Tell me about HD

I have been thinking of getting a Harley. I have some reservations on why I don't think I want one, but at the same time I don't want to settle for less. I had a 97 CBR 949 but due to medical injuries from the military, I don't think having my knee bent for long periods of time in that position is something that I can handle now. I have been looking into the cruiser scene, and I see a lot of Harley's on the market, however, most of them are Sportsters. I know a lot of HD guys will tell me not to get a sportster, but I want to know why they say that. I have looked at other models, but the Dark Custom Series is really appealing.

I have rode Harley's before and its a great ride, but I am not sure if I am a cruiser type of guy. I love sport bikes, but I will be riding two up and my fiance doesn't like the CBR style seating fro two.

Thoughts from the hive will be much appreciated.

Getting a bike from the big four of japan or one the big names from Europe, will in no way be "settling" for less than a Harley.

Harley Davidson: Turning gasoline into noise without the added benefit of horsepower.

Seriously though, Harley makes some nice bikes but I'm happy I went with a Suzuki Boulevard.

So go look at a sport touring bike... I picked up a used Kawasaki Concours 14 in October, 9600 miles 7 g's. I couldn't pass it up. It's got the crotch rocket roots but a more comfortable riding position and hard bags too...

Agreed.. Honestly, personally I think all bikes out there are pretty good..Ive only owned a Harley Sportster and a Yamaha V-star 1100, but I think it all boils down to personal preference and how much you wanna spend. Ya really gotta get out there and sit on all the cruisers and test ride them if possible... I dunno how tall you are, but if youre over 6' you might want to look at something else besides a Sportster, Im 6'2 and I was pretty cramped, even with forward controls, not really a 2 up bike at all either, well not for long distances at least..Most sportsters only have 2 inches of suspension travel to begin with

Harley found the least efficient way to use the massive displacement they have with that patented firing order.

bang-bang––––––––––––––––bang-bang––––––––––––––––bang-bang––––––––––––––––bang-bang

It's all about the sound. Almost any other bike manufacturer could make twice the horsepower with the same displacement.
Even the Harley-powered Buells are anemic for the 1200cc they've got. 105hp? Really? Suzuki made 125 off the floor with the GSX-R 600's.
Sure, Buells are wheelie monsters, but if you're sitting ON the back tire of a bike that's shorter than a midget laying down, you can't help it.

It all melts down to the comment above. Sacrificing power and fuel mileage for one particular type of obnoxious noise.

When I bought my cruiser, I test rode quite a few different ones.

Some were nice, some, so-so.

Got on a honda 1300 vtx retro.

I was grinning, uncontrollably, within 30 yards.

Bought it on the spot.

Test some. Buy the one that tells you buy me.

You'll be happy.

Good luck.

TXL

Thats for the input so far. I couldn't really see myself riding a sport touring but I am willing to try new things. For sport bikes, the sound is what gets me, I love it. Harley, mostly the history dealing with being a Scout (19D) but a lot of family rides HD. I have looked at the Yamaha Royal Star and the V Star, and I reallyu like the look of the 1300 you posted. I need to get out and test ride these bad boys and just like you said, find which one wants me.

I am 5'9" so I am not super tall but I am not a shorty! I have rode a Sportster 883 and I felt like it didn't have enough power to move me, if that makes any sense!

why "don't buy a sporty?" many folks outgrow them within weeks of owning them. it is a preference.

there are several harleys that also will have you keep knees angled for long times unless you get highway pegs / forward controls

unless

they are there already when you buy it.

harleys. am on my fourth harley, two bought brand new from the dealer.

i will share what i have done before with many other posters and the same question...... the market is flooded with used machines.

we are coming into the summer and dealers will give little room on their pricing noting they will have another "impulsive perspective buyer walking in the door shortly after you leave".

buy used from a private seller... and you will thank me later

lastly, thanks for your service.... make sure you check into the VA for any entitlements you/your family deserve!

-retired e8

50% with more from comp/pen, but thanks for your service as well. I don't have a problem with used bikes. My CBR I bought without having eyes on, I had my father in law check it out while I was in the sandbox. Plus, much cheaper. I would rather own than finance also. I rode his Ultra Classic and his highway bars were outstanding so whatever it is, I will most likely upgrade and get some!

