To Harley Or Not To Harley, That Is The Question?

[la szum]

No. I am not going to cram my balls onto a Cafe style Racer, and lay my torso on the gas tank. Not gonna happen.

They say once you are past 50 getting an Harley Davidson is part and parcel of the American Male Archeytype. I
have looked over the years. Have friends who own and ride. This is the most curious and interested I have been.

Kind of shopping and seeing what is out there right now.

Pretty sure if I buy smart (used) I can at least recoup my money if it is not for me. Grew up riding dirt bikes and
have some skills, so not concerned about that.

Anyone else Harley curious, or Harley devoted and into riding?I feel like this is something I want to do and
experience (even if it includes taking my life into my own hands by dealing with "drivers" who often don't
grant motorcyclists equal treatment and respect on the road).

Thoughts? Experiences? Words of caution and sanity?

 

[fretworn]

Liking V-twins is akin’ to liking SG’s

(I also don’t have the HD gene)

Not my bag; but I feel the two wheel nomadic pull all the time … but dogs, family… excuses excuses lol

 

[JiveTurkey]

We did a gig here, probably 6-7 years ago? It was at the local Harley shop. Everyone else in the band rode their Harleys to the gig. I don't have one but rode a borrowed moped instead. I vote moped, still

 

[la szum]

 

[JiveTurkey]

Not gonna lie. Fun af to ride

 

[TSJMajesty]

You ever ridden on the street before, or is this 1st time? I started at 19, always Kawasakis. Bought a new 100th Anniversary Electra Glide Ultra Classic in 2002. Kept it for about 8 years.

There's a lot to riding defensively. Even if you're not at fault in a crash, doesn't really matter.

 

[the-trooper]

Do the math, how many Harley Bentons could you buy for the price of Harley Davidson. Then ask yourself, which is better, a container of guitars or an organ donor card.

 

[itchyfingers]

When I grew up we had some Hells Angels rent the house next door for a year. Holy shit those MF'ers were crazy meth-dealin party vampires. Now the only people I know who ride are fat yuppies cosplaying in leather.

 

[la szum]

Well, I am not fat (for my age) and don't own any leather that leaves the bedroom. I feel excluded now.

 

[la szum]

You ever ridden on the street before, or is this 1st time? I started at 19, always Kawasakis. Bought a new 100th Anniversary Electra Glide Ultra Classic in 2002. Kept it for about 8 years.

There's a lot to riding defensively. Even if you're not at fault in a crash, doesn't really matter.

Yup. I have ridden a Sportster quite a bit in my 20s and a Suzuki GS850 in my teens. I must
have put thousands of miles on my Yamaha YZs and Honda XRs when I was young. Even
did a bit of racing as a Yute.

Handling and experience feel like non-issues to me. Or I am delusional.

 

[Stone]

From when I was 14 to 19 raced motocross in the CMA, (YZ, RM and KX, loved my greenie 250 bad ass bike) , loved hurricane BoB Hannah, after that never drove any motorcycles again

 

[duzie]

Do it !
Actually around here a used Harley isn’t extremely expensive.
The rumble of the bike , wind in your hair lol

 

[Holden Afart]

 

[TSJMajesty]

I cut a deer in half on a 900 Ninja. For real. Doin bout 90! Bike was 8 days old too. Summer of '88.

But yeah, if things like riding with the front brake covered in traffic (it takes .5 seconds to move your hand from around the handgrip to grab the brake lever, and at 60mph that means you've travelled 44 feet closer towards whatever you don't want to hit), 80-90% of your braking power is in the front brake (you NEVER opt for 'laying it down'), and counter steering aren't foreign concepts to you, then I say yeah, go for it.

 

[Stone]

This Guy BoB Hannah was insane, hole shot king and absolutely dominated everyone!

 

[la szum]

I met Bob Hannah and Marty Smith (factory Honda) in 1977 at an Outdoor National here in Michigan.
Both autographed posters for me that I hung on my bedroom wall. They were riding 125cc bikes at
that time.

I ended up getting to ride and race on that same track they raced on later that Summer on my YZ80.

 

[la szum]

I cut a deer in half on a 900 Ninja. For real. Doin bout 90! Bike was 8 days old too. Summer of '88.

But yeah, if you things like riding with the front brake covered in traffic (it takes .5 seconds to move your hand from around the handgrip to grab the brake lever, and at 60mph that means you've travelled 44 feet closer towards whatever you don't want to hit), 80-90% of your braking power is in the front brake (you NEVER opt for 'laying it down'), and counter steering aren't foreign concepts to you, then I say yeah, go for it.

WTF?? Who has a story like that? You were a crazy summbitch, Tom!

 

[TSJMajesty]

WTF?? Who has a story like that? You were a crazy summbitch, Tom!

Several years after, I hire this new carpenter, and I'm asking about his work history. He tells me he had worked on the "Chef Boy R Dee" house (this humongous home in my area for the grandson of the guy who started that company), and I knew a few guys who had also worked on that project.

So I ask if he knew Eugene _____. He's like, yeah, there were a couple Gene's on that job. Was he a jokester? I was like, No. He was a pretty straight-up guy. Why?

Because he once told me this story about this carpenter-friend of his who cut a deer in half on his motorcycle.

Yep. Dat was me.

Deer are stoopid animals. I have hit a total of 4 now, the other 3 being in my truck, thank God.

 

[la szum]

WTF??! Never want to hear how unlucky you might be ever again.

When I was in the Navy a guy almost cut a car in half. He made 3/4 of the way through. Cops
estimated 120+. His helmet got embedded in the roof, but he was nowhere to be seen. I
wish I could find the newspaper photo.

Deer are odd, and unpredictable. And they love the roadside grass for some reason.

 

[TSJMajesty]

WTF??! Never want to hear how unlucky you might be ever again.

When I was in the Navy a guy almost cut a car in half. He made 3/4 of the way through. Cops
estimated 120+. His helmet got embedded in the roof, but he was nowhere to be seen. I
wish I could find the newspaper photo.

Deer are odd, and unpredictable. And they love the roadside grass for some reason.

Wow!! I did learn something about deer after hitting 2 of my 4 in almost the same exact spot: A hunter buddy told me they use pathways like we use roads. So if that path crosses a highway, well, that's where you're likely to hit 'em.

I always wondered how they could read those 'Deer Crossing' signs!