Forgive Me For I Have Sinned......

[Twism86]

... I rode a Harley and enjoyed it 

My father recently bought a '96 Road King and '63 Duo Glide with a Pan Head motor. He had to buy both to get the Pan Head so will be selling the Road King but he let me spin it around town. I will say for a big bike its comfortable to ride, I really enjoyed it. You sit higher up them some other HDs, the bar are right where you like them and having floor board sure does beat pegs. Ive always wanted a HD some day, but after enjoying a ride a big bike, that day may come sooner. If only there werent so expensive.

PS - My dad isnt your typical HD guy. He actually knows how to work on a bike and does all his work. 

[The Buddha]

Does the air filter for the thing hit your right knee ?
I see them with huge air filter assemblies and they always look like and of course they do get in the way of your leg.
Cool.
Buddha.

[Twism86]

It didnt seem to bother me, but it was a normal sized one. There are some out there that do look huge.

[mister]

On the 750s Shadow I rode it hit my leg. I mentioned this to a Shadow Owner and he said, "you don't ride them with your legs in, you ride them with your legs out." I guess for toughness

Michael

[scratch]

Right.  So all your weight in on the seat, and none on the bars.  And, if you go through water/sand/gravel/pine needles, you just press down on the outside peg, so the front wheel wont slip out from under you.

[Twism86]

Right.  So all your weight in on the seat, and none on the bars.  And, if you go through water/sand/gravel/pine needles, you just press down on the outside peg, so the front wheel wont slip out from under you.

Thats not how you ride anyway.......

[ryott52]

I rode my buddy's 883 last week, much more comfortable to sit on than the GS, but I didn't like how it handled at all.

[yamahonkawazuki]

I rode my buddy's 883 last week, much more comfortable to sit on than the GS, but I didn't like how it handled at all.

ive ridden both an 883c which i owned and an RK. no even the large aircleaners dint hit. nor do they fall apart or break. plus can be overhauled in hte frame lol. trans changed without splitting cases etc. Oh and increasing displacement by chaging 4 parts. now the sporties. they have a narrow front and wider rear tire. thats why they feel like htey are falling into a turn. a wider tire/wheel. aka fatboy conversion solves this. and is cheap to do as well

[Twism86]

My dads soft tail is just about at 30k, no real problems what so ever. Of course he keeps it in good condition.

If you go to HDs website they have some cool stuff, throttle by wire, self canceling signals..... I cant wait to own one now!

[mister]

... I rode a Harley and enjoyed it  

Fare the well our wayward GS500 son. You shall be missed...



... for about 3 milliseconds



Okay. So what's the next topic?



Michael

[Twism86]

I dont mean more to you Michael  Hahaha. I aint going no where  Not like I can afford a HD anyway 

[mister]

I dont mean more to you Michael  Hahaha. I aint going no where  Not like I can afford a HD anyway 

You do mean more. You'll never know how much I am holding back the tears at the thought of your leaving 

GS riders never disappear. You can take the rider away from the GS but you cannot take the GS out of the heart of the rider 

You're staying 

Michael

[yamahonkawazuki]

I dont mean more to you Michael  Hahaha. I aint going no where  Not like I can afford a HD anyway 

You do mean more. You'll never know how much I am holding back the tears at the thought of your leaving 

GS riders never disappear. You can take the rider away from the GS but you cannot take the GS out of the heart of the rider 

You're staying 

Michael

WELL SAID  ! ! ! ! !

[Twism86]

I see no reason to even sell my GS when I get a new bike some time in the future. Its not worth enough to justify putting that $ to a new bike anyway. I would possibly just give it to my brother so I can still use it/ take it back when I want, or leave it in NJ with my parents so I have a bike when I visit.

[bill14224]

I think you summed-up why H-D's aren't for me.  They're great if you like what they give, but I need a bike I can sit-up on and when you throw-in the price and heft of H-D's they don't make sense.  They don't want my business.  If they did they'd offer a lighter, more standard machine with about 50HP.  They could do it if they wanted to.  They could make a mid-size twin with an offset crankshaft and DOHC and fuel injection.  Bikes in the performance window of the GS500 (400lbs, 50HP) are the essence of motorcycling to me.  I just love 'em to death!   The only reason I can think of (since they never answered me) why H-D doesn't make a bike like I describe is because it would cut substantially into Sportster sales.

