When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Its my personal observation that most of the guys riding HDs these days do no real touring....some do...
Not sure what REAL touring is. I try to take at least one week long trip ride a year and a few over nighters or 3 day weekend rides. IF I had the money/time to travel weeks/month(s) at a time, I would be in a heartbeat and it'd be on a HD at that.
I put about 12K miles on my 2010 StreetGlide from April 2010 to end of October 2010 last year. I dont ride daily to work or anything, just ride when I can, most every weekend. I wonder how you define "touring"? My longest run was to Sturgis last year, out on the road about 7 days total. Most other "trips" were three day weekends up into Colorado or over into Arizona. I have also pretty much been all over New Mexico now. This summer's goal is to "tour" (dare I use the word?) the state of Utah. Would this meet your definition of touring? Not pickin at your ***** just wondering.
+1, my wife and I with a handful of other HD riders regularly take trips in the 3000 mile rangthend see more Harleys on the open road then Hondas and BMW. We've got several in our chaper putting over 30k a year on their Hogs, your definition of touring again???
I like my HD. But having owned and operated several makes and models, I would agree that BMW's new 1600GTL is at the top of the touring heap. It has taken BMW several years to milk all the juice out of the 1200LT model, including ignoring all the final drive failure issues, and much the same as Honda and the "old"wing model, minus any final drive issues.
Its my personal observation that most of the guys riding HDs these days do no real touring....some do...but most just take short weekend rides, or bar hop with buddies in hopes of somehow validating why they make payments on a HD. At least that is what I see in this part of the country. Each to his own. I find it comical that if you mention any other legitimate motorcycle on this forum, some of them get defensive since their knowledge about diversity in motorcycle design, purpose, and build is so very shallow.
I want the 1600 to get the bugs out for a year or two, then I will start making room in the stable for one myself.
I thought the OP post to the wing site was very funny and sure to get a rise out of the wing faithful!
WOW-shallow hmmmm. I have\had in the stable HD, Honda, Yamaha, BSA, Ducati and Hodaka. And, by the way went out for a short ride this past weekend with a few buddies and our old ladies - ah yeah we did 967 miles over Saturday and Sunday. I don't drink so I don't bar hop rather what I do is ride. Oh yeah, and some of us on this forum paid cash for our Harley so we don't have to validate making payments to HD.
So really, what's your definition of touring again? hmmm?
And I agree the post on the wing site was pretty funny.
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.