Harley Davidson V-Rod Forum banner

Would You Buy Another Harley (other than a V-Rod)?

29K views 415 replies 120 participants last post by  T-Rod45 
#1 ·
I've ridden all the other model Harley's and would not buy any of them. Am I alone here? Compared to the competition they seemed to me to be a big disappointment. Braking, performance, lean angle, fit/finish, etc., all seemed a bit below average compared to what's out there. I think Harley has turned into more of a marketing machine than a well engineered product. OK, they do look good.

:soapbox:

I'm done now.
 
#269 ·
I started with a Harley then went to BWM, Honda, and back to Harley. I really like the Harley, not just the bike but the people who ride them as well. They seem less caught up in bashing metric riders vs. metric riders bashing Harley riders. Plus I like riding an American legend!
 
#271 ·
Yes! I would and have owned "other" Harleys. The worest thing about having "other Harleys" is the pirates!
I'm not a "Harley Guy", I'm a motorcycle guy.

I've owned 7 Harleys (including 2 V Rods, and Yes they are ALL V Rods). Before my Dyna I had a C14 Kawasaki. Before the C14 I had a V Rod. I now have another V Rod and love it! I'm back on a well made bike and not part of the "harley culture"!

When I went to the Harley dealer to buy my Dyna, a "pirate" looked at my C14 and said "I'd never buy ANY JAP JUNK."

I pointed out that he had a DENSO fuel pump in his BAGGER!
He walked away!~!HEHEHEHEHEHE
 
#272 ·
agreed... I am a motorcycle guy... not a Harley guy... most bikes are international at this point... the electonics and suspensions on a Harley are made in Japan... the gears are made in Taiwan, the brakes in Italy... etc... And of course on the V Rod a lot of the engineering was done in Germany.
 
#273 ·
Gears and shafts for V-Rods and Big Twins come from Getrag of Germany. Engine management and electrical are Delphi which I think is manufactured here (externally the components look like what you find in late model GM products) along with the guages (at least the V-Rods guages). Suspension is Showa from Japan and wheels come from Australia or Japan. The same basic starter is used on a thousand other motorcycles, and is not much different from the Nippondenso starter on ancient old K100, which by the way still works fine after 28 years and 290,000 miles.
 
#275 ·
The cast ten spoke wheels that came on my R are made in Oz, and the XR-1200 wheels I replaced them with are made by Enkei in Japan, who interestingly do not offer motorcycle wheels on their website.
 
#277 ·
I currently have a 2000 Deuce(show bike), 07 FXSTC, 08 Buell Ulysses, 09 XR1200, 10 Superglide, 10 Ultra Classic, 12 Night Rod Special, 12 RGC, 12 RGC CVO and a 12 Ural Patrol-sidecar and 2WD.

I started riding in 1956 and owned of three dozen bikes half of them Honda's then Yamaha's, Suzuki's, Kawasaki's and Norton.

The OP's statement about fit and finish is with out merit or foundation in fact. The principal character of an HD is the fact that the fit and finish is superior to other makes.

I had an 04 Rune which was supposed to be the best example of Honda's engineering and styling might. I got rid of it after a season as it had too many shortcomings and was not a good riding bike.

Resale is still a strong aspect of a Harley. The statement that they cost too much usually only means that the person can not afford one.

I have covered 49 states, 6 Provence's and the Yukon Territory on mine and never an issue with my HD's.

There are many custom bike makers around that still make 35 to 80K bikes that can't beat a HD CVO in value for the dollar.

Some folks just think that they are cool if they can bad mouth an HD when they own one. But in fact that just makes them an ignorant inbred mutant moron in my opinion.:soapbox:
 
#279 ·
I recall my 77 sporty, cork pushrod gaskets spewing gunk regularly (silastic), some geezer used cut outs from a beer can re spacing between the gears. Yes i spent alot off time off the road, had a hell of a good time and well value wise got a good trade in price a the time. Ultimately, its the buyers choice and off relevance is the poor resale value of the jap scoots, riding position and dont even ask re spares for a ducati and or bmw re pricing. Harley certainly has a lot to answer for re price for example why would the allen key heads on the vrod be different compared to a softail; which only is an extra cost to them and us. My last buys were dx 08 and dx 07 and will not purchase any more after the sporty, first evo, deluxe and rocker c. Further, if i can purchase a galfer 3 piece braided front brake line in the states cheaper than the one piece rubber garbage harley has re the 07 dx then we can certainly draw a conclusion that harley can improve without resorting to below standard items. Anyway thats my 5 cents worth and the rocker c for its steering issue is a fun bike to ride and that what it was made for and you cant expect an ultra from a rocker and and why would anyone.
 
