Harley Kicking

Well said.:up: it's kind of a "do what I say, not what I do" mentality. I took the ring outta my nose back in the days of the $500 toilet seat. high price doesn't always equal high quality. which brings us back to Honda vs. Harley. But I will say Harley has some real nice showrooms.

[MrBones]

Yes Harley has nice show rooms. and their doing things and sticking together is very enviable. It is so sad they still claim to be all American made. And charge such exorbante prices. Most the Harley guys mean well but are not thinking. They condem us for riding a different bike than theirs and yet ours is a lot better. And yes I have owned Harleys. Had a brand new 54. It was the last Hog that was any good for me. Had a 53 Triump 650 Thunderbird that would run circles around it.

My first Valkyrie was a 99 model.  It had "Made In America" stamped on the engine block just rear of the right side valve cover.    My 01 Valkyrie doesn't have it stamped anywhere on the bike.......they were still made at the same plant as the 99 model....what happened??anyone know??

[Cycho]

In 1999 the bike only had to have 60% of the parts actually made in the US to allow the "Made in USA".  It was raised in 2000, don't know what the required content is now.  New Harley's don't have made in USA on them either.

Dan

[John-LXII]

Before owning a Valk, I had a Honda Magna, which I drove to Americade a few years ago with some friends.

Before the trip, I bought a plastic flag pole and an American flag to mount on the luggage rack.  One of my buddies, who also rides a Honda (ST1100) said I should remove it so I don't get crap from people for having an American flag on a Japanese bike.

My response...

The flag signifies my right to choose.

Amen! I will fight to the death to defend your rights.
Mike

Hopefully not to your death, lol. I also have our flag on my bike.

[John-LXII]

And don't worry, I've got your back.

[rodeo1]

aw, come on guys !

ya gotta quit picking on the poor harley guys. picking on them is like being mean to handicapped people.

i mean, just think how frustrating it must be to go out and pay over 20 grand for a bike, just to try and impress everyone, and find out it only has 60 h.p.

think about the saddness they must feel when they find out they could have had two really nice bikes for the same money, and one could have been a valk.

that is really sad. so we must instead, have pity on them. they are just poor, misguided souls that paid so much for their "american" bike that they couldn't even afford a helmet.
(or a deer whistle)

dennis

I hope I don't step on anybody's toes but just a few thoughts...

I've been riding for years, since my first minibike in about 73-74. My first experience with the "Harley Mentality" occured back in 84, right after I re-entered the world of motorcycles by purchasing a left-over 82 Yamaha Maxim 650. I was in Wichita at the time and stunned at how many guys with missing teeth found it necessary to tell me that they owned a Harley. And these were just people I happened to be sitting beside at stop lights or in parking lots. I would just smile and say something like, "Cool" or "Great."

Well then I moved to the Houston area and was expecting worse since it's the bigger city and all. To my suprise, Harley riders around here are typically friendlier. Well in some cases anyway. But they still make remarks. I've had the following over the last few years:

86 Honda V65 Magna
92 Katana 750
96 GPZ1100 (current)

I guess I get fewer remarks now because the GPZ looks like a sports bike and Harley riders don't seem to take as much offense to them as what they percieve as "Harley wannabes".

Anyway, BOT, I was at a gas station a few years ago and had a Harley rider snicker at my bike. When I asked him what was funny he just said something about Jap bikes or rice burner or something like that. I just responded with, "Harley rider huh? I'd laugh at you but your salesman has already been doing that ever since you bought the thing." He asked me what I meant and I just told him about every Harley salesman I've ever known socially and how they make fun of the the people who buy the HD. It's a weird thing. Hell, even my last GF (who previously dated a HD salesman) admitted that he used to make fun of the Suburban bikers all the time.

The irony of the whole thing is that the Harley rider (traditional biker) was the loner type who longed for the freedom of the road. The typical Harley rider of today longs for social acceptance and fitting in with this faux biker subculture. While the jap bikers seem to be the ones who want to break the mold and don't care as much about the social acceptance. Hmmm... go figure.

My next bike is gonna be a Valkyrie. I've loved them since I first layed eyes on one. I plan to get one this year, hence my coming here and checking things out.

The wonderful thing about motorcycles is you can be a loner or a social animal!

I've met a lot of interesting people, over the years, on bikes of all kinds. I ride alone all the time and with a group whenever I can.

Japanese wannabes, Indian, HD, Triumph, Ducati, etc ..I don't care if they polk fun, as long as it is in fun. With exception of the crotch rockets most of them are in my rear view mirror anyhow HAHAHAHA!

Enjoy the new/ used Valk!
Mike

Gosh Retrodog........that's the best way to explain Harley Riders I've read in a long time....hahaha

I ride an 05 Electra Glide at work (non ABS) and own a 99 Valkyrie Standard. Although the Harley is a thousand times better than a RMP (Marked Unit) except for maybe when it's raining.... the Honda is the one I would rather be on. In fact, not one guy in the unit owns a Harley.
Stuntman
New Jersey