.....and if so, why? If not, why? This ought to be interesting but I need to know other's opinion about this manufacturer.
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.....and if so, why? If not, why? This ought to be interesting but I need to know other's opinion about this manufacturer.
Sure I like HD bikes. I like all bikes actually. If it has 2 wheels and a motor it usually makes me smile. I've owned a bunch of Harley bikes and still have one in the garage.
What I don't like about the manufacturer is that they are still trying to sell bikes based on being an American icon yet they now have a manufacturing plant in India and many of their parts, accessories and clothing come from China. If you want to claim American heritage then don't sell out. Also, I'm not into the Harley lifestyle and herd mentality that many Harley owners seem to flock too.
I love Harleys from Shovels on back. The new ones... :shrug: no dig for me. I guess I am an old breed Harley man. Although I had 2 Evo's, a Shovel and a 883 Snorty. Nice bikes.... :shrug: too much to clean, too many gaskets and O-rings , best for a tinker man. I'd buy another Shovel right now :yes:
My best friend rides a 2006 Roadking. Funny, I always ask him to let me put some fishtails on it and maybe some new handlebars. :icon_lol:
I consider myself a Harley guy and after 20 years of Harley riding I have sold both my HD bikes and only have the F6B. They are beautiful, but honestly we were ready for quiet smooth touring. I never dressed like a pirate anyway so I don't have tons of HD clothes to give away :)
I think Harleys are beautiful machines. Nobody but nobody can apply paint like Harley can. I have never owned one and now that I'm getting older, I probably never will. Nothing against the machines, just never shopped for one for some reason.
Yes and I like the smell of leather in the feel of boots!
If it has 2 wheels its worth a ride. In my 40+ years on the street most have been on Harleys. In my opinion Harley thinks they are the only one building bikes. If they gave me a descent trade in price I probably would have never looked any further.
Now that I did buy the F6B I will probably never look back. I sold my Ultra and thinking of selling my Fatboy. The F6B to me is in a class of its own and Harley just doesnt realize that they are missing the mark.
The wise investor puts their hard earned money into a product they can spend a lot of time riding comfortably. I can not ride a Harley any where comfortably.
sure I love Harleys too, and just traded our "13 Ultra Limited 110th Annniv. bike on our F6B deluxe. I have had probably more Harleys than others, though at least 4 wings and 3 ST's etc. Twenty odd years ago touring the factory in York, the boxes all over the place read made in Taiwan, I guess now they can save in China, just didn't enjoy the last one so much or the "09 before it, with a Vic. Vision in between. In retrospect, I would probably go back a long way if buying Harley today, they can't duplicate the original with what they make today, or replicate the nostalgia that gave them the popularity that they are trying to retain, and how long will that last with doctors lawyers and fantasizers in pirate wear? D.
I tend to agree with some of the above posts also..Harley does a great job of painting and chrome, but the engines leave a lot to be desired in my opinion...The all look alike and sound alike and I have never been one to join the "good ole boys club" and ride to the local dealer park my bike and spend all afternoon talking about how "great HD's" are...Too each his own, as they say, and I choose to ride a Honda F6B and "blow-away" HD's when the opportunity arises...Even at my ripe old age (74) it is still kinda fun to hit the gas!!!!
HD makes a fine motorcycle. The motor company just could never check all the boxes that I wanted in a motorcycle. I could never frown that much and put on all the funny motor clothes. I like the Dudes with imported cars and trucks with Harley Davidson front tags. Now HD has the 500/750 water cooled Dot Head Model. Oh for the North American market the Indian (country) parts are assembled in The USA. :cheers:
I have had many. Rode them when they weren't popular. Had some bad experiences with shovelheads and still loved the lope.
I guess it's been a love/ hate relationship. I have learned to never say never. Right now, I love my F6B and that's a good thing !!
I had my share of HDs, didn't wear pirate outfits and building trikes one test of a Goldwing and I was sold. Owned a GL1500 trike for 6 years before selling it. If I get a better job and my finances improve I may build myself another Wing trike.
Been riding for 40yrs, Harley has the best paint job on the market, But thats all they have NOW..
I love their looks but have always been afraid to buy one because of the mechanical issues I hear that they have and the roasting heat I hear that they generate.
I like 'em all.
I buy which ever bike fits my needs at the time.
Maybe some day that will be a HD. Maybe not. :shrug:
Love the fact that they are an American based company.:yes:
Disappointed that the products they make don't have what I need in a motorcycle.:no:
Ditto for the two Polaris bike brands.:icon_frown:
Had a 13roadglide. Nice looking bike And I thought it was a nice riding bike coming off a 2000 yamaha roadstar. Until the electrical problems set in 4-5 times in the shop in less than 1 years and 10,000 miles. So I went and test drove the f6 and bought the bike I looked at last summer and should have bought. If I test drove the f6 last year I would have never even went to the hd dealer that day. Gotta agree with other. Nice paint and chrome
I had a Street Bob that I was pretty happy with but I thought the Street Glide would be the ultimate. I was wrong. I got an 07 and it handled like crap, stopped like crap and was in the shop over and over. Engine had to be rebuilt at 35k. I traded it in on the F6B as soon as I paid it down enough to get it financed. But as fun and comfy as the F6B is, I missed the feel of a paint shaker between my legs. I always wanted a Sportster so I picked up a used one and I love it! Now I have the best of both worlds (for me). Most of my riding is with HOG since I made so many friends over the last few years. I ride the F6B all week to work and ride the Sporty on the weekends. I think I'm good to go, for a while at least!