#280 ·
Raised and weened on HD's I am Loyal as a dog. I am everything Lux says about me and more, everything Lux hates about HD and more, I idolize and cherish it all.
I would not buy anything other than HD, even if it only went 50MPH and looked like sheet. The other manufacturers just don't have the wardrobe. No welcome mats or bed sheets....nuttin'. Not to mention freedom and lifestyle the others do not provide.
Ya, I'd buy HD all day. The sound, the look, the history, it's all way sexy. Just about the only platform I have not spent a lot of time and mileage on are the Tourers. Not that old yet.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Harley-Davi...pt=US_Blankets_and_Throws&hash=item4d09b78a8c



 

Attachments

#281 ·
Raised and weened on HD's I am Loyal as a dog. I am everything Lux says about me and more, everything Lux hates about HD and more, I idolize and cherish it all.
I would not buy anything other than HD, even if it only went 50MPH and looked like sheet. The other manufacturers just don't have the wardrobe. No welcome mats or bed sheets....nuttin'. Not to mention freedom and lifestyle the others do not provide.
Ya, I'd buy HD all day. The sound, the look, the history, it's all way sexy. Just about the only platform I have not spent a lot of time and mileage on are the Tourers. Not that old yet.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Harley-Davi...pt=US_Blankets_and_Throws&hash=item4d09b78a8c
Well said! It's a good thing that there's no gray area on whether or not it's "okay" to own H-D bikes or merch. Otherwise you (and lux) would just look silly with your ranting on and on about how everyone with HD anything are sheeple. :stilpoke:
 
#282 ·
Ride what you want, wear what you want! Don't let some nut job tell you any different. I don't need some left-coast rainbow league to tell me when, what and where I can ride. I don't need fashion advise from the Sunset Blvd mafia. Finally, I don't need to be lectured on what freedom is by someone too lazy to defend his country.

Talk is just too damn cheap these days.
 
#286 ·
Wow what a fun guy. Lazy to defend my Country? Really? And you know my story How exactly? Being a Genius I guess has its advantages? Have fun at WalMart saving the Country.

Once again Genius I believe I am one of the Few who stated He would buy another HD despite the people like you owning them.
 
#289 ·
Nope
 
#296 ·
Would You Buy Another Harley (other than a V-Rod)?
OK , I'll break the draw . When Harley quits making the v-rod , yeah , I will buy some other Harley . I'm partial to sportsters , just because they are nimble , But as I get closer to 60 , riding one of those geezer-glides keeps entering my mind . Oh , ugh , do I HAVE to ride one of those when I retire ?
Mike
 
#298 ·
I retired a few years back and still don't want a bagger - ummmm, that's until I rode an Electraglide for a friend for over an hour when it was 28 degrees outside. If I ever plan on touring a lot, a touring bike it will be for me. Probably not a Harley though.
 
#303 ·
Love my VROD but won't buy another Harley. I want a manufacturer that isn't afraid to market the most technological bike in its stable. The VROD should be the poster child of where HD is going.
This has been discussed on here before at great length. HD tried to a point. They are afraid to market the v-rod line because they might alienate their core market. Some dealership owners refuse to put them on the floor because of this. They should consider bringing back the Buell brand and marketing new technology and the v-rod through them.
 
#308 ·
The MOCO can sell the VROD, duh. Would they have had it for 10+ years if they were not making MOney...? that corporate fist would strike down hard...I heard the Vrod was done what 3-5 years ago?? Yet they still manufacture and sell'em. The V aint going no where fast. Its just a bike. Nothing groundbreaking about it. Ramble on...
 
#309 ·
The MOCO can sell the VROD, duh. Would they have had it for 10+ years if they were not making MOney...? that corporate fist would strike down hard...I heard the Vrod was done what 3-5 years ago?? Yet they still manufacture and sell'em. The V aint going no where fast. Its just a bike. Nothing groundbreaking about it. Ramble on...
it's groundbreaking for a Harley.
 
#311 ·
I'm a newbie here but this thread really fires me up. I recently bought my second 'rod. Have owned five other Harley's as well as many other various speedy Kawasaki, Honda, Ducati, bikes. I am 55 and have been fortunate to have owned around 30 bikes. Had a 2002 'rod that I kept two years then traded it for a Heritage Softail. (Still have it)

The Harley haters out there either watch too many movies from the 60's or are just ignorant on current HD design or the differences between the various models. Please google Harley Davidson market share sometime. You will quickly see that HD essentially owns nearly half of the street bike market and around 70 percent of the touring bike market. These people buy Harley over and over again because the bikes are well designed, are comfortable to ride, and require little service work. You can ride most Harley bikes coast to coast with no worries and without beating yourself up. Bashing half of your fellow bike riders is just ignorant.

Now I like Ducatis, ZX14's, and BMW bikes as well. They all do something well. But for daily riding and for enjoying long motorcycle rides, you cannot beat a Harley.

With that said, my newly purchased VRSCX is in the shop getting cams and a Vance & Hines exhaust. Cannot wait to leave some rubber around the Brighton Michigan area!
 
#315 ·
Aren't people tired of spreading this rumor. It was funny back in 1903 but now its just old and stale. I guess the end of the world and Mayan calendar thing is a bust so its back to the infamous water cooled bagger.

The 103" has barely cut its teeth, H-D can milk this engine for a few more years before having to release something else and even then they can still bump up to the 110" and put the Screaming Eagles on the 120.

The only water cooled baggers in 2014 are going to be customer VRSC modified into RoadRods.
 
#320 ·
Nope. I loved the V Rod the first time I saw it and I had not been interested in any other HD models.

I would not buy another HD other than an upgraded V Rod. It suits my riding style, I love the looks and power and I love the water cooled engine. Its paid off and is a keeper.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top