Harley riding - lived to tell the tale
Discussion
Well, I now have a greater understanding of the US of A's love of Hardley Davidsons...
They may be expensive, heavy, slow and not built so well, but then the roads are straight, wide, generally traffic free and you get to cover great distances without your arse feeling like you've just been locked up in the deep south and made someones wife!
Picked the bike up Friday afternoon (they certainly know how to employ shop assistants in Heritage Harley, I can tell you!) and got taken through the schpiel...I've never signed so much paperwork in my life. Rental agreement, insurance, waiver this, waiver that, disclaimlers for the disclaimers...
Finally got to get on the bike - Night Rod Special - and ride off...and was actually a great surprise...it went well, stopped well, handled OK once you managed to get it over (huge rear tyre) and generally rode like I guess a low but heavy bike does. The two guys I was with had Road King Classics, almost identical (one a lot more bling-chrome and an engine upgrade than the other) so I let them have a go to get a good comparason and they both said how quick it was. Certainly, my bike was faster off the mark than the standard Road King. I chose not to try theirs for fear of dropping someone's 20k bike!
I decided not to take any gear with me, bar a couple of pairs of sunglasses, and although I was loaned a leather jacket by a mate out there, to the horror I'm sure of many on hear, chose not to wear it as it was so hot. So rode in Jeans, trainers and short sleaved shirt. Did wear a half hat helmet Saturday and the legally required sunglasses though. To be honest, It felt 'right' not to be togged up in the finest leather/kevlar, and the roads out of town are pretty empty, and you don;t ride too quickly 60-70ish(70-80 max), so the likely hood of comming off is pretty low. Yes it would have hurt (a lot) if I had, but I decided to take that risk.
Ended up covering 310 miles on Saturday, from about 9am through to 5:30. Went out to a park area called Starving Rock, outside Chicago. Loads of bikers there, all wearing just jeans, leather vest and boots. Must admit, I was glad I was not wearing the full 'hein gerrick' as I'd have been the only one there to do so.
Saturday evening 4 of us went out for dinner and us two European bikers tried the 'no helmet' approach as well. Felt even better, so much so, that all of Sunday morning's riding was sans lid (yes, yes I am aware what could have heppened if I'd have come off).
SO all in all, a fantastic weekend riding. Totally different to that in the UK, from the roads, attitudes, bikes and (at the moment) the weather.
Highly reccomended.
A few Photos posted tonight Hopefully.
Cheers,
Neil.
They may be expensive, heavy, slow and not built so well, but then the roads are straight, wide, generally traffic free and you get to cover great distances without your arse feeling like you've just been locked up in the deep south and made someones wife!
Picked the bike up Friday afternoon (they certainly know how to employ shop assistants in Heritage Harley, I can tell you!) and got taken through the schpiel...I've never signed so much paperwork in my life. Rental agreement, insurance, waiver this, waiver that, disclaimlers for the disclaimers...
Finally got to get on the bike - Night Rod Special - and ride off...and was actually a great surprise...it went well, stopped well, handled OK once you managed to get it over (huge rear tyre) and generally rode like I guess a low but heavy bike does. The two guys I was with had Road King Classics, almost identical (one a lot more bling-chrome and an engine upgrade than the other) so I let them have a go to get a good comparason and they both said how quick it was. Certainly, my bike was faster off the mark than the standard Road King. I chose not to try theirs for fear of dropping someone's 20k bike!
I decided not to take any gear with me, bar a couple of pairs of sunglasses, and although I was loaned a leather jacket by a mate out there, to the horror I'm sure of many on hear, chose not to wear it as it was so hot. So rode in Jeans, trainers and short sleaved shirt. Did wear a half hat helmet Saturday and the legally required sunglasses though. To be honest, It felt 'right' not to be togged up in the finest leather/kevlar, and the roads out of town are pretty empty, and you don;t ride too quickly 60-70ish(70-80 max), so the likely hood of comming off is pretty low. Yes it would have hurt (a lot) if I had, but I decided to take that risk.
Ended up covering 310 miles on Saturday, from about 9am through to 5:30. Went out to a park area called Starving Rock, outside Chicago. Loads of bikers there, all wearing just jeans, leather vest and boots. Must admit, I was glad I was not wearing the full 'hein gerrick' as I'd have been the only one there to do so.
Saturday evening 4 of us went out for dinner and us two European bikers tried the 'no helmet' approach as well. Felt even better, so much so, that all of Sunday morning's riding was sans lid (yes, yes I am aware what could have heppened if I'd have come off).
SO all in all, a fantastic weekend riding. Totally different to that in the UK, from the roads, attitudes, bikes and (at the moment) the weather.
Highly reccomended.
A few Photos posted tonight Hopefully.
Cheers,
Neil.
black-k1 said:
Great report and it sounds like you had a wonderful time.
I’m utterly amazed that you’re still alive after riding without full kit and, even worse, a helmet, so well done!
The questions is, having ridden a ‘Hardly-Make-It-Son’ would you now buy one?
