Quote from: bill14224 on July 29, 2009, 08:23:32 PM
I don't get the point.  I know thumpers have advanced over the years but I said they're not good for the street and they're not, and someone shows me a picture of a track bike.  I don't get it.  Two cylinders are a lot better than one, and I have ridden Harleys, which have also gotten better over the years.  They're much more reliable now, and went from super shaky to tolerably shaky, but to me they're still too heavy and expensive, and less maintenance than a GS 500?  C'mon, please, stop, you're killing me!  Harley sells looks, sound, and the image that goes with it for high prices, and the American public eats it up.  Be honest.  I've said here several times I'm in the minority on this and I don't expect to convince anyone.  I take a drier view of motorcycling than most of you.  If I had the $ for a Harley I'd send my daughter to private school.  It's only a bike.

squid?

Hey guys, remember way back when this thread was about Buell dropping the Blast? Thse were simpler, happier times then...

Buell is getting rid of it for something more agressive and powerful as there entry level bike from what Ive heard through the grapevine. Bet on it.

I'm carnfused? Is this not a GSTwins Forum  Who cares about Buell anyway?

Harley Shop down the street went out of business recently and I couldn't be happier . Less JA's with stupid loud pipes and no riding skills around to deal with!

Harley-Davidson's campaign against loud exhaust pipes. Its initial effort last year was directed at and through dealers, with posters and literature that attempted to educate dealers and riders about the negative consequences of loud pipes. Harley-Davidson spokesman Paul James also told Motorcycle Cruiser that during the next few months Harley will cease shipments to dealers of racing exhaust systems that can be fitted to street models. We could no longer find any racing exhaust systems listed on the company's accessory website. However, Harley-Davidson still offers dozens of accessory exhaust systems that are street-legal (and therefore acceptably quiet) including for use in California.

I hate that "loud pipes save lives" thing, I was always more for the "your loud pipes annoy the hell out of me" crowd. I'd take a nice quiet bike any day. The GS couldn't possibly louder with the V&H exhaust that it has, but that's what came on it, so that's what I have. A loud pipe will only attract attention if people in cars already paid attention otherwise, but they're not hearing your exhaust over their radio, cell phone, and rear seat dvd player, not to mention car commercials now advertise how once you shut yourself in the car you won't even hear a cannon going off outside the car, so obviously they don't care that you're around.

How long has harley been trying to get riders to quiet down? I thought 5 years they were trying to buy the patent on that obnoxious noise so they could say it was their own??

Sorry for the little thread jack here but; Thanks to those inconsiderate Peni Envy Arseholes they are going to pass laws that prohibit any modifications of any muffler on any bike!

Thanks JA's

Quote from: JB848 on July 30, 2009, 01:50:03 PM
Sorry for the little thread jack here but; Thanks to those inconsiderate Peni Envy Arseholes they are going to pass laws that prohibit any modifications of any muffler on any bike!

Thanks JA's

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it already IS illegal to do so, as you're modifying an emission control system.  They're just going to start enforcing it more.

not saying you can't have an aftermarket exhaust though from my understanding. the rules about them will just be a bit stricter. if i'm understanding this correctly. 

Quote from: Kurlon on July 30, 2009, 02:06:45 PM

Quote from: JB848 on July 30, 2009, 01:50:03 PM
Sorry for the little thread jack here but; Thanks to those inconsiderate Peni Envy Arseholes they are going to pass laws that prohibit any modifications of any muffler on any bike!

Thanks JA's

Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but it already IS illegal to do so, as you're modifying an emission control system.  They're just going to start enforcing it more.

Clarify. If your bike passes emition controls which are very strict in some state where does it state about illegal exhaust and what is to stop you from getting inspected with stock and throwing on obnoxious ignorant exhaust pipes like these idiots do around here?

A lot of companies sell street legal aftermarket exhausts. Some of them also come with two baffles so you can just swap between the race or street baffle. I wish bike manufactures would just make the stock exhausts look nice, I'd be perfectly find with keeping one, but because they know they're gonna be replaced, they don't even bother to make them ok looking.

Besides HD, who sells EPA approved aftermarket systems?

I don't know about motorcycle companies who do. Triumph sells a lot of aftermarket exhausts, but I don't know if any are legal or not. I know at least Devil sells on that is road legal. I don't know however if that only refers to the sound level, or if it actually meets emissions and whatever else they require....
Devil Master
Devil Master Exhaust Can

The big 2006 innovation, the Devil MASTER has the most aggressive design on the market. It gives superb performance and has compact dimensions.

The Devil MASTER is inspired by modern GP bikes and is a direct descendant of the Devil Racing Replica can though 100% road legal. This is an oval 420mm compact and lightweight can available in carbon only.

i just watched the interview with the owner/founder talking about dropping the blast. he said himself it was a great beginners bike. wonderful to learn on. used them for years in msf courses etc. but then said, "it's not a true sport bike, and that's what people want" or some shiite like that. so, buell is going to alienate the entire "beginners" culture? to make a few more bucks? i'm confused because i don't see anything on their website that is new so they've basically just dropped this bike. i've never ridden one but you'd think there was a reason that most msf courses used this bike. wow. i'm just blown away.  nothing else in buell's stable even remotely comes close to saying, "pick me for your first bike, i'm newbie friendly". 

You can't expect him to do anyone any favors. It was cool that he made the bikes for so long, but if he didn't want to make them anymore, then that's pretty much all there is to it. It wasn't ever his responsibility to make bikes for beginners, and there's plenty of other bikes out there to replace them in MSF courses.

Now that the beginners 500 is out, they need to get onto making a serious 600cc bike, preferable 650-675 like the other street bikes around, even a 750 would be awesome. Just something smaller than a 900-1200.

Maybe he will make a beginner bike that does not have a big bore Vtwin mill with only one jug and a block off plate like some cheesy unfunded prototype mockup. A short stroke counterbalance single maybe. Or maybe a real r500 vtwin with say 30-35 hp low rpm hp.

Larger version of virago 535.

Maybe he doesnt care about entty in to AHrley line and wil make 90 hp 500 screamer. Half a bmw r100ss.  Rroom to grow to 125 hp.

Harley is acknowledging gap in their product and bringing xr1200 stateside.  That they made it in the first place is encouraging.

HArley knows what they are doing. They make the things they make because of their market research which tells them thats where the money is.

i guess i'm just confused about how a company can make a product for so long, one that even they say is a great product and even still sells and just to decide to up and all out scrap it.