Shameless - Sorry

[Guest Nogbad]

Quite unexpectedly I was offered the chance to take a Street Rod for a long ride whilst my Buell was in for service. The bike concerned was the low seat version with optional higher bars, so represented a sort of half way house between the standard Street Rod and the full on V-Rod chopper experience.

 

They offered me either, but I wasn’t sure whether I could get on with the extreme feet forward riding position of the V-Rod, so opted for the Street Rod with mid-controls.

 

This bike is looooong, and even though less “kicked out” at the front than the V-Rod, still has a very shallow head angle compared with anything else I have ever ridden. It is also low and in the case of this particular bike, very low. A 4ft 6in girl would have no difficulty getting both feet on the ground. Surprisingly, it is also quite narrow too.

 

So, on to the engine. To look at, the engine is a lot bulkier than the old style 45° air cooled Harley motors, probably down to the wider angle V and the water-cooling. It’s not a bad looking motor though, and the crackle finish paint stays on too.

 

The motor fired up on the button and settled to a pleasant “muzzy” sounding idle. I did manage to stall it at the first attempt, as it does need a bit of throttle to pull away, unlike the Buell, which would probably wheelie if I dumped the clutch at idle.

 

The Street Rod motor is a pleasant one, very smooth with spot on fuelling, giving a satisfying low level vibration when worked hard, that fades at cruise. Nice. Could do with a slightly louder pipe though. There is ample torque throughout the rev range, and the bike is as nice to ride short-shifted on the torque as it is to really rev. The engine will really rev as well, and doesn’t get breathless or buzzy when you do. Hiding up at the top end is a rush similar to that found in the V11, but on the H-D the rev limit is higher, and the rush longer.

 

Gearbox:

 

5 speeds, and you don't need any more. The bike is geared to cruise, and is relaxing at speed without revving too high. The ratios are well spaced and the shift action was like butter. A longer throw than on a Jap bike, but if you are used to a V11 or BMW gearbox you will love the Street Rod.

 

Handling:

 

I expected this bike to handle like a grand piano on a bowling alley. How could I be so wrong! I obviously don’t understand the relationship of geometry to handling, because firstly the ‘Rod steers pretty fast, and secondly you don’t need much pressure on the bars to make it go where you want. I found it to be light and flickable in the urban setting, and to be planted in sweepers, as you might expect from the long wheelbase. Although there isn’t that much ground clearance, you can corner fairly enthusiastically without grounding anything out.

 

Feet up U turns are a breeze, although you need a lot of road given the relatively limited steering lock and long length of the bike. With the low c of g the bike can be brought to a halt feet up and paused for several seconds. Looks good in traffic!

 

The suspension is fairly soft giving a comfortable ride, but it isn’t excessively soft, and I didn’t experience vagueness or bouncing even on some really poor surfaces. Fork dive is a problem on heavy braking though and I think the shallow head angle and kicked-out geometry tends to make this worse.

 

Brakes:

 

You see a lot of slagging off of H-D brakes, and I wondered if it would be deserved in this case. It was not; the Street Rod has a conventional twin front single rear disc set up, and the brakes were progressive and smooth. In fact, I would say that the Street Rod brakes were far more user friendly than my Buell brakes, and whilst not as good as those of my V11, could certainly be said to meet a high standard of effectiveness and satisfaction in use. The rear brake in particular offers exceptional feel and stopping power without locking up prematurely, and I found myself using both brakes together much more than I normally would. You do need to, because the Street Rod does have a relatively soft fork and relying entirely on the front brake can unsettle the bike. If you use the rear to full effect with the front the bike pulls up with alacrity. It’s just a different technique from a sports bike.

 

What were the negatives then?

 

Well, the riding position really; the bike was far too low for me, and I would have got on better with the higher standard seat option. The high bar option also meant that I acted like the spinnaker on a yacht at speed. It was uncomfortable at 90 and my neck and arms wouldn’t have lasted long. Again the standard Street Rod has much lower bars (about 4” lower) and this would certainly improve matters.

I didn’t really like the instrument cluster. The design is rather fussy, and the tach is a tiny thing in the bottom left.

 

Other stuff:

 

The controls worked well, and are more or less like any other bike. The indicators are not conventional, and H-D seems to have taken a leaf from the BMW book in this respect. There is a turn signal button on each bar for the respective indicator and the winkers are “self-cancelling” just like in a car. I was sceptical at first, but got used to the system very quickly. After pressing the button to turn, the self-cancelling seemed quite intelligent and worked 90% of the time. When passing on dual carriageways, I preferred to cancel manually rather than wait for the timer. Where the H-D system scores over BMW is that a second press of the same button cancels the turn signal.

