Topic: Harley & Honda *Side By Side*

[jbailey]

   I think most Harleys are good looking, but few stand out.  The XR1200 and Vrod really stand out.  A Harley with a Porsche engineered motor, I can't believe they don't sell more of them.

Sadly that is the problem.  Every time Harley tries to do something new or innovative, the "real" Harley guys all turn their backs on it.  It either doesn't look or sound "right" so it doesn't sell to the established customers.  Harley produces what sells, and what most Harley buyers want is nostalgia.

[Zaipai]

Just to throw my .02 cents in.. I have ridden many bikes.. This is a list of bikes I love and would love to own again. I do not include my 550 in this list as this is the first one I have owned and have not taken it much past a block from my house... so it could change later..

1.) 72 Honda CB750F
2.) 80 Yamaha 650 Special
3.) 70 something Triumph 650
4.) 09 Harley V-Rod (My neighbour owns one and lets me drive it from time to time)
5.) 84 Honda VT750

That said, I love bikes, so really if it runs good and is reliable I am happy.. I think you have 2 nice well kept bikes and should be proud to have them.

[kerryb]

I love all my bikes!  Each has its own personality and rewards for riding.  maybe the next project will get to be included in this group.  And if they all look the same, you're not really looking.

[Industrial Cafe]

I think it's the tank that makes them all look the same.
 they put the same tear drop gas tank on every bike.

and those hideous fender brace things on the back BARF.

JMO

[kslrr]

I think it's the tank that makes them all look the same.
 they put the same tear drop gas tank on every bike.

No they don't.  The Softtail custom is different than the Sportster Custom which is different than the Sportster standard which is different than the Dina which is different than the Softtail Heritage, etc.

[Industrial Cafe]

I just googled all those examples, they were all boring and looked the same.

I swear it took me so long to reply to this cause I fell asleep from the sheer boredom that Harley bring to me.


once again, just my opinion

[754]

Gezz, not like all the sportbikes look the same.. Oh, I forgot.. they do all look a lot alike..

jbailey, its not like there is a big  bunch of HD riders sitting, waiting for something a lot different.. They like and buy what they have made for a long time. Its easy to say, this or that would be better, but it does not mean they will run out and buy it.. If they want to buy European, Japanese or Italian, they are out there. The Japanese have been building "better" cruisers for a long time.. did it dent Harleys business?
 
 bill 440,
 Its mostly longer wheelbaase and rake that does that. Its a bike made in a land of long highways and open spaces.

[Frankenkit]

Bikes are bikes.  Brand loyalty is fine, but really, there is a bike to suit just about any personality out there, and for anyone to trash talk a particular brand because it doesn't fit their style is sort of dumb.  I think crotch rockets and cafe racers are uncomfortable looking torture rack suicide machines, but there are hundreds of people on this forum who want to slap clubmans on every bike they own, and that's their right.  I really like X's sporty, but if I were going to go with a v-twin, I would probably consider a shadow or somesuch because of the price point... unless I luck out and find a $3,000, 3 y.o. sporty, too.  

[MickeyX]

Well, having grown up riding on all kinds of metric bikes since I was 4yo and then getting my first road bike at 19yo, I tried all kinds of bikes back then. Took anything under 1000cc for a test. I fell in love with an '89 sporty, slightly used. It was a great bike and I never had a problem with it until I got run over by a cager. I had a couple of guys I worked with put it back together and sold it to another guy I worked with afterwards. He rode it all year 'round in PA, snow and all, for about 10 yrs and finally traded it in 5 years ago for a 1200cc sporty. It held up through all kinds of stuff and was reliable all the way. I came across a good deal on a 2006 sporty last year. I wasn't looking for a HD in particular, actually I was looking for a newer Honda. I'm glad I bought it though. It's been a perfect runner, strong machine and is the style of ride I wanted for my purpose. It doesn't hurt that I can get much more for it right now than what I paid a year ago without putting any $$ into it. I like my Honda too, but it's for a different type of riding being a 350 twin. Both are good bikes and that's all I care about. I wouldn't have bothered to buy something I thought was total junk just for a name. I don't have that kind of $$ just lying around. I bought what I like. Just like you did. Putting it down won't make me run right out and toss it on the junk pile. I pretty much like all bikes. 

