|
Harley updates their bikes - they're just restricted as hell as to what they can do because their buyers like "classic" Harleys. They're pretty drat good at what they do though.
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2012 13:58
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 8, 2024 22:29 |
|
|
Gay Nudist Dad posted:But are they actually model-specific, like Its mostly brand-based advertising, not bike-specific, although certain bikes will be featured in them. n8r posted:Harley updates their bikes - they're just restricted as hell as to what they can do because their buyers like "classic" Harleys. They're pretty drat good at what they do though. This. People dont give Harley enough credit for the things they do well. That EPA spreadsheet posted in one of the other threads reveals that HD is one of the only manufacturer with a full lineup of fuel injected bikes. Let that sink in. Harley is the manufacturer using the most up to date fueling techniques. They make really good bikes, as good as the Japanese or anyone else, they just dont know how to market them, despite knowing how to market the poo poo out of "the brand", and they dont know how to break away from their classic line without pissing off their fanbase, or having it be a half-hearted attempt (see XR1200R)
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2012 14:08
|
|
|
It was called "Buell" but they couldnt figure it out. The mistake was selling them only in the HD dealerships. They should have done like the japanese and let other outlets sell the Buell line up. That would keep their base happy and all that "Jap crap" in with the people who shop at the multi brand dealers.
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2012 16:00
|
|
|
Yeah for an example of a tangible update, the newer touring frame (07-up?) is a big step in handling and balance. But it looks the same so it must be same.
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2012 16:38
|
|
|
When I asked this:Gay Nudist Dad posted:Does Harley ever really advertise bikes? I'm trying to think of a time I saw a commercial for "The New <Whatever>" and I can't think of one. Just the lifestyle/image stuff. CombatMedic posted:
I know they advertise, but in terms of pushing individual models, I never see it. Though they would need to do that with the V-Rod and XR - the rest of their bikes are so traditional as to sell off their history. The new ones, though, would need some outreach - especially to people not interested in the "classic" Harleys. Another thing - for these bikes, and from what I saw when Buell was at their dealerships - they really need to lay down some loving authority about how these bikes are treated at dealerships and force these things to get equal treatment by the sales staff.
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2012 17:29
|
|
|
I've heard that the Vrod sells like hotcakes in Europe, enough to keep the model around without needing to advertise it.
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2012 17:41
|
|
|
It kind of seems like the dealers run the show in the Harley world for some reason
|
|
#
?
Aug 29, 2012 17:41
|
|
|
Found the holy tome of harley gifs circa 1992 http://www.crazyeddie.org/harley/clipart.htm
|
|
#
?
Aug 30, 2012 23:57
|
|
|
n8r posted:Harley updates their bikes - they're just restricted as hell as to what they can do because their buyers like "classic" Harleys. They're pretty drat good at what they do though. they only do serious updates when forced to by the government. the reason they made the big twin was that the evo was too loud (gear driven cams) and didn't comply with emissions.
|
|
#
?
Aug 31, 2012 00:04
|
|
|
Gay Nudist Dad posted:I know they advertise, but in terms of pushing individual models, I never see it. Though they would need to do that with the V-Rod and XR - the rest of their bikes are so traditional as to sell off their history. The new ones, though, would need some outreach - especially to people not interested in the "classic" Harleys. Does anyone live in chicago? There's a guy who lives on belmont street and has an all chrome v-rod. the only non chrome is the tires. it must have taken a fortune. I'm not sure what he does, because I only see the bike out after midnight and in the early morning. living after midnight and all that.
|
|
#
?
Aug 31, 2012 00:06
|
|
|
Giblet Plus! posted:they only do serious updates when forced to by the government. the reason they made the big twin was that the evo was too loud (gear driven cams) and didn't comply with emissions. The government forced them to add inverted forks and a tailpiece to the Vrod? Or the frame updates on the touring models? 6-speed gearbox? clutchpuck fucked around with this message at 00:18 on Aug 31, 2012 |
|
#
?
Aug 31, 2012 00:07
|
|
|
clutchpuck posted:The government forced them to add inverted forks and a tailpiece to the Vrod? victory forced them to do that
|
|
#
?
