Harley owners/riders are something like every one else. They occupy a spectrum -- albeit they occupy a portion of the spectrum that's off to one side of where most of us are.
Test rode a Harley today
- Thread starter Bear
- Start date
OP
OP
Bear
2
I guess it is nice to have Haloween every day.
On the subject of (lack of) horsepower in the HD range, a few years ago, I did something that I rarely do.
I had a drag race from the traffic lights against a Sportster 1200 up to 50 mph (80kph).
I had to push the Honda close to the red-line in 1st and second gears but I managed to beat the Sportster quite easily to the point of shutting the throttle to avoid going too far over the speed limit (80kph).
I could hear the HD just behind me over my left shoulder all the way (loud exhaust).
I got a very good jump away from the start. That is probably what did it for me.
I expected it to overtake me easily, but no!
Not bad for a Dullesville as some people refer to the NT.
On other group rides (VJMC mostly), I have people comment that the NT is a lot quicker through the twisty stuff than they expected it to be.
Macka
I had a drag race from the traffic lights against a Sportster 1200 up to 50 mph (80kph).
I had to push the Honda close to the red-line in 1st and second gears but I managed to beat the Sportster quite easily to the point of shutting the throttle to avoid going too far over the speed limit (80kph).
I could hear the HD just behind me over my left shoulder all the way (loud exhaust).
I got a very good jump away from the start. That is probably what did it for me.
I expected it to overtake me easily, but no!
Not bad for a Dullesville as some people refer to the NT.
On other group rides (VJMC mostly), I have people comment that the NT is a lot quicker through the twisty stuff than they expected it to be.
Macka
Hey, you need to give the Power Ranger clones credit as well...
You're forgetting SQUIDS.
Yeah, I guess I am but I kinda felt they was lumped together with the Power Rangers
Remember, each db is equal to .5 hp. So, 120 divided by two =
OP
OP
Bear
2
Took the safety course at the H-D Dealer. It was a good course. The 750cc Harleys were not too bad. I much prefer the Honda NT
Larry Rogers
Guest
Many of us have had an encounter with HD. I bought one some years ago with the foolish notion that they would retain their value. It was the Electra Glide with many of the stock bells and whistles, but with the standard Screaming Eagle cam to help it eek out HP at least as fast as a WW II tank. Got rid of it after a couple years. Could not hear the radio, did not like wrestling half a ton of metal around and got tired of paying the insane high insurance. I must say, it was comfortable on the highway, but not worth it. With all the criticism and sometimes praise for HD riders, I have found that they tend not to wave when passing them unless I am riding a HD also.
Ditto on the wave. And I have NEVER seen an HD rider wearing hi-viz clothing or anything but a black helmet. I guess they think their noise will make cagers notice their bike.
When my wife and I are out with our Slingshot, I make it a point to wave and/or do the two fingers down salute. The Harley guys do not respond. Honda riders always respond.
After a few miles on a shaker, your arm is numb. A wave is out of the question.
After a few miles on a shaker, your arm is numb. A wave is out of the question.
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- 2010 NT700V
To be fair to the Harley guys, the Slingshot isn't a motorcycle. You might as well be giving the motorcycle wave out of an ice cream truck or any other random vehicle and expecting a wave back
coaster
0
I wave to Harleys and they wave back , irregardless whether , I'm on the NT or the KLR or the YZFR3.
When I left Greeley on Tuesday morning, I saw a lot Harley riders heading the other way and not a single one of them waved back at me until I was between Billings and Laurel. From then on, most of the riders I saw, whether they were on Harleys or BMWs waved.
When JustPassinThru and I were carrying my stuff down to the bike before breakfast on Wednesday in Missoula, we were parked next to very nice older woman who was riding an Harley trike. We talked to her and her husband and they couldn't have been friendlier. The had been to Sturgis, so if I catch CoVid-19, I'm gonna' blame it on them.
When JustPassinThru and I were carrying my stuff down to the bike before breakfast on Wednesday in Missoula, we were parked next to very nice older woman who was riding an Harley trike. We talked to her and her husband and they couldn't have been friendlier. The had been to Sturgis, so if I catch CoVid-19, I'm gonna' blame it on them.
License plate, title and insurance policy say different. In some states, a motorcycle license is required.
So, a Tri Glide is a . . . .?
- Joined
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- 2010 NT700V
It has car tires. It has pedals and a steering wheel. Its handling is car physics, not that of a 2 wheeler. Motorcycle riding skills don't apply. And because motorcycle riding skills don't apply, most localities do not require a M-class to operate one, just a standard driving license. Too be specific, there's only 4 remaining states that require an M-class. The other 46 states just require a regular driving license.
The Tri Glide is already watering down what's a "motorcycle", but at least you need to be familiar with motorcycle controls to operate one. No motorcycle knowledge is needed to drive a slingshot
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Join the VFR facebook page...THEY have them.
You NAILED it!