I don't like all riders, though. 

[jordanp]

I don't mind harleys...learned to ride street on a sporty...but Ive never heard anyone describe any harley as "lean" haha!

[Retro Rocket]

I love all my bikes!  Each has its own personality and rewards for riding.  maybe the next project will get to be included in this group.  And if they all look the same, you're not really looking.

Hi Kerry, hows that bottom bike going mate, the rigid 750 ?

Mick

[traveler]

I love my Harley.  Not much on it is original.  I bought it new in 2005...



~Joe

[kerryb]

Mick...as for the rigid 750... life, the universe, and everything, got in the way for a while.  I should get back to it soon.

thanks for asking.
Kerry

[dave500]

i love riding,,i love riding my old 500,probably more now its painted,,im with shellfish,,i can park next to new bikes of all sorts at some stop where groups of like minded gather,shiney new and late bikes of all makes and types and still one or two people will wander over and talk to me about it,same getting petrol,a bloke in a car will say how he had one or something,,and as for harleys bill440,yeah ,if you gotta ask you wouldnt understand so im told,they dont steer,and they do look all alike,as do any fairing clad sportsbike,triumph have gotten all modern and capable now,will harley ever develop a modern inline anything?only if its designed by someone else who has experience with other than Vtwins(or a poor dohc copy would result)its their way to remain with what sells,at least the modern Vs are getting better.

[Tnutz]

i love riding,,i love riding my old 500,probably more now its painted,,im with shellfish,,i can park next to new bikes of all sorts at some stop where groups of like minded gather,shiney new and late bikes of all makes and types and still one or two people will wander over and talk to me about it,same getting petrol,a bloke in a car will say how he had one or something,,and as for harleys bill440,yeah ,if you gotta ask you wouldnt understand so im told,they dont steer,and they do look all alike,as do any fairing clad sportsbike,triumph have gotten all modern and capable now,will harley ever develop a modern inline anything?only if its designed by someone else who has experience with other than Vtwins(or a poor dohc copy would result)its their way to remain with what sells,at least the modern Vs are getting better.

  Some people have no interest in modern 4 cylinders.  I don't like the way they make power, where it's made in the rpm band or the way they sound.  

Like Ducati....if they ever make an inline 4 cylinder you can see most of their clientel leaving the brand myself included.  Although Duc's GP machine is a v4 and the street version of their GP bike is also a v4. but v4's sound mean.  There is no reason a twin can't produce real HP and TQ #s.  the g/f's 696 twin (air cooled 2 valves per cylinder) monster makes 70HP.  My 999 (Liquid cooled 4 valve) makes 140 Crank HP with 75-80 ft lbs.  twins make power where its needed and it's smooth all the way from 3000RPM.    some of the most successful and still world champion production based racing machines have been v twins winning year after year in AMA SBK and World SBK. Hell the 1198S superbike from the dealership is 180HP with 95 ft lbs out of a twin.  It's not that it can't be done with a Twin, it's just not HD's thing. 

I should add, should your company decide to run a twin, you do get a cc advantage in WSBK. 200cc larger for twins.  It is a trade off, 4 cylinders produce crazy top speed, but twins are smoother in power delivery and easier to control leaned over and the low end grunt can propel them out of corners faster. Twins also run a weight penalty too.  But as stated,  More than acceptable HP and TQ are made from modern twins.  Modern twins are getting better... now you just learned son.  

Can you tell i have zero interest in MOST. modern inline 4's.  i say most because Yamaha was the first to try the cross plane crank design (sounds damn neat too, like a v4) and it has paid off with a WSBK championship last year with a rookie rider (damn good rider though)
makes more low end like a Twin, but screams like a traditional flat plane 4 in high rpm's.
 
all twins that did well in racing/still do.

Honda RC-51

Aprilia rsv1000R

Ducati 851, 888, 916, 996, 999, 1098, 1198

Suzuki TL1000R

[Tnutz]

hands down the best sounding modern 4 made so far. the 2009 cross plane crank r1

There is so much neat technology out there right now and the over the hill gang is so lost in the woods these days.