What he said. Metric cruisers are damn nice bikes, they look good and are very reliable. You're not giving up anything with one, except for thousands less dollars for the lack of "Harley Davidson" written on everything.

I went from an sv1000s to a used 2007 Harley Streetbob and couldn't be happier, for me the harley is every bit as much fun if not more then my old sport bike, sounds freaking awesome and love the endless aftermarket choices. I like that I can enjoy and ride the piss out of my bike without having to triple the speed limits but it is in no way slow, my harley with the engine work I have done will pull a wheelie all day if I was man enough to yank the bitch up.

get the harley, if you aren't happy it will be easy to get rid of or trade down the road

I'm a HUGE sportster fan. I'm 6' and weigh 250 and I converted from forwards to mids (controls/footpegs). I LOVE my sportster and really can't imagine buying anything else. Check out xlforums.net
But honestly, if you are planning on mostly 2-up riding, no, the sporty is to small for THAT. The sporty is a quick nimble bike like a dirt bike or something. Not very good for carrying passengers. You can carry your OL if you are just bar hopping and she weighs like 124lbs max.

Look around. I am seeing a lot of cheap used road kings now. Saw a '97 FXDWG for $7000 asking price, wich to me seems cheap, mostly because bikesare over priced here normally.

If you're buying new, honestly a big twin is only like $2500 more than a sportster, just get the BT.

If you are asking your self if you want a harley, remember "it's a harley thing, if I have to explain, you wouldn't understand".

Harley is the ultimate pussy magnet! There's a reason they call it the "milwauky vibrator".

A japanese bike may be a motorcycle, but a HARLEY's a HARLEY!!!!

Well my bike's Italian...

Harley, yamaha, honda, suzuki, kawasaki, bmw....... they all make great bikes. Different people gravitate to different makes. The anal retentive techno-performance freaks (me) tend to get wrapped up in BMW. Others like Harley.

What does harley offer? Well, its largely image and lifestyle. You pay for the HD name. Image is very important to the HD crowd. They do not like the sporties, 'cuz they are labelled as 'ladies bikes". it does not fit the image. Apparently, if its not 1200+ cc's its not a 'man's bike". With HD you tend to spend a fairly big premium for brand name.

Funny though. Not all that many years ago a 650 cc bike was considered "big", and many a rider went coast to coast on one. This big bike bias is pure bullshit. It has not foundation in anything 'real'. Its just image.

If you want a bike because you want to ride, then buy anything you want to except a Ural, an Enfield or a Kymco. Go have fun.

Edit: I caught the earlier post about "outgrowing" a sportie. Sorry. No flames intended. However, I've seen a lot of people ride. I've taught well over 1000 people how to ride. In my experience about 98% of all riders on the road today cannot fully ride a small 650cc bike to its full potential. Seriously. I do see tons of people justifying bigger bikes because they 'outgrew' the little one, when in reality they barely adequately controlled the 800 or 1200 cc bike they used to ride. Bigger is not necessarily better.

Harley makes some very good bikes these days. Sure they are all down on power compared to superbikes, but THOSE are SUPERBIKES. They aren't really down on power compared to many other cruisers. What you get with the harley is a generally higher attention to details like better paint, frame welds, actual steel fenders as opposed to plastic, and much higher quality chrome. You also get a huge aftermarket suppourt, but unfortunately everything harley related is priced as if its made of gold. The good part is so many bikes means lots of used parts are available.

Harley sportsters are fine but they really ought to be lighter and more powerful. The sad thing is that they are faster than the big twin bikes. The best one is the XR1200 which has good power, brakes, and a comfortable riding position. I don't recommend one if you plan on much riding with a passenger. The harley touring bikes are great for that. The 09 and up touring bikes had a revised frame that is great, makes the bike seem quite easy to ride once moving. I can do pretty well with low speed manuvers with my Road Glide as well. I would also avoid any bike with only foreward controls. My vulcan 900 had them and it made it very hard to get off the seat for a harsh bump or pothole.

There are plently of other cruisers out there that do things that harley doesn't. If harley doen't make what fits your needs and budget, there are alot of other choices, and the used prices on them aren't as steep.

I have a Sportster 1200C that I really like. It'll do pretty much anything my buddies' cruisers will do and get significantly better gas milage while doing it (around +10-15 mpg).

