Harley Riders...Where are you?

[twizz]

I know there HAS to be more than a couple of riders on here, so how about everyone post a picture and a little bit about your bike(s)?

My current ride, an 07 FLHRC, 2nd Quarter 2007 special color. 24k gold leaf makes up the 'Harley Davidson' on the tank, and theres a real heavy flip-flop to the dark green paint (from teal blue to green to gold to brown). I picked this baby up in July of 07, and theres quite a story to it.

My previous ride, an 07 XL1200N Nightster. The very first one to come in at Mills H-D in Burlington. Actually reserved it the day after Harley debuted the bike at the winter dealer conference, and it arrived a week later.

The day I picked it up (it was 15 degrees, first week of February 07).

A year later, after the new tins, bars, and some other stuff.

And my OWN very first bike, an 06 XL1200 Low, it was traded in for the Nightster above. This picture was the first and ONLY time (to this day) that my daughter (3 at the time) willingly sat on a motorcycle.

 

[AVB]

One every 2 years. I thought they lasted longer :whistling:

 

[Goldie]

One every 2 years. I thought they lasted longer :whistling:

You must have been mistaken, we are talking about Harley's here. I kid I kid.

 

[Jonesy]

Now are you talking about Harley riders or owners? Because you know there are the guys that only break theirs out on the weekend to go to the local Harley store and then tow it to Sturgis and ride around like they're on it every day of the week.... :sign:

 

[kaelaria]

No Hardley's here - sold the Sportster and will never waste money like that again FJR1300 is still around though

 

[Sportster]

Ok...I saw this thread last night and was going to post, BUT!!! I thought I'd wait to see what kinda bikers we have here...LOL!!! So far, I was right in my thoughts

So, with that here is a couple shots of my scooters which I built from the ground up..1st will be my lil Stroker, its a 1969 XLCH punched out to blueprinted 74", Andrew cams, all ported and polished, stroked crank and S&S rods, 10:1 wisco pistons....and this thing SCREAMS for a rigid!!!

I like 'em ground poundin' low...

Next, is the 2008 Custom Softail I am building, which should be done here in about a month, maybe 2, and I can't wait to fire this baby up and take 'er for a ride...

Resting, waiting for winter to end.... (altho, I do ride most all year, just not during snow storms and rain if I don't have to...)

Thanks for looking!!!

EDIT: ..for HTML bracket)

 

[bootown]

Nice bikes Sportster, Love the sporty and the Softail, wondering are you planning on putting turn signals on the Softail? or are they there but hidden?

I myself just sold my bike

XL1200H 1993 it will be missed but I am looking to pick up a touring bike soon. I will post pics of her when I can dig some up, I love to ride would not sell it if I did not work for a shop with Demos

I guess I got spoiled with '09 FLHX/FLHTCU demos lol damn touring bikes like a lazy-boy with wheels! a hour to work and back everyday kicks ass on a bike, but blows in the winter lol

 

[Sportster]

Yes, I am planning on blinkers, but just in the rear and I'll use something real small, like those mini bullets with LEDs...otherwise, less is best!!!


Oh, and THANKS for the compliments

 

[stlboarder]

I've got a 98 XL883. So far I have it lowered in the rear, Stage 1 carb kit, drag pipes, stage 2 arlen ness intake, and a HID headlight conversion. Besides new bars and seat the next thing I want to do is put a S&S 89" stroker kit on it.

 

[BlindedByScience]

I haven't owned a bike in years, and would love to have another.

I've been looking at full custom bikes, but decided that the best path before spending big cash would be to buy a used Sportster and see if I'd ride it as much as I think I would. Probably won't get one this year, but Feb / March of next year looks promising....

Sportster, and twizz - beautiful bikes, to be sure.... :thumbs:

Cheers - B.B.S.

 

[twizz]

One every 2 years. I thought they lasted longer :whistling:

Actually it was 9 months between the first two, and another 5 months for the 3rd. I see where you're from...I bet you build the damn things, don't ya!!! I'm due for a factory tour this summer, I'll pay you a visit when I come up.

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Yes, Sportster, you were right in your thoughts about bikers on the board. I'm sadly disappointed in the showing here. That little rigid is quite the looker, and I like what you did with the rear fender I don't think its low enough though. Doesn't take a lot to make those things run good, and with what you have done, I'd be scared to run ya with the Nightster. We (some friends) are working on an orphan 78 XL that has the rigid kit. Keeping it simple and kinda ratty, mini apes, kick start, spring seat with a steel seat pan and some leather. After seeing the first picture of the softail you're building, I said to myself 'thats gonna be a mean lookin drag bike with some slightly pulled back broomsticks. Then I saw the apes Not sure what you have in mind for rear lighting/turn signals, but I can't say enough good things about the Kuryakan (sic) stuff. Got the LED tailight on the RK (long story...), and can't understand how I managed without it.

