I have a question for all you speed freak Harley fans, about 10 years ago I remember being at an AHDRA meet and had senn some world records posted in the 1/4 mile, this was at Norwalk, Oh year ? I remember going into work the next day and looking up some of the jap bike 1/4 mile times in a buddy's National Dragster and at that time the fastest Harley (and I don't remember the class that was run but I think it was the Outlaw Class) was quicker by a fraction of a second, my question is this still true? The reason I'm asking is because over the weekend while riding with a metric owning friend I somehow was backed into the age old reasoning that the metrics are faster, more maintenance free and cheaper to own. I did my best as to stick-up for my Harley and pretty much left my impression on a few potential owners inside the multi-jap dealer we were at, telling by their expression of dislike of my comments, they must have been eaves-dropping on us, and I usually will not allow myself to get into this type of talk. Also I noticed my friend seemed to be stoplight racing on the way home, sort of like testing me and my bike. Honestly don't know what to do as this is a good friend, I'm looking for your reactions to this.

 

Stock vs stock? Excluding the Destroyer, there ain't an HD that'll even have a wet dream of coming close to beating a 600 cc crotch rocket.

And you're on a RK, a slug due to its weight.

 

It don't matter none. You don't own a Harley to be the fastest . I own mine cause I like it for what they are . Plus the Brother and Sister hood that came along with it. Which is like having another famley.

 

Yeah and they're in the mid 10's. The liter bikes are in the 9.70's on street tires.

 

At the professional level, it could be a different bike every week.

 

Does it really matter? Big Harleys are cruisers. Made for chillin out and rollin in style. Somethings always gonna be faster no matter what you do so I don't sweat it. Just because something is faster doesn't make it better.

 

Silly Grasshopper......

Harley's aren't race bikes or asphalt burners....

They are made for cruising in style, mile after mile, at any legal speed limit.....



""Harley Davidson, the most efficient way to convert gasoline into noise without the side effects of horsepower"....

 

I'm aiming for 130 horse eventually out of mine, and handling to boot

 

It's funny to hang around Harley guys and listen to them talk about modding their bikes for power adding this, boring that, then telling how bad their machine is. As soon as somebody reminds 'em that a stock 600cc sportbike will still smoke 'em, the Harley guys quickly change the topic to cruising, style, heritage, or anything else that is totally away from performance.....LOL.

 

I watched drag racing this weekend and Harley and Buell were fairly dominant with the exception of a Suzuki. The overall winner was a Buell. 6.92 by the way and from 1st through 10th there wasn't a huge difference...the slowest was about 7.02...