Hi Guys,

After years of building modded bikes and cars I want to get a new stock bike as to avoid associated problems such as missmatched components and hassles from the law and transport officer checks so was wondering if anyone is riding dead stock bikes.

I know all the arguments about running lean and too quiet and all that but am just interested in the experiences and opinions of anyone who actualy rides their unmodded bike.

I'm looking at a softy with the 103".

Cheers, Mark.

Never owned anything totally stock, but there is absolutely no reason why you couldn't keep it stock.
If your happy with the power, sound and maybe a little more heat, it will be fine.
But you can still do a few stealth mods to improve things and still be legal.
Your choice !

April fools day isnt it ?

For about 1700kms until just after the first service, it rode fine and I was happy with it except the lack of noise it didn't make. Having fitted a less restrictive air filter and opened up the stock pipes it definitely performs much better now.... and sounds like it should too!!!

just because you ride a bone stock HD don't mean you won't get hassled.

a guy told me he was noise defected by a cop & he told cop bike was stock, cop said well you won't have any problem getting the defect off.

stock is good if your riding with the girls . Anyway i cant have a bike where i can hear myself think, fuken scary

I actually reckon modding a bike is an alcoholic with the keys to the bar, it's really addictive and great fun!! Call me crazy but when I bought my Iron I can clearly remember telling my wife that 'I'm just happy to own a Harley babe'...................this was swiftly followed with new bars, then more bars, 1250 upgrade, new tank, pegs, covers, wheels, tyres, grips, air cleaners a multitude of seats and i'm still saying 'this will be the last time'.....................haha, I love it!!

Stock bikes are great, but Harley's are the lego equivalent of motorcycles and there's just too much to do to leave them standard!!

 

Funny thing about 'stock' is that 20 years from now blokes will be trolling eBay and garage sales looking for the missing bits to complete the 'restoration'. I'm changing lots on my Springer but keeping all the bits should I ever wanna bring it back to 'factory'.

 

Mate I will put up my hand for the positive, my 2009 Heritage Custom has every thing I need, enough grunt to lose my licence for life & probably jailed, Paint & Chrome is not only sufficient, it's fucking excellent quality & in abundance! It's easy to ride, & I notice it's a real head turner. It would seem to me with all due respect for you guys is that you guys just didn't buy the bike of your dreams, as the only additions I will be doing to Brutus 2, is a front crash bar, GPS Tracking & a gorilla alarm system, which both are on their way from US. None of this can be considered modds in the true sense, other than that, I am as happy as a pig in shit with my scooter! With the exception it's running a little to rich for my liking! Hope I haven't offended no one, as if it's the case I would just like to say.... Harden The fuck up Princess! Bahahah.

PS. I should mention that on my last bike brutus 1, I spent around $20.000 getting it to where I wanted, so I do understand the adiction!

Thanks for the relpies guys,

I expected some sarcastic responses but after 30+ years of riding and modifying bikes and cars I am simply over wanting to appear cool and be the center of attention so loud pipes and bolt on bling are of no interest but my love of Harleys hasn't diminished so just wanted to guage if a stocker was a realistic proposition.

Sounds like lean running may be the only issue that I need to consider which I would expect could be sorted with an on board tuner only.

Cheers, Mark.

I road a stock bike for two years then i changed it

I'm guessing most members ride modified bikes.
My first sportster came fitted with stage 1 goodies,
So when I got my Dyna it HAD to sound like a Harley.
God knows you need a loud bike with some of the
appalling car drivers in Sydney.

actually , if i bought another brand new harley i would also resist changing anything ( especially the pipes )   i do too much long distance riding to put up with loud pipes nowadays.  my regular ride atmo sounds like a sewing machine . 

 

My blade was stock for precisely 30 minutes. When some lady moved straight over on me on the ride home from the dealer. Turned around and went straight back to the dealer and put an end can (yoshi) so I could be heard.

The Harley remained stock for about six weeks waiting for parts and install for pipes/cams/pistons/ac/clutch/tuner. Didn't do it just for performance (nice improvement) but more for the sound and the longer life of my nads in summer. Most of the bikes I ride with are softy's with just slip on's or performance baffles, intake mods and tuner. Less than $1000, nice boost in performance, less heat and not obnoxiously loud.

In the end it's a personal choice but just a set of baffles will allow you to be heard and still look totally stock. If it saves you once it's worth it.

It is personal choice but how anybody can ride a harley with stock pipes is beyond me. Just feels choked up and awfull not to mention the sound

Some of us are being forced to ride with stock pipes chriso. The constant threat of fines and demerit points dictates my choice. Been done too many times now, it's becoming a real hassle. I feel like exploding everytime I get pulled up because its the same f**king story.

One of the happiest days of my life was when i changed my stock pipes  to vance & Hines big radious pipes, the stock pipes sound like shit.

Thanks again for the responses.

I'm not against modifying as I have done it all my life but my question was just to see if it is worth having a stock bike as I just don't want to have to throw more money at an already expensive bike and extra noise and shiny bits don't do it for me anymore.

Here are my last couple of builds the white one being my latest so you can see that I am now swinging to the original or stock styling.

 

 

nice couple of bikes shovel ,well done

Is there such a thing as a stock Harley?????
I heard that they are more rare than a Bangkok virgin