XS11 vs HD...HD owners don't read this!

[GtrMn]

For the first time in 34 years I had the opportunity to ride a HD....actually rent one. A brand new '07 Softail Custom with the new 96 CI balanced motor and 6 speed transmission. I bought a midnight special new in 1980...sold it in 1986 and got another one 4 years ago on the internet.
So now for the comparison.....haha
From a standing start at idle...the Harley pulls like a freight train for about 50 feet....runs out of steam early. The 11...blows the doors off (If the HD had doors).
Handling wise......the HD IMHO handles like a pig....maybe that's why they call them hogs? haha
The 11 with a fork brace handles very well for a heavy bike.
Oh yeah....wind? HD actually scared me to death....going over a bridge...thought we were gonna go off the edge...not sure if it was the police style windshield or what....definetly scarey though. The 11 would never do that. With wind the 11 actually leans into it naturally.
So again IMHO a 27 year old antique...XS11 still beats the hell out of a HD....The only category the HD wins? Gas milage...very impressive...over 50 MPG in the over 200 miles I rode it. And maybe the cool sound.....vibration still sucked though at speed

After 27 years...I still have to say 11's are still some of the best all-round bikes ever designed.

[planedick]

Hardly a race...

I was comming up on an intersection yesterday and as I got closer I hear this really loud hardly noise and up ahead of a couple of cars was three hardly guys revving and making noise getting ready for a race at the green. Needless to say I couldn't let such an opportunity go that easy so I split lanes and arrived at the crosswalk just before the light turned green. They took off in a roar of thunder and by the time we reached the other side of the intersection they were all looking at my licence plate and tail lights. Man that was almost too easy!!! By the time I wound it out in second they were at least half a block behind me. He He He At the next signal one pulled up beside me and said "Man that thing hauls a**". I said,"I just couldn't resist".

[GtrMn]

Haha....My buddy across the street bought a new Superglide and did the same thing to me......I passed him like he was standing still....got to the next light and all he could say was holy sh*t!
We really do have great bikes! Still love it!

[GtrMn]

Oh yeah......I said I couldn't resist....hahaha

[prometheus578]

HD owners don't read this!

(It's always been my experience that most of them couldn't.)

[Bigfoot]

I happened to be behind one that was farting it's way around a cloverleaf onramp. When we hit the top of the onramp and entered the freeway I heard him roll on the throttle. Definately more of an increase in sound than speed. I was doing about 40 in 3rd but I didn't bother to downshift. I twisted the throttle and flew by him like he was standing still. Went from 40 to 70 almost instantly. Made my day.

[UncleSpot]

I've had 7 Hardly Driveables and wouldn't trade my 80 XS11 SG for *ALL* of them back! absolutely *NO* comparison: in speed, smoothness, reliability, driveability, handling, and styling.
The ONLY Hardly I miss is my '53 Pan - it sounded great, but I was *****************ALWAYS************** working on it - before, during and after rides!!!!!!!!! I do **NOT** miss that!

I ***LOVE*** my XS11

[malber]

I'll play devil's advocate for a moment.

I got a chance to demo ride a few harleys a couple of months ago. My first impression was, "How do people deal with all this vibration?!?" And having turn signal switches on both sides was disconcerting at first. But otherwise it wasn't so bad. Throttle response was good if better than my XS (I probably need to tighten up my throttle cable) and the other controls were smooth. All except the sportster were a bit torquey, but not as much as I expected. Shifting was very responsive, but I can't abide the ones with forward controls. I like being able to put my foot on something right away when I pick them up from the ground. I got a kick out of the one with floorboards and the double shifter. The demo ride was only as far as about 1 1/2 mile but a portion of it was on the highway. Didn't really get a chance to turn them out because we rode as a pack.

They were demoing a few Buells but I didn't get around to riding those. I had to leave due to a springtime allergy attack and the effects of antihistamines. Wish I had ridden them though.

All in all they were nice cruisers, but otherwise I felt like it was just riding a different bike. I guess I'm just not awestruck by the Harley mystique. I just like to ride.

I couldn't help feeling my XS was giving me a "how could you" look when I went back to her.

[yadada]

I read it anyway! Ha!

Mine is kinda slow, but I don't ride it when I wanna go faster.

Technically aren't all HD's like 50 year old antiques anyway. All they seem to do is basically change the way the valves are operated on each new version of motor.

I guess I like mine because it's fairly comfortable (need to adjust windsheild to fix some buffeting) and it looks kinda like an old motorcyle should in a 1950's Leave It to Beaver kinda way.

And I haven't had to do anything to it other than replace consumable items like tires, brakes etc. since I got it. That's NICE!

[cajun31]

Pros and Cons

There are Pros and Cons to both bikes and depends on a given day what kind of ride you want. Obviously when you buy a stock Harley you are not buying it for speed. They are cruisers and all that speeding away from them or beating them from light to light does not impress most Harley riders because that generally is not what they are about. Years ago I would have never touched a Harley either, especially in the AMF owned days. They had severe quality control problems and is why they have the reputation today as being problematic, which they are not. I have owned mine for five years and have never had to do anything to it other then put gas in and change the oil. When I bought the MNS new I did so because the Harleys did not have the quality they have today. I still enjoy my XS and like I said when I feel the need for speed I get on it.

[blkryno]

back in the AMF days when I bought my XS two harley ferguson guys where sitting across an intersection from me trying to keep one of them running when the light changed I counldn't resist so I beeped my horn and when they looked up I patted the tank the one guy threw his screwdriver at me I screwed on the power and was gone. Poor guy bike didn't run and no more screwdriver. All my harley relatives were asking to ride my XS.

( don't fall down )

[Pat Kelly]

One of the major pluses of the XS is it's fast and is a great cruiser. It has the torque to lug around town, head out of town you can lope along at touring speed or you can zip along at triple digits all day long. Add chrome, add ape hangers, unbaffelled exhaust, and it will blend in with the marketing lemmings until you decide to twist the throttle (and for a lot less money).

[Jerry]

Here in Colorado, every fall, different places have Biketoberfest. Last one I went to was at Copper Mountain. Manufactures show up and you can test ride bikes. Sign up for a ride time and the model you wish to try out. Entrace fee of $25.00 required.

On a good day you can get in 3 or 4 test rides. (Last time I also got into an ATV ride, was fun.)

I try to ride at least 1 or 2 V-twins, either Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki, or HD. My over-all reaction generally remains the same: V-twins, regardless of manufacture, are not my cup of tea. (Other manufactures that may show up and offer test rides are Polaris and BMW, depends on the show.)

Vibration, poor to average handling, instrument location (do you really want to look at the top of your gas tank to find your speedometer?) and $price$ for all this makes me look away from V-Twins.

However, the comfort level is generally high, fuel economy is good, brakes are much better than in the past. I rode a Suzuki with Brembo front and rear binders and wished I could swap them onto the XJ, was an excellent system.

If one of these events comes up in your area, or any other bike show that offers test rides, take advantage of it and try to ride some of the new stuff. Not only will it keep you up on current offerings, it will make you appreciate just how well the design of the XS and XJ 11s has held up over the last 30 years.

[ZXDavid]

Comparing a XS11 to a Harley is like comparing the USS Nimitz to the Titanic.

[joshua]

A guy in my office has a newer harley. He's constantly telling me that I need to sell my XS and buy a Harley. I just smile and tell him that for well under $2000 and a little elbow grease I bought a bike, am fixing it up and will smoke him in any situation if need be. He'll be back from a deployment in 3 months. He bet me that I'll have a Harley by then. He'll be dissapointed. I'll be smiling.