It was a total death defying stunt I can tell you I’m utterly amazed that you’re still alive after riding without full kit and, even worse, a helmet, so well done!
The questions is, having ridden a ‘Hardly-Make-It-Son’ would you now buy one?
Would I buy one?
If I lived in the states, definatley, but I'd have to do something with the exhaust if it was a night rod...far, far too quiet! Sounded more like a VERY muted Ducati than a Harley. Got a lot of admiring glances though, so it must look pretty cool, if not sound it. There is a whole harley way of life in the states that I just don't think you could get here. it just seems to 'fit' there.
Living in the UK? probably not. Too expensive for what it is and if I wanted that kind of bike, I'd probably build it myself...
virgil said:
There is a whole harley way of life in the states that I just don't think you could get here.
Wanna bet.......
(With the exception of the ruddy weather of course.)
Probably the best 'community' and sociable riding in the UK TBH.
In some ways HD ownership is better here as HD's hold their value pretty well over here and are probably one of the best anti-depreciation wheeled purchases you can affordably buy. The flooding of the market in the USA by the Motor Co. in recent years has seen value's tumble, but then they are cheaper to buy in the first palce. Great if you intend keeping whatever you buy for many years, not if you want to change on a regular basis, as most Americans do, partly due to the big mileages they rack up.
Although I found a V-Rod quite comfortable, the water cooled engine, even with different cans, just didn't seem HD enough for me compared with the old air-cooled thumper's....
However, impending US EPA legislation in 2012 will probably finally see the demise of the traditional air-cooled HD engine so I suppose it's goning to be a case of like it or lump it in the future if you want a new HD.
aeropilot said:
Although I found a V-Rod quite comfortable, the water cooled engine, even with different cans, just didn't seem HD enough for me compared with the old air-cooled thumper's....
Totally agree - this was the most dissapointing thing of the whole trip. Especially sitting next two two aircooled HD's one with fairly and one with very derestricted pipes! One blip of the wrist and all around knew they were there!aeropilot said:
However, impending US EPA legislation in 2012 will probably finally see the demise of the traditional air-cooled HD engine so I suppose it's goning to be a case of like it or lump it in the future if you want a new HD.
Such a shame...though could this keep the price of the existing bikes up? Investment time?I made a mistake of buying a new night rod special in January.
Found the clam style riding position a bit uncomfortable after a few miles but wow, what a bike.
Loved it but it really is a fine weather and short distance bike. Pulls well, sounds great, although a little too quiet.
Sold it after three months and went back to a BMW.
Still miss the Harley though.
Found the clam style riding position a bit uncomfortable after a few miles but wow, what a bike.
Loved it but it really is a fine weather and short distance bike. Pulls well, sounds great, although a little too quiet.
Sold it after three months and went back to a BMW.
Still miss the Harley though.
To be perfectly honest, after well over 100,000 miles on Harleys, they make much more "sense" in America and Europe than they do here.
Riders here (and by that I mean the newer ones) need to lose some of that "holier than thou" sh*t. If they could hear the comments of "yet another w*nker" from the parked assemblages that I hear, I think they might not think themselves quite the epitome of "cool".
Don't forget that Steve McQueen spent more time riding a Triumph!
I don't regret buying any of mine, though. Well maybe the Roadster I bought twice............
maggit
Riders here (and by that I mean the newer ones) need to lose some of that "holier than thou" sh*t. If they could hear the comments of "yet another w*nker" from the parked assemblages that I hear, I think they might not think themselves quite the epitome of "cool".
Don't forget that Steve McQueen spent more time riding a Triumph!
I don't regret buying any of mine, though. Well maybe the Roadster I bought twice............
maggit
Having just got photos online:
Me on Bike not looking so cool...
Only seen this in films before...Proper biker on right!...
The three steel horses...
We'd have coverd more miles if we didn't have to stop so often for 'Malboro man'...
Just realised he's being photographed...
Err, me trying to be 'arty'...
Me on Bike not looking so cool...
Only seen this in films before...Proper biker on right!...
The three steel horses...
We'd have coverd more miles if we didn't have to stop so often for 'Malboro man'...
Just realised he's being photographed...
Err, me trying to be 'arty'...
My Dad is on his 3rd Harley now, he has always loved them, he doesn't need a sporty bike to go fast, he has his racing car to do that. We had a Sportster, Heritage Soft tail Classic and now he has a Road King, they are great bikes, he famously does his house-calls on it, he was in a few national newspapers.
We had a Hayabusa, he has problems with his neck and had to get rid of it after 6 months. He had one guy challenge him to a drag race on a dual carriageway, I think Dad just shook his head and gave the dickhead sign to him and the guy tore off doing a wheelie.
We had a Hayabusa, he has problems with his neck and had to get rid of it after 6 months. He had one guy challenge him to a drag race on a dual carriageway, I think Dad just shook his head and gave the dickhead sign to him and the guy tore off doing a wheelie.
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