Harley Road King....need some schooling

PhilC64 · 07-19-09, 07:08 AM

I've been riding bikes off and on for the last 20+ years and never once wanted a Harley of any kind. Don't get me wrong, I like the looks of them but I've always been put off by their bad mechanical reputation. Some Harley owners are decent to talk to but others get too caught up in brand loyalty and bling to get a straight answer.

I currently ride a Suzuki C90 that I bought new and actually enjoy but it lacks a few amenities that I'd like to have when I buy my next bike next season. I'd like to have a 6 speed, ABS, cruise control, self-canceling directionals and rear passenger foot boards.

I've looked at the Road King Classic and genuinely like it because it has all of these features from the factory. I also like the fact that I can quickly remove the rear seat, side bags, and windshield if I want.

I've also been looking at the Suzuki C109 and am awestruck by the 127 hp engine but it lacks the amenities I want. I'd have to spend another few thousand on aftermarket parts just to get it how I want it. Besides, it's only a 5 speed.

What would I need to know before I pull the trigger on a Harley?

john_eckels · 07-19-09, 07:12 AM

A VP at work has a Road King. He says it is a very top heavy bike and takes some getting used to. Prior to the Road King, he had a Springer and a couple other Harley's

3jvj · 07-19-09, 07:49 AM

Beeeeeeeeemer.

Have you ridden one yet (road king)? They look as nimble as a hippo.

PhilC64 · 07-19-09, 08:13 AM

It's as nimble as my 90. I'm not into carving canyons, just riding low and slow. I usually ride mine to/from work, to my cabin, and on various poker runs. If I was looking for nimble I'd buy a Huyabusa.

sisukid1975 · 07-19-09, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3jvj

Beeeeeeeeemer.

Have you ridden one yet (road king)? They look as nimble as a hippo.

x2.

Get a BMW and have something you can actually ride. Harley does not sell motorcycles. They sell an image, they sell clothing and merchandise, they sell fantasy. Why pay $20,000 for a $3000 bike made with 1960s technology, just because it's a harley? Get a BMW, get the best suspension on the market (so that you can actually stand to ride it). Get an engine that does not cause nerve damage to your hand from vibrations passed though the handlebar. Get a bike that will not make you deaf. Get a bike that is faster and handles better. And that comes loaded from the factory, but is still infinitely customizable both with OEM parts and aftermarket.

3jvj · 07-19-09, 08:18 AM

v65 sabre
Hayabusa is for small peckered fellas.

What's the sticker on a road king?

No gusta victory? They've got 110 ci twins for cheap.

They've redone the v-max b.t.w.

Harley slayer.

sailor · 07-19-09, 08:19 AM

Called a hog for a reason. If you must ride a 2 wheeled barcalounger at least get a 'Wing. If you wish to succsessfully negotiate a few corners on said motorsofa (or even have bacic reliability and 21st century design!) investigate the aforementioned BMW offerings or the Honda ST. Had a bunch of sportbikes ('85 VFR1000R, RZ 500, 2001 CBR1100XX) Lesson is simple and I will break it down for you- Hog= 1993 Land Rover Discovery. And I don't hate America so don't try that shit on me.

sisukid1975 · 07-19-09, 08:19 AM

I dunno which part of Chicago you're in, but Napleton CycleWerks in Barrington are good people. I've heard OK things about BMW Motorrad of Chicago, but have never been.

sisukid1975 · 07-19-09, 08:23 AM

If you want the big touring bikes, look at the R1200RT, or K1300GT. Either are infinitely superior machines to anything harley has ever built in its wildest dreams.

Me, I ride a GS Bike, so I'd be predisposed to tell you get an R1200GS ADV.

3jvj · 07-19-09, 08:23 AM

Saw a hardbagged bmw the other day that turned my head and solidified my next choice in a tourer. Looked like a honda blackbird on steroids. Sick.

stinkyfj60 · 07-19-09, 08:29 AM

I do not know anybody that has had serious or even minor mechanical problems on a Harley that you wouldnt find on other brands... Many ride them across the country constantly to different events...

