My brother once looked at me skeptically when I said I could beat a lot of cars off the line with my old 250 Rebel. Until I pointed out that with me on it, it might weight all of 600lbs.
I must admit, I've never looked at power/weight on cruisers. I already knew almost any bike outperformed HDs with twice as much displacement. I didn't ever think to look at power/weight ratios of smaller vs. bigger bikes in the same line. I really would have guessed the bigger displacement would be more than worth the extra money.
But the extra weight would lend itself to stability at high speeds, would it not? That's the only real advantage I can see, especially in high winds.
Two guys I know at work that are both drooling over HDs. One has been a Vulcan customer and upgraded his bike at least twice. He's now on a 2000 Vulcan right now, but he was going on a test ride on an Ultra Classic last Saturday. I just don't "get" HD's, personally. They're okay to look at, but sure as hell ain't worth the extra $$$$. I'd much rather have a Victory Vision or one of their more normal-looking tourers.
Anything to stay out of the Cult of Harley.
Harley-Davidson is a frat. its not a business. its a frat with extremely high entrance dues.
A guy with a Vulcan 2000 that is "drooling" over an HD isn't interested in the bikes. He's interested in the being in the frat.
The Vulcan 2000 is superior to anything Harley makes save only the Vrod.
Very few people realize that the mid 80s muscle cruisers made by the Japs were far more powerful than virtually any cruiser made today.
He's interested in the being in the frat.
I thought he was just interested in buying lot of tight leather?
One of the most annoying things about those "in the frat" is how snobbish they are about being in it, sometimes while feebly attempting to convince others they're not snobbish at all.
Getcha a BMW, MM. Great bike and the hardley leather queers are allergic to them.
Oh, trust me. If funds permitted, I'd have one.
But life has a way of messing up your plans, especially if you plan poorly.
Which I most certainly have.
Very few people realize that the mid 80s muscle cruisers made by the Japs were far more powerful than virtually any cruiser made today.
Yep. I got me a '82 Honda Magna v45 (750) in January from a young guy for $900. It was handed down to him from his uncle and he had little interest in it; besides, he said he failed his motorcycle road test. It only had 23K on it and I rode it down from his place near Warrenton to Yorktown. I've since then put about another 1K miles on it so far.
The early-mid 80 Honda V-fours, both the v45 and v65 (1100) Magnas (and Sabres, but they were not technically cruiser style bikes) were great bikes overall, IMO, but in 1982 I couldn't afford the ~$3.7K for a new one working in a pizza joint during my last year in HS. So I got a '72 Honda CB350 at the time for $300, as my first street bike. Ironically, wish I still had that bike....sigh.
Ironically, wish I still had that bike....sigh.
I think that everyone wishes they still had their first bike(s). I know my dad does--he had two rare Italian bikes and a BMW cruiser. I think he sold them to buy a boat or something.
OT:
So I just watched a History Channel special about William Tecumseh Sherman's famous march through Georgia and the Carolinas. It concluded that Sherman was a great and compassionate American hero whose harsh but necessary tactics liberated the disenfranchised slaves and were never as bad as the actions of Southerners.
Nate, I was wondering if you could recommend any sources on Sherman's march that are heavier on facts and lighter on interpretation.
As I recall, My 1975 Honda CB750K weighed in at 545 lbs.,dry. Made 68 hp, don't know what the torque was, but it was a fun ride and handled well.
I miss that bike.
The Vulcan sounds great, though I was never a big Kawi-fan.
How can you not be a Kawi fan? All they do is make badass engines and wedge them into things! Its what they do! Its thier identity.
From the Mach1 to the ZX-11 to the new ZX-10 and ZX-14.
Its Kawi's world dude.
I just had to come over here to comment on haloscan.
That feels much better.
. To them bigger number = more powerful.
These go to eleven.
H-D Dyna Sport- 612 pounds dry.
Say Mosby.. how many valves per cylinder on that HD? Water cooled is it? Adjustable suspension?
