Why the Devotion to XJ's?

[crazy steve]

Only an HD owner can explain the HD thing...

Well, that will depend on which kind of HD owner you talk to..

I own several Harleys, and they're simply a 'different' type of bike. Taken for what they are or can be with an owners efforts, they do have their advantanges. Parts supply? No problem. Customizing/hop-up options? Almost unlimited. Fuel economy? Better than any import I've owned. Better resale value, no valve adjustments or carb syncs. Costs? Yes, they're more to buy but maintenence/repairs costs are considerably lower, sometimes a lot lower.

If you're looking for superbike performance, don't buy a HD product unless you're willing to spend some more money. You still won't match the superbikes, but that's not the market they're trying to sell to.

They must be doing something right, as they're still the sales leader in big-bore bikes and that's with all the import showrooms full of HD lookalikes..

[WSL91]

Well, that will depend on which kind of HD owner you talk to..

I own several Harleys, and they're simply a 'different' type of bike. Taken for what they are or can be with an owners efforts, they do have their advantanges. Parts supply? No problem. Customizing/hop-up options? Almost unlimited. Fuel economy? Better than any import I've owned. Better resale value, no valve adjustments or carb syncs. Costs? Yes, they're more to buy but maintenence/repairs costs are considerably lower, sometimes a lot lower.

If you're looking for superbike performance, don't buy a HD product unless you're willing to spend some more money. You still won't match the superbikes, but that's not the market they're trying to sell to.

They must be doing something right, as they're still the sales leader in big-bore bikes and that's with all the import showrooms full of HD lookalikes..

Nothing starts a fight faster on the Honda forums than an HD thread

[James England]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHpa0kE86MA

Oh well done, sir! That was absolutely hilarious! I honestly didn't realise that people in the US thought/did this sort of thing. Naive of me. I loved thelines "Buy a Harley Davidson or the terrorists win!" Priceless!

[WSL91]

[/QUOTE]
So, here in the UK, we don't use UJM's for everyday transport and one could not describe many UJM's as "boring" (I know what you meant when you said this though). We regard the US styled, HD's and HD lookalikes as boring because we were raised on superbikes and really don't care about tassels, chrome and Indian chiefs painted on our bikes (cos it's ...boring). Japanese imports are rarer here...even the XS swirly wheels are called 'girly' wheels. Bikes here are not a statement of national identity, or national pride. They are something which we hurtle along at great speed on, eat the miles, run for decades with no problems and love and cherish for what they are themselves... fast, efficient, reliable, beautifully-engineered, functional machines meant to go fast if you want, slowly if you don't....mmm.... does that sound like a description of a HD or any of the Japanese HD wannabe's?[/QUOTE]

Probably a lot of the reason we ride these bikes is that close to half of the country isn't affected by foul weather at all and our country is quite large with a pretty extensive Interstate system where one can go and run 3000 miles without stopping or backtracking. This time of year I ride to work at least 4 days a week and frequently run 300+ miles on 2 or 3 Saturdays a month with friends. I can't imagine riding 12 hours on a sportbike. Here in Illinois I start riding in March and park it around late November.

[James England]

James,

Do you mean to imply the British have no term for 'reverand,' slang or otherwise, that sounds cooler!?! You have 'Royal' mail! Give yourself a proper British title for Queen's sake!

Well, we do have H.R.H, of course. His ( or Her) Royal Highness but I didn't want to sound presumptious or the Queen would never talk to me again. I though 'Rev' as an abbreviation of reverend did sound cool though? Y'know...bikes rev, don't they?

[James England]

Probably a lot of the reason we ride these bikes is that close to half of the country isn't affected by foul weather at all and our country is quite large with a pretty extensive Interstate system where one can go and run 3000 miles without stopping or backtracking.[/QUOTE]Yes. I think the UK is about 1,000 miles total length, if that. Our perspective is different. I read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" (well, 2/3 of it, if I'm honest) and the distances they cover would have taken me into the sea here.

[James England]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?src_vid...8PU&feature=iv

[bikerphil]

James, that's a good one, obsolete suspension, extra $$$, lol.

[James England]

no valve adjustments or carb syncs.

How is that?

[WSL91]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?src_vid...8PU&feature=iv

That's a classic! I shared it over on the Honda VTX forum as that just about sums up the anti HD crowd's thoughts. Should have a good fist fight going by noon! I've said it over there and I'll say it here, When HD offers a water cooled, DOHC, FI shaft driven bike I'll own one. I really like the Street Glides and Road Glides.

[James England]

This one's interesting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgPpsTs_MlYIs this a real advert? Or a spoof? I found it on my Youtube travels and assume it's a spoof, right? It can't be genuine, surely?

[James England]

I suppose you have to hand it to them though. As an exercise in marketing, it's unparalleled. In the UK, Triumph, who were doing just the same thing in terms of design, zero R&D and leaky, slow bikes, they just threw in the towel and packed in under the onlsaught of the Yellow Peril. What they should have done was to market the Bonnevilles etc in a similar way and make their deficiencies a source of pride...oh and quadruple the price of them. What fools we were!


I reckon Terminator 2 did a lot for HD? Do you think they paid to have Arnie on one? Thinking about it though....and I hate to say this.... maybe it wouldn't have looked right to have him on anything else???

[jetmechmarty]

HD knows their market. I was hawking beer to the folks in Harley Heaven as I worked the back stretch concession for the 1982 Daytona 200. During break I was chatting with one of the HD engineers as we watched Ducatis and Yamahonkawazukis race around the track at insane speeds. He said, "This does not sell Harley Davidson motorcycles. That does." as he pointed to the big crowd of bikes and bikers gathered at Harley Heaven behind the track. At the time, Harley was working on a quiet and reliable belt drive.

HD does advance their technology and their fit & finish is second to none. If you tour on one, their dealer support network has no match. Say what you will, it's a successful marque.

[crazy steve]

Originally Posted by crazy steve
no valve adjustments or carb syncs.

How is that?

Hydraulic lifters and only one carb....

[crazy steve]

If you tour on one, their dealer support network has no match. Say what you will, it's a successful marque.

That is a true story. On the Sporty list I was on, a member was touring and had her motor blow up; lost one of the crankshaft bearings. Now, this was a 3 year old high-mileage bike (in excess of 150K) and she had run that poor thing hard; I saw pics of her touring 'set-up' and she had enough 'stuff' strapped to that bike to make it look like one of the pics you see from the far east where the farmer is going to market with half his farm tied on... And she was a big girl (around 300 lbs), so that bike had been ran at or over it's max weight for most of those miles. She had scrupulously done all required service on it though...

The local dealer where she broke down called corporate about the bike; this sort of failure was unheard on. Now, that bike was long out of warranty, but HD overnighted the parts to the dealer AND paid for the repairs, parts and labor. She ended up paying for a tune-up and oil change, that was it...