Harleys, what are they like?

[Phurrball]

There is no more a stereotypical Harley rider than there is a sportsbike rider or scooter rider.

There are people who ride them. Some are cool. Some aren't. The brand of bike has nothing to do with it.

I agree with everything preceding the the last sentence.

But if you believe the HD BRAND has nothing to do with it, you're in cloud Cuckoo land BD! The stereotype holds some water, perhaps more so that the stereotypes for scooterists and squidly ones. Say 'Motorbike' to Mr Joe Public, and he'll probably think of a Harley - I'd a say a bit of that is down to the corollary effects of VERY successful image marketing.

The brand has EVERYTHING to do with it for significant (conjecture and anecdote™) portion of those that own and ride.

Harley are master marketers - to the extent of successfully marketing a fully branded lifestyle to go with the bike. No one else does that to the same all-encompassing extent. And they've got a great market captured - the cashed up boomers looking to recapture their youth. (Not everyone of course, but if I were on HD's marketing team...)

Don't get me wrong, Harley's are nice bikes if taken as what they are (yerp, have ridden a Dyna of some sort, and enjoyed it more than I expected). I think their flaws add something that a supremely competent all-round jappa just couldn't capture - hence the legacy to build the marketing on, and a formula they don't depart far from ('cept for the xxxx Rods for those that wanted top-end power ).

That sort of lifestyle-image marketing will always leave a reasonable portion of thinking onlookers cold. They aren't the target market anyway...

Now, Buell OTOH, much more about the merits of the bike :twothumbs I think you'd agree BD)

Trumpy - somewhere in-between. Heritage to bank on and competent, characterful bikes. Not quite the same all-encompassing lifestyle to buy into.

If I were to have a cruiser, make mine a Victory plz!

[rosie631]

Ya musta being doing something wrong - 'cos my iron-head wasn't THAT much grief.

And the rubber-mount version kinda ruined the Sporty I reckon.

+1 Did mega miles on my old ironhead and it gave me a real good run.

[Headbanger]

But there's a good reason why sporty owners carry full toolkits.

I once fell off my sporty and landed heavily on the bag of tools I was carrying.

Hurt like hell, Left a mean bruise.

[chap]

The bikes that is, not the owners. Maintainence wise? Belt drives? I'm possible looking at a 1200 Sportster, 1997. 40,000km, any thing to look for?

easy to work on. only got new belt after 8 years due to stone hole,but belt was still useable. can the factory suspension and they corner well. good all rounder

[scumdog]

easy to work on. only got new belt after 8 years due to stone hole,but belt was still useable. can the factory suspension and they corner well. good all rounder

The bike he's looking at is an 'S' model Sporty - comes with good adjustable suspension, really good brakes.

[chap]

The bike he's looking at is an 'S' model Sporty - comes with good adjustable suspension, really good brakes.

nice one second the buy it

[popelli]

The bikes that is, not the owners. Maintainence wise? Belt drives? I'm possible looking at a 1200 Sportster, 1997. 40,000km, any thing to look for?

service history

is the mileage genuine?

proof of ownership

belt drives are easy to change on a sportster and they either break or they don't - don't worry about it

evo sporties have a bullet proof motor and require less maintenance than a jap bike

if the price is right buy it

[invisiblehand1]

yeah, each to their own, but my sporty is the first bike that left me hitching in the last 15 years (Ive been riding for 28 years). It was a crappy electrical thing where the vibration tore a lead from the battery off. But it was 34 degrees outside Masterton last Christmas, and i was pissed off.

But was I surprised to find that the nut to get the battery strap off is 3/8 but the battery connections are 10mm. Weird shit like mixing metric and imperial, funky fittings - why IS it so hard to get the battery out compared to my old bonnie? and crippling vibration is all part of the game.

That said, ride through the jackhammer and you ARE Joe Cool.