Purchasing a New Harley.....

[Fish]

Not to make fun of this statement, but saying a harley has power is like saying how awsome Bose speakers are!! Do they have resale value?? Yes!, Do they look good?? Yes!!, Do they get the Girl, yes, but they are getting a bit common., Do they have sex appeal?? Well the vibration especially on older models, will save you money on condoms because the vibration will make you go sterile, you will also save money on batteries for you girl!! But as for Power??

Hmm......you forgot the sound,very important since metric bikes can never make that sound.And the horns,I never wanted to push that button as I rode past a friends house.I've had Honda's,Yamaha's and others,very fast,dependable and nice riders,no complaint,I too used to try and justify that part.In the end,there's just no comparison,nothin like heavy metal.

I ride with the guy I sold my Honda to,great bike but I could never see myself on it again after the Heritage.

[twistedcrankcammer]

Not to make fun of this statement, but saying a harley has power is like saying how awsome Bose speakers are!! Do they have resale value?? Yes!, Do they look good?? Yes!!, Do they get the Girl, yes, but they are getting a bit common., Do they have sex appeal?? Well the vibration especially on older models, will save you money on condoms because the vibration will make you go sterile, you will also save money on batteries for you girl!! But as for Power??

Hmm......you forgot the sound,very important since metric bikes can never make that sound.And the horns,I never wanted to push that button as I rode past a friends house.I've had Honda's,Yamaha's and others,very fast,dependable and nice riders,no complaint,I too used to try and justify that part.In the end,there's just no comparison,nothin like heavy metal.

I ride with the guy I sold my Honda to,great bike but I could never see myself on it again after the Heritage.

Fish,

No, a V4 will never sound like a V twin, but with my aftermarket exhaust, my bike is a hell of alot louder then your Harley. Of course I'll loose that if I go to a turbo. As for the horn, I upgraded everything on the bike. Relays to the headlight and the horn for direct voltage, Off road Xenon bulb, 185 watt low beam, seems backwards I know, but Hi beam is 120 Watts, twin FIAA freeway blaster car horns. What can I say, I'm a prick at heart!! [6]

Could of had a Harley and a Busa or ZX-14 for what I have invested, but just like Klipsch Speakers, it isn't about being like the rest of the crowd (READ SHEEP) or a Bose Lover, it's about what I like, and what I wanted. Further still, one look at my bike shows instantly that I know how to totally tear it down, make it better, and put it back together instead of buying someone elses chopper, or a Harley and saying I made it mine because I bolted on chrome with my Harley Chrome Cash. I have many one of a kind custom pieces that I wanted and had made for me.

Roger

[Islander]

a buddy here in Indy is a big chrome Harley guy. He recently had to lay his down when an accident occurred in front of him on a city street. He slid some 60 feet in shorts and flip flops. Tore up about a football sized chunk of thigh, elbow, shoulder, and still walks with a limp a month later.

Man, there's a few things done wrong. Flip-flops are for walking, not even for wearing on a bicycle or skateboard. Shorts are okay on bicycles, but nothing faster.

I always wore jacket, helmet, boots and gloves when I rode. The one time I didn't wear gloves, I skidded on some gravel in a turn and scraped up my hands, so after that I had gloves for every weather, from very light to big mittens, but my hands were never uncovered. I've broken a few bones, but no road rash on me...

As for "had to lay it down", that's usually another way to say "I forgot to use the front brake and locked up the back wheel and landed on my butt, and even assless chaps wouldn't have helped." Stunt riders in movies "lay it down" to slide under a semi-trailer that's gone sideways in front of them, but that technique has basically no application in any street riding situation.

I know "assless chaps" is redundant, but it's just funny to say it. There's even a band by that name, so it's not just me. http://www.myspace.com/theasslesschaps

I don't mean to sound like such a know-it-all, but I've heard of so many of these unnecessary injuries, when proper safety gear could have limited them to a bruise or two. I've even heard girls say they like to work on their tan while riding down the highway. I hate to hear that. Even if they don't fall, they're on their way to having leather skin in a few years.

Riding a bike is not as dangerous as some people make it.

[Fish]

Well....louder,I dunno?,my bikes pretty loud,but you're right,no metric will ever sound like a Harley,I do love that sound.As to Klipsch and Bose and Harley and Metric,someone else can decide which have more in common.All that matters is you like your bike and like to ride it,sounds nice.I wouldn't be ashamed to ride with ya.

