well im kinda new to the harley scene. i have been riding jap bikes for 20+ years. my last 3 bikes have all had over 150 hp and built for speed. i don't want to start a pissing match, but why do some guys go out and try to make a harley something it's not. you could spend over $5000 in a harley engine and still not come close to beating a jap bike. why wouldn't you take the money and buy a nice used vmax or other powerfull bike and beat on it and keep you hog nice?

just my 2 cents

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i didn't put any money into my motor to make it something it's not there is a reason they are called cruisers after all and as far as buying a jap bike goes tried that theory once and hated it don't like the way they looked handled how they were put together, they come with a gay helmet warning label on the gas tank( right on the paint) they sound ....well they just sound like crap you can't really get that much for them ( well maybe now you can get a little more) they depreciate in value as soon as you leave the dealer (just like a car) and no one says hey nice suzuki haha just my thoughts and for those who say that they are better quality because they never have to fix theirs i laugh i like wrenchin on my bike it's part of the expieience and helps to keep my sanity plus those jap junks go to the dealer to be fixed, no one touches my ride but me and i like it that way...just my thoughts

 

i understand the harley thing...just don't understand the need for speed on one! i wont tackle the all jap bikes are ugly... ESPECIALLY since i see alot of parts on my new HD say MADE IN CHINA

 

Speed is only a small part of the equation. Your right, if everyone wanted speed we'd all be driving some Komodo Dragon Special Deluxe. That is not to everyone's taste. Sometimes the journey is greater than the destination and "getting there" is something to be savored rather than rushed through - sorta like wine and women. The Harley experience is not just based on the letting go of the tightly wound rubber band of acceleration like so many imports - its based on the feel of the road, the motorcycle, the wind, the smell of the out-doors, the bike cooling down, and leather, its about camaraderie, compassion, and intrigue.

The ultimate journey is birth to death - point A to point B ---- why rush it?


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i edited my last post cause it sounded that I was trying to start a pissing match (sorry) on the parts being made in china, well there is nothing me or you could do about that .....it's all about the money, never used to be but it is now

 

So... my personal opinion? I want to add pipes and the PCIII and AirKit to my bike to make it sound/run better. Has nothing to do with changing the tires every 500 miles.

I think most people mod their harley just because they can. It is nice to know that you have that power there when you need it.

Metric bikes are typically ridden VERY hard ( I owned three metrics before my fatboy). My crotch rockets had two speeds... On and Off. It is just the way those bikes get ridden. With the Harley... I don't think it gets beat on as much. But it is always nice to know that the power is there if/when you need it.

Just my opinion though.

 

People have been hot rodding Harleys since long before the first Honda was even built.
It's an American tradition just like little deuce coupes and T-bucket roadsters.
Up untill the 70's there was nothing out there that would touch a good running Sporty in the quarter mile.
We should give up hot rodding Harleys just because the new kid on the block is faster now? I think not!

 

I think some other folks already said this: For me it's not about the speed, it's about the power. I've had Jap bikes too, and they do have higher hp numbers. To me, the difference is more the low-end torque and that comes from those big-ol' flywheels and a lot of cubic inches.

 

I put the stage2 95" kit in mine and you wouldn't believe the difference it made to the bike. I've done the usual bars, seats etc....I love doing things it and so do my mates. Harleys are our hobby and I guess it goes to the old saying 'if I had to explain........'

That's a nice Duce you have there Tony, I like the colour.

BTW, talking about the parts that are made overseas on a Harley - there are parts on it that are made in Finland (I was born there). Does anyone know the part?

 

Just like the saying goes, no replacement for big displacement. Torque is where it's at, not just horsepower.