Yes, they sell tons of merchandise. But they have to. BMW, Honda, Suzuki sell things other than bikes. Yamaha and Kawasaki have more diverse lines...

sisukid1975 · 07-19-09, 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stinkyfj60

...Yes, they sell tons of merchandise. But they have to. BMW, Honda, Suzuki sell things other than bikes. Yamaha and Kawasaki have more diverse lines...

BUt the day I can walk into Wal Mart, and buy BMW Motorrad branded Dog Beds is the day I sell the fucking thing and start walking. And the difference between Harley and the brands you cite is this: The others sell motorcycles first, and whoring their name out for merchandising comes after the bikes.

Harley, on the other hand, makes most of its money on merchandising. Not bikes. That alone tells you what they are most interested in selling: Image. If they cared about their motorcycles at all, they'd maybe consider redesigning them with some modern technology. But they don't. INstead, they sell you the same 1960s shit at premium 2010 prices. Look, I don't begrudge Harley their success. They're good at what they do which is getting people to part with LARGE sums of money for things of very questionable value by slathering it in patriotism and selling a lifestyle accessory to people who don't know any better about motorcycles. Good for them. But if you want a Motorcycle built by a company that gives a shit about the motorcycles, you need to look elsewhere.

Honda, Suzuki, et al? You can buy three times the bike for half the money from them. And have plenty of money left over for a logo'd riding jacket to mix.

3jvj · 07-19-09, 08:37 AM

Prolly right about that. When a company patents their exhaust sound because it's annoyingly loud I take the rest with a grain of salt.

Just sold my 85vfr 1100 with 95,000 on the clock (still running- all original). Don't hear that from too many harley guys.

PhilC64 · 07-19-09, 08:46 AM

I've only been thinking about this and haven't completely made up my mind on any one particular bike. Like I said I liked the look of the Harley but am not sold on any of its mechanicals. I figured if I was to spend 13K for the C109 and add a couple grand more in aftermarket add-ons, I could get the same thing for the same price from the factory. Some of the RK's I've looked at are going out the door for under $16K.

I'm not into the whole HD "lifestyle" I don't need Harley PJ's with matching alarm clock. Personally I think's it's the biggest joke going. I'm looking for a decent touring/road bike that I can enjoy riding either solo or with the bride along. Comfort is paramount when the bride rides.

I've ridden an Electra Glide several times and was disappointed in the engine vibration to the handlebars. If I wanted to ride a paint shaker, I'd go to Home Depot. The up side to it was the amenities. I know the new RK's aren't hard mounted to the frame so the vibrations aren't really there. I did take one on a short spin and can say I liked it but I'd have to rent one for a long weekend to really see if I like the ride over a long run. Currently I last about 2 hours in the seat of my 90 before I have to get up for a stretch.

Honestly I haven't looked at any other manufacturers offerings. I've had Hondas and Kaws in the past and liked them both. I am hooked on V-Twins (don't know why) and could stand to see what others are out there.

Red Herring · 07-19-09, 08:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilC64

It's as nimble as my 90. I'm not into carving canyons, just riding low and slow. I usually ride mine to/from work, to my cabin, and on various poker runs. If I was looking for nimble I'd buy a Huyabusa.

Poser.

Buy what you like, but if you get a "better" bike, you might actually wind up riding it more. I would look at the BMW, although i think they are somewhat over rated, not to mention over priced. They are a good machine, but they do have their own problems as well. The cult following of BMW is great, group rides and camaraderie of fellow riders is spectacular with BMW.

If it were my $$, I would look at a Honda ST1300 as well. Different machine, but way more capable. Very powerful, and handles well. I would also look at the Triumph machines. If you wanted to be the king, you could look at their Rocket III touring. Very decent bike, huge motor, very, very powerful, and does everything else well also.

Get some demo rides in before the summer demo bikes go.