 

This bike had a fuel gauge! The fuel gauge is in fact bigger than the tach, and lives just to the right of the clear speedo. The fuel gauge did not wander about and if accurate would be most useful. The LCD odometer display could also show miles to reserve – I only discovered this because it was programmed that way as they sent me out on it. According to this display the range of the Street Rod is about 170 miles, exactly the same as a V11. Every bike should have this, and a fuel gauge too!

 

Did I like it?

 

I am ashamed to say that I did. I think the new Harley engine is quite lovely to use, better than the V11 engine, and would kick the ass of the BMW oilhead engine which in my opinion is a rough and unrefined thing little better than a Ural.

 

I wouldn’t want the “custom” style of the low-rider bikes at all. I could be tempted by the standard Street Rod if a good screen or fairing was available to take some of the windblast off.

 

If H-D ever decide to make a non-OTT tourer or sports tourer with the revolution engine and conventional frame geometry, I guess I might buy one.

 

Please accept my apologies if this road test article has offended in any way. Bear in mind I am a rank amateur, patently not objective, and far from a professional bike journalist.

 

In 4000 miles my Buell will be due another service, and I have requested a test on a “Big Twin” hopefully the Road Glide, which is an Electra-Glide without the poofy bits.

[Guest SDKFZ111]

Quite unexpectedly I was offered the chance to take a Street Rod for a long ride whilst my Buell was in for service. The bike concerned was the low seat version with optional higher bars, so represented a sort of half way house between the standard Street Rod and the full on V-Rod chopper experience.

 

They offered me either, but I wasn’t sure whether I could get on with the extreme feet forward riding position of the V-Rod, so opted for the Street Rod with mid-controls.

 

This bike is looooong, and even though less “kicked out” at the front than the V-Rod, still has a very shallow head angle compared with anything else I have ever ridden. It is also low and in the case of this particular bike, very low. A 4ft 6in girl would have no difficulty getting both feet on the ground. Surprisingly, it is also quite narrow too.

 

So, on to the engine. To look at, the engine is a lot bulkier than the old style 45° air cooled Harley motors, probably down to the wider angle V and the water-cooling. It’s not a bad looking motor though, and the crackle finish paint stays on too.

 

The motor fired up on the button and settled to a pleasant “muzzy” sounding idle. I did manage to stall it at the first attempt, as it does need a bit of throttle to pull away, unlike the Buell, which would probably wheelie if I dumped the clutch at idle.

 

The Street Rod motor is a pleasant one, very smooth with spot on fuelling, giving a satisfying low level vibration when worked hard, that fades at cruise. Nice. Could do with a slightly louder pipe though. There is ample torque throughout the rev range, and the bike is as nice to ride short-shifted on the torque as it is to really rev. The engine will really rev as well, and doesn’t get breathless or buzzy when you do. Hiding up at the top end is a rush similar to that found in the V11, but on the H-D the rev limit is higher, and the rush longer.

 

Gearbox:

 

5 speeds, and you don't need any more. The bike is geared to cruise, and is relaxing at speed without revving too high. The ratios are well spaced and the shift action was  like butter. A longer throw than on a Jap bike, but if you are used to a V11 or BMW gearbox you will love the Street Rod.

 

Handling:

 

I expected this bike to handle like a grand piano on a bowling alley. How could I be so wrong! I obviously don’t understand the relationship of geometry to handling, because firstly the ‘Rod steers pretty fast, and secondly you don’t need much pressure on the bars to make it go where you want. I found it to be light and flickable in the urban setting, and to be planted in sweepers, as you might expect from the long wheelbase. Although there isn’t that much ground clearance, you can corner fairly enthusiastically without grounding anything out.

 

Feet up U turns are a breeze, although you need a lot of road given the relatively limited steering lock and long length of the bike. With the low c of g the bike can be brought to a halt feet up and paused for several seconds. Looks good in traffic!

 

The suspension is fairly soft giving a comfortable ride, but it isn’t excessively soft, and I didn’t experience vagueness or bouncing even on some really poor surfaces. Fork dive is a problem on heavy braking though and I think the shallow head angle and kicked-out geometry tends to make this worse.

