Am I the only one?
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 18,247
Likes: 3,679
From: backwoods
Some people want that nostaligia, but I can do with out. After a long day, I can do without my spine being rattled. Plus vibrations are not good for machines.
HDF Community Team
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 12,774
Likes: 2,606
From: san antonio
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2016
Posts: 8,001
Likes: 6,900
From: NC
I tried a test ride on a Harley Road King with the new M8 engine, several years ago. It was during their introductory period and the dealers were giving free test rides. I can't remember much about it, except that when they asked me what I thought, I told them, " you won't like what I say". They insisted. They said they really wanted to know. So I told them that the M8 ran just like my old Kawasaki Vulcan 1500.
Fast forward to this last weekend. I decided it may be time for me to try one of the newer Heritage Softails. i found a 2019 that had the M8 engine. It was priced very attractively, so I took it out for a test ride. Ive done a lot of business with this dealer, so he said to take it out for a nice, long ride.
The wife was with me and we compared notes afterward. We have had 3 softails in the past, two of them Heritage models. The ride sucked ( and no, neither of us weigh 250 lbs.). We both agreed - this thing was terrible! It ran okay, even had good performance. The transmission shifted well and the 6th gear was better than my '08s was.
The problem was it lugged in the middle of slow parking lot manuevers and always sounded like George Jetson's rocket car ("blrrrrrrrrrrrrr"). The sound was annoying. Kind of a combination whistle and whine. I felt a constant, light, obnoxious, gravelly vibration... not the typical big twin pulse at all.
I wont even talk about how it compared to the countless metric cruisers and tourers Ive had. They had all of Harley's "new" innovations decades before the Motor Company. I really chose my Harleys because they WEREN'T my metric cruisers.
I don't want to insult anyone. I hope if you own one of these new ones, you love it. But am I the only one who hates these new engines and bike designs and color choices? I feel like Harley " AMF'd" their product.
( rant over)
Fast forward to this last weekend. I decided it may be time for me to try one of the newer Heritage Softails. i found a 2019 that had the M8 engine. It was priced very attractively, so I took it out for a test ride. Ive done a lot of business with this dealer, so he said to take it out for a nice, long ride.
The wife was with me and we compared notes afterward. We have had 3 softails in the past, two of them Heritage models. The ride sucked ( and no, neither of us weigh 250 lbs.). We both agreed - this thing was terrible! It ran okay, even had good performance. The transmission shifted well and the 6th gear was better than my '08s was.
The problem was it lugged in the middle of slow parking lot manuevers and always sounded like George Jetson's rocket car ("blrrrrrrrrrrrrr"). The sound was annoying. Kind of a combination whistle and whine. I felt a constant, light, obnoxious, gravelly vibration... not the typical big twin pulse at all.
I wont even talk about how it compared to the countless metric cruisers and tourers Ive had. They had all of Harley's "new" innovations decades before the Motor Company. I really chose my Harleys because they WEREN'T my metric cruisers.
I don't want to insult anyone. I hope if you own one of these new ones, you love it. But am I the only one who hates these new engines and bike designs and color choices? I feel like Harley " AMF'd" their product.
( rant over)
Ive have had three ElectraGlides now. My 1989 ElectraGlide did me well. And really performed better than anticipated with head work, cam and dialed in carb. I rode two up then, and frequently pulled a TimeOut camper or a cargo trailer. I rode it for 150,000+ miles.
My next Harley was a 2002 ElectraGlide. This was during my heart attack period and only put 50,000 miles on it in 5 years. I am better now. I never really liked the much higher maintenance of the twin cam engines.
My current 2019 ElectraGlide Police has the 114 engine. This engine performs very well stock. I do have some Screaming Eagle mufflers on it. I ride solo now, but still tow trailers. Had to get used to running below 3000 RPM as these M8 engine are designed to do. The 6 speed is good as I generally run 78ish in the interstate type roads.
Many folks do put in an aftermarket cam, mufflers and intake on the M8 and say that this motor responds very well to that upgrade.
I remember the shovel guys talking about the EVO bikes. Then the EVO guys talking about the Twin Cam bikes. And now it is the M8 getting talked about.
Run what you like.
Thread Starter
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Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2024
Posts: 567
Likes: 556
From: Northern plains
Ha! Those were the days. I remember seeing a decal on an old shovelhead bike ..
"Evo riders think that when they die, they get to be with Willie G."!
I remember at a biker funeral for a hard core, old school, biker I knew: They were asking for recollections any of us had of this man. I told of my first meeting him. He was on this radical 60s style chopper, and how friendly a chat we had, even though I was riding a Goldwing then. One of the officiating members of his riding group said the deceased didn't consider any Japanese bike a real motorcycle. Most of the attending crowd let out hoots and laughter. Seeing my embarrassment, he quickly added, "On the other hand...he didn't consider any Harley made after the AMF takeover, a real Harley, either!".
We all laughed then!
"Evo riders think that when they die, they get to be with Willie G."!
