Harley Davidson

[Tigertom]

My first ever Harley

 

[andyman]

Had mine for 20 years in November, great bikes. Enjoy

 

[Garfields]

Nice but I would prefer a motor bike personally

 

[olley]

A hardly moving, nice.

 

[Coastal Cruiser.]

That’s going to take some getting on to a tow truck

Well done nice bike

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[Richard n Ann]

Ignore them we're all different. Enjoy

PS I've got a KTM and lots hate them but I like it

 

[old-mo]

A hardly moving, nice.

Don`t you believe it , Ian...

Had many a Harley and they are great bikes...

Chuffed to bit`s with my last one..... Harley Road King...

I passed a tractor going down a lane last time out...

Admit he was going the other way..... but never the less I passed it...

 

[pappajohn]

A hardly moving, nice.

Or an Oily Fart as Shirl calls 'em.
Evidently that's what they sound like, not that I ever heard an Oily Fart.

 

[The Coops]

Does your bike say *Potato?* Fingers crossed the only bike in 55 years of riding I ever fell off, like the Cadac they are a *Lifestyle Choice* not mine and not likely to be!

 

[Richard n Ann]

What they like to ride? I suppose they're very heavy, but it's all low down

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[The Coops]

Excuse my language but its like a giant vibrator ! Great if you wan't the Mrs all over you, bit embarrassing if you have taken out one of the neighbours for a backie as they have never been on a motorcycle, and who in their right mind would post they ride a * FAT Boy!"* Harley culture in one!

 

[Odd-no-more]

I've had a couple over the years, both very reliable and both took 2 of us the the south of Spain and back

 

[The Coops]

From Malaga?

 

[denisejoe]

Trouble is the noise, do owners have to take the baffles out when they get a HD

 

[old-mo]

Trouble is the noise, do owners have to take the baffles out when they get a HD

If you have never had a BIG THROBBING TWIN between your legs you would not understand..

It`s a Man Thing...

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[old-mo]

What they like to ride? I suppose they're very heavy, but it's all low down

Always had a Ducati alongside my Harley`s...

Ride a Ducati for a couple of hours...... Back ache... Arm ache.... Neck ache.. that was long enough.

Rode one of my Harleys from Dorset to Scotland with only a quick few fuel & fag stops..

Comfy, No fatigue... brilliant... and yes they are heavy but as you say low down weight..

Like riding in an armchair, similar I should imagine to a Gold Wing

Built for comfort...

And not as some sport`s bikes and riders... built for an early grave..

Enjoy your new ride Tigertom ....... you will love it...

 

[Bonkers the Dog]

Aaghhhhhhh, kill it with fire!

On a serious note I hear that HD are in dire straights and there is talk of them going under.

Here area few reasons why.

• Old fashioned, noisy and unappealing.
• Customer demographic literally dying off ie Old American White Men.
• General failure to keep up with technical developments.
• General failure to keep up with style developments.
• General failure to keep up with customer demand.
• General failure to keep abreast of modern management, production techniques and practices, unlike the Brits, Japs et al.
• Outmoded labour practices.
• General failure to appeal to a younger/female/coloured/international customer base.
• A rather dodgy reputation within the biking fraternity with regards motivation and behaviour.
• Generally vey poor handling.
• Exorbitant costs of parts and service.
• The recent development of HDs being manufactured in Thailand to avoid EU tariffs; just not Good 'ol American Iron anymore with inferior parts and build quality.
• But the real killer is the preferential treatment handed to them in the '80s by the Reagan Government in the form of punitive tariffs on foreign bikes imported to the US of A as they were, like their car industry in the '70s inefficient, costly and underproductive. This situation has come home to roost in the Form of "the law of unintended consequences" in that it allowed them to continue their lazy ways and benefit from that largesse; it has never worked properly and that fat Pidgeon is coming home.
• Image - you think you look like Marlon Brando in your matching waist coat and chaps when in reality everybody knows you are actually a middle aged, fat, balding salesman.
• Oh, and the exorbitant cost of the thing. us bikers don't mind paying for cutting edge designs and technology (I've just bought a Ducati at great expense) but we tend to rankle when some smug salesman wants to dip our pockets for £20 grand plus for something that has basically remained unchanged at a fundamental level since before the war.

So it should be an interesting time for the old HD brand, especially these days. To whom do you sell your product when all your prospective customers are dying off and your product does not appeal to anybody else?

At the end of the day it is personal choice and I congratulate the OP on his new ride and wish him safe riding; every new biker is a bonus for the community.

However, in saying that, if I were in the market for another bike - not that SWMBO would agree-it would be a very long list afore I settled on a Harley.

 

[pappajohn]

On a serious note I hear that HD are in dire straights and there is talk of them going under.

Harley Davidson are building/have built a successful electric version.
Just needs lollypop sticks in the spokes to imitate the V twin thud.
If they did go under there's a good chance Polaris industries would buy them out as they did with the Indian motorcycle brand.

