Why I own a Harley Davidson

[the Ferret]

Yes loud pipes suck no matter what bike they are on. Funny thing is most people with loud pipes thinks their's aren't loud "but just has a better tone". It's the other idiots bike who is too loud.
I have yet to be on a motorcycle forum in the last 25 years where half of the owners first mod, is to either drill their existing pipes or buy after market pipes so they "can hear" their bikes so that they sound like a motorcycle and not a sewing machine (or George Jetson's car in once case lol). Personally I like the sound of early Goldwings.

The new Hyundai Ionic 5 electric car is coming out with a 3 mode sound system to make the electric car sound like a regular car, and I'll bet some electronics nut is going to figure out a way to make it sound like a fart box.

 

[flyfisher]

You can already do that with Teslas

Yes loud pipes suck no matter what bike they are on. Funny thing is most people with loud pipes thinks their's aren't loud "but just has a better tone". It's the other idiots bike who is too loud.
I have yet to be on a motorcycle forum in the last 25 years where half of the owners first mod, is to either drill their existing pipes or buy after market pipes so they "can hear" their bikes so that they sound like a motorcycle and not a sewing machine (or George Jetson's car in once case lol). Personally I like the sound of early Goldwings.

The new Hyundai Ionic 5 electric car is coming out with a 3 mode sound system to make the electric car sound like a regular car, and I'll bet some electronics nut is going to figure out a way to make it sound like a fart box.

figure out a way to make it sound like a fart box.

 

[MaxPete]

I get a kick out of all the folks who pigeon hole Harley riders into the "loud pipes save lives" group, and gangs.
Every year, in Monterey California, on cannery row, after the GP races, there are hundreds of bikes lined up and showing off on cannery row at night.
And most, if not all of them, are "gangs" with their lifted, lowered, custom painted, extremely loud, crotch rockets, drinking beer, and banging the RPM's off the rev-limiters.
Listen to a hundred of these screaming, and bouncing off the rev-limiters is often a lot louder than the baggers now a days.

WOW - what a jerk. That was hard to watch and listen to...

 

[Igofar]

Apparently its becoming a fad for Japanese bike riders
I would welcome a bunch of HD riders to smack these fools in the back of the head for such foolishness.

 

[MidLife]

I would welcome a bunch of HD riders to smack these fools in the back of the head for such foolishness.

Happy birthday to you bike way

@1happybirthday @HappyBirthdaySongwithNames @TheHappyBirthdayChannel @happybirthdaytoyou3090 @happybirthdaytoyou3090 @chandanDL007

www.youtube.com

 

[Mophead]

Anyone notice the difference? I used to ride one of these.

 

[motornut]

Not much pisses me off more than those jackasses on sport bikes deciding that they own the road and harassing drivers. In extreme cases I don't see accidently running some over as a crime, more as self defense and also aiding evolution. Thats my soap box stand and own it myself only.
These kids are not bikers, only idiots on bikes in a herd with that group mentality.
And isn't that a Harley with straight behind the guy who blew up his Kaw?

 

[the Ferret]

Anyone notice the difference? I used to ride one of these.

You mean the right shift, left brake on that early Sporty? I had a '59 the same way.

 

[Igofar]

Anyone notice the difference? I used to ride one of these.

At least it shifts on the correct side
At one point in time, my Triumph's and Harley's all shifted on the right side.
IIRC the sportsters shifted on the correct side up to 1972.

 

[the Ferret]

My 69 BSA 750 triple shifted on the right side too.

 

[Igofar]

My 750 Norton commando shifted on the right too.

 

[Sadlsor]

And my 850 Commando Interstate.
The most unique (and frustrating) machine I ever owned.
As a youngster, I could not keep it running. It had sat outside for a year in Massachusetts when I bought it.

 

[Mophead]

Can't stump the old timers on this board.

 

[Oldbikefixr]

And my 850 Commando Interstate.
The most unique (and frustrating) machine I ever owned.
As a youngster, I could not keep it running. It had sat outside for a year in Massachusetts when I bought it.

That's how I ended up with most of my restoration projects over the years. Worse case was a Honda CB77 that was completely, literally completely, disassembled. No two parts remained stuck together.

 

[Oldbikefixr]

If you keep up your maintenance, they are as reliable as the ST’s.
At least the 03-07 models have been for me.

Brit bikes were a passion, second to Honda. If you were diligent in keeping up with preventative maintenance they and Harleys were quite acceptable rides. The difference between those bikes that were well cared for and those that were not was obvious in our HS parking lot. In 1968/69 there were as many as 50 bikes in bike parking.....most Japanese makers, BSA, Triumph, HD and a few Italian, Austrian and German bikes.
Many of the diligent wrenches in that group are either still riding or rode as long as they were physically able. Most stuck with the brands they were successful with wayback.

 

[Sadlsor]

Maybe I would have had a chance, if the Norton hadn't been "stored" under a tarp in MA. We all know, the winters there are unkind.
That was the 3rd bike I had bought, in about 4 years. I totalled my first bike when I was run over by a blue-hair, and the insurance replaced it. That one was totalled by a shipmate of mine, and then I learned the same insurance didn't cover the state of VA.
When I finished paying that one off on enlisted sailor's pay, I bought the 2yo Norton. I literally had no flipping clue about wrenching on it, or anything else about it, but I liked the Commando.
But it was SWEET, when it did run...
I have a 1984 Honda XR500 that was given to me in the back of a pickup... just like you said. No two fasteners remained assembled, a coworker had started a frame-up restore but lost interest when it was all torn down. Even the motor was taken apart.
I have all the bags and boxes of parts and pieces in my garage...

 

[the Ferret]

Brit bikes were a passion, second to Honda. If you were diligent in keeping up with preventative maintenance they and Harleys were quite acceptable rides. The difference between those bikes that were well cared for and those that were not was obvious in our HS parking lot. In 1968/69 there were as many as 50 bikes in bike parking.....most Japanese makers, BSA, Triumph, HD and a few Italian, Austrian and German bikes.
Many of the diligent wrenches in that group are either still riding or rode as long as they were physically able. Most stuck with the brands they were successful with wayback.

Wow, I graduated in 68. In our HS parking lot that year there were 3 bikes. My blue CB160 Honda, my best friend's black CB 160 Honda and another guy's silver 106 Sears.

 

[motornut]

My 1st real street bike was a 1953 BSA with the right hand shift, I could not give it the love it needed to keep it on the road. Then it was a CL 450 and the change was scary trying to stop in a hurry.
There weren't many bikes when I reached senior grade but by the end there was a bunch, I got in trouble riding down the hall and had to leave it at home for a while. Kids!

 

[Igofar]

My 1st real street bike was a 1953 BSA with the right hand shift, I could not give it the love it needed to keep it on the road. Then it was a CL 450 and the change was scary trying to stop in a hurry.
There weren't many bikes when I reached senior grade but by the end there was a bunch, I got in trouble riding down the hall and had to leave it at home for a while. Kids!

I hear you on that....
I used to take my Hodaka Super Rat and practice flat tracking on the school track....kids

 

[Sadlsor]

Well, it was a track, and ot WAS mostly flat.
Most likely...