and if I have to explain it, you just don't get and never will!
The ride vs. the machine!!
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 3,364
Likes: 110
From: Mesa, Az.
It's all about riding, then the machine second.
Otherwise many of us would have been in cages instead of all the metric bikes we rode until we could finally afford the Harley we always wanted.
Otherwise many of us would have been in cages instead of all the metric bikes we rode until we could finally afford the Harley we always wanted.
For me, it's both.
The right machine makes any ride "good" but I've had times where even the ultimately perfect bike wouldn't have helped things & still wouldn't have been a happy camper.
And I've had good rides, but on machines that I wasn't 100% happy to be on, so it wasn't "truly Good"...if you get what I mean.
If I lost my current bike & couldn't afford another one that I'd really be happy with, would I settle for riding a non-Harley or not at all.......tough question, especially if you think that you can get a Sporty for pretty damn cheap these days.
I'd say no, I wouldn't settle. I'd wait & scrap together enough for a cheap used Sportster. Because I'd rather have an old 833 than a brand new V-Star.
I had a Suzuki for about 7 years before I finally got a Harley. I never rode it once without daydreaming about Harleys. And to be honest, I think I'd have found a way to get my first Sportster before I did if I didn't have any bike at all. Would have been more incentive, ya know?
What I learned is that even if you go "This is only temporary...", once you settle, it's harder to pull out of that rut & "do it for real".
The right machine makes any ride "good" but I've had times where even the ultimately perfect bike wouldn't have helped things & still wouldn't have been a happy camper.
And I've had good rides, but on machines that I wasn't 100% happy to be on, so it wasn't "truly Good"...if you get what I mean.
If I lost my current bike & couldn't afford another one that I'd really be happy with, would I settle for riding a non-Harley or not at all.......tough question, especially if you think that you can get a Sporty for pretty damn cheap these days.
I'd say no, I wouldn't settle. I'd wait & scrap together enough for a cheap used Sportster. Because I'd rather have an old 833 than a brand new V-Star.
I had a Suzuki for about 7 years before I finally got a Harley. I never rode it once without daydreaming about Harleys. And to be honest, I think I'd have found a way to get my first Sportster before I did if I didn't have any bike at all. Would have been more incentive, ya know?
What I learned is that even if you go "This is only temporary...", once you settle, it's harder to pull out of that rut & "do it for real".
Account Deactivated At Users Request
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 155
Likes: 2
Road Master
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 824
Likes: 2
From: O'fallon IL
To me the great thing about owning a Harley is that is goes through a metamorphosis. Its great in stock form when you first buy it but then you add things here and there to make it better. In the end, it hopefully becomes the perfect ride. For some it becomes a reason to move on to another platform.
I have an 03 Heritage that I absolutely love. Ive spent many $$$$ and my own sweat making it the perfect bike for me. I couldnt sell this bike for half what Ive put into it but it doesnt matter. Ive enjoyed every mile on this bike and the money well its just money.
I have an 03 Heritage that I absolutely love. Ive spent many $$$$ and my own sweat making it the perfect bike for me. I couldnt sell this bike for half what Ive put into it but it doesnt matter. Ive enjoyed every mile on this bike and the money well its just money.
Thread Starter
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Road Master
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 848
Likes: 0
From: Fair Oaks, Caliphornia
The friend I was talking about is 38. I'm 57 and am averaging just over 1000 miles/month so it's not just a decoration for the man-cave. I believed the ride was really nice before I got the Harley, but then doesn't even come close to how bitchen it feels now when I ride. It's becoming a Zen thing. Meanwhile back at the ranch, my buddy had put so much dough into the machine, he became concerned about riding it to some palces at some times, until the feeling finally faded. He's seeing it much differently now.
I take good care of the bike. It's part of appreciating something and not taking it for gantid. I've added some farkles and it gets washed frequently. The Tour-Pak is removable so I can pop it off when we're not ridinng 2 up. I really enjoy that. My wife enjoys the ride much, much better now on the Hog. Whether I riding with others or out on a romp by myself, it's all good. I've even gotten caught in the rain a couple of times and really didn't give a fat rat's pazoot, I was having fun.
At a doctor's appointment awhile back, when the aide took my blood pressure, she told me to think of a pleasant place when she took it. My BP was 102/68 which ain't too bad at all for a slightly over-weight old phart like me. I told her my "pleasant place" was parked out in the parking lot and I get to go there almost every day!!!
I take good care of the bike. It's part of appreciating something and not taking it for gantid. I've added some farkles and it gets washed frequently. The Tour-Pak is removable so I can pop it off when we're not ridinng 2 up. I really enjoy that. My wife enjoys the ride much, much better now on the Hog. Whether I riding with others or out on a romp by myself, it's all good. I've even gotten caught in the rain a couple of times and really didn't give a fat rat's pazoot, I was having fun.
At a doctor's appointment awhile back, when the aide took my blood pressure, she told me to think of a pleasant place when she took it. My BP was 102/68 which ain't too bad at all for a slightly over-weight old phart like me. I told her my "pleasant place" was parked out in the parking lot and I get to go there almost every day!!!
Last edited by Motorbones; Dec 22, 2010 at 06:31 PM.
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 746
Likes: 1
From: Darlington, MD
My Wife says that I could never drive a stock bike. damn it, she's right! Love the bikes, endless possabilities! That's what makes the riding fun for me.
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Road Warrior
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,951
Likes: 33
From: Upstate NY
I have owned too many bikes to remember, but the ride on the Harley is its own entity. I made a few changes to the bike for comfort but other than that its just amazing to me that each ride is just as exciting as the first ride. It is a combination of ride and machine for me. I just love riding! I also love doing all the maintenance and keep exploring more wrenching each year. I like the bond I have with the bike on those crappy days that I just take my time cleaning and checking fasteners. I can spend hours riding or wrenching and still be happy. I have never been bored on this bike and keep wandering farther from home each summer. So, yeah, its both the ride and the machine. One with the machine makes the ride magical.