"this is sad... reminds me of that steven lynch song "just a little bit special"... i need another beer... "

For the demographic it's designed for (wanna-bes who would be scared of an icky motorcycle, but want something with the Motor Company logo on it to haul their Malcolm Forbes Memorial bondage harness collection) it is a good fit and will sell.

"fugly two-tone paint job that my 1-yr old niece could make better via fingerpaints... "

Yeah, it is underwhelming...

 

Funny you should mention that........I cannot stand Hardley Abelson and their underperforming yet expensive products.

Actually wish the trim and interior treatment were called something else.

I actually think the grill treatment on the HD is conservative compared to that barn door chrome abortion.


[BTW, I ride a 190MPH crotch rocket....so "icky motorcycle" is not in my vocab."

 

So you ride an overperforming motorcycle. Although it might be capable of 190 mph, you’ll never do it so why even mention it. My Hardley Abelson will take me wherever you’re going. It "performs" just as intended and that suits me and my riding style. No need to hate ... although I've read your posts where HD really is a burr under your saddle, for some reason.

Sorry ...

 

I guess if you have the extra coin to spend on a name go for it. I can always use the money I will save buying the same or even better quality product and put it towards something else. Fuel or insurance rings to mind.....

 

Don't be sorry, we're all entitled to our opinion.

You are correct, I've only got up to 170 on the ZX12R....ran outta huevos!!

Why I cannot stand Hardley:

Back in the late 70's(?), HD cried to the Government about the Japanese dumping of motorcycles. Now while I can accept them complaining about cruisers specifically, they asked for and received a tariff of ANY import over 700CC.


You tell me how a buyer is even comparing a Honda Interceptor, Kawi GPZ/Ninja etc... to an HD???

Instead of upgraging product and trying to be competitive, they cried.


Next reason; The Japanese cruisers started to do strange things to their crankshaft throws....offsetting them so that they could get a sound closer to HD. (at the expense of performance) Again, HD took 'em to court and tried to trademark the exhaust sound.............pitiful.


The guy that is building the Chevy V8's into motorcycles originally called them "BOSS HOGS".....Hardley Abelson again sued saying "HOG" stands for "Harley Owners Group"........maybe Ford should have sued for the use of "BOSS"???


I love laughing at the RUBes "rich urban bikers" that thumb their noses at the old school HD riders and how old school hate the RUBes.....Neither realize there would not be HD without the other.


Like here sometimes, I giggle at the bravado of the HD owner and how he rides an "AMERICAN" bike..............Of course not noticing the Japanese suspension, electroncis, carb/EFI.

I hate the fact that I wave to EVERY biker on the road and get a response from less than 1/2 the HD pukes.

I think they are a whiney, crying company that got lucky as heck that America went into some retro mood.

I give some respect and props to the Vrod and little else.

I am jealous and mystified at the re-sale value......


[bet you're sorry you wondered what the reason(s) were.... ]

 

awww.... ya know i'd wave to ya!

(granted i'm never in vegas...)

 

But I have family in HD's hometown....actually born there, but don't tell anybody.

 

I don’t have extra coin and I didn’t get an HD for the name. I don’t have a metric dealer anywhere close to where I live. I have an HD dealer 3 miles away. Also, HD let me ride all the models I wanted to see which one fit me best. I doubt the Yamaha dealer would let me do that. Also, you guys need to open your mind a little bit, not every HD owner is a RUB or old school. Not everyone can handle the riding position of the crotch rocket. I happen to have leg problems that won’t allow me to bend them past about 60 degrees. I need the forward controls that HD offers. It makes my legs hurt just pulling up next to the sport biker and seeing those rider’s legs bent back to touch the pegs (maybe I just wish I was that young again!). I guess I could have looked at metric cruisers, but I went for the convenience of HD location. I didn’t buy HD because of any kind of agenda, just what fit me best.

DOHC – I guess I’ve never passed you on the road, because NONE of the sport bikers wave back to me. It doesn’t hurt my feelings, I just figure they must be hanging on tight because they’re going 170 mph! It’s your life, but that’s too fast for me even if I had a bike that could do it. But you get a thumbs up from me Also, I didn’t know all that about the HD company, so I thank you for the education, but despite their history, I guess I’ll just have to keep riding what I’ve got. I don’t know what’s Japanese on my bike, but the EFI was made by Delphi …

BTW … back to the topic, I happen to think the HD SD shown at the beginning of this thread is ugly. I liked some of the previous years paint scheme much better.

 

Thanks for the correction on the EFI.....I know the last carbs were Keihn(sp?) I thought the EFI was a combo of ND and other Asian electronics.

Dealer access is huge, and the way you're treated is even huge(er).

If it matters, I don't like too many cruisers regardless of make.....but if I HAD to have one, for some strange reason the Honda Rune is a work of art to me.


http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roa...cc_6_cylinder/

 

ugh... I think I just brought up lunch.

Can you say... Tacky???


I am not the biggest fan of cruisers either... but if I had to get one, it wouldn't be that abomination.
Not only does it scream "mid life crisis" (Like Harley's seem to do for me) it screams a lack of any form of taste...
(I am currently looking for a late 50's British thumper so... admittedly I probably am out of the target market)

 

Man that is one rude looking bike.......
Another restyled farm implement, just like a Harley

 

Your right there. I lost my breakfast looking at that junk.

 

You know, you guys are right.....it is a weird lookin' machine.

I think that's why I like it.....you most certainly won't see yourself coming and going like with HD's and the metric cruisers. (or even crotch rockets)


I don't agree with farm implement though.....more like futurama to me.

 

hehe - how off-topic can we get? Thats a given *cough**cough*