[AramatB]

Hi all i'm collecting information on what people think about Harley-Davidson?
What do you ride and why did you pick it over a Harley?, or do you ride a Harley and what are your views about the lifestyle.?

If you are in the age group of 25 to 40, would you consider the Harley 883 range?

 

[arntufun]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, the old HD thread. Why are you collecting info about this ??? Are you looking to buy one or rile people up ???


You have four posts, and all four posts you ask, "what do you think of HD" and say nothing else. The real question is........ what do you think of HD ????

 

[AramatB]

first timer

Only just got into bikes and doing a personal essay on Harley, i wanted to post a thread but had to ask questions before i could haha,

Please help me out here haha =)

 

[arntufun]

Buy the best bike you can for the money you have and do your homework first.

But if you and your friends think HD is only for real bikers, than your sadly mistaken and you should rethink who you hang out with. There are very nice bikes from all brands including HD.

You might find you will get alot of different views on this subject and it might not be useful for your essay. This forum is filled with people that have every brand and model out there, and for the most part we all get along. We tease each other sometimes about what they ride, but I'm sure we would all hang out and have a beer together if the time came.

Bottom line is...... ride what you want to and dont give a flying flux what others think. Good luck to you.

 

[DunedinDragon]

When I was 16 I bought my first Harley, a 1951 panhead. Since then I've owned all sorts of bikes ranging from Honda's to BMW's and even some sport bikes. If I had only ridden Harleys I would have missed out on the experience of riding some great bikes. Each type of bike is distinctive and after several years of other bikes I came back to Harley in 2001. That was a great bike too and the rumble and feel of a Harley is truly distinctive, and reminded me of my childhood. I've since moved on and now have a Victory. And someday in the future, God willing, I'll move on to something else that will grab my attention.

I'm not sure I buy into the Harley "lifestyle" thing. My lifestyle hasn't changed regardless of the bike I own. I think there are people that choose their bike based on the image it portrays whether it's Harley or a Hyabusa. But that's the great thing about bikes. There's just so many kewl ones out there why would you limit yourself to just one? I want to ride my bike...not marry it. :biggrin:

 

[Lurch77]

I have a Sportster 1200, and two Japanese bikes in my garage, a GSX-R750 and an XT350. I absolutely love the Sportster. It is my favorite bike to ride, overall. As far as the 883 bikes go, I'd ride one in a heart beat! One of those would be my choice if I was making a custom bike, too. They are the perfect platform for a bobber, chopper, or cafe racer.

As far as the lifestyle goes, I don't like the stereotypical HD lifestyle. I don't spend hours polishing my bike, or just ride it 2 miles down the road to some tavern. I commute on it, I ride it fairly long distance day trips, it's often dirty from riding, I wear a helmet and other riding gear, and I don't give a crap about what people think of me for owning and riding a Sportster.

 

[ReconLdr]

When I was 16 I bought my first Harley, a 1951 panhead. Since then I've owned all sorts of bikes ranging from Honda's to BMW's and even some sport bikes. If I had only ridden Harleys I would have missed out on the experience of riding some great bikes. Each type of bike is distinctive and after several years of other bikes I came back to Harley in 2001. That was a great bike too and the rumble and feel of a Harley is truly distinctive, and reminded me of my childhood. I've since moved on and now have a Victory. And someday in the future, God willing, I'll move on to something else that will grab my attention.

I'm not sure I buy into the Harley "lifestyle" thing. My lifestyle hasn't changed regardless of the bike I own. I think there are people that choose their bike based on the image it portrays whether it's Harley or a Hyabusa. But that's the great thing about bikes. There's just so many kewl ones out there why would you limit yourself to just one? I want to ride my bike...not marry it. :biggrin:

This ^^^^^^.

Me personally, I love HD bikes. They all have their good points and bad. For me the good outweighs the bad.

 

[zmago]

I have a Harley XR1200. My previous bikes, in reverse order, were a Moto Guzzi Nevada 750, a Yamaha RD400, Honda CB175, Honda CB750, Ducati 250, Norton Commando 850, BSA 441 Victor Special, and a Honda CB350.

The Harley is my favorite of them all. It feels and sounds like the Norton and the BSA.

I'm not into the biker/pirate lifestyle so pay no attention to it. I'm not into slagging anyone else's bike either. I go riding with a friend who owns a BMW RT1150, and another who drives a Daelim Daystar 125, and I wave at everybody on two wheels. Oh, and I wear ATTGATT.

 

[OldDeadeye]

Troll much AM-A-RAT B?

 

[arntufun]

I

I'm not into the biker/pirate lifestyle so pay no attention to it. I'm not into slagging anyone else's bike either. I go riding with a friend who owns a BMW RT1150, and another who drives a Daelim Daystar 125, and I wave at everybody on two wheels. Oh, and I wear ATTGATT.

