To harley or not
Discussion
This may cause some contraversy but I need advice. I currently have a Ducati 749s which I have owned since new and to be honest is crippling me now.
I have been looking through magazines and saw the harley v-rod and quite like the look of it! Is it too much of a leap?? Does anyone on here own one??
Opinions please!
I have been looking through magazines and saw the harley v-rod and quite like the look of it! Is it too much of a leap?? Does anyone on here own one??
Opinions please!
I had a Night Rod Special for a few months last year.
Great for short trips but not longer runs.
Seat was quite comfy but felt every bump in the road.
Great engine and went well but not keen to lean into corners.
Oh, and because you sit so low, unless you ride close to the outside of your lane, you have to look through car windscreens in front to see ahead.
You can fit different bars to the Night Rod Special and I think the bars on the normal V-Rod make a comfier riding position, rather than the clamp position on the Special.
If you buy s/h, buy the newer model with the larger tank.
6 gears would be nice too. They may have them now!
Great for short trips but not longer runs.
Seat was quite comfy but felt every bump in the road.
Great engine and went well but not keen to lean into corners.
Oh, and because you sit so low, unless you ride close to the outside of your lane, you have to look through car windscreens in front to see ahead.
You can fit different bars to the Night Rod Special and I think the bars on the normal V-Rod make a comfier riding position, rather than the clamp position on the Special.
If you buy s/h, buy the newer model with the larger tank.
6 gears would be nice too. They may have them now!
Had a test ride on a softail classic for a laugh and found it very uncomfortable, the arms foreward legs foreward seating position but a lot of strain on my back. Best bet is try and take one for a testride, then get some testrides on something more upright like a TDM/Versys/MT-03/Varadero/V-Strom/Ulysses/etc.
Rubin215 said:
Let me get this straight;
You have a 749s and think you might like a Hardly Dangerous...
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
Sorry, April fool's is at the start of the month...
You might just like it if you try it, but my money is on "not."
i have a bimota and 2 harleys ,am i not allowed to like them all ? You have a 749s and think you might like a Hardly Dangerous...
Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!
Sorry, April fool's is at the start of the month...
You might just like it if you try it, but my money is on "not."
K3EFH said:
This may cause some contraversy but I need advice. I currently have a Ducati 749s which I have owned since new and to be honest is crippling me now.
I have been looking through magazines and saw the harley v-rod and quite like the look of it! Is it too much of a leap?? Does anyone on here own one??
Opinions please!
If youre looking at new, then you now only have a choice between the standard V-Rod and the Night Rod Special.I have been looking through magazines and saw the harley v-rod and quite like the look of it! Is it too much of a leap?? Does anyone on here own one??
Opinions please!
As was mentioned the Night Rod Special has a odd riding position, but the ordinary V-Rod is quite OK.
Yes, the forward controls do take a bit of getting used to, especially after riding a 749.
Yes it will b completely different, but you know, it will still be FUN, you really don't have to be going at Warp 8.1 to enjoy biking.
Yes I used to have a modded Duc Monster and I've now got a Hardly Rideable.
You'll get all the wise arse's giving sarcy comments on here about Harley's, but just ignore them.
Go and try one, HD dealers are VERY accomodation with test rides. When I went into Warr's to get a test ride before I bought my Dyna Superglide, the guy said how long do you want it for? Have a ride down to the coast or something like that....
The problem that I have with bikes is always the head / heart arguement.
Sensibly, I know that a Harley is not the sensible bike to buy because they are mostly fine weather bikes and, if you're mates are touring on FJRs etc, you won't be able to keep up. Some people do use them all year round though.
But, I like my bikes to be different and there is just something about these bikes that draws me to them. That's the heart bit!
The 'Night Rod Special' was bloody uncomfortable for any distance stuff but had great character.
I quite fancy the 'Fat Bob' now and my heart says buy one but my brain says that it isn't an every day commute really.
I'm really impressed with the guys at Chester H/D so I'd like to buy a bike off them and the bikes are visually really nice.
It's just that the head bit says buy something else.
Oh dear.......
Sensibly, I know that a Harley is not the sensible bike to buy because they are mostly fine weather bikes and, if you're mates are touring on FJRs etc, you won't be able to keep up. Some people do use them all year round though.
But, I like my bikes to be different and there is just something about these bikes that draws me to them. That's the heart bit!
The 'Night Rod Special' was bloody uncomfortable for any distance stuff but had great character.
I quite fancy the 'Fat Bob' now and my heart says buy one but my brain says that it isn't an every day commute really.
I'm really impressed with the guys at Chester H/D so I'd like to buy a bike off them and the bikes are visually really nice.
It's just that the head bit says buy something else.
Oh dear.......
y2blade said:
if you are getting a harley...get a proper one 
I thought for a moment that was Huggy's 45, but then I realised it's far too clean....
Will have to have a root around for my old pics from Hemsby about 7 or 8 years ago when a bunch of the mad Swede's rode over en-masse with their bobbed vintage 45's.
Of course, if you want the look but, with modern on-the-button convinience, Warr's will build you a brand new '45 look-a-like' for about 20k....like these.....
I,ve got an 07 fatboy, and to be honest it's great fun.After years of throwing thousands away on sports car's I thought I'd give a Harley a go and over a year later I don't regret it one little bit.I find the FB comfortable over distance sounds fantastic and best of all the Mrs loves it.Not a fast bike by any stretch but can get a move on if you wring it's neck.
Steve
Steve
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