Will never forget the smile I got when my grandfather gave me my 1st "bike," at 9. Little frame and a lawnmower engine that you had to pull to start. Had dirt bikes, Honda CB750, 2000 Yamaha 1100, '97 Fatboy...But never smiled like that 1st time until new my FatBoyLo.
Haven't been able to keep the grin off my face since!!

 

Lemming behavior is a following trait not agreeing with someone elses opinion. If you agree with something someone says that makes you a lemming? I guess that train of thought is accurate. (right)

Let me comment on your post since you took the time:

If you were raised that an American company is worth supporting.

I put my dollars where the companies deserve it. Do you throw money at something because you think "it's an American company" that's just plain foolish.

If you were raised that steel is always better than plastic when it comes to craftmanship.

Aluminum and high grade ABS are new technologies compared to steel. In case you were not aware a aluminum fram cost approx twice as much to produce as a steel one and is lighter and stronger by design. Weight to power is always preferred to heavy and kludgy. Can't remember how long it's been that high performance vehicles use more then a fraction of the steel they do. Nascar would be dead without them.

Steel rusts, aluminum and abs do not and they both provide strength and light weight.


If you were raised that a 100+ year old company is probably doing something right.

If it wasn't for the government tariff that was put in place in the 70's HD wouldn't exist. The only thing that has kept them going is that they have an outstanding marketing and licensing division.

Did you know that Harley Davidson makes more profit on licensing their name on clothing then they do selling their motorcycles? One company (Honda) sells 29 times the motorcycles as HD does in the same period. To me that's not doing well.

If you were raised that the ability to fix something yourself is important.

Not sure what this has to do with anything, but what stops people from working on something?? this one I'm not sure what you meant.

If you have enough life experience to realize speed isn't the most important thing.

Another one that makes little sense to me what has life experience got to do with wanting a high technology product? And if life experience dictates I don't want more then why do people modify their bikes??? please answer that for me.

If you have enough life experience to spot a trend versus something that is going to stand the test of time.

Personally I'm proud to be an idividual. Those that want that it's fine, just not my thing. Herds are just that. And in nature herds are always afraid of the lone predator that's out to eat them.

If you have enough life experience to realize life isn't a competition.

Another one that makes little sense to me. Kind of like the speed comment. But since it's mentioned I'll interject my own opinion here. Unless you're independently wealthy and don't have to earn a living like the majority of people in the world, you can honestly say life doesn't involve competion? Please let us in on your secret.

That's it for now. Thanks for posting.

 

Does your wife have a sister?

Tell her that I'm mostly housebroke and I can get the beer cans within 2' of the trash most of the time.

oh yes, Red sunglo or rootbeer are my favorite colors for the bike.

 

The lemming comment was made because I felt you didn't interpret someone else's idea and make it your own. You merely "cut and pasted" it. I feel lemmings follow without making a decision for themselves. Did I mis-interpret something?

Steel may rust but ABS and aluminum fatigue much faster. You can prevent rust. You can't prevent fatigue. Longevity means more to me than performance.

Ther reason HD is still around is because they are a smart company and well connected. Bottom line they are still around. It doesn't matter why.

You may think you are an individual but my comment about trends was to point out that the sportbike crazy will pass. I am not saying sportbikes will go away, just the trend / fad. The 20-somethings will tire of it in a few years and move on to the next latest thing. It is a trend / fad, just like the 40K chopper trend that is now dying off. Yet HD and its sub-culture remain. Life experience teaches you what a fad looks like. After a while you just smile at them, recognizing them for what they are.

The ability to fix things yourself was directed in being raised that the ability to fix things yourself is rewarding. You can work on Harleys for the most part. The tight high-tech design of modern sportbikes makes it near impossible for the shade-tree mechanic to do anything. For the record, I also own a 1982 Honda CB750F Super Sport which my father gave me and I have an 1100 motor I will be dropping in it shortly

The speed and competition comments kind of go hand in hand. Maybe I wasn't clear in what I meant. I wasn't referring to true competition. I was referring to trivial competition like who's toys are better. Life experience teaches that these things aren't that important in life. I am not saying they hold no value, they just fall by the way-side when other priorities come along. Most guys in their 20s think they are important. Most guys in their 40s do not. (I am 39) Simply put: speed and trivial competition simply have very little to do with true happiness in life and you recognize that after a few years. There is such a thing as fast enough. I had a VROD before and is was fast enough. I haven't ridden the Night Train yet (deployed). When I get home I will tell you if it is fast enough or if a big bore kit is coming

 

Why I want a Harley? I don't know honnestly...for many reasons: the sound, the look of the engine, the look of the bikes, and what these bikes represent for the people that ride em.

I have been in love with HD since I'm a kid, yet I've only be on one once and I was not the one driving.

I just love them...because it's a 105 years old tradition, because they sound like no other, because the engines look like no other...some people prefer Japanese race bikes or dirt bikes. We prefer Harleys because they match perfectly our riding style.

Then again, why not buy a Japanese cruiser then? I don't know you tell me why lol. Harley it's Harley that's all. The other motor companies just imitate Harleys (I am not saying they are not good bikes because they are excellent bikes afaik), but what is good about Harleys is that they do not imitate anything else.

NO I AM NOT BIASED!!!

:-)

 

I'm not trying to bust your nuts here, just looking for some clarification. The V-Rod, as far as I can tell, is a modern, high tech design. With a liquid cooled engine, the only real difference between it and a sport bike would be an inline engine and fairings, which isn't always the case. Maybe I'm way off though. Maybe that's why you got rid of it. If you could explain what makes sport bikes so hard to work on, I'd appreciate it.

 

No problem, The V-twin motor is so much easier to stick my fingers around than my old inline 4. New inline 4s are even more compact as getting all of the weight as close together is best for handling. That plus all of the plastic... not my thing. I got rid of the VROD because I had a little buyer's guilt when my third child was born. Now that I have been promoted and with my bike craving screraming at me, I got the Night Train, just to try something different. I always liked Night Trains.

 

OH Yea . I thought I was the only one. .

 

They've been making them a long time and always in the good ole USA. Like baseball and apple pie.

 

I like Harleys because you see a ton of the ultra's but each one is so different and unique. I love that you can add things and make it your own. I have seen some pretty tricked out gold wings, but come on, go through the part catalog and make it your own!

Also there is so much history to the company, the sound of the pipes and everything, just makes me giddy every time i see my bike and how i love to ride it more and more!