That said, I highly recommend test riding as many different bikes as possible and see what you like.

I am not an HD fan.....at all.

That said, I have seen a few I would ride. Mostly custom ones.
No ape hangars, no loud f'n pipes, no forward controls, and they actually had a front brake.

I really depends on your riding style, If you want performance handling, HD is not the choice.
If you just want to meander the country side, HD is the one.

It is pretty bad when a 46hp KTM 640 LC4 can run red light to red light with a 1200cc HD

If you want a badass Harley that handles kinda like a sportbike then look at the Dyna line. They are big twins without too much BS on them and they can be made to terrorize your city streets! Look at the modded Super Glides that have the high suspensions and some extra engine work done, they will knock your socks off!!!

Save your money on the Dyna and buy a Buell if you want a Harley-powered sportbike.

Harley+performance= Unpossible. (except some custom flat tracker style)

BTW, going in a straightline is NOT performance.

NOW, I will say for comfort on long trips, HD is not too shabby (but at that price I'd buy a Wing or a Connie, more than likely a K1600)

I haven't ridden in years and only rode japanese bikes-although I had a "cruiser" which was kind of uncomfortable. Anyway one of my old riding buddies said he was looking at a Harley and I was surprised because he rode like hell and cornered like a madman. He told me "sportbikes are only fun if your buddies have sportbikes, if all your friends have are Harleys you should get a Harley" and I think he had a point.

I'd get new a friend.

While I do have a dislike for most things HD, I would never discourage someone from buying one (other than as a first bike).
I also would NEVER suggest a friend to follow the sheep.

I do ride with HD guys, Wingers, Sport Tourers, Old School, and everything inbetween.

I am also not a big Sport bike fan, UNLESS it is on a track, if I want serious twistie fun, SuMo!

HD has THE worlds best marketing department, shame the engineers are not from the same college

Go look, sit, ride. The 1300 cc Japanese cruisers are all good bikes and buying one is not settling. If you buy a Harley I'd suggest a 103' Dyna model with mid controls. Lots of accessories to make it more comfortable and you can always leave the stock pipes on. I've owned a lot of bikes and currently have a Kawasaki KLR 650, a Yamaha V-Star 1100 with sidecar and––a 2009 Harley Electra Glide Police. I love the Glide but understand it happens to be the right big bike for me right now––I'm not a Harley guy. No fringe, vests, or chaps. No do-rags or stupid attitude. I've been riding 40 years, I buy/ride what I like and if you don't, I don't give a shit.

Buy the bike you want. Ride a lot. Enjoy.

Same experience.

All of the groups I ride with ask me to ride "clean up" so I can stop and help the Harleys that develop mechanical issues.

There's not a single ride where that doesn't happen.

My next road bike will be a Victory.

I'm not a Harley fan boy by any means, but I used to own a Dyna when I lived in N. California and would go to the HOG/poker runs every weekend. There would be hundreds of bikes, and I never saw one on the side of the road with mechanical issues, much less every ride.

FWIW, I have a HD XR1200X, a Suzuki SV650S and a Triumph Tiger 800XC; brand snobery is just that, to compensate for something, most often by harley fags . A bike is a different thing to many people. IF you're certain you want a harley, spend a bit now, and rent one. That way you can ride all day and with a passenger, and decide if that bike is for you. Better to spend $300 renting 3 bikes now, than spending $20K and deciding you don't like it.

Maintenance wise, no real issues with 13K on the clock. Couple track days in there, and I often ride like a douchebag. THere is some oil seepage at the engine gaskets, but no drips. DIY mainteneance is also easy, and there are no valve adjustements. Mechanically, my harleys been a great bike.



Oh, and I'll "outgrow a sportster" when those big twins can keep up

Harleys are good bikes, as are the jap/italian bikes.

One other thing to look at is maintenance costs: no valve adjustment costs with a harley.

Get an FXR. I'm 5'9" and love my Sportster but I only ride two up a little bit. 1200cc is a must IMO unless you plan on converting to 1250. There's alot of really cheap used Sportsters for sale around here. If I didn't already have a bike and was more mechanically inclined or had a sweet set of tools I would get an 883 and do the conversion. I don't really see a savings buying japanese bike on the smaller bikes, pus 700cc's with a shaft drive? no thanks

I am not a harley owner.

If i were to buy a cruiser, it would be a harley. If you want a harley, buy one, dont buy an imitation harley.

Sure, the Jap bikes are less, offer more bells and whistles, but they will never be a harley. its like a cult

Ive had my share of jap bikes, once i bought a ducati, i will never go back. there's nothing else on the planet like it and im sure you will hear the same thing from a harley owner.

The guys you ride with must be idiots who are unable to do basic preventatvie maintenance then.

This is the exact brand and model I was going to suggest. Power and comfort are it's strong points. But it is not, nor will ever be an air cooled cruiser.

Motorcycles are tools just like guns. It depends on what you want to do with it. Harley has a cool factor and is part of American heritage. They are stable smooth bikes for a long haul and respectable bar hoppers. I f you want to go fast, stop quickly, and turn sharp at high speeds, a sport bike is a better tool. If you want to commute and save gas, get a scooter. I race MX on a yz 250 2 stoke, bar hop and tour the scenery on a Harley softail, and get kinky on the backroads with a '74 Yamaha rd350 2 stroke. There is more prejudice between motorcyclists and other motorcyclists in America than there is racism. If image is your thing, you'll have to spend alot of money. If you just want to have fun on a motorcycle, Yamaha or Honda will offer the most reliable and cost effective machine designed for what you want to do.

My Yamaha cruiser is bigger, faster, handles better and gets more complements than any of the Harleys I ride with, so I guess you're right that my bike is nothing like a Harley.

There was one way that my bike was like a Harley, but I replaced the gasket and it doesn't leak oil anymore.

Ive owned mostly suzukis inclyding one boulevard*bought new*. Very glad i did as it was my intro to cruisers. Ill never own another metric as the overall experience of owning an hd is far more enjoyable for me.

Buy what you like. You can make anything your own. Heres my experience with owning cruisers metric and hd.

I thought id save money on services with a metric as they are cheaper...of course they are done twice as often so its a wash.
My low tech harley has everything my boulevard did and it has self cancelling turn signals, and a non digital gas gauge.
Comfor is different for everyone and something you can change...just remember everyone makes harley parts...not true for all metrics.
Style...i got alot of compliments with the boulevard, then realized most people cant tell the difference now that metrics look so similar to hd. Hell it was one of the things that drew me to it.
No matter what brand you buy if it breaks down regularly the problem is the owner.

Good luck on your decision.....and never make a long post on a tablet, lesson learned.

HD is a complete culture not just two wheels. Underpowered compared to others perhaps but most riders can't use all the power they claim to need anyway. I have friends with mad skills and they have to go to the track to wring it out.

You won't take a 5000 mile trip on a Ducati or Hayabusa. If touring of any sort is in your future you need to consider more that a sporty. The imports make good stuff if that's what you're looking for. I just think they look ridiculous. Same goes for the Victory Vision. to each their own.

I've logged a few miles and lots of smiles on my Road Glide.

Whatever you choose, keep the shiny side up.

I know guys who have ridden Busa's across the country. I know guys who ride their duc 1098's from Maine to Indiana every year for the MotoGP races. Not something I would want to do on my 1098, but people do it.

Id rather have a harley cruiser for stuff like that.

Like u said, its a culture, just like a ducati... its not always about the bike.

If anyone starts comparing a Sport bike to a Harley, you can probably throw their opinion in the trash since they are not dealing in reality. I own Jap bikes and Harleys. I love both, but they are completely different animals. Saying a HD sucks because it doesn't make as many HP as a lower displacement inline 4 sport bike is like saying a hammer is a shitty screwdriver.

I have a 2010 Police Road King. Since I bought it, I haven't put more than 200 miles a year on my R1. I haven't even taken it out yet this year. I love the R1, it is an amazing sport bike, but I just end up riding the HD all the time.

You don't ride because it is the logical thing to do. I can't put a number on the things that make me ride the HD, I just always end up on it. I'm not one of the lifestyle types either. I own exactly 2 HD shirts, the one the dealer threw in for free and one that my daughter bought me at the factory tour she went on for with my aunt from WI.

