According to diehards I've still never ridden a Harley, so which one should I ride? Don't forget to check out yammienoob.co to get entered to win some bikes and support what we do.
He was talking about the speed, leaving your ego at the door bcz you wont be the fastes on the track. Put the phrase into context and it will make sense
If someone came to me a year ago and asked should I buy a Harley ? I’d say sure whatever floats your boat. As long as you like it. Now after buying a 17 year old Harley and putting 15,000 dollars into it (including the purchase price) I would say stay away from old Harleys unless you really really love the look and don’t care about your budget (which surprisingly what some people are about) And I would say buy a new Harley or one just a few years old in immaculate shape. Because wow did I buy a POS. I didn’t buy it for performance I bought it for enjoying short touring in the countryside and mountains. And this bike is a massive expensive disappointment. Except the handling . That was better than expected. For the money it cost I could have got a brand new Japanese bike with way way better build quality. If money comes my way I’ll trade this POS in on a new Harley
@@Crabbe__ typical american mentality, go live in europe for a while. scooters can be fun too. doesn't matter if your on a go ped or a gold wing or even dirt bike, its about fun period!
I own a 50cc scooter and a HD Road Glide, my mates ride Aprilia’s, BMWs, Harleys. Noone judges each other for their choice of bike, we all just like to ride in our own style.
Yep. That's what we do too. No one cares about what we ride. We are all friends and like riding together. What bike we ride is irrelevant. Having fun is our main concern and we certainly do have fun. The childish stuff of bickering over brands we leave for the youngsters. We're way beyond that.
Currently I ride a 2019 Harley Street Glide and I love it. I’ve had an R6, GSX-R 1000, R1, MT-10 and a Harley Street Bob. I’ve enjoyed every single bike and currently the Harley is most enjoyable to me. My advice to any new rider that may be watching this video is ride what you like and don’t give a shit about what anyone else says or thinks just have fun.
Plus I like your channel. I currently ride a 2019 Road Glide Ultra, I'm 65. Been riding most of my life. Had them all except Suzuki, just never liked them. Another story. Harley's are special. If you want to wrench on a bike, Harley's are fun to adjust. Try putting ape handle bars on any other motorcycle. I had a great Honda sewing machine, a 98Honda Valk that would never break but when you went down the road you were invisible to passerby's. I hate being invisible. People love to compare how Hd's are not good at being a track, dirt, race around being a squid bike, but HD's are known for being a good big bike. At some point doing 180mph and 0 to 60 in 3 sec goes away if you live through that phase of riding. Buy what you can afford and understand buying a HD is not for everyone. Neither are cowboy boots. Now on my bike, which I work on myself, LA 47's 16"apes, WoodsX22 cams, S&S oil pump and cam plate, with adjustable lifters and Woods cam bearing, D&D 2 into one pipes, with heated grips, and a sweet tinted Klock windshield and of course updated rear LED taillights with strobes. My last bike was a Kawasaki ZX14R. Great bike but when a metric missle gets a few years on them they start to worry me, very difficult to work on yourself. But I did do pipes& bars. Try changing plugs on that bike.. which I did but it reqiured some imagination to do. Bike are fun and if you aren't wrenching on them you are missing the bigger experience. enjoy.
Oh with no acccidents or tickets in 40 years of riding, insurance costs on the 2019 $30K FLHRU is $290 full coverage a yr with no deductible On the 2013 $15000 ZX14R it was $2500 a yr. with $1000 deductible Big difference. My last ticket was 120+ in a 25 zone, it was the 70's, they let me off with a ticket. I still speed I've just been smarter about when and where.
Yes started riding 12 yrs. old. Now 70. One of first bikes when got drivers lic. at 15 was a BSA 441 Victor. Had several Honda's great motorcycles. Got a 97 Buell less than a year old with upgrades like much better looking air box, Vance & Hinds exhaust, & performance carb. jet kit. Better than new for 6,500. Later I cut off the belt converted to chain drive. 55 inch wheel base my kind of Harley. Rode it over 10 years.
reactions on internet when they see me rolling on my 883: "oh god another HD asshole, probably a racist" "oh god another kid riding a girl's bike" "man that bike doesn't even lean past 28° what a joke" reactions in real life: "hey man nice bike"
I judge riders on if they're wraring a helmet or not. Around here, seeing a helmet on a cruiser rider is very rare, and when you do see them, there is a 95% they're riding metric. HD riders who wear helmets are practically unicorns. If you're wearing a helmet, great, you care more about riding than outlaw cosplay. That matters way more than the displacement of your ride.
@@Evolution_KillsThank you! This is 100% true where I live, too. Most HD guys are way too “cool” to wear a helmet. Fuck that. I’ve owned and ridden every different type of motorcycle from most major manufacturers. And I wear an Arai full-face every single time. I prefer to be alive than pretend to be a badass.
