68 replies to this topic

[lynnlchan]

I have a 2005 Harley Softail Deluxe. I have had EXTENSIVE aftermarket work done as she now has about 100HP. Here are some pics down memory lane as my Chrome Addiction took hold:

I think you guys will appreciate the license plates:



Me cruising into Sturgis out of Sundance, Wy.



Here is back near Sundance. Most of you should recognize the location:



Here are two more RECENT pics with the latest mods. Sorry they were took with an Iphone:

Your pics didn't show for some reason - or maybe it's operator error on my part.

BTW - maybe it's a colloquialism but a squid is a 'squirrelly kid' and is used to reference a kid on a crotch rocket. Had to tease you as you're a Harley guy and all.

[Houston Squid]

Your pics didn't show for some reason - or maybe it's operator error on my part. ... a squid is a 'squirrelly kid'

Well now, then who is the Squid now? hehe!

Yeah, I know about the nickname, and anyone that knows me well know I love the fact that how the nickname is used in the Sport Bike world and even more for a doofus.

However, I decided to let my 9 years in the Navy trump their silly use of the nickname.

The Real Squid

[lynnlchan]

Your pics didn't show for some reason - or maybe it's operator error on my part. ... a squid is a 'squirrelly kid'

Well now, then who is the Squid now? hehe!

However, I decided to let my 9 years in the Navy trump their silly use of the nickname.

The Real Squid

Squirrelly - yes, kid - only at heart. I like to say it's part of my charm and sometimes I'm very charming.

Is there a term for squirrelly sport bike riders over the age of 40?

9 years in the Navy trumps a whole lot of stuff. Hats off to you.

Lynn

[ev780]

OK so here is my old and new. I guess I got a Crimson red thing goin'. Oh well it happens.

[Victoria]

OK so here is my old and new. I guess I got a Crimson red thing goin'. Oh well it happens.

You call it crimson red....but it looks like Aggie Maroon ta me! Well done!

[peterbj7]

a Harley guy

I envy you Americans, as you've had Harleys to be proud of all these years. Admittedly we Brits do have Triumphs and very fine motorcycles they are, but although the name is old the pedigree of the modern company is short. The British motorcycle industry never saw the modern multi-cylinder bikes from Japan coming until it was too late, and although old British bikes have and had then a lot of character they can't, and couldn't, really be used as reliable transport. So motorbikes have largely degenerated into purely functional objects, as opposed to the works of art that this thread is celebrating.

That said, we've never had a Harley culture over there because we've always been a nation of all-weather bikers and Harleys weren't up to that treatment. That and they're very expensive over there. I don't know if they're now more durable and weather-resistant, but it's academic as no-one wants to take a gleaming pride-and-joy as in the photo above out into the rain. In Britain's dense stop-start traffic, good brakes, slick handling and snappy acceleration become very important, and Brits see Harleys as more suitable for long gentle cruising on the dead straight and flat roads of the American mid-west, where you can tell by the calendar if it's going to rain or not.

To a Brit the ideal bike has the handling of a Ducati, the durability of a BMW, the build quality of a Honda, the performance of a Kawasaki, and perhaps the style of a Harley. Nowadays you can add to that the fuel economy of a French diesel car. Sadly such a bike has never yet been made.

Edited by peterbj7, 16 February 2009 - 07:22 AM.

[lynnlchan]

a Harley guy

To a Brit the ideal bike has the handling of a Ducati, the durability of a BMW, the build quality of a Honda, the performance of a Kawasaki, and perhaps the style of a Harley. Nowadays you can add to that the fuel economy of a French diesel car. Sadly such a bike has never yet been made.

And if a (Brit) guy were to just have a need for speed, what would the ideal bike be? Not that I'm thinking of anyone on this thread in particular...

[hambergler]

Need for speed-wise, nothing beats either a Suzuki Hyabusa with an intercooled turbocharger on a long flat straight road someplace in West Texas, or a full-on 1000cc MotoGP bike geared for a long track like the old Le Mans Mulsanne Straight with no chicanes.

The fastest place I've ever been is the old back straight at Road Atlanta, which wound through the hills and pine trees for about a mile to the heart-stopping Gravity Cavity--we would come off the track (pit-in was after the Gravity Cavity) with full-on wood and ear-to-ear grins of pure fright. The new version is just not the same, but then again, nobody's died there since they changed it...

