS's in that you can really make it yours....I am slowly going all black on mine. Over the winter I am probably going to have the pipes ceramic coated along with the heat shields on the headers....about 1/3 of the price of buying new black slip ons and shields.
Let me know how you get on with the possible purchase and throw a pic of it in.
Flip that's brilliantly written, reminds me of Robert Pirsig. I have never fully understood the attraction of Harleys, but having read that, I completely get it.
Weather's cracking today, starting to wish I had a Harley in the garage ...
Having just read it I think I'll give mine a airing today. Well done Flipfly you've just got walking to the garage.
Shirt sleeve order today me thinks.
Having just read it I think I'll give mine a airing today. Well done Flipfly you've just got walking to the garage.
Shirt sleeve order today me thinks.
Ditto!
DC
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Hi DC, Yep, still loving it! Although I wouldn't get too hung up with fuelpaks etc., I've got one on mine and, tbh although it does possibly make a difference (which may be all in my head), I'm not sure it's £350-£400's worth of difference. Doris has the right idea......just ride the thing for a while, the odd farkle here and there (loud pipes obvs.!) The 114 has so much low down grunt I'm not sure there's much point. I know the improvements to the softail chassis make the bike surprisingly agile for a H-D but the stock power from the engine means it's still a handful! I am probably going to remove my fp3 and put it back to a stock tune today and see if I notice the difference. There is also the warranty to consider (assuming your's will have at least 12 months? as I don't know whether you are buying new or S/H.?
They are similar to GS's in that you can really make it yours....I am slowly going all black on mine. Over the winter I am probably going to have the pipes ceramic coated along with the heat shields on the headers....about 1/3 of the price of buying new black slip ons and shields.
Let me know how you get on with the possible purchase and throw a pic of it in.
Yeah Ive ordered new, Its in the dealers now,but makes sense to wait till sept first. Ive ordered new Twin slashes for it and will have the ECU flashed. I agree the fuel pack is too expensive. I am also having the bike Ceramic coated. Its the gloss black version. The only thing I dont really like is the black on the screen, I think the older model screen which is full clear looks better. I am sure it will grow on me.
When the "new " model came out few years back, I wasn't a fan of it .looks wise, but it grew on me,so I knew I would have one one day. So it will come stage one ready and part from adding a sissy bar one day, I know I wont do much else to it. picture to follow on delivery
Having just read it I think I'll give mine a airing today. Well done Flipfly you've just got walking to the garage.
Shirt sleeve order today me thinks.
Just spent the evening trying to hang on to the shirt tails of Mrs Flip on her Tracer 700 which is both quicker and handles much better, oh how I laughed
Heavy synthetic gear oil has made the gearbox much nicer! Just shy of 200 miles of smiles. Her bike used about 12 litres of fuel and the Harley used nearly double that, but all that noise has to have fuel too.Colwyn Bay for Dinner (little un is having a sleep over with one of her ‘bubble’ friends).
If you’re ever in Colwyn Bay search out the Pen-Y-Bryn lovely food, great views, follow the signs to the zoo then carry on past it and it’s up on the estate at the top.
