[Closed] Anyone STWer got a Harley or a Harley opinion?

harley davisons are fantastic. there powerful, comfy and fantastic to ride. I also think they look quite nice. 😀

IMO - dreadful bikes. overweight, underpowered, rubbish handling tarts handbags. The only one I have ridden was a 90s sportster and I believe thay have improved but that was dreadful - slower, worse handling and more vibration that my 61 BSA.

Big cheif - powerful - my arse (except the v rod)

Posers bikes.

Suitable for metal fans yanks or germans only

youve got to look over the handling fact of them. there pure muscle. youve also got to see that you are riding a classic bike. that just makes up for the crp about them.

Look horrible and sound horrendous IMO .... disgusting and can't stand them.

nice to look at and nice to listen to (well, some of them), but that's about it 😉

TandemJeremy - Member

IMO - dreadful bikes. overweight, underpowered, rubbish handling tarts handbags. The only one I have ridden was a 90s sportster and I believe thay have improved but that was dreadful - slower, worse handling and more vibration that my 61 BSA.

Big cheif - powerful - my arse (except the v rod)

Posers bikes.

Suitable for metal fans yanks or germans only

Big cheif - how can you say they are pure muscle? Apart from the V rod they have less power than a jap bike half the size and weigh twice as much - seriously slow underpowered bikes.

Have you ridden one?

All show and no go. I don't particularly like the show they put on either.

In my optinion, they have no redeeming feature other than to let you know who's more concerned with looking like a biker than being a motorcyclist.

Think you have to take them as they come - mostly ancient engineering at a premium price. They are slow moving, slow steering, and a wee bit austentatious (some are very grim with tastles and shiny bits)
But some people just want to bimble around trying to look cool - so let them be. My neighbour has a fatbob that i tried and really disliked, he thinks it's the best bike in the world, he has waited about 25 years to be able to eventaully get one - if he is happy with it, who am i to tell him i think it's a bit of a dog?

If you were to nail a badger tied to an airhorn to your head it would be noisy and get people look at you, it would also probably be more comfortable and handle better as well.

Quite like the basic Harleys.Obviously they're not as good as Japanese,Triumphs,or even Italian bikes.
My mate had a Fatboy,many moons ago. We went to the Grand Prix at Donnington,me and the Mrs on a ZZR 600,following him.Almost fell off laughing.Nearly every bend resulted in a healthy shower of sparks......Didn't stop him from passing loads of fools on the latest race replicas.

Always black or white opinions on Harleys. I had a softail springer for a couple of years. It was slow, handling was crap and the brakes woefull, but somehow I loved tooling around with other Harley riders.

All my other machines have been sports bikes - Triumphs (including and original Bonnie), Suzuki, 750 Yam 750, Triumph 750 triple etc. You enjoy these for the riding. You enjoy the Harley for just being out cruising - different experiences

Personally I think Harleys look and sound great, but also like Ducatis and some modern Japanese stuff

'Massey Ferguson's' as I call 'em are largely ****in' awful things for posing solicitors with small penises.

Over priced, agricultural, poor handling biker wannabe's American tat

Always kinda liked the smaller 80ci Sporties, love the sound of a big v-twin, and I like the narrow profile for threading through traffic. However, as many have pointed out, they are pretty basic and the handling is designed for wide straight roads so narrow twisting English roads show up all the shortcomings. The Sporty is still better than the lardy 'Glides, tho', and don't get me started on the Honda equivalents. With huge panniers, stereos and all mod cons, and overall size close to the Exxon Valdiz, why not just buy a bl00dy car. Buell's now, that's a different story. Hot looks, good stiff chassis with decent handling and brakes and a stonking v-twin engine. What's not to like?

dont insult massey fergusons

there just beastly tractors

Here's my big V twin traffic threader!
Narrow twisty English roads - yes please.

[img] [/img]

Had a Fat Bob for a few days out in California, the throttle was not to make it faster, just louder. I imagine it would be awful to ride over here on our roads, where you would get pwned by the yoofs on Grifters or whateva they ride these days.

Not very good IMO.

@MrSparkle

Blasphemer. John Deere are the best and Claas's of course.

Harley Davidson , hmm , doubt you'll see one winning the TT this weekend.
Overpriced American junk that handles like a bath full of water.

da funk

The flat tracker race bikes look the dogs whatsits. I remember when the Harley race bike called Lucifers Hammer came over for the transatlntic races in the 80s and early 90s ridden by Wes Cooley. On twisty slow tracks he was beating GSXRs and RC 30s.

Buells look nice but have a terrible reliability reputation a few years back at the TT I was following one down the course towards Signpost after the Senior and the exhaust can fell off and bounced like an expensive ping pong ball down the road.

Of course nothing ever falls off my BSA and its as reliable as a swiss watch and I wouldnt lie to you 😉

I think they are really sad...all about the american dream, probably ok across America deserts, on straight rds at 55mph without a lid....not quite the same when ridden by big gutted individuals in the rain...who think they're hells angels!

Now a Duc on twisty b-roads...thats a different matter

Yep, as I thought. I'll stick to my Kwacker 2 stroke triple!

Gotta say some of your responses are gems, though prize goes to.....

If you were to nail a badger tied to an airhorn to your head it would be noisy and get people look at you, it would also probably be more comfortable and handle better as well.

Lol
SB
🙂

a month or so ago i saw, parked outside a cafe, one of the touring models - i think, i'm not up on harleys, def was'nt a sportster - and you could tell it was used day in day out, probably the riders sole form of transport, non of that tassley shiney cr&p just a well sorted used bike.

i'm not a great harley fan at all, but i did think this one was nice in all its grime.

I bluddy well love 'em, I do! 8)

I love the noise the older aircooled ones make. I'd consider a Hardly Rideable as maybe a fourth motorbike... probably a Buell...

Foxy, why do you love 'em?

I know Mrs Stratobiker loves me when I come in off the bike smelling of oil!!!! But I dunno why she does. 🙂

Covers the normal smell up?

They're ideal for accountants. For the rest of the world, get a proper bike 🙂

'Farting armchairs' sums up my opinion of Harleys...

They do sound good through some nice loud pipes. That is all I can say for em! I did quite like the idea of the XR1200 until I saw one in the flesh though, and then sat on it, and then decided it was utter shite!

If I get to the stage in life that a cruiser is the only answer... the Rocket III does it all so much better IMO 😉 I loves Triumphs I do!

Though if I go retro next time it is between a Triumph Scrambler and a MAC Motorcycles machine of some sort!

Do any of the hog lovers also have leather tassles on their mountain bikes?

At school, a mate had the ability to fart like the sound of a horror film creaking door.

IMO - dreadful bikes. overweight, underpowered, rubbish handling tarts handbags. The only one I have ridden was a 90s sportster and I believe thay have improved but that was dreadful - slower, worse handling and more vibration that my 61 BSA.

Big cheif - powerful - my arse (except the v rod)

Posers bikes.

Suitable for metal fans yanks or germans only

My god! I agree with TJ 😯 !!!!

*Drinks bleach*

You could also add Scandinavia to the suitable list.

Harley Davison = Ultimate mid-life crisis purchase.

My old boss bought one as his midlife criss and it's awful. He had to spend most of his time keeping the chrome clean and by his own admission it's brakes/grip were rubbish. They look a death trap, tiny front tyre and usually just one brake. Most of the stopping power on a bike is the front wheel, so harleys don't stop! This is why they make them so slow, otherwise lots of middle aged estate agents and bankers would die (what a shame).

I once 'raced' along side a V-rod 1250 at speed on a dual carriage way, even my 650 70bhp jap-crap bike totally destroyed it.

Motorbikes exist to be fast fun travl that IS NOT LIKE A CAR. Remove the power and manoeuvrability and you might as well just buy a convertible to pose in.

Dress like the Indian (or any out of Village People) whilst riding a Harley. Sorted.

Trans Ams/70's American cars look cool (when you were a kid)- when you see them on our streets though they look lame. Same with Harleys. Sorry. Good back in the US. Not riding though Droitwich.

to summarise- California coast, hot sunny afternoon. Yes.
English road, drizzle- lame as.

thing is, V-twin engines are fantastic to ride.