Aug 31, 2012 00:16
|
|
|
SaNChEzZ posted:Found the holy tome of harley gifs circa 1992  
|
|
#
?
Aug 31, 2012 01:36
|
|
|
Someday I'm going to buy a little Super 90 or something, rejet it to run on pure ethanol, and refine a barrel of cheap sake into fuel just so that I can say I'm literally riding a rice-burner.
|
|
#
?
Aug 31, 2012 02:27
|
|
|
Giblet Plus! posted:Does anyone live in chicago? There's a guy who lives on belmont street and has an all chrome v-rod. the only non chrome is the tires. it must have taken a fortune. I'm not sure what he does, because I only see the bike out after midnight and in the early morning. living after midnight and all that. Well it's not exactly like he can ride it on the highway in the middle of a sunny day. It would be like the sun coming straight for you.
|
|
#
?
Aug 31, 2012 02:34
|
|
|
You missed something: 
|
|
#
?
Aug 31, 2012 05:50
|
|
|
Looks like that baby is gonna be the last of his bloodline. Why on earth were animated 3D renders of babies so popular back in, eh, 1996, anyway?
|
|
#
?
Aug 31, 2012 06:30
|
|
|
Sagebrush posted:Looks like that baby is gonna be the last of his bloodline. It was probably its appearance on Ally McBeal that sealed the deal
|
|
#
?
Aug 31, 2012 15:32
|
|
|
Is it totally silly to be looking at ~2005 Sportsters as a first bike for a 6'3" rider? I've sat on several at local bike stores and they felt fine, but I realize that could wear off quickly. I've checked out tons of different cruisers but I just don't dig the looks of Shadows/VStars, and I can't really afford a Dyna  . I'll mostly just be riding it a few miles to work, day-off cruises around town etc.
|
|
#
?
Sep 2, 2012 05:13
|
|
|
I don't think it's silly. Really depends on your inseam. I'm 6 foot and fit on the bike just fine but my inseam is 33". Forwards would probably be more comfortable for you or highway pegs if you are going mids. Some seats sit you back further as well. I had a Corbin classic on mine and it moved me forward at least an inch compared to the stock badlander. I would think with the right seat/peg/handlebar arrangement, you could be comfortable. Sportsters aren't comfortable for more than about 100 miles for anyone. But that's the fuel range so it works out.
|
|
#
?
Sep 2, 2012 07:55
|
|
|
I ride a Deuce with the stock seat and even with forward controls my knees were around my ears, but at ~6'1" I'm all legs (35" inseam). I bought some of these off eBay for like $150, and even with that it's a little bit uncomfortable. I just bought these things for stretching out on a long ride. My buddy is 5'11" and it fits him perfectly right now. There are so many options for riding configuration alterations with a Sportster, and everything costs less too, so if that's what interests you, I don't think it's going to be a problem, especially if it's around town. Nevertheless, at your height basically any motorcycle isn't going to be scaled for your size.
|
|
#
?
Sep 2, 2012 08:18
|
|
|
Thanks guys, good to know. I'm about a ~34" inseam, so that's not bad. There's a 2007 883XL near me asking $3800, which seems low/too good to be true for my area's usual prices. I'm going to try to check it out after work if it's still available. It's midpeg, but I see that conversion kits are pretty reasonable. Thanks for the tips!
|
|
#
?