It is now more widespread wherein riders with helmets are accepted as real bikers and those who don't wear helmets as being FOOLS. Nothing cool or admirable about it just idiocy. Incidentally, it actually is cool wearing some helmets and that's just a fact. Sorry to burst some bubbles out there but it's the truth...accept it. Once going helmet-less was viewed as cool and hip, however, it is No longer "cool" but stupid to be riding without head protection. Dumb, dumber, and stupid. The forehead should be tattooed of such ill fated riders with take your pick of derogatory adjectives...Fool, Silly, Dumb, Dumber, etc., to remind ER staff at the hospital this distressed individual acknowledged their brainless choice prior to head injury.
This...video done. Also a slight bone to pick with choosing the Kawi for the comparison to the 883. A Scout 60 is the same price, made in the USA, water cooled and has 20 more HP and 10 more TQ....and the TQ is even at a lower RPM. Then, let's talk about the "you can make that 883 over 130hp." Yeah...for $5,269.64 according to Hammer Performance....and that doesn't include pipes ($600) and an air cleaner ($350). So yeah, $6,100. So, for only $15k you can void the factory warranty on your bike orrrr you could buy an M109R for the same price that will do it bone stock...or a GSX-R1000/Hayabusa/R1250RS/Speed Triple/Monster 1200 that will waste them both.
I've been a Harley guy my whole life. I also really want to pick up a sportbike for a second bike because they seem fun. That said, there's just something about the way a Harley FEELS that I've never really experienced on any other bike. I'll always have one. At the end of the day I love that there's such a variety of bikes out there for everyone to choose what they like best
I love my Harley. I started out on a Kawasaki KX125 back in day then moved to a Honda 400CS road bike then years and years later bought my first Harley, a Sportster, forward to today and I have an Ultra Limited as my 4th Harley and I have a Sportster 1200L in the garage that needs to be fixed up. Harley riders for the most part are nice people, the bad boys are the outliers.
Theres also a few other things he didnt mention; Harleys have such a huge aftermarket that you can take 2 sportsters and make them radically different in looks and power
Yeah, a lot of sport bike riders aren't into the custom scene. My love for harleys stemmed from the custom classic car scene where you could keep on adding things like a puzzle till it becomes unique(Hot rods, Lowriders, Bellflowers, Rat rods, etc. Harleys are the same things. You got Performance baggers/Dynas, You got the "scrambler" sportsters, You got the big front wheeled baggers with long bags, you got the cholo style softails, etc etc. There's so many sub genres of harleys. The most unique custom sport bikes I see are the stunted out ones. Besides that what is there? Elongated swingarm and some LED strips?
@@mr.b3168 Yeah, basically and unique paint jobs I guess lol. It's very obvious that they're built for speed and curvy roads. Not that there's anything wrong with that, just a bit boring for myself. I need to carry things without a back pack and be able to strap things to my bike. Right now a sportster or maybe a Dyna is my only real choice and I'm still on a sporty since the Dyna-saurs went extinct lmao
@@Jezzyftw Yep. Nothing wrong with fast bikes. But I feel "attacked" the same way I did when I had classic cars. "Why not get a fast new car?!" Uhh because I don't care for that.
Yeah, but meanwhile you can't get maintenance and replacement parts for the engine. Instead, you have to go crawling back to the Harley stealership, and get reemed all over again and again. Parts are expensive as hell, and not available on Ebay, my supplier of choice.
"When you buy a Harley it's about leaving your ego at the door" Stopped watching there. I grew up around Harleys. I've done thousands of miles on my father's Harleys and been around Harley bros my entire life as well as my sportbike friends. There is no other segment of motorcycle riders with bigger egos than HD riders. The only reason to get a Harley is the ego of having an American V twin. The tradition and prestige IS the selling point of an HD. They are over priced, slow and unreliable. HD's are cool to people that do not know anything about bikes and romanticize the bad boy biker aesthetic and that's all modern HD riders have become. Cosplay for adults men. I've been daily driving motorcycles for 8 years. Year round, all weather. And I've never had a good interaction with a random Harley guy. Especially the middle age, fair weather weekend warriors. Also, your comparison of the 883 and Vulcan S made my skin crawl. I thought you were going to talk about horsepower, weight and real world performance after you brought up the torque figures and you didn't. Just threw out some numbers that fit your narrative and kept going. SRKCycles races a Vulcan S against a CVO Road King and stomped it. A perfect example of why new riders should learn about engine configuration and what it means to have a V or Parallel Twin. Every one of your comparisons used numbers to support your narrative. You should compare price and horsepower in those weight figures. In the end, none of this matters because HD will go bankrupt in the next 10 years. Their fan base is dying off and millenials are more interested in bang-for-the-buck than tradition. And the truth is, there are no numbers that support buying an HD. You literally buy an HD for the ego, tradition and prestige.
