Any bikers here???
- Thread starter tytek
- Start date
My Fatbob. Now a 1690 (103"), exhaust valve and cat removed, cammed for about 25% more torque and hp.
Free flow cleaner and exhaust, remapped fuel.
Goes really rather well, but looks near stock.
Also I have a Suzuki Burgman 650. Love that thing. One amazing machine. More on board toys than Anne Summers.
Sent from my iPhone using Tappy thingy.
Here's a photo of my last Harley also Fatbob. Kinda regret the sale but ended up with a real beaut a year later.
Chaos n Mayhem ( my twin girls) got in on the act.
Windy frae The Filterhoose.
Ok.
It's really not normal to be that challenged by a picture of a bike.
It's really not normal to be that challenged by a picture of a bike.
When you walk into a crowded bar, how can you tell a Harley rider?
You don't, they tell you!
Oh some people are so touchy ha ha.
My last bikes have been a mix of BMWs and Harleys so I've heard all the jokes about pipe and slippers and a mid life crisis. Been a biker all my life and my father was a biker before me. I've done many of the extreme and more domesticated rallies and travelled internationally on two wheels. I didn't pass my car test until I was 24 as I rode a bike everywhere. My mother tried to tempt me into cars by buying me a Reliant Robin for my 18th Birthday, 3 months later I had triked it. Mother never tried again after that!!! For 5 years I worked in Scotland's largest bike breakers (Breaking Point in Aberdeen) so I have been lucky enough to have a try of many different bikes, trikes, outfits and quads. Incidentally, Harleys and BMWs are by far my favourite bike. Biking is also how I met my missus, she was riding a 440 chop when we first got together and soon progressed GSX1100F (which I brought home from work one day and she fell in love with it!). Biking is what got me into wild camping and subsequently bushcraft.
Don't worry I'm not challenged by a photo in the slightest. I just enjoy taking the mick out of myself and my lifestyle, it makes me who I am.
My last bikes have been a mix of BMWs and Harleys so I've heard all the jokes about pipe and slippers and a mid life crisis. Been a biker all my life and my father was a biker before me. I've done many of the extreme and more domesticated rallies and travelled internationally on two wheels. I didn't pass my car test until I was 24 as I rode a bike everywhere. My mother tried to tempt me into cars by buying me a Reliant Robin for my 18th Birthday, 3 months later I had triked it. Mother never tried again after that!!! For 5 years I worked in Scotland's largest bike breakers (Breaking Point in Aberdeen) so I have been lucky enough to have a try of many different bikes, trikes, outfits and quads. Incidentally, Harleys and BMWs are by far my favourite bike. Biking is also how I met my missus, she was riding a 440 chop when we first got together and soon progressed GSX1100F (which I brought home from work one day and she fell in love with it!). Biking is what got me into wild camping and subsequently bushcraft.
Don't worry I'm not challenged by a photo in the slightest. I just enjoy taking the mick out of myself and my lifestyle, it makes me who I am.
Thanks, mate. Only has a stage one and the slip ons. I've been thinking about upgrading the intake and exhaust and getting a remap, but the cost is very off putting as it isn't something I can do myself because it's fuel injected. But, it's plenty fast for me as it is anyway. My next big project is redoing all the leather myself. Tooled cowhide and stingray going on the saddle, tank chap, handgrips and bags. I'll know up a new tool roll while I'm at it to keep the spanners from rolling around in the bags
Was never keen on the fuel injection on a Harley, I'm old school and prefer big bits of metal that slide around and make slurpy noises. I prefer things I can fix at the side of the road with bits of gaffa tape and twigs! ha ha.
I can see the benefit though as I noticed the difference on a BMW R1100RS I owned. I was getting better mpg and I got more bang for my buck than an older carb model BMW. In fact I was getting significantly better MPG than an R80RT. Used to bug me though as whenever I serviced it I had to take it to BMW for them to balance the throttle bodies.
Sounds like its going to look stunning when its done. Keep us posted with pictures.
I can see the benefit though as I noticed the difference on a BMW R1100RS I owned. I was getting better mpg and I got more bang for my buck than an older carb model BMW. In fact I was getting significantly better MPG than an R80RT. Used to bug me though as whenever I serviced it I had to take it to BMW for them to balance the throttle bodies.
