Harleys are slow
Stellar HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 2,054
Likes: 26
From: Florida
I guess for my two cents I will echo at least one comment I read...
What's the point of having a motorcycle...or any road vehicle for that matter...that can go faster then is usually legal to or accelerate faster than the guy/gal in the lane next to you?
I could understand if owning a Harley meant that we are all going to the test tracks every day and pushing them to the limit. But I doubt that's the case for MOST of us. That said, it seems to me that it's mostly about ego than anything else. The ability to brag over this or that seems to be so cherished in this culture. I'm sure my stock 96B can get me around every inch of road in this country under most circumstances and that's as good as it needs to be. It's fast enough to get me where I am going within all the parameters that the law and my ability to control the bike will allow. I'm sure I could dump all kinds of money into it and learn to ride better. However, I can't think of any circumstance where such an investment nor the results it would provide would ever be NECESSARY. The fastest speed limit in my state is 70 so why on earth do I need top speeds far exceeding the 100 mph mark? And why do I care to get off the line faster than the guy in the lane next to me. Unless we are trying to beat each other to the last beer or the last piece of *** in the world then I couldn't care any less how much faster the next machines is! The ability to say "mines faster than this or that" has no value except maybe to those with some sort of deficiency or insecurity...
What's the point of having a motorcycle...or any road vehicle for that matter...that can go faster then is usually legal to or accelerate faster than the guy/gal in the lane next to you?
I could understand if owning a Harley meant that we are all going to the test tracks every day and pushing them to the limit. But I doubt that's the case for MOST of us. That said, it seems to me that it's mostly about ego than anything else. The ability to brag over this or that seems to be so cherished in this culture. I'm sure my stock 96B can get me around every inch of road in this country under most circumstances and that's as good as it needs to be. It's fast enough to get me where I am going within all the parameters that the law and my ability to control the bike will allow. I'm sure I could dump all kinds of money into it and learn to ride better. However, I can't think of any circumstance where such an investment nor the results it would provide would ever be NECESSARY. The fastest speed limit in my state is 70 so why on earth do I need top speeds far exceeding the 100 mph mark? And why do I care to get off the line faster than the guy in the lane next to me. Unless we are trying to beat each other to the last beer or the last piece of *** in the world then I couldn't care any less how much faster the next machines is! The ability to say "mines faster than this or that" has no value except maybe to those with some sort of deficiency or insecurity...
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 526
Likes: 4
From: North Atlanta Georgia
"What's the point of having a motorcycle...or any road vehicle for that matter...that can go faster then is usually legal to or accelerate faster than the guy/gal in the lane next to you?"
Just because you can. If it makes you feel good then do it, reasons be damned.
Just because you can. If it makes you feel good then do it, reasons be damned.
Road Captain
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 526
Likes: 4
From: North Atlanta Georgia
I guess for my two cents I will echo at least one comment I read...
What's the point of having a motorcycle...or any road vehicle for that matter...that can go faster then is usually legal to or accelerate faster than the guy/gal in the lane next to you?
I could understand if owning a Harley meant that we are all going to the test tracks every day and pushing them to the limit. But I doubt that's the case for MOST of us. That said, it seems to me that it's mostly about ego than anything else. The ability to brag over this or that seems to be so cherished in this culture. I'm sure my stock 96B can get me around every inch of road in this country under most circumstances and that's as good as it needs to be. It's fast enough to get me where I am going within all the parameters that the law and my ability to control the bike will allow. I'm sure I could dump all kinds of money into it and learn to ride better. However, I can't think of any circumstance where such an investment nor the results it would provide would ever be NECESSARY. The fastest speed limit in my state is 70 so why on earth do I need top speeds far exceeding the 100 mph mark? And why do I care to get off the line faster than the guy in the lane next to me. Unless we are trying to beat each other to the last beer or the last piece of *** in the world then I couldn't care any less how much faster the next machines is! The ability to say "mines faster than this or that" has no value except maybe to those with some sort of deficiency or insecurity...
What's the point of having a motorcycle...or any road vehicle for that matter...that can go faster then is usually legal to or accelerate faster than the guy/gal in the lane next to you?
I could understand if owning a Harley meant that we are all going to the test tracks every day and pushing them to the limit. But I doubt that's the case for MOST of us. That said, it seems to me that it's mostly about ego than anything else. The ability to brag over this or that seems to be so cherished in this culture. I'm sure my stock 96B can get me around every inch of road in this country under most circumstances and that's as good as it needs to be. It's fast enough to get me where I am going within all the parameters that the law and my ability to control the bike will allow. I'm sure I could dump all kinds of money into it and learn to ride better. However, I can't think of any circumstance where such an investment nor the results it would provide would ever be NECESSARY. The fastest speed limit in my state is 70 so why on earth do I need top speeds far exceeding the 100 mph mark? And why do I care to get off the line faster than the guy in the lane next to me. Unless we are trying to beat each other to the last beer or the last piece of *** in the world then I couldn't care any less how much faster the next machines is! The ability to say "mines faster than this or that" has no value except maybe to those with some sort of deficiency or insecurity...
Road Master
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 852
Likes: 54
From: Dallas tx
Last edited by Pitbull_Dallas; Jul 17, 2014 at 03:27 PM.
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Road Master
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 852
Likes: 54
From: Dallas tx
Was the first bike I ever rode......and I was 10. When the parents found out what I had been doing I got grounded for a month.. 
No more Mo Ped riding.
No more Mo Ped riding.
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 121
Likes: 0
From: Nebraska
I've been on some very fast bikes back in the day. I don't mean garage built credit card "racers", I mean bikes built by guys like Craig Erion and Rob Muzzy - factory backed AMA teams. My Night Train isn't one of them... hahahaha - but I still ride it everyday. It fits me; it feels good when I ride it; it presents an image of *me* that I agree with; it's reliable and gets decent milage and it looks pretty good doing it. I could sell it and (easily) buy a built ZX10R and do 0-100 in sub 6 seconds - but that's not why I ride anymore.
Stating that your nearly stock softail is slow is about like saying that the ski is blue and water is wet. If you don't enjoy what any bike does for you, and you don't wanna drop the coin to make it do something you would enjoy, then sell the bastard and move on.
Stating that your nearly stock softail is slow is about like saying that the ski is blue and water is wet. If you don't enjoy what any bike does for you, and you don't wanna drop the coin to make it do something you would enjoy, then sell the bastard and move on.
Last edited by DAV; Jul 17, 2014 at 04:47 PM.