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[Pegus]

I have friend who has three, "what used to be Harley's".
He has re-built all of them in different styles, but always with the same goal, to replace as many of the Harley parts as possible with 3rd party parts.
The only remaining Harley part on his latest build is now apparently the gearbox!

First I have no clue if this is common, so please fill me in, but more interestingly after reading this thread I wonder where the Harley community would "position" his bikes?

Sorry no pics, but they do look really cool, but could hardly have any Harley Soul left in them, or could they?
A Harley with an S&S engine, is that still a cool Harley?

Hmmm. Deep Stuff!!!

Conclusion ==> Love YOUR Bike for whatever reason that makes sense to you!

So to return to the topic of the thread, if those GW owners still insist on wanting to know why you ride a Harley, it's probably just because they are not convinced that they made the right choice themselves. So please don't return their questions  

The 2011 Convertible in Maple is worlds best bike ever!!,.....FOR ME!  For Now!!    

[napalm]

Remember, if I have to explain, you wouldn't understand......

napalm

[SBB]

The 2011 Convertible in Maple is worlds best bike ever!!,.....FOR ME!  For Now!!   

Pegus

Great post!

SBB

[HogBreath]

I never got laid because of my Honda.

Come to think of it, I never got laid becuse of my Harley neither.

Oh yea, I'm a virgin.

[Spiderman]

Really ? You can't lay a Honda over like that ?

Well that explains why I crashed so much from 13 -19 yrs old riding Hondas

Thank you Mr Half_Crazy. I've been wondering about this for going on 40 yrs

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[spydglide]

I never got laid because of my Honda.

How 'bout IN a Honda?... .....or ON a Honda?    Or, by a Honda    Har!  spyder          (just trying to keep with the    of this thread)

[Spiderman]

I never got laid because of my Honda.

Come to think of it, I never got laid becuse of my Harley neither.

Oh yea, I'm a virgin.

That splains them funny pants you wear 


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[Midnight Rider]

How 'bout IN a Honda?... .....or ON a Honda?    Or, by a Honda    Har!  spyder          (just trying to keep with the    of this thread)

How about IN a '69 Karmann Ghia?  Sometimes it helps to be 5'8"   

[RedDevil]

Sorry, Mate, but I don't spend my money with an eye toward what other people will think of me, especially people who don't actually ride motorcycles or know anything about motorcycles (or little kids in diapers). Some people seem to think that owning a certain motorcycle will make them cool or that chicks will suddenly dig them. A dork on a $150,000 custom motorcycle is still a dork. A cool guy on a Vespa step-thru is still a cool guy. I find it sad that someone would have such low self esteem that they actually believe owning some iconic brand of motorcycle will transform them from Richie Cunningham into Fonzie overnight.

And a cool guy on a Vespa is still a dork!! 

[Half_Crazy]

Really ? You can't lay a Honda over like that ?
Well that explains why I crashed so much from 13 -19 yrs old riding Hondas
Thank you Mr Half_Crazy. I've been wondering about this for going on 40 yrs

What are you talking about? Trapper said you couldn't... I showed that indeed you can. Are you posting on your phone and can't see the quotes?

[Half_Crazy]

And a cool guy on a Vespa is still a dork!!

You're right, the bike makes the man.... 

I drove a forest green '73 Pinto station wagon with wood grain side panels. My buddy drove a '71 'Vette. I got more by accident than he got on purpose. Why? The 'Vette didn't make up for the fact that he was a dork, had no game, and he was broke (blew all his money on the car).... While I had a crappy car, but lots of self-confidence, a pocket full of cash, and a girl on each arm. Go figure. 

[Half_Crazy]

Harley makes a touring bike by taking a Road King and bolting on touring gear/electronics.

Other manufacturers have the advantage of starting with a blank sheet of paper and designing a touring rig from scratch. Bikes like the BMW K/LT and their new 6 cylinder tourer, the Goldwing, and even the Victory Vision were purpose-built tourers. Less compromises that way.

Not to take anything away from Harley, or to say they are not good bikes to tour on, just pointing out the reasons why things are the way they are. Sometimes being a slave to tradition can be a disadvantage.

In my group of usual suspects we have Ultra Classics and we have 'Wings and we have a Royal Star Tour Deluxe. The Harleys, even with stage 1 + cams, are out-gunned by the multi-cylinder bikes when it comes to performance. However, most of the guys prefer the HDs anyway.

[spydglide]

Harley makes a touring bike by taking a Road King and bolting on touring gear/electronics.

Other manufacturers have the advantage of starting with a blank sheet of paper and designing a touring rig from scratch. Bikes like the BMW K/LT and their new 6 cylinder tourer, the Goldwing, and even the Victory Vision were purpose-built tourers. Less compromises that way.

Actually, the RoadKing came about as a stripped down touring model, not the other way around.  Look back at the old Electra Glides and DuoGlides before the RoadKings were 'birthed'.    spyder

[Half_Crazy]

Actually, the RoadKing came about as a stripped down touring model, not the other way around.  Look back at the old Electra Glides and DuoGlides before the RoadKings were 'birthed'.    spyder

True, I should have said E-Glide. Still, all the same chassis, just add/take away 'stuff'.

In any case a full-on touring rig is not my thing. I like bikes that are more raw, at least for now. No telling what will happen if/when I grow up...

[Spiderman]

Actually, the RoadKing came about as a stripped down touring model, not the other way around.  Look back at the old Electra Glides and DuoGlides before the RoadKings were 'birthed'.    spyder

The orginal H-D baggers, the FL series that survives to this day were the ONLY H-D's made until the Sportster was introduced in the 50's. That frame was designated XL. Around 1971 or so if memory serves, Willie G Davidson put an XL front end on an FL frame along with a one piece seat rear fender and the FX or "Super Glide" was born. FL's with internal fairings and enclosed electronics did not show up until the 80's. I owned a 1984 FLH "Electra-Glide" aka King of The Road. It came with a unadorned detachable fairing, fiberglass saddlebags and big fenders, floorboards, heel/toe shifter, automobile style brake pedal etc. H-D offered a FLH Sport at that time. It came with no windshield or saddlebags. You don't see very many of them around any more. About the time H-D began putting Evo motors in their FL series lineup, Honda was selling Goldwings with two piece fairings that housed all kinds of electronics. The precursor to this had been Vetter. They must have sold a bazillion fairings and luggage pieces before the orginal Honda GL1000 got gussied up. In any event H-D took note and soon there were Electra-Glides with two piece enclosed batwing fairings with radio etc as well as the FLT line and of course the FXRT, FXRP and one year of the FXRD with their Kawaski Cop bike clone fairings.

So, in conclusion, I'd say that H-D has been building "baggers" forever whereas, Softails, Dynas and all the variations thereof are quite new in the history of the MoCo. Once could really make the case that when the Road King was introduced it was a return to those baggers of yore and that the newer style Electra-Glides and Tour-Glides are indeed gussied up Road Kings although the time-line of the Road King name makes this one of those chicken/egg debates.

And that's my $0.02

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