 

Brakes:

 

You see a lot of slagging off of H-D brakes, and I wondered if it would be deserved in this case. It was not; the Street Rod has a conventional twin front single rear disc set up, and the brakes were progressive and smooth. In fact, I would say that the Street Rod brakes were far more user friendly than my Buell brakes, and whilst not as good as those of my V11, could certainly be said to meet a high standard of effectiveness and satisfaction in use. The rear brake in particular offers exceptional feel and stopping power without locking up prematurely, and I found myself using both brakes together much more than I normally would. You do need to, because the Street Rod does have a relatively soft fork and relying entirely on the front brake can unsettle the bike. If you use the rear to full effect with the front the bike pulls up with alacrity. It’s just a different technique from a sports bike.

 

What were the negatives then?

 

Well, the riding position really; the bike was far too low for me, and I would have got on better with the higher standard seat option. The high bar option also meant that I acted like the spinnaker on a yacht at speed. It was uncomfortable at 90 and my neck and arms wouldn’t have lasted long. Again the standard Street Rod has much lower bars (about 4” lower) and this would certainly improve matters.

I didn’t really like the instrument cluster. The design is rather fussy, and the tach is a tiny thing in the bottom left.

 

Other stuff:

 

The controls worked well, and are more or less like any other bike. The indicators are not conventional, and H-D seems to have taken a leaf from the BMW book in this respect. There is a turn signal button on each bar for the respective indicator and the winkers are “self-cancelling” just like in a car. I was sceptical at first, but got used to the system very quickly. After pressing the button to turn, the self-cancelling seemed quite intelligent and worked 90% of the time. When passing on dual carriageways, I preferred to cancel manually rather than wait for the timer. Where the H-D system scores over BMW is that a second press of the same button cancels the turn signal.

 

This bike had a fuel gauge! The fuel gauge is in fact bigger than the tach, and lives just to the right of the clear speedo. The fuel gauge did not wander about and if accurate would be most useful. The LCD odometer display could also show miles to reserve – I only discovered this because it was programmed that way as they sent me out on it. According to this display the range of the Street Rod is about 170 miles, exactly the same as a V11. Every bike should have this, and a fuel gauge too!

 

Did I like it?

 

I am ashamed to say that I did. I think the new Harley engine is quite lovely to use, better than the V11 engine, and would kick the ass of the BMW oilhead engine which in my opinion is a rough and unrefined thing little better than a Ural.

 

I wouldn’t want the “custom” style of the low-rider bikes at all. I could be tempted by the standard Street Rod if a good screen or fairing was available to take some of the windblast off.

 

If H-D ever decide to make a non-OTT tourer or sports tourer with the revolution engine and conventional frame geometry, I guess I might buy one.

 

Please accept my apologies if this road test article has offended in any way. Bear in mind I am a rank amateur, patently not objective, and far from a professional bike journalist.

 

In 4000 miles my Buell will be due another service, and I have requested a test on a “Big Twin” hopefully the Road Glide, which is an Electra-Glide without the poofy bits.

89748[/snapback]

'unrefined thing little better than a Ural'. Stuff and nonsense!

[Skeeve]

They offered me either, but I wasn’t sure whether I could get on with the extreme feet forward riding position of the V-Rod, so opted for the Street Rod with mid-controls. [1]

...

So, on to the engine. To look at, the engine is a lot bulkier than the old style 45° air cooled Harley motors, probably down to the wider angle V and the water-cooling. It’s not a bad looking motor though, and the crackle finish paint stays on too. [2]

 

The motor fired up on the button and settled to a pleasant “muzzy” sounding idle. I did manage to stall it at the first attempt, as it does need a bit of throttle to pull away, unlike the Buell, which would probably wheelie if I dumped the clutch at idle. [3]

 

The Street Rod motor is a pleasant one, very smooth with spot on fuelling, [4] giving a satisfying low level vibration when worked hard, that fades at cruise. Nice. Could do with a slightly louder pipe though. [5] There is ample torque throughout the rev range, and the bike is as nice to ride short-shifted on the torque as it is to really rev. The engine will really rev as well, and doesn’t get breathless or buzzy when you do. Hiding up at the top end is a rush similar to that found in the V11, but on the H-D the rev limit is higher, and the rush longer. [6]

 

Gearbox:

 