Jonesy, I'm talking about RIDERS. I, personally, ride about 10-12k miles a year. Last year, up until about September, I was tracking close to 15k, but some personal things came up, and I didn't ride but 100 or so miles for the ensuing 5 months. Yes, I trailered my bike (along with 6 others) to Myrtle last year, but I also rode nearly 1000k miles while there. I ride every day that doesn't rain, period. I'll take my daughter to school early so I can get my bike and ride to work.

kaelaria, whats an FJR1300? Is that some new Fuente release? How do you ride a cigar? Kidding, kidding. I absolutely agree that most non-Harley bikes are more reliable (long-term), cheaper, more comfortable, more powerful, more fuel efficient, etc. But, they aren't Harleys. They don't sound like it, the Japanese manufacturers have attempted to engineer a misfire to their bikes to try to get that 'po-tat-o po-tat-o' sound; they don't feel like it; and, most importantly (for me), aren't Union-built in America. So what if they're $6k cheaper, get better gas mileage, don't make your back hurt, and the wife likes it better? Isn't that the fun of a Harley?

I started riding 6 years ago. Its either in you, or it isn't.

B.B.S., you'll ride it as much as you want to ride it. Take it from someone who started riding while working 80 hours a week with a newborn daughter.

 

[jgohlke]

Interesting that a few of us are former riders and have recently been thinking about it. I've had a few motorcycles (5, all rice-burners) and have 6 years of "no car" motorcycle-only transportation in my past (2 sets of 3 years each). I've ridden in all kinds of weather from 27 degrees with 2 inches of snow on the road to raging thunderstorms to 40 degrees in shorts and a t-shirt (that's some poor planning, right there!).

I'm currently driving a 2003 Ford F150 and last year when gas prices were $4/gal I really thought about it. I've looked at the HD's....The Softail Custom caught my eye in the showroom. I got the chance to tour the factory where they make the V-Rod and it's kind of growing on me.

I've also looked at the Suzuki cruiser (M109). I've had a couple of big Suzuki street bikes and they were awesome. The M109 is kind of funky looking, but I like it.

Now that I'm older (and it takes me a few steps to get fully upright from a crouch), the crotch-rocket isn't as appealing as it used to be when I was in my 20's. Something a little more comfortable and not quite so high-strung.

Maybe I'll just buy a Prius. :laugh:

 

[AVB]

You can come up any time. I guess I was wrong about lasting....1000K. Damn, that's a million miles

I have a Suzuki 1400 and it pretty much out-Harleys Harleys in its class.

An older pic of it:

One every 2 years. I thought they lasted longer :whistling:

Yes, I trailered my bike (along with 6 others) to Myrtle last year, but I also rode nearly 1000k miles while there. I ride every day that doesn't rain, period. I'll take my daughter to school early so I can get my bike and ride to work.

 

[stlboarder]

The way I see it... Harleys are like anything. If you take care of them then they run great. When I was stationed in Socal I would ride my bike everyday. 100 miles round trip to work. Even with my solid mount I only had a turn signal rattle loose. You just have to make sure to use loc-tite on everything! lol I love my Harley. I wouldn't trade it for anything.

 

[twizz]

I'm not going to edit that post, just for the sake of it. It certainly felt like a million miles on the Nightster, with 1.5 inches of suspension travel (check the specs), and a 4.3 gallon tank that sputters after 3.5, and gets about 25 mpg the way I ride. More time at a gas station than the beach. Speaking of, now that I think about it, I never did set foot in sand while I was in Myrtle....

AVB, thats a good looking cruiser, and I do NOT like metrics. You're right; it does have the look and all to it. I'll bet its smooth as hell with the shaft drive too. I'd make a statement about never having ridden a shaft drive, but that would be WAYYYYY too easy. Once our weather breaks, I'll get with you. Any interest in taking the Harley factory tour with me? I'd love to take the ride and buy ya a beer!

stlboarder, I absolutely have to agree with you, and they are quirky like any product. I will say though, that a metric requires much less maintenence than a Harley. For instance, my Road King, like all HD Touring bikes, needs the neck bearing tightened every 2k miles. I'm about 3500 past the last time, and the front end is getting very loose, wobbles on the bendies, etc. It is my biggest complaint, but I'd rather wrench my Harley than the other options!

 

[Sportster]

Yes, Sportster, you were right in your thoughts about bikers on the board. I'm sadly disappointed in the showing here. That little rigid is quite the looker, and I like what you did with the rear fender I don't think its low enough though. Doesn't take a lot to make those things run good, and with what you have done, I'd be scared to run ya with the Nightster. We (some friends) are working on an orphan 78 XL that has the rigid kit. Keeping it simple and kinda ratty, mini apes, kick start, spring seat with a steel seat pan and some leather. After seeing the first picture of the softail you're building, I said to myself 'thats gonna be a mean lookin drag bike with some slightly pulled back broomsticks. Then I saw the apes Not sure what you have in mind for rear lighting/turn signals, but I can't say enough good things about the Kuryakan (sic) stuff. Got the LED tailight on the RK (long story...), and can't understand how I managed without it.