EG One of my favourite motorbikes was the early Suzuki SV650 which would pull from 1800 rpm all the way to redline at 12500, making <motorbike journo>OSSUM</MJ> noises. Handled brilliantly, stopped well, I could keep up with riders on litre bikes as long as there were enough corners... 9000 times the fun of a harley.

On the one hand, it might be good to have a bike that doesn't go fast enough to hurt you if you fall off

On the other hand, if something that heavy lands on you, you might not be able to get it off.

I love the noise

for me, as someone who'll wind my car windows down for a better listen when i see a decent v twin coming up to overtake, the harley was sonically a disapointment. when my mate fired up his bike, loaded with screaming eagles, i did'nt get the butterflies in the stomach/hairs on neck type thing that i used to get from my old ducati - but then although my vtr sp1 with harris titanium pipes sounds awesome its not quite as divine as the duc!

Harleys aren't about speed or handling. Remember that and use them "properly" i.e. relaxed, leisurely riding and just enjoy the whole Harley "thing" and they're epic. Lots of noise, big/torquey/reliable engine, lots of chrome and even more road presence. 56mph cruising at near-tickover in the sun? Yes please...

[b]Buell's now, that's a different story. Hot looks, good stiff chassis with decent handling and brakes and a stonking v-twin engine. What's not to like?[/b]

Everything. Buells are toss. Utterly shambolic build "quality" and comprimised engine reliability/useability...

Is this just a case of Harleys not being niche enough for STW? 😛

Grumm - no - too niche if owt. The niche being all show and no go

TJ hate them so they must be something good.

Juan - stop being so obnoxious please - its getting really dull

Hmmmm, difficult one.

If you can separate the image from the reality, the new Sportsters with the rubber mounted engines look understated and are supposed to have much improved fit and finish.
Thought about one (1200 Roadster) a couple of years ago as well as a new Hinkley Bonnie and a Guzzi Breva.

The cheapest 883 Sportster:
[img] [/img]

Is only about a grand more expensive than the new Royal Enfield Classic:
[img] [/img]

Which seems pretty decent value to me.

They do all seem to be ridden by either patch club members or accountants called Nigel though. 🙂

As for the image, it's not for me, and doesn't suit our little island or roads, but surely the fantasist dressing up as an American and cruising down to Bacup is equally as valid/invalid as the dreamer in Rossi rep leathers on a Fiat logo'd R1 getting his knee down on a Milton Keynes roundabout? Each to their own and no harm done I'd say.

No bikes on standard pipes sound properly rorty these days, although the Italians seem to ignore the rules a little!

Personally, I currently have a thing about these:
[img] [/img]

which probably makes me sadder than any of them 😀

chioce for me was yank or jap , i went jap , got a yam xvs1100. all the gear on it looked like a tarts handbag, but had slash cut exhaust ,so was very load.

Foxy is it the vibration? 😮

When I win the lottery though, I will have one of these
[img] [/img]

A beautiful English motorcycle, improved by a Swiss genius and built by a Frenchman: http://www.godet-motorcycles.com/ ]

Want to pick it up and ride it to England for me Juan?

LOL @ Sandwich 😉

Looks like a Harley is not cool.
Don't matter, I've got one of these.....
[img] ?width=737&height=552[/img]

When you whack the throttle open the only farting sound you hear is me!!!! 😯

She's faaaast!

So how many of the 'Harley Haters' have actually ridden one ?

I nver rated them until I had a ride on a mates XL883 then it kind of 'clicked', ear-to-ear grin and a nice laid back feel - if I ever got another bike it would be a Harley, I'm almost old enough but not fat enough to fill the stereotype 😉

Snaps - snap!! Although mine's black. Reckon harleys are 'marmite bikes'. Personally I don't like 'em. Used to have an XBR500 and I think it sounded nicer - and looked nicer - than any harley I've seen/heard. And it did corners. And fast getaways. 😉

Whilst talking to someone who works in the business of recovering break downs from the roads of the UK he told me that the bikes they pick up way more than any are Harley Davidsons. Which I was quite surprised by.

