Harley Davidson...!

All black, too...
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Don't tell me Carol got a bike!

 

LOL...!!!

 

I see the black S-Type from the MG Midget thread, and Carbon's convertible. My guess is that Carb got an all-black Harley so he can work his way up to 134282...the Sebring will be kept at Gerald's until 134282 works its way in Carbon's garage, at which point the Sebring will go for good.

 

LOL...! If i ever get another bike, it will either Japanese or Italian - no Harleys for me... But this one is really nice; all black too, i love it... This belongs to a friend... Oh, and the garage isn't mine...

 

...and neither is the S Type...

 

That bike has a little age on it. My guess is a 88, or 89 low rider. Get a Harley and live a little.

 

Thank God, I thought you had lost your mind for a second. To be so enamored with the Enzo and lower yourself to ride that lawn mower. Step away from the paint shaker and go back to the Italian machinery.

 

Robert, i don't know much about bikes, but i thought it looked great - especially now, since you surmise that it might be from the '80s...

LOL... Bikes and cars are two totally different animals, but for a bike, i would still only go Italian or Japanese...

 

Eh, it's all right. Then again, I still haven't recovered from seeing, let alone hearing 50,000 Harleys during Rampage weekend.

 

There is something retro-appealing about Harleys, and some of them are done tastefully. But, i'm not convinced that you can get a modern ride out of them. I know people say, "yeah- it ain't a jap bike, it's not meant to be, it's not a crotch rocket, it's not meant for popping wheelies or tippies,etc." but frankly, that's a red herring. I have the most "modern" Harley, a V-Rod, and frankly, the stock brakes had no stopping power- i mounted Brembos, yes, now the bike stops better, but i can feel the bars flex when i do. It's a big heavy bike that looks cool, makes good noise, and feels pretty nice cruising on the highway, or on a B road with sweepers.
By comparison, the Moto Guzzi, which is almost as big, but lighter, tracks like a sports bike, has low-end grunt, is far more comfortable to ride, and you can buy the best- with Ohlins suspension, Brembos, etc. for less than a stripped Harley. By comparison to the Harley, riding it is an entirely different experience- sort of like the difference between a huge 60's American car with no road feel, squishy suspension, and alot of extra mass vs. driving a BMW 3 series, or M3 (the point i'm making has less to do with outright "performance" in the racing sense than with the attributes of involvement in the drive/ride, a feeling of positive feedback, control, etc., all the sensations that make a drive/ride enjoyable). I'm able to ride at a level that is just not possible on the Harley- and i'm not bragging about my skills, it's just a fact.
I know there is a cult about Harley- i have huge respect for vintage bikes, but i'm starting to see the same brain washing among their afficianados as I see with lux SUV lovers- there is no rational reason for them, but their owners will defend them to the death. Given the variety of experiences i have enjoyed with motorcycles so far, i might even go so far as to try one of those hardcore sportsbikes eventually. It's amazing how advanced motorcycles have gotten since WW2!

 

cute Harley. I am especially fond of the twisted spokes. It's probably a good long range cruiser, with the "conventional", (not soft tail style) rear suspension.
Here's the thing most don't realize. It's the reason why folks defend a clearly inferior product that Harley is. It's the riding experience they give. That's right; knocks bangs, "potato, potato, potato" sound. If it ran too smooth, it would be a less enjoyable experience to the owners. No, I don't currently own a Harley, (but I have in the past).
As most in this forum know, I enjoy my Yamha R1. Totally different kind of bike; but, I can understand the passion. Enjoy all, ride safely.

 

My coroporate HQ is in Milwaukee, so we often take customers on a tour of the HD engne plant there. Our company is extremely high tech, so walking through the doors here is like stepping back in time 50 years.

My favorite stop was one of the "quality assurance" stations. The guy running it was SO proud that HD had added this QA step to the manufacturing process and noted that they had experienced a significant reduction in warranty work simple implementing it.

The process? He would get a rack of parts, pick them off the rack one at a time, hold them up against an outline drawn on a board, and WHACK THEM WITH A HAMMER until they visually matched the outline. THESE WERE INTERNAL ENGINE PARTS!

In my opinion, riding a HD is akin to driving a mid-50's pickup or target shooting with a mil-spec 45. No precision in anything (and no comparison to any modern alternatives), but the experience is still enjoyable.

Bill

 

They sell over 400,000 bikes a year. People love the one potato, ..two potato....exhaust. They are a comfy ride.

 

Anybody want to congratulate me on keeping my gob shut on this thread?

 

Congratulations!

 

If you think the new ones suck, ride my 57 pan/shovel rigid and let me tell you that is on rough ride. Still cool.

 

Trying.......to.......resist........

 

I've been riding the **** out of my new Moto Guzzi le mans, including a nice little 100 mile jaunt this morning. But tonite, just for kicks, i took the V-Rod down to the next town to meet my wife for an early dinner- the sun was still shining on the river, it was cool and dry. That ****in bike sounds so good, you sit sooo low in the saddle, and you are pimpin' all the way- of course, it helps to have about thirty lbs. of chrome on it,


NB. THis one is not mine, but it's very similar. I can go take a good pic of mine and post it, but this gives you the idea. OK, i just ran out to the garage and took a pic of mine, which is also shown below.
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That black sport bike doesn't help me any... i'm seriously considering getting rid of my car in a few months and getting a bike...

 

Nice bike, man in black the harley looks great. along with most things. Black just looks good on things

 

So what the ****s up with that half face helmet? Don't tell me the Harley guys convinced you that you were "too cool" to wear gear?

 

Jason, go back and read all the posts... It's not my bike... It belongs to a friend who brought it by after just purchasing it... i couldn't pass up the opportunity to take pictures...

 

Ok well then I'm referring to your friend.

 

He's been into bikes for many years... i'm sure he's got a pretty good understanding of what he's doing and what he SHOULD be doing and the difference between the two... Thanks for your comments, though...