Why harley davidson??????
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Joined: Nov 2019
Posts: 26
Likes: 16
From: Lake Stevens, Wa
Why harley davidson??????
Hello
New member here, I'd like to introduce myself. I rode mostly Japanese for 40 years, sportbikes from the 60's & 70's. Strangely, all of my friends rode Harleys, from the 60's & older. They did not want to ride with me, because, well, I did not ride a Harley. I did not want to ride with them, because they could not keep up. Haha. I never understood their love affair with a slow, messy, noisy, leaking, and constantly in need of repair motorcycle. My last ride was a Kawasaki Z1 900, I owned it 30 years. I won't gush about it on a Harley site, but I loved that bike & regret selling it to this day. When I moved out of a state that allowed lane splitting & had year round riding weather, to a state that did not, and found myself always carrying a lot of stuff, it made no sense to ride.
Fast forward 20 years. I'm in my mid 60's now, retired a few years, and working on my 'bucket list'. All the bikers (mostly Harleys) roaring past my house have me itching to get back on 2 wheels. So I've been researching, shopping, and lurking on sites such as this one. I discovered Harley Davidsons have improved, a lot, and think this is a good time to try to understand why Y'all love these bikes so much. I figure Sportsters are too slow for me, HT's too heavy. Public opinion is that Dyna's handle better than Softtail's.
I'm kinda 'old-school' in that I like the 'Easyrider' look, something I don't see much anymore. I once owned an old Matchless V-twin, in a hard-tail, Springer, chopper frame. I hated riding that bike, but it sure was pretty.
So, 3 weeks ago I purchased a 2011 FXDWG from a dealer in Wisconsin. I expect delivery any day now. I look forward to riding a big rake done right. I know, 36* is not 'big', but it's way more than my Z1's 27*.
I am already beginning to understand. Since buying my 1st H-D, I've been daydreaming about customizing it, something I gave little thought to with my 'rice-burners'. I now see Harley Davidsons as artwork, not just a ride. An expression of one's personality.
I'll write again with photo's and my first impressions.
New member here, I'd like to introduce myself. I rode mostly Japanese for 40 years, sportbikes from the 60's & 70's. Strangely, all of my friends rode Harleys, from the 60's & older. They did not want to ride with me, because, well, I did not ride a Harley. I did not want to ride with them, because they could not keep up. Haha. I never understood their love affair with a slow, messy, noisy, leaking, and constantly in need of repair motorcycle. My last ride was a Kawasaki Z1 900, I owned it 30 years. I won't gush about it on a Harley site, but I loved that bike & regret selling it to this day. When I moved out of a state that allowed lane splitting & had year round riding weather, to a state that did not, and found myself always carrying a lot of stuff, it made no sense to ride.
Fast forward 20 years. I'm in my mid 60's now, retired a few years, and working on my 'bucket list'. All the bikers (mostly Harleys) roaring past my house have me itching to get back on 2 wheels. So I've been researching, shopping, and lurking on sites such as this one. I discovered Harley Davidsons have improved, a lot, and think this is a good time to try to understand why Y'all love these bikes so much. I figure Sportsters are too slow for me, HT's too heavy. Public opinion is that Dyna's handle better than Softtail's.
I'm kinda 'old-school' in that I like the 'Easyrider' look, something I don't see much anymore. I once owned an old Matchless V-twin, in a hard-tail, Springer, chopper frame. I hated riding that bike, but it sure was pretty.
So, 3 weeks ago I purchased a 2011 FXDWG from a dealer in Wisconsin. I expect delivery any day now. I look forward to riding a big rake done right. I know, 36* is not 'big', but it's way more than my Z1's 27*.
I am already beginning to understand. Since buying my 1st H-D, I've been daydreaming about customizing it, something I gave little thought to with my 'rice-burners'. I now see Harley Davidsons as artwork, not just a ride. An expression of one's personality.
I'll write again with photo's and my first impressions.
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From: Eastern Kansas
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Joined: Jul 2013
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From: West Central Florida
Welcome to the Harley world. I still own a 73 Z1, a 77 KZ650 and an RD350 two stroke. We love bikes here.
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 23,399
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From: Spartan Country, Michigan
Welcome from Spartan Country, Michigan!
I tell a lot of new comers to the forum to get: Factory Service manual and the Parts manual. Get a three ring binder and record all your maintenance, repairs, accessories, etc. This will be a great reminder of what was done when. And great material to pass along to the new owner should you sell and upgrade. Also know how large your fuel tank is, and record your fuel usage. I have an app called Simply Auto that I record all my fuel used. I use the odometer and use the fuel gage as reference only. I reset the odometer to zero on fill ups, and I know I can safely get 200 miles on a tank on around town riding.
Good Luck!!
I tell a lot of new comers to the forum to get: Factory Service manual and the Parts manual. Get a three ring binder and record all your maintenance, repairs, accessories, etc. This will be a great reminder of what was done when. And great material to pass along to the new owner should you sell and upgrade. Also know how large your fuel tank is, and record your fuel usage. I have an app called Simply Auto that I record all my fuel used. I use the odometer and use the fuel gage as reference only. I reset the odometer to zero on fill ups, and I know I can safely get 200 miles on a tank on around town riding.
Good Luck!!