honda f6b vs harley street glide

[jlyon]

Well...

I'd like to offer my $.02 on this issue...

I own a 2009 H-D CVO FatBob (110 ci), a 2014 15th Anniversary Edition Victory Cross Country Tour (bumped to a 116ci), and an F6B (totally stock)...

They each ride different, one could almost say, made for a different purpose. Like those before me in this thread, there is the quiet, smooth acceleration of the 'B which cannot be denied !!! It handle like a sport-bike on steroids, and can turn circles inside the circles of the other two.

The Victory is my "going out and I need to bring everything including the kitchen sink" with me tourer... It has a color matched trailer for doing the long haul stuff... (by the way, I'm getting the 'B painted to match the Vic and the trailer, as I installed a Bushtec hitches on each)

My H-D is for putzing around, doing day runs, doing a lunch run to the mountain top, for when I feel the need for that two-jug thump-thump as I'm putting miles under my belt...

Each bike has it's own character and way of feeling out on the black ribbon... Each has their own strength, and their own weaknesses... Like others have said, get a ride on one, and make up your own mind...

Oh, and forget about the resale value or the "historical" maintenance issues... it's an internal combustion engine, sooner or later they all need a fix... take care of them, change the oil like clockwork, and they will all take you far and back home again...

So bottom line, please don't be a hater...

Ride whatcha brung, bring whattcha ride.... its all good on two wheels...

Just my humble $.02...

[lawnguy]

Well...

I'd like to offer my $.02 on this issue...

I own a 2009 H-D CVO FatBob (110 ci), a 2014 15th Anniversary Edition Victory Cross Country Tour (bumped to a 116ci), and an F6B (totally stock)...

They each ride different, one could almost say, made for a different purpose. Like those before me in this thread, there is the quiet, smooth acceleration of the 'B which cannot be denied !!! It handle like a sport-bike on steroids, and can turn circles inside the circles of the other two.

The Victory is my "going out and I need to bring everything including the kitchen sink" with me tourer... It has a color matched trailer for doing the long haul stuff... (by the way, I'm getting the 'B painted to match the Vic and the trailer, as I installed a Bushtec hitches on each)

My H-D is for putzing around, doing day runs, doing a lunch run to the mountain top, for when I feel the need for that two-jug thump-thump as I'm putting miles under my belt...

Each bike has it's own character and way of feeling out on the black ribbon... Each has their own strength, and their own weaknesses... Like others have said, get a ride on one, and make up your own mind...

Oh, and forget about the resale value or the "historical" maintenance issues... it's an internal combustion engine, sooner or later they all need a fix... take care of them, change the oil like clockwork, and they will all take you far and back home again...

So bottom line, please don't be a hater...

Ride whatcha brung, bring whattcha ride.... its all good on two wheels...

Just my humble $.02...

THANK YOU SO MUCH WELL SAID,i am a lover of all brands of motocycles,i just never owned one with this type of engine.it's a learning curve for me.but that's why i am here

[Cool Hand Luke]

THANK YOU,you see my local honda dealer does not allow test rides even though i have a motorcycle endorsement.that's what i'm looking for

Come to Daytona Biketoberfest next month. Just make sure Honda will be there. If so, both HD and Honda will offer free demo rides. You can try both brands one after another. If that does not tell you what you need to know, I don't know what will.

Also, F6B is not $20,000. You can get a lightly used one here on forum for much less. Even new, dealers will probably offer you great discounts. I bought mine new in 2013 (first year of F6B) msrp $20,000 but out the door price was $17,250. HD will likely cost you more and not be discounted as much.

Another thing to consider: HD is coming out with brand new 107 ci and 114 ci engines. The speculation is that this will make the current engined HD's drop in value. Also, it is never a good decision to buy a first year of a new engine as there will be bugs to be worked out.

[Slammd]

Well...

I'd like to offer my $.02 on this issue...

I own a 2009 H-D CVO FatBob (110 ci), a 2014 15th Anniversary Edition Victory Cross Country Tour (bumped to a 116ci), and an F6B (totally stock)...

They each ride different, one could almost say, made for a different purpose. Like those before me in this thread, there is the quiet, smooth acceleration of the 'B which cannot be denied !!! It handle like a sport-bike on steroids, and can turn circles inside the circles of the other two.

The Victory is my "going out and I need to bring everything including the kitchen sink" with me tourer... It has a color matched trailer for doing the long haul stuff... (by the way, I'm getting the 'B painted to match the Vic and the trailer, as I installed a Bushtec hitches on each)

My H-D is for putzing around, doing day runs, doing a lunch run to the mountain top, for when I feel the need for that two-jug thump-thump as I'm putting miles under my belt...

Each bike has it's own character and way of feeling out on the black ribbon... Each has their own strength, and their own weaknesses... Like others have said, get a ride on one, and make up your own mind...

Oh, and forget about the resale value or the "historical" maintenance issues... it's an internal combustion engine, sooner or later they all need a fix... take care of them, change the oil like clockwork, and they will all take you far and back home again...

So bottom line, please don't be a hater...

Ride whatcha brung, bring whattcha ride.... its all good on two wheels...

Just my humble $.02...

+1

The best thing you can do is ride them and make your own decision. As others have stated, you will not get an unbiased view on this forum. Some will make statements about HD without ever riding or owning them. I own both and enjoy them for very different reasons. Each has its pros and cons. Owning and riding a motorcycle is a very personal thing. Exercise your due diligence and the bike will pick you.

