Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Hall of Fame Go ahead, laugh at me.

Our weekly Sunday breakfast ride takes us to a Harley dealership a block from our favorite waitress. Nice shop: friendly people. The bike that caught my eye was an 883R Sportster in black everything. Something about that blacked out engine and the checkered tank gets to me (visually). My Speedmaster and my Thunderbird Sport have black engines. I see a trend here.
I test road an 883 and a 1200 in Daytona last year. Vibes were way down, but so was the power. If I ever win the powerball, I'd probably buy the 883R and "biggie size"" it(not to mention a pole barn full of other bikes).
$174 million in powerball today. Good luck.
Mike Sr.

no way...not laughing here when I hit...there's a shiney new dyna wideglide in my stable...and a BMW full dresser for the long tour...

No laughing, just shaking my head in emabrrassment for you . But at least now you know how superior our bike truly are.

Soren

I won't laugh at your taste in bikes. As far as HDs go- I think a sporty would be the way I'd go. What I will laugh at - hanging out at a Harley shop on a sunday when you should be riding!!

Not a luaghing matter. If I were to buy a Harley, it would be either 883 or 1200 Sporty in Roadster get-up. I find the size and riding position to my liking. One reason I didn't buy one before is that I felt a bit cramped in the arm/grip measurements. 2 years ago, when shopping for a new ride I was just about to buy one with the plan to alter the risers/bars when it was suggested I look at the Triumphs. When I sat on the Speedy, my heart went a-flutter and that was the end of the story. But I still have affection for the Sporties. IMO (personal taste alone) all the others are just excess (excess size, excess weight, excess gadgets, excess cost.

And if I do get that $174 million there will be a Sporty in my collection, too.

Sporty is a girl's bike...

Hi Stewart,
The Sunday morning ride has turned into a year round get together even in our winter months. We take the cars and just hang for some therapy with the boys. We almost always end up at the Viking Chili Bowl on 30 in Valpo around 10 AM. Us old guys wuss-out in the cold and wet and take the 4 wheelers. This Sunday looks like it might be time for the bikes. Look for 2 Harleys, a Kaw and me on some kind of Triumph and ask to sit in Patti's section. Try the country skillet.
Mike Sr.

All the die hard harley riders that I know, and I know a lot, all say that the sportster is a girls bike.

Before I bought my Speedmaster, I looked at all sorts of bikes, including the new HD's at a local shop. The thing that got me about the Sportster was that it looked, at least to me, to be very cheaply made.. not like the other 'big' HD's in the shop (with price tags to match).

Cheers,
Brad

Well good Friar,

If a Sportster IS a "Girl's Bike", does that make a Big Twin a fat-a$$ed, out o' shape, middle-aged "MAN's Bike", then???

'Cuz THAT'S who I MOSTLY SEE ridin' Heritage/Softtail/ElectraGlide/or "What Evers" around these days!

Cheers,
Dwight
(but then again...were talkin' AMERICANS here, who seem to have lost the ability to push themselves away from the freakin' dinner table)

get an all black dyna at least

Frank

Hey Mike?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Well, the title IS 'Go ahead, laugh at me'. I just thought I would be accommodating!!

Quote:

---

Now the question is, is the Rocket III the bike of a man who's um, ...compensating for something? I hope not because I want one someday

---

Oh Dear Padre,
I hope not too - my wife also wants one when the money is there.

Mike,
If I win the Powerball, and am able to buy all the Triumph line, I'd get a Kawasaki Nomad, then A Yamaha FJ1300(?), a couple BMWs, then may consider a Lowrider,SuperGlide or Ultra. But the HDs are WAY down on my list. It has been argued that HarleyDavidson is more than a motorcycle. It can also be argued that Harley is less than a motorcycle......... I so argue!!!
I chose to "Go My Own Way".

That same person thinks our Speedmasters are girls bikes too (maybe not to your face). If you are worried what others might say about your choice of motorcycle, you can join the herd. Then the die-hard _________ (insert any other brand name here) rider will still think you are wrong. Remember the song "Garden Party"? Please yourself and let others do the same.

Agree MrUnix, the Sportys do look cheaper made. I'll let the secret out, I guess. I just bought an '05 Softail Deluxe where the prior owner already installed the options I like and all for $15K. Couldn't pass it up....

Ahhh, so that's why you're selling your Triumph. It's easy to pass up a Harley...just give a little twist to the throttle.

I have to admit I was looking at one of the new Street Glides the other day at the Harley dealer so my wife could have more comfort(she's probably going to have back surgery sometime this year), but I'll never sell my Speedmaster.

I've met a few "girls" in the last year or so who could probably out-ride a lot of the "macho man biker" types. What ever happened to "it's not what you ride, just that you ride"????

If I ever hit the lottery, I'm getting a scooter, just so I can tick people off. When you got money, who cares?

I like the big Suzuki Burgman(sp?): cvt with F1 type switches if you want to play. I'd put a big noisy pipe on it too!

OK, here is an honest rundown on the HD line. Good for those who don't want one as well, know the enemy and all that....

55 CID (883) Sportster. This is an 'entry level' bike. Good for learning to deal with a full size motorcycle, but short on performance. This is what you buy when you graduate from the 250 - 400 primary training bike. You will soon be moving on from this basic trainer to an advanced trainer.

74 CID (1200) Sportster. This is the 2 wheel equivalent to the AT-6. This version has potential and can be made to outpower the big twins. Handling and braking is not up to being able to ever match a typical Triumph but, with a bit of work they can be at least as fast.

88 CID (I dunno, don't do sissy numbers well) twin-cam, general. This engine can be made to produce a respectible amount of power. Even stock, it makes a decent amount of torque. Parts are expensive!! There is a lot of metal spinning inside this engine, so it's not as good as it might be for short distance sprints. Once all that internal iron gets spooled up, they can have a respectable top end. If you enjoy slow racing or wiener bite contests, this spinning mass is much to your advantage because the gyro effect makes the bike uncommonly stable at low speeds.

Dynaglide (Nee Superglide/Wideglide) Not much on cornering. Comfortable riding. Nice classic lines.

Softail. A little rougher riding than the Dyna due to having a lot of unsprung weight in the rear. They do look really nice, especially if you grew up when the hardtail was popular.

Tourglides. These are very heavy and would do better if they had a 96 inch engine. If you drop one call a towtruck, there is no picking it up unless your club brothers call you Tiny. If you are heavy into touring, these are the 2 wheel version of a motorhome. Because the engine weight is concentrated on the centerline of the chassis, they handle much better than a leadwing.

Oh yeah, about Sportsters being "girls bikes". Untill recently, I had a '76 XLCH Ironhead. When it was stock, it had the same displacement as an EL and produced more power than my '57 FLH Panhead. So, if it's a girls bike, so are Knuckleheads and Panheads.

Thanks Ed,
I knew I liked you. You reinforce my theory that "Experience beats an argument, EVERY Time"!
You're Good,
Dennis

Pretty accurate descriptions in my opinion, GB. I seem to find something I like in just about every cycle made. I do fear that being over the top gung-ho about any brand (including Triumph) is not being open-minded. This from somebody that owns 3(almost 4) Triumphs . I am trying to thin the herd and sell my Speedmaster. It won't be replaced till my daughter is done with school in 3 years. Then, who knows what will catch my eye.
Mike Sr.

Big Harleys are "girls bikes", too. I see quite a few gals riding them around the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix, Arizona, for you east coasters).

Some of the Harley models really do have a low center of gravity, are easy to get up off the side stand, and putt down the street reasonably well. Of course, all this is true about the Rocket 3, also - and at about half the price!

Speaking of 'girls bikes', my OL rides a Dyna Lowrider. Last time we were at a bikeshop, she got a license frame that says, "Deal wth it, girls ride too".

GB, you forgot to comment on the VRSC. Then again, it doesn't look like a Harley or run like one so maybe should not be included. To be perfectly honest I like it better than the Rocket for looks. I know it is slower but 80lbs of torgue will certainly get it out of its own way. The price is the same as the RocketIII

Oh, I forgot the focus of the post. hahahahahahahahha!

roflmao

I thought something like that would come out, now your list is complete.

Die hard Harley riders are just like Lemmings but with blinders on.

OK the VSRC has a gas tank that gets you about 100 miles which is good after sitting on it that long you've got numb buns anyway.
my buddy has a 03 DYNA Lowrider he just dropped silly money on a 95 ci upgrade the bike sounds evil especially when he's setting off car alarms in his wake, but I swear if we punch them out together, I stay right with him. I should maybe go with a 904 kit & blow him off the road... Boy would he be pissed!

Oh wait I forgot he he he ho ho ho & a couple of tra la las

I have met two Rocket riders with the same mentality as Big twin Harley owners. One guy said the Bonnies were girls bikes and the other looked at my Speedmaster and said he didnt like little bikes. Oh his previous bike was a VTX 1300. This was his first Triumph. Its quite rare to meet up with another Triumph here when riding but suffice to say on these two occasions i did not continue with any intelligent conversation.
I only hope this is not a trait that becomes common place amongst Rocket owners.

Just when you thought that some kind of passion/appreciation for Triumph's and/or British bikes was a requirement to own a Triumph. I hope those two guys are a rare exception.

Soren

The Rocket III is what a Daytona or Sprint rider graduates to when he's too old and wide to ride a sportbike anymore.

Did you check out the new street bob? All blacked out, stripped down, and comes with a 6 speed tranny. it's in the dyna family so it has the 88 inch motor. Real cool!!

You can buy at least 3 models in the dyna family for under $ 14000, Wideglide , Superglide, or Streetbob.

Stone,

Yep! The Dynas have always been the best Big-Twins Harley has ever made.

The 35th Anniversary Superglides are especially beautiful bikes, but for the extra dough that they want for them, they should have at least offered an updated "Boattail" fear fender option, so that the few of us who liked it back in '71(those few of us with "good-taste", that is...[always kind'a reminded me a little of a Norton Fastback's rear fender]) would have that option, and truly make it a "special" looking and a unique bike.

The LEAST Willie G. could have done would have been to put a Duece rear fender on it because if you think about it, the Duece's fender echos the old Boattail's a little.

Cheers,
Dwight
(THIS example of clear thinking on my part is why some motorcycle company would be wise to hire my a$$ as a consultant to their organization, after I retire from this dead-end airline job next year!)