The Hog is in the barn

[oldbiker648]

Caught a one-way flight to Pittsburgh over the weekend and rode my recently purchased 1996 H-D Road King 424 miles yesterday back to Richmond. Weather was really crappy on Saturday and Sunday so I didn't get to ride at all in Western PA with my buddy, but he rode along with me for the first 50 miles of my trip.
Learned a bit about the plusses and minuses of owning a Harley. They are big, comfortable, underpowered, sound great, look good and will shake your teeth out at idle. This bike will be a great overnight ride with the hard bags and the round leather bag I bought for the luggage rack. I was disappointed when passing on two-lane blacktop, 4th gear 50-70MPH accelleration is decent, but it's no XS-11 when you are trying to pass a semi you have been following for 15 minutes and only have about 5 seconds to get the job done.
Getting used to the floorboards and the heel and toe shifting has been a challenge, but over the course of the ride it is coming together. Overall, I'm pleased with the bike, but it's no XS either. I'll try to post some pics at some point.

[trbig]

sound great,

That one is definately a matter of opinion. lol. Glad you like your purchase. I do like the starting off torque of the Harleys. Around town, if it isn't loud, I like them. Other than that....

Tod

[oldbiker648]

It does have some grunt coming off the line, and the exhaust note is not loud. My buddy put a set of fish-tail extensions on it so it's throaty, but not noisy. I hate these guys running straight pipes that you can hear coming a mile away. That would not be any fun on a trip, particularly for the guy riding behind you.

[mxmikie]

the best part about a harley is leaving a stop sign i went from a dyna to a beemer paris dakar....... i love the beemer doubt ill ever do the harley thing again

[trbig]

Yeah, I rode a buddy's Road King once. You could just about pop the clutch at idle from a stop and not kill the engine.

Tod

[oldbiker648]

Yep, it's darned near impossible to stall that bike. It's about 840 pounds, but all that torque gets it rolling with no hesitation. I've been thinking about the whole Harley thing and I believe that one of the reasons most XS-11 owners don't like Harley owners is because of what the Harley owners represent. Many of them couldn't even do a clutch adjustment or change their own oil. A lot of them have the kind of money to go to the dealership and write a check for a $20k bike they won't ride 1,000 miles a year. Some of them have more money tied up in leather riding gear than we paid for our bikes. Do you agree with any of that?

[trbig]

If you mean what they represent as in a sudden attitude where if your bike doesn't say HD, then you aren't worth even looking at or talking to, or that the louder their bike is, the bigger their manood must seem, (Recently diagnosed as LDS... ) or that if they spend more on equipment than we do on our whole bike so as to look like they are bikers and could ride..

Then yeah, you may be right that I don't like what a lot of them represent. I have no problem with a guy that can pay cash for a 20+k dollar bike and only ride it a thousand miles. It's the superiority complex I have the problem with... along with owners that think the problem is what you stated (That we hate them or jealous because of their money)... along with thinking those loud ass annoying pipes sound cool. lol. The guys I associate with that ride Harleys aren't like that, besides the pipes thing, but I can get in front of them. Otherwise, I wouldn't associate with them. The ones I ride with KNOW those pipes can get annoying and already know they'll be riding in back.

Tod

[madmax-im]

As Brent would say "Theres Harley Owners and then theres Harley riders"...Most are owners...but Brent is a real rider!

[nightpilot]

My opinion is that harley riders are like politicians, you have to sift through them to find the good ones. A lot of them have BS attitudes that I think has historical roots. The loud pipes may save lives in, say 1% of the situations. Other than that, they are bad in a multitude of ways. My brother has side cut pipes and you dont want to ride to the side of him either. On the other hand, I have a friend with a fairly new bonneville with stock pipes and he is terrible to follow.

I think the lack of power is at times dangerous. I had a FXR with high compression heads, a 45 mm carb and a hot cam. It would wind to 7000 and I still think it was too slow. Going up hill out west against the wind in a rain storm I still wanted more power.

In fairness though, harleys have cannibalism value. I am putting the big FXR bags on my XJ and have already put harley turn signals on it which are good solid metal. I also have a pair of sportster 1100 mufflers that I am going to try once I get the rest done and up and running.

[oldyam80sg]

My friend used to ride Japanese bikes with me and recently within the past 3 years bought a Harley and his attitude towards things have drastically changed.Also a woman at work is like that also.Her Husband rides a Harley and she thinks she is this bad biker chick.She does not get along with a lot of people at work.Just something about that bike.On the other hand, i do know several more Harley riders and they are the nicest people you want to meet.Go figure.I once rode a friends 883 Sportster and that was unique.

[Montreux_Blue]

On the other hand, i do know several more Harley riders and they are the nicest people you want to meet.Go figure.I once rode a friends 883 Sportster and that was unique.

I know some of those too! They're all guys that have been riding since the 60's and early 70's.

[furious4]

I know some of those too! They're all guys that have been riding since the 60's and early 70's.

I find this very true. seems that older riders appriciate and respect most any motorcycle and the rider. my fathers been riding since the early 70's. he owns a harley and rides well over 10,000 miles a year ( he lives in Pa) a few years ago a guy at his work bought a new harley that he never rides. he then told my dad he wasn't a REAL biker because my dad rides to work sometimes WTF. there's always going to be a di** who thinks he's better than everyone else but I do believe theres alot of great riders on all types of motorcycles

[DiverRay]

madmax-im said:

Most are owners...but Brent is a real rider!

Having tried to keep up with the red wonder, I have to agree! Brent is a great guy, and a VERY good rider. The ONE HD I have ridden, and would buy, was a BIG inch road glide. It would pull as well as my XS, had six gears, and was smooth as silk. I just don't have the $25K for the bike......

[GNEPIG]

Quote:
"Most are owners...but Brent is a real rider!"

The Dude can ride that Road King!

Cool get oldbiker648, just ride your new bike for what it is, when you feel like a hotrod, ride the XS.

[freak_leg]

I was disappointed when passing on two-lane blacktop, 4th gear 50-70MPH accelleration is decent, but it's no XS-11 when you are trying to pass a semi you have been following for 15 minutes and only have about 5 seconds to get the job done.

Hmmmm sounds like I've got a lot of work left to do on my xs. I rode a buddies 05 HD soft tail nite train. There isn't a doubt in my mind that if we lined up for a race i would look silly trying to keep up.