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Have you ridden a Harley lately ?

27K views 131 replies 59 participants last post by  GOV5 
#1 ·
I really like my K1600 and have been having a blast with it the last few years, it was so far and above my 2003 Harley road glide, well i rode a new Road glide last week and wow have they changed, just an amazing bike, now i'm not going to get rid of the BMW but what the heck i have room for another bike. and a stereo that you can hear going down the road,
 

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#51 ·
Imagine that! A BMW forum with members that are staunch BMW fans! What will they think of next....
 
#53 ·
I also don't get the Harley "Wave." I'll wave to anyone but it's been my experience the the Harley riders just take their left hand off the grip, drop their arm and point to the ground. If you can muster enough energy to actually wave, then don't bother.
 
#54 ·
Gee, I thought that dropping your left hand into a peace sign was kind of the official wave of motorcyclists everywhere. Seems to go over ok here in the Bay area, and this is the first time I have heard anyone interpret it as a sign of disrespect or laziness. What waves do you use?



I have these basic waves:



1) Dropped left hand peace sign - a signal to other bikers that I see them and that I acknowledge and respect their presence. I will make an upward peace sign when going through intersections and the other rider is to the right of my bike.


2) Left hand pat the top of my helmet - seems to have been adopted in recent years to mean law enforcement or some significant road hazard is in their future.



3) Right hand peace sign, just the first two fingers raised off the throttle - used when a bike comes up behind me when splitting lanes and I move to the left to let them by, or when I overtake a bike to my right, especially if they moved to let me by.



3) Raised left hand - full palm - used to acknowledge cars that adjust to give me more room when splitting lanes. I found that giving the peace sign was being misinterpreted as telling them they were in carpool lane; the full palm is relatively unambiguous.
 
#61 ·
Gee, I thought that dropping your left hand into a peace sign was kind of the official wave of motorcyclists everywhere. Seems to go over ok here in the Bay area, and this is the first time I have heard anyone interpret it as a sign of disrespect or laziness. What waves do you use?



I have these basic waves:



1) Dropped left hand peace sign - a signal to other bikers that I see them and that I acknowledge and respect their presence. I will make an upward peace sign when going through intersections and the other rider is to the right of my bike.


2) Left hand pat the top of my helmet - seems to have been adopted in recent years to mean law enforcement or some significant road hazard is in their future.



3) Right hand peace sign, just the first two fingers raised off the throttle - used when a bike comes up behind me when splitting lanes and I move to the left to let them by, or when I overtake a bike to my right, especially if they moved to let me by.



3) Raised left hand - full palm - used to acknowledge cars that adjust to give me more room when splitting lanes. I found that giving the peace sign was being misinterpreted as telling them they were in carpool lane; the full palm is relatively unambiguous.



I (almost) always stab the cruise control and wave with my right hand. And way up high. Hey, if ya got it ... flaunt it.


My fav is the right-handed two-finger point to the ground as I'm passing Harleys :D




-
 
#56 ·
I don't have anything against anyone out on 2 wheels enjoying themselves. It's all great and I hope nothing I've posted on here gives the impression that if you're not enjoying what I enjoy that I think less of you. My complaint is the open exhaust "rolling thunder" noise pollution that seems to be more the norm than not amongst the HD faithful. And, if I want to enjoy some tunes, I'll make the selection and enjoy them in a way that does require everyone within a 100 yards to enjoy my tunes as well.

BTW, I feel the same about people who put the loudest exhausts on their sport bikes as well. I think those are worse for our motorcycling image than the HD riders.

My favorite quote is "If loud pipes saves lives then just imagine what learning to ride the thing would do." And yes, I realize you could spend money on both.
 
#57 ·
I have a confession. It's not a terrible secret. I just haven't admitted it online before. People wouldn't know it to look at me. Now, I don't care what you ride or how you ride or your stereo or pipes or farkles or riding gear or choice of helmets or lack thereof or any of that. Those things might be a determining factor in my choice to ride with you regularly, but they would not affect my decision to be your friend or be friendly to you. The things someone associates themselves with and the things they do to identify themselves with a group can lead me to assumptions about what kind of person they are, but that really is not who they are and I'd just be stereotyping them if I did so. And maybe that's what we all like in some part...to be identified with a tribe or a herd...no matter how much we might like to claim our uniqueness and individuality. That's why branding in marketing is so so important. Regardless, here is my confession. I have never ridden a Harley. I test rode an Indian last year at bikes blues and bbq in AR, but that's the closest I have come. I don't think I've ever even swung a leg over the seat of one. And have probably never held both handle bar ends in my hands at the same time. It isn't because I haven't wanted to. Or because I wouldn't lower myself to that level. Nothing like that! I just never had the opportunity I suppose. I wasn't much of one for riding b*tch, or maybe I could have had more opportunities for that. Although I used to haul my buddies around on back of my bike in HS and college. Guys I know rarely swapped bikes. I let a couple of trusted guys take my bike for a ride or swapped back in the day, but darned few. And I just never asked any HD guys I knew if I could take their ride for a spin since I was "burning rice". I didn't want to put them in a position to say no or may to hear them spout BS, whatever. I think I would like to take a scoot on one. Not to feel how superior my choice of bike is, but just to have the experience. I think I'd ride just about anything if someone asked me, Hey, you wanna take er for a spin? I wouldn't necessarily spend my limited amount of money on all of them. I have prioritized my spending. But I'd own a bunch of bikes if my funds weren't limited. Probably too many to ride. I love motorcycles.
 