[Islander]

As a hard-core bike gang member in Toronto once said to me, "If a man can't afford a Harley, that doesn't mean I respect him any less."

[twistedcrankcammer]

Well....louder,I dunno?,my bikes pretty loud,but you're right,no metric will ever sound like a Harley,I do love that sound.As to Klipsch and Bose and Harley and Metric,someone else can decide which have more in common.All that matters is you like your bike and like to ride it,sounds nice.I wouldn't be ashamed to ride with ya.

Fish,

It is louder, but as I stated, not stock.

email me at rgordon@watchtv.net and I'll email some shots of it. I don't know how to shrink my photos to paste them, and as I am no computer guru, I haven't figgured out why I can't copy and paste them after emailing them to myself, but I can direct email about 3 photos at a time because of their size.

By the way, one of my really good friends was a professional bike drag racer, and had the first twin cam into the 10s, then was first into the 9s. He won the number 1 plate for the first year of the NHRA cruiser class with that bike. He also had the worlds fasted top alchol bike back arround 1982. Best ET on that bike was a 7.13!!

Roger

[twistedcrankcammer]

As a hard-core bike gang member in Toronto once said to me, "If a man can't afford a Harley, that doesn't mean I respect him any less."

Very good friend had first Harlet twin cam in the 10s and the first into the 9s. He has a 5,500 sq ft house and a Ferari. He owns a Ferrari, owns about 10 or 11 bikes, so money is not an object. He owns his own buiseness and makes custom parts and customizes bikes for a living. He owns two 7 second bikes, but he rides a custom V-Max on the street. He owns two of the brand new 2009 models that are a complete redesign, as well as two custom 1985 models.

I could point you to several V-Maxs that cost 3 and 4 times as much as a stock Harley.

My point on Bose and Harley is it is more of a "ME TOO" thing these days (all the yuppies), unlike it used to be.

I am, and always will be a "gear head", both car and bike. I have no respect for anyone who would put down anyones bike that can't completely take their bike apart and put it back together, as they are a wanna be biker.

Roger

[Islander]

I have no respect for anyone who would put down anyones bike that can't completely take their bike apart and put it back together, as they are a wanna be biker.

Over all the years I rode, I learned that biking is different things to different people. Some are about the speed, some are about the "cool", some like to buy lots of accessories, some like the social aspect, some only ride on the dirt, some only on the street. Some like to work on their bike, some are happy just to polish it. It's all biking.

There's no "best bike", just as there's no "best biker". If you like what you ride, it's the best bike for you.

I don't know how to dissassemble and reassemble my amplifiers, but I still think I'm a real hi-fi fan, not a wannabe.

[twistedcrankcammer]

I have no respect for anyone who would put down anyones bike that can't completely take their bike apart and put it back together, as they are a wanna be biker.

Over all the years I rode, I learned that biking is different things to different people. Some are about the speed, some are about the "cool", some like to buy lots of accessories, some like the social aspect, some only ride on the dirt, some only on the street. Some like to work on their bike, some are happy just to polish it. It's all biking.

There's no "best bike", just as there's no "best biker". If you like what you ride, it's the best bike for you.

I don't know how to dissassemble and reassemble my amplifiers, but I still think I'm a real hi-fi fan, not a wannabe.

Point taken, but you aren't putting down another person for owning a different amplifier either, so it doesn't fit my statement about wannabes does it??

Like I said, my mother is 73, and just got her first bike this last year. Do you think that in my statement I was calling her a wannabe because she obviously can't repair her own bike?? No, I wasn't, she really enjoys just riding it, funny because she wouldn't let me buy my own dirt bike even after I earned the money to buy it as a kid. The ones I am saying are wannabes are the ones who buy a Harley and are snobs towards non Harley owners. Most of these guys can't work on their own bike and are wannabes!! Most guys who can do their own work, can appreciate anothers abillity on any brand bike. A V-Max is a Hot Rod bike. Most of the Chevy guys who put down fords own mediocre to cheap cars. If you get to the extreme range of show cars, or car collecting, most guys will appreciate a finely detailed piece no matter if it is a restore, pro touring, or pro street. Most wont be a snob about the brand either. I am a Ford guy, but I'll bet you that I know more GM facts then 99% of the Chevy guys that would put down a ford (wannabes).

Roger

[Islander]

I used to work with a guy who had owned, at different times, a Harley, a BMW, and a Gold Wing, and when riding with folks who owned the same brand as him, he found a number of them who looked down on other brands. It started to seem pretty silly to him, since all three brands couldn't be "the best, forget the rest" and I have to agree.

