Agreed there. The h-d lineup has really impressed me lately. The Fatboy Lo was the most interesting to me, looks-wise, but I didn't love the ride. The cruisers at the top end, while expensive, really seemed to be a cut above what I had experienced in the past (when they rode more like a Goldwing). Now, they're very manageable, almost like riding down the road in your living room.

If I had to choose between another Porsche or one of the h-d cruisers, I'd take the latter without hesitation ... and for those who know me, that's saying something. :thumbsup

Who the hell puts a new rider on a dyna or an xr1200? A new rider needs a light, easy to ride motorcycle with really good brakes. That will keep them safer, period.

Look at it this way most riders get into trouble with a car turning left in front of them. So you can either go left, maybe or right maybe, or stop. What bike would you want to be on in this instance at say 45 MPH?

Does your xr1200 handle so fucking good that you can go left or right, are your brakes so good and your training and experience so good that you could stop? Or are you old school and would just lay it down?

If a new rider is on oh say a CBR500 the odds go way up as all three options are looking better.

goldwing is a fantastic tourer and worthy of consideration but what h-d has done with their touring frame is also very nice. I'd have a hard decision to make if I were needing to choose between the top of the line 2014 goldwing or a h-d ultra. both fantastic motorcycles.

when did i suggest putting a new rider on a dyna or xr? because I didn't. What id did do is suggest getting a bike after taking the beginner course.

you blew off H-d saying they don't handle but will get a "cool bike" comment at a stoplight. that's incorrect and the video proofs that, those bikes are being handled at realistic street speeds and precision competitions were designed around that- street skills.

Look, if you want to think h-d are what you think they are that's fine, but let's not go around spreading that opinion as fact when it's not. it's an opinion and one many millions of people have proven wrong.

My only reservation with the Goldwing is that I might be SEEN riding the Goldwing. :1orglaugh

aye, there's the rub!

I have friends with local clubs, you are correct, they hate those posers

Spot ON! They are nice bikes, but jeez, they have reverse!

I love the ride of my Road King, it has air shocks and a LePara seat, it has both gel and memory foam which is very comfortable and cool looking!

I love having a fat front tire so that on the freeway the cement grooves don't whip you all over the place. It's a little wild when you are doing 90 and hit a groove on the freeway with a skinny front tire

I've been looking into getting a touring bike for a trip I've been planning across the country and back in a few years. Choice number one was a Honda Sport Touring model called the ST1300, but 2013 was the last year they built that model :(

http://www.motorsbros.com/images/Honda-ST1300-05.jpg

The Gold Wing is one of the premiere touring bikes on the road but I always saw them as a "land yacht" just too big and top-heavy.

But then in 2013 Honda started making a cut-down version of the Gold Wing called the F6B (Flat Six Bagger) and that has some definite possibilities.

http://s1.cdn.autoevolution.com/imag...6b-51737_1.jpg

Kevin, FTR, this is solid advice on a beginner bike, not trying to undermine that, just thought it odd that this solid advice would end with a oh yeah, and harleys suck type of comment.
:)

Goldwings are not top heavy, where you see a gas tank, well it's not there, it's much lower, the center of gravity on them is very low to make them handle better and they do!

dang, that's a sharp scoot.

Take a look at the new line from Harley, they call it the Rushmore project, if you like cruisers.
http://projectrushmore.harley-davidson.com/en_US/home

Ride a Goldwing ... it's not as top-heavy as you'd imagine. Now, picking one UP isn't all that fun .... but you shouldn't do doing that more than once anyway.

The F6B actually has a very sport-bike feel to it (to me), and defeats the whole cruiser idea.

i wouldn't recommended someone's first bike a hayabusa, a bit powerful i would think

Jesus .. fuck .. of course not! Anyone who recommends that would be an asshole. It'd be an absolutely AWFUL first bike .. the slightest over-throttle, and you are FUCKED, if you haven't been riding a while.

Yeah, picking up a 800lb bike will make you grunt a little, at least that's what my Road King weighs

http://s30.postimg.org/e56062ngx/BMW...venture_09.jpg


The old dirt bike/enduro rider in me would love to take a 2-3 month trip out west staying off paved roads as much as possible.

edit: I'd go for the more aggressive tread tire option.


.

Well, picking it up is fine, it's STOPPING the picking-up process when you get it upright .. it usually goes over to the other side, because you're pushing so hard, you over-do it, lol. I fucked up the kickstand and laid one down in my driveway (600 lbs), and it just kept going back and forth LOL .. fucked up the fairings really good.

The secret to picking up a bike is to turn away from it squat down and grab it from behind your but and squat up with it.


Just in case someone might not know that!

Actually, if you wait till your friends stop laughing at you, 2-3 guys makes it easier :1orglaugh

Lol!
Hah. True although that would be a long wait.

My Harley must be a dud then... It rides like a dream at ALL speeds and is pretty damn quick and stops on a dime.

I might need to get it looked at... :thumbsup

And if people are saying anything to me at a light I cant hear them... because I am on my HARLEY!!! But I DO get a LOT of folks giving the big "Thumbsup" every time I ride! :thumbsup

I was thinking the same, I have two disc's on the front and one one the back with some good tires, it stops fast

Wow, shit! I've never tried that .. but then again, I have only needed to pick a bike up very rarely, thank goodness.