Roberto Morghen >Wow U Showed Emotion, WOW hahaha emotions hahaha wow I don’t have those ever at all, wow, haha...look at this human being having emotions wow haha lol hey guys look this guy cares about something isn’t that hilarious wow hha
Extremely accurate to be honest man in this day and age it’s all weekend warriors in their 40s-60s reliving their glory days...which isn’t a bad thing. or young guns who think it’s the coolest cowboy Batman Murica badass John Wayne Womanizer cool machine...Harley Davidson is not a motorcycle it is cosplay for adult men swear to god there’s just no reason to own a Harley other than thinking it’s cool and will make you look and appear a particular way. And this is much more annoying/self perpetuating/symptomatic of a diseased society, I admit it...so is expensive makeup, it makes a woman look better...it is what it is. Same exact thing. Americans care way too much about how they think others perceive them. It’s like 9.5 out of 10 American humans are caught constantly in this TV-And Media borne Kardashian matrix of suffering, caring more about appearing a certain way than anything else...paralyzed like a deer in headlights, thinking and believing that Looks Are Everything, as reality goes by the wayside and the Truth is shoved further and further into our collective anuses...
@@macrillzenith1399 Well said Max. There is no reason to own a Harley other than the tradition and heritage. It's yesterday's technology at tomorrow's prices.
i'm 25, Asian and bought my first ever motorcycle, a HD Roadster like a month ago! FKING LOVE THE BIKE. when I walked into the dealership full of mostly middle aged white guys, I felt so welcoming from everybody and everybody was so nice, asking me what bike Im planning on getting etc. When I was waiting for the paper work, a customer "bad biker looking guy" looked at me and started talking to me since he saw me sitting on a bike in the showroom that he has and said "this thing is awesome, come check out mine outsite, I just got a stage 3 done to it". its true for the money you spending on any HD you can get anything faster and better a handling motorcycle. but theres something about riding a HD that you dont get it on any other brand.
i actually had the roadster and it was pretty fun but my heart was on performance and handling and i was spending too much on making it something its not. I have a ducati xdiavel s now and am very happy. At the end of the day it's what you like no bike is perfect for everyone as everyone has different tastes and likes. Keep riding man.
Efren Venegas I’m agreed! The best bike is the bike you like to ride or have. In the near future Diavel is one of the top 3 bike I would love to have in the garage in the future! That thing is a monster
@@sirichot086 I love the roadster it's definitely one of the best looking bike Harley put out. I'm currently in the market but I wanna wait and see the Harley Bronx before jumping on one
Many are yuppies dressed up, like Halloween. Many Harley riders are tightwad corporate types who have perfect manicured lawns, and live in modern conformist, politically correct communities.
LoL FACTS, I usually only ever see old people on Harleys 50+ years old typically white. I don't know what they do for work, but I would imagine white collar stuff.
What gets to me the most is when people describe riding a motorbike as driving a motorbike. you don't drive a motorbike you ride it just like you ride a horse. you ride a pushbike you don't drive a pushbike. there is no such thing as a Harley driver there is only a Harley rider.
So, in summary, Harley specializes in building slow and heavy cruisers. A few manufacturers build slow and heavy cruisers. Purchase the one that you like and be happy.
So I traded in my Ninja a year ago for a 2019 Roadster. Best move I ever made. I love that thing. All the power down low. Its balanced nice enough to where I can still flick it in and out of the twisties. So many people hate on Harley, I never understood it. Sure I miss my Ninja sometimes, but I smile WAYYYYY more on my Harley. I can still get at it in the twisties with my buddies too.
You developed skills on the Ninja and rely on those skills on your HD. Some people that are first time HD riders have little skills and will badmouth HD because they themselves are to blame
My first bike (at 52 years old) was a HD Iron883. Turned it into a low slung bobber. Had fun doing it and get a ton of positive reactions and conversations everywhere I go. I've heard "real" HD riders look down their nose at the Iron. I've never experienced that but I bought them bike for me, not them or you. Ride and be happy.
"...leaving your ego at the door." Have you ever met a mid-life crisis weekend warrior wearing $2K worth of Harley branded paraphernalia? Lack of ego is not their problem.
South Park explained it well. Most Harley riders are posers who want to be noticed. That's why all they care about is how much noise it makes so they'll get notice. It's not about riding.
@@brandoncomer6492 I'm all for people wanting to ride and enjoying the state of being up on two wheels. When I ride, I do it because I enjoy the ride. I enjoy shifting, and leaning, and weaving, and rolling on the throttle; I enjoy being engaged with the operation of the bike itself. I'll ride with anyone else of like mind, no matter their ride. Moped, trike, Can-Am, or even a Harley. But if you ride a bike as an excuse to bar-hop while you preen in your overpriced outlaw cosplay gear in search of social validation? I have no time for that nonsense. If that makes me a 'gatekeeper', so be it.
@@stevel.2126 Not that they didn't but I can only half agree with you. Personally I have louder pipes, there is baffles I'm not a menace to society, but I have loud pipes ever since I rode my ninja 250 and no one noticed I was on the road. Was almost flattened about 6 times all of which were because the other drivers weren't paying attention. You hear the loud pipes, you look out, at least in theory.