Maybe we're disagreeing on terms. Some folks ride for fun, but some just want to be seen on what they think is a cool bike. Those are the ones I'd call "posers", while I think you call those same ones "wannabes". In a way they serve a purpose, in that we see their looking down at others as a reason to look down on them. Everybody thinks they're cooler than everybody else. Who cares?

[twistedcrankcammer]

I used to work with a guy who had owned, at different times, a Harley, a BMW, and a Gold Wing, and when riding with folks who owned the same brand as him, he found a number of them who looked down on other brands. It started to seem pretty silly to him, since all three brands couldn't be "the best, forget the rest" and I have to agree.

Maybe we're disagreeing on terms. Some folks ride for fun, but some just want to be seen on what they think is a cool bike. Those are the ones I'd call "posers", while I think you call those same ones "wannabes". In a way they serve a purpose, in that we see their looking down at others as a reason to look down on them. Everybody thinks they're cooler than everybody else. Who cares?

Agreed..

Roger

[RockOn4Klipsch]

Thanks for all the great advice guys, I do plan on taking the MSF course. I wear nothing but jeans and red wing boots, I can pick the bike up and carry it in neccessary.

I know that harley's are very popular now adays but never would have expected the harley = bose statement.....maybe a hint of jealousy.....just kidding. I know there are bikes that do the same thing for less money however the name Harley has always meant something to me and will continue.

Not to say I'm easily peer pressured but I probably would have never lived it down from the family and in-laws had I gotten something else. I'm excited, anixous and nervous. We'll see how it all goes and will post back soon.

[Fish]

Be sure to update us and.....Never get in a hurry,remember if you take your eyes off the road that's when something will be there,never trust others turn signals.I'm sure it's gonna be great,ride with pride.

[sputnik]

..................I wear nothing but jeans and red wing boots,.....

<rant>

[N][N][N] STUPID, STUPID, STUPID!

Don't be a cliche'. There are two kinds of riders - those who've crashed and those who haven't crashed yet. Dress for the wreck, not the ride. On the road, one small lapse or mistake or a driver on a cell phone will eat you up and you won't even know what happened!

GET GOOD GEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you can afford the chrome, you can drop $1,500 to $2,000 on good gear.

Snell rated helmet. Racing weight leather. Real boots and gloves.

</rant>

[RockOn4Klipsch]

when I said I wear nothing but jeans and red wings I didn't mean in the *** less chaps sense. I meant that I don't wear shorts or shoes. I'll be looking at some leathers.

I've started working in the parking lot at the school with turning and braking. I'll probably do that for a couple of days, before I go in traffic. Either this weekend (if I can get in) or next weekend I plan on taking the MSF course.

I don't have issues with starting and stopping my biggest issue/anxiety is turning. The difference IMO between a bigger bike and a dirt bike is significant. I'm not sure if the smaller parking lot attributes to me being uneasy with turning at slow speed but none the less I plan on getting comfortable there than I do on the street.

Thanks for the continued advice.

This forum is good for things other than al things klipsch,

[customsteve01]

Rockon,

One of the biggest differances is the wieght. You can not throw the Harley around like you can a dirt bike. and you cand goose it to get arounf the slow corners like a dirt bike either.

Sounds like your taking it slow and getting used to it, thats great. Take the course and just ride, the more you ride the easier it gets. And keep doing the stuff that you think is scary or hard. Just like the dirt bike, the more you ride the better you get

Steve

[theplummer]

Before I was married, I had a 88' FLST custom. I bought it used in the middle 90's.

I used to get two different comments about the bike. Either they consistantly said, "Wow that bike looks great, for as old as it is." then I'd tell them it's less than ten years old and they'd freak, they'd claim it came from the 40's or 50's.

Then I'd get, "That bike looks terrible, for as new as it is." Then they'd see me boil the tire off of it and ride off in a 4 foot wheelie.

Don't be a "poser" (what a great description). I can't stand guys that spend massive amounts of money blinging and modding the engine, then bragging about what they've (paid someone to do for them) done to the bike, and then be afraid to "use" it to it's potential.

I wen't to Daytona with a half dozen "ridin buddies" only to find out that they were nuttin but "chicken's" when it came to enjoying themselves. Hell they were in bed by 9pm every night, and I kept them out that late. They whined that they wanted to be back to the hotel (50 miles away) before dark so they didn't get any bugs on their rides.