 

[WESTY66]

Nice deluxe!! Not sure on them indicators tho, I think I prefer the old round ones
my Harleys....
1994 XLH1200
2002 Heritage softail
2003 Anniversary Electraglide Ultra
1980 Shovelhead Electraglide (belonged to James Garner although I could never prove it)
2003 Anniversary police roadking
2005 Screaming eagle Electraglide
2008 XL883R
2005 Screaming eagle Electraglide (same one)
2005 Heritage Softail
2008 Electraglide Ultra
2014 Electraglide Ultra Ltd
2014 CVO Electraglide Ultra
2015 Roadglide Ultra
2002 CVO Roadking
2011 Heritage softail
2018 Roadking

All come and gone, now all I have is.
2007 Heritage softail

 

[Neckender]

This was my Harley Road King Classic I bought it new 2000 and had it for 11 years never let me down Itravelled to Faro, Laurett de Marr, Benidorm, all over France, Belgium and Germany.

John.

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[WESTY66]

This was my Harley Road King Classic I bought it new 2000 and had it for 11 years never let me down Itravelled to Faro, Laurett de Marr, Benidorm, all over France, Belgium and Germany.

John.View attachment 423715

Keep it!! Them motors went downhill after 2002

EditI see you don’t have it any longer

 

[Neckender]

Keep it!! Them motors went downhill after 2002

I parted with it in 2011, now bikeless.

John

 

[RowleyBirkinQC]

Harley Davidson are building/have built a successful electric version.
Just needs lollypop sticks in the spokes to imitate the V twin thud.
If they did go under there's a good chance Polaris industries would buy them out as they did with the Indian motorcycle brand.

I guess Harley are hoping this will do for them as the original series did for the BMW GS...

 

[PeteH]

Always fancied one, My youngest had one for a while and I rode that on a couple of occasions. But I gave in and got the classic Beemer R100RS in the end. Now gone, no bikeee now. Got a Load of Photo`s of the Harley Store/Cafe in Las Vegas, they all go round the place on a chain drive, dozens of them!.

 

[poppycamper]

Trouble is the noise, do owners have to take the baffles out when they get a HD

We have a local "Hog" club and it seems to be a competition to see who has the noisiest one...
If it was a car it would be banned so why do we have to listen to them when even up to 2miles away!?!?!

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[denisejoe]

If you have never had a BIG THROBBING TWIN between your legs you would not understand..

It`s a Man Thing...

Had many but all English Triumph BSA Norton
but best bike would be Honda pan european

ps I know the English guy that does all the computer programming for HD

 

[Nasher]

To the OP

Just ignore all the critics, doom laden comments, etc

GET OUT AND RIDE IT WITH A BLOODY GREAT SMILE ON YOUR FACE

 

[EssexBoy]

but best bike would be Honda pan european

Still got my '93 ST1100 as I haven't found anything better!!!

We're off for a post-quaratine tour round Norfolk on it this weekend...

 

[Bonkers the Dog]

If Polaris buy HD that would be a good thing, Hopefully; but remember Polaris is owned by Textron which is a whale to Polaris's minnow, so that could backfire. They have their eyes on much, much bigger things. Here's hoping either of them don't asset strip it and sell the brand name to the highest bidder to stick on clothing and watches and other tat.

What they need is an injection of capitol but more importantly an injection of new practices, ideas, direction, design and technology. Strip it down, streamline it and rebuild the brand.

Get in front of the curve rather than behind it as they demonstrated with the new Adventure bike thy showcased recently; perhaps the ugliest thing on two wheels. In producing that they are entering, for the first time, the 2nd most competitive Global market segment and are 30 years off the pace; smacks of desperation to me. Why would you dive head first into a market pool full of sharks when you don't know the depth and are having trouble swimming?

As far as the electric thing goes that is the future, no doubt there, my kids have an electric bike. However it is super niche at the moment and the "math" as the Septics say, just don't add up. There is, with VERY few exceptions and circumstances, just no demand for them. That will not change till the technology matures, batteries are sorted out and the price drops.

However here comes the caveat; or the Elephant in the room.

HD is one of THE American brands. It is wrapped in 'Ol Glory, it has a long history and it is manufactured, ridden, mythologised and generally worshiped on the other side of the pond; particularly by white, Male working class republicans.

And who is their current champion? Who has promised to Make America Great Again? Who considers themselves a consummate businessman? Who cannot afford to let a US icon go to the wall on his watch?

Watch this space, incentives will be offered, palms greased, figures fudged; there will be a bail out by fair means or foul.

Either way I do hope they survive, in whatever form. I am a dyed in the wool biker, any development that takes biking forward is to be encouraged and lauded; they can and must do a lot better.

 

[Razamataz]

Nice deluxe!! Not sure on them indicators tho, I think I prefer the old round ones
my Harleys....
1994 XLH1200
2002 Heritage softail
2003 Anniversary Electraglide Ultra
1980 Shovelhead Electraglide (belonged to James Garner although I could never prove it)
2003 Anniversary police roadking
2005 Screaming eagle Electraglide
2008 XL883R
2005 Screaming eagle Electraglide (same one)
2005 Heritage Softail
2008 Electraglide Ultra
2014 Electraglide Ultra Ltd
2014 CVO Electraglide Ultra
2015 Roadglide Ultra
2002 CVO Roadking
2011 Heritage softail
2018 Roadking

All come and gone, now all I have is.
2007 Heritage softail

Jeeeezus
Just because you can!!

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