Re: Harley Davidson Dyna ride height

I sold my ST1100 and bought a Harley-Davidson dresser, and in every way
except one [1] the Harley is a better touring bike than the ST. The
Harley (both my Road Glide with frame-mounted fairing and my Street
Glide with handlebar mounted fairing) is more comfortable at road
speed, is just as quiet (in fact, I got rid of the extremely tiring and
LOUD gear whine of the ST1100), definitely less powerful until I had
the engine enlarged [2], much better as an "iron butt", day after day
comfortable, offers MUCH superior weather protection, my wife wouldn't
ride on the ST1100 [3] but has ridden thousands of miles on the Harley,
etc, etc. While the ST1100 was cheap, it had no character, and I found
that small solace after 8 or 900 miles in the saddle. Plus the ST1100
had no radio, no cruise control, no factory trunk, crap headlights (at
least in the U.S.) that need to be supplemented with PIAA driving
lights if you want to ride any faster than 45 mph after dark, a crap
saddle that has to be replaced before you can comfortably ride more
than 50 miles, and crap front brakes that warp when the bike is ridden
competently [4]. Of course, the ST1100 is cheaply built out of cheap
parts, with crap fit and finish, but it does have the advantage that
many of its glaring shortcomings can be easily corrected.

So, I guess that just goes to show that motorcycles are highly
individualistic, much like their owners, and before people go calling
an entire manufacturer's range of motorcycles things like "utter shite"
& c., they might want to consider that different folks can ride the
same bike and come up with different conclusions.

But, those folks[5] are probably much too immature and insular to
fucking open their tiny little closed minds and consider that there's
more to the motorcycling world than their miniscule life experience
might illuminate.

--
Mel F.

[1] The Harley does need more range. The 7+ gallon gas tank on the
ST1100 was a plus.
[2] Both the 95 ci and the 103 ci H-D SE engines STOMP the ST1100 in
the real world.
[3] Or any other of numerous bikes, until the Harley with its comfy
passenger ergos.
[4] In all fairness, the Harley also has crap front brakes that also
warp if the bike is ridden competently, and crap fork springs and crap
rear shocks as well. The ST1100 had crap front suspension, but the
rear shock was fine.
[5] Who have decidely NOT had your experience to back up their claims

 

Troll.

 

No, just responding with factual data based on actual real life
experience. That you don't recognize it as such is no surprise. It
certainly appears that the vast majority of ukrmers have no experience
with actually riding motorcycles. They sure like flinging poo, though.

 

You're well wide of the mark there, most UKRMers cover significant
mileage on bikes, even on roads with bends, which is where the whole
Harley argument falls to pieces, a bit like the bikes.

 

Generally supposed to be poor management and lack of inward investment.
Sounds familiar, doesn't it?
--
Dave

GS850x2 XS650

On UKRM you're just a **** with opinions.

 

They're going to have to invade Canadia, then?

 

You're completely wrong. There have ben very few ukrmers here who've
testified to doing any kind of mileage at all, and no one has had any
actual experience with Harleys on which to pin their idiotic assertions
(like yours, above) except Andy Bonwick, who owned the absolute bottom
of the line, cheapest ass, basic, entry level, beginner bike model
fifteen fucking years ago, and the fellow I responded to, who simply
said that he preferred his ST1100 to the Harley bagger he owned.

So, do toddle off now, you idiot troll.

 

Gary R. scribbled on the back of a napkin:

<sniffs bait>

You mean, like approx 15k-18k miles commuting every year on a variety
of bikes, plus dog knows how many miles just going places? I agree,
hardly any miles at all.

Fair enough, I haven't had a Harley (yet), which is why I'm mostly
staying out of this.

As the ex-owner of an ST1100, I'm surprised at some of the allegations
he levelled at the ST (like crap finish) and found myself nodding in
response to others (like the crap seat).

 

Grimly Curmudgeon scribbled on the back of a napkin:

Never heard that before in context with any bike manufacturer, oh no...

 

Timo Geusch scribbled on the back of a napkin:

Very familiar story according to this writeup:

http://ng.netgate.net/~carl/indintro.html

FFS, it even involves AMC...

 

The Dead Hand of AMC has a long reach.
Like a curse, that company.
--
Dave

GS850x2 XS650

On UKRM you're just a **** with opinions.

 

Harley introduced an OHV engine in 1936. The last Indian Chief, in 1953,
was still a side-valve with a hand change.

 

Finish is a personal thing and largely depends on what you are looking
for.
All the parts on a Harley have excellent finish.
I think they have better finish that an ST1100.
The ST1300 is much nicer IMHO but has even less character.
Personally, if I do get a sport tourer it will probably be the
Kawasaki ZZR1200 whicj appears to have most of those problems aced.
Except perhaps the seat.
Exhaust, intake and jet upgrade and a new seat plus a couple of gizmos
and it is ready.

 

We should have let him have it.

 

AMC had nothing to do with bikes however, that was AMF.

 

Bob Mann scribbled on the back of a napkin:

Wrong AMC you're thinking of - the one I'm referring to was the Brit
AMC which owned several bike manufacturers, not the fine car company
that brought you the Rambler.

 

More gibberish?

 

Well, they think it's already part of the Yoo-Ess, so it's only a small
step for Bushkind.

 

I take it that this means 55mph, and thus is irrelevant for us 'Peens.

 

Like I said, over 900 miles in one day, on a trail bike.

Plus: despatch rider in London for two years - riding all day, every
day.

500-600 mile days (mostly on single carriageway roads rather than
point-and-shoot motorways) too numerous to mention.

Roadtested four of them. Actually liked one (Low Rider Sport, as then
was) and *hated* one (1340cc Road King, which was dynamically unstable,
horribly slow, and which then broke down)

I admit I've never owned one, mainly because I've never *wanted* to.

On US roads, in US sunshine, I might think differently.