It seems that Sucker Punch Sallys & Brass ***** Bobbers have been doing pretty well selling hardtails for a good while now, and I haven't yet heard of anyone trying to sue them because they got hurt riding one of their bikes...although that WOULD be a prime example of my signature....and I've said for years that H-D needs to put out a stripped down hardtail, nothing on it that doesn't make it go faster or stop better...

Are they for everyone? Of course not...

Only 30 miles at a time?

That's funny, I know a 40 year old woman who's owned a custom one off H-D hardtail for about 15 years, and she puts in lots of 200/300+ mile days right along with everybody else... 'course I don't think that's anything special because she's ridden it to Daytona before...

Just sayin'...

 

Someone from The Horse Backstreet Choppers magazine puts on a run from coast to coast every year and only hardtails are invited. It can be done, but I can't imagine the back pain that would follow.

 

I believe that's called The Long Road ride, and yeah, even chicks are doing it...

 

Pain is relative....to the amount of Jack you can down I guess. Taken a 51 custom pan as far east as Kentucky and back. Averaged about 400-450 a day (long days on secondary roads only). Once you get used to it it is not so bad.

Rebuilding a 49EL that will be very close to stock. The pogo style tractor seat takes a lot of the shock out of a rigid. Figuring to put serious miles on the bike as well once I get the bugs worked out.

If you are not accustomed to it the ride can be a bit tough, but folks were doing it on roads (pre 50s) that were seriously less well maintained than what is available today.

Sometimes you just have to DO IT!

 

If ya set them up right they can be riden cross country. I had a hardtail, not an H-D in the 70s with a (gasp) car tire on the rear.


I ran low presure in it to provide some relief. I rode that hard tail from Santa Ana to Detroit with the longest non-stop stint of 1100 miles the first day. Could have gotten my iron butt award had I known about it.

 

When the Softail was first released, guys would remove the shocks and run square stock instead of the shocks.

I snickered when watching the biker build offs and the builders chose Arlen Ness to virgin ride the rigid. Saw a few bumps in the road bounce him from his seating position.

Waiter, I'll take the one with shocks thankyou.

 

And lets have them with 74 flat heads.

""16 - 18 in the rear, 20 if 2 up, 30 in the front. Been running it for eons"

Why do you think this member keeps his tire pressure this low?

He rides a hard tail.

You want a hard tail buy a soft tail, replace the shocks with a steel bar to lock the rear suspension and have all the hard tail fun you want.

There is a reason Harley only makes one springer, why they stop selling side cars. The demand for such products is too small.

 

By the time you soft tail guys know what your back tire is doing you're on your asses, LOL . . .

If set up right, hard tails aren't as bad as you're all making out. Especially with today's larger tires. I'm running a 200 Metzler in the rear at 25 lbs of air pressure and I can go all day and I'm fifty five years old! There's is also the option of running a solo seat with springs, but I don't like that look except on bobbers.

And what the hell is a bar hopper anymore? All the bars I pass seem to have nothing but store bought baggers out front . . .

 

And the man knows his hardtail survival tips , well spoken Ride safe bro .

 

Peter Fonda is a *****.

I had a 48 pan and rode that bike everywhere. Lower the rear air pressure and ya have some comfort. Lol. Rode from Philly to Ohio. Tented it for a weekend and ride home. One of my favorite bikes and the one I regret getting rid of the most.

No of coarse they're not as comfy as today's bikes. It'd be silty to compare them. But to say you can't ride them far is just as silly.

I'd buy a new HD tc in a hardtail. Be nice to have a warranty. My 48 with a 6volt system could have used one.