I see tons of high mileage HD for sale in the paper, Ebay, etc. I do not disagree with the image these bikes contribute to however. I always got tons os looks on my Boulevard, but never like I get on my Dyna. Completely different. My pipes are moderately loud, and at idle, are just pleasant to hear. I get thumbs up from old ladies, kids, men, well, everyone.

I don't have a problem with folks that buy them for theimage, that's their business. I ride mine everyday, and I also ride it to occasional bike nights. BTW, I put hundreds of hours on my Jetskis and my boats when I had them. I don't really see any of them (bikes, skis or boats) as status symbols, since my "status" then, as it is now, is to work my *** off to have them. if someone wants to "assume" my status because of the tank emnblems on my bike, that is their business. I know who I am, and what these machines mean to me. I would no more assume why others buy them, anymore than I care to have them assume why I bought mine. JMO.

 

Love the deep sound of some aftermarket mufflers. My RK is my 5th Harley, and the 1st one with stock mufflers. I will stick with the stock ones, not worth dealing with the man!!!

 

If I wanted to ride a bike that sounds like a Honda , I would buy a honda! my .02

 

This was one of the main reasons I putmy V&H straightshotson...(that and I wanted better performance)...but even if I HAD to run a stock exhaust I'd still have boughtmy Standard because regardless of how close the clone bikes get, they'll never take the place of the real thing.

 

After 30 years of owning a variety of motorcycles I still get a kick when a nice sounding bike fires up,and
there is something visceral about the sound of a Harley, it hits you in your gut. The feeling for me borders on the profound, there's nothing sweeter than the sound of a Harley. I'd still ride one even it was whisper quiet, but I'd lose that gut impact and part of the fun of owning one. As A kid I loved loved to hear the Harleys rumble past, and was totally transfixed while I watched someone kick start one to life, I couldn't wait to hear it roar. Fast forward a lot, I still love the rumble and 8 bikes later, I like the roar a little more subdued, but still like it to "sound" like a Harley. Peace.

 

According to sources Harley spent a bunch to try & get the "Harley" sound back on stock pipes without having to go to aftermarket pipes. I think they succeeded because my '07 Deuce pipes sound pretty darn good, especially at idle. My damaged hearing from years of playing my stereo so loud don't need loud pipes, besided I like the look of my tapered shotguns-keeping stock pipes for now.

 

Of course they're cool without the aftermarket pipes, they are the best looking bikes on the road. The loud pipes just help focus peoples attention to the beauty of the bikes themselves.

 

Well written madden23. I too feel the same way.

Nothing else sounds like a Harley going down the road. But, I too would still have one even with quiet pipes.

 

JohnT;

it looks like you have touched a few nerves with your
post!

The truth does have that effect on some people.. LOL"

I still say your post is the best I've ever seen about
Harley Davidson's..

 

I went back and read through this thread again....don't really know why I care that much....but I was at first in disagreement with JohnT, and now I see what he's saying. He said "there will always be someone to pay the price for that status symbol no matter what it sounds like". I TOTALLY agree with that. However, I'm just not one of those people. I ride for the pleasure of riding...I love it dearly, I could care less about status. To me, if you take the sound from a Harley, you have an overpriced bike. I know I may be alone here, but I truly believe that people pay for that sound....it's thier justification for buying Harley instead of Honda or Yamaha.