Anyhow, you don't buy it for reliability, handling, speed etc People buy them because it's a Harley Davidson.

I'm not keen on them but I can see why others are.

As in my original post I rode a sportster and thought it awful. slow, vibrated, uncomfortable and didn't handle. the handling was bad to the point of being dangerous

I've ridden bikes of many marques that would fit that description but have always put it down to me not being used to their characteristics or that particular bike not being well maintained.

The sportster I rode was smooth, comfortable and handled like any other cruiser I've tried, yes, it needed a bit more input than a typical cockrocket but was predictable and precise.

they're ok if your into the whole cruiser thing and are into harley 'lifestyle' thang. I demo'd a XR1200, XL883 and a rocker recently and thought they were ok if you like retro/classic bike.

i think they are just about useful for British roads are no more out of place than the race reps.

I have ridden a Harley, and it was the biggest pile of shite I have ever thrown my leg over.

Purely for poseurs, imo. Under-powered, over-priced, under-braked, shit round a corner. Total style (debatable) over substance.

Ridden by wannabe Peter Fonda-likes.

I hate Harleys.

Arlen Ness on the other hand...

Thing is... If you took a Harley (leaving aside the various Rods, with the LC motor in) and stuck a Yamaha badge on it, nobody would buy them even if you knocked 25% off the price tag. They're horrendous value. But they do what they do well once you ignore the fact that they're laughably expensive.

But still, wouldn't buy one. If I wanted something cruiser-ey and small, I'd get a Triumph twin. If I wanted something cruise-ey and big, I'd get a Victory Hammer.

And it might be stone-aged, but it's a lovely motor in the right application...

[img] [/img]

Everyone should ride one of these btw, they're hilarious. And harley dealers are great about testrides...

He he - I have just learned (well, yesterday) that my great uncle used to race one of these back in the day:

[img] [/img]

Rumour has it that before he died the bike, which was in absolute mint condition and fettled for racing, was dismantled, stripped, cleaned, wrapped in grease paper and stashed in a great aunts loft.

And it is still there.

I may have to make enquiries about getting my grubby mits on it... keep it in the family like 🙂

Failing that I may just have to get me one of these:

[img] [/img]

know **** all about motorbikes
but did see a middle aged banker type and his missus come out of a posh london flat dinner party got onto their harley and manage to lay it down trying to do a u turn, his missus threw a hissy fit and i had to help him right it, weighed a ton
caused a fair bit of damage and wouldnt start afterwards

Juan - stop being so obnoxious please

caused a fair bit of damage

To the road or the bike?

juan - Member

[i]Juan - stop being so obnoxious please[/i]

Pot kettle black

When have I ever been obnoxious to you?

yeah, bring it on - forum bitchfight 😆

Mid ninties, i borrowed a Sportster 1200 from a friend for a weekend. Took it to Wales to enjoy the valley roads. It wasn't a great success, the missus found it cramped n uncomfy on the back. It didn't go, didn't stop, didn't go round corners and had a pathetic fuel range - hit reserve after 50 miles!! Oh jeez! And every time we stopped, people wanted to oggle the bike and talk b"4llocks to me. I really can't get my head round the appeal of them; all mouth and no trousers! I was so glad to get back to my own bikes at the time ...a K100, which was practical, and a KMX200, which was FUN!

I roda a Sportster and a softail of some sort about a month ago. I loved them to bits, to the point I shall be selling my Bros and buying a HD hopefully soon. No go? So what? I'm not in the hurry. Comfort for a pillion? On a big one was great, Sportster looks better with a single seat anyway.
[b]If you need explaining a Harley, you won't get it.[/b][u]

I've had 3 Harleys (in Oz) - LowRider Sports, Springer, and an ElectraGlide. It's nearly 15 years ago now since I had them so maybe they have improved since.

What I learned from them was to ride slow and enjoy the ride. At appropriate speeds they handle and stop ok, but they were definitely not suitable for much over 140kph on any sort on back road with bumps or corners.