Sounds like its going to look stunning when its done. Keep us posted with pictures.
My old Dyna was a carbed evo, I preferred carbs until I started riding a fuel injected bike. They are just more practical for everyday use and more reliable in general. I wouldn't go back now, unless I was getting a second bike like a shovel just to mess around with in the shed!
Fair play, mate.
I was off hand as usually it's someone who doesn't see a really nice bike to ride that I worked like a #### to buy for cash, but see (as you mentioned) an extravagant splurge of midlife easy cash!
Been on HD for thirty years now so I don't feel like a blow in.
Anyway, I digress, my apologies for being so defensive Sir.
;-)
I was off hand as usually it's someone who doesn't see a really nice bike to ride that I worked like a #### to buy for cash, but see (as you mentioned) an extravagant splurge of midlife easy cash!
Been on HD for thirty years now so I don't feel like a blow in.
Anyway, I digress, my apologies for being so defensive Sir.
;-)
Oh some people are so touchy ha ha.
My last bikes have been a mix of BMWs and Harleys so I've heard all the jokes about pipe and slippers and a mid life crisis. Been a biker all my life and my father was a biker before me. I've done many of the extreme and more domesticated rallies and travelled internationally on two wheels. I didn't pass my car test until I was 24 as I rode a bike everywhere. My mother tried to tempt me into cars by buying me a Reliant Robin for my 18th Birthday, 3 months later I had triked it. Mother never tried again after that!!! For 5 years I worked in Scotland's largest bike breakers (Breaking Point in Aberdeen) so I have been lucky enough to have a try of many different bikes, trikes, outfits and quads. Incidentally, Harleys and BMWs are by far my favourite bike. Biking is also how I met my missus, she was riding a 440 chop when we first got together and soon progressed GSX1100F (which I brought home from work one day and she fell in love with it!). Biking is what got me into wild camping and subsequently bushcraft.
Don't worry I'm not challenged by a photo in the slightest. I just enjoy taking the mick out of myself and my lifestyle, it makes me who I am.
I also do musician jokes on weekends if your interested
Anyway no harm done Phil B. That's the problem with forums when its just words on a screen, no inotation or facial expression. Easy to get the wrong end of the stick
Anyway no harm done Phil B. That's the problem with forums when its just words on a screen, no inotation or facial expression. Easy to get the wrong end of the stick
Ah - the above few posts were really funny. I swear HD aficionados are more sensitive than One Direction fans
I quite like Harleys - hired a few over in the USA, including a really memorable week driving down the Florida Keys with the Mrs on an Ultraglide. (I still have the scar from the calf burn from the exhaust, and the wife's boots still have the melted sole from the exhaust. To be fair it was one of the hottest weeks in the previous decade.)
Would I own one? Probably not - I've gone down the cruiser route on a couple of occasions, and the Yamaha Royal Star Venture (looks like an Ultraglide, but about 30% bigger!), and a Kawasaki 1500 Drifter were both intrinsically better vehicles than the equivalent Harley. (..and both had shaft drive..) By that I mean that the brakes, handling, performance, reliability, service intervals and comfort were all markedly better than the Harley equivalent. But then I'm not a person who'd spend a fortune on a Rolex or a Breitling watch, and I know many are. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that - its your money- spend it how you like!
An interesting factoid - HD earn more revenue from their accessory lines - clothing, bags etc - than from their bikes. And with their superb marketing skills,, HD has sold the dream to include the leather jackets, chaps, T-shirts, shades etc. Yet 95% of their clothing, for example, is made in Asia, despite having the Stars and Stripes plastered all over them The American Dream, powered by Remnimbi................
I quite like Harleys - hired a few over in the USA, including a really memorable week driving down the Florida Keys with the Mrs on an Ultraglide. (I still have the scar from the calf burn from the exhaust, and the wife's boots still have the melted sole from the exhaust. To be fair it was one of the hottest weeks in the previous decade.)
Would I own one? Probably not - I've gone down the cruiser route on a couple of occasions, and the Yamaha Royal Star Venture (looks like an Ultraglide, but about 30% bigger!), and a Kawasaki 1500 Drifter were both intrinsically better vehicles than the equivalent Harley. (..and both had shaft drive..) By that I mean that the brakes, handling, performance, reliability, service intervals and comfort were all markedly better than the Harley equivalent. But then I'm not a person who'd spend a fortune on a Rolex or a Breitling watch, and I know many are. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that - its your money- spend it how you like!