:icon_mrgreen:
Never been a HD fan, never really understood why they were so expensive. They always seemed to me to be underpowered, underdeveloped, unreliable and uncomfortable.
Well I have never understood the concept of being a Harley only advocate...anymore than I understand being a one beer brand kind of person....variety is the spice of life and all that.
I would even agree with some of the above comments relating to the cost etc. I mean HD was/is as much about branding and marketing as it was/is about bikes. They sold a lifestyle and anyone that wants to by into it....who am I to criticize.
However after running an 88 evo powered heritage for a number of years (back and forth and around the continent) I can say that the bikes when not tinkered with (too much) are as solid as tractors....and about as comfortable:icon_lol:with paint and chrome...at least from that era that goes on for ever. Tough machines until people start tinkering with things better off left alone. I think the biggest downfall to the HD brand is people that don't have the know how messing with perfectly working machines till they don't work and then blaming it on the brand. I have seen quite a bit of that...and I am not one to defend HD or any other make.
tink
Very true! /\ /\ /\ /\
I know, right? I buy American wherever I can (I exclusively buy American cars, for instance) but buying American in motorcycles means cruisers or exclusive sport bikes. Huge expanses of unaddressed market needs by Polaris and Harley. Ah, I could go on but why bother.:shrug:
Sure. My first two bikes were harleys. Just don't feel the need to buy another. There are better motorcycles out there.
Likes:
I like the way they look
I like the way they fit me
I like the interchangeability (not sure if thats correct)
I like the gas mileage
I like the way they lope, as long as the exhaust isn't too loud
Dislikes:
I hate the dealers
I hate the service department
I hate the suspension
I hate the amount of money I have to drop on them to make them right
Love the bike and all the history that comes with it. Great story!
I'm not crazy about how they've canned the "Harley Image" and sell it to new Harley owners.
I know, I know...ya got own one to understand it. Well, that's not going to happen. :yikes:Had the not so fun pleasure of riding (the soon to be Father in-laws) Ultra Classic Electra Glide from Houston to Amarillo and back in July. Nope never again. I vibrated for 2 weeks after that and had night sweats from the leftover heat stored in my ass!!!!
but then again....that's me!
Flame away Harleys...I've got fireproof shorts on!
As a reformed Harley rider, (I owned over 50 harleys in the past 40 years) I finally figgured it out. Come on guys, who builds a air cooled, vee twin, push rod motor today to compete in the real world market? Honestly the big bore, long stroke, slow turn motor design is over a hundred years old. The bikes are slow, heavy and ill handling by today's standards. Not to mention over priced. Please don't misunderstand, I don't dislike them and I think from a business standpoint the "Company" has done a remarkable job in selling the image and the lifestyle.
This much I do know; if I am riding across this country on a bike, I'll pick the Honda over the Harley any and every day. When I rode Harley's a 400 mile day was a killer, today on the Honda, 1000 mile days are a killer.
You clearly just don't get the Harley mystique.:shock: Harleys have a soul.:yikes: They are the only inanimate object that has one. It's true, it's true, because a bunch of current Harley riders told me so and that's how they are able to tell the difference between their bike any anything that's not a Harley.
:icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol::icon_lol: :icon_lol:
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I agree with everything he said and yes, I love my Harley's, but this bike is exceptional. My local HD dealer in Boerne at Javelina, cringes every time I ride it onto the lot to visit with my HD buddies. Most of the guys I ride with are Harley owners, and they all are in the rear view mirror when it's time to giddy-up!!!:stirthepot:
I guess it is the heat issues, price, and mechanical failures that have stopped me from taking the plunge. I just loved, loved, loved the look of the 2013 Road King Classic in pearl white. That, to me, is the quintessential image of a motorcycle.
I like the history, the look, the customabilty but the sound has actually become a bit annoying, every time I hear a H-D I think of the South Park Episode "FAG" and it just make me laugh, now granted I still own an 84 Softail
Harley has Fantastic Paint Jobs and their Fit and Finish is top notch for sure, and I am sure nobody will argue that Harley marketing is one of the best in any business.
I bought $21,000 worth of HD t-shirts.......and a bike came with it. :icon_mrgreen: My 07 Ultra was a great bike. However, the F6B is my all-time favorite.
I wouldn't mind adding the STREET 750 to my garage though. :biggthumpup: