Test ride...Harley?

[Doobage]

Coop! What have YOU been up to? I'm hoping to make it to WeSTOC this year. This time I'll drink some water! I'm trying to decide on a route. Either I-10 to Van Horn and drive up NM from underneath, or the way Sherob and I came up, but with maybe a few more backroads thrown in. Camping!

Hiding...yeah, well...I've been working on the new Crew Exploration Vehicle (Orion) at NASA. It's been requiring me to fly from Houston to Denver a lot. (NOT that I mind flying to Denver at all....I freakin' love that city. <shout>SHEROB!!!!</shout>

I've actually thought about writing down some of the stories during the development of it. Some are impressions of how smart some of the people I work with can be, and others, well, maybe not so smart. LOL

I've been hoping to create another NASASTOC down here at JSC. That might be coming soon. I should also post the memorial ride information for Dave Beverly, the guy that was shot at NASA last year. He was an ST rider as well ('04 model).

As for everyone's comments on HD's...I agree with you all, and again, I hope my comments aren't too harsh sounding. I suspected my stability on it was my lack of experience, and within a few minutes I "understood" it, but it still felt sluggish compared to the responsiveness of the ST. I need to try more street bikes out (like a Hayabusa), not because I'm interested in buying one, but merely for the experience.

 

[Coop]

Coop! What have YOU been up to? I'm hoping to make it to WeSTOC this year. This time I'll drink some water! I'm trying to decide on a route. Either I-10 to Van Horn and drive up NM from underneath, or the way Sherob and I came up, but with maybe a few more backroads thrown in. Camping!

Hiding...yeah, well...I've been working on the new Crew Exploration Vehicle (Orion) at NASA. It's been requiring me to fly from Houston to Denver a lot. (NOT that I mind flying to Denver at all....I freakin' love that city. <shout>SHEROB!!!!</shout>

I've actually thought about writing down some of the stories during the development of it. Some are impressions of how smart some of the people I work with can be, and others, well, maybe not so smart. LOL

I've been hoping to create another NASASTOC down here at JSC. That might be coming soon. I should also post the memorial ride information for Dave Beverly, the guy that was shot at NASA last year. He was an ST rider as well ('04 model).

As for everyone's comments on HD's...I agree with you all, and again, I hope my comments aren't too harsh sounding. I suspected my stability on it was my lack of experience, and within a few minutes I "understood" it, but it still felt sluggish compared to the responsiveness of the ST. I need to try more street bikes out (like a Hayabusa), not because I'm interested in buying one, but merely for the experience.

Another NASASTOC would be cool. I kick my a$$ for missing the first one.

 

[Two Brothers]

I have two harleys now, have owned many previous. I like my ST, ok I love my ST. However you cannot compare apples and oranges. Turning on a Harley, I can turn around in two parking spaces without putting my foot down. Slow speed handleing is way better than the ST. Hard for anyone who hasnt ridden to understand, but my Harley is a peaceful relaxing ride. The rake of the front end makes it turn slower, and track better. Its kind of like comparing a Cadillac to a Porsche no one would do that. I love both, will keep both, I might however sell one of the HDs to get a KLR or V Strom. Yet another bike you cant compare with the others...Enjoy what you ride and let others enjoy what they ride...

NoBull you're on the money on what you said. I have a 1989 Electaglide with out all the bull****. I only wash it before I go on a trip (out of state) not to a bar. I can ride slow speed on it much better than my ST. I can haul but on it in the twistys along with the ST. It don't pass cars worth a flip thats why I bought a ST I want to get somewhere fast. My '89 has 156,000 miles and still going strong. I have rode it 1800+ in 22 hours straight...yes your reading that right Deadwood SD to Roswell GA 22 hours.

Doo please don't lump us HD riders in your kinfloks group we make fun of those guys. Wannbes, Yuppies, Wild Hogs whatever you want to call them thats not us.

WE LOVE MOTORCYCLES don't color or make as long as it two wheels and makes you smile. oPoST1: oliceST: :biker:

 

[bmcdonau]

I honestly and truly don't understand some of you guys. Can't you love your ST without criticizing other brands of bikes or the people who ride them? I understand a Harley isn't your cup of tea, but you are just like those black teeshirt wearing, Harley riding, do-rag brandishing bikers you love to bash. You can't understand why someone likes something different so you criticize. How narrow minded.

 

[Mcreviver]

My first ride on a Harley was in 1973 and the machine was a 1957. As I accelerated through the gears, my feet rattled right off the floor boards. I decided that it waasn't a motorcycle but rather a two wheeled dildo. I owned a 1969 CB750 at the time. The next time I rode one was when I finished building a custom/clone HD with a 100 inch S&S motor and a six speed transmission. A couple of miles on that was enough too. The owner sold it before he put 500 miles on it. I hopped on a 2007 Heritage Special and although it is considerably improved over the '57 I still would not ever consider owning one of Milwaukee's finest. I'm currently selling a lot of older HD parts and I marvel at the crudeness and the complete lack of consideration for weight. If you want to be amazed, compare a Yamaha YZF R6 from one year to the next. Just look at a foot peg bracket for instance and see where they shaved an ounce or two off the assembly, just for a competitive edge. When Honda built the motorcycle plant in Ohio, the philosophy was, "If you are doing your job today the same way you did it yesterday, you haven't made any progress." At Harley, I think their philosophy must be, "Let's see if we can dress this pig any differently." In the April "Cycle World" magazine they show the new 2008 1/2 Harley Crossbones. According to Bill Davidson, son of Willie G and Director of marketing, "The look is raw, simple, aggressive and bad-***. It's a way of life. We understand it, we live it. It's a happening scene."
~I rest my case.~

 

[Stu Padazole]

One word: V-Rod.
Smooth as ST. Way more power. But for 18K (if you find a dealer willing to deal) you get a bike. No windshield, no bags. Just a bike. Give me my ST any day.

 

[Frank Cerynik]

One thing I have noticed is with the chopper or the Goldwing it was usually older guys to come over to look at them. With the ST is is a whole different group of people looking at it, younger and with a different viewpoint. Being an old timer that rode many different bikes over the years, I love them all from the Matchless to ST. And actually one of the most fun bikes I ever had was a Yamaha dirt bike. You want a bike that could turn on a dime, carry a wheely, stop fast, and climb mountains, that bike could do it. I loved it as much as the ST. Of course if you want to go 1000 miles real quick, the ST is about as good as anything made today. Floats like a butterfly, stings like a bee.

 

[Doobage]

bmcdonau....I'm sorry. I really didn't want my post to sound so trite. I'm really not trying to slam the HD's. In some ways I was really thinking that it would be similar to the other cruiser I had tried (Yamaha). And more so, I thought that the "feel" (turning, leaning, braking, accelerating) would be at least somewhat familiar, but was really surprised at how different it seemed. Different doesn't mean bad. Just different.

I think what might seem negative (but isn't intended to be so) is that they seem to be designed for two different mind sets. (again, not bad or good, just different). And different is good.

Clearly, I'm on an ST board because I bought an ST, so naturally I'm going to do some comparison at some point with other motorcycles. But I wouldn't call anybody small-minded simply because they didn't like something they tried. Small minded would be not trying it at all. And I obviously gave credit for the "art" of it. Most people like the shiny elegance of the HD. If anything, I wonder why I'm not like most people and see the shiny beauty, but instead just see lots of work in trying to keep something shiny. I'm sure I could argue against myself since I polish my silver trays in the house.

Anyhow, please accept my apologies if it came out poorly. I'm not against HD's, or people that ride HD's (or any other bike). Just trying to share an experience.

Thanks!

 

[Nevada]

Just as a point of fact, a stock VRod does not have more power than our STs. In fact, just the opposite, but not by much. Our ST's superiority in raw power is small enough though that the VRod's lower weight gives it a very modest advantage in power to weight ratio. Yet more proof that Mother Honda should consider slimming the STeed down, w/o losing any of the fantastic characteristics it currently has.

More in line with this thread, I test rode two Victorys two weekends ago. The riding position for both was quite nice, at least from the waist up, but the feet forward position just doesn't work for me. Nor does the lumpy motor. A ten mile test ride left my feet tingling.

 

[KrazyKooter]

Because it's narrow, you can actually swing it around corners, and because of it's low end torque it goes pretty well up to say 65 mph ... after that, the vibes get bad, and at 80 mph they will remove yer fillings

My sportster is just the opposite. It smoothes out at 70 mph. Then again, mine is a 2001 model, which didn't have the rubber engine mounts. I can ride comfortably for hours at 80 mph, with out a windshield. At least I could a couple of years ago when I was younger and before I got spoiled to the ST.

 

[Mark]

I honestly and truly don't understand some of you guys. Can't you love your ST without criticizing other brands of bikes or the people who ride them? I understand a Harley isn't your cup of tea, but you are just like those black teeshirt wearing, Harley riding, do-rag brandishing bikers you love to bash. You can't understand why someone likes something different so you criticize. How narrow minded.

Bingo Dennis!

I don't mind any other bike. I find I mind some attitudes of the riders of other bikes.

Mark

 

[traildad]

Bingo Dennis!

I don't mind any other bike. I find I mind some attitudes of the riders of other bikes.

Mark

I second that thought.

I have nothing against the bike itself it is the attitude of some of the ridders. When I was shopping for my new bike last year I stopped by the HD dealer to check out what was availabe. At that time I hadn't decided on what style or brand of bike to buy. When I asked the salesman in his impression how the HD stacked up against the VTX his response was "either your a HD buyer or not, I am not going to compare this bike with a Honda". No kidding he just shut me down and refused to even talk about how his bike compared to the competition. Sorry, I am the one with the checkbook in my pocket......give attitude to a me as a customer and it's "later days dude". Now I don't hold that against anyone who rides an HD or the bike itself but to me it is in the same vein as the pirate looking ridders who fail to wave.

 

[nybryan]

I don't know what your talking about the st1300 most certainly has chrome. Four allen bolt cap inserts right between the handlebars. I most certainly point them out when chrome comes up in conversation. The proper technique is to point them out to the observer and then very seriously discuss the merits of the different polishes.

 

[kwslhs]

It would be interesting - very interesting - to me to get a glimpse of how H-D riders view the Sport Touring group.

Visualize whirlled peas and all that, yay.

But lets be honest, people have views and opinions and they come out sometimes.

Its an elephant in the living room.

Ignore it if it makes you happy.

 

[GregSTer]

In my life I try (with varying degrees of success from hour to hour) to stop myself from being critial of others before I have reviewed myself. This kind of goes along with the saying -- "those who live in glass houses should not throw stones."

Here are some perceptions I have when I try to look at myself as a sport touring rider: -- sport touring riders are wierd in our own ways, especially depending on how far we take the "fashion" side of our sport. The latest generation of sport touring bikes, including my ST1300, especially with it's V-shield windscreen, is far into the realm of a sort of batman styling trend and I think, maybe a bit over the top. (I kind of prefer the clean look of an ST1100.)

So to each his own. Asside from the all too fequent space invasion of getting blasted with the twice pipes while I'm trying to have a conversation, or the hate vibe that comes off the rare individual... I got no issues or complaints about the cruiser croud. Hope they don't have any issues with me.

A friend of mine has a philosophy I like: Everyone has the right to do whatever they want to do AS LONG AS doing it does not interfere with the right of everyone else to do what they want.

 

[Peter]

I raced a Harley today and after some really hard riding I managed to PASS the guy. I was riding on one of those really, really twisting sections of mountain road with no straight sections to speak of and where most of the bends have warning signs that say "MAX SPEED 30 MPH".

I knew if I was going to pass one of those monsters with those big-cubic-inch motors, it would have to be a place like this where handling and rider skill are more important than horsepower alone.

I saw the guy up ahead as I exited one of the turns and knew I could catch him, but it wouldn't be easy. I concentrated on my braking and cornering. Three corners later, I was on his mudguard. Catching him was one thing; passing him would prove to be another.

Two corners later, I pulled up next to him as we sailed down the mountain. I think he was shocked to see me next to him, as I nearly got by him before he could recover. Next corner, same thing. I'd manage to pull up next to him as we started to enter the corners but when we came out he'd get on the throttle and out-power me. His horsepower was almost too much to overcome, but this only made me more determined than ever.

My only hope was to out-brake him. I held off squeezing the lever until the last instant. I kept my nerve while he lost his. In an instant I was by him. Corner after corner, I could hear the roar of his engine as he struggled to keep up. Three more miles to go before the road straightens out and he would pass me for good.

But now I was in the lead and he would no longer hold me back. I stretched out my lead and by the time we reached the bottom of the canyon, he was more than a full corner behind. I could no longer see him in my rear-view mirror.

Once the road did straighten out, it seemed like it took miles before he passed me, but it was probably just a few hundred yards. I was no match for that kind of horsepower, but it was done. In the tightest section of road, where bravery and skill count for more than horsepower and deep pockets, I had passed him. Though it was not easy, I had won the race to the bottom of the mountain and I had preserved the proud tradition of one of the best bits of Brit iron.

I will always remember that moment. I don't think I've ever pedalled so hard in my life. And, some of the credit must go to Raleigh cycles, as well. They really make a great bicycle...

I bet I get some stick for this

Peter

 

[STeveDT]

I raced a Harley today and after some really hard riding I managed to PASS the guy. I was riding on one of those really, really twisting sections of mountain road with no straight sections to speak of and where most of the bends have warning signs that say "MAX SPEED 30 MPH".

I knew if I was going to pass one of those monsters with those big-cubic-inch motors, it would have to be a place like this where handling and rider skill are more important than horsepower alone.

I saw the guy up ahead as I exited one of the turns and knew I could catch him, but it wouldn't be easy. I concentrated on my braking and cornering. Three corners later, I was on his mudguard. Catching him was one thing; passing him would prove to be another.

Two corners later, I pulled up next to him as we sailed down the mountain. I think he was shocked to see me next to him, as I nearly got by him before he could recover. Next corner, same thing. I'd manage to pull up next to him as we started to enter the corners but when we came out he'd get on the throttle and out-power me. His horsepower was almost too much to overcome, but this only made me more determined than ever.

My only hope was to out-brake him. I held off squeezing the lever until the last instant. I kept my nerve while he lost his. In an instant I was by him. Corner after corner, I could hear the roar of his engine as he struggled to keep up. Three more miles to go before the road straightens out and he would pass me for good.

But now I was in the lead and he would no longer hold me back. I stretched out my lead and by the time we reached the bottom of the canyon, he was more than a full corner behind. I could no longer see him in my rear-view mirror.

Once the road did straighten out, it seemed like it took miles before he passed me, but it was probably just a few hundred yards. I was no match for that kind of horsepower, but it was done. In the tightest section of road, where bravery and skill count for more than horsepower and deep pockets, I had passed him. Though it was not easy, I had won the race to the bottom of the mountain and I had preserved the proud tradition of one of the best bits of Brit iron.

I will always remember that moment. I don't think I've ever pedalled so hard in my life. And, some of the credit must go to Raleigh cycles, as well. They really make a great bicycle...

I bet I get some stick for this

Peter

ROFLMAO!!!

 

[Doobage]

LMAO! That was freaking hilarious!

 

[Viggo]

It would be interesting - very interesting - to me to get a glimpse of how H-D riders view the Sport Touring group.

HD riders are, I believe, an even more diverse group than we Sport Touring riders. There is very likely no consensus opinion. Some hate us and some ARE us so barring self-hate, that would cover a very wide range of opinion. It's human nature to generalize but generalizations are usually off the mark.

In my previous post, I took a small shot at HDs ("They're built for a completely different purpose and, quite frankly, they perform pretty well at their purpose (cruising from bar to bar, parades, etc.)." but that was really in jest.

Personally, I really don't care what someone else rides. If it has 2 wheels, I consider them part of the fraternity. If they don't reciprocate, It doesn't bother me.

 

[Doobage]

As for stereotypes.

I believe I explained that I am not against Harley. Most of the comments that were described in my story were actually said by the owner of the Harley before I had anything to say about it. They aren't negative comments. Just comments about the "differences".

As for the chrome....I didn't realize there was chrome allen bolt cap inserts. I bought mine used and they put a riser on it, so the caps must be gone. Nevertheless, I'd love to talk about polishing my non-existent caps.

The HD rider that was kind enough to let me ride his bike (it must have been expensive) was a really great guy. He was nice and didn't feel the need to talk negative or impose his "ride" on me and simply explained the "differences" between many different bikes. It was his generosity that enabled me to even provide my experience and limited comparative analysis, that he helped support! So PLEASE don't lump me in the crowd of player-haters!

I would also agree that most ST'ers fit a stereotype of being engineer-like-geeks. And that's okay too. I promise that should I ever intend to insult anybody, it won't be subtle.