Peter, my father worked for Triumph's parts subsidiary in the US, Top Gear, in the early-mid 1970s just when the Japanese were taking over the US bike market (the Brit bike builders and Harley saw it coming, but refused to, or couldn't, do anything about it); they went belly-up in 1974 or 1975, and my father had to work as a service manager at a dealership until he got his job with Yamaha's parts subsidiary YPDI. He had a chance to go to work with Harley at about the same time, but they were in bad shape and he didn't think they would make it (anybody remember AMF-Harley Davidson?); he still kicks himself about that, because they take care of their people, and Yamaha was (maybe still is) notorious for treating their US employees like cattle.

Remember Lucas Electronics? Sir John (?) Lucas was called "The Prince of Darkness", and I've seen T-shirts with images of Lucas headlight switches printed on them: "OFF...DIM...FLICKER".

[peterbj7]

if a (Brit) guy were to just have a need for speed, what would the ideal bike be?

I'm sure I can't imagine who you're referring to . But outright speed isn't (usually) the point. Most roads have wiggles in them, and it's nice to be able to get round those wiggles in one piece. Japanese bikes have greatly improved since the days when you could blast down a straight, but had to get off and wheel the bike round the bends.

The fastest I've been on a bike is about 180mph on a Kawasaki, but although it might have been OK on a racetrack for me the handling didn't come close to what I need on the road.

Probably the best all-round fast bike I've ever ridden was a Hailwood-replica Ducati, but in those days the electrical switchgear was dreadful and the quality of assembly not much better. But the handling was a dream.

As a real-world bike I was greatly impressed with the BMW K1200GT, with the older-style "housebrick" engine. The replacement model is much faster and lighter and probably better (I haven't ridden it) but the earlier one is plenty fast enough for most sane people and has a wonderful feeling of solidity on the road, combined with surprising agility. And of course the shaft drive is clean and needs no regular fiddling like a chain and little maintenance during the life of the bike.

I don't like the Hayabusa at all. It's certainly (very) fast, but it's not well designed and not that well put together. And I don't like the attitude of the company to faults. The early models had a nasty habit of the rear sub-frame breaking - one person in England had an amazing escape when at over 100mph he suddenly found himself sitting on the back wheel. One of many reported incidents of the subframe simply breaking off. Yet Suzuki ducked and weaved and did everything they could to try to avoid liability. I don't deal with companies like that.

I think the best Jap bikes are the Kawasakis. They have incredibly powerful and durable engines - 500k miles isn't uncommon - but the cycle parts leave something to be desired. The weakest are Yamaha, with Suzuki not much above them. Honda are pretty well made but don't inspire me.

If I were going to buy a chain bike I'd love a Ducati if someone else was paying the bills; otherwise I'd probably buy a Triumph. The mechanicals have the durability of Kawasaki but the overall quality and thoughtfulness of design is IMO better. But I don't like chains - they're OK on the track when they're replaced after every race, but in the real world they're unreliable, don't last long, need a lot of maintenance, and are extremely expensive to replace. That's why I have a BMW and will probably continue to have BMWs.

Edited by peterbj7, 16 February 2009 - 09:20 PM.

[lynnlchan]

So, for those of you that live in balmy locations this will be no big deal. I had the bike out tonight. A week ago it was below zero here. Today, high 60s, we almost made 70. It was gorgeous. This is the first time I've had the bike out before the snow was gone as there's still lots in low lying areas.

And does anyone watch the races? I have to confess I know very little about it so feel free to explain it to me. I've been watching the superbike races. Is Spies going to walk away with it this year? Isn't it his rookie year?

[peterbj7]

In England (where I am currently) this is a treacherous time to go biking, because some sheltered north-facing slopes can still have ice on them. Even as late as May I once nearly came off on a minor road when I hit a patch of ice I wasn't expecting. And although it's starting to feel relatively warm and the daffodils are out and the fruit trees in blossom, the air is still pretty cold and you feel it on a bike. Sadly I'm going to have to sell my BMW, as I'm not here enough to justify the annual costs of road licence, insurance and annual roadworthiness check (which is costly and very thorough - bikes often fail and I think mine will as the front tyre is coming up to be replaced).

[Jerrymxz]

2004 heritage Softail Classic, But this one is mine

[lynnlchan]

I bought a 2001 Suzuki sv650 last Thursday. Now I just need to learn how to ride it. I'm signed up for the motorcyle course at the end of the month. Looking forward to it as we are planning a short trip to the Smoky's to do some riding.

That's so cool! People love their SVs and that deep v-twin sound is great.