That's a good one Smokey!

It's quite common harleys are great for slowing you down as you get older. It worked for me for a few years.But eventually I got bored cruising around like an old lady and got back on a bike with a bit of get up and go.

Harley rider passed me once going up the Cowan side of the Old Pacific Highway from the river.He was on a big Twin (From what I could see) Chasing a couple of Jappo riders who had passed me earlier.
Honestly, Very little in speed difference and the 3 of them were really hauling, I was doing round 90k myself at the time and they all just left me standing still.

Regardless of Harley's performance ,handling and high costs compared to what you get for money in a Jap bike, imo they are cool as every single one of them even the Sportsters i can't say the same about Jap bikes.

I blame the Yamaha dealer in Alice Springs for me buying Harleys. Its all his fucken fault.

Walked into the Yammy dealer in Alice Springs in late1984. The dealer didnt sell harleys but had a deal with the Adelaide HD dealer and would organise getting them up from Adelaide and did first service ect, ect.

Anyway, walks in and theres a poster of a 1984 Custom Softail on the wall. They had just been released.  I was young and only had bought road trail type bikes before that. I said, I want one, It was $14000, I couldnt really afford it but said fuck it, I want one. I thought they looked so cool. Never ridden a Harley before. Never even had an interest to ride/buy em. Gave a deposit then and there then  worked a bit of electrical moonlighting on my 2 weeks off cycle to save cash quick time. Turns up a month later and ive had em ever since.

Only problem I had with it was the cdi unit would shit itself within 500 kays of every 20,000 kays ridden. Never did find out why. 

So I blame a picture on a yammy dealers wall for all the spundoola ive spent on Harleys, (But I dont blame him too much), True story.

hence the reason i said "it works both ways"

If somebody on a 600 cc sports bike can't kick a harleys ass something is wrong.Lets deal with reality for a second enough of the fantasy seriously.I hear stories all of the time about people beating others in much faster cars or  bikes on something that just isn't capable but I think it's more a case of beating off or they overtook someone cruising and claimed they kicked ass.

Of equal skill of course the 600 will win. It's a no brainer...

Independent maybe you need to go join the Vespa forum.
You obviously ride with a bunch of sports bikes or old grandaddys on harleys.

Again, I'm not doubting of equal ability the japper will win every day of the week.
The thing is most Harley riders have riden for years and been through the jap years, accidents and all and now are half decent riders as opposed to young blokes thinking they are Mick doohan and buying ZXRs and shit and haven't a clue how to ride them.. This is a generalisation and don't apply to everyone but if you want to join me and a couple of mates for a ride up through the mountains or down the coast I welcome you...
As for beating off I'll leave that for someone that seems to know all about it.

I'll admit I beat off why deny it but i'll also admit My old xr650r would give my harley a run for it's money and no doubt kick a stock evo harleys butt.I recently rode a late model harley with cams exhaust etc maxed out wouldn't even hit 200 k's.And at that speed it didn't feel very safe with the air flow near pulling my feet off the pegs.Why do people insist on talking up harleys I don't get it they are what they are a primitive sludge pump with wheels lets face it adding a second cam and more capacity is just flogging a dead horse .Anyway I do get a bit of laugh out of this sort of thread thanks.

As for the vespa forum that's a great idea finally a group where I might have a chance of overtaking someone on the harley.

Nah, try riding a Sportster!
You cop it from the Harley crowd for not riding a real Harley and cop it from everyone else for riding a Harley!!

Harley Sportster.. the Johnny Ramone of the bike world.. too punk to give a fuck!

 

Bloody hell, some of this escalated quickly.

I'm having more fun riding my HD than my previous Jap sports bike. Why? I can use all of its capabilities on the road and I don't care (anymore) what goes past me. I'm also more comfortable enroute and bloody well look good. Saying that, not much has gone past me yet. If they do, to paraphrase Hot & Heavy, hopefully they are good blokes who know what my lunch order is. 

If this wears thin I will get a second-hand Jap 600; there are generally plenty of clean examples at or below $5000. Just think how many more there will be in five years time. That is something about Jap bikes -- their depreciation moves faster then they ever will. Can't say that about a HD. Horses for courses.

Here is something for the twats that made me write about this topic in the first place: if you spend more time having a go at other peoples bikes than actually riding your own, you need to have a good look at yourself. Harley's are the best at what they are designed to do; live with it.

Too right JFE, you have the right harley for hookin in. They are not all capable of tearing through the twistys quick but suspension upgrade jack her up a touch to fix ya clearance and a tru-track on that thing of yours and very few Mick doohan wannabes will pass you bud.

Why do most harley riders do the opposite and lower them rake them make them obnoxiously loud I thought it was because they realised they didn't have a hope in hell Of catching up Now you have me thinking I might be going in the wrong direction.And JFE you are correct harleys engines were designed originally for those too lazy to pedal a pushbike Guess nothing has changed they still share the same perfomance handling   as a modern day motorised pushbike.

Ok where do you live indepentant, come to Canberra and take my stage 4 fatbob for a ride.
Garrentee your outlook will change.
All this shit about slow harleys, bad handling etc etc I have 2 harleys both well over 100 HP the softail is closer to 150 HP then 100, brembo brakes, upgraded suspension etc etc.
Yeah it's not 200 HP but it's enough to upset the odd japper now and then lol
Anyway who gives a fuck I love riding my bike hard and the looks on jap riders faces in there mirrors while following them is priceless as they keep looking and realising the big Harley is still up there ass lol

A chook on a Colonel Sanders forum!. Not sure I get it. Why partake in a Harley forum if you dislike them that much?.

Got a wogbike two Jappers and the HD. Each one has it's own charm.

Any motorcycle has got to be better than walking.

Yeah fucked if I know why, If ha gonna bag fuck out them fuck off over to the jap forums and do it there.

I have I love for Harley's, I guess that's where we differ. I've owned all sorts of bikes and now nothing interests me.

I can't explain it and by the sounds of it you wouldn't understad anyway.

Is this a fucking harley forum or what....is there anyone here that has a fucking love for Harley's FFS ....

You blokes are harley owners that's about it.... Fuck it that's it from me..

That's right you wouldn't understand cause your a fucking wanker

Congrats on the new GSX! 

Great bike, even if it's now worth $10,000...

 

I understand Chriso. Jap bikes are built with crap. Everytime I go near one, I look at the build quality and think how shit it is.
Hasnt really changed since the 70's and 80's.You can be a "HeMan" on any jap sports bike, until you Cark it.One thing I like about Harleys is they last a long time and this is reflected in the quality of the product that is used to make the bike. Why is a Kwaka 9 so expensive? Aint many of the fuckers around anymore. Shit handling bike that can demand up to 30K lol.
You can buy an Ipod for nothing these days and put crap files onto it and listen. Or you can buy a Linn LP12, Audio Research pre/power and some decent Dipole Speakers and be totally amazed by the LP sound quality. Chalk and fucking cheese.
If you want to put shit on "Traktors", Its just as easy to put shit on "Jap Crap".