Should You Buy a New Harley Davidson

Dino, not so. Check out the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club! There are many, many vintage metrics "out there", still running as well as
the day they where purchased!

R Matson wrote:

So many negative comments...? Sorry you losers cant afford a real motorcycle. Harley Davidson history speaks for itself. Resale... < no rice burner can touch a Harley here. Move to Japan and shut the f@c! up!

Oh, pray tell, what is a REAL motorcycle to you? One that 1. Doesn't handle
2. Doesn't go
3. Doesn't stop.
4. Vibrates your nuts off.[if you have any, that is...]
5. Unreliable
6. Sounds like a marine tender boat ['30's vintage at that] w/o a muffler. ETC. ETC. ETC.

YOU DO KNOW WHAT THEY SAY, DON'T YOU??
" IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT... FAKE IT! AND IF IT WON'T GO; CHROME IT!! Whoever coined that phrase MUST HAVE been looking at a hog.
Definitely riders truly are 'cruisers in life'. aka 'also rans'. hmmmm....

Hey Tito..... I'M BA-A-A-A-A-C-K....!!!

Irover wrote:

Dino, not so. Check out the Vintage Japanese Motorcycle Club! There are many, many vintage metrics "out there", still running as well as
the day they where purchased!

I know and I've got a neighbor that restores old jap bikes. Has some nice ones too. Several 305 Hondas.
Don't get the idea that I am strictly a Harley person. I appreciate all bikes. I prefer my Harley over anything I've had to date. I've owned and put a lot of miles on Hondas, Yamahas, etc. I still own a Yamaha and a Kawasaki. I don't ride them. The HD is the one that gets ridden 300+ miles a week...

Ray wrote:

<quoted text>no thanks. i will stick with the american icon. i like to keep my money in my own country. i will not pour money into another countries ecomomy, just seems unamerican to me.

I've done a lot of EVO service work, Harley is assembled in the U.S., not made here!..A conglomeration of world parts(this is good!)When Harley made all their own stuff, it was very poor, these quality foreign parts assembled here is wise...

Dino, what I cant understand is what is so god awful
terrible about putting a radiator on a Harley ???
The classic vtwin config is preserved, just runs
sooo much cooler and longer ???

Irover wrote:

Dino, what I cant understand is what is so god awful
terrible about putting a radiator on a Harley ???
The classic vtwin config is preserved, just runs
sooo much cooler and longer ???

Personal opinion only here. I don't care for the look. Just my 2-cents...

I've had liquid cooled bikes. They don't seem to cool all that great (1983 Honda 750 Interceptor) Couldn't keep that thing from cooking. V4 engine boiled all the time. There are people that prefer it. EPA will be mandating it soon too.

Bought my wife a Kawasaki 500 Vulcan for Christmas. Liquid cooled. Cold blooded and runs real lean. Even once the fans come on, its hard to keep it running off idle.

Its about the right era, Nixon & Agnew, and the
Silent Majority.

MyLife wrote:

<quoted text>Thanks. I love my H-D! No complaints at all... even with some heat in traffic on a 100 degree day or stretching cables and oil stains near my dipstick. I think I'll be putting in the new Baker DD7 next spring to get rid of the clunk and I will be doing a Stage I when I decide what exhaust, air cleaner, and ECM I really like. Up here at 6000 feet, the power is down on all my vehicles.
I've always wondered if "FTW" is "F^@K the World" or "For the Win"

Baker DD-7? Seems like a 7-speed, you'd spend more time shifting than anything else. I'd prefer a 4-speed...

I have an HD UG Classic 2008 and it heats up like like hell on a summer day. I am thinking of returning it after 6k miles. It just started doing this so I think it is poor engineering. I think in order to cool it off one would need to spend lots of cash on it and I bet there is still a problem after that. Don't get me wrong, I love the ride but it does get freaking hot. I been dicked by the dealer and for the amount of money I am paying it is not just to have to deal with the heat.

Well, TitoFTW, another screwed 08 buyer. Still think
HD does not have major heat problems with 08 engines? Harley knew in 07 about the problem and
continues to SCREW the public.....

Yeah, I read the article a month or two ago. Baker makes good stuff. I've got some of their parts in my transmission...

I'm waiting on the Baker DD-15...LOL

7-speeds really seems like a lot of shifting. What would make more sense to me, is a CVT...

Dino wrote:

<quoted text>
Baker DD-7? Seems like a 7-speed, you'd spend more time shifting than anything else. I'd prefer a 4-speed...

