granny

I think that your concerns over MCN pre-announcements are much over wrought. If you read MCN often enough, you know that they *always* scoop every one else (British Journalists never pull punches). Harley knew EXACTLY what they were getting into when they gave MCN the info, Harley marketing is not so clueless as you propose. I'll bet that the British/Euro market is very important for Harley. I doubt Harley minds having a lead article in MCN even if it is a pre-announcement. I'd say they expected and desired that outcome so stop whinging.



BTW, check this new bad boy Buell out



http://www.motorcyclenews.com/news/d...=212131&=74239

Capt_Kawi

A Harley man calling someone else a luddite? Now THAT is a switch. I should put you in touch with my buddy who owns a particularly trouble prone Electra Glide. Leaks, cracks, electrical problems galore. I think the image will change when the bikes do.

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2006 Yamaha FZ6

(Kawi's long gone)

wolf_71

It is about time they updated the engine, but the styling looks like every other Japanese cruiser out there. Atleast it's not as ugly as the Warrior.



Would love to see a Buell X2 with a 1000cc version tuned a little higher though. I would park something like that next to my limited edition X1.

Gabe

Can we all just stop with this ridiculous BS about "Harley Loyalists"? As if you should get a prize for sticking with an inferior product just because of the name on the tank!



A motorcycle is a consumer product, OK? That's it! And H-D had to design a good one to make sure they have a viable future when all the "OG" Harley guys have to switch to golf carts.



Do you really expect them to make the same kind of bike forever? Do you think Ford should still be making Model-T's?



Fake rub-on tattos! Like you've been riding the same electra-glide since you bought it from Sonny back in '66! What a scary outlaw biker you are!

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Gabe Ets-Hokin

Just a guy in the ether...

Gabe

It carries 3.7 gallons and will probably get 40-50 MPG at a cruising speed- that's 140-175 miles on a tank.

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Gabe Ets-Hokin

Just a guy in the ether...

RC23

Well, just so everyone knows, the official traditional name (y'know? in the knucklehead, panhead, shovelhead, etc. etc. fashion) that has been going around the few HD-centric BBSs I frequent is:



"The Melonhead"



No lie!

ACE1100rider

What cruiser on the market can out-perform the V-Rod? None!



Why are you so angry? Is it not a company's duty and mission to build what its customer want? That's what H-D has been doing. Now they completely out-class every other manufacturer with the V-Rod and you can't stand to see them succeed. And I want you to show me another manufacturer that makes a cruiser with a V-twin that makes 115 hp and handles well.



People have a lot to say about H-D riders bashing metric bikes, but I see more prejudice from metric riders toward H-D than vice-versa.



BTW, I own a Buell AND three Hondas. I like motorcycles, period. I like to see manufacturers bring exciting new products to the market. I know I would pull over to help you on your HonYamSuzKawDucBMW. Would you pull over to help me on an H-D or my Buell?

HemiMG

I agree completely. I have a Honda Shadow with shaft drive, so I'm not some extremely biased harley head. But the wasn't it the Shovelhead that gave harley the reputation of leaking? The shovelhead was two (sorry three now) generations of motors ago. I have a 70's 750 Kawasaki setting in my front yard that weighs as much as a tank, I guess that means Ninja's are slow klunky beasts as well, eh?

And all you have to do is listen to alot of the anti-harley posts on this board to see that both sides of the fence are equally bigoted. I like sport bikes and cruising bikes, Japanese and American, I love the Honda Aero and VTX, but my next cruiser is going to be a Harley, more specifically an aftermarket Harley (not a harley at all to purists), why? Because by building the bike from the ground up it will allow me to make it exactly how I want it, and it will give me an intimate knowledge of the bike should something go wrong.

For those of you who can't understand that, that's fine, If I see you on a Vulcan, Aero, VTX, or even a Ninja, I'll gladly say what a great bike I think you have.

As far as shaft drive, I happen to prefer the look of belt drive. Any minor benefits given by shaft drive are worth losing for the styling IMHO.


BTW, why did it call me anonymous squid when I previewed when I am logged in as HemiMG?

Grover

I got news for you dude, the V-Rod is a metric bike, every fastener on it is sized in millimeters. So what does that do to our name calling system? We'll have to come up with something else now.

hackfu

Hehe. Whats funny is I (as well as minime) are full bore Porsche fanatics because of the water-cooled motors! Go figure!