Been looking at Harley's

[hornetmike]

I've had a 1200 GS for a while , which when I first started working with them I hated. I thought they were air cooled tat but now I've owned one for a while (9k) I think its the best bike ever.

But I was ridding a HD 883 around at work today in the sun, and now I've got a test ride booked on a couple of models, what going on with me? I used to destroy my mates over their Harleys, now I think I want one.
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87 Honda CG 125 - 97 ER5 - SR 50 -81 Z250- 96 CBR 600 F- 94 GPX600R 88- GPX 400R- 87 GS 125 - 2006 Honda CB600F- 2003 ER5 - Honda CBF 1000 2009 - Honda CBR 600 RR 2011
Current BMW R1200GS 2010

[McJamweasel]

Go and try some other cruisers as well. All the japs and the Triumphs are much better bikes to ride. The only thing that Harleys have got going for them is the badge on the tank.
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BCF: Be yourself, just don't be an arse.

[map]

[henry hoover]

I rode an iron 883 and I thought it was underpowered and a bit bland to be honest.....for the price I think you get a lot of pose and not much else
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Cbr600rr 2010 Sold
Zx6r 636 2006 sold
Gsxr 750 L1 current

[BTTD]

[hornetmike]

The 883 is just what started the thought procces going to ride the 48.

I only use a bike, not sure if a hd could take the punishment I gove a bike all year round
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87 Honda CG 125 - 97 ER5 - SR 50 -81 Z250- 96 CBR 600 F- 94 GPX600R 88- GPX 400R- 87 GS 125 - 2006 Honda CB600F- 2003 ER5 - Honda CBF 1000 2009 - Honda CBR 600 RR 2011
Current BMW R1200GS 2010

[henry hoover]

[hornetmike]

Tank range is rubbish
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87 Honda CG 125 - 97 ER5 - SR 50 -81 Z250- 96 CBR 600 F- 94 GPX600R 88- GPX 400R- 87 GS 125 - 2006 Honda CB600F- 2003 ER5 - Honda CBF 1000 2009 - Honda CBR 600 RR 2011
Current BMW R1200GS 2010

[Ed Case]

Hope you've got over it and you're feeling better now !.

[lilredmachine]

You could always get a less queer harley, like an XR1200.

https://img834.imageshack.us/img834/8816/7ih5.jpg

Or better yet, an early Buell.

https://img703.imageshack.us/img703/1949/hwup.jpg

As mentioned, anything jap or european is going to be immensely superior to the Harley in any way though.
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Bikes: too many, too much for one man to maintain anyway.

[Mario_Kempes]

That XR1200 is pure sex.

I wonder how much you can actually rag it.

[Ariel Badger]

When did BCF decide to go gay?
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Bikers make great organ donors, get 115 on your licence today.

[lilredmachine]

[Kradmelder]

If you want to drag along a ton of unnecessary metal to weigh you down where ever you go, have you considered a cage? Especially those 1970s land yachts?

You could get fuzzy dice instead of tassles, a blow dried hair style instead of shaved head and goatee, and gold chains arouind your neck instead of chains on your leather vest.
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2011 KTM 990 Dakar
2009 BMW 1200 GS

[bendover]

Someone mention gay or closet ,

Seriously,this thread brings to mind one of the most unpleasant experiences i've ever encountered whilst riding my bike.
It was about 5 years ago now,i was just returning from a trip to Scandnavia on my old faithful XJR 1200,loaded with luggage and covered in flies and 3 weeks of road filth ,
Anyway got to Stranraer ferry terminal and pulled up behind 13 Harley riders from Northern Ireland returning to Belfast .
Now normally at ferry terminal my experience is bikers will wonder around whilst waiting chatting ,looking at each others bikes ect,which i love.
I made a very silly attempt to do this with the Harley riders and was just shunned ,they looked at me ,looked at my old Yam and just ignored me.
This being after several attempts to be friendly and asking where they had been ect,
For the most part i got one word answers and absolutely no conversation.
I was irritated and as i started to look closely at this bunch of arrogant people i noticed they were all wearing Harley branded boots jeans Jackets ,
Its as if they had all been completely brainwashed into the brand ,
Thankfully i have never encountered anything like it since.

I would just like to add i personally have no axe to grind and like looking at all types of bikes even Harleys.
Just relaying a sad but true experience of meeting the NORTHERN IRELAND HARLEY OWNERS CLUB RUN

[Kradmelder]

[deadwolf]

I never paid much attention to H-D until I saw this:

https://cdn1.automotobounce.com/pics/57/f6/Harley-davidson-xr1200x_8d098.jpg


It's like Harley made a big UJM, or something. A brutal block of metal on two wheels. The thing just screams "BIKE" and "GO" without any silly pretensions.

Bit of a shame that the company's racing history has been ignored in favour of going full cruiser. There are nice cruisers out there but a bit of balance is good too.

[Yoyo]

[stevo as b4]

I agree that while there isn't anything so bad about Harley's that I'd poke out my eyes to avoid seeing them, I do have to ask what apart from re-sale value and access to certain large owners clubs that they bring to the party, that a Japanese or European rival bike cannot?

I actually like the styling of some of the more wacky looking big Jap crusier's (that big Yam thing with the shiny 2-1 pipe into a chrome dustbin on the side) etc.

I also drove home from work last week in a 40mph zone with stop start traffic lights etc. A big Suzuki 1600cc+ crusier thing passed me followed by a KTM 525EXC supermoto. The KTM was chuffing along with the chain flapping up and down and the rear mudguard vibrating as they do. When the traffic cleared ahead I heard the KTM bark from the noisy pipe as the guy gave it a fist full, but the big Suzuki chrome thing just left him standing, and making a lot of noise for the progress gained. little WTF moment there!

Maybe I got a bit more respect now for really big cc V-twins. I guess if you go big enough in capacity they have to shift a bit?

[J4mes]

A mate of mine has a Suzuki Intruder 1800....and while it's not my kind of thing, when he turned up to my place on it a few weeks back it sounded immense (I thought the Lancaster was about to fly over) and it looked pretty comfy.

Cornering is not likely though.

[keggyhander]

[Ammoman]

[DoohanFan]

[Nick_Giles]

[hornetmike]

Been out on GS and back to loving it. I think Harley would have to be a third bike.

1:GS do it all distance/shopping bike
2:track bike
3:sunny day Harley
____________________
87 Honda CG 125 - 97 ER5 - SR 50 -81 Z250- 96 CBR 600 F- 94 GPX600R 88- GPX 400R- 87 GS 125 - 2006 Honda CB600F- 2003 ER5 - Honda CBF 1000 2009 - Honda CBR 600 RR 2011
Current BMW R1200GS 2010