ALMOST ALL IN THESE FORUMS HAS DONE SOMETHING TO THEIR BIKES . WHY NOT just leave your bike stock? Are Harleys a MUST to have something done to it? Are they that BAD that we have to FIX-IT or just do not like the LOOKS of them ?

 

It's called improvements not fixing.

 

cause don't want to have the same looking bike as everybody else DUH

 

I did a Stage 1 upgrade. I liked it (about 3 months), wife did not the louder exhaust. I went back to all factory, it has really grown on me. I had a friend ride my bike the other day, he said the bike felt sluggish. I explained to him that I use it for touring, not racing, it does me just fine. When I get back to the states, I may venture into doing cams and some other things.

Cale

 

I have a friend trying to decide between a Street Glide or a Kawasaki Vaquero. I told him to by the HD, he can make it his own, he says he doesn't want to spend that much money just to pay more to change things. I agree, with not looking the same with everyone else's. I have figured that if all of you guys go out and blow $5,000 - $10,000 on upgrades, I can stay stock and I will look different!!!

 

That’s why we are not in cages………….. Plus stock is just too boring for how I ride…. I need it to do what I want it to do when I’m on the rode, stock does not cut the muster for the bikes I have now…. I have my eyes on the new XR1200 which I might not change too much…. Looks like it will perform well stock for what I want it for, but again I still might changes pipes lol

 

A Harley Davidson is not a Must or a Something or a Bad or a Fix-It or a Just.
It's a personal choice.
Most bikes are left stock because the owners don't give a **** or have no options.
People personalize Harley's 'cause they want to say, "check my **** out, it rocks, look what I did".
Some people personalize their HD's and don't give a crap what you think.
Ummmm...the sound!
You can even rebuild the engine as it sits in the frame.
"Oh" you say "you gotta rebuild the engines, huh"?
People ride rice bike's for a few k miles and rid of the thing, but people keep HD's for years and thousands and thousands of miles.
Plus "go fast" mod's are so easily made too.
It's called , personalize!
So like, what ever!

 

Why do some people buy fuglies and not own up to it? I don't know

Keeping a Harley "stock" is tough to do, when every company out there, including H-D, makes aftermarket, go fast, look good, replace the seat because we sold you $20k bike with a shitty seat, we sold you a bike with handlebars made for someone built like an ape, and your bike will look like everyone elses unless you buy "these", parts for them.

How many other companies can you name that can sell a product with so many defects, ie; the wobble of death, exploding compensators, runaway electronic throttles, ill-designed ABS, and numerous other deadly features, yet people keep pouring every dime they have into improving the death trap?

We're all pawns in their evil game....... Marketing geniuses I tell ya, marketing geniuses.........
Excuse me, while I head out to the garage to install my new exhaust I just bought

 

If GM sold you a car that the seat wasn't adjustable, you'd probably have to buy a new seat for it to fit you.

One size does not fit all.

Customizing bikes has been around longer than any of us has been alive, its part of the "lifestyle" and guess what, all you need is money to buy into it
ROFLMAO

 

Having had many bikes, most were not stock and a couple left stock. From a standpoint of resale (because I have sold so many) a stock bike seems easier to sell but, why? Comments from potential buyers always seemed to suggest they would prefer to customize their own bike, not what you did. I have quite a few friends that ride stock bikes and I on the other hand have ridden mostly non-stock bikes over the years. I have found that for the most part my friends with stock bikes had less issues with their bikes then me. A couple have over 100K and one has close to 150K on his stock bike (motor never been apart). I am liking the smoothness and quiet of my new RK so much, I am leaving it stock. I have changed out the stock comp with an SE comp and will change out the stock headpipe with a Fuelmoto 2-1-2 pipe but, leave the stock mufflers. I will also put on an oil cooler but, that is all mechanically. Does this mean my bike remains stock? I think so because, I have not really altered the motor from stock. Cosmetic bling does not constitute a non stock bike in my opinion. I bought my bike with the HD custom painted tins and still have the stock ones. This bike will just have cosmetic changes and for me, that is a big change. In fact pick up any bike mag and a lot of bikes that have had a lot of customization are left stock, except for maybe stage 1 (pipes, fuel mgm, A/C).

So for me, I will stay stock and enjoy the quiet smoothness that my new RK has and just maybe maintain that same new bike feel that is lost after making mods. Staying stock is not for everyone and even for me takes an adjustment but, I feel more content now to just do easy riding. JMO