Harley copies?
Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 614
Likes: 2
From: Indiana, USA
RE: Harley copies?
ORIGINAL: jwb47
yep most of the time when metric riders say harleys are high maitenance they tend to forget we dont have to change coolant , grease drive shafts or lube adjust chains ,we dont have to adjust our valves and dont have to fool with syncing carberators and there is alot better selection of aftermarket supplys and parts that for the most part are just as cheap or cheaper to purchase than metric.
yep most of the time when metric riders say harleys are high maitenance they tend to forget we dont have to change coolant , grease drive shafts or lube adjust chains ,we dont have to adjust our valves and dont have to fool with syncing carberators and there is alot better selection of aftermarket supplys and parts that for the most part are just as cheap or cheaper to purchase than metric.
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 346
Likes: 48
From: North Carolina
RE: Harley copies?
ORIGINAL: jwb47
yep most of the time when metric riders say harleys are high maitenance they tend to forget we dont have to change coolant , grease drive shafts or lube adjust chains ,we dont have to adjust our valves and dont have to fool with syncing carberators and there is alot better selection of aftermarket supplys and parts that for the most part are just as cheap or cheaper to purchase than metric.
yep most of the time when metric riders say harleys are high maitenance they tend to forget we dont have to change coolant , grease drive shafts or lube adjust chains ,we dont have to adjust our valves and dont have to fool with syncing carberators and there is alot better selection of aftermarket supplys and parts that for the most part are just as cheap or cheaper to purchase than metric.
Road Master
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 777
Likes: 1
From: Illinois
RE: Harley copies?
All of them make very good bikes...the Kaw Mean Streak and the Yamaha Road Stars comes close to the Harley look. The way I look at it if you wanted a Harley then buy one not a copy.They all miss the mark is one way or another. I'm sure my wife would want a real Vera Bradley purse not a cheap as* copy.
Novice
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
RE: Harley copies?
let me see...kaw vulcan 2000cc....honda vtx 1800cc...sisuki M109 1800cc....yamaha raider 1850cc....kaw meanstreak 1600cc....yamaha warrior 1700cc....all Vtwins....smaller?...get real..... just cause a bike is a V twin dont mean its trying to copy the harley look....
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 8,831
Likes: 15
From: Nomad
RE: Harley copies?
Yes! Each day at work there is a Honda VTX 1300 in the motorcycle "corral." That bike is H-U-G-E, like it's trying to be a Road King. And, in the other "corral" there is a Boulevard, which is enormous---and plastic. But, they are liquid-cooled and more modern in other ways. A design can evolve: look at airhead and oilhead boxers. But still, a bike shouldn't look puffed up and hollow, and many of those metric bikes do.
The criuser style certainly began with H-Ds, but is no longer dictated by H-D. We'd all have to agree that the impact of the custom bike industry and the accompanying proliferation of magazines and cable TV shows has certainly helped it along. Despite all that, H-D has kept its own look, and other marques have carved out their own take on the cruiser look.
As for "metric cruisers" are we limiting it to this to Japanese motorcycles? What about the Triumph Rocket III? That is a big bike.
Obviously, we like our Harleys here, and I wouldn't want a plastic cruiser, though I wouldn't say "No" if H-D came out with versions of the Revolution engine for the whole line.
The criuser style certainly began with H-Ds, but is no longer dictated by H-D. We'd all have to agree that the impact of the custom bike industry and the accompanying proliferation of magazines and cable TV shows has certainly helped it along. Despite all that, H-D has kept its own look, and other marques have carved out their own take on the cruiser look.
As for "metric cruisers" are we limiting it to this to Japanese motorcycles? What about the Triumph Rocket III? That is a big bike.
Obviously, we like our Harleys here, and I wouldn't want a plastic cruiser, though I wouldn't say "No" if H-D came out with versions of the Revolution engine for the whole line.
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 486
Likes: 0
From:
RE: Harley copies?
There really isn't much of a price difference between a Sportster and something like a Shadow or similar metric... believe me I shopped all the Sportster size cruisers. Where there is a huge difference in price is when you jump to something like a Yamaha V-Star or Suzuki Boulavardstarting at @$11k and a Dyna or Softtailstarting at $15K.....Truely there is a huge differnce in quality of materials used on the HD bikes over the metrics (HD being nicer). The metrics don't quite have there chroming process down, my guess is they only single plate chrome.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,290
Likes: 4
From: Payson, AZ
RE: Harley copies?
it also makes you feel all the better when you get to tell some hot chick what kind of bike you have. "Yeah I have a Harley"
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,892
Likes: 2
From: Florida
RE: Harley copies?
ORIGINAL: jc_denton
Speaking of research, if people would do a little more, they would find out metric bikes really aren't that much cheaper than HD's anyway. Might as well just get HD. 
ORIGINAL: HighDesertKid
I just wish that people would actually do a little research and not just buy into the whole "cheaper is better" metric propaganda.
I just wish that people would actually do a little research and not just buy into the whole "cheaper is better" metric propaganda.
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Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 521
Likes: 1
From: Indianapolis, IN
RE: Harley copies?
Here's one for ya...............
It was a very nice ride but wasn't a Harley. I only had it for a few months until I sold it.
1500 CC engine
[IMG]local://upfiles/30241/70B74EF151404FAFA734ED254242EF99.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/30241/127A5399E504442ABE904A3899A04BA9.jpg[/IMG]
It was a very nice ride but wasn't a Harley. I only had it for a few months until I sold it.
1500 CC engine
[IMG]local://upfiles/30241/70B74EF151404FAFA734ED254242EF99.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/30241/127A5399E504442ABE904A3899A04BA9.jpg[/IMG]
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