Got smoked by a CBR 750
#81
09-21-2010, 10:09 AM
Outstanding HDF Member
My best response would be: "So????"
If you want to be a pretend racer, you should have gotten a pretend racing bike and matching multi-color leather suit.
If you bought a Harley to race against sportbikes, it says more about your knowledge than about Harley. If I buy a 30-06 rifle for bird hunting and then can't kill any birds, while my buddy gets a bag full with a $250 shotgun, that doesn't mean my rifle sucks or a need better sights - that means I didn't pick the right tool for my purpose. My rifle may still be bettter quality and worth more than the shotgun, but that doesn't make it a bird gun.
If you want to be a pretend racer, you should have gotten a pretend racing bike and matching multi-color leather suit.
If you bought a Harley to race against sportbikes, it says more about your knowledge than about Harley. If I buy a 30-06 rifle for bird hunting and then can't kill any birds, while my buddy gets a bag full with a $250 shotgun, that doesn't mean my rifle sucks or a need better sights - that means I didn't pick the right tool for my purpose. My rifle may still be bettter quality and worth more than the shotgun, but that doesn't make it a bird gun.
whereas, if a newb goes into an hd shop wanting to buy a new personality the dealer will sell him a bike without thinking twice.
its a bit normal for someone to buy a new motorcycle without understanding the difference in bikes. hd has no problem vulching these ill-informed consumers.
#82
09-21-2010, 10:48 AM
seem to have provoked a lot of thought with this one.
no doubt that my sporty is still infinitely better sounding and looking than 90% of what i see out there, i love it, and everyone else does too and has questions about it and wants to know more.
just why is harley still waiting 35 years to come out with a more powerful line of engines???
I know everyone on here would be happy to see it, it's no coincidence that all the harley enthusiast on this forum dump all sorts of money into their bikes to strip the crappy stock parts away and get some more hp and tq and handling... I've now spent more time and and money than i should have to get my stock bike running and looking right (but it has no doubt been fun turning thy wrench)
just think harley should step up their baseline a bit and stop incorporating all the goodwill of their brand into the price of the bikes. I mean pound for pound the essential stock parts coming off a stripped ricer are much hire quality and worth a lot more than those from a baseline sportster.
anyone know what it would actually cost to build up a sportster from stock parts relative to comparable crotch rocket of choice? useless exercise...likely, but may just show what percentage of our bank accnts are actually paying Harley for their name
i still love'm, don't write me off
no doubt that my sporty is still infinitely better sounding and looking than 90% of what i see out there, i love it, and everyone else does too and has questions about it and wants to know more.
just why is harley still waiting 35 years to come out with a more powerful line of engines???
I know everyone on here would be happy to see it, it's no coincidence that all the harley enthusiast on this forum dump all sorts of money into their bikes to strip the crappy stock parts away and get some more hp and tq and handling... I've now spent more time and and money than i should have to get my stock bike running and looking right (but it has no doubt been fun turning thy wrench)
just think harley should step up their baseline a bit and stop incorporating all the goodwill of their brand into the price of the bikes. I mean pound for pound the essential stock parts coming off a stripped ricer are much hire quality and worth a lot more than those from a baseline sportster.
anyone know what it would actually cost to build up a sportster from stock parts relative to comparable crotch rocket of choice? useless exercise...likely, but may just show what percentage of our bank accnts are actually paying Harley for their name
i still love'm, don't write me off
The funniest thing I remember seeing when I walked into the HD dealership is the "100HP" club. I thought to myself, really?! Same reason people are buying retro Camaros and Mustangs. Want a little old school class? Buy a Harley. Want fast? Buy a Ducati.
#83
09-21-2010, 11:23 AM
A Crotch Rocket weighs less, has higher RPM to wind out and geared to rip....
Stock HD will never keep up with a crotch rocket, just not designed to...... Even HD with work will typically have a tough time. Rice Burn Rockets are made with higher center of gravity, lighter and made to wind to 11k rpm.....
Stock HD will never keep up with a crotch rocket, just not designed to...... Even HD with work will typically have a tough time. Rice Burn Rockets are made with higher center of gravity, lighter and made to wind to 11k rpm.....
#84
09-21-2010, 11:38 AM
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knew what i was getting into with my sportster, paint me an idiot if you want though. never thought it would be a crotch rocket killer, and knew in my heart of hearts that the cbr would make me look silly...still had to give it a go though maybe i could just launch my bike better (which i did for the first 100 yards before he hit his powerband...forgive me for being a Type A male (90% of this forum)
point i'm making, i think, is that if harley made their bikes as cool looking/sounding as they do and also had the added benefit of really moose coming out of their stock engines (at least somewhat competitive with jap bikes), harley owners wouldn't say "no, go back"...that's all.
I think most people here would like to see some more juice out of their sporty engines without having to dump hoards of money in, or we wouldn't be 80+ posts deep at this point.
harley + serious HP and TQ + American classic image = vanish any lingering notions of jap bikes...would be a mute discussion
point i'm making, i think, is that if harley made their bikes as cool looking/sounding as they do and also had the added benefit of really moose coming out of their stock engines (at least somewhat competitive with jap bikes), harley owners wouldn't say "no, go back"...that's all.
I think most people here would like to see some more juice out of their sporty engines without having to dump hoards of money in, or we wouldn't be 80+ posts deep at this point.
harley + serious HP and TQ + American classic image = vanish any lingering notions of jap bikes...would be a mute discussion
#85
09-21-2010, 11:43 AM
Road Master
Use me as an example. I really didn't know what I was getting into when I bought my Sportster. I proceeded to dump thousands into my drivetrain-something I gravely regret now but wtf. Sure, I probably have one of the fastest Harleys around but that and a buck will get me a Diet Coke. I have more in motor upgrades alone than the cost of my FZ1. I learned a pretty expensive lesson. I still love my Sportster though. When I think I want to sell it, I ride it and all that goes away.
#87
09-21-2010, 12:09 PM
Ultimate HDF Member
My modified WideGlide is very quick for a Harley (putting out right at 100 horsepower to the rear wheel and over 100 pounds of torque, while only weighing about 60 pound more than my 1200C), but even so it is no match for 99.9% of the 650cc or larger sports bikes on the road.
If you are looking for fast high power machine you need to look at something other than a Harley.
Harley's are made to be long range cruisers that will take you down the road in style for hours on end.
As the old saying goes;
"Harley Davidson, the most efficient way to convert gasoline into noise without the side effects of horsepower"....
If you are looking for fast high power machine you need to look at something other than a Harley.
Harley's are made to be long range cruisers that will take you down the road in style for hours on end.
As the old saying goes;
"Harley Davidson, the most efficient way to convert gasoline into noise without the side effects of horsepower"....
#88
09-21-2010, 12:24 PM
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#89
09-21-2010, 12:42 PM
#90
09-21-2010, 12:56 PM
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