[Zaipai]

hands down the best sounding modern 4 made so far. the 2009 cross plane crank r1

There is so much neat technology out there right now and the over the hill gang is so lost in the woods these days.

That is correct, however looking at it down the road 10 years, its just more stuff to go wrong and parts that will be impossible to get at that time. That is one reason I like simple bikes, easy to work on, parts are usually easy to get even years down the road and electronics tend to brake sooner rather then later. Just my .02 cents worth..

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

Why'd you #$%*s attempt to turn this thread into Harley bashing??!! Geez, get over yourselves for your own sake! dhall57 posted a friendly post about loving both his bikes. What the F--- is wrong with that??!! Some of us agree. Is that a problem?? This isn't a comparison either because you just can't compare the 2 brands. Harley makes a quality product. If you don't own one or can't afford one how the hell do you think you know??!! If you can't say something nice then just stay the F--- away. I usually don't go off on this forum but some of you guys have the maturity of a 7 year old. Thanks to all you others for "tolerating" us Harley AND Honda riders. Hope to see you on the road no matter what you ride. 

[754]

I wanna go riding with Jerry... 

Maybe this year we meet up at the great white expanse...

[kslrr]

I wanna go riding with Jerry... 

Maybe this year we meet up at the great white expanse...

Me to. Pick me up in Las Vegas.

[Jerry Rxman Griffin aka MuthaF'er]

I wanna go riding with Jerry...  

Maybe this year we meet up at the great white expanse...

Seriously thinking about the Salt Frank. Would be a first for me. Only 1 day away if I'm on my HARLEY or 2 on my antique Honda which I wouldn't trust as much until I do the rebuild/restore then I couldn't afford the chance of jacking up a bike I just seriously spent 15 grand on. Guess I could trailer it behind my HARLEY. My usual yearly ride isn't planned out very far in advance and I usually work around my riding buddy's work schedule. I can be as flexible as I need be. He's much more particular about who/where/when than I am which is a main part of why we missed you the last go around. The other part was we burned up our 2 rain days before we got to the snowy turnaround in Whistler. Good chance I might be able to do both provided September is one of the rides or perhaps incorporate the Salt in our yearly trek. We can discuss this as we get farther into the year but let's not jack up this thread with the Salt. PM me with dates and event info.

[Industrial Cafe]

Gezz, not like all the sportbikes look the same.. Oh, I forgot.. they do all look a lot alike..

oh I don't really like sport bikes either they mostly all look the same too.

[Tnutz]

hands down the best sounding modern 4 made so far. the 2009 cross plane crank r1

There is so much neat technology out there right now and the over the hill gang is so lost in the woods these days.

That is correct, however looking at it down the road 10 years, its just more stuff to go wrong and parts that will be impossible to get at that time. That is one reason I like simple bikes, easy to work on, parts are usually easy to get even years down the road and electronics tend to brake sooner rather then later. Just my .02 cents worth..

so do i, but i am also young with a good job so i like to buy myself silly things that are almost un ride able for street riding, high maintenance but a blessing in the twisted parts of the world.  Can't make it anywhere without the front wheel trying to greet the sky.  *sigh* it's due for it's 20,000km maint. right away.

and hard to find parts?  not likely. thats like saying it's hard to find parts for a CBR thats from the early 2000's or 90's. 
hell i am sure this will be a standard crank design for yamaha for a long time to come.

[Tnutz]

And i think it's rediculous that people base modern twins on HD twins.   Everybody in the V twin market except HD has made leaps and bounds in the technology.

[Zaipai]

and hard to find parts?  not likely. thats like saying it's hard to find parts for a CBR thats from the early 2000's or 90's. 
hell i am sure this will be a standard crank design for yamaha for a long time to come.

No I mean the electronics, the digital speedometer etc.. Just try and find some in say 10 years.. Mostly its guys like me that like older bikes and like to work on them.. Electronics are a different beast then say brake pads etc.. At least that is what I am thinking tho.. Plus as a bike it should be simple not more complicated. Imagine trying to rewire a cruiser from today say 10 years from now..