Amen to that brother. I loved my four speed tranny in my old shovel.

Dr Pepper wrote:

<quoted text>
Amen to that brother. I loved my four speed tranny in my old shovel.

Yeah, it worked just fine in my Ironhead...

Ya know, I love my Harley and wouldn't ride anything else but I get tired of the Company trying to suck every nickel they can out of my deflated wallet. I mean, 12 hundred dollars (give or take) for a "true dual" exhaust system, accesory coordinators at the dealerships, 13 dollars for an oil filter, 25 to 50 dollars for a t-shirt...enoughs enough. My '03 Electra Glide Standard is bone stock as it came from the factory. I refuse to get ripped off (any more)buying $hit I don't need at stupidly inflated prices.

I bought a 2008 Road King back in May. I love the bike. As far as engine heat, while "moving" there is no problem.Not enough heat to burn you leg unless u rest it right on the head, and who is stupid enough to do that? But in traffic the rear head gets pretty hot.(what do you expect from air cooled bike?) My 1999 Heritage was hot too, and that was before they leaned them out for emissions like the bikes today. But on the 08 models, if you roll the throttle forward you can engage a shut off for the rear cylinder. Problem solved! I personally don't like some of the changes in the 2009 models. I think the exhaust going under the bike looks like an abortion, and the heat comes more off the read head to the driver not the exhaust. And they took the shake out of the bike at idle,well if I wanted that I would have bought a Honda. But the fat tire is kind of nice, but I am very happy with my 08. I have 9000 miles on it in 3 months and I never burned my leg through my jeans.

Dr Pepper wrote:

Ya know, I love my Harley and wouldn't ride anything else but I get tired of the Company trying to suck every nickel they can out of my deflated wallet. I mean, 12 hundred dollars (give or take) for a "true dual" exhaust system, accesory coordinators at the dealerships, 13 dollars for an oil filter, 25 to 50 dollars for a t-shirt...enoughs enough. My '03 Electra Glide Standard is bone stock as it came from the factory. I refuse to get ripped off (any more)buying $hit I don't need at stupidly inflated prices.

I can't agree more on the part about the stealers ripping people off. Find a good independent shop and give them your business. They'll remember you, treat you right and give you much better service and prices on parts.

I've got a great indy I go to for parts and any work I can't handle. Even if I don't have the necessary tools or equipment, they've let me use their lifts and tools to do the work myself.

I get a real good deal, as far as I'm concerned, on parts and labor. Been dealing with Villian's in Pasadena, CA for over 5 years now. Jose and the guys are great!

As a first time motorcycle buyer, and having tried HDs, Hondas, Kawasaakis, etc. HDs were nice bikes, but the prices far outreached thier true quality. Honda and the others were very much in par with them and I could not reason to simply by a name. If that was the case then I would own a Cadalliac, Mossberg, HP, Pulan etc, do your research on your products. You will find that there are way to many excellent products for a much better price. After all have you seen what type of fake leather saddlebags some people have on their HDs, go figure. They are not worth the money nor the maintenance.

As I've happened upon this site by accident,sorta, and merely plucked bits and pieces to read,which is all very interesting,especially as I fabricate one off parts for MOTORCYCLES,I find that most of the posters:- eg HD owners,are full of shit. Have a severe look at yourself and see if you can decide who is a staunch tough cu*t or not. Most HARLEY HEAVIES etc that I've come across over the years ,are actually FULL OF SHIT. Potato,Potato bro!!

I have owned several types, Honda, Suzuki, Yahama, Kawasaki, Harley Davidson, yep the Harley costs more up front and accessories are pretty costly, but its like a BMW and Ford Focus, you should have all that stuff figured out up front on what you want in a scooter. I own several bikes that sit in the garage together and when I ride I choose the Harley Softail, dont even want to get on the others, just my preference I guess and its like I have heard, once you ride a Harley you wont go back to the others.

Harleys, Harleys, Harleys .........

What do you call a group of Harley Owners with a collective IQ of 120?
Sturgis !

You're a f**g idiot! I own both a Yamaha and a HD. The electronics on the Yamaha are a laughing matter that I'll not go into, however, suffice to say, I'll take the HD any day and twice on Sunday!

I'm guessing that you must have some type of superiority complex, being afraid of anyone who wears more leather than your mother! If you had the IQ of 120, you'd probably know that most "cagers" don't watch for motorcyclists while driving causing several of us to "ride the asphalt" due to their stupidity and laziness. Get the facts, and get a clue. If you're going to be an international idiot, at least have some class.