prprandall51
MB Enthusiast
Hmm, yes, that's why I have an BMW S1000 as well as a Harley.
renault12ts
MB Club Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2009
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- 16,674
- Car
- 2005 W215 CL500.
Touché...
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OP
OP
Prprandall51: Agreed! I have a Honda Blackbird and a Triumph Thunderbird, so I think I can see both sides of the 'missile' versus 'cruiser' argument too.
Live and let live and just enjoy whatever car / bike you're happy to use. There's enough Harley / Sportsbike vitriol on motorcycling forums without starting here.
Live and let live and just enjoy whatever car / bike you're happy to use. There's enough Harley / Sportsbike vitriol on motorcycling forums without starting here.
johnpidge
Active Member
Whilst looking at the Harley Plice competion (clever but no leather + fall off = bad road burns wherever you live!!)
I found this Harley type funny YouTube - Vicious Cycles
Childish me - oh yes!!!
I found this Harley type funny YouTube - Vicious Cycles
Childish me - oh yes!!!
Doodle
MB Enthusiast
I'm with you on the feel-good factor, and they can be quite pleasant to ride. I'm a little confused though...if it can't "keep on it's tail", then surely by definition it's getting away?
Try this? Sure
YouTube - Japanese Police Motorcycle Riding Competition
jkeith
Active Member
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2011
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- 79
- Location
- Jesmond NE2
- Car
- 1989 w126 300 se, 1986 3.2 Carrera Sport Coupe
The original thread starter story reminds me of my own personal experience 4 years ago.
Following the death ofmy father and disabled sister, I decided to do a charity cycle from Lands End to John O'Groats. I had never done anything like this before so had no idea how long it would take. I had 2 weeks holiday and allowing to get from Newcastle to Land's End and then from John O'Groats back to Newcastle, I thought I would need around 10 days.
I flew to Exeter, built the bike up in the airport and luckily got a ride in a pick-up to the station. Train to Penzance and then ride the last few miles to LE. Couldn't believe I strained a knee ligament at that stage but started early the next morning. Thought I better stop when it got past 5pm. I was in Bridgewater already, 165 miles on. I then managed (with some pain and difficulty) to do 165 miles each day and arrived in JOG after 6 days.
I called at a B&B and the owner gave me a lift to the local pub where I could get an evening meal. I had to take his offer of a lift as my knee would not let me walk the few hundred yards. He dropped me off outside the pub and there was about 10 Douglas motorbikes lined up (the belt (or shaft) driven horizontally opposed twins?). I stood admiring the bikes and an owner came out of the pub and I complimented him on his bike. 'Where have you come from?' I asked, 'Lands End' he proudly said, 'It's our centenery run'. 'Fantastic' I replied, 'how long did that take you?' 'Six days!' he said sticking his chest out.
He then looked at me and noticing my cycling coat asked if I was a cyclist. When I replied to confirm that, he asked where I had come from. When I also said Lands End he asked how long it had taken me. When I told him, he would not believe it (I was 55 then). He then got all his mates out of the pub, used one of their helmets as a collection bucket and handed me a very welcome contribution to the charity. I, in return, went into the pub with them and we had a very pleasant night exchanging stories.
The following year I cycled over the Alps from Geneva to Nice and was very pleased to get great encouragement from motorbikes, cars and mobile homes on the climb up each of the cols. The comraderie at the top of La Bonnett (2,802 metres) was fantastic.
None of this is stolen from a magazine but I can see why it was good to tell this type of story. There are still some good considerate road users but I must exclude the Slovac lorry drivers in Holland - lethal!
Following the death ofmy father and disabled sister, I decided to do a charity cycle from Lands End to John O'Groats. I had never done anything like this before so had no idea how long it would take. I had 2 weeks holiday and allowing to get from Newcastle to Land's End and then from John O'Groats back to Newcastle, I thought I would need around 10 days.
