It has no soul.
Buy a Wide Glide and park it then try to walk away without looking back at it, it's that cool. I've put 10k miles on mine in the first year had a couple of issues that were of course covered by warranty but no regrets. You'll also enjoy rolling along at 65mph at half the RPM of most metric bikes.

Reminds me of the people who talk about boat owners, all the cliches "BOAT =Break Out Another Thousand" "a hole in the water you pour your money into" Bla Bla... but I've loved every boat I've owned and while I'm on the water on a beautiful day with my family those trash talkers are sitting on a couch watching TV.

You have a Yamaha now, consider who Yamaha is trying VERY hard to copy. Look at their Star (sounds less Japanese than Yamaha) Road Star S, it is a direct rip off of a Harley Fat Boy. Air cooled V-twin, belt drive, Softail rear suspension...monkey see monkey do. It seems Yamaha knows their bikes have no soul and are trying to follow the leader. Get the original. Harley-Davidson owns 55% of the American motorcycle market (all types combined) leaving all of the rest of the manufacturers to scrap for the leftovers.

 

I've had three Harleys then went and bought two Ducati's back to back. Just traded the Ducati in on a 2016 Street Bob, some said I was nuts, but I wanted another Harley!! Couldn't be happier with my decision.

 

Sold my 06 Street Bob this spring with 65,000 KM only issue I had was a small crack in the fuel line which was fixed under warranty.

I now have a 2014 Fat Bob and love it haven't gotten out much this summer so it's only has 3500 KM on it but it's great so far. Excellent handling bike.

Love my Harley.

 

A Harley is a Harley.

That statement used to not make sense to me before I bought my first one and it really is in its own league. I know its not the fastest or most advanced but its not what its about.

The sound, feel, build, just how the whole package feels as a whole is very different; Honestly to me I'll say that its very nicely made and definitely not cheap looking. The solid feel of the whole package is what I love about it; even though that makes it heavy.

My first Harley was a Night Rod Special then had couple other bikes in between before I went back (Street Bob now).

I don't regret my decision one bit, I'm actually more excited to ride again than before.

 

I've been riding since 14 years old (55 now) and have owned every brand under the sun in dirt and street bikes. My last is an '03 Kawi ZRX-1200R. I just got my first HD, and '06 Dyna Super Glide. They are very different than other bikes, are very poorly designed, a bitch to work on as they use Torx and different sized nuts and bolts all over the bike and the accessories are ridiculously expensive and very poor quality.

That being said, they are great bikes and their simplicity is their strength. They are a throwback to the pure essence of motorcycling and have a lot of soul to them. They are gorgeous to look at, and customizing them is addictive and fun. If you are a half decent wrench, you can do a lot of basic maintenance yourself and shouldn't have any problems. It is NOT a performance bike, so don't expect to hang it out in the twisties or you'll crash.

I still have my Kawi and will never sell it, and now I have my Super Glide so I can hop on whichever one suits my mood that day. Love them both.

 

What did he just say???

 

Huh... I must be doing it all wrong then Losing it in the twisties has nothing to do with the type of bike you're riding but rather the skill of the rider. Understanding cornering theory and using proper cornering techniques, throttle control, and vision skills is what gets you through the twisties, not the type of motorcycle you ride.

Does my Wide Glide have more limited lean angle than say my old R1? Sure, and it's overcome with technique: late corner entry, proper gear selection for a continuous throttle roll on, body weight dropped down and to the inside of the turn will keep the pegs off the asphalt yet allow you to hustle through the curves at a brisk pace; using the hook turn is also a very effective way 'round the curve on a cruiser styled motorcycle with a limited lean angle...

Edited to add: These two books and DVD belong in every motorcyclists library:

 

I know the guy in the Victory videos and he's an arrogant POS who happens to sell Victories. He'll trash any bike to make a sale. Victories are good bikes but I wouldn't buy crap from him. Ignore him.

 

Interesting post for a Harley forum. Gee, did you wonder if you were going to get a response? I have owned 1 boat anchor (Honda 450) and "never" looked back. Knucks, Pans, Shovels and now 2 Twinkys. If it wasn't for Harley I would not ride. I test rode all the Indians and Victorys at Hollister in 14 and thought they all rode a lot like John Deer tractors. I wouldn't trade a broken down Pan for a brand new Yamaharley. JMHO.

 

OP, my last bike was an 01 FZ1; that damn thing was a rocket! It was fun, but not near as much fun as an HD! Different bike, different ride, different attitude! I think everything has its ups and downs, but I am completely satisfied with my HD. It is reliable, I use it EVERYDAY! The only time something goes wrong is when I am the one who f*cks it up, which is usually every time I try something new