#58 ·
Harleys have improved substantially over the years, that said, they are simply a different motorcycle targeting different priorities.

Harley has wisely addressed the loud exhaust issue by offering a EPA and CARB compliant accessory system called "street cannons". They deliver more sound than stock but not too loud, priced under $500.

While Harleys have come a long way, they are no match to the BMW k1600 line. Apples and Oranges.

Sent from my SM-J327T using Tapatalk
 
#60 ·
That adventure bike looks interesting. And the V-twin appears to be fully liquid cooled. I don’t care for the square front fairing and the seats look painfully thin and flat, but the rest of the bike is quite attractive to my eye.

If Harley makes a bike that is competitive performance-wise, I have no problem owning and riding one and their dealer network is extensive which I like. That is one if my biggest BMW gripes. My nearest dealer is 125 miles away...
 
#62 ·
LMAO! I have to mention just after I got my K bike I went for a ride to Hollister, CA. Being a fresh convert I wave to everyone as I have always done. I was not getting any waves from HD riders, in fact I got stuck at a light where I was turning right and they wouldnt even look at me.
So I continued through town and took the other only road out of town back to the main highway, when low and behold (hope no one takes offense to this) but a GSA was coming towards me and the guy was standing on his pegs waving so dramatically, I thought it was Forrest Gump coming to town. Maybe he felt like I did being that we were the minority in the area.
 
#63 ·
It looks like an April fools joke to me. The bike looks very photoshopped.

I wish them well, but per my earlier post, they don’t have a good track record stepping out of their comfort zone.
 
#72 ·
@jeffcelletti, not out of work; retired! Life is good!

Duane
 
#73 ·
As I get spammed by both San Jose BMW and Lanesplitter HD (San Jose) for pretty much all their events I can make the following observations:


1) Both are quite active dealerships in terms of community outreach, hosting several events per month and welcoming pretty much everyone into the fold. Both dealerships are very friendly (not the case at other Bay Area dealerships where the focus is more, "What will it take to get you onto this bike today?") and both seem very stable financially.



2) SJ BMW hosts more demo ride and educational events (they sell Zero, Vespa, Piaggio and some kind of e-bicycle, plus RSD, Clearwater and Cardo products). Last week was on the PacTalk Bold - generally topical and useful stuff. This seems in keeping with the BMW culture, which is generally more interested in the technical aspects of things, especially the ride, which is almost always the primary focus.



3) Lanesplitter hosts more social events (pretty much every special day on the calendar that falls near a weekend gets an event), and has a very active HOG outreach effort fostering a sense of community. This seems in keeping with the more social nature of HD riders in general, with a focus on the ride as part of a social event and not the goal in and of itself.


Having access to both fits my personality, so I consider myself blessed to be near them. Now, if I could just find some BMW-wear that looks good in social situations (anyone got a lead on a BMW Bagger hoodie?) HD, of course, has a full line of branded merchandise (HD thongs, anyone?). https://aafes.lvhd.com/products/products.aspx?productID=5531
 
#78 ·
I test rode the Street Glide and Road Glide Special 2018. The performance of those two bikes cannot come close to the "B". I could care less about the speakers are pipes on a bike. When I'm out riding, get use to seeing my backside...cause I'm out....

No comparison really...Inline 6 vs. V-Twin minus 100 pounds lighter.....FOH
 
#79 ·
I test rode the Street Glide and Road Glide Special 2018. The performance of those two bikes cannot come close to the "B". I could care less about the speakers are pipes on a bike. When I'm out riding, get use to seeing my backside...cause I'm out....

No comparison really...Inline 6 vs. V-Twin minus 100 pounds lighter.....FOH

Not unless you put 10 grand in the engine, then I would be afraid to take it across the country I think.....due to reliability issues.
 