[Twism86]

I think you summed-up why H-D's aren't for me.  They're great if you like what they give, but I need a bike I can sit-up on and when you throw-in the price and heft of H-D's they don't make sense.  They don't want my business.  If they did they'd offer a lighter, more standard machine with about 50HP.  They could do it if they wanted to.  They could make a mid-size twin with an offset crankshaft and DOHC and fuel injection.  Bikes in the performance window of the GS500 (400lbs, 50HP) are the essence of motorcycling to me.  I just love 'em to death!   The only reason I can think of (since they never answered me) why H-D doesn't make a bike like I describe is because it would cut substantially into Sportster sales.

Well their bikes are FI, most of them I think.

[bill14224]

Yes, now they are.  My uncle bought a new Sportster two years ago because he can't kick his old Sportsters over anymore.  It has electric start and fuel injection and he loves it.

Wanna hear about how time can change your perception?  My uncle is now 69 and has always hated anything foreign, even though he was born in France and was almost deported once due to citizenship papers his mother never filed.  I guess she thought marrying an American Army Lieutenant and him adopting her children was enough.  Not quite.  He is now a citizen, but not without kicking and scratching.  Never mind that, he has always ridden Harleys since he was 17.  He won't look at anything else.  I would say he's as American as it gets despite the fact he was born in a foreign land and I was born here.  He's a lot like my father-in-law who fought in WWII and also hated anything made by the Axis powers. (rest his soul)

My uncle thinks his new Sportster is fast, and he was once (40+ years ago) the #7 Harley top fuel drag racer in the nation.  He was paid an appearance fee each time so he made out OK whether he won or not.  The more rounds he won the more he made, and he won plenty.  He made hundreds of quarter-mile passes at 155-163MPH, and all these years later he thinks his heavy Sportster that can't outrun a GS is fast.  I'll never forget what he told me many times back then.  "I'm trying to turn myself inside-out!"

How time can change things!

[madjak30]

I think you summed-up why H-D's aren't for me.  They're great if you like what they give, but I need a bike I can sit-up on and when you throw-in the price and heft of H-D's they don't make sense.  They don't want my business.  If they did they'd offer a lighter, more standard machine with about 50HP.  They could do it if they wanted to.  They could make a mid-size twin with an offset crankshaft and DOHC and fuel injection.  Bikes in the performance window of the GS500 (400lbs, 50HP) are the essence of motorcycling to me.  I just love 'em to death!   The only reason I can think of (since they never answered me) why H-D doesn't make a bike like I describe is because it would cut substantially into Sportster sales.

Harley did make bikes that you describe (though they did have more power than that)...they were called the Buells...but they tried to sell Buells to Harley buyers in Harley show rooms, so it wasn't a sales success...now if they had done separate stores and advertised as much and supported the bikes as much, the story might be different...a buddy of mine has a Ulyses...really nice bike and it can almost keep up to me... (damn foreign bikes anyway... )

Later.

[yamahonkawazuki]

Yes, now they are.  My uncle bought a new Sportster two years ago because he can't kick his old Sportsters over anymore.  It has electric start and fuel injection and he loves it.

Wanna hear about how time can change your perception?  My uncle is now 69 and has always hated anything foreign, even though he was born in France and was almost deported once due to citizenship papers his mother never filed.  I guess she thought marrying an American Army Lieutenant and him adopting her children was enough.  Not quite.  He is now a citizen, but not without kicking and scratching.  Never mind that, he has always ridden Harleys since he was 17.  He won't look at anything else.  I would say he's as American as it gets despite the fact he was born in a foreign land and I was born here.  He's a lot like my father-in-law who fought in WWII and also hated anything made by the Axis powers. (rest his soul)

My uncle thinks his new Sportster is fast, and he was once (40+ years ago) the #7 Harley top fuel drag racer in the nation.  He was paid an appearance fee each time so he made out OK whether he won or not.  The more rounds he won the more he made, and he won plenty.  He made hundreds of quarter-mile passes at 155-163MPH, and all these years later he thinks his heavy Sportster that can't outrun a GS is fast.  I'll never forget what he told me many times back then.  "I'm trying to turn myself inside-out!"

How time can change things!

i had rigged a supercharger onto my 883c with parts assembled over time jetting was a Buddha Loves You. BUT used a donor carb. 15 bucks at a swap meet.  had to do that because bike was under warranty. so if anythign went south. i could restore ti factory spec in 2 hours

[PachmanP]

BURN THE WITCH!!!!!

Not gonna lie if I could get a good deal on a 07+ 1200 sporty roadster, I'd be all over it. No chain, fi, hydralic valves. I think not having a tach on most of them is kinda dumb though.