To be honest I've never ridden a Gold Wing, but a couple years ago I sat on one that had the full tour pack and the "Mama's Throne" passenger seat, it just felt too big and bulky, kind of like I was sitting on the Road Dog, leaning it to the left and right a few times just reinforced my dislike for the way the bike felt. It just did not feel "right" to me.

I haven't seen one close up yet, my local dealer hasn't had one in when I was there, but looking at the pictures I think this bike is much more touring than sport oriented, the seating position, handlebar location and footpeg placement all look to me to be a very relaxed type of ride, I'll need to get on one before I make up my mind about the bike in general.

I'm a Harley owner, I like Harleys and will own one for a very long time to come.
A new CVO Road Glide can run up to $35k, the F6b starts around $20k.
I've kind of decided against another Harley for a Touring bike mostly because I would have to get rid of the one I have now to help pay for the new one.
I'd rather get a jap touring bike for the long rides and keep my Dyna to piss off the neighbors :winkwink:

Skip to 2:10, mineistaken you should watch this, you kind of "walk" it up.



Make sure you have it in gear and if it's on it's right side have the kickstand down, if it's on it's left side move very slowly when you are nearing vertical, it can get a bit nerve-wracking. :)

Here is my bike...
http://netace.com/images/sideview_detail.jpg
Not quite stock - http://www.netace.com/vmax



This is NOT a recommendation for a 1st bike...
http://netace.com/images/DustMax_Burnout.jpg

Of course different bike would give them an edge. If a streetbike rider did that same track he would do it easier and/or faster. I think that is his point.

I like it, it looks like a mix of cruiser and streetbike, at least from the size and looks point of view.

no, if a streetbike rider did that same track he'd fall over on the first turn.


Look at the guy whose never even ridden a bike telling me this nonsense! :1orglaugh:1orglaugh:1orglaugh


again, as I keep stressing to you, keep assuming shit about bikes and you can also assume you will soon be a statistic.




/

You do not need to ride a bike to know (after reading feedback from bike riders) that street bike is easier to navigate and handle when you are driving city streets. That is a fact. And the thing that you assume only those who have ridden a bike could know this fact is pretty moronic..
I also know that most common deadly situation with bikes is cars turning left not seeing you. How can I know that without even riding a bike, that is a mystery. I simply can not know that, I have not ridden a bike..
I also know that dirk bike would be better in dirt then cruiser, how can I know that without even riding a bike... Mystery for sure.

you have absolutely no idea wtf you are talking about. AGAIN, if a streetbike gave the contestants an edge in a competition, then the contestants would use a streetbike. your fundamental lack of understanding of motorcycle frame geometry fails you here.


have luck with your assumptions and you most certainly should be wearing a helmet. even when you post

Don't they have different classes for Top Gun, I know it's not open to anything cause then some smart ass would show up on a trials bike and kill the record on one pass.

I'm sure they do. But, look, you and I both know the riding position on these bikes makes a difference when combined with speed. In slow speed precision handling, I don't want to be leaned over the bars. I want to be upright and have light weight turning ability, i.e. no weight on the frontend. faster, then leaned forward.

I'm in no way discounting the skills involved in navigating a track at 150-200mph, but dang, the skills involved in what those guys do in the precision riding competitions are equally impressive and completely different. I think it's a testimony that h-d can handle and brake. not all of them, certainly soft tails and some dynas but....

Just found the classes for Top Gun, lol

Cruiser And Bagger Motorcycles,
Sport Bike Motorcycles,
Motorized Wheelchairs,
Manual Sport Wheelchairs,

Also found out it's not open to all cycles, like say one has BMW With Bags, a touring BMW they make that bike run under Sport Bike as Top Gun says it has an unfair advantage.

That contest was made by cops for cops to show off how they can at VERY low speeds maneuver a loaded down police bike. Then they made a contest for the public but saying a Harley is the number one way to do that is a joke.

The skills some of them have working a heavy ass bike like that is impressive, now put that same cop on a BMW bagger, then what do you think would happen?

Wow OK this is how Top Gun should be LOL, Compare the Harley guy to these Top Gun Guys!

Even more look at this Pasadena cops do it on BMW's

And let me add the nail to the coffin Top Gun 2013 results,

Winner at a time of 119.17 Ofc. Edward Nolte, Aurora PD on a BMW.

Second place at a time of 136.28 Sgt. Roger Isaacson, Broomfield PD on a Harley Davidson.

Note these are two classes but the Top Gun goes to the best time, which by a landslide is the BMW.

Have luck, you will need it. :winkwink::winkwink:

hah, that BMW prolly weighs 600 pounds. easily 2x as heavy as a typical sport bike. Thanks for including the fact h-d came in 2nd too, just proves what I've been pointing out. It's not a accurate assesment to categorize harleys simply as "they'll get you a hey cool harley" comment.

It proves that Harleys are slow, lol what are you missing, the HD got smoked if they went a few laps the BMW would have lapped the Harley! These guys are using all police bikes if one of the Jap guys showed up on his the time would be cut even more!