Harley riders a little soft?

Discussion in 'Anything Goes' started by Molsan, Nov 23, 2008.

  1. VT Viffer

    VT Viffer New Member

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    I rode a Buell this summer, and I have to agree - they are teeny. Not just teeny looking, but absoultely tiny. Short wheelbase, mass-centralized everything, postage stamp sized passenger seat with no grab handles, tiny rear fender (what rear fender???).

    To me, it looks like a Ducati Monster that had fallen out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down.

    The owner of this particular XB1200 S1 Lightning had put Renthal moto-X bars on it, and that made it feel like I was on a big shaky Big Wheel.

    The engine shook the bike pretty violently, but it was plenty powerful. Lot's of torque, but I was really disappointed by the low redline (6500, I think). I like to hear my bikes stretch their legs to the upper rev ranges. When this bike ran out of steam at 5500 rpms, I could feel it, this is the only bike I've ever ridden that liked to be short-shifted. Every other bike I've ever ridden felt like it could push right past that redline if the computer didn't intervene.

    In addition, am I the only one who thinks that the new Buells (1125 R and 1125 CR) are absolutely hideous? The upper fairing looks like a liter-bike fairing on a 250 (it's wayyy too wide). Plus, it retains a lot of the quirks of the old bike (fuel in frame, etc.) that might have been a quirky selling point initially, but are now kind of pointless. Bravo for finally ditching the HD lump, though.
     
  2. camcclellan

    camcclellan New Member

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    I took my road test on my mother's HD 883 since my VFR was having lighting issues and I was afraid they would peg me on it. The driver's test involves pulling out on a 50mph divided 4 lane, crossing over to the other side at the crossover in the median, and then going down the other side. I almost got my ass ran down because it wouldn't go with my fat ass on it. The evaluator was laughing his ass off at it, asking me if that was actually my bike. I told him no, mine was an 86 VFR, and he looks at me, serious as he can be, and in front of my mother asks me why on earth I would test on that piece of shit instead of my own. She just stares at him.
    About two weeks later, about the third time that I had had the VFR out on a real road, she is following me on a slightly curvy road, and starts bitching later about how 'I've been riding 10 years and I can't take curves like that.' Blah, Blah, Blah. I simply tell her that if she has been riding that long and can't take curves any better than that, either she needs a new motorcycle or can't ride worth a damn. She didn't talk to me for about a week after that.

    Fun times for all.
     

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