After working for Harley, i'd never consider buying one. Even with the deals we could get on them I couldn't justify the lack of reliability. I'll just stick with my Honda's.
A friend of mine, who's been riding forever & a mechanic(you name it, he can fix it), rides an electra glide told me to get a Honda VTX. My jaw damn near dropped passed my knee caps.
Agreed 100% and I own one! It is one of the things that piss me off the most about them. I like all bikes but a Harley fits my life and riding style and well I have always wanted one.
@@RascalCatify I recently got a Triumph Rocket III, it is actually kind of funny how some harley riders will give me a negative look but then they see my engine size (140 ci) and then they get all interested in the bike
They don't bring in the dealership thoush, they leave it at the door and walk in clutching their skullcap helmet with both hands and looking around like if they stepped in a church, then they spend a lot of money they will pay in 84 months, and pickup their now inflated ego leaving the dealership.
@Daniel Smith Way to judge. My first bikes were Yamaha, Suzuki and Triumph. For years I avoided the others because of that very thought but then I made a little more money and thought "who gives a F what people think" and got what looked best to me and what I wanted at the time which happened to be ducati and a Harley. Both my first. But Ducati has stepped up their quality recently.
Love my 114 Heritage. Riding a Hog is an incredible thing... They're comfy as hell, the engines sound phenomenal throughout the rev range, the fit and finish is very good. Most importantly, if you have a Harley bone, riding one really stirs the soul.
Being from Milwaukee, riding Harley's, and having worked at the PTO in Menomonee Falls. I agree with much of what you have said. They are solid bikes that don't leak oil...
My first bike, a 1200 nightster sportster. Besides oil changes, brake pads, tires and it being backed over by someone backing into it, did minimal damage, had the stock pipes replaced with Vance and Hines, 1 peg and a front brake lever, and I put over 40k miles on it and it still was doing great when I traded it in.
harley's are still used as flat track racers and hill climbs my friend... i ride all kinds of motorcycles and the harley's { i own 3 late 90's models} are some of my favorite to ride, especially on longer distances. i think everyone should own one and many other kinds of bikes. but hey i am a motorbike addict and appreciate all bikes... and bikers, i judge just like i do everyone else, by the content of their character...
4 года назад
Why don't you compare the performance of a Goldwing against a Road Glide, not to mention many other luxuries, like a reverse gear or heated seats? I like Harley's but make no mistake; you buy for the "heritage", clout and name brand, not the specs or performance.
What a Harley-Davidson will give you is not something that you’ll find on a spec sheet...character and soul. But one has to spend some time with one to understand, it’s the little nuances that make the difference...ride swift and safe everyone✌️😎
@@johndelorean7353 its the tax that makes Harley stay so old and outdated. They are like an invasive species with no natural predators, therefore they never were forced to keep up with other brands the way they should have.
Not to mention they are in a decaying state right now. Because of the stigma these bikes have. Also because of the lack of reliability. Not to mention the price.
Yeah i was looking into getting an Iron 883 as my first bike but i ended up just getting a Honda Rebel 300 for half the price and better fuel economy. Best decision ive ever made.
@@ConservativeCalifornian1032 not gonna lie from what I hear about the new 883's you probably made the right choice. I love Harley but they don't make great daily driver motorcycles....
@@jcasser2thesun fucks sake... ive got a 2016 iron... installed short shots and could not live with the noise. installed the smart partz quiet baffles and i now feel much happier, despite the fact that old folks still dive out of the way when i ride past (sound like a luftwaffe bomber... i live in the UK)
Harley's name is synonymous with the American Cruiser, just like Indian motorcycles. Personally, I'll take Indian motorcycles and the discontinued Victory bikes over a Harley, though.
Buying a discontinued bike over another that is still manufactured LMAO...... That is going full Retard lolll. Someone that talks like this means they haven'got two nickels to pinch side another lolll.
I owned a 1200r Sportster and absolutely loved it. I miss it. I really hated the obnoxious sound and lack of acceleration. The handling wasn’t that great either. But jamming around and going places local it was awesome!
I owned a 883 Iron. Was my daily ride for 4 years. Loved every kilometer on it. I even got my drivers licence on it. My new ride is a triump 900 gt pro.
Unfortunately thats true. I like harley for the simple mechanic of the bike, but even though its an simple engine ppl rob you at every shop you take it.