I remember at a biker funeral for a hard core, old school, biker I knew: They were asking for recollections any of us had of this man. I told of my first meeting him. He was on this radical 60s style chopper, and how friendly a chat we had, even though I was riding a Goldwing then. One of the officiating members of his riding group said the deceased didn't consider any Japanese bike a real motorcycle. Most of the attending crowd let out hoots and laughter. Seeing my embarrassment, he quickly added, "On the other hand...he didn't consider any Harley made after the AMF takeover, a real Harley, either!".
We all laughed then!
Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,317
Likes: 579
From: Ft Smith Arkansas
Ride
You think the new Heritage rides worse than the old Softail ? I've owned two older softails and the ride on them sucked . The suspension and frame on the new softails are light years ahead of the old design . The one thing I do agree with is my Dyna was a lot smoother vibration wise . Power there is no comparison the 114 has power anywhere you need it. I said I would never buy another Softail until I saw and test rode one. I've been riding Harleys since the mid 70's so I'm not a greenhorn . The new Heritage is a do it all bike light enough for back roads and the city and competent enough to tour with .
Thread Starter
|
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2024
Posts: 567
Likes: 556
From: Northern plains
You think the new Heritage rides worse than the old Softail ? I've owned two older softails and the ride on them sucked . The suspension and frame on the new softails are light years ahead of the old design . The one thing I do agree with is my Dyna was a lot smoother vibration wise . Power there is no comparison the 114 has power anywhere you need it. I said I would never buy another Softail until I saw and test rode one. I've been riding Harleys since the mid 70's so I'm not a greenhorn . The new Heritage is a do it all bike light enough for back roads and the city and competent enough to tour with .
I agree about the power of that M8. I just cant stand the sound of it. I kept looking for the shaft- drive, with the way it wirred and whined.
FORGIVE THE COMPARISON, BUT...
As far as smoothness, comfort, performance and ride: My wife's Kawasaki Vulcan 1500FI was doing that in 2000, while Harley had just introduced their first 1500 (TC88A). It had fuel injection that really worked. It had liquid cooling, overhead cams, 4 valves per cylinder, compression releases, 2 spark plugs per cylinder, and BOTH rubber engine mounts AND counterbalancers. This was year 2000!
Between the "Magnetti Morelli" fuel injection and those damned cam chain tensioners, we can dispense with the usual, " Harley is always better" rhetoric - at least in 2000.
I will say The Motor Company had to do something. The Twin Cam 96, and 103 were much better, although I did like my TC88s. To be fair, I think the 1500 and 1600 Kawasakis were better engines than the newer, current 1700s.
But, I will agree to stay on topic - You think the new softail is great, but I think it ain't. We all have opinions, and I respect yours, although I personally disagree.
It is funny though... your description of the "Do it all Bike", is word for word the argument I made to others about my '08 Heritage!
I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,317
Likes: 579
From: Ft Smith Arkansas
Softail
Sorry brother, we'll have to agree to disagree. I'm glad you like your bike, but my 3 previous softails were way better than the new ones.
I agree about the power of that M8. I just cant stand the sound of it. I kept looking for the shaft- drive, with the way it wirred and whined.
FORGIVE THE COMPARISON, BUT...
As far as smoothness, comfort, performance and ride: My wife's Kawasaki Vulcan 1500FI was doing that in 2000, while Harley had just introduced their first 1500 (TC88A). It had fuel injection that really worked. It had liquid cooling, overhead cams, 4 valves per cylinder, compression releases, 2 spark plugs per cylinder, and BOTH rubber engine mounts AND counterbalancers. This was year 2000!
Between the "Magnetti Morelli" fuel injection and those damned cam chain tensioners, we can dispense with the usual, " Harley is always better" rhetoric - at least in 2000.
I will say The Motor Company had to do something. The Twin Cam 96, and 103 were much better, although I did like my TC88s. To be fair, I think the 1500 and 1600 Kawasakis were better engines than the newer, current 1700s.
But, I will agree to stay on topic - You think the new softail is great, but I think it ain't. We all have opinions, and I respect yours, although I personally disagree.
It is funny though... your description of the "Do it all Bike", is word for word the argument I made to others about my '08 Heritage!
I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same.
I agree about the power of that M8. I just cant stand the sound of it. I kept looking for the shaft- drive, with the way it wirred and whined.
FORGIVE THE COMPARISON, BUT...
As far as smoothness, comfort, performance and ride: My wife's Kawasaki Vulcan 1500FI was doing that in 2000, while Harley had just introduced their first 1500 (TC88A). It had fuel injection that really worked. It had liquid cooling, overhead cams, 4 valves per cylinder, compression releases, 2 spark plugs per cylinder, and BOTH rubber engine mounts AND counterbalancers. This was year 2000!
Between the "Magnetti Morelli" fuel injection and those damned cam chain tensioners, we can dispense with the usual, " Harley is always better" rhetoric - at least in 2000.
I will say The Motor Company had to do something. The Twin Cam 96, and 103 were much better, although I did like my TC88s. To be fair, I think the 1500 and 1600 Kawasakis were better engines than the newer, current 1700s.
But, I will agree to stay on topic - You think the new softail is great, but I think it ain't. We all have opinions, and I respect yours, although I personally disagree.
It is funny though... your description of the "Do it all Bike", is word for word the argument I made to others about my '08 Heritage!
I guess the more things change, the more they stay the same.
