Harleys and Speedsters

I kind of think they go hand in hand! I was just wondering how many SOC members actually have owned a Harley, then later bought a Speedster to play with. It seems to me like a natural progression! I know I had many Harleys and the fun just kind of leveled off and I needed something to else to fill that void....something new and exciting...The Speedster did it! How about you. Did you go down that same road?

I had a BMW bike before my Speedster. (Also a Cessna Skyhawk and a Cessna Cutlass.) At my age I'm better off with the Speedster.

Does anyone remember how that "dirtbag" joke went?----Jack

Mike,
I definitely "hit the same road". I bought my first Harley (1956 KH) when I got out of high school. Owned probably 100 between then and now. Won't buy another just because of the attitude of the Company and the current riders (wannabe bad guys!). I got into sports cars back in the late 1950's and have had lots of fun (and some profit). Got my first Speedster (because of this site) just over 2 years ago and have had more fun than ever!! It has been almost my daily driver since then and caused me to buy a 996 Carrera 911 for my wife and another 356 (1962 B Coupe) just to keep the others company. Still ride bikes (see picture) and won't quit until I am wired to oxygen and IV feeding, but if I had to choose between my Speedster and the bike .... well, give me another 3or 4 decades to decide, eh?

I have never ridden a bike.

I've been riding Harleys since 1977. I currently have a 2008 Street Glide.

I had Trials bikes when I was a kid - mostly Bultaco, Greeves and Pentons. Would beat myself up (and the bike) each weekend but never got seriously hurt.

Then, many years later, I started to ride a 12-speed Bicycle to work and was hit four times in the ensuing 10 years.

Shoulda stuck with Dirt Bikes - they seem safer to me!!

Dirt bikes !!??!! Those things I gave a try to ONCE! Scared the #$@% out of me. I'll stay with pavement and crazy drivers that I can avoid. Those rocks and ruts off road sneak up on a guy.

Dusty

Love V-Twins. Have 3 of them. Sportbikes not for me.

Mike

Totaled an Indian while stationed in England, walked away with a few bruises but bike was bent from rear wheel to front. The wheels were about six inches from touching each other. Should have been killed but my guardian angel was on duty. Rebuilt a 1948 BSA but just didn't have the nerve to ride again so I gave it to my nephew who totaled it a couple of weeks later, he was OK but the BSA was scrapped. Transitioned into sport cars starting with an Austin Healey 100/6, followed by a TR-3, TR-4, two kits of a 550 Porsche and Gazelle and now waiting for my 356 Cabriolet. I guess some of it rubbed off on my kid, she had a MB SL450 and now owns a Corvette.

BMW sport touring bike for me, same one the chp drive.

I've actually considered getting a HD after owning the Speedster. I like the Nightster (basically a black Sportster) but guys in the know tell me that Sportsters are considered girl's bikes by hardcore bikers. Here's a link; I think it looks cool nonetheless; and for less than 10K MSRP you can't go wrong:

http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/2007_Motorcycles/2007_Motorcycles.jsp?locale=en_US&swfsection=model&swffamily=sp&swfmodel=xl1200n&swfgallery=dom_video_60

My 1st Harley was a '47 knuckle head in a '39 frame back in 1964. That suicide clutch was always "interesting" to say the least.
After owning a couple of limey bikes, I built a "modern" chopper out of a '71 Super Glide.
My last was a '74 Police Special from the Lil Rock, Ark. police dept. I sold it in '84 when I moved to the "big city" (Sacramento).
Today, the Speedster IS my "scooter".

I've ridden Harleys, but currently have a Wing. I like the older Harleys, but don't like their reliability, and they are no where near as civilized as a modern bike, especially for touring.....and I still ride trials Gordon, though not as aggressively as I used to.

I don't actually find much of a tie-in between bikes and 356s. For me the bike is for relaxed touring. The car is all about driving, getting from A to B with as much speed and excitement and possible.

"army" harley 45 "FLH"?; zundapp opposed twin 600cc?; jawa 250;
Too many friends acquaintances got hurt/killed; no more.
Cheers
StanS
Binghamton, NY

1971 Moto Guzzi and a '65 Triumph Bonneville. Neither was anything to write home about, and I couldn't ride them very well. Both were sold within months of purchase.
Much happier now.

Ron and Dusty:

Ran trials in the mid-late '60's. Ended up with a John Penton 6-day Custom, and ran some of those trials, too, getting up into the international classes. THAT'S when I ran against the Europeans and discovered what eternal pain really is.....6 days of punishment on a motorcycle, and they seemed to thrive on it.

I rode my last race in August, 1969, in Louden, NH (when it was still a decent motorcycle event) and finished 21'st out of 68 after six days (18 dropped out), went home, sold my bikes and never looked back. Later, after the four accidents with my bicycle (none of which were remotely my fault) I really cannot ride a bike for anything more than an hour or two without pain, so I have a nice, cushy seat in the Speedster and truck with lots of neck support and that's fine with me.