I tried the sport bike scene. I wasn't into it. There is something to be said with view point people with cheaper bikes. They were always comparing their bikes with the other metric bikes. All harley people I ride with dont care what you ride. We just cruise. We even have a few metric bikes that cruise with us we don't care. You won't see that at a metric bike meet, its always loud reving reckless riding. Just from my pov though
Jason Flicstein I ride a non Harley bike. Was at a Harley dealership recently and they looked me in the eye and said let us know when you want to get a real bike. Couldn’t push me further away from the brand if you tried
@@08cmax Ive never heard that from dealer. Not saying it doesn't happen but its never happened to me and i own metrics and harleys. So one douche bag said something negative to you label the whole of harley riders that way. 👍
@@08cmax I rolled up to my HD dealership and they asked almost the same thing. I was on a Vulcan 750. You know what I said? "Yes, yes I am." By the way, I still have that Vulcan 750 and love it. I also have a Yamaha dirt bike and love it. But for the road, it is Road King all the way.
Just started riding a few months ago and my first bike is a HD Street Glide Special. Heavy yes, but easy once you get going. Practice low speed maneuvers and you are good to go and they are comfortable on long rides solo or 2 up which is what I like to do.
Blauman ......yes!👍, Practice practice practice. Empty parking lots, love ‘em. I put little squares of white door skin material down as course markers. Riding for over twenty years, still practice.
Since y’all are the only ones I have seen say anything about slow speed maneuvers, look up BE THE BOSS OF YOUR MOTORCYCLE he’s all about practicing those and showing how to get better at it
I'm 23 and ridin' a Harley Sportster. It is FUN to just ride on this thing. I love the sound, I love the commute. But I truly truly miss the cornering and maneuverability of a true sport bike. If you can own two or more bikes, totally go for a Harley! But I think next year I'm selling mine.
I own a 1200 Nighster and a 1200 Roadster. The new Roadsters are really fun on curvy roads. Try riding one of those. I enjoy my Harleys more than I did my 600RR.
I like my Harley. Riding it makes me really happy I love the sound of narrow v twin coming from my straight pipes but there are things I dislike about it but thank god for aftermarket which let's me make it whatever i want it to be.
Motorcycling is essentially about how the bike makes you feel, and that's different for each and every one if us... Some guys get off on scraping knee pads, clipping lap times, for guys like you and me, it's a low, slow rumble through a canyon on the weekend... To each their own, if your bike makes you happy, that's what it's all about!
4 cyls guy here... the only thing i dislike about harleys its the price... an iron 883 should be the same price or cheaper than a bolt. as for the bikes themselves i think they are good exactly at what their supposed to be good. many young people with no so much shekels will go and buy a ninja 650 when they consider all the bike they get for almost half the price. they are pricing themselves out of the market. myself i love the sportster its the only harley that i would buy myself, but for the price i would go bolt... at least before in the 80's and 90's the metric cruiser werent looking that good...but now? bolt again:the engine as been there for 40 years its bullet proof, ceramic coated piston and cylinders that will last forever. so yeah no wonder they sell like hot water in a frozen shed
@@ragimundvonwallat8961 My wife had a Sportster 48. I don't know how it compares to other sportsters but it was very uncomfortable. She kept stealing my Victory Octane leaving me with the sporty. Her new Breakout is much nicer. I still like me bike better.
funny enough, here in PH saw two brothers parking their bikes in front of a restaurant, one looks like a Fat Bob and the other was the older Yamaha VMAX. needless to say the HD got more swiveled heads than the VMAX.
but you shouldn't be buying a bike just for other peoples approval. you should buy a bike for the quality of the ride. and in that sense the first gen VMAX weighs way less then a fat bob and has 145 HP the fat bob only puts out a measly 78 HP personally I'd pick the better riding bike over the better looking one, cause it's not like you're gonna be the one looking at it.
Law Abiding Citizen .....HD shovel head here. The V Max is one awesome bike. If I could own two bikes, that would be the one. Well, a vintage Triumph......hmmmm.....
@@mountainbikerdave I dont think it was for the approval tbh since they looked like they genuinely enjoy their wheels. I mean the smiling faces they had when talking to some curious Highway Patrol Unit officers (the HPU vehicles here are freakin' Versys S's) whose heads also swiveled on the two bikes. I don't think I'll never remove that sight from memory, a VMAX and an HD side by side ridden by twins
I ride a Harley because I like the heft and the sound. I've ridden a lot bikes through the decades almost all of them have pros and cons. Good video Yammie!
Not to accuse you of fully cherry picking numbers spite but a fuller direct comparison Harley Iron 883: weight 575lbs, HP 45, torque 54 ft lbs, standing 1/4 14.53@90 mph price:8999 us Kawasaki vulcan 650 s: weight 492lbs, HP 61, torque 46 ft lbs, standing 1/4 13.2@95 mph, price 7099 us While the Iron does have more torque then the Vulcan, it is outclassed in every other way at nearly 2000 dollars less.
Death Wish83 When it comes to performance even a Honda Rebel 500 is comparable to the Iron 883. Rebel: 45,9 HP, torque 31.9 ft/lb, weight 414 lbs. Don‘t know the 1/4 mile time but 0-60 is similar to the Iron 883.
