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It happened again. Harley culture versus mainstream motorcycle culture.
VMAX-VROD:
I have a number of CVO Harleys and other bikes from most other manufacturers, as I have for years.
I’m not a test rider. I generally know exactly what I want and just buy it. But the local Harley dealership recently had a Demo Day, and there were a few models I wondered if I had any interest in. So I decided to take the day and go ride several of the new models, particularly the Panamerica and the latest CVOs.
I had showed up on my 2020 Yamaha VMAX and parked it innocuously in the row of customer bikes participating in the Demo Day. After the last ride, a California-transplant Harley rider was yammering on and on about how big a gearhead he was and his Street Glide was putting down a massive 105HP/TQ while his VRod was a monster putting down 120HP.
He said no one knew what a quick/fast Harley was because Harley guys don’t want to talk about VRods. So I responded that I’d talk to him about VRods, and he continued his spew about how superior he was and his bike was to anything else on the road. I just nodded and let him be ignorant for a bit. Then I told him I rode to the Demo Day on my little metric over there, and pointed to the VMAX.
He said, “Isn’t that a 4 cylinder?” I nodded yes. He said he really wanted to run it stoplight to stoplight, because he really thinks his VRod will put it down. I asked where his VRod was, and he said he’d ridden the Street Glide today. He then said I wouldn’t ever get anyone to ride with me if I had a VMAX. Or at least not anyone cool, as he put it. I said I didn’t really have any trouble finding others to ride with me, regardless what I was riding. And I do have a decent collection of CVO bikes.
He said he wanted to get together for a drag race soon. He’s very sure his 120HP VRod will show taillights to my 174HP VMAX. I continue to be amazed at the stupidity and vanity of mankind, no matter where it comes from. Owning a CVO VRod with 118HP, I’m quite familiar with the comparative performance of the VRod and VMAX. It’s not even the same universe, street or track.
I just wish the Harley community as a whole had a better index of objective truth relative to performance metrics for all kinds of bikes. 100-130HP Harley baggers aren’t the pinnacle of performance. They are what they are, which isn’t a bad thing. But it takes a lot for a Harley bagger to run with a stock BMW K1600, much less something much stronger. I don’t get why there’s such intentional cognitive bias about performance amongst Harley riders. I doubt many of them are cross-shopping Superbikes for realistic purchases. The race replicas weigh under 450# wet and are putting down over 200HP at the tire when flashed and piped. That’s a different world.
Any comments? (Please, no more Cali braggarts.)
Twolanerider:
You've got more patience than I do for staying in the conversation as long as you did. The whole "mine is bigger/faster/whatever" just bores and has for a long long time. I just never really cared what anyone else rode or how anyone else felt about mine. I like mine. They make me happy. That's good enough for me. If someone else feels anywhere kinda/sorta the same we'll go riding and drink a beer. If they can't shut up about all the rest of the noise I'll get on my slow old stock bike and ride the other way.
Not sure if age brings cranky or wisdom. But it works for me :2vrolijk_21: .
VMAX-VROD:
--- Quote from: Twolanerider on June 08, 2021, 11:46:06 PM ---You've got more patience than I do for staying in the conversation as long as you did. The whole "mine is bigger/faster/whatever" just bores and has for a long long time. I just never really cared what anyone else rode or how anyone else felt about mine. I like mine. They make me happy. That's good enough for me. If someone else feels anywhere kinda/sorta the same we'll go riding and drink a beer. If they can't shut up about all the rest of the noise I'll get on my slow old stock bike and ride the other way.
Not sure if age brings cranky or wisdom. But it works for me :2vrolijk_21: .
--- End quote ---
Exactly. I would’ve never brought up performance or my VMAX. The day was about the new H-D models and the Demo ride. Let’s just talk about human stuff and leave the genital comparisons to the animal world. I’d rather have heard what he thought about what he rode in the demo run. I won’t be contacting him for a street race.
dayne66:
--- Quote from: Twolanerider on June 08, 2021, 11:46:06 PM --- If someone else feels anywhere kinda/sorta the same we'll go riding and drink a beer.
--- End quote ---
But......what kind of beer? hahaha
OBB:
Lemme guess. His SG was black wasn't it?
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