An interesting factoid - HD earn more revenue from their accessory lines - clothing, bags etc - than from their bikes. And with their superb marketing skills,, HD has sold the dream to include the leather jackets, chaps, T-shirts, shades etc. Yet 95% of their clothing, for example, is made in Asia, despite having the Stars and Stripes plastered all over them
The American Dream, powered by Remnimbi................
Yes Andy BB but look at the devaluation of a Japanese equivalent. I have bought a few Harleys of varying age and when I've sold them on I have never made a loss on one. Don't get me wrong I have also had a 650 and an 1100 Dragstar and I loved riding them. In fact I was gutted when I sold them (especially as I sold the 650 to a mate and it now looks like it should be in the breakers yard!! ). Maintenance was also a lot easier with the Harley. I once removed, repaired and refitted a 1200 Sportster 4 speed gearbox at the side of the road and still got home in time for supper. Thankfully I knew there was an issue with it and had ordered the parts I would need and they were in my panniers. I was going to do the job at home but I never got there. Only spanner I didn't have in my tool roll was one large enough to take the sprocket off but a local garage had one. Took around 4 hours in all. If that had been a jap bike it would have been an engine out job and a few days off the road. I'm fed up with bikes being made so overcomplicated that you first need to diagnose the issue with a laptop.
BTW, The only HD merchandise I own is an old wallet on a chain which is in daily use and was a present from a good friend so means a lot to me. I do have a T-shirt with a BMW boxer engine on it though
). Maintenance was also a lot easier with the Harley. I once removed, repaired and refitted a 1200 Sportster 4 speed gearbox at the side of the road and still got home in time for supper. Thankfully I knew there was an issue with it and had ordered the parts I would need and they were in my panniers. I was going to do the job at home but I never got there. Only spanner I didn't have in my tool roll was one large enough to take the sprocket off but a local garage had one. Took around 4 hours in all. If that had been a jap bike it would have been an engine out job and a few days off the road. I'm fed up with bikes being made so overcomplicated that you first need to diagnose the issue with a laptop.BTW, The only HD merchandise I own is an old wallet on a chain which is in daily use and was a present from a good friend so means a lot to me. I do have a T-shirt with a BMW boxer engine on it though
You're certainly right about depreciation - Harleys seem to depreciate less than others. Maintenance? If you're a decent spanner-wielder, you may be right. But if I'm not mistaken, aren't services on HDs still every 2500 miles? And the "new" ones are now water-cooled I believe ( just like the new two-pot BMWs!)
I'm in two minds about the complications of modern bikes. On the one hand, the old-fashioned bikes (and cars for that matter) without water-cooling, electronic ignition, ABS, Traction control etc, were certainly easier (and cheaper) to fix. On the other hand, modern bikes and cars don't break down as much!
I'm in two minds about the complications of modern bikes. On the one hand, the old-fashioned bikes (and cars for that matter) without water-cooling, electronic ignition, ABS, Traction control etc, were certainly easier (and cheaper) to fix. On the other hand, modern bikes and cars don't break down as much!
If you buy a new Harley (or a new anything for that matter), you can expect depreciation. I've found that a Harley will hold its value much better, if you buy the right Harley. For example: any big twin Harley will never drop below a value of 5-6 grand, and if you hold onto them long enough they go up in value. I actually made money on my first Harley Springers are a good example of a Harley that will hold their value. You will never find a Springer as cheap as an equivalent bike with a glide front end. They are somewhat rare, depending on the model, ad so demand a higher price. If you buy the right year, the value will level off and you will never be at a loss if you need to sell.
However, I hope never to have to do that. One of the main reasons I like Harleys is they are a bike for life. If you look after them they will last forever. Take a Springer front end as an example: it is old technology, but it works and it lasts. The main reason they stopped making springers was the front end was too labour intensive and expensive to make. They also can't have ABS brakes with a springer, which means they can no longer produce them due to certain US legislation, which makes them even more desirable
With regards to merchandise: not everyone can have a Harley, but everyone can have a t-shirt. It's no wonder they make more money with them than the bikes, they've marketed themselves as an image as well as just a brand, and some people will buy into that Don't get me wrong, I don't care what you ride, as long as you do it safely and have fun on two wheels that's all that matters.