5 speeds, and you don't need any more. The bike is geared to cruise, and is relaxing at speed without revving too high. The ratios are well spaced and the shift action was  like butter. A longer throw than on a Jap bike, but if you are used to a V11 or BMW gearbox you will love the Street Rod. [7]

 

Handling:

 

I expected this bike to handle like a grand piano on a bowling alley. [8] How could I be so wrong! I obviously don’t understand the relationship of geometry to handling, because firstly the ‘Rod steers pretty fast, [9] and secondly you don’t need much pressure on the bars to make it go where you want. I found it to be light and flickable in the urban setting, and to be planted in sweepers, as you might expect from the long wheelbase. Although there isn’t that much ground clearance, you can corner fairly enthusiastically without grounding anything out. [10]

 

Feet up U turns are a breeze, although you need a lot of road given the relatively limited steering lock and long length of the bike. With the low c of g the bike can be brought to a halt feet up and paused for several seconds. Looks good in traffic!

[11]

 

The suspension is fairly soft giving a comfortable ride, but it isn’t excessively soft, and I didn’t experience vagueness or bouncing even on some really poor surfaces. Fork dive is a problem on heavy braking though and I think the shallow head angle and kicked-out geometry tends to make this worse. [12]

 

Brakes:

 

You see a lot of slagging off of H-D brakes, and I wondered if it would be deserved in this case. [13] ...It’s just a different technique from a sports bike.

 

What were the negatives then?

 

Well, the riding position really [14]... I didn’t really like the instrument cluster. The design is rather fussy, and the tach is a tiny thing in the bottom left. [15]

 

Other stuff:

 

The controls worked well, and are more or less like any other bike. The indicators are not conventional, and H-D seems to have taken a leaf from the BMW book in this respect. There is a turn signal button on each bar for the respective indicator and the winkers are “self-cancelling” just like in a car. I was sceptical at first, but got used to the system very quickly. ...Where the H-D system scores over BMW is that a second press of the same button cancels the turn signal.[16]

 

This bike had a fuel gauge! ...The LCD odometer display could also show miles to reserve – I only discovered this because it was programmed that way as they sent me out on it. According to this display the range of the Street Rod is about 170 miles, exactly the same as a V11. Every bike should have this, and a fuel gauge too! [17]

 

Did I like it? I am ashamed to say that I did. [18] I think the new Harley engine is quite lovely to use, better than the V11 engine, and would kick the ass of the BMW oilhead engine which in my opinion is a rough and unrefined thing little better than a Ural. [19]

 

I wouldn’t want the “custom” style of the low-rider bikes at all. I could be tempted by the standard Street Rod if a good screen or fairing was available to take some of the windblast off. [20]

 

If H-D ever decide to make a non-OTT tourer or sports tourer with the revolution engine and conventional frame geometry, I guess I might buy one. [21]

 

Please accept my apologies if this road test article has offended in any way. Bear in mind I am a rank amateur, patently not objective, and far from a professional bike journalist.[22]

 

In 4000 miles my Buell will be due another service, and I have requested a test on a “Big Twin” hopefully the Road Glide, which is an Electra-Glide without the poofy bits.[23]

89748[/snapback]

 

[1] I've ridden the V-rod [year of introduction, when the Harley factory test-fleet was at the Laughlin River Run in Nevada (on the Colorado river, across from Arizona)], and can testify that the seating is extremely hard on the small of the back; the only way you can comfortably ride on one of these for more than 15min at a stretch is to get the accessory sissy-bar & carry a suitably pneumatic back-supporter V-Rod essential accessory

 

[2] It's ironic that Harley waited an additional 40+ years before going with the "wide V" motor (they've known at least that long that in order to get higher revs/more power they needed more space between the cylinders.) For those not into H-D history, the Sportster (original, iron-head, 1957 launch) barely edged out a far superior design, based on a 60degV angle, aluminum head KL motor. Basically, if HD had chosen the other option, they would've stayed w/ a sidevalve motor [but oversquare, & higher revving] a few more years, then moved to OHV on that foundation (the XL being, basically, just a pair of OHV heads slapped onto the KL motor!) It's one of the classic "what ifs?" in motorcycling history; if HD had done that, they would've had to upgrade the running gear earlier to keep pace w/ the motor, & if they'd done that, the Honda CB750 wouldn't have had such a clear tech lead, leading .... where? Lot's of fun to speculate!