Don't get stuck on Harley for the image. There are way better bikes out there for the same $$. Hardly dealers also tend (here anyways) tend to be very pricey places. Other makes tend to cost less to run.

sisukid1975 · 07-19-09, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilC64

I've only been thinking about this and haven't completely made up my mind on any one particular bike. Like I said I liked the look of the Harley but am not sold on any of its mechanicals. I figured if I was to spend 13K for the C109 and add a couple grand more in aftermarket add-ons, I could get the same thing for the same price from the factory. Some of the RK's I've looked at are going out the door for under $16K.

I'm not into the whole HD "lifestyle" I don't need Harley PJ's with matching alarm clock. Personally I think's it's the biggest joke going. I'm looking for a decent touring/road bike that I can enjoy riding either solo or with the bride along. Comfort is paramount when the bride rides.

I've ridden an Electra Glide several times and was disappointed in the engine vibration to the handlebars. If I wanted to ride a paint shaker, I'd go to Home Depot. The up side to it was the amenities. I know the new RK's aren't hard mounted to the frame so the vibrations aren't really there. I did take one on a short spin and can say I liked it but I'd have to rent one for a long weekend to really see if I like the ride over a long run. Currently I last about 2 hours in the seat of my 90 before I have to get up for a stretch.

Honestly I haven't looked at any other manufacturers offerings. I've had Hondas and Kaws in the past and liked them both. I am hooked on V-Twins (don't know why) and could stand to see what others are out there.

Well, before you decide, do yourself a favor and stop by the BMW place. Or any other place, for that fact. If you want all the creature features, detachable factory bags, and a bike you can actually stand to ride all day, as well as one that you don't sacrifice as much performance or handling with, look at BMW. But, truth be told, you can go anywhere, Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, or Suzuki and get a better bike for less money than the HD.

HD is the GM of bike companies. By the 60s, their stuff was hopelessly outclassed by the Europeans, and by the 70s, they were getting their lunch eaten by the Japanese in the reliability/value department. So, they did the same thing GM did, and went to the Gummint for handouts and got them to slap import tariffs on the Japanese makers. This bought them enough time to complete their transition from a shitty motorcycle company to a shitty merchandising company that sells a few motorcycle-esque contraptions on the side. Just another example of the US Government subsidizing corporate failure.

PhilC64 · 07-19-09, 09:00 AM

I'm quite familiar with the price/performance of my Suzi over the HD. I out motored several HD's while riding two-up and had a bit of a laugh with it. My little $9k bike out did a few $25k bikes without issue.

Red Herring · 07-19-09, 09:06 AM

Great Rocket III video

sisukid1975 · 07-19-09, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilC64

I'm quite familiar with the price/performance of my Suzi over the HD. I out motored several HD's while riding two-up and had a bit of a laugh with it. My little $9k bike out did a few $25k bikes without issue.

Have you ever ridden the driftless area of WI? If not, it's great, and you're only an hour away. You'll catch me out there on my BMW on many a sunday afternoon. Beautiful place to ride, and not so many worries about idiots in cages....

sisukid1975 · 07-19-09, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red Herring

Great Rocket III video

Yeah, you want the retro look, but to have a bike actually designed with modern engineering, look at triunph. Great stuff. Quality is phenomenal. The Triumph Dealer in Janesville, WI, about an hour and a half from Chicago are great people. They're actually the only people other than myself I'd trust to work on my bike. I love the Tiger, and for the retro bikes, I like the Scrambler 900.

3jvj · 07-19-09, 09:11 AM

Sounds to me like you've got it figured out pretty square already.
Sorry I can't give you a firsthand review of an rk. I can relate to the

factor. It's the main reason I sold my v65 and why I'm going bmw for the next.

....and hardbag, and intetcom, and radio... etc.

Course I'll still keep my magna for those rides when all I need is a fly rod or I want to scrape foot pegs.

PhilC64 · 07-19-09, 09:19 AM

Janesville is only 30 miles west of where I am now. I haven't even considered Triumph since I didn't know they were still making bikes!

sisukid1975 · 07-19-09, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PhilC64

Janesville is only 30 miles west of where I am now. I haven't even considered Triumph since I didn't know they were still making bikes!