So you wouldn't wave to me then huh !!! :thumbsdown:

 

[goalie]

Always rode friends' bikes or my brother's. None were HD.

I am 50 and was a lad in England. For me the image of the perfect bike that I held in my mind was based upon the old WWII movies. When I saw the HD 48 in black, I knew that I had found my dream bike.

I ride to work occasionally (when I can get away with jeans, etc.), but mostly ride on weekends. I ride like I'm a kid on a bicycle -- weaving, wind, no goals. The 48 is perfect for 100 mile days of mixed riding (highways to twisties) and I'm still in the honeymoon phase.

If I were to plan some serious travels, I honestly do not think I'd get a Harley, though. I think I'd be looking more at the sport touring types.

I almost bought the Iron 883, but I'm glad I did not. I almost bought a Yamaha V-Star 650, but I'm glad I did not. Nothing against those bikes -- It's just that I am very happy with the bike I got.

I ride mostly with non-HD guys. My personality is not well-suited to the "group-think" homogeneity that I associate with the HOG lifestyle. That's not to say that I would not enoy any particular event or the company, but the overall thing is not for me.

I suspect that you will get as diverse responses to your question as there are people on the planet. I'd be interested in hearing your results.

Good Luck. :coffeescreen:

 

[goalie]

So you wouldn't wave to me then huh !!! :thumbsdown:

You may think I'm waving to you, but I'm really just covering my eyes when the three-wheeled abomination comes into view. :icon_cool:

 

[Cheesy Rider]

I chose the bike I have over a Harley because I like the handling and power of a sport-touring bike over a cruiser. However, if I was in the market for a cruiser, I would probably buy a Harley. I actually like them a lot. The only thing that would give me pause is the association with the Harley "lifestyle". However, I'm sure I would get over embarrassment of riding one eventually.

 

[ninjaridaz]

Oh boy, I hope this doesn't degenerate into 1 of those threads. I don't fault anyone else for riding a hd- except for those that bought into it from moco. Sheep are sheep even if they are "black sheep". As far as why I don't ride a hog, it's all about the type of riding I like to do. If you were with me in person, I would simply point to my rear wheel. Since you are not, my ideal ride would be from the Chicagoland area to the smoky mountains and then railing all over the smokies. A sport touring bike is a compromise of those 2 types of riding. It is big and comfortable enough to slab it there, but sporty enough to hang off the bike and rail on 2 lane country roads.

 

[robow]

HD has some really nice bikes, they aren't my style, but they are still good bikes. people that get hung up on brand are often douche bags. Ride what you want because you want to not because other people think you should ride it.

 

[megocode3]

I've owned several metric cruisers and now a Harley. It's not the most comfortable bike or the fastest bike I've ever owned but there's just something special about a Harley. To me it's a combination of the history, the culture, the chrome and the sound that makes Harleys cool. It's not for everyone though and you'll need to decide what's best for you. I'm in the age group you specified and would definitely consider any Harley.

 

[jhawk]

:thumbsup:

Hi all i'm collecting information on what people think about Harley-Davidson?
What do you ride and why did you pick it over a Harley?, or do you ride a Harley and what are your views about the lifestyle.?

If you are in the age group of 25 to 40, would you consider the Harley 883 range?

For positive replies try a Harley forum :thumbsup:

For negative replies try a sport bike forum :thumbsdown:

Since this is a general forum, you will get mixed replies :smiley_mornincoffee


I've ridden a few Harleys - liked some :thumbsup:, did not like others :thumbsdown:

I'm older than your 25-40 age group; and I have a BMW and a Truimph

 

[tygrant]

i like my harley for what it is, i can enjoy all types of bikes

 

[arntufun]

I've owned several metric cruisers and now a Harley. It's not the most comfortable bike or the fastest bike I've ever owned but there's just something special about a Harley. To me it's a combination of the history, the culture, the chrome and the sound that makes Harleys cool. It's not for everyone though and you'll need to decide what's best for you. I'm in the age group you specified and would definitely consider any Harley.

So, it's not comfortable and doesn't perform very well.............

But you like it for the..............
History- of it breaking down
Culture- of going bar to bar
Chome- to polish more than you ride
Sound- to think your cool


Why didn't you just say lifestyle ????? :coffeescreen::coffeescreen: This is just a joke !!! :thumbsup:

 

[Eye_m_no_angel]

So, it's not comfortable and doesn't perform very well.............

But you like it for the..............
History- of it breaking down
Culture- of going bar to bar
Chome- to polish more than you ride
Sound- to think your cool


Why didn't you just say lifestyle ????? :coffeescreen::coffeescreen: This is just a joke !!! :thumbsup:

What is it man, did you have a girfriend that left you for a guy on a Harley? Did your Momma and Poppa miss a few too many of your dance recitals?

At least the dude rides a MOTORCYCLE.