 

[3] Short-stroke, massively (esp. for Harley!) oversquare motor designed to make power at higher rpms, toting a frame & running gear that are way overweight for the sportbike this engine evolved from... is it any wonder it wants a little stick before it gets going?

 

[4] R.I.P. Tony Angco! Friend of mine helped with some of the H-D product development work, specifically getting the F.I. mapping dialed in. Gotta love a job that requires you to put on several hundred miles a day just tooling around the So.Cal. mountain roads at as high a speed as you feel you can get away with! Tony told us that there would be something really great coming from H-D, rsn, but nobody knew what to expect. Ironically, they released the Street Rod[24] after he died.

 

[5] Those pesky EPA & E3 buweaucwats! They must be dealt with sevewely! Centuwion!...

 

[6] OHC vs. OHV valvtrains, 4v vs. 2v: whaddaya gonna do? Guzzi ain't makin' anymore more of the HiCams...

 

[7] In case you haven't noticed, almost all of H-D's motor development in the past 5 years has been going to improving their gearboxes. All their advertising mentions it, as well as the moto rags talking about it. Good to have it from an impartial source!

 

[8] Heh, you shoulda tried the V-Rod first! That's some serious rake, brutha!

 

[9] H-D pulled some interesting tricks w/ the triple trees, axle offset, etc. Kudos to them for pulling off the styling treatment they were after while mitigating its more stupid? deleterious? evil? f/x...

 

[10] The single GREATEST advance of the Street Rod over the V-Rod is the improved lean angle. I'm nowhere near as aggressive a rider as many (if not most!), as witnessed by my simply GIGANTIC chicken strips. Magnify this by natural caution of riding someone else's (the factory's in my case) bike. Yet, I managed to ground hard parts while test riding the V-Rod, w/ my (not large) gf on the back![26]

 

[11] There're some drawbacks to ultra-low c.o.g. tho': my dad likes to tell the tale of when he was riding x-country on his Harley[27][28], and pulled into a gas station to refuel. Got off the bike, stepped over to the pump, unhitched the nozzle and turned around... just in time to see the bike, which had been patiently waiting for him to put down the kickstand, topple over! [29]

 

[12] Raked out forks can actually be stiffer than otherwise, since at speed, the jolts are more nearly inline with the forks' ability to absorb the jolts. But I think the factory doesn't expect the owners to do more than zip around on city streets, so opt for the "ultra plush" soft ride setting.

 

[13] Harley brakes work, they're just notorious for being stiff & wooden. Despite this, the "shortest stopping distance from 60mph" record in MCN consistently goes to a Harley or other cruiser: all that extra weight & extra long wheelbase means that you can get some use out of the rear brake!

 

[14] It does sound, from your description, that someone was trying to convert the S-Rod back into a V-Rod. Pretty dang pointless, really!

 

[15] H-D always seems to stick their instruments in odd places. A speedo in the middle of the tank? As far as the tach goes, it was probably an afterthought, since no traditional Harley owner knows what-the-heck its for, given that on a traditional Harley, you just gas it until either it wheezes[30] or your teeth rattle out[31], then shift.

 

[16] The "one each side" turn indicator buttons are a little odd at first, but very easy to adapt to, and the self-cancelling feature is nice (altho' it used to cancel too soon; I think Harley added the "push off" feature when they upped the time-to-cancel) Overall, I like H-D's switchgear pretty well.

 

[17] Fuel gauges are just there to lull the newbies into a false sense of security; conveniently resettable trip meters and pilot awareness are the real deal!

 

[18] Why? Never apologize for your personal taste (unless your my friend Chris: his taste in music & clothes is execrable!)

 

[19] An excellent turn of phrase! BMW's peak from the oilhead seems to be from the new HP2: it puts out, in its maxed out state, what the H-D VR mill does in its fairly mild V-Rod state of tune. I forget what Harley calls their turn-key drag racer based on the V-Rod, but it puts out about what the mid-90s factory racer VR motor did. You've gotta figure that there's at least a few ponies more than that left hiding in there, now that Porsche gave them some help w/ the head... As far as "better than the Guzzi mill" goes, well... that's what 30 years of technological evolution & water cooling can do for you!

 

[20] Just grab a Buell flyscreen & slap it on! Same shop, no waiting!