PS: only one model of the new touring bikes is water-cooled, and it is 'dual cooled', so only the heads around the exhaust have water-cooling. It isn't something that appeals to me, and as you say more can go wrong, but I think it was aimed primarily at people in hotter climates that could do with the extra cooling in traffic etc.
Another 'joke' to rile everyone a bit: 'How can you tell when someone doesn't ride a harley? They'll spend hours trying to justify why a jap copy was the better option'
Springers are a good example of a Harley that will hold their value. You will never find a Springer as cheap as an equivalent bike with a glide front end. They are somewhat rare, depending on the model, ad so demand a higher price. If you buy the right year, the value will level off and you will never be at a loss if you need to sell. However, I hope never to have to do that. One of the main reasons I like Harleys is they are a bike for life. If you look after them they will last forever. Take a Springer front end as an example: it is old technology, but it works and it lasts. The main reason they stopped making springers was the front end was too labour intensive and expensive to make. They also can't have ABS brakes with a springer, which means they can no longer produce them due to certain US legislation, which makes them even more desirable
With regards to merchandise: not everyone can have a Harley, but everyone can have a t-shirt. It's no wonder they make more money with them than the bikes, they've marketed themselves as an image as well as just a brand, and some people will buy into that
Don't get me wrong, I don't care what you ride, as long as you do it safely and have fun on two wheels that's all that matters.PS: only one model of the new touring bikes is water-cooled, and it is 'dual cooled', so only the heads around the exhaust have water-cooling. It isn't something that appeals to me, and as you say more can go wrong, but I think it was aimed primarily at people in hotter climates that could do with the extra cooling in traffic etc.
Another 'joke' to rile everyone a bit: 'How can you tell when someone doesn't ride a harley? They'll spend hours trying to justify why a jap copy was the better option'
Can't believe just found this thread - just drooled through all 17 pages
She might not be the sexiest and she struggles with heights but she's cute, the Kawasaki Eliminator 125cc bought after my CBT last summer so this is my first motorbike, just something cheap and not end of the world if i drop it while i gain experience. Had some great adventures last year and looking forward to passing test soon so i can upgrade and get on a bigger bike. Getting on this bike is always an adventure as there is no fuel gauge!
Any advice on first Big bike welcome. Thinking around the 650cc range but man these HD look sweet. Cruiser style only not a fan of the racer style. Budget 5k.
She might not be the sexiest and she struggles with heights but she's cute, the Kawasaki Eliminator 125cc bought after my CBT last summer so this is my first motorbike, just something cheap and not end of the world if i drop it while i gain experience. Had some great adventures last year and looking forward to passing test soon so i can upgrade and get on a bigger bike. Getting on this bike is always an adventure as there is no fuel gauge!
Any advice on first Big bike welcome. Thinking around the 650cc range but man these HD look sweet. Cruiser style only not a fan of the racer style. Budget 5k.
Glad to see a novice with sense. I've seen too many statistics come into the breakers with L plates on and a month later they have passed their test and bought an R6 on ebay and are trying to kill themselves!
If you want a reliable midrange cruiser then you wont go far wrong with a 650 Dragstar. Handle nice, sound good with the right pipes, loads of bolt on goodies, v twin so plenty of torque, look the part and shaft drive. Out of all the jap bikes I've owned I miss this one the most. Closely followed by a Honda XL600V Transalp. I even preferred the riding position of the 650 is big brother the 1100 Dragstar. The 1100 you seemed to sit on top of the bike but the 650 you were more into the bike. Not much speed difference either which surprised me.
If you want a reliable midrange cruiser then you wont go far wrong with a 650 Dragstar. Handle nice, sound good with the right pipes, loads of bolt on goodies, v twin so plenty of torque, look the part and shaft drive. Out of all the jap bikes I've owned I miss this one the most. Closely followed by a Honda XL600V Transalp. I even preferred the riding position of the 650 is big brother the 1100 Dragstar. The 1100 you seemed to sit on top of the bike but the 650 you were more into the bike. Not much speed difference either which surprised me.
5 grand will get you a very nice 883 or 1200 sportster. If you want to go bigger, keep your eye out for a 90's dyna, they come up at that price all the time. If ou go with the later option you won't lose aby money if you ever wish to trade up in te years.
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