Would you have bought a Harley if...
#61
11-29-2010, 07:20 AM
"As for blindly being patriotic, I heard that before, and then laughed it off as I watched all the Walmart shoppers with their carts full of Chinese imported crap crying because they lost their jobs in the industry they were employed with. They said that on camera in tears just before they got in their Hondas and drove away. It's not blind patriotism my friend its called putting back into our own economy what you take out. " Good words ^^^
#62
11-29-2010, 07:22 AM
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I'm sure I have an EXTREMELY unpopular opinion but I would be MORE likely to buy a Harley if it weren't for that "stump puller" v-twin engine.
I have nothing against the v-twin in fact, I like the general power characteristics of them (I.E. how they make power). My problem with Harley's V-twin is how little power they make. As a self confessed power junkie 65hp does not get me excited. The thought of spending $2000-$3000 to make the power it should have had to start with doesn't excite me either (heaven forbid I should actually try to make GOOD power-$$$$$$$$$). I like turning a wrench as much as the next guy but I HATE feeling like I'm wasting money. There are plenty of twins out there that make good power straight off the showroom floor (many for a lesser MSRP) and that $2-3G investment it would take to make a decent performing Harley will make quite the scream ride on one of them. I did own a Buell at one time and even though it was a little short on power it was still satisfying and it had all of the "character" of my Sportster. Selling that bike was a bit of a blunder.
Until Harley starts putting a little more emphasis on power this will probably be my last Harley but not necessarily my last v-twin.
I have nothing against the v-twin in fact, I like the general power characteristics of them (I.E. how they make power). My problem with Harley's V-twin is how little power they make. As a self confessed power junkie 65hp does not get me excited. The thought of spending $2000-$3000 to make the power it should have had to start with doesn't excite me either (heaven forbid I should actually try to make GOOD power-$$$$$$$$$). I like turning a wrench as much as the next guy but I HATE feeling like I'm wasting money. There are plenty of twins out there that make good power straight off the showroom floor (many for a lesser MSRP) and that $2-3G investment it would take to make a decent performing Harley will make quite the scream ride on one of them. I did own a Buell at one time and even though it was a little short on power it was still satisfying and it had all of the "character" of my Sportster. Selling that bike was a bit of a blunder.
Until Harley starts putting a little more emphasis on power this will probably be my last Harley but not necessarily my last v-twin.I do know the Japanese versions have a worse resale value in every case and in the long run unless you go nuts in aftermarket parts with the money lost in resale value it breaks down to being a compatible investment.
I am not trying to sway you understand but only adding more insight to consider plus if you are a fan of the v-twin sound and feel, you cannot replicate either with foreign as design is the reason for that.
Just some thought, but you are the one that has to be happy so trying out different bikes isn't a bad thing. In the end it's all about what thrills us.
Last edited by RamAirThree; 11-29-2010 at 07:32 AM.
#64
11-29-2010, 07:51 AM
Heck No,the heart of a Harley,what makes a Harley a Harley, is the Air Cooled V-Twin.If it ever goes away it will spell the end of an era spanning many generations.
#65
11-29-2010, 11:17 AM
I guess my point didn't come across in this coulda shoulda woulda thread.
#66
11-29-2010, 11:48 AM
I was in my early riding days I had Italian Harley Davidson 1967 Harley Davidson Sprint. I took that bike and made a rat bike out of it. It was the best little bar hopping bike around. You sat about a foot off the ground with a chopped front end and sound like a half of a Harley going down the road. Back then I would keep six bikes in my yard. The need for speed and being young. Yes I had a bunch of jap 4 cylinder bikes.
#68
11-29-2010, 08:29 PM
If Harleys didn't have the engine that it's had for 100+ years now....it probably wouldn't still exist.
The motor is part (a major part, I think) of why Harley has existed as the ONLY American company to still be around for an unbroken 100 years.
The motor is part (a major part, I think) of why Harley has existed as the ONLY American company to still be around for an unbroken 100 years.
#69
11-29-2010, 08:34 PM
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another great point, you either love it or you don't but I am yet to see any other manufacturer able to clone the feel and sound of a Harley in the modern market.
