Topic: 71 CB500 vs Harley Road King

[stevenmgrr]

No not really.  But yesterday, at a stop light, a Harley rider pulled up next to me and jokingly asked, "wanna race"?  I smiled and nodded and then focused back on the light.  Obviously he and his Harley partner rider were making fun of my little CB500, but as I pulled away, I wondered; 450 lbs vs 800 lbs;  50 hp vs 62 hp.  I don't know what the top end of a Road King is, but with those stats, might I be able to take him off the line and for a few blocks?

[KingCustomCycles.com]

And then some.  I did drag race a softail awhile back with my 81 CB750F SS.  I don't know what ever happened to him back there.    I have had 2 Hardly Davidsons and neither did much except turn cash into noise.

[stevenmgrr]

And then some. 

Thanks, KCC.  That is what I was thinking.  While I know that I am no match for a modern sportbike, I thought I might be able to hold my own against that Harley guy.  I wonder what his face would have looked like pulling up in my wake at the next light.       

[tbpmusic]

I have had 2 Hardly Davidsons and neither did much except turn cash into noise.

yuk, yuk - kinda like my wifey

bill2

[TwoTired]

From published Data:

Harley Road King Classic
Quarter-mile acceleration: 13.74 sec., 93.8 mph
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/leather_baggers_comparison/index.html

CB500 Four
Quarter-mile acceleration: 14.74 sec., 88.23 mph
...From old magazine test data

A lot will depend on the rider, though.

I know I left a Harley Hot Rod braggart behind, with mouth agape, back in 1975.
I had practiced, he hadn't.

He was my neighbor and he stopped sneering at my 550 after that.
Refused a rematch, too.

Cheers,

[eldar]

Oddly enough, I have never had a harley try to race me. Either they know better or no one much cares around here to race.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Steven,

Us Harley guys like to play with our engines just like us Honda guys do.

2003 Fat Boy injected. Was 58hp (dyno specs before) at 88ci. Altitude 6480 ft. Now 84hp/94ftlb at 95ci, cam, intake and exhaust mods, race tuner module and dyno set up.

Have fun but don't make a bet! 

[WFO]

Harley folks think there bike can do anything truth is they are not that fast ( just loud) unless modified, what i find funny is every single harley rider looks like they bought every gawd dam accessory the shop offered it must take them 20  minutes to get ready for a 5 minute putt and 10 times out of 10 they have a harley tee shirt on it never fails. It seems for some folks riding is more of a show than for the pure fun of riding and it seems everybody and their granmothers have harleys.

[Steve F]

Steven,

Us Harley guys like to play with our engines just like us Honda guys do.

2003 Fat Boy injected. Was 58hp (dyno specs before) at 88ci. Altitude 6480 ft. Now 84hp/94ftlb at 95ci, cam, intake and exhaust mods, race tuner module and dyno set up.

Have fun but don't make a bet! 

88ci. to make 58hp is really very pathetic.  88ci. = 1442cc or like the equivalent to 2.88 CB500's, or 2.62 CB550's, or 1.92 CB750's
Even at 95ci, it's 1940's technology at work, trying to keep up with the rest of the world. 

[friedfish80]

Steven,

Us Harley guys like to play with our engines just like us Honda guys do.

2003 Fat Boy injected. Was 58hp (dyno specs before) at 88ci. Altitude 6480 ft. Now 84hp/94ftlb at 95ci, cam, intake and exhaust mods, race tuner module and dyno set up.

Have fun but don't make a bet! 

88ci. to make 58hp is really very pathetic.  88ci. = 1442cc or like the equivalent to 2.88 CB500's, or 2.62 CB550's, or 1.92 CB750's
Even at 95ci, it's 1940's technology at work, trying to keep up with the rest of the world. 

AMEN BROTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!

[OldSchool_IsCool]

I haven't been a rider for long just three or four years,  but I can usually tell by the Harley rider's swagger if they are the genuine article or just another software engineer posing as the genuine article.

I suppose that's because I'm a software engineer posing as a SOHC/4 Honda genuine article!    But at least I'm wrenching it myself and not paying $120 for an oil change!

[Ichiban 4]

I would make a bet on a good running stock 550 versus a stock Fat Boy, Dyna Glide, et al.  For an 1/8th mile stretch..the extra weight (as in power to weight ratio) of any big Harley (excluding Sportsters or Buells) takes longer to get rolling than either a 500 or 750.

