Is F6B a keeper?

[Johncmendenhall]

Yes.

[austin_tech]

And then, there is the heft of this bike that makes it totally unmanageable on my 1/4 mile long gravel driveway. It simply won't go in gravel and I'm having to park it in my barn which is close to a blacktop road. So, as you can see, my experience with the F6B has been a total disappointment. I plan on trading it off this week as I have to have a bike that I can ride without all these problems.

Ok, I'll say it: What an ass clown! You're really disappointed that an 820 lb bike "won't go in gravel", and you have to park it in your barn? That's some funny stuff! If this isn't a joke post (which I'm sure it is), I don't think I've ever met someone with such unrealistic expectations. Come on in to my used car dealership, we'd love to talk to you!

[bigbird]

Ok, I'll say it: What an ass clown!

Is that necessary? Attack the post, not the poster.
Otherwise, this forum will deteriorate down to the level of most other forums. I don't think anyone here would want that.

[RcBtx1999]

I don't see too many guys displeased on here. Like you said the bike rides good handles like a dream and is ultra reliable. 3 year warranty , long and lean , mean and clean. Whats not too like. No one is twisting your arm. Buy another Hardley. 2nd best always keeps trying. Went to bike night Wednesday night. 600 bikes. 550 Harleys. Lot of good people stopping by asking about the B. She's long and low with lots of added chrome. I was pleased with the amount of interest she got. A die Hard Harley owner is not going to buy a Honda. It's all about appearances with some guys. Others like me just want an awesome bike. I can just say ride one.

I am that guy, had a few metric bikes over the years but had Harley's, many, many of them, still love them. I am displeased with what the Motor Company has done, after us old guys helped bail them out from their AMF folly, what has happened is the price of EVERYTHING HD has sky rocketed, and the bikes really do need quite a bit of service to stay in good shape. I'll buy another if one comes along that needs my love, but I love this F6B. Just rode the Deals Gap on it last week, laid over like a cheap date after a bottle of even cheaper wine. I was so impressed at the way the bike made my skills better than what they were on my HD's.

[RcBtx1999]

I bought a new F6B on September 10, 2014 and I have never been more disappointed with a new bike in my 35 years of riding. After 18 days of ownership, it's going to be finding a new home this week. Perhaps part of my problem is that I have always ridden sportbikes, my latest one being a 2008 Kawi ZX-14, but that is not the whole reason that I am so disappointed. I am disappointed to pay nearly $20 for a bike that has paint that will scratch at the slightest touch. I am disappointed that the helmet holder lock won't work and is going to have to be replaced and I've never even used it yet. The shorty windscreen that came standard on the bike was useless, so I bought the tall Honda windscreen. Imagine my further disappointment when I removed the front fairing pieces to install the taller windscreen and found lots of loose hardware, such as screws, that had only been started in their holes, but left untightened. And then there is that God-awful gear whine that is as annoying as hell! I bought the deluxe Honda helmet headset and right out of the box, the first time I turned it on, the left speaker buzzes like a bee in my ear. And then, there is the heft of this bike that makes it totally unmanageable on my 1/4 mile long gravel driveway. It simply won't go in gravel and I'm having to park it in my barn which is close to a blacktop road. So, as you can see, my experience with the F6B has been a total disappointment. I plan on trading it off this week as I have to have a bike that I can ride without all these problems. It's just not fun to ride! Through the years I've owned Suzukis, Kawasakis, and Yamahas... all of which have never given me a bit of trouble. This is my first Honda and it will be my last. Yes, I hate this bike and can't see it leave my garage soon enough! Honda Motors, you should be ashamed. Thanks for listening to me complain guys; I certainly wish my experience with the F6B could have been different. Peace everybody, HHB.

I'm pretty sure what the main problem here is that the bike is more than you can actually handle, have you taken a riders course or updated with an advanced course? Experienced riders whether it is an HD, Yama, Suz, BMW, Honda or Allstate Scooter can learn to negociate some gravel. The fly in the ointment comes when you are trying to ride it in sand, gravel or mud as you would on a hard top, you've got to find the friction zone on unstable surfaces and gingerly mover her along. I've been at it 49 years, and I've grabbed some front brake in gravel and landed on my chin, I've had them fall over bogged down in sand, but not just my F6B, HD's, and all the rest. You just got too much bike! You are smart to sell it and move on. For me, I've got a smile that won't quit every time I throw a leg over it.