Simple question, if you enjoy riding, which is the best bike - the one that gets you there in 1 hour, or the one that gets you there in 1 hour 10 minutes?

Simple answer, the one that takes the longest - you've had more riding pleasure 🙂

I think I prefer BMW boxers but one of the new Sportsters would be nice once we get some of this global warming we have been promised.

i'd have one of these in a heartbeat

[img] [/img]

@ Stratobiker - that's a beut of a Kawa you lucky sod

Harley did you say?
This is MrCM's ride of choice.......

[img] [/img]

Ridden a couple of Harleys in the 80s and disliked everything about them, at the time I was obsessed with RDs - 250E, 400E, 350LC so the concept of having your feet in front of your hands was an anathema, as was your hands being higher than your hips.
I'm sure they are better now but they are designed for long straight freeways where everything pootles along between 50 & 60. Look and sound great in SoCal but in Sheffield the holes in the road would shake them to bits.

Love the Dnepr/Neval jobbie, is this the one with a driven sidecar wheel, if so I think I am torn between that and the bikes from the Mac Motorcycles workshop - I prefer this one to the Peashooter (all very 80's Bloodrunners):

[img] [/img]

But back to Harleys - there are so many more enjoyable bikes for much less money I cannot see why anyone would spend the dosh. Now has anyone built a single speed motorbike?

I can't ride bikes...never really wanted to, but from my view, I reckon they are tubs of lard that need a serious servicing to get them to run properly. Big, useless beasts that do nothing but shout 'Too much money to waste' to the world...I think there are far better bikes out there for much less money - no idea why they are so popular as they look seriously overworked and under-engineered pieces of junk.

I know heehaw about bikes but that is my Harley Opinion...

aslongasithaswheels - @ Stratobiker - that's a beut of a Kawa you lucky sod

Thanks, though it's not luck. It took a lot of hard work to get that together.

SB

@ RobS - have you been in that loft yet?

When have I ever been obnoxious to you?

Nah - it's a long way from here... got to move and see what space is like and then perhaps get my Dad to ask if it is still there, and looking for a new home 😉

Rode a Fatboy for a day in Las Vegas a few years ago. It was fun but the brakes were awful, it vibrated so badly my vision got blurred and it was so heavy. The torque from the motor was great but overall I was disappointed.

The Confederate Wraith looks good though.

Yes, yes it's all to easy to slag Harleys off: Slow, coarse, poor handling yada yada yada...Yawn.

Why? Because (To borrow an Offspring lyric) it's cool to hate.

At the end of the day Harleys are what they are, their image and their history are carved in stone, it's not faked. Andhat's something no Jap bike will ever have, no matter how hard they try to clone them.
I'm not a Harley rider, and I'm not too keen on the big tourers, but a Fat Boy is a great looking bike, and some of the newer flat-track styled bikes are soooooo cool. Classy, understated bikes.

I doubt I'd ever buy one (If I wanted to go slow and look good, I have a yearning for a Guzzi) especially in the UK. I couldn't be bothered with all the cleaning they require in our climate! But I'd love to tour the USA on one. Pisspot lid, mirror shades, wifebeater, ripped jeans ( 😉 ).... Yeah I could get into that for a bit. 🙂

You gotta have the bike you want, it's gotta make you feel good, which is why I bought my little Monster. I could have had something faster, 'better', more powerful... But it made me laugh, it made me happy.

And I'd rather ride a Harley than a Goldwing or similar, or than drive a car, too.
🙂

Mate has a Fatbob, and all the comparisons between it and all the Japanese Sports bikes is to miss the point by a country mile. the HD isn't about knee down, all out acceleration, it's about a cruise to a nice pub on a sunny day on country roads, it's 60mph relaxed riding, not hiding behind a fairing trying to hang on. Different kind of fun all together.

PP has it about right, HD does have heritage, they're just not fashionable, but the experience is no more fake than the Rossi/Stoner wannabes.

as an ignorant non-biker i always liked the look of sports bikes more. i like this one, though:
[img] [/img]

When it come to motorbikes, PP is the daddy 😀