#80 ·
I have had many Harley's, including touring models. One of these was a 2004 Road Glide that I added a detachable tour pack to. When they came out with the 2017 Road Glide Ultra with the new water-cooled heads and redesigned single cam engine I thought seriously about trading my GTL in on a used one. But when I test rode it, after riding my GTL for a year, the Harley just didn't do it for me any more. Everything I used to love about Harleys, the classic nostalgic look, the vigration, the low end torque, the sound, etc... all just turned me off this time. The bike felt old to me, and heavy. I felt like I was going back 50 years with all the exposed metal frame, the shake, the sound, all of it. Like I said, these are things that appealed to me before owning a GTL. Now I guess I'm spoiled by light weight, great handling, awesome power, and all the modern technology. I can't see myself going back to H-D any time soon, unless this new product line they are planning for 2020 pans out. I want a water cooled engine so my legs aren't baking, I wan't instant power on demand, great handling in the canyons, etc... The only thing I miss about the Harleys I had was the comfort. So I traded the GTL in on a K1600B Grand America to solve most of the comfort issues. No regrets after doing a 7-1/2 day 2800 mile trip a couple weeks ago.
 
#85 ·
... So I traded the GTL in on a K1600B Grand America to solve most of the comfort issues. No regrets after doing a 7-1/2 day 2800 mile trip a couple weeks ago.
I'm on the verge of trading in my '15 R1200R on a GTL, to get a more comfortable ride. Interesting that you find the GA more comfortable than the GTL. If you don't my asking, what do you like better about the GA?
 
#81 · (Edited)
When I got back into riding around 2002, I rented a Harley for two days. The woman I rented from called me and said she had to leave the shop early and, if I wanted, I could keep it for another day, FREE! I said, thanks but that I would return it early, and I did. I think I had to have a couple fillings reset after riding that dang thing for two days. Talk about roasted chestnuts and no guts. Then, I was traveling through Ohio on my Goldwing, and found that a tire I had installed, had deteriorated in about the half the normal life. I usually get 8,000 to 10,000 miles, but this one only had 4,000. The thread was showing in the middle. Very concerned I looked for a MC shop and I found a Harley dealer near my location. They said; "tough luck, but take it somewhere else!"

It's good to hear they may have solved some of their problems. I can only speak for me, and I am not trying to convince anyone else, but those experiences have soured me on Harleys, probably for the rest of my life.
 
#82 ·
My buddy bought a street glide and took the engine out after 100 miles and installed a new screaming eagle 120 crate motor, he had the dealer do everything. It never ran right and he spent almost as much on the new engine as the initial bike. He thought it would be a investment, having a brand new factory engine on a pallet in his garage. Now he has a POS sputtering, backfiring, useless bike that he has spent $40k on and will never be able to sell.
They are so good at marketing, they have brainwashed their customers. How do they do that?
 
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#83 ·
@Jonnybow, that's nothin'... I built a custom bagger in '07 powered with an S&S 124" crate motor, Baker 6 speed, Traxxion forks, 200 mm wide tire frame, Brembo brakes, custom paint, etc, etc, etc. Sold it 5 years later and 1/2 of the money back that it cost me to build (I did ALL the labor save for paint)...

Duane
 
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#84 ·
Main reason for still liking Harleys is my memories. Had some great times with great friends and some awesome parties. The rides were great too.

Now, my old Harley friends have either died, moved or stopped riding. When young I accepted all the Harley "personality", Now, have no desire to go back. Every time I ride my B I'm thinking about how amazing and fun this bike is to ride. It's added years to my riding life.

From my personal experience you cannot make a Harley competitive with a new K1600 regardless of how much you invest.

Sent from my SM-J327T using Tapatalk
 
#87 ·
Main reason for still liking Harleys is my memories. Had some great times with great friends and some awesome parties. The rides were great too.

Now, my old Harley friends have either died, moved or stopped riding. When young I accepted all the Harley "personality", Now, have no desire to go back. Every time I ride my B I'm thinking about how amazing and fun this bike is to ride. It's added years to my riding life.

From my personal experience you cannot make a Harley competitive with a new K1600 regardless of how much you invest.

Sent from my SM-J327T using Tapatalk

My thoughts exactly.
 
#89 ·
If money were no object, I would own Barber Motorsports! Could you imagine the fun you could have selecting any bike you wished from that awesome museum and taking it over to the track for endless hours of riding? As they say, variety is the spice of life!
 
#97 · (Edited)
@Voyager77, so what is your current long distance touring bike that works better than GT/GTL?

Duane
 
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