If you want a Harley, buy one. You won't be disappointed. If you buy a Jap cruiser, you will probably like it too. A lot of people end up selling theirs and buying a HD anyway. My only advice would to buy used if you decide on a Jap cruiser or a Sportster. They lose their value very quickly. A big twin holds its value very well and you won't save as much buying used.

If you want to putt down the Nation's hiways, at, or below the speed limit, there is no better bike than a Harley-Davidson. There are other good ones, but none better IF PUTTING ON HIWAYS is your mission.

Bar hopping, commuting, going really fast for long distances, or even endurance riding will have you on better bikes for those missions.

But, if you've had all the excitement you care to have in your life, and if you want to cover 500-600 miles per day on long trips, and if you do not want to exceed the speed limit (see point 1 about excitement), then the Harley-Davidson FL bikes are King of the Road.

Accept no substitutes.

ehhh. HD... they are a cult. Some who own them are just there to ride. Others hate on anything that isn't a Harley.
They are very poor bikes. Any one specific task you can do on a harley, there is something better and designed specifically for that.
With HD you pay for the name and to join the 'club'. If you like chrome and loud noise, then maybe it's for you.

ETA: A friend of mine has a sporty. It was of course slower than any of my jap bikes or my italian bike. It was heavier. The clutch and trans gave up the ghost a few months ago. He babied it and had much fewer miles on it than any of my "jap crap".

I am looking for a cruiser to ride more two up with the wife. I would love a Ultra Classic or Street Glide, but in my price range 6-9K, I have found the the following where comfortable to ride

Yamaha 1700 Midnight Silverado S

Kawasaki Vulcan 1700

Yamaha Stratoliner

With those above I am still waiting until I can ride the wife on a Yamaha FJR(with backrest), Kawasaki Concourse, Honda ST1300. As others have said the sport touring give a little sport bike and lots of comfort. In the end the wifes back and ass are what will decide my next bike.

My opinion is go and find out for yourself. Buy whatever makes you happy. For some, thats a Harley Davidson motorcycle. For others it's X brand from Japan/Italy/Germany, etc. Buy what makes you happy and don't be bothered by what other people think.

I am a certified Harley Hater. I ride a VTX 1800 and love the hell out of it. That being said a Road King has been calling my name for years. As many have said see if you can ride a few.

I dont know how the market is there but we are pretty depressed here and there are some smoking deals on Harleys on craigslist.

If you are going to be riding two up a lot forget the sportster and look at the bigger bikes, your lady friend will thank you

If not interested in the Harley "lifestyle" thing, which looks like fun from the outside looking in, then move along to another manufacturer.

I personally like the Connie quite a bit, but not sure the extent of your knee issues. Test ride one and you can see if it works. Keep in mind you can raise the bars a bit if needed, and Vortex makes some adjustable rearsets, too. I've ridden this bike in anger and in a leisurely manner. I doesn't disappoint.

Honda ST 1300 is also really nice and comfy, but of these two, the Connie feels more sportier while providing the passenger reasonable 2-up comfort for an all-day ride. The Honda may have the edge on overall comfort out-of-the box.

Thanks for your service and good luck with your search.

http://cycle-ergo.com/
To me, bikes with mid controls and a high seat height would be easy on the knees.

Ride what you like, fuck the chest thumping drama of metric vs HD.

That is a really cool tool. Bookmark added.

Saying "mid controls" is fine if you are talking about a specific bike, but doesn't tell much useful. "Forward controls" on my old Virago are about the same location as the normal boards on my 'Liner.

YMMV, but what I have found to be of critical importance is:

- The pegs/boards must be far enough forward that the knees are not bent past 90 degrees. Any farther back and pain comes quickly. This is especially important as the weather gets colder and you start adding layers to stay warm. However, the controls should not be too far forward. You need to be able to lift your ass off the seat on hard bumps and you can't do that with forward controls.

- The legs cannot be held in the same position for more than an hour. This means either a cruiser that has highway pegs in addition to the normal pegs/boards or an extended rest stop every hour or so.

I think if it happened every ride, he only rode once! I've had three, do my own maintenance and ride about 7-8000 miles a year, which is quite a bit of riding for a guy in Missouri who works six days a week. I have never paid a service bill on a HD. Look at the resale of a used Victory and compare it to a HD and tell me how much money you save by buying one.

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