Jerry: how would you rate the acceleration of your 750 (actually 800 isn't it?) over your Harley?   Note: I'm not saying anything here about top speed or cruising speeds..but on your 750 I'd think it would be respectable.

Hello..I left many a Harley @ stoplights with my old (new then) 450 twin.   More recently have left several @ stoplights/from standing start with my current 550..although I guess I'm getting a little too old for that stuff nowadays.

I personally feel that one of the reasons Honda dominated the bike market for so long..after the intro of the 750 4..was precisely due to the fact that they out performed the much bigger and heavier Harley's and other bikes of the time.

So..I guess the moral of my story here is: don't underestimate the performance capabilities of these old SOHC 4's..if they're running reasonably well.  [And don't be intimidated by all the bravado and/or bullsh!t you see coming from some Harley riders].

Ichi

[Sam Green Racing]

From published Data:

Harley Road King Classic
Quarter-mile acceleration: 13.74 sec., 93.8 mph
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/leather_baggers_comparison/index.html


Cheers,

Even my RS175 (134cc) Honda is faster than that Hardley.  13.4 sec @102mph

[Steve F]

From published Data:

Harley Road King Classic
Quarter-mile acceleration: 13.74 sec., 93.8 mph
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/leather_baggers_comparison/index.html


Cheers,

       

Even my RS175 (134cc) Honda is faster than that Hardley.  13.4 sec @102mph

[stevenmgrr]

If I was on 'Pinks', I would now own a Road King and a 'Glide.   It would have been an interesting race.

[m00ntan]

Hmmm, never seen a Harley kick it down to 7K RPM and shoot the twisties on compression.  If I want to drag, I drive the Buick.

[Sam Green Racing]

From published Data:

Harley Road King Classic
Quarter-mile acceleration: 13.74 sec., 93.8 mph
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/leather_baggers_comparison/index.html


Cheers,

       

Even my RS175 (134cc) Honda is faster than that Hardley.  13.4 sec @102mph

Should be in the 12s Steve, when I get the nitrous sorted out

Sam.

[Sam Green Racing]

Sam.

[bender01]

Ive driven away from them on my 550k but im assuming they just want to hear something different than the same old noise.

[jbailey]

I have been around long enough to make an observation.  Most Harley owner's really don't want to ride a motorcycle, they just want to be seen with one.  That would of course apply to any poser no matter what they choose to "ride".

[edbikerii]

I'm extremely suspicious of the Road King performance claims.  I believe that they are overstated.  I've rented a 2008 model of this bike, and found it to be quite disappointing in the performance department.  Top speed of barely 105 mph indicated, and it takes forever to get there.  I really just don't believe that the stock Road King is capable of attaining greater than 93 mph wihin a quarter mile.

Granted, the Road King I rented may not have been properly maintained or something, but really it was quite a slow pig compared to my CB550K.

Well, either that, or my pod air filters, MAC exhaust and rejetting have paid off more than expected!

From published Data:

Harley Road King Classic
Quarter-mile acceleration: 13.74 sec., 93.8 mph
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/leather_baggers_comparison/index.html

CB500 Four
Quarter-mile acceleration: 14.74 sec., 88.23 mph
...From old magazine test data

A lot will depend on the rider, though.

I know I left a Harley Hot Rod braggart behind, with mouth agape, back in 1975.
I had practiced, he hadn't.

He was my neighbor and he stopped sneering at my 550 after that.
Refused a rematch, too.

Cheers,

[alltherightpills]

Sam, was that you or the Stig drag racing there?

[Jay B]

I've got both, a '77 550 and a '01 Road King. They are quite different animals. As far as a drag, I don't know, my HD doesn't feel as fast, but it's got one heck of a lot of torque. Never had it over 80, for me that's not what that bike is for. I agree though about the poser thing. I just love bikes in all their shapes and forms, I'd be fine with riding my Honda to a HD rally or vice versa.

[Sam Green Racing]

Sam, was that you or the Stig drag racing there?

You've been watching to much TV that guy is an imposter, he thinks he's me

Sam.

[alltherightpills]

Ha Ha, us Yanks don't get to watch Top Gear on the TV.  I have to watch it in 9 minute increments on youtube before the BBC takes the vids down because of "copyright infringement."