As a rider that his ridden 30 years across the country on BMW, I waved my entire life with any two wheeler passed me. When I was a kid in my mom's car, I waved to Bikes, I knew it was what I wanted to do to and believe! Now as a rider and over the years, it became segregated. I started passing people for years, we did hand waves, it's like we are in a club! A few years ago it stopped! Man, broke my heart. Why would you stop being a brother , who rides on a different bike? Broke my heart! I've ridden around the states and it started around 2006, most harley guys stopped waving. you know the simple hello to a fellow rider! Man, I knew the world was in change than! Why? Bikes are no color? Why would you take a rider on BMW that road the country , I mean crossed the U.S. and you couldn't be a brother? Man my heart breaks knowing why or how that happened?
I have a over a 100 thousand miles and And it's been on few bikes. I still own a BMW and a Kawasaki zrx1100 and I've had a Harley. Why ? Think about it? We all ride!
Is it an east coast thing? I feel it here like racism? If I'm not on a Harley. I don't ride? Why? I'm still waving! Its what two wheeled brothers should do!
I'm the only one of my friends that rides a Harley. I'm also the only one of my friends who's ridden every style and doesn't care when I spent a year on a Yamaha DT175 or a few years on a ZX9R. It was all great fun no matter what. Especially more so these days when I still overtake them all on my Harley, or better still, on my Royal Enfield which only weighs 50kg less, but makes less than a 1/4 of the HP. At the end of the day I'm still laughing inside my helmet at how much fun I'm having. And as I get older, I also keep riding without my butt getting sore, my back hurting, and my wrists aching. When I was 20, I rode everything, but cruisers were for old folks. When I was 20, I was superman. Bulletproof and a smart arse know-it-all. In my 40's, I know nothing, but I know this much. No matter what, I will end up on a trike or a Can-Am if I must for the need to keep the bugs in my face.
When it comes down to it, there's a scale of manufacturing that comes into the price as well for Hardly's, which will drive up the price! I bought a 2019 street bob and i've poured quite a bit of money into it, but that's just my preference. Before that I had a 2016 fz-07, and it just didn't fit me. In a vacuum it's fun to run numbers etc, but living where I live and riding how I ride (rr superbikes, nakeds, other harleys, etc) at the end of the day it's about getting out there and enjoying the knees in the breeze for me. Especially on public roads!
Got my licence last year and got myself a 600cc naked bike which I like. Was thinking about getting the Rebel 500 at first and now I am really getting drawn more and more to the Yamaha Bolt R as it seems to be better than the HD Iron 883 in many ways. Slowly I'm even considering selling my bike to finance the Bolt R, but well.. one day I'll have my first ride on a cruiser lol
Expensive tech that's decades behind, unreliable. Want a cruiser but not a metric? Get an Indian. All the benefits of a metric, the beauty of a Harley, and a price that makes sense.
I bought a 2012 Nightster, and after a few mods to make it better, putting 200 or so miles on it, I sold it for a slight loss. I hated this motorcycle, it was uncomfortable (worse than my 2006 Buell) and kind of slow (also compared with the Buell). I like the look of the 48 but I am in agreement, as to it being grossly overpriced. If I get back on 2 wheels, chances are it won't be a HD. Btw, the "stealerships" are ridiculously expensive.
"When you buy into a Harley, it's really about leaving you're ego at the door."Have you ever even met a Harley rider? Seriously Dude......swing and a miss with that remark.
I ride an ‘83 shovelhead. It’s actually a mixed bag, ‘91 soft tail frame, Electraglide Fat Boy front end, etc. I didn’t build it. I just bought from the guy who did and he rode it for 12 years. Now it’s mine. I maintain it. You know, do my own wrenching. And I love it. All of it. The tinkering, which gets really frustrating at times because I’m new to V twins, the beauty of this black and chrome beast, the joy of the ride. Yeah, there’s a lot of egos out there riding every kind of bike. They don’t do idiot checks at the sign up. Everyone has there own reasons for riding what they ride. I don’t care what your choices are or what led you to them. If I come across an idiot, I just ride on. See you on the road!
Dude I get it. Harley needs younger riders to endorse their products but the reality is no amount of endorsement will change the fact that the current Harley is completely out of touch with the current younger generation. I’ve owed a half dozen new harleys ranging from sportsers to CVO. I loved... most of them😒. My favorite were my softails but as I road longer and farther the harleys really started to show their limitations so I got rid of them and got the most modern bike available. Sure you can ride a Harley far and fast buttt there’s way better bikes for that and they cost a lot less. The thing about other motorcycle brands is that they offer more than just heritage. Harley has only had one type of engine(v-twin) in their 115 plus history. That’s pathetic. I personally enjoyed my experience with Harley. It was the second motorcycle my wife I purchased and rode together. I would encourage anyone who is looking for a classic American motorcycle to try a Harley and to even visit the museum in Milwaukee. I’m sure you know that the comparisons you made with other motorcycles were inaccurate to say the least but that is why Harley’s competition has had any success at all is do to people doing their research by comparing actual specs and realizing they can get far better deals with better reliability and functionality from others brands. The mystical feeling isn’t something that sells to today’s customer base. The current and pass financial difficulties have caused most people to take a hard look at purchases and evaluate if they are getting enough value for their money and that’s those who feel brave enough at all to get a motorcycle and spend a huge amount of money on them. It’s an even tougher sale with the declining resale value of motorcycles. I wish Harley would just admit they messed up and endeavor to be a company that appeals to a more diverse group of consumers with an equally diverse product line.