 

[21] OTT: Over The Top? Old Time Twin? Whatever... I'm with you on this. The VR motor is fundamentally a good one, and Harley built it with the knowledge that the days of the a/c 2v 45deg V were numbered (& low numbers, at that!) H-D is taking their time introducing the VR mill into the line because they know that doing too much, too soon will just spook the cattle and ultimately lead to a longer interval before acceptance by the RUBs as " a real Harley." Look, it's been 50 years since the introduction of the Sportster (as of next year), and you still get grief from some of the bigger idiots in the H-D fold with "get a real Hog!" comments! The Factory knows what they're about; I will expect to see a VR-powered touring rig around the 2010 model year, maybe a skosh sooner. But that's just my forecast; I'd be tickled to see it sooner! If you think of the V-Rod as the equivalent to one of the "factory specials" like the original FX Superglide, and the S-Rod as the equivalent of one of the traditional cruisers (ie, the factory making the FX range a regular run of models), you've still got a Sportster-equivalent evolution to go thru before you get to Harley's bread & butter line, the long-haul, 2-up, La-Z-Boy on wheels tourer. A sport-tourer will be somewhat after this, esp. as 1) that's likely perceived as a Buell-type product, 2) Erik Buell has told me in person that he's not interested in using the VR mill in anything & 3) Erik has also been straight up about there not being enough of a market for sport-tourers to justify devoting any energy pursuing that niche until all your other models' sales curves are essentially flattened out. (Whew!)

 

[22] That's what makes your review worth 10x the others! The real dirt, from a real rider, who's opinion we've come to know & respect!

 

[23] Skip the Road Glide: that funky 1/2-ht full fairing doesn't do cr@p until you're well past the legal limit, & it's uglier than a pug-nosed b!tch to boot. Get yourself a Road King or an FLSTS [wide front tire, softail, springer front, for those unused to decoding Harley's model descriptors! ] I'm looking forward to either of these fit w/ the VR motor, since 1st) the RK is a full-on tourer that's setup so you can easily strip it down to the essential for around-town use: 2 bikes in 1! & 2nd) the FLSTF has got total nostalgic styling street-cred, but the modern spring front end tracks road ripples like nobody's biz, due to much less stiction than even BMW's various experiments in production front boingers for the past 20 years... & it's automagically anti-dive, too! Stick a spiffy motor in either one, & you'd see where they might be just a tad more interesting to someone with even a mild sporting bent...

 

[24] Which looks very much like the blacked-out test mule we found a photo of him astride, when we were helping clean up his widow's place.[25]

 

[25] Who, surprisingly? thankfully? deceased less than a year after Tony.

"Tragically fitting" is about the only way to describe it. They truly were a perfect pairing.

 

[26] Preload adjusted by one of the many Harley factory elves keeping the event running smoothly...

 

[27] Before I was even a twinkle.

 

[28] He says he had the choice between the almost new Harley and a much older Indian Scout. He always regretted not getting the Indian; he felt that it would have been much more reliable & a better performer...

 

[29] I've very nearly done this w/ a 1200 GoldWing myself, btw. Like father - like son, I guess!

 

[30] On a modern, rubber-glide bike like your Buell, et al.

 

[31] On an old-style solid mount like a Fat Boy or other Softail model.

 

Ride on!

[dlaing]

[22] That's what makes your review worth 10x the others! The real dirt, from a real rider, who's opinion we've come to know & respect!

89762[/snapback]

And even more REAL DIRT in Da Ben's Ulysses reveiw!

http://www.v11lemans.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8021&hl=

[Guest Nogbad]

'unrefined thing little better than a Ural'. Stuff and nonsense!

89761[/snapback]

 

Sorry. But I rode a new Rockster for 2 hours and hated it. That oilhead engine is rough, crude and at the same time characterless. I seriously mean it when I say the Ural is nicer.

[DeBenGuzzi]

Sorry. But I rode a new Rockster for 2 hours and hated it. That oilhead engine is rough, crude and at the same time characterless. I seriously mean it when I say the Ural is nicer.

89771[/snapback]

well then I hope the Ulysses smooths out because under 2k it shakes like paint mixer and the pegs feel like your resting your feet on electric razors, the seat is stiff and a bit wide(can't believe I'm saying that about a bike) you would almost need the low seat unless you are 6'5"+ I tell you, you should have seen that baby showroom condition when I took it out

and just a little bit less than this when I brought it back, my shoes and pants are pretty dirty too.

