Shea

I was over at StangNet, and I noticed that most of the people there freely express their distaste/hate for ricers. I've seen that a bit here as well.

I'm not a big fan of ricers myself. I love the sound of a V8, and the torque!!! You all know what I'm talking about.

That being said, I get crap from Harley riders because I ride a Yamaha. The Yamaha V-max that I ride is the fastest cruiser out there. It is a V4, which is very rare for a cruiser. I can't stand all these Harley riders who pay 2-3 times for their bikes compared to my Yamaha, which will outperform their bikes in every way.

Also, the exhaust note on a 4 cylinder bike like mine is quite comparable to a V8 muscle car. Of course Harley did just come out with the V-rod, which is a fast, sweet bike (although engineered by Germans), and the Buell (American, and affiliated with Harley, for those that don't know) motorcycles are pretty cool, but in the end, I ride a ricer because it outperforms any American bike.

So, am I a traitor because I love Stangs, but ride a Japanese bike?

Lastly, on StangNet, I saw this tagline, it made me LOL:

Dating is just like prostitution, only you dont always get what you paid for

ov3n

The harley guys dont hate on you because your bike performs better, they hate on you because your bike isn't american.

Cruising/touring bikes dont need to out accellerate eachother.. They're meant for... cruising and touring.

IMHO, anyways.. Not intended as a flame or anything.. I think its all good.

I would love to own a bike someday, but a sportbike.. I'm not a huge fan of the japanese sportbikes, mainly because i hate how those inline 4's sound.. I'd prefer something that's not so weed-whackery like a Buell or Ducati. My friend has a Yamaha R6 that is really nice, though.. minus that dang sound

Shea

Understood, but what if I told you that you could have the best of both worlds?

My bike is a cruiser/tourer/standard that is very comfortable to ride (and I've owned 10 bikes, so I know what it's like to ride a crotch rocket like the R6). My bike will also do the 1/4 in less than 11 seconds.

Let me know when you find a Buell that will do that.

mr-mstng

Everone has their likes/dislikes. The bottom line is: do what YOU want, regardless of what other people think. You can't please all the people all the time, so you may as well make yourself happy.

I've had 2 Hondas and a Ducati. I'd like to have a V-rod someday. I buy what I want, when I want, because unless someone is giving me a blank check for that bike or car, its my money and my decision.

Do what you want and enjoy life!

mhapner

Shea: Good choice on the bike. I just paid off my Miata and waiting til '06 to get a Mustang (want that titanium color and 18" wheels). But before I get a Mustang, I'm getting a motorcycle and the V-Max is #1 on the list. I want a "best of both worlds" bike. I want something that I can put my wife on and ride all day but I also want a sport bike (the R6 was high on the list). There is no way anyone would enjoy a day's riding on the back of an R6. So the V-Max seems to fit the bill perfectly. And since the V-Max is almost unchanged since '85...I can find a super clean, low mileage used bike for a good deal.
Don't worry about the Harley guys. They are just jealous because you paid WAY less for a bulletproof bike that will outperform theirs. I'm not paying $18K so someone else will think I'm cool.

And here's a test from just a few years back, compairing all the muscle bikes:
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/roadtests/Musclebikes/
Guess who's #1. B)

TennesseeMustangManiac

I think Mustangs should not be even in the same sentence with japanese autos. American Muscle all the way, forget about that import crap.

Dr Iven

There's nothing wrong with imports. They're good cars, and for the most part are cheap. Rice is when you add a lot of gawdy exterior decorations to make the car (normally an import) look fast, when in actuality, it is a stock 130 hp 4-banger.

The Harley riders who hate on crotchrockets don't care how fast they are or even how they look. Just the fact that they're from an overseas company fuels their dislike. It's just extreme patriotism. Harley riders get Harleys because of the look, the comfort, the sound, and perhaps above all the Harley TRADITION. The V-Rod is an awesome bike, and my dad is going to buy one in a few months. He's been a Yamaha guy his whole life, though, owning bikes back to when he was 10 years old.

