| Author | Message | ||
     Cajunrph |
Well it seems as though Harley made an excellent decision when it pulled the trigger and acquired Buell all those years ago. I have always been a devout sport bike guy and would have never considered buying a cruiser up until about a month ago. Being around Harleys when I go in for service or for parts etc the Harleys have grown on me. Also getting older and wanting to carry more one hind end on the bike has led me to look at other options besides my XB12S. I have looked at BMW, Ducati, Triumph, Aprilia. All of the above were in the price range of Harley but didn't offer all I wanted. The Harleys will have the caring capacity I want (passengers as well as gear or other items) and you will not look like a dork with saddle bags. Also just as important to me is Harley is made in the USA with profits going to the USA, not some other country. I have noticed a lot of the members have Harleys as well. Which ones do you own and how do you like them? I do not want to have my feet up in the air like I'm going to have a pap smear done. I would like your opinion on which one would be better for a sport bike guy. I know none will be able to replace a sport bike and I intend to keep my XB12S with the HOG if financially possible. Sorry if I have rambled on but I look forward to your answers and suggestions. It seems I may be going over to the Dark side. | ||
| Aldaytona |
SUPER Glide and Sportster. | ||
| Rich |
Road Glide | ||
| Essthreetee |
I/We have had several different Harley's. My first was a '96 FXD (Superglide). It was a nice ride, rubber mounted, not a TOTAL cruiser. At the time it was the only Harley that appealed to me. We have also owned a Springer Softail, I hated it. My wife has had 2 sportsters, currently an '03 883C. My parents both have V-Rods (Mom has a Screaming Eagle that puts out 140 hp according to the dyno). They REALLY like them, smooth, and fast. They are going to be riding up through Canada then over to Sturgis and back to California this year. Before the V-rod, Dad had a Deuce (he was very disappointed), and before that a '91 FXLR (Low Rider). He REALLY liked that bike, strong, comfortable, could carry anything he wanted (including firewood). he toured all over with that one...had over 100k on it when he sold it (for same price as he paid for it 12 years earlier). many think that the FXR frame is one of the best (stiffest) frames Harley built (I think Erik Buell was involved with the design of it). If I was buying a bike for two up riding comfort and carrying capacity, my choice (NOW) would be a Road Glide, or Street Glide. I like the Road King, but I like the fairings better on these, radios and all. I mean if you are going to tour, might as well have some music to go with it... If I was buying a bike just for me to ride, and for whatever reason wasn't going to buy a Buell, I would look for a good used FXR of some sorts. I will stop rambling now....have fun and good luck. oh yeah, by the way...having hard bags doesn't necessarily make you look like a dork...I like mine. | ||
| Cajunrph |
I was leaning towards the Super Glide or a Sportster. I like the looks of the 35th aniv Super Glide. | ||
| Percyco |
 First I owned this 883 Sportster "Sport Bob". Then I added a XB9s to my collection.  Happy Shopping ! | ||
| 1stxb |
95 Sportster, now owned by ex girlfriend, ... 99 Electraglide Standard...still in the stable... 75 Aermacchi SS350 Sprint.. in pieces, being restored... | ||
| Bison |
Destroyer ref | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
...I like the Road King, but I like the fairings better on these, radios and all. I mean if you are going to tour, might as well have some music to go with it i just sprung for a new Road King, a 2006 model in Glacier White Pearl. the bat-wing fairing on the full-dress models, along with accompanying gauges and tunes, very much appealed to me, but those desires were overpowered by the need to be in the wind when i choose to be, hence the Road King and its ability to shed the windshield in considerably less time that it took to type this sentence. i like Sportsters ok (i've owned two of them), but they're too small for me in terms of ability to haul a passenger and gear. V-Rods are cool, and maybe i'll own one someday, but still not ideal for the two-up and gear thing. SuperGlides, Springers, and the like are all great in their own way (the 35th anniversary SuperGlide definitely called out to me during this recent purchase), but in the end the ability of the Road King to haul passenger/s and gear (can't discount the coolness of lockable hard luggage) over great distances in sublime comfort won out. i've got about 