 

 

All in all I think I might buy a Buell Ulysses for a third bike down the road when I can get a used one for half their price. Its like riding a real tall heavy over powered mountain bike

[Guest Nogbad]

Maybe the engine isolation is set up different from the Firebolt. Mine is shakeless. You get some vibe if you lug it low and a high frequency buzz if you rev it out, but it's a lot smoother than the V11.

 

However, my son reports that the pillion pegs vibrate enough to make your feet go numb........

[Guzzirider]

I've recently lent my Harley out to four previous HD virgins, 3 who ride Guzzis and 1 who has an SV650 and they all came back saying how much they enjoyed riding it. They were all surprised by the smoothness of the motor, which vibes less than a Guzzi, and also surprised by the handling.

 

Now I don't expect many members of this forum to rave about HDs- like BMWs they seem to be the marque we love to hate but all I would say is ride a modern sorted one before you slag it- and if you still hate it fair enough.

 

I gotta say that the brakes are still crap in my opinion- I had to bolt on a billet 6 pot caliper for safety reasons!

 

Guy

[antonio carroccio]

Sorry guys, what is this???

What's all about?................HD????.......... What is that?..............Get lost!!!Damned!

[DeBenGuzzi]

I've recently lent my Harley out to four previous HD virgins, 3 who ride Guzzis and 1 who has an SV650 and they all came back saying how much they enjoyed riding it. They were all surprised by the smoothness of the motor, which vibes less than a Guzzi, and also surprised by the handling.

 

Now I don't expect many members of this forum to rave about HDs- like BMWs they seem to be the marque we love to hate but all I would say is ride a modern sorted one before you slag it- and if you still hate it fair enough.

 

I gotta say that the brakes are still crap in my opinion- I had to bolt on a billet 6 pot caliper for safety reasons!

 

Guy 

89831[/snapback]

this'll turn into another HD forum b4 long

speaking of how hard was it to upgrade your brakes? I'd be interested in putting a twin big brake setup in front, especially a brembo setup like on the guzzi, is this possible? I know it would look nice and make the pig stop.

[Guest Nogbad]

Sorry guys, what is this???

What's all about?................HD????.......... What is that?..............Get lost!!!Damned!

89839[/snapback]

 

What is this? - It is legitimate discussion of bikes, by bikers, on a bike forum.

What's it all about? - Bikes

HD? What is that? - Hmmm let me see, its got 2 wheels and an engine... Hey! Whaddya know! It's a BIKE

Get Lost? Damned? - Why? Hell no you bigot! Give me a good reason first!

[Guzzirider]

this'll turn into another HD forum b4 long 

speaking of how hard was it to upgrade your brakes? I'd be interested in putting a twin big brake setup in front, especially a brembo setup like on the guzzi, is this possible? I know it would look nice and make the pig stop.

89855[/snapback]

 

 

I'd say it would be very expensive and a lot of hassle. In theory I guess you could bolt on the front end from a V Rod which uses Brembo brakes.

 

Probably easier and cheaper to do what I have done and fit a Harrison mini 6 pot caliper. Only takes 30 mins to fit and bleed then you have half decent brakes.

 

Harrison

 

Guy

[dlaing]

Sorry guys, what is this???

What's all about?................HD????.......... What is that?..............Get lost!!!Damned!

89839[/snapback]

Riding while intoxicated

Made in America, not jap crap. :grin

Little cornering clearance. :doh

Dew-rags

David Hasslehoff

one potatoe

chaps :wub

wife beaters

bitch pads :moon

loud pipes save lives

Genuine HD® Merchandise

no brains, no helmets :lol

[Guest Nogbad]

Riding while intoxicated

Made in America, not jap crap.  :grin

Little cornering clearance. :doh

Dew-rags

David Hasslehoff 

one potatoe

chaps  :wub

wife beaters 

bitch pads :moon

loud pipes save lives

Genuine HD® Merchandise 

no brains, no helmets  :lol

89862[/snapback]

 

Prejudice is a wonderful thing to behold.

[Murray]

Re the brakes ont he street rod. HD finally bit the bullet and went to Brembo to get the brakes for this bike finally admitting they didn't have any idea about brakes . The still had to put a cover plate over the name though! Dunno the biggest thing that puts me of besides the RSV-R factory entry price is all the exposed aluminium especailly on the first Vrods. Complete and utter pain to keep in good condition one of my friend locally has one in a country like Australia he hardly rides it because of this. Can't begin to imagine what its like in a place it actually rains for that kind of money some kinda of clear paint wouldn't be that hard IMO.