Funny, though....without a lot of encouragement from me, my son became a biker, too; first with moto-cross types of bikes, and now with a Honda CBR800 (forgive me if I got that model wrong) which he loves.

As they say, the apple doesn't fall far........

STAN! My first bike was a Zundapp 125!!!!!! Not exactly an off-road kind of bike, but a good starter none-the-less (until you tried to get parts for it). A couple of my friends ran Jawas in scramble events. You could always tell when they went by - they had this strange, low, 4-stroke exhaust note that was very distinctive.....

Harleys for 35 years and currently ride a Dyna Sport with 123 Hp engine I built myself.
Selling my BMW R-1150-RT as I do not ride it much and like the HD better for around town. On the long road the Beemer is difficult to beat.

I got a Harley after I sold the speedster,and yes,it is a sportster.
Ricardo,I have seen women driving-ridind Ferrari's,Porsche 911's big V twins Harley's,so all the above are consider girly cars-bikes? I do not think so. Don't worry about what people say,get a sportster if you feel like it.

First bike was a mid-50s Harley. The tranny shot craps and I sold it in a basket. I've owned a couple of Hondas: I bought one - 450CL - through USN Special Services in Yokosuka, Japan, and it came back to the states with me on the hangar deck of USS CONSTELLATION when we returned from a West Pacific "cruise" in 1970. My last bike was a 1970 BMW R75/5 that I just sold.
It seems that BMWs are a popular choice for SOC members.
Jim
ProSpyder

Been riding a motorcycle to work nearly every day since 1974. Never owned or driven a Harley. Never thought they offered much value for the money, but that's just me. I really liked the V-Rod and the Midnight Express models, but way too pricy for me.

I currently have 2, one is a rigid shovel that my wife won't get on because it's a little tough on the back, and Butt, so I have a softtail for packing her along PCH....softtail currently being modified to add black hard bags and floor boards.
I bought into the Harley thing back in the late sixties, been playing with them ever since....

Circa 1965 first bike was a Honda 50, riding along I came to a hill and barely chug up it.
Harley dude pulls up along side points a finger, then busts up laughing as he cracks the throttle leaving me to enjoy his exhaust fumes.

Yeah, you meet the nicest people on a Harley.

Mike

NO KIDDING....

some of you guys have some nice babes in the neighborhood..... I am beginning to like motorcycles again

...yeah, I've ALWAYS liked those soft-tails!!

I'm telling Ginny ! I'm telling Ginny !

:-)

I had 2 Harleys; Hardtail chopper and a Fatboy.
Sold the Hardtail and bought a speedster.
Then, sold the Fatboy.

Hey Alan, here is the flip side to your story: I'm going to work on my Honda Magna. Pull onto freeway, immediately a loud Harley with ape hangers comes blasting past me in the left lane. One mile down the road we both enter a long sweeping exit ramp with a decreasing radius and lots of bumps in the pavement. I pass him on the outside doing at least 20 MPH more than him, while he's jumping all over the brakes and trying to turn the the "hog". To be kind, he was probably a newbie, but w-a-a-yyy past his capability.

Ghia's also draw a crowd.....

I also like the Bike washes.....but watch out for the militia

Ive had a number of different motorcycles. Right now I have a Harley 03 Ultra Classic, and a Ducati S4RS Monster. Internal combustion takes many forms. All fun in my opinion. Jus different ways of getting some fun. Personally, bikes are more fun!

Did I say Fun...... 3x's. Its still early in the morning!

Howard - don't ya hate when you get redundantly repetitive over and over and over...

.Never owned a Harley but... several dual sports and modest street bikes but 15 or so years ago I bought my dream machine--1975 BMW R 90/6 and stripped it to nothing and restored to a beauty. Even rode it to trailer week with my nephews back in 2000. Then Momma got on with me and the adventures started again. So in '02 we bought a new R 1150 RT (BMW) and now have logged about 50k miles on it. In summer it's my daily ride and for vacations we've been up the east coast twice and numerous trips through neighboring states and love twisting through WV on short weekend trips. Ya, I have a few scars and a weather predicting ankle, but at least when they roll me into the senior home for the infirm, I will have lots of stories to share with the social workers and occasional visitor.

The passing of Evil Knievel reminded me why I never got into motorbikes. I was amazed as much as the next kid when I watched his stunts on ABC growing up and I had evry toy that had his name on, but the sissy in me feared injury and disfigurement more. At least I could prevent that kind of injury by not getting on a bike.

Now I just wonder how much of his body is recyclable?

you Knucklehead.....
would you want any part of his body......
although he had a set of balls we should all admire

Evil was awesome and we owe that guy a lot.. I made my first bike jump over a car because of HIM.. Period... cracked up a few times too, but that was the fun part in a strange way... As far as Harleys go I had a sweet Sportster 1200 before they became a fad! and sold it after Lili and i wed. go figure... Thats why I love the Speedie!

Speedster "D"

I'm happy to hear so many SOC bike riders are surviving. I scrapped too many off the
pavement to make it attractive to me. Once picked up a world famous speed freak who,
were he still alive, would have to carry certified copies of his xrays to even enter an airport.