Well, ya have bikers, and ya have bike riders, and judging from my 1st couple weeks visiting here and get'n the feel of the place I came to the conclusion that any one here who might own a bike, was probably the latter of the 2 lifestyles, which I can respect...as you know I am sure, that most bikers don't mingle well with bike riders, I mean they try, but by the end of the day.....Well, everyone seems to go their seperate ways...if ya know what I mean??...ROF!! :whistling: So, with that judgment passed about the good folks here, I figured show respect, and get it back, which is exactly what's happened since I've been here...treated with great respect, and thats what I try to pass along...even better if I can!!!....YES!!! That lil rigid is a good looker, I showed it last year for the first time and took 1st in my class, in fact, walked away with that at the "local" ride an shine poker run and among many others, the oldest scoot there was a mid 90s XL, stock with bolt on stuff...mine isn't a rat, so it doesn't fit the rat pak, but classic custom 1969 and mine is pre AMF even though Harley was taken over by AMF that year, mine was USA...makes it sorta special in certin eyes...Yes, could be lower, but since thats a 1970's PAUCHO (sp could be off) I wanted to keep it all as original as I could......the newest part is the mid 70s XL front end, well...tires and front rim its REAL, old school, not made today to look old school...it is the real deal baby!!! OH!! no running problems until last year with carb, most my pals I hang with kinda hate it when I come to the poker runs, being fast as hell, and smaller...I have alot of advantages with her (I live in Oregon, extream south, and we have alot of mountian roads) the bigger scoots don't have...the biggest bitch, is the small 4.0 Sport-BOB tank...LOL, with it all hop'd up like it is, and the fact I don't like to ride 'er slow, since its not built to go slow...I am ALWAYS, the 1st to have to stop the pack to get gas...and it doesn't make me very popular takein' a 300 mile run to the coast and back...hehehe!!, but the way I see it, if I rode any further on that rigid with out stopping every 45-50 miles or so to fuel up, I'd never walk the same again.... Nope, that old pup is more dependable than I am, cuz if she doesn't fire in 3 kicks or less, I am just about DONE!!! I am gettin' to old to mess with that crap, I want buttons...I've never owned a bike with buttons on the handle bars to push...let alone to start one up with, which I look forward to now....I already have a brake/tail/license plate lite on 'er....down on the rear axle, right side, IF, I decide on rear turn signals, it will be something real small and simple, but LED...its only at night do I care about being seen turning from the rear...

BTW...Thanks!!

 

[Delta]

One every 2 years. I thought they lasted longer :whistling:

kaelaria, whats an FJR1300? Is that some new Fuente release? How do you ride a cigar? Kidding, kidding. I absolutely agree that most non-Harley bikes are more reliable (long-term), cheaper, more comfortable, more powerful, more fuel efficient, etc. But, they aren't Harleys. They don't sound like it, the Japanese manufacturers have attempted to engineer a misfire to their bikes to try to get that 'po-tat-o po-tat-o' sound; they don't feel like it; and, most importantly (for me), aren't Union-built in America. So what if they're $6k cheaper, get better gas mileage, don't make your back hurt, and the wife likes it better? Isn't that the fun of a Harley?

I started riding 6 years ago. Its either in you, or it isn't.

B.B.S., you'll ride it as much as you want to ride it. Take it from someone who started riding while working 80 hours a week with a newborn daughter.

To be honest, union made in America just turned me off to Harley's.

I have been thinking about picking up a bike for the ride to work and around town here. Gsxr 600 or something of the sort. I need a new toy.

 

[geldor1]

My current ride

I and my wife along with 2 other couples flew out to Washington and rented Harleys last year. We rode into Montana and spent a week there. Put just over 1700 miles on the bikes in 6 days. :0 2 - Ultra Glide, 1 - Heritage Classic and 1 - VRod.

The crew - We are on the right. That's the bike I rode.

My biker babe.


I never was one to think about spending that kinda green on a bike.... that was before that ride. Now to my wife's dismay, I'm eyeballin' a Heritage Classic.

 

[grateful1]

1982 KZ1000 - first bike...always fun!
1991 FXR-P - flipped it, a buddy owns it now
1993 FXRS-SP - an 'ex' bought it when I picked up the '01 (she moved from an 883)
2001 FLHTCUI - set up to 95ci 105hp/107ftlbs

 

[Gonz]

Depending on the weather and my mood I alternate between these two: