Anyone attend the day at Williams F1 last weekend?
Got to try out several new Harleys.
I didnt think Harleys were my thing but I thought I would go along out of curiosity - and I was actually surprised how much fun they were and easy to ride too, even the big ones.
So difficult to choose one though - any suggestions as to the pick of the bunch?
Also let me know if you were there and what you thought of the day (especially if you were the new girl with the yellow harley top - sorry didnt catch your name - hope your first day was not too daunting).
2007-10-02 07:44:43 · 17 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Motorcycles
Glad you enjoyed your day out
It never ceases to amaze me how many people are so quick to slate the Harley. I converted from Honda in 2004 with my first Harley and this year changed up to a Screamin Eagle Ultra and I think it's fantastic and infinitely more fun than the Goldwing ever was but I loved the Wing
It is all personal choice. I am not over fussed on the sport bike but I can still admire them for their quality and engineering. Some complain about the Italian machines but the sound from a big Ducati wants a bit of beating. So do the scooters need to be slated? No, not really as I see it, it's all motorcycling and each and every one of us enjoys it from our own perspective. Right now I would not go back to a Honda, Goldwing or anything else.
I ride for pleasure and enjoy each time I go out. I try to visit new places and get off the motorways as much as I can, to see the countryside and visit more outlying areas, I choose to visit at a speed that I can digest where I have been and able to recall when I get home some of the things I have seen to my wife(she does not share my passion for motorcycling).
So you see for me it's all about "two" wheels and not what make is better than anyone elses.
Good riding and keep safe with the shiny side up
2007-10-02 08:36:49 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 1⤋
Sorry friend, there are so many Harley haters floating around these parts it'll be difficult to get a straight answer from some of the bikers that will visit your question for the sole purpose of trying to piss you off. Just mention the word Harley around here and get ready to catch some rancid Spit in your eye! I've rode many bikes over the years, Sport (metric), Trail (metric) , Cruiser (metric), Chopper (Harley) and was thrilled by each and every one, even though none of them were my own! I chose my first bike, an 07 Harley XL50 Anniversary Sportster model. 3,354 miles later it was beginning to wear out my rump and cramp my legs after one hour rides. Let it be known that I did enjoy my Sportster even though it did not fit me personally (I'm 6' 2") I wasn't in the mood to make it fit either. It smoothly handled the twisities through the Sierra Nevada foothills on regular visits to see family. I traded my first love Sportster in on an 07 Dyna Low Rider. Still sporty enough like the Sportster but was heavier and more comfortable for me on longer rides. (I met my soul mate Dyna a few months ago) My tastes did not include extreme long haul riding so I could eliminate the baggage usually found on dressers. Later if needed, I will get a set of bags that toss over the fender, or a "T-Bag" to fit my sissy bar. The dealer clued me into making a wiser choice for my second Harley. Your pick depends mainly on your planned riding style, and how it feels as you plant your rear into the saddle. Arm reach & foot controls should also give a clue for the right fit for you. If you want more of a Sport bike, then Harley's V Rod would do you well, yet distance for a tank full is about the same as a Sportster (not very long). A Sportster is light, fast and fun but not always a good fit for us tall ones. The front end can be raised with agressive shifting coupled with a heavy handed throttle, however I avoid stunts 'cause I don't like to bleed! The Sportster can easily be pushed around by winds and buffeting at highway speeds. I often felt as if I was floating off the pavement when I approached or exceeded 70+ mph on freeways, especially on a breezy day. Dyna's are always popular and not complicated. Wind is much less of a problem with my Dyna, and even less with a full dresser (so I am told by my biker bud's who ride dresser's) Dressers have farings, windshields, luggage or foot boards, (foot boards restrict cornering ability or lean angle but are not always an issue with those who ride with them.) What gets the juices flowing when you visit the Harley dealer? The bike you like, may not always be the right fit for you just becuase it turns you on. My XL50 Sportster (the exact model/color shown on the 07 Harley web site) was just that type of attraction, and I had to let it go and move on. Harley accesories are not cheap, even aftermarkets can cost a bundle. Choose a bike that needs too much customization to obtain the comfortable bike of your dreams, you may have done well to simply buy that one to begin with.
2007-10-02 15:46:50 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
No, I didn't.
There are a lot of things that the "haters" either don't know or will misinform you about. Like how easy they are to ride, as you found out. I thought I was interested in Sportsters, but when it finally came down to it, I wound up with the modern-day version of what caught my heart 36 years ago. A 35th Anniversary Superglide. It's built on a Dyna chassis (with some small changes) which is one of the most popular.
Now that you're interested, try a few more.
2007-10-03 18:07:31 · answer #3 · answered by Firecracker . 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
if u want cheap, light, agility, and quick handling in the cruiser line-up, get a 1200 sportster. did i mention that they're the most fuel economical bike of the fleet also? everyone disses the sportster....till they grow a set of balls and actually take it for a spin thru the twisties. set them up right, and it'll handle a long haul just like a road king and a much much lower price. it's all the the seat, handlebars, and wind shield. they would be the best for solo or passengers under 180 pounds.
about 56 or 57 mpg estimated rigt now on the sportsters since they switched to fuel injection.....compare that to the big twins.
2007-10-02 19:05:45 · answer #4 · answered by forktail_devil 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You know, a lot of guys are quick to dismiss the Sportster, but the new Sportster/Nightster is the bitchin'-est bike (in my opinion) that Harley offers right now.
You might also consider going 'used'. With mortgage payments going up and up a lot of guys who bought that 'accessory Harley' for the garage with their second mortgage/line of credit are selling their bikes... in the latest local issue of Cycle Trader there's over 50 pages of H-D's for sale! Definitely some deals to be had out there...
2007-10-02 19:25:08 · answer #5 · answered by Bye for now... 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Fred got that SE Ultra classic thats the ultimate in comfort and long rides I got a stock Ultra it's fine I get a better slow speed turn radius out of it than I get outa my sportster.
You hear em whine about 1930's tech but that's fine with me that stuff was built without planned obselesence in mind.
Harley's are still built mostly outa solid metal. With no need to cover ugly up with alot of plastic covers. It's good looks start with the engine.
What you want is mostly about what you plan on doing with it. And which one pleases your eye.
2007-10-02 16:04:34 · answer #6 · answered by vladoviking 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
The thing I noticed since I have had my Harley is that many bikes try to be a Harley they all try to copy it any many talk down about them but you know that if money was not the factor more of the other guys would be on Harley's. not to try to start sh+t but it is true.
2007-10-03 21:06:34 · answer #7 · answered by frc g 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I wasn't there, but I just bought my husband a V-ROD (as a surprise, but I knew he wanted that specific one). He wasn't really in the market for a Harley either, but after driving one he had to have one too. V-Rods are very sleek and very fast, you should check 'em out.
2007-10-02 14:49:44 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Every day is Harley Davidson Experience day for me. Well worth the money.
Really now.....aren't all internal combustion engines early century technology?
2007-10-02 17:03:34 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
I had the chance to try a nightrod and 1200 sportster. I'd buy em both!.......always been a brit or Jap bike man and tended to go for sports or touring bikes...that nightrod make me look at things in a whole new way.
Heres to another 105 years!
2007-10-02 17:16:19 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