my HD experience ...

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: boraticus
Originally Posted By: Redline955
Boraticus, why do you give a flying fook? If your friend loves to work on his HD's, which apparently he must, why deny him the enjoyment. To some, having a bike that alway's runs denies them the seat of the pants wrenching experience that a lot of us went through. If I hadn't had so many European bikes, my skills with a wrench wouldn't be anywhere near where they are today. I don't get the beefcake poster thing myself, but at 14 or 15 I did have a poster of Bridgett Bardot, in knee high black leather boots, straddling an old panhead (I think) on the wall in my BR.


I don't give a flying fook. I just find it ironic that I'm riding a very reliable old Yamaha and he's calling it J#p cr#p when his Harley is in pieces all over his shed......again! Many of us like to wrench but I also like to ride.

Bridgette Bardot, most certainly. The beefcake thing is more than a little weird. Put the bike pics up, but, hey, who needs pics of dudes draped all over them? Especially with all of the leather accessories dangling off of the walls. Part of the cult I guess? To each his own.....


You should've said to him that you heard the sound of tools clinking against metal so you knew he was working on his Harley again.

 

[ZGRider]

Originally Posted By: Redline955
Boraticus, why do you give a flying fook? If your friend loves to work on his HD's, which apparently he must, why deny him the enjoyment. To some, having a bike that alway's runs denies them the seat of the pants wrenching experience that a lot of us went through.


Boraticus: I am with you on this, but you are not going to convince the HD faithful. Einstein has been created with saying: "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result."

If riding an Asian or European bike doesn't convince them, nothing you or I say is going to change minds. I kinda agree if your buddy likes the challenge of trying to keep an AMF-era Harley alive, let sleeping dogs lie. You gotta admit, it is a mechanical challenge. Riding one down the street (when it is running) would make a person feel like gear-head of the century.

For everyone reading this and thinking, he's "bashing" Harleys - I'm not. I will readily admit that they are light-years more reliable and rideable than the 70's AMF Shovelheads. The Evo engine was reliable, fairly oil-tight, and a huge improvement for HD. The TC engines another huge step up from the Evo.

 

[boraticus]

If you read my previous message, I had stated that B-I-L, (not a buddy), could buy a better engine or even a new HD for what he spends on repairs. I'm not suggesting that he change brands. I'm relating his HD experience as seen from my perspective.

He bashes Asian/European bikes despite the fact that they're more reliable, and better performing. Actually, he and the bike have a lot in common. Neither of them work, other than the bike does make the attempt on occasion.

By the way, he's not an accomplished motorcycle mechanic by any measurement. He's more of a "trial and error specialist" which is not the way to go. Says he doesn't need a shop manual "cuz he knows the bike inside and out." An old, unreliable bike is the last thing he should own.

Ride what you like. Don't matter to me. However, when your bike spends more time in pieces than rolling, bashing J@p [censored] is the last thing he should be doing.

 

[ZGRider]

OK, sorry -- I guess I misunderstood your prior post.

Kinda reminds me of the folks that tinker with Cushman scooters. I wouldn't have been caught dead fooling around with that junk when I was younger and now they're highly sought after. You just can't predict this stuff. I still haven't changed my opinion, however.

 

[bonnie john]

Guys, i posted my experiences with MY hd in what should have been a positive, enlightening non-combative post

i'm a bit sick of the knockers continually disrupting and causing trouble on these pages

please, ( respectfully ) keep your negatives to yourselves or start your own topic on your hd experiences

 

[outshined]

My dad bought a Heritage new in 1990. It has close to 40k on it now. It's basically been his second bike since 2002, when he bought a 90 FLHTP. The Heritage has been a good bike. The engine has been opened up once for a cam change and the infamous cylinder base gaskets with the Evo.

I have a ground up/special construction softail with a 99 factory evo crate engine. Built by my dad and me. The bike was finished in 2000. I didn't start riding the bike until 2006 because I was chicken (ate too much dirt riding dirt bikes). My bike has 20k on it now. The only problem that I've had with it was and aftermarket starter that died.

Take it for what's it's worth.....both of those bikes have been pretty much trouble free.

Softail pic 1

softail pic 2

 

[Ausfahrt]

Originally Posted By: bonnie john
Guys, i posted my experiences with MY hd in what should have been a positive, enlightening non-combative post

i'm a bit sick of the knockers continually disrupting and causing trouble on these pages

please, ( respectfully ) keep your negatives to yourselves or start your own topic on your hd experiences


+1

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: bonnie john
Guys, i posted my experiences with MY hd in what should have been a positive, enlightening non-combative post

i'm a bit sick of the knockers continually disrupting and causing trouble on these pages

please, ( respectfully ) keep your negatives to yourselves or start your own topic on your hd experiences


Why is it completely acceptable in this site to say negative things about metrics, but the second someone says anything negative about a HD we're labeled as trouble makers?

 

[eljefino]

I believe the human ego needs a little challenging now and again.

When one's car is too boring and reliable, they seek out something more radical.

Could just be fixing, complaining, and brand bashing fulfill some unneeded primeval urge. Guy might actually LIKE his bike in pieces, I know I feel kind of lost with all my projects finished.

 

[kballowe]

I have an '83 FLT with just a fuzz over 200,000 miles. Completely restored it two years ago.

Yes, it has had some major work.

... but I just cannot part with it. It was the first brand-new motorcycle I purchased. Yes I have a couple of the newer 96 inch HDs and it's nice to have that reliability but there's just something about an old bike that I just cannot put my finger on.