Sep 2, 2012 15:46
|
|
|
I went to a HD demo ride event today with my dad. Here are my thoughts on the bikes. My background/experience: I've been riding scooters for 8 years, daily riding a manual-shift scooter for ~3.5. I got my endorsement in '07 (before that I was on a 50, and didn't need one) and since being endorsed I've put quite a few hours on my dad's 2003 XL883R when I visited. So everything I rode today felt fat and dumb (compared to my 150cc Stella) but I'll try to keep that '03 XL883R as the basis for my comparisons. First: my dad's bikes. He's had this '03 883R since new and the '06 V-Rod for a few years now. He loves it, but he sees a new bike in the next year or two.   Next: the 3 demo bikes I rode. Honestly I was a little intimidated by the bigger bikes - plus most big Harleys I have zero interested in - so I kept mostly to Sportsters. The demo was 2013 models. The route was about 10 miles/25 minutes of city, 2-lane highway, and a bit of interstate. A fair mix. No good turns (surprise). I started on the '13 1200 Custom. Compared to the 883R above, this felt shorter, lighter, and much, much more modern (dad's Sportster is 1 year too old for the rubber-mounted engine, and 3 years too old for EFI). And substantially more powerful. I learned immediately that I hate forward controls. The bike felt pretty neutral, but it was also the most similar to the motorcycle I have the most experience with. Next I rode the Seventy-Two, a Sportster 1200 with mini ape hangers, a peanut tank, and a very small seat. It looks great. The apes were about shoulder height and much more comfortable than I expected. The seat may as well have been wood. The tall front wheel (and the bars) made it much harder to turn in than the other bikes. It would be an awesome "look at me, look at me!!" city bike (for much less than $10,700). I really appreciated how much smoother these were than my dad's '03. That thing punishes you for being in the wrong gear by rattling you to death and slowing you the gently caress down, while the new 1200s were much less punishing.  (1200C in the foreground, 72 behind it) Finally I got tired of Sporties and stepped up to a "proper Harley." The Softail Slim. Finally, I get it. I get why people like these. It felt so powerful. The engine vibrations were surprisingly absent - apparently this engine is counter-balanced? It had ABS, which I did not test. It turned in much more easily than the 72. It would have been easy to deal with at parking lot speeds, but the bars were so huge that (short person me) I couldn't actually steer lock-to-lock, I just couldn't get my arms out there. I could own one of these, probably with different bars. Also: floorboards? Heel-toe shifter? Weird! But comfortable.  And it looked loving fantastic in deep blue metallic. One thing all of them had in common was a very lovely off/on throttle transition, making low-speed maneuvering very frustrating. Jerked like bastards. My dad rode the Softail Blackline, the Fat Boy Lo, and the Dyna Wide Glide. He liked the Blackline except for the long reach to the bars, LOVED the Fat Boy Lo, and really hated the Dyna - he said it vibrated like a motherfucker at all speeds and all RPMs, making even his '03 XL883R seem smooth. All in all it was a pretty fun day, though getting stuck behind some timid old men who were afraid to corner or use the throttle was loving infuriating.
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2012 02:37
|
|
|
Nice post, thanks.Gay Nudist Dad posted:Finally, I get it. I get why people like these. It felt so powerful. quote:The engine vibrations were surprisingly absent - apparently this engine is counter-balanced? quote:Weird! But comfortable.
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2012 10:54
|
|
|
Gay Nudist Dad posted:I learned immediately that I hate forward controls. What do you hate about the forward controls? I've been debating putting them on my Nightster because the mids feel a bit cramped at times, but I'm worried that it'll affect my control of the bike.
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2012 16:13
|
|
|
Strife posted:What do you hate about the forward controls? I've been debating putting them on my Nightster because the mids feel a bit cramped at times, but I'm worried that it'll affect my control of the bike. Part of it is because I am short (5'8") with a short inseam (30") - so they felt like a very long reach. A taller person would have lesser issues. It was worse on the two Sportsters, it was better with the floorboards on the Softail. When I ride with mids, I can move my feet forward to use the controls and then back to the balls of my feet to avoid them, if that makes sense. I am also very used to getting my rear end out of the seat over bigger bumps, which is impossible with forwards. With forwards that is impossible and what's worse is the seating position puts all of that bump right through your rear end and up your spine. In general - again a factor of being short, I'm sure - it felt like the forward controls locked me into a single position a lot more than mids do.
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2012 19:34
|
|
|
To me, mids with highway pegs are the best setup. Mids are better for cornering and in heavy stop and go traffic. Highway pegs are good for just that. On a sportster, the more positions you have at your disposal the better if you are on a long ride.
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2012 20:25
|
|
|
Pardon the awful instagram, I will get real photos soon. Just put these pipes on the fatboy, Not sure if I am sold on the short look.
|
|
#
?