They went out of business in the 80s, the name was bought by an investor, and he reconstituted it. Built a whole new state of the art factory, designed all new bikes from the ground up... Everything from sport bikes to cruisers. Quality is top notch. Give them a look. Been around (in current form) for like 15 years now, and they're doing well.

Triumph Motorcycles - Home

The dealer in Janesville is on Hwy 11, just outside town, on the east side. If you go there, tell Victor and Darcy (The owner, nice lady) that Fred with the Yellow BMW said hi. I doubt it'll get you a discount or anything, but still.

They've been selling them there for about 10 years now.

White Shark · 07-19-09, 09:32 AM

I have a friend who was a Lt. with Berkeley, California Police Department and just retired a few years ago. He rode motors for the last 15 years or so, and bought his Harley duty bike when he retired. After riding that bike for years, it was a part of him so he kept the thing.

Well, he tried out a buddy's BMW bike one afternoon and just about freaked out. The next morning he was at the BMW dealership and rode a BMW R1150RT home (the same bike the California Highway Patrol rides). When he got home, his Harley went on Craigslist and sold within the week.

I asked him how he could sell something that was practically his legacy. He said that he had to ride that POS all over the Berkeley hills for years and he had no idea that riding a bike could actually be a pleasurable experience until he rode the BMW. He said he'll never ride a Harley again.

He also had a custom Shelby Cobra built with a 427. He's enjoying retirement these days. 8)

..

Red Herring · 07-19-09, 09:32 AM

Harleys are like Tattoos. Every shit head wants one now. They have become a cliche.

sisukid1975 · 07-19-09, 09:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by White Shark

I have a friend who was a Lt. with Berkeley, California Police Department and just retired a few years ago. He rode motors for the last 15 years or so, and bought his Harley duty bike when he retired. After riding that bike for years, it was a part of him so he kept the thing.

Well, he tried out a buddy's BMW bike one afternoon and just about freaked out. The next morning he was at the BMW dealership and rode a BMW R1150RT home (the same bike the California Highway Patrol rides). When he got home, his Harley went on Craigslist and sold within the week.

I asked him how he could sell something that was practically his legacy. He said that he had to ride that POS all over the Berkeley hills for years and he had no idea that riding a bike could actually be a pleasurable experience until he rode the BMW. He said he'll never ride a Harley again.

He also had a custom Shelby Cobra built with a 427. He's enjoying retirement these days. 8)

..

3jvj · 07-19-09, 09:46 AM

Looks like the bike I saw.

Okay.

Hit me; what's it cost?

sisukid1975 · 07-19-09, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 3jvj

Looks like the bike I saw.

Okay.

Hit me; what's it cost?

BMW Motorrad USA

I don't know if it'll forward you direct to the R1200RT page or not (doesn't look like it.) But if not, you can navigate around and find it yourself. That bike in the ad is the R1150RT. The new model of that has been upgraded to the 1200cc engine, so the new ones are the R1200RT. I think they start around $14K and run up to $17K with all the options.

Or, look on Ebay. DieselDog from this forum bought a R1150RT-P, a retired California Police Bike with 30-some odd thousand miles on it for super reasonable. Of course, he's a LEO, so he had them leave the sirens, lights and radar on it, since he got it as a duty bike.

But, He paid a fraction of what it cost new (I don't want to tell you how much, since that's his business, but I can assure you he got a great deal), and got a great bike in great condition. Check out ebay -- there's a place called Hollywood Motors I think -- that's where he got his. Their whole thing is selling former police bikes on Ebay.

sisukid1975 · 07-19-09, 10:07 AM

You may not find a former police bike as nice as DieselDogs, though. The CHP doesn't retire their Beemers till they have over 100,000 miles on them, or have been dropped hard. Hard, police miles. His bike actually belonged to a municipal police department, who were probably a lot easier on it, and retired it once it hit just over 30,000 miles. I think that's pretty rare, since most of the former cop bikes you'll see have 100,000 miles plus, or have been dropped.

PhilC64 · 07-19-09, 10:17 AM

From experience...Stay away from Police used anything!!! They get beat on like red headed hebrew slaves!