mscuddy

Wow, everything's just bolted to the motor like a big tractor. Wonder if you can get a disc harrow set & plow with it? Massey Ferguson has nothing on this baby...

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A gun is a tool, Marian; no better or no worse than any other tool: an axe, a shovel or anything. A gun is as good or as bad as the man using it. Remember that.

laidbak

I've been waiting for this!

In '07 when I was bike shopping my list was narrowed down to the Kawi zx-14 and the Rocket III. I loved both but could only get one and what it came down to at the end was that I was just not ready to cross over to the 'ism of cruiserdom. Since that time I've still been jonesin' for a Rocket. It was/is still firmly on my "next bike will be" list at #1 and this roadster just tipped things over for me.

Those very elements that contributed to making me choose the zx-14 have been fixed: Mid controls, de-chromed, twin pipes (I knew if I got it back then I would have to include the price of some Jardine's or something), lastly the Matte black paint...icing on the cake. Ergonomics more to my preference over all...

Ahhh...it's like they read my mind or have read my musings on some of the forums I frequent. More than a few times I've said "give er mid controls, lose the chrome and make her matte black and off to the poor house I'll gladly go"....now look what they went and done did..

Here is one sure customer come March/April 2010. Reserve one for me in a Matte Black with the Heated Grips if you would Mr. Bloor!

Kenneth_Moore

Shhh! I'm pulling Anarajalahalala's chain!

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bmwclay

Midway controls, even to the rear a little, that's what I've been waiting for. Triumph screwed the pooch on the Thunderbird with those feet-forward pedals. They also screwed the pooch with the detuned Rocket Tourer. I would have bought the first Yamaha Warrior, or the first V-Rod, etc. (I know, Street Rod, but its discontinued now) if they only had mid way units. Who wants to ride around like a clamshell? I love my Moto Guzzi LeMans mostly for the rearsets and GT type bars. You ride comfortably all day.
I think this bike will be the Ariel Square Four or Vincient Black Shadow that you wished you had of bought 40 years ago.

I think I'll shred the check for the XR1200 now.

anrajala

That's allright then. If Harley sells more bikes than Triumph (does it?) it does not matter that its cruisers are inferior. Product is not important.

GM rebadges Korean Daewoos here in Europe as Chevrolets. First it really pissed me off as a worst kind of blasphemy and rape. But then I saw the light: its all fine and dandy becase they sell in numbers! As longride pointed it out: that's the point.

I think we all Harley owners should be satisfied with numbers and not worry that a company which started from scratch twenty years ago (and in fact also almost every other bike producer as well) is producing bigger, badder and gruntier cruisers.

- cruiz-euro

longride

"If Harley sells more bikes than Triumph (does it?) it does not matter that its cruisers are inferior."

Inferior in what way? They are cruisers, so the ALL are inferior to every sportbike and standard made in every possible way including cost. Cruisers are heavier, slower, handle worse, and aren't particularly comfortable. So why would anyone buy a cruiser in the first place? When you can answer that, then you can figure out why Harleys outsell everyone else by at least 10 times.

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Kenneth_Moore

Man you got that right. I despise forward controls; highway pegs yes, but when I need to control my bike, a Barcolounger position just does not work. The XR's controls are good, maybe a touch too compressed back and up for really long rides, but certainly not a deal-breaker. I wish it were faster though; I'd like to ride one that's been worked on.

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anrajala

Yank it harder KennyM

- cruiz-euro

Kenneth_Moore

I made a point to ride almost every "cruiser" that came in on trade at Rossmeyer. There were a lot; people tended to buy a foreign bike first and if they stayed in the cruiser market, they rapidly went to HD. Almost without exception the HDs were better bikes in every respect: compare the handling and ride on a Road King to ANY other bike in it's class; nothing is close. The same holds true for almost every model; they are simply better designs, refined for over a century.

When you factor in the quality of build, materials and paint, the available options, whatever "savings" you thought you made go out the window. During the bike boom heyday, so many foreign bikes came in for trade they didn't even bother trying to sell them, they had a weekly truck drag them off to auction.

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anrajala

Inferior in having smaller and lamer cruiser engines. Could there be a bigger crime?

Also what is this Harley outselling everybody BS? Harley produces 0.3 million bikes and Honda 13 million. Is that 12.7 per cent more or what. I don't have facts about Triumph but here in their home turf Europe you see them more than Harleys.

I think there must be some guys somewhere who don't realize that the competition has passed by. How could they have? It only happened in 2002.

- cruiz-euro