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I went from a 2000 Shadow 750 A.C.E. to a 2011 Road King Classic. Rode the Shadow five years prior to buying the Harley.
The biggest surprise was the balance and slow speed maneuverability of the Road King. It is far superior to the Shadow which likes to flop over when making slow turns. The only time I really felt a weight difference was when standing up the Road King from the kickstand, or backing it up. Otherwise, the Road King rides like a dream.
I already mentioned this on another thread, but I have to say, our small-town Harley Dealership is also a Honda Dealership. Of all my years of owning Hondas, the staff would hardly give me the time of day until I scored my Street Bob 2 months ago... now they know me by name and greet me left-and-right... funny how that works.
Remember when you were a mere teenage boy dreaming about getting that first girl(assuming you're a guy)? Put down the Jergens and grab a fistful of rubbers because it's prom night!
What he said!!!
I went from BSA single to KZ750 to a CB1000c to my bagger. You will also start parking in such a way that you wont have to back out of anywhere. As an aside, you also need to clean out a drawer for all your new tshirts that you will be tempted to buy. One day, early in your ownership, you'll be riding along and you'll start cackling like a crazy man to yourself and think "holy crap, THATS what it's all about"
It really can't be explained, it has to be experienced
I already mentioned this on another thread, but I have to say, our small-town Harley Dealership is also a Honda Dealership. Of all my years of owning Hondas, the staff would hardly give me the time of day until I scored my Street Bob 2 months ago... now they know me by name and greet me left-and-right... funny how that works.
^ Oh, and I even bought my Hondas from THEM, and the Street Bob 'used' from a Private Owner!!!
wow! thank you all for the great and very detailed responses! i am really really excited for tomorrow now,i was super excited but after reading all these replies i am completly estatic!!!!!! i will
post here tomorrow night after i ride them all and share my experience with you all,sounds like the hardest part is gonna be riding my bike home after riding harleys all day!
I went from an 805 Suzuki 10 years ago to the new 2012 FB Lo/ makes a world of difference, I agree with some of the other guys about getting expereince. The fat boy lo is my favorite out of all the bikes I had tried and yes it is low, plan on dragging your floor boards on the ground when leaning corners or turning around, definatly takes some getting used to. Just had the 1000mile serivce done on mine, with pipes, tuner and big sucker ram air and cost was close to $2k. A far cry from the $500 it cost to do the same on my suzuki. All in all, I will never go back. The HD fatboy lo is an awsome ride
Lots of former Shadow riders out there, it is kind of a "wish i had a Harley" bike. My first street bike was a 99 750 Shadow Ace, I went right on to an Ultra Classic. It is heavy, and I have tipped it over a couple of times, but it is so much more enjoyable, handles better and it is easier to ride, only harder to push.
I put more miles on the Ultra in 2 years than I put on the Honda in 10.
The wife would not ride on the Shadow, but she loves that back seat on the Ultra.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.