2100 miles on the RK now, in just over a month, and am very happy overall with the bike. my longest day so far is 601 miles, and it was with reluctance that the day had to end - the bike was that comfortable (and this day was WITHOUT the windshield in place). the riding position for me is wonderful (i'm 5'8" if i stand real tall), the seat is stylish yet comfortable, and the floorboards, albeit a potential hindrance on a twisty road, are FANTASTIC - the options for foot placement are nearly limitless, and the ability to stretch my legs yet still keep my feet flat on the boards is very, very welcome. the brakes on the RK pretty much suck from the showroom. the front rotors are chromed (!!!) and it has taken all 2100 miles to wear down thru (most of) this chrome layer and get to some real (read: grippy) metal underneath. the rear brake is either on or off - it's really easy to lock up the back end. the suspension on the RK is lame, too. the forks are not adjustable in any manner (short of changing oil viscosity and/or springs) and the rear shocks are preload adjustable only, via air. the shocks slowly leak down over several days, so if you start a trip with 40 psi in the back, you may come home with only 20 psi remaining. and, like the forks, there is no provision for adjusting compression or rebound damping. the suspension and brake shortcomings are inexcusable in a machine this expensive, yet i still love the bike. somewhere down the road i'll throw some money at the suspension, but in the meantime the bike rides and handles well, just so long as i "stay ahead" of it when the going gets gnarly. the engine is breaking in very nicely, and is knocking down a consistent 40 mpg. soon i will invest in the Screamin' Eagle mufflers, airbox, and ECM re-map, so the bike can finally breathe. i'm not looking to set off car alarms, but i know the motor will be happier when the intake asthma and exhaust constipation are gone. it'll likely get better mileage at that point, too. i sprung for an additional five years of warranty, making for a total of seven years. the additional five years worked out to about 99 pennies a day, and it seemed well worth the investment for the additional peace of mind. i would HIGHLY recommend fuel injection over carburetion if you have the choice. i could have saved some money and gone with a carb, but these days FI is the only way to go. the fit and finish on the RK is superb, easily matching the best of the metric bikes. so far i'm delighted with the Bling King, and i suspect i'll be taking this one with me to the Great Twisty in the Sky when it's that time. good luck Cajun, have fun, be safe, and always ride to lean. Ferris Bueller  | ||
| Odie |
'83 WideGlide | ||
| Rkc00 |
Had a 2000 Road King Classic.  Now have a 2005 Road Glide.  Mike Long Island, NY 06 XB12X Black of course | ||
| Daves |
62 Chopper 82 FXWG 99 FLHT | ||
| Kandie |
99 FXR2 | ||
| Outrider |
2003 FXDWG....Or as Bomber says, My Geezer Glide.  | ||
| Fed |
02 road king | ||
| Rex |
cool bike ferris....love white too. rex American Sport Bike Night. Going on 8 years. The largest, most consistently meeting Group of Buell Enthusiasts in the World. | ||
| Jerry_haughton |
thanks Rex.  FB | ||
| Rubberdown |
I flunked out of HD school. No more HD's for me. Not my style. | ||
| Gomo |
86 Sportster 1100 99 Heritage Softail Both a joy to ride | ||
| Natexlh1000 |
1979 XLH1000   Fix to ride. Ride to fix. | ||
| Nitsebes |
I rented a Deuce in Cabo San lucas.Rode all the way to La Paz and stopped at the Hotel California.I rode almost 11 hours. The peeps in our group had the Road-glide springer and classic. They all wanted to try the Deuce.The glide would be my pick when(if)I buy. | ||
| Smoke |
2000 roadking | ||
| Honu |
01 E-Glide Standard.  | ||
| Cowboy |
V-Rod The HP mods available are out of sight | ||
| Chainsaw |
2001 Sportster  | ||
| Doz |
2000 night train, great for 3-4 day rides, but I'm a minimalist and just use a backpack and no windshield. | ||
| Wardog3187 |
I have a 1949 WL 45 Flathead. | ||
| Leftcoastal |
Current H-D - '94 FLHR (RoadKing for those that are not fluent in 'model letter speak') and my 91 RS I've owned over the years - '48 UL, 56FLH, 62FL. 63 FLH, 56KHK, 44 Indian Chief, 76FX, 67FLH, 68 FLH, 48 Indian Chief, 73 XLCH, 75 FX, 96S2T (not necessarily in that order) and my RS Except for that piece of crap 76 FX, I wish I still had 'em ALL! AL | ||
| Gpowell |
2002 FLHTPI, that's an Electraglide, police bike. Got rid of a bit of chrome, have cleaned up the intake and exhaust a bit. Great bike for traveling, rock solid on the highway at any (semi-legal) speed. | ||
| Biker_bob |
2004 Ultra and 2001 Heritage Classic |