[speedjunkie]

The oil leak statement is BS. I've got 3 HD, 2 are shovels. NONE of them leak! My 2013 FLTRU is a stage 3, dyno numbers are 102hp & 112tq. It will match the 6 in stop & go acceleration, but will lose in top gear roll on, even 5th gear roll on. The 6 is smoother, better suspension, better brakes, quieter, and lighter. The leg room feels about the same to me, knees still get stiff on both. The glide puts off a lot of heat vs the 6. I don't much care for the sideloader bags on the 6. The engine doesn't have the same soul. You can feel the pulse of a twin, not the 6. The 6 kinda makes me giddy, but it's how hum at the same time. It's kinda like on the HD, I'm part of the ride, the 6, I'm just along for the ride. Get an extended ride on one, it may not be for you. I'm not convinced yet. Good luck man!


Mike

[Wing'n it]

Check with Honda directly, sometimes they offer "demo days" where you can show up and ride all sorts of bikes. You can see where and when the next event is and ride a B.

[Switchmonkey]

Lawnguy, I can only offer a comparison to a V-Twin M109R. That bike had gut-wrenching Q and could out pull anything on the street, except a Rocket III on a good day. Once that initial snort was done, it was just another twin. Not as shaky as a the other brand twin, but just another twin. The F6B may not have the initial get up and go, but it is much more enjoyable bike for the regular riding that one is likely to do. Ergonomics will be a big factor in determining what you want. If you are off the rack, then anything from any manufacturer will fit. Every brand has its merits, mystique, and ahem... legend. It's up to you to figure out where to sit.

I now also have an XDiavel in the barn to help on those days where I want to just rip away!

My only suggestion, as offered up by others here. Buy used! if you end up not liking it, it won't be as big a regret as buying new and sucking up the MSRP/Tax hit. A 30 minute demo ride will not be enough for any brand, unless it happens to be 'the one'.

[Jimmytee]

+1

The best thing you can do is ride them and make your own decision. As others have stated, you will not get an unbiased view on this forum. Some will make statements about HD without ever riding or owning them. I own both and enjoy them for very different reasons. Each has its pros and cons. Owning and riding a motorcycle is a very personal thing. Exercise your due diligence and the bike will pick you.

To a degree I would agree with you. However, you don't have to own one to ackowledge issues. I ride with a LOT . A LOT of Harley riders. I'm in the CVMA and the VAST majority of bikes are Harley. My main riding partner has been Harley all the way. His brand new 2016 Ultra has been back to the shop on three different issues. One of which was a bad clutch after only 4000 miles. He has had similar issues with his other Harleys and he is by far not alone. Several of my brethern have their bikes in the shop for various reasons other than routine maintenance. I'm not saying anything, but my friend has made more than one comment about switching to a Honda. The last time I was with him at the Harley dealer, the guy told him not to give up on Harley yet. Another friend of mine has his own chopper shop and has been looking at a metric replacement for his ride. He says, I work on them, that's been his reason. So it's not just some biased opinions from a bunch of haters. It might be exagerated some here, but there is a kernal of truth to it.

[VStarRider]

Lawnguy, I came off a Vtwin cruiser last year, and went to the F6B, so I can understand your curiosity about such a dramatic change. I agree with this post:

I think the difference in the ride quality is about the same as driving a Toyota Corolla or a Lexus. Quieter, smoother, powerful acceleration and feels like a large sports bike when on the mountain curves.

I'll add...

The F6B is not really like a traditional cruiser. Your feet are directly under your legs (not behind them, like a sport bike or even some standard bikes). This was a turnoff for me at first because I liked the feeling of roominess by having my feet out in front with floorboards. With 7,000+ miles on my Honda, I can say that the F6B's seating position is much better for longer rides. More ergonomically sound.

When you are going 60 mph on an F6B with a Madstad windshield (put aside ~$250-300 for a windshield upgrade BTW), you feel nothing through the bars or pegs...just a pleasant gurgle behind you as six cylinders with abundant power in reserve is just effortlessly "motorvating" you. Little to no buffeting and noise on these bikes. Just a pleasant touring experience.

The power is incredible. 2nd gear takeoff require no more clutch massaging then 1st gear starts. At 70 mph on the interstate, the flat six seemingly has a bottomless reservoir of power on tap. Roll on the throttle and 90 mph comes with a couple of seconds.

This 900 lb bike eats up the curves. Cruisers with a steep rake do not inspire confidence in the turns. The F6B handles more like a big sport bike. This is not an exaggeration.

Changing gears is very different than your H-D. The gear shift operates with a *click* rather than a clunk. It took me a looonnngggg time to get used to this as I didn't (and sometimes still don't) have the confidence that I had fully engaged the next gear. I do not like the shift action of the F6B, even now that I am used to it.


Overall, I think the biggest difference for you will be the seating position (mainly, feet), the shifting, the smooth power.

As for a test drive, see if your dealer has a used Gold Wing available for you to ride. It is a different feeling bike, but at least you can experience the power and smoothness of the flat-6.

[Greg O]

Now it's my turn. I owned Harley Davidsons from 1996 -2012, 3 of them. No oil leaks on any of them, some of the old guys must be thinking of the AMF and before years. Down side to Harley need to rebuild top end at about 30,000 miles to the tune of a couple g's. Honda like there cars oil changes and filter changes. If you like to spend the day polishing chrome buy a Harley, been there done that, not any more. Power and smoothness Honda. I got tired of my hands going numb and back hurting. That is why the majority demographic of F6B owners are 51-58 years old, we don't want to make riding a chore. Harley cooks you, on those hot days it bad enough let alone the bike cooking you too. This is my first water cooled bike and I will not go back to air cooled. F6B will out handle and smoke any Harley out that has not had thousands of dollars of motor work done. F6B is less than half the cost of any comparable Harley, and will do 100,000 reliable miles. Now I have to get off my soap box my back is hurting