I would agree with you were it not for two things. (1) Old forms persist. If you don't like the traditional Harley big V-twin, reflect what happened to fountain pens, mechanical watches and vinyl records. Technology passed them all by but they came back as luxury items, treasured exactly because of what they were: reflections of previous times. (2) The Harley-Davidson Livewire. Oh, sure, it's expensive. But subsequent models of lesser-priced Harley electric motorcycles (and scooters and bicycles) won't be. They will go after a younger target market. So... what's the high-tech/leading edge electric bike that fully modern companies like Suzuki, Yahama and Kawasaki make? (Crickets)
@@BegoneJonah Agreed, its hard to explain but Harley has a soul that most other bikes are missing. Do you want a Zippo or a Bic? Bics are cheaper and disposable while Zippos last forever with some maintenance. Ride safe👊
@@BegoneJonah Harley will never win in some people's eyes. Remember 20 years ago when everyone was crying for Harley to modernize and do something better and make a "real" bike? Well they utilized the VR1000 race engine, churned out a smooth, liquid-cooled, fast, dual-disc'd legitimate power cruiser in the V-Rod that could 0-60 in the 3s, run a quarter in the 11s, rev to 9,000, stop, still be livable on a daily basis, was every bit the bike its competition was (if not better,) and what did people do? Shit all over it and they still do to this day. Kind of like how they shit on the FXDR, shit on the Livewire, shit on the Street Rod, and will shit on the Streetfighter and anything else they do.
I rode a HD for 7 years. Love those bikes, but this is a comically biased representation. Hell, just for example, the M109r makes more HP than pretty much all stock harleys, despite being almost 20 years old design, and your surprised it weighs more than harleys brand new lightweight softails? when the m109r came out the average HD Dyna still weighed over 700lbs and had made about as much power as that yamaha bolt, lol
I bought a Harley because it looked cool and I’m not disappointed at all lol took it to a rave once, on the way out the traffic was about an hour long, I slides out of there in 20 seconds, I take it out to the bar or to a friends house love the thing.
You mentioned some solid points. There are things I like about many bikes… regardless of brand. I freakin love the ‘48… such a fun little bar hopper that always puts a smile on my face. I will say, not too many bikes feel the same as a Harley, for better or for worse is of course personal preference… I happen to enjoy the feel. I also really like the Scrambler 800 and FZ 09 🤷🏼♂️ Also, style preference is also a thing… some people like rap, country, rock, classical or whatever… sure, I think the Harley culture identifies more with rock n roll and I’m ok with that. Wear and ride what makes you feel best and what you identify most with… cheers
Oh...one last thing I forgot to mention. Dealer support. With 16 miles I have 4 Harley Dealerships and they are ALL reputable. I bought it 23 miles away, the furthest dealer from me, where they treated me like family. Having my Ducati as a primary bike, is a tough process to find a good dealer, since my main place Ferracci's Ducati (the famous Fast by Ferracci) changed the ethos of the store. When get a bike, consider your dealer.
You just like everyone else still seem to think Harley is about high performance.......it's not.....I'd rather have the sportster. I'm not one for fixing my bike all the time "cough bmw cough"
Last year I got a used 2016 sportster roadster for around 9 grand with 1500 miles. I put some slip on on it and clip ons and it is a fantastic bike. I ride with sport bike gear and ride with other sport bikes. You can get a Harley and make it what you want. You don’t have to be a boomer that rides his massive ultra glide.
I really enjoy the videos Spike does. And I am really curious about the new HDs that are coming. I am waiting to see how it compares to the Indian FTR 1200 if it compares at all
I just sold my Yamaha 600 sport bike and bought a very low mileage Harley Wide Glide a few weeks ago. For me the sport bike was fun and relatively fast but was not the best to go out all day and cruise. I’m not saying the Harley is best or without flaws but for me it is comfortable, plenty of power to go cruise the backroads. So far I’m pretty happy with the trade
I'd ride a Harley. But i'll be damned if they think i'm going to pay them to wrench on it. Harley Davidson is the Apple of MC, charge people an astronomical price to create a 'premium' feel. Then charge them out the ass for labour and upgrades that are required to get good performance. I'd rather spend my days cutting old Honda's in half and make something that performs better and looks superior.
