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Harley, Indian, or other cruiser/tourer


Pedro

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1 hour ago, Saul said:

To be fair I think I would have pulled over and let  matey bollocks past as well.   I would rather have him in front of me than behind.  😉

You should let him past just to check it’s not an hallucination in your mirrors

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29 minutes ago, Pedro said:

You should let him past just to check it’s not an hallucination in your mirrors

Yeah that to 🤣🤣🤣 just thought someone playing silly buggers on a mobility scooter is probably better in front than behind 😉

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Only had 2 "Cruisers" in the past.... 1st was an '83 XJ 750 Maxim....was great in a straight line, but a handful in the twisties due to the screwy front end geometry. Seriously reliable though...rode it in 13F & snowing before...did surprisingly well because of the rearward weight distribution. Went on a coupla group rides w/ some Harley buddies & kept up with no problem. This beast would do a smokeshow from Hell...don't ask how I know.:classic_biggrin: Then when it came time to sell it....some rat bastard nicked it!😡

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2nd was this Kymco Venox 250...Taiwanese made but pretty sure motor was built by Honda....liquid cooled, 90 deg V-twin w/ Keihin carbs...low, pretty comfortable & economical- 62mpg regularly. Sketchy tires though...I came home from the upper Clackamas river the last time I rode it....went into a LH sweeper doing about 40 mph, the next thing I saw was some guy leaning over me telling me not to move & a LifeFlight helicopter was on it's way.😲 Apparently the rear wheel stepped out & the caught...highsided me & I landed on my right shoulder & neck....damn near killed me. Still feeling the effects of that to this day. This pic was from that ride before I started back home....

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A year later is when MRSA damn near killed me... absolutely blessed to still be here.

My MetalFab mate that I've been drafting for...for 20 yrs...is Harley guy. At 1 point he had a '96 Buell S1 Lightning...that was my 1st ride on a Hardley power'd bike...140 hp w/ a V&H pipe, in a 53" wheelbase chassis...as short as my RD 400F. It was like riding a 2-Wheeled BigBlock Vette....handled well with great brakes. Later on, he built this chop w/ an 80" motor & a RevTech 6-speed gearbox. The only real parts that were Harley was the motor & the frame down tubes...He fabbed up the rest himself...even had it blue-tagged as a production vehicle. It rode pretty nice...especially with that gearbox...

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So what I am reading here is that if you get a fake Harley they will try to kill you so get a real Harley and live happily ever after.

Brandon Scott Jones Ghosts GIF by CBS

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17 hours ago, boboneleg said:

Do you have a lot of experience with bike dealers Lionel  ............

 

say what i hear you GIF

yes i have dealt with a few 😉

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4 hours ago, Buckster said:

So what I am reading here is that if you get a fake Harley they will try to kill you so get a real Harley and live happily ever after.

Brandon Scott Jones Ghosts GIF by CBS

Too damn heavy for too much dosh....after all, I'm just a lowly CAD jockey w/ an expensive wife at the time.:classic_biggrin: Just make sure it's not shod with sketchy tires is my lesson learned.

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5 hours ago, Pedro said:

All that work and then that's the paint he went with?

Not my choice of paint either....but it was pretty cool to ride...especially with that RevTech gearbox that shifted like sportbike.😎

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On the Tourer side of this topic...I also did enjoy running in group rides with other bigger bikes with my '83 VF 750 Sabre. Helluva smooth running motor...it would spin to 10k rpms but at 6k it was just Electric smooth. I did my longest 2-wheel'd adventure on this beast....did 2500 miles in 98 hrs. down to Parker AZ & back...it never missed a beat. At 1 point during that ride, I held it at 120 mph for 20 mins. straight through the NV desert. Can't say enough good things about the Corbin seat either....

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21 hours ago, boboneleg said:

Do you have a lot of experience with bike dealers Lionel  ............

 

say what i hear you GIF

Nick Offerman Smile GIF

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On 05/12/2024 at 16:59, Pedro said:

If you were to have a bike meant for mostly cruise control style of riding, covering some distance on motorways and what you brits call A roads, and felt like having proper comfort, would you be tempted for a cruiser?

I sort of feel like test riding a Harley sort of thing with a fairing. Rode a BMW 1600B once, on loan for a day, and found it amazing on the motorway. Don't want to have that as it's too delicate mechanically, but ... what you go for?

I tend to not be too impressed by Indian, they always look naff when I look at them in real life.

Asking for a friend.

How about a FJR 1300 or a NT 1100 ?

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2 hours ago, JustaPor said:

How about a FJR 1300 or a NT 1100 ?

NT is a good shout, FJR very good but has a thirst or so I read.   Both cracking bikes though.   

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7 hours ago, JustaPor said:

How about a FJR 1300 or a NT 1100 ?

Not my thing. The FJR is a quality bike but I hate the riding position, feels cramped and not dinamic at all. Also a bit heavy on fuel.

The NT does absolutely nothing for me.  Also a chain on a big touring bike is the most bean counter engineering  ever.

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1 hour ago, Pedro said:

Not my thing. The FJR is a quality bike but I hate the riding position, feels cramped and not dinamic at all. Also a bit heavy on fuel.

The NT does absolutely nothing for me.  Also a chain on a big touring bike is the most bean counter engineering  ever.

As to the NT, could well be, but I believe one of the reasons was weight and the handling dynamics of the bike.    Now wether that is just marketing wank I don't know I haven't been on one, I look at it more as an AT with a better fairing, also believe there is a belt and pulley kit for it if you have the spenders and wanted to.  😉

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26 minutes ago, Saul said:

As to the NT, could well be, but I believe one of the reasons was weight and the handling dynamics of the bike.    Now wether that is just marketing wank I don't know I haven't been on one, I look at it more as an AT with a better fairing, also believe there is a belt and pulley kit for it if you have the spenders and wanted to.  😉

They tried to be like BMW and looked at what they do with the GS and RT, which except for a longer diff is all that differs mechanically. Would be a nice inspiration but the Africa Twin is not a GS as a starting point for a touring bike.

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  • 2 weeks later...

A customer of the local bike place near me has a V Max which I love the look of. Never ridden one but it does look lovely. 
 

Keep meaning to test ride a Scout but my back is knackered and I am convinced I’d be crippled for a week after every ride if I got one. I’m supposed to be having a bit of bone removed from my spine in Jan which I hope will improve matters so maybe 2025 will be the year … 

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