You don't need a radiator on a air cooled motor, dude.
FXDX ( Dyna Sport ) Cartridge Forks, Adjustable rebound/ compression 10 click adjust. Stock.
Gas Shocks on the ass end. 5 ways adjustable . Stock.
Belt Drive, MOre efficient than a Shaft, and much lighter, to boot.
I could go on, but I'd rather say congrats to you on your new bike.
I would rather you continue to comment on the "technological prowess" of a hardley.
John,
You could go on.. but you'd just be proving my point. One bike has a modern era 4-valve per cylinder liquid cooled v-twin.
The other has an engine that hasn't been significantly updated since it was introduced in the 1940s.
The other has an engine that hasn't been significantly updated since it was introduced in the 1940s.
"American Made"
Dude, I don't give a rat's ass what anybody rides. Thats your call.
I got a bunch of bikes, H-D , Jap and Brit, and I 've been trying to talk a friend out of his Ducati dual sport for years. None of them are perfect, but they are all fun, ain't that what its about ?
You would deprive us of the fun of hardley bashing, JM?
We are rednecks and it is our prerogative to ridicule those who are different from us. And the noobs. Tell me you don't abhor the wannabe's.
And let's be honest, most guys on hardley's are gonna be noobs if they ride for the next 20 years and gather a whole 5000 miles under their belts riding around the walmart parking lot.
I just picked up my first, but I can't ride it yet, as it does not run. But I got it for a song, $300 and in excellent mechanical condition. All that's wrong is some electrical stuff, which I can have troubleshot and fixed in relatively short order (electrical stuff is one of my job skills).
It's a 1982 Suzuki GS650L which might be considered by some to be a cruiser bike, but it's really not, at least I don't believe so. It's a 4 cylinder engine that Suzuki blatantly copied from Kawasaki. The bike weighs in the 480-500 range with about 70 HP. It should prove to be very fast and fun.
Enjoy, M. And welcome to the open road.
I am a redneck myself. 51 years old . been riding since I was 10. Do the math. I like those yuppie turds as much as you.
Mosby, air-cooled engines are fine for dirt/enduro bikes, or for street bikes ridden exclusively in rural locales (sort of an oxymoron in that case).
In any case, if one rides a bike in metro areas air-cooled engines ain't optimal, IMO, especially if you travel in or near the core urban areas frequently and have to suffer their attendant traffic logjams. No thanks, I'll take any water-cooled bike, or oil-cooled BMW enduro or street bike, in those situations.
The trend I've noticed is that the young, hip-snot set ride the liter-sized tank-humpers, the middle-aged and older set generally ride the harley hogs...ugh.
As a middle-aged man, I don't particularly care for either myself so I stand out I reckon. I can't see riding a crotch rocket for long hauls without being bent out o' shape in short order after a mere hundred miles. And I can't see riding harleys and watching screws come loose from the excessive engine vibration and the generally obnoxious engine noise that would make me irritable in short order :P.
I like riding mid-range enduro bikes ('99 BMW F650) and mid-range street bikes ('82 Magna VF750c right now). I can take the v45 400 miles a stretch easily and it has cruise control as well. The insurance is much more expensive for liter and larger bikes so I've so far ignored those. I may get one eventually anyway, but I'm content for now.
I have ridden the little F650 250 miles at a stretch (with saddlebags and strapped on luggage) before riding fatigue begins to set in. I can't see doing that on a tank-humper.
Enjoy, M. And welcome to the open road.
JACIII | Homepage | 04.30.08 - 9:32 pm | #
Thank you, sir. One thing that has surprised me so far is the incredible amount of parts and information and support still available for these bikes.
Ill take an HD over any bike out there. If it doesnt annoy people when you drive by with abnoxiously loud thunder then it isnt worth riding. Catching the bolts as they fly off is fun because i can then throw them at the rice burners.
Commenting by HaloScan