Then there is me a man who over the decades grew tired of adjusting valves and timing chains so I switched to a new Harley-Davidson Motorcycle that all have hydraulic valve lifters, spin on oil filters. Basically you change the oil, lube and adjust the cables, replace the air filter, oil filter and adjust the clutch, replace spark plugs, and keep an eye on tire pressure and tread wear, all according to the owners manual. The "Gilmer" final drive belt requires much less adjustment and lasts much longer than any chain and is lighter than a shaft drive. Harley is the least maintenance intensive motorcycle on the market in the entire world. They are the most dependable! I'm on my third, starting in 1992. Yes they last a log time and sound great and are a lot of fun to ride, like flying an old WWI Bi-Plane with an open cockpit and wind in your face and that lovely motor cadence. -Peter age 71
I have own many motorcycle and I ride every day....it my first choice in transportation....I been on many cruisers and a handful of sports bikes....but my favorite ones I had was a old HD Springer softtail, HD 2002 roadster that i made more into a cafe racer, and my current 2012 HD dyna switchback...like most motorcycle if you pick good models and give good care they will run forever...believe it or not...never had major problems with my Harley...they fair on gas and don't leak oil ...I also managed to buy them at a great price...they do hold their value but you also can get parts easily...with a good maintenance book...you can normally save money and just fix it yourself...but true I do think many Harley just look very beautiful and enjoy riding them the most...occasionally I will ride a sports bike ....I prefer a HD cafe racer or a dyna or softtail ...true it may cost a little more but it's worth it...I have driven a few Ferrari however if I can ever find a good deal I would get it...live you life to the fullest...I ride every day so that is where I choose to put a little more money in
As someone who's in the market for their first bike I gotta say price is the biggest factor for me and I can not justify the 9k+ for an 883 vs the 6.5k for a rebel 500. I'm a millennial. I don't give a rip about heritage or whatever BS Harley is marketing. Make a bike that can compete in price to a foreign bike and I'll consider a Harley.
Well then. I bought my first Harley, a 42 flat head when I was 14, back in 55. I have owned a few other brands since, but there just is nothing like a Harley. I rode and 84 Iron head Sportster for 23 years. At almost 80 yeas old my current ride is a 99 Softail Custom. Most fun ride I have had to date. Wish I still had my Flat Head though. comparing Harley to others is like comparing Offenhauser to high revving foreign cars. Six cyl, airplanes to radial engines. Harley engines are really two cyl radials. So yeah. Being an engine gearhead Harley's have something no other bike has. You can not put a finger on it, we just know it is in no other bike. Yes, I am prejudiced.
@@BegoneJonah LOL. I can't agree more. HOG was created by Harley to give every dweeb a chance to wear colors. "Get a feel for the club scene". " Live the Life ". And it brings in some of the most ridiculous pretenders/wannabes ever assembled.
Everyone who hates on HD talk about how their sport bike is so much faster. That's great - a Corvette is faster than an SUV. But, which is better for going cross country? News flash: much like cars and trucks, there are motorcycles for different needs and purposes.
I wear a full-face, gloves, thick leather jacket no matter the temp, and ankle-covering steel toes on my Sportster. Don't see a lot of guys on metrics fully geared up, but hey, if I hit the ground, I'd like to live.
@@niceshot4563 Not true dude, but whatever. Even the boomers you see putzing usually at least have a skullcap, boots, and chaps. Seen more dudes in tanks and shorts on rockets than anything else myself
My 02 1200 Sportster had a dry weight of 490 pounds. The thing about Harley Davidson is if you take care of them you won't ever have to buy another bike. You can build a Sportster with ALL aftermarket parts. The after market is unlimited for Harley Davidson.
If you spend any amount of time looking at a metric cruiser next to the Harley it's modeled after, what looks sounds and feels better? The fit and finish? To me it's the Harley Davidson. I like having real aftermarket support and a guaranteed parts supply for as long as I choose to own the thing. You don't see old metric bikes out there on the road like you do Harleys. It's not just a coincidence.
@@gmoney1592 Good chance the answer is 0. Have a old ironhead and yea solid mounts and hardtail is very different, but there is something about the old ones that just cant be emulated by the evo engine. That evo reliability is great tho. But man is it top heavy. Pops had a fatboy and it was way more balanced. Nowadays I main my RT1 for distance(cuz 2 stroke is the best) and a XL250 for round town. However every while I just wanna kick the ironhead over and ride the day out. Dont see why so many people shit on HD. There are SKRUBS on both HD's and crotch rockets. Dam cant we just enjoy the ride?
My first motorcycle is my 2017 yamaha bolt and man do I love it! All of my family and friends that I ride with ride Harleys. Maybe one day I will get one HD, but I chose the yamaha because it has the look and feel that I wanted, and it was way more affordable for me. All I know is at the end of the day we all live for the ride and I enjoy the company of my brothers.
Sportsters can be turned into trikes, cafe racers, snow machines, dirt bikes on or off road you have lots of options very versatile that's why i bought one.