It's all personal preference and taste, and as long as you don't have a big batwing on the back fender of your bike, you deserve much respect from any biker.

mr-mstng

I would hope the sportbike guys have more taste than that, but its just a matter of time....

FrankBullitt05

Yeah, between bikes and cars...its a whole different playing field imo

Harley purists are all about Harleys...so any one else riding Ducatis, Triumphs, Yamahas, whatever is looked down upon

With cars, a really nicely tuned Civic is nothing to be ashamed of, but if its all show and no go...than its rice.

BTW, have ya heard about that bike with an old '32 Ford V8? I saw one a few weeks ago, and man was it boss. Really just a cruiser, but man it rocks!

Evil_Capri

Ken Freund
Rider Report
Tuesday April 29, 2003


Just when we thought we had heard of everything, along comes Honest Charley’s V-8 Flathead Motorcycles. The bikes feature vintage Ford V-8 60-horsepower engines originally used in Ford cars from 1937 to 1940. Flathead motorcycles are one-of-a-kind machines; each is unique, no two are alike. Therefore components and specifications may vary.

Engines are inspected and rebuilt to OEM specifications with new rings, bearings and timing gears for dependable service.

At 60 mph the engines turn approximately 2,700-2,800 rpm.

Although overheating is claimed to generally not be a problem, air must flow through the radiator for cooling. Motorcycles are pre-wired for optional electric fans.

The transmission can be removed to service the clutch with the engine in the frame and the back wheel in position. Valve service can also be accomplished with the engine in place. Standard fitment is a Mustang solo saddle, a passenger pillion pad can be installed at no additional charge if desired. Dual tool/storage bags are positioned on each side below the seat. There is no warranty of any kind.



Specifications:

Styling: Vintage hardtail

Engine: Ford Flathead V8, 60 horsepower

Displacement: 136 CI, 2,200cc

Compression Ratio: 6.1:1 (OEM heads)

Fuel consumption: 20-30 miles per gallon.

Exhaust: Dual open exhaust, 4 cylinders exit into each 1 3/4" pipe

Fuel System: 2-barrel automotive carburetor concealed beneath leather panel with electric fuel pump.

Fuel capacity: 4 gallons (approx) including reserve

Cooling: Radiator with twin water pumps

Charging system: Delco single-wire 12-volt alternator

Ignition: Key switch with dual-point distributor and coil

Battery: Hawker 12-volt dry type

Lighting: Vintage style headlight, vintage-style Cat Eye tailight

Clutch: Handlebar lever control, automotive single-disc

Transmission: 3:71:1 direct drive (Engage clutch and go!), gearbox has spiral bevel-cut gears, ratio 1:1

Secondary Drive: 13T front sprocket, 48T rear, #530 HD O-ring chain

Front Fork: Hydraulic with 35-degree rake

Frame: Custom downtube hardtail

Wheels: Laced-spoke, black

Tires: Firestone Deluxe Champion Front 3.25 x 19, Rear 500 x 16 4 ply tube type

Brakes-

Front: Single-piston hydraulic, 11.5" disc

Rear: Foot operated mechanical drum

Speedometer: Mechanical 160 mph with odometer

Weight: Approximately 750 pounds

Price: $19,500

Honest Charley Custom Components, 1317 Chestnut Street

Chattanooga, TN 37402; ; (423) 326-0505 or 888-795-7077; or to view pictures visit www.coker.com/flathead.asp.

Dr Iven

It's cool and all, but, honestly... what good is a 750 lb motorcycle with 60 hp and 25 mpg?

mr-mstng

Slap a turbo on a Hyabusa, and you can whip just about anything on wheels.

BigBoyBoelts

I really dont like harleys(This includes the V-rod!), cost too much, performance is a minimal, and upkeep is terrible! Plus any more it seems that every weekend warrior needs to have a bike and they all think about harley, there are some many other and better choices out there for the money!