Sep 3, 2012 20:28
|
|
|
edit: Nevermind 
The Royal Nonesuch fucked around with this message at 07:51 on Sep 4, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 4, 2012 03:59
|
|
|
Redwinters posted:Pardon the awful instagram, I will get real photos soon. Just put these pipes on the fatboy, Not sure if I am sold on the short look. I think it works without the bags; with the bags, I think what would tie it together would be a chrome-plated swingarm. They're ridiculously expensive and I'd never buy one, but my bike already had it installed when I bought it and it does look nice, if you like that sort of thing. That 2-into-1 would look really good to me if it went way back to the end of the bags, or at least to the beginning of the bags
|
|
#
?
Sep 4, 2012 04:49
|
|
|
Anyone done a fork spring replacement? I am going to attempt one on the wife's Sportster. Any pointers would be appreciated. Like, do I need to replace the fork oil?
|
|
#
?
Sep 4, 2012 21:56
|
|
|
elsanto posted:Anyone done a fork spring replacement? I am going to attempt one on the wife's Sportster. Any pointers would be appreciated. Like, do I need to replace the fork oil? So I was totally off base and the springs can be changed without removing the forks or disassembling. Umm... sorry? See here: http://www.progressivesuspension.com/dropin/video.html DILLIGAF fucked around with this message at 13:29 on Sep 5, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 5, 2012 00:55
|
|
|
Try cleaning the seals w/ a sealmate or a homebrew version of it first.
|
|
#
?
Sep 5, 2012 02:02
|
|
|
Scrapez posted:To me, mids with highway pegs are the best setup. Mids are better for cornering and in heavy stop and go traffic. Highway pegs are good for just that. Any options for fitting black highway pegs on a sporty without crash bars other than buying these and having them powder coated?
|
|
#
?
Sep 5, 2012 02:36
|
|
|
DILLIGAF posted:gently caress So I need to take the forks of the bike?
|
|
#
?
Sep 5, 2012 02:54
|
|
|
elsanto posted:So I need to take the forks of the bike? Evidently not, see here: http://www.progressivesuspension.com/dropin/video.html DILLIGAF fucked around with this message at 13:30 on Sep 5, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 5, 2012 11:52
|
|
|
Strife posted:Any options for fitting black highway pegs on a sporty without crash bars other than buying these and having them powder coated? I wasn't able to see your link but if you don't need adjustability, they make highway pegs that just screw into the stock forward control location. There are a lot of options depending on year but they can get expensive. quote:Front springs... Progressive makes a drop in kit that doesn't require fork disassembly. Scrapez fucked around with this message at 13:03 on Sep 5, 2012 |
|
#
?
Sep 5, 2012 13:00
|
|
|
Scrapez posted:I wasn't able to see your link but if you don't need adjustability, they make highway pegs that just screw into the stock forward control location. There are a lot of options depending on year but they can get expensive. Well how about that... just watched the video on the progressive website and was surprised, and not a little chagrined, to realize that I was giving instructions for the 41mm forks I have been running on my sporty for the last 7 years.... AND I was doing it wrong. So I guess that makes me the idiot of the day.
|
|
#
?
Sep 5, 2012 13:28
|
|
|
Hey, no worries. That's what forums are for. Thanks for the link.
|
|
#
?
Sep 5, 2012 14:31
|
|
|
|
| # ? May 8, 2024 22:29 |
|
|
I'm sad to see the XR go, it was one of the few HDs I'd ever thought of buying (although I could never afford to buy new anyway).Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester posted:Hey now, they bought Agusta from a couple Italian dudes for 14 million and then sold it back to the same 2 Italian dudes for like 1 million 3 years later. As an Italian bike owner, I appreciate what H-D is doing for Italian private industry. It's even better than this. Claudio Castiglioni was, if nothing else, a wheeler dealer the likes of which will never be seen again. In 2004 he sold a 58 percent stake in MV Agusta (along with the Husqvarna and Cagiva brands) to Proton for 70 million Euro, only to buy it back for 1 Euro in 2005 (along with 107 million Euros of debt that MV had incurred). Husqvarna was then sold off to BMW for a cool 93 million Euros. Then in 2008, Harley acquired 100 percent of MV (and Cagiva) for 70 million Euros out of which 45 million Euros was debt payments. And finally in 2010 MV was back with Castiglioni, debt free and with millions invested in new tooling and machinery. Rumors from Italy have it that Castiglioni again got it for that one (1) symbolic Euro.
|
|
#
?
Sep 5, 2012 17:34
|
|