Should've seen them cringe as I was rippin' the snot out of my ride on a engine dyno.

I've never been back to Daytona, I quit riding with H.O.G. and finally sold my bike because of the infiltration of "poser's" that are killing the sport.

[Islander]

I don't have issues with starting and stopping my biggest issue/anxiety is turning.

Are you familiar with counter-steering? It was discovered by those bicycle mechanics and part-time flyers, the Wright brothers. It wouldn't matter with a lightweight dirt bike, but can make it easier to turn a heavy street bike.

Basically, you pull the bars gently to the right to start a left turn, and gently to the left to start a right turn. In case that sounds crazy, try riding with one hand in a straight line at a reasonable speed (most likely your right hand, to control the throttle) and gently pull the bar toward you, then away from you. You'll see that pulling makes the bike want to turn left and pushing makes it want to turn right.

Once the bike actually starts leaning, the bars go the direction you would expect. Counter-steering is just to get the turn started. It's a way to get the bike levered into turning and is faster and easier than just leaning it, especially with a heavy bike.

Another thing to keep in mind is that a bike with lots of low-end power will want to straighten itself out if you apply throttle while making a tight turn, so in that case you have to keep a firm grip on the bars and keep the bike leaned over in order to maintain your cornering line. This is particularly noticeable when having to turn while accelerating from a stop, like when turning at an intersection after you get the green light.

I apologize if this is all old news to you, but sometimes it's good to remind yourself of the fundamentals.

This clip will show you what can be done with a fully-loaded Harley with enough practice and training:

This clip shows a large group of Italian police or military riders, I don't know which, doing some very intricate stuff. For your viewing pleasure:

[theplummer]

when I said I wear nothing but jeans and red wings I didn't mean in the *** less chaps sense. I meant that I don't wear shorts or shoes. I'll be looking at some leathers.

I've started working in the parking lot at the school with turning and braking. I'll probably do that for a couple of days, before I go in traffic. Either this weekend (if I can get in) or next weekend I plan on taking the MSF course.

I don't have issues with starting and stopping my biggest issue/anxiety is turning. The difference IMO between a bigger bike and a dirt bike is significant. I'm not sure if the smaller parking lot attributes to me being uneasy with turning at slow speed but none the less I plan on getting comfortable there than I do on the street.

Thanks for the continued advice.

This forum is good for things other than al things klipsch,

I once was like you also, I had only ridden dirt bikes (extremely High center of gravity), thing about a street bike is low center of gravity. If you haven't tried it yet, try "counter steering" into a corner. What I mean is in a left hand corner, push on your left hand (effectively turning right) this will make the bike lean left and track around the left corner, Lean into it, the bike will turn itself in a short time. The reason your uncomfortable is because your forcing the bike to do something "unnatural" for it. Your oversteering (in the direction you inted to go) then forcing the bike to go against it's natural self to turn the wrong way.

Start out on something like a long sweeping turn, go at least 45mph in the turn, when it's time to turn, just push (ever so slightly) in the opposite direction of the turn and lean into the turn as you normally would and see what happens.

Before long, you'll be rubbin the bottom bolt of your primary cover on the pavement (that's cool), if you have running boards, you'll sharpen them like a knife. That bike will corner like no ones business.

[twistedcrankcammer]

when I said I wear nothing but jeans and red wings I didn't mean in the *** less chaps sense. I meant that I don't wear shorts or shoes. I'll be looking at some leathers.

I've started working in the parking lot at the school with turning and braking. I'll probably do that for a couple of days, before I go in traffic. Either this weekend (if I can get in) or next weekend I plan on taking the MSF course.

I don't have issues with starting and stopping my biggest issue/anxiety is turning. The difference IMO between a bigger bike and a dirt bike is significant. I'm not sure if the smaller parking lot attributes to me being uneasy with turning at slow speed but none the less I plan on getting comfortable there than I do on the street.

Thanks for the continued advice.

This forum is good for things other than al things klipsch,

Stefan,

When practicing your slow speed manuverability, focus your eyes at the end of the turn and beyond (just like snow skiing), you need to be focused on where you want to end up, not on where the bike is immediately headed.

Practice innitiating the lean of your bike by innitialy turning your handlebars in the opposite direction you are wanting to turn.

Do you know the propper proceedure for picking your bike up should you drop it, as you can't just throw it up like you could a dirt bike??

Roger