I hate ricers just as much, not all imports, just ricers, the guys that would rather make their cars look fast than actually BE fast!

grtpmkn

Dr Iven pretty much summed up what "ricers" really are. I for one pretty much love anything with wheels on it. I am also one who cares to not "follow the herd", which is what alot of the average Harley owners are doing. To many of them, it's all about the image more than it is about the ride. That's fine and dandy, but I am into what "I" want to do. I ride a Suzuki SV1000N. It's a 1000cc V-twin that handles wickedly in the corners, accelerates hard and wasn't outrageously priced. It's "therapy" for me when I'm having a bad day.

StevenJ

I don't know why the heck you guys hate on Harleys so much. I plan on getting a Sportster one day and it's a great bike. As a matter of fact, according to http://motorcycle.com/mo/mccompare/valuebi...0valuebike.html, Sportsters are a great bike to have. They finished second overall in that comparison. Now this is an old article but the new ones have very little old Harley problems at all. For example, the 04's have liquid filled motor mounts which manage to challange out most of the vibratoin caused by the motor.

Also Sportsters are relatively CHEAP, $5000-$7000, for a good 883 and there is an enormous aftermarket for them. I agree that Vrods aren't worth the money and are nothing more than a Porsche Vtwin with a Harley logo, but don't disgrace Dynas, Softails, and ESPECIALLY not Sportsters! Now I do not own a bike yet, but I still dream of getting to own a Sportster, one day. Possibly when I get out of college. And btw, Buells are the only sport bikes to hold fuel in thier frame and very agile street bikes. NO they aren't not super fast like thoose 'super' bikes that turn their owners into organ donors. They are meant to be ridden easy and do tricks like wheelies and such.

Dr Iven

The V-Rod was an all-new design, purpose built for Harley under the direction of Willie G. Davidson. Yeah, the engine was perfected by Porsche, but the design is totally original and unlike any Harley out there. At 115 hp, it can keep up with a lot of the sportbikes out there, but is also built for cruising. Dealers do way overprice them, and even the MSRP is pretty high, but a good used one with a few thousand miles of riding can be found for around $11,000.

Shea

Actually, dealers tried to overprice V-rods, but with the Harley purist crowd, they didn't get much response in selling them, so you can get 03s NEW for 15K now.

As far as the sportster...hey, if you like it, buy it. I think Sportsters look like crap, but that is just my opinion. They perform decent, and they hold their value well, as do all Harleys. I would never buy one though.

Anyway, I didn't see anyone "hating on Harleys," we were only talking about how stupid it is when people buy Harleys because they are made in the USA and then hate on people like me who would rather have a bike which performs better and costs less.

And yes, my V-max is better in every way (except for handling, since my bike weighs a lot more) than the Sportster. I bought my V-max used, and could sell it today for what I bought it for, and I have a friend who has a bored and stroked, ported and polished Sporster, and he can't even come close to keeping up with me. He's a really nice guy though. ps, a lot of Harley riders consider the Sportster a "girl's bike" so if you want to know who is putting down Sportster, you need to look no further than the people who ride the "manly" Harleys.

As someone said earlier, ride what you want! I don't hate Harleys, only the Harley riders who are a-holes towards people like me who ride Japanese.

Shea

Also, had to add, that "Porshe V-twin" is the best thing Harley ever did in regards to performance. It is about dam time they came out with a liquid-cooled, 90 degree cruiser.

For anyone who thinks the V-rod stinks, I'd love to ask what their basis for that statement is...the V-rod is the best performing Harley EVER!

If you don't like the styling, well, then that is a totally different issue.

StevenJ

I'm aware. Eveil Kenievel (SP) still rode one. I don't care, I like em!

grtpmkn

No hating on Harley's here. But "turning their owners into organ donors".....look whose hatin' now?!?! And here I thought we were all "one" in that we are motorcyclists.