[red dog]

finally, adequate tork adequate horse power adequate roll on power on the fwy....pulls a passenger real nice...bike makes me want to jump up and shout.......rolls real well through mountain passes .......finally got a bike out of the box that kicks ass.......pulled up alongside a pack of 15 or so hd riders heading south on the 101 out of ventura last week .......cracked the throttle and rapidly rolled on by .....watching them disappear in in my rear view mirror.....big grin on my face.....laughing and scratching as I jammed up the conejo grade.....like the doobie sing it ........ooooooohhhhhhhh rollllllinnnn down the highwayyyyyyy............no more planned obsolescence for me.....see ya later.......

[Clutch]

I'm not a gear head at all -- I leave that to my husband. I just love to ride, and a bit on the aggressive side.

I came off a Street Glide, so I'll compare the F6B to that. Here's my very simple, non-technical review ...

Between the F6B and my old Street Glide, the Street Glide wins the "Shiny Chrome" competition and the "Multitude of Accessories" competition. I suppose it also wins the "BWAAAAAAAP!" competition too.

Yay.


There are other differences:

• Not sure what the big deal is about gravel. For me, riding on gravel took some time to learn. The F6B feels like it slides more than the old Street Glide did. Of course, I had different kinds of tires on the bikes, and both bikes balance differently. I had to become accustomed to the F6B's difference in balance. It wasn't a big deal.
• The F6B sits up higher than the Street Glide. I'm a short rider, so I felt really uneasy at first on the F6B. I had the stock seat modified to lower me about 2", and now I'm all set.
• F6B's fairing is lower than the Street Glide's, so you MUST buy a taller windshield to get the same wind protection.

A few cons with the F6B:

• Wanna change your seat? Street Glide had one thumb screw, so you can change out your seat in two minutes with no tools. F6B has a gabillion screws and it takes like 30 minutes to change out a seat. Pain in the butt.
• Wanna change your windshield? Street Glide had three screws, so it only took a few minutes. F6B requires more dismantling and takes a good 15 minutes.
• You can't lock just one saddle bag as you see fit. You either lock them both, unlock them both, or permanently set one (or both) unlocked by removing the seat and making an adjustment. (Really???)
• Keys, keys everywhere! Need a key to start the bike, for the gas cap, for the glove compartment, for the saddle bags. My Street Glide had a fob. That was awesome.
  I think the Keymaker from the Matrix helped to design the F6B:
  Attachment 9033

A few pros with the F6B:

• It's faster, corners better, and totally outperforms the Street Glide. WAAAAAAAAAY more fun to ride, esp for technical riding. Take it out on a twisty road, you'll see the huge difference.
• Because the pipes are quieter, I can actually hear my music now and ride early in the morning or late at night without waking anyone.
• F6B's center of gravity is lower, so I can pick up this bike if I accidentally drop it.
• The ride on the F6B is much easier than the Street Glide. In the beginning, I'd catch myself going 100, thinking I was only going 60, because that's how the wind and engine felt compared to the Street Glide. It's so easy and effortless. I don't feel beat up after long rides. It's much more comfortable.
• These guys constantly walk up to me and ask about my bike and say they want one. It's kinda cool
  Attachment 9032

My apologies for the missing analytics of technical specifications and for the horrible attempt at humor (I'm sick with a fever today ... I get kinda silly when I'm delirious)

This is my very simplistic comparison between the two bikes as a semi-aggressive RIDER (not a mechanic or gear head).

Mucho respect and the best of luck to you sir!

[bigbird]

[*]Wanna change your seat? Street Glide had one screw, so you can change out your seat in two minutes. F6B has a gabillion screws and it takes like 30 minutes to change out a seat. Pain in the butt.

Whaaaat? The 'B requires that the passenger grab rails be removed: 4 bolts. Then the 2 bolts that hold the seat in place. That's 6 bolts. If you have a Deluxe or have the optional backrest and/or carrier, that's another 4 bolts. So either 6 bolts minimum or 10 bolts maximum. If it takes you 30 minutes to do that, then you should get better tools. Sorry.

[Clutch]

When I had my seat modified, the bolts no longer aligned. Took forever to figure out how to install the modified seat.

In any case, one thumb screw is easier than 6 or 10 bolts requiring tools.

[Steve 0080]

When I had my seat modified, the bolts no longer aligned. Took forever to figure out how to install the modified seat.

In any case, one thumb screw is easier than 6 or 10 bolts requiring tools.

+1