Should have done this years ago
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 62
Likes: 1
From: Netherlands
Should have done this years ago
After years of riding fast sportbikes on the road and on the racetrack.
I wanted to slow things down a bit and bought me a Pan European 1100 in 2004.
Great reliable and even undestructable bike with the added comfort of ABS and bags, but somehow nearly too perfect an therefore boring.
In 2008 the switch was made to a Pan European ST1300 which had a lot more power and handled better, so there I was again collecting speeding tickets and putting myself in a great danger of killing myself. Since I have 2 young children and already half of my body filled with titanium screws and plates this had to stop.
So I sold it and got myself a BMW R1200GS last year august. More open and less protection. When you feel the elements the impression of speed is greater, resulting in lower speeds, theoretically in my case.
This thing did even wheely through the gears.
Result: Sold in order to protect myself from further stupidity.
Then the idea came to get me a Harley. Went to the dealer and had to think about the retailing price of $ 41235 for a Ultra Limited (here in Holland)
Thought even more and I could not let the idea go of owning a real Harley.
That's what i've been dreaming of since I was 16!
Then there it was: a demo with just over 1500 miles on it, brand new in fact, but 10 grand off the retail price. Within a week it was sold to me, delivered and this old dream was standing in my driveway.
When I bought it, all of the options on the Limited such as the heated grips, cruise control and especially the radio seemed like utter bull to me...who'd ever listen to a radio on a bike whilst using cruise control and warming your hands at the same time?
But, I liked the bags and the batwing fairing.
Well, surprise, it's just these things that make me a happy driver now.
Nothing compares to cruising the Harley with that fat rumble coming out of the V&H and your own favorite mp3's playing through the radio sitting in the most relaxed kind of way, feet on the floorboards, face behind the fairing. Fantastic!
I'm not in a hurry anymore. I did scrape the floorboards, but that's more of a learning curve to get to know the bike and it's limits.
Never before did I experience riding a motorcycle more relaxing then with this Harley.
Just keep finding excuses to get on it and just....drive.
No more iron butt, no more sleeping hands und numb underarms, no more stress.
Did I mention the sound of the engine?
Old friends can't imagine me on a Harley bagger, sometimes they even laugh at me.
But it's me who owns, drives and enjoys this. Could not care less.
Do take care of my HD though, there's a lot of cleaning involved compared to the full plastic dishwasher proof bodywork of the Pan Europeans.
Even that makes me happy, cleaning my bike and making it shiny and new again.
It's one big bug collector by the way!
But that's another story.
I wanted to slow things down a bit and bought me a Pan European 1100 in 2004.
Great reliable and even undestructable bike with the added comfort of ABS and bags, but somehow nearly too perfect an therefore boring.
In 2008 the switch was made to a Pan European ST1300 which had a lot more power and handled better, so there I was again collecting speeding tickets and putting myself in a great danger of killing myself. Since I have 2 young children and already half of my body filled with titanium screws and plates this had to stop.
So I sold it and got myself a BMW R1200GS last year august. More open and less protection. When you feel the elements the impression of speed is greater, resulting in lower speeds, theoretically in my case.
This thing did even wheely through the gears.
Result: Sold in order to protect myself from further stupidity.
Then the idea came to get me a Harley. Went to the dealer and had to think about the retailing price of $ 41235 for a Ultra Limited (here in Holland)
Thought even more and I could not let the idea go of owning a real Harley.
That's what i've been dreaming of since I was 16!
Then there it was: a demo with just over 1500 miles on it, brand new in fact, but 10 grand off the retail price. Within a week it was sold to me, delivered and this old dream was standing in my driveway.
When I bought it, all of the options on the Limited such as the heated grips, cruise control and especially the radio seemed like utter bull to me...who'd ever listen to a radio on a bike whilst using cruise control and warming your hands at the same time?
But, I liked the bags and the batwing fairing.
Well, surprise, it's just these things that make me a happy driver now.
Nothing compares to cruising the Harley with that fat rumble coming out of the V&H and your own favorite mp3's playing through the radio sitting in the most relaxed kind of way, feet on the floorboards, face behind the fairing. Fantastic!
I'm not in a hurry anymore. I did scrape the floorboards, but that's more of a learning curve to get to know the bike and it's limits.
Never before did I experience riding a motorcycle more relaxing then with this Harley.
Just keep finding excuses to get on it and just....drive.
No more iron butt, no more sleeping hands und numb underarms, no more stress.
Did I mention the sound of the engine?
Old friends can't imagine me on a Harley bagger, sometimes they even laugh at me.
But it's me who owns, drives and enjoys this. Could not care less.
Do take care of my HD though, there's a lot of cleaning involved compared to the full plastic dishwasher proof bodywork of the Pan Europeans.
Even that makes me happy, cleaning my bike and making it shiny and new again.
It's one big bug collector by the way!
But that's another story.
Last edited by dutchglide; Apr 22, 2011 at 07:03 AM.
Road Master
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 1,121
Likes: 3
From: Mass.
Congratulations on the Limited, it's a great bike. I get what you mean though, I have a Road Glide and an FJR1300, and while I love riding the FJR, it's just trouble. Not to mention the maintenance, once you start adjusting valves and such it's WAY more expensive to ride than the RG. Yea, I think The FJR is going to be replaced with another Harley.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,616
Likes: 17
From: Mid West
Welcome to the finer side of ride, the entire HD scene to me is not just the ownership of the bike but of the ride. I love to dawdle, to catch the scenery and to listen to my own bike rumble instead of scream as my old crotch rocket rides did. I was always too busy trying to impress whomever with the crotch rockets, now I am pleasing myself, impressing myself.
Again welcome.
Again welcome.
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