I flew to Exeter, built the bike up in the airport and luckily got a ride in a pick-up to the station. Train to Penzance and then ride the last few miles to LE. Couldn't believe I strained a knee ligament at that stage but started early the next morning. Thought I better stop when it got past 5pm. I was in Bridgewater already, 165 miles on. I then managed (with some pain and difficulty) to do 165 miles each day and arrived in JOG after 6 days.
I called at a B&B and the owner gave me a lift to the local pub where I could get an evening meal. I had to take his offer of a lift as my knee would not let me walk the few hundred yards. He dropped me off outside the pub and there was about 10 Douglas motorbikes lined up (the belt (or shaft) driven horizontally opposed twins?). I stood admiring the bikes and an owner came out of the pub and I complimented him on his bike. 'Where have you come from?' I asked, 'Lands End' he proudly said, 'It's our centenery run'. 'Fantastic' I replied, 'how long did that take you?' 'Six days!' he said sticking his chest out.
He then looked at me and noticing my cycling coat asked if I was a cyclist. When I replied to confirm that, he asked where I had come from. When I also said Lands End he asked how long it had taken me. When I told him, he would not believe it (I was 55 then). He then got all his mates out of the pub, used one of their helmets as a collection bucket and handed me a very welcome contribution to the charity. I, in return, went into the pub with them and we had a very pleasant night exchanging stories.
The following year I cycled over the Alps from Geneva to Nice and was very pleased to get great encouragement from motorbikes, cars and mobile homes on the climb up each of the cols. The comraderie at the top of La Bonnett (2,802 metres) was fantastic.
None of this is stolen from a magazine but I can see why it was good to tell this type of story. There are still some good considerate road users but I must exclude the Slovac lorry drivers in Holland - lethal!
prprandall51
MB Enthusiast
First, the video. That is amazing. Just shows how much skill there is in motorbike riding. Wish I could ride like that.
The point I was making is that, despite the humour in the original post, Harleys are not slow, cumbersome leviathans that cannot get round a corner or make progress; they are actually quite agile and fast. Yes, a sports bike will pull away, but it won't leave the Harley in the dust. Less "getting away" more gradually opening up a gap.
Doodle
MB Enthusiast
Ah right, now I see. Not so much an instantaneous "ping...gone"
I normally found the biggest problem was running out of ground clearance; you could make up for lack of power or brakes with some cornering bravado but then you'd deck out and that would be it...bye bye.
In my photographer friend's portfolio, there is a lovely shot of me rear-steering a 1200 Sportster through the Theale roundabout. Thankfully he got it with the first pass...I wobbled to a stop in the lay-by and needed a change of underwear!
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Some people just don't understand Harleys
In the motorcycle world as Rolls-Royce is in the car world .
Benz270cdi
Active Member
Your lucky you didn't get taken out by the James bond style oil slick that comes as standard on a harley, straight from the engine ; )
jeffwebb
Active Member
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- May 19, 2006
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- 314
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- Orihuela, Spain./ London, England.
- Car
- E55 AMG + Suzuki Burgman 400
More like Massey Ferguson or John Deere in the car world 
Benz270cdi
Active Member
Agree with you there jeff : )
Doodle
MB Enthusiast
Sadly not possible, HD's run dry-sump systems. It comes from the oil tank instead
Actually, in all seriousness my airhead BMW leaks far more oil than any of the HD's my family has owned.
st4
Banned
Cant wait to hear about this over CURRY tomorrow
prprandall51
MB Enthusiast
I think we are in furious agreement here, DolphiN. My point was never that a Harley could keep up with a sports bike, only that there is surprisingly little between the two on a public road - especially a twisty one. This is contrary to most people's opinion of them (uinfalteringly formed without having ridden one) that they are both slow and unable to corner in any meaningful way.
Ground clearance, as you say, is the issue. However, they make up for that short-coming with a glorious dollop of torque, an addictive engine sound and an great sense of feel-good.
I've ridden one once and did find it slow and not great through corners but that said I don't get on with V twins at all anyway, just don't like the engine braking and lack of revs and always go for an I4, Harleys arn't my sort of bike but I understand why people buy them and they would be alot more comfortable than me after a days riding, not everyone who rides a bike is in a rush.
