I have just booked myself a test ride for this coming Saturday on The new Fat Bob and the Road King as i've decided that I am old enough now. The Road King feels enormous when I sit on it while the Fat Bob feels chunky and substantial with a bit of muscle car about it.
They are different and they are not easy, but I find if you accept what they are they are just as much fun as a Ducati and sometimes more fun. If you think a Road King is enormous, you should ride a an Electraglide Ultra Classic! Love mine.
If I was looking at something as a road king then I'd be looking to test ride the goldwing too. The goldwing does everything better but the road king is more like a ducati, an experience and an emotive but still a good bike. I like the harley flat tracker at the moment though
They all look pretty horrific....my mate has one of the other ones...indian i think....if he turned up on it...i would follow in the car i think...
It’s like the difference between a modern train and a steam engine. The modern train is better in every way, the steam engine is an event.
I bought an R6 a few years back and after a run with a few mates up to Applecross and an overnight stay I convinced myself I was giving up the road, the R6 was too much hard work on the road and nearly planted me a couple of times that weekend. I knew I’d miss the road so decided to have a look at Harley in Glasgow and went to look at the street Bobber until I seen this Nightrod: The sales team were great, couldn’t do enough for me and a test ride was arranged for it. I had it the whole day and the sun was splitting the trees, which helped with a sale I’ve no doubt. I ended up buying a brand new one, trading the R6 in that I’d only had 2 weeks and had it sent out to Spain. It was great for out there, just bobbing about on and I genuinely really really liked it...but I had always wanted a Ducati and the 1299 had just been released. I couldn’t stop the urge for a 1299S and I eventually traded it in for a 1299S but I wish I’d kept it really. £16k for a Harley to sit in the garage and used now and again at that time wasn’t an option.
I had a dubious 'honour' of being loaned one by Riders in Bristol, as my Mutli warranty recall work + servicing, weren't completed in time. Reluctantly I agreed to ride one on a return trip to home, with the service guys words ringing in my ears: "you might come back tomorrow and want to trade your Ducati in to have one for yourself"...…. I can honestly say, I have never ridden anything so damn uncomfortable in terms of the riding position and as for handling + throttle response, well!! Needless to say on return to Riders the next day, my response to "well how did you find it then and will you be changing", was a little less than courteous. I'm not yet looking for a mobile sofa: But then as the saying goes "beauty, etc...…….."
Enjoyed the Harley experience so much I bought a Fat Bob. The suspension is good , brakes are excellent and it will make pretty rapid forward movement without all those revs !! l
have just bought a Harley 96 sportster with only 10k miles on it reason, its not standard, its in a custom Rowe rubber mount frame, its about 80lbs lighter than the factory version ill has a carb, no computers, no abs, everything is nice and simple wont be parting with by ducati in any hurry though as its nice to have a choice
I like the look of the ones pictured on this thread although I hate the ones with all the bacolite fairings, I just couldnt be arsed to clean all those nooks and crannies, my mate with a huge one reckons half of owning a harley is cleaning it, no thankyou! Hose/spray/hose/shammie is my limit
Went on a trip a few years back 3 jap bikes and 3 Harley’s. Guess what all 3 harleys broke down all fairly new bikes to
I ended up with three of them (long story...), one is a 1995 FLHR 1340 Road King EVO owned from new. Great friendly social scene but very inflexible to anything non-Harley. Iconic style, strange riding position, heavy and much loved. Bit of an issue though having to spend massive sums of money and inordinate amounts of time and energy fixing the “death wobble” - Google it! Keeping it below 55 as suggested did help but that’s not really my style nor is it a proper cure. After numerous engine, lighting and electrical upgrades, re-engineering all suspension components (and changing to Ohlins), changing bushes to poly, gearbox stabiliser(s), engine mountings, complete new swing arm with spherical bearings, massive brakes, fluid lines, decent tyres and handlebars it can now be ridden like a normal bike, i.e. at speed with confidence as it will go rounds corners, stop when it needs to and won’t try and chuck you off without warning. It has even done the odd track day for testing but is generally not made welcome thanks to reputation and in one case “no desire to shut the track in 10 minutes so we can sweep you up”. New versions are much better but how did legislation allow mass production in the first place with so many design “issues”? Best rides are now long summer evenings, usually alone but always with a smile in full face helmet with decent leathers as bike does not fit with others in it’s group - race, sport, retro, classic, cruiser, italian etc. all have their own peculiarities and not unreasonably all stick together. So to each, his or her own and enjoy.
I'VE owned a couple of Harley's over the years couldn't really get on with them did like the Fat Boy though I sold it and bought a Diavel much better bike