Also currently own a Honda and a Yamaha.

I like them all, but just need more MONEY !!!!

 

[ZGRider]

Originally Posted By: bonnie john
Guys, i posted my experiences with MY hd in what should have been a positive, enlightening non-combative post

i'm a bit sick of the knockers continually disrupting and causing trouble on these pages

please, ( respectfully ) keep your negatives to yourselves or start your own topic on your hd experiences


BJ: It's not that we want to argue with you, but your posts give the impression to other non-HD riders that old Harleys are/were trouble-free which is simply not the case.

Sorry to hi-jack your post. In the future I will refrain from doing this. But, I thought the whole point of forums was for everyone to be able to give their opinions too.

 

[boraticus]

Our opinions will only be accepted as long as it agrees with theirs. So from now, on, it is mandatory that we agree that Harleys are the best creation to bless the face of the earth.

Anything else is a false god and those that believe in them shall have a "fatwa" issued upon them by the holy church of Willie G.

Punishment will be the requirement to join the herd, wear unusual leather costumes and generally pretend to be a very upset and possibly nasty dude!

What the hey, if we can't have a bit of fun.

 

[bonnie john]

zg rider, how can you possibly say from this post that i claim old hd's are trouble free ??? i have tried to honestly list the probs i've encountered in owning this m/c

boraticus, do you actually own a motorcycle? or are YOU the one with some very strange fetishes ?

grampi, yes, i have been guilty of occasionaly casting aspersions on SOME aspects of japanese m/c's. but c'mon, you guys are in like hungry dogs at every chance

give it a rest, we already know your thoughts

 

[boraticus]

"boraticus, do you actually own a motorcycle? or are YOU the one with some very strange fetishes ?"

Yo bonnie:

I have eight motorcycles. Five 1970's RDs. RD400 (1), R 350 (3) andRD 200 (1). I also own a KLR650, a Honda Valkyrie and a Suzuki dirt racer. I also own two late model liquid cooled 500cc Suzuki powered ATVs, a Polaris snowmobile, an assortment of boats, outboard motors and tons of OPE equipment.

I have also owned a BMW R100 and a Yamaha FJ750.

I do all of my own work including rebuilding the old Yamahas from basket cases to very capable/updated machines. I ride around 8,000 miles a year (limited by seasons and other activities). Don't seem like much but when winter conditions exist for seven months of the year, it's a fair amount of riding.

Now, if I were in Oz, the number of miles ridden would be considerably higher. I have to envy you there. On the other hand, I don't have to worry about waking up with a Sydney funnel web spider or an Australian brown snake, gnawing on my neck while I'm sleeping.

What might be the "fetishes" of which you speak?

 

[bonnie john]

haha boraricus

the only things that bite around here are the ATO ( australian tax office )

seriously, we are all into our own things, quite passionately in some cases. not sure it does too much good slagging off someone's choice of bike.

would you say the same thing about his dog or wife ???

 

[boraticus]

would you say the same thing about his dog or wife ???

Well, that depends on whether his dog and/or wife were barking/screaming in my ear on a regular basis.

I've said it before. I have nothing against stock Harleys other than the excessive price to be paid for a so-so machine. I actually like the sound of a stock Harley. It's a soothing mellow cadence that's quite pleasant. When people change the exhaust to make them bark obnoxiously, that's where the problems begin. If that's not bad enough, it seems that the people who put on the unnecessarily loud pipes like to ride in groups then parade around in areas where there lots of people to ensure that they'll be noticed. That increases the annoyance factor. If people didn't make their bikes so intrusive, there wouldn't be nearly as much back lash.

If our law enforcement people were doing their jobs to curb unnecessary noise FROM ALL vehicles, people wouldn't be so inclined to modify their machines to make them noisy. If that were the case, I doubt that we'd see anywhere near as much anti-Harley feelings as we do now. I'm not saying that this is an exclusively HD problem. Metric cruiser riders are now trying to out-bark the modified Harleys. However, they do not represent nearly the number nor concentration of offensive machines. They're not to be excused either.

Leave the "peace pipes" on. You'll make more friends than enemies.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: bonnie john
zg rider, how can you possibly say from this post that i claim old hd's are trouble free ??? i have tried to honestly list the probs i've encountered in owning this m/c

boraticus, do you actually own a motorcycle? or are YOU the one with some very strange fetishes ?

grampi, yes, i have been guilty of occasionaly casting aspersions on SOME aspects of japanese m/c's. but c'mon, you guys are in like hungry dogs at every chance

give it a rest, we already know your thoughts


The point I was making was to identify the hypocracy (not only by you, but by others as well) on this site. If it's okay to make negative statements about metrics, then it MUST be okay to do the same about HDs. For your information, I will give it a rest when I determine it's time to do so, not when you say it is....

 

[kballowe]

I've owned more than 45 street motorcycles (not counting ATVs and dirt bikes). A little bit of everything. I like them all.
Worked in many bike shops over the years and do all of my own work.

Could never understand this Harley hatred thing.

To the original poster - thanks for the post.

 

[MCompact]

The way I see it, we ALL like to ride. Don't give me a hassle about what I ride(Triumphs ONLY) and I'll return the favor. HDs aren't my cup of tea, but if that's what makes you smile, it's none of my business.

 

[kballowe]

.
Triumphs are OK - as are all the rest.
.
Have you had an opportunity to test drive the new Thunderbird?
.
.
Here's mine... a Speedmaster
.