Harley boys laughing.... - Page 4

**ASE-Tech** · 04-21-2010, 11:37 PM

I've ridden a few Harleys, but not for any real length of time so I cant really say I absolutely Love them or Hate them. I went and looked at a few today just for the hell of it. Saw an 05 Wide Glide with around 25K miles... The sales guy estimated they'd want 8-10K for it. Plus they have many many... MANY Sportsters thanks to last years MSRP trade in deal.

I'm not an expert here by any means, but I know I could get around $4000 min for the Reb and Shadow together. Not trade value but private party... Always wanted a Harley, BUT that $4000 could pay for almost half of a bigger better newer Honda, Yamaha, etc etc.. What to do, What to do... opinions?

What I'm looking into really is something good for everyday, Bigger than a Reb, Good for many highway miles at a time with passenger possibly, and will Get Up and Go when needed.

JunkyardDog · 04-22-2010, 03:50 AM

"what's with the one hand on the leg thing with the Harley Riders" That's typically a sport bike rider thing, they are resting their arm. I have ridden sportbikes, and you really have no choice. I have ridden down the freeway with my left hand on my leg, it lets you sit up just a little straighter. And when stopped at a red light, since I like to keep the bike in gear, I will take my hand off the throttle to rest it for a minute, and turn the bars all the way to the left, so it is a shorter reach to the left grip and clutch lever. Unless you are getting a good workout sliding all over the seat carving up canyon roads, sportbikes are true torture devices. I found them almost impossible to ride in town without severe pain that lasted long after the ride was over.

As for Harleys, I plan to get a used one as my next bike. I'm tired of bikes you can't work on, and can't get parts for. That doesn't include the Rebel, yet, but if it is permanently out of production, parts will likely become scarce in a few years.

EUS, I looked at the new Hondas, and not only couldn't find anything I liked (all the variations of the Shadow 750 had an unusual combination of fuel injection and tube type tires) Not only that, but the Shadow Phantom 750 costs the same as the Harley Sportster 883 Iron, which has the dreaded (IMO) fuel injection, but at least has tubeless tires and belt drive.

But I am looking for an older EVO powered Harley, with a carburetor, and would be mostly using aftermarket parts. Not only are these engines easy to rebuild, they are designed for it, with several oversize and undersized parts available. Typically a Harley EVO engine can be rebuilt 4 times before you have to replace any expensive parts, and even then, they are not expensive compared to Japanese parts.I can sure get an aftermarket EVO crankshaft for less than the $404 Rebel crank, and it is designed for 1340cc engine, and can be reground 3 times.

I used to didn't care for Harleys, and still don't care for the Harley "lifestyle", but the older bikes are beginning to appeal to me more and more, just the way old cars and trucks do. Jerry.

**igjosh** · 04-26-2010, 05:22 PM

My neighbor who is in fact my wifes uncle thought he was big and bad for having a dyna low rider that he made fun of my first bike like it was old junk til I got her running and he found out that my father in law who rode it some could blow his bike away as I had a 750 four that i could not ride me and the wife are short and the rebel is a good bike we get honked at and the wave all the time when harley riders pass our house a lot of them are friends of her dads as he has two harleys but he started out on a honda.
it does not matter what you ride it is the fact you ride and every bike has it's own story so people should not judge your bike.

**EUS** · 04-27-2010, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ASE-Tech

What I'm looking into really is something good for everyday, Bigger than a Reb, Good for many highway miles at a time with passenger possibly, and will Get Up and Go when needed.

Well why not take a look at the Kawi 900 Vulcan. It's what they call a mid size bike. I have been riding one since November and love it. It also handles really well on the Highway Lots of get up and go. Check out my pics. And its well under the price of a Harley brand new.

**EUS** · 04-27-2010, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flitecontrol

I believe they are trying to massage blood into their leg. All the vibration from the engine makes their legs go numb.

You just kill me flitecontrol. Soo funny...............

**EUS** · 04-27-2010, 03:48 PM

[QUOTE=JunkyardDog;28978]"what's with the one hand on the leg thing with the Harley Riders" That's typically a sport bike rider thing, they are resting their arm. I have ridden sportbikes, and you really have no choice. I have ridden down the freeway with my left hand on my leg, it lets you sit up just a little straighter. And when stopped at a red light, since I like to keep the bike in gear, I will take my hand off the throttle to rest it for a minute, and turn the bars all the way to the left, so it is a shorter reach to the left grip and clutch lever. Unless you are getting a good workout sliding all over the seat carving up canyon roads, sportbikes are true torture devices. I found them almost impossible to ride in town without severe pain that lasted long after the ride was over.

Sorry Junkyard I hope you did not take my comment the wrong way I was kinda trying to be funny, but I guess it didn't work. You certainly have a way with words.

**flitecontrol** · 04-27-2010, 03:49 PM

What inspired me to write that was an article I'd read by a guy who teaches mc mechanics at a NY city college. Several years ago, when Harley was doing a major redesign of their bikes, they had the oportunity to design a bike that wouldn't shake so much. Mr. Davidson nixed the idea. The message is: "We want Harleys to shake, and the customers expect them to shake." Early on, there wasn't much they could do about the shaking. With modern innovations, Harley could make it go away. They simply chose not to.

**Shadow Shack** · 04-27-2010, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JunkyardDog

That doesn't include the Rebel, yet, but if it is permanently out of production, parts will likely become scarce in a few years.

Considering their production runs, I wouldn't worry about that much. They averaged 25K units in the 80s and 95% of those parts are transferable to the 96+ bikes, which also saw five figure production runs each year once the MSRP was dropped to $3K in 99.

Quote:

Originally Posted by flitecontrol

With modern innovations, Harley could make it go away. They simply chose not to.

So rubber mounting (Sportster, Dyna, touring lines) and the TC-B engines (Softails) are just a figment of imagination? Even the solid-mounted single pin V-Rod is smooth by comparison to any shovelhead. Simple fact is HD has addresed the vibration issue with the advent of the TC-88 motor in the late 90s.

**flitecontrol** · 04-27-2010, 07:30 PM

Yes, they rubber mounted the engine, but did they engineer the motor so it would run smooth? I'm not a Harley expert by any means, but the professor I referenced stated that they intentionally did not. Are current Harleys as smooth as Japanese bikes have been for years?

**Shadow Shack** · 04-27-2010, 10:48 PM

The TC-88 B has massive counterbalancers on the crank and is solid mounted to the frame, much like any Japanese V2 (also counter blanaced and solid mounted). Unlike Harley's unbalanced rubber mounted mills that still shake at idle but smooth out once moving, the "B" motors idle smoothly too. The B is only available on the Softail line, all the rest have unbalanced rubber mounted mills save for the V-Rod which is a third design with large counterbalancers and solid mounted like the B but with a wider splay between the cylinders along with other more modern bits like overhead cams and liquid cooling (but it still has a single pin crank, and at 2/3 the size of a dual pin VTX1800 mill generates the same power).

The only modern HD I have any decent time with is the Electra Glide (TC-8

and I would have to say that except when idling it's smoother than a Shadow VLX, 750 ACE/Spirit, or single pinned 1100 ACE motor.

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