Do modern Hogs appeal to the 1%'s

Welshrugby

Welshrugby

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I look at some of the modern Harleys and wonder if they still apeal to members of the 1% chapters or the 1% wannabees. Led lights, euro compliance, cafe racers now and electric versions. Or will they just look to older models and forever customise.

Also another question, do they like modern Indian bikes. Sounds like I want to be one I know (who knows one day) but just curious
 
The bottom line is that new Harley’s are actually rather good motorcycles, IF considered for their natural habitat / application. They’re very reliable, very rideable, and contrary to popular belief, they are not slow and their handling and braking is surprisingly good. For me though, they’re still WAY too f***ing heavy.

But, to your point, I’d agree they’re probably a bit ‘soft’ and ‘conformist’ for some. There is a HUGE market in after market engines for Harley’s. You can buy real old skool looking Shovel heads from S&S for example, they look old, but are new, bigger capacity and have modern improvements built in ‘off the shelf’.

Its the same story with frames and everything else. So I reckon the 1%s build their own bikes using stuff like this.

Personally, I like the bikes produced by Zero Engineering, they do bikes with relatively modern HD engines or with old skool Shovels etc. If I had the cash and the space, I’d have a ‘Type 5’ in my shed...

Do modern Hogs appeal to the 1%'s
 
I've been castigated before, but .... I would not bother to cross the road to piss on a Harley D if it was on fire.

Sorry in advance, but each to his own :oops:
 
Sonny Barger once wrote that considering the miles they do, they should be riding Hondas or BMWs.. But, the appeal of the Harley was that outside of being run over by a tank, or burnt to a cinder, they could always be repaired by anyone with a basic toolkit and mechanical knowledge. Would they miss the run because they're waiting on a part from Thailand?
We used to have a local 'Bikes And Barges' show on the quay organised by the local Harley shop.. Very impressive custom jobs in abundance, but a new breed of owner too. One poor guy spent ages (with the obligatory audience) bouncing up and down on the kickstart to no avail (been there... done that!) only to find out from a more knowledgeable owner that his immobiliser was still on!
Know Thy Beast!
 
A lot of the clubs round here use Harleys, I don't know anything about HDs but most of them seem to be fairly new. One of the HA rides very hard, don't think I have ever seen his wheels in line for more than a hundred yards.

A lot of the SS use the Triumph Rocket 3, one is super-charged but most of the others seem to have Harleys.
 
To each their own but I still don't understand why they have to be so offensively loud, at least here in Oz - or why the coppers continue to allow them to be so.
Must be a case of "my dick's louder than your's" - given that faster, better handling, etc, etc seems to be out of their realm.
 
It would just kill me to have to answer yes to the perennial question “ do you ride a Harley?” I am getting more interested in pan and shovelheads though, probably because they are now out of my price range.
 
Harley also became the official HA bike because it was American made.
A few interesting tid bits on the evolution of the chopper.
The original 1% were buying old, used Harley's and stripping them down.
After 'Bobbing' the rear fender, they needed more ground clearance, so they extended the front forks and went to a 21" wheel.
The 'Ape' Hangers were for pulling the backside up off the seat of the hard tail as you crossed RR tracks, bumps whatever.
They removed bags etc to narrow them up, to split traffic.
The FXR came along and became the go to bike. Usually with narrow bars....

The go to bike around here is the 'Bagger', street glide style.
Kinda of ironic how it was the dresser stripped down and customized, and now they are back riding dressers, or, 'Baggers.'
 
I thought it was one of HA's bylaws or rule whatever that members could only ride a Harley (no other brand permitted)?
I'll have a definite answer tomorrow
 
All your questions are answered in Hunter S. Thompson’s first published book , you guessed it ,on the Angels as they were in early 60’s , he rode a 650 BSA with the Oakland Chapter for almost 2 years before it ended badly for him ... written as more a reported piece of journalism , still an interesting couple hundred pages ... read most of it a week ago on the National Emergency Library site, link provided on “the Vintagent” no cost 2 week book loans ..... more than 1 million titles to choose from
 
The answer is yes.

I have had occasional interactions with HA folks. Harleys of all types, full blown new bikes, older models, depends on the rider. Most bikes on the modern side.

I do believe a Harley is required, Indian is ok too. To each his own. I own English, Japanese and American iron.
 
I put 5000 miles on my 2018 classic last year and it was brilliant for long distance. Cruise control at 90 all the time, comfortable, lots of storage. It handles well too. As you said, it’s too heavy. Great for interstate traveling though. Fantastic torque.
 
nothing wrong with a Harley or new Indian , except weight and price , I would include kick starter but prolly they long gone , my only ride on a Harley involved kicking it to life , I found it much more difficult than the Norton , I did not know the proper start routine ....
 
Back in the 60s in Aussie land most 1% clubs rode British as well American bikes but in the late 70 they started the change to Harley only and now they sort of forgotten their early days of riding British iron, then came the Evo motor Harley and they become a reliable bike after that, I have a few Harley friends some with the older Evo's and some with the newer models but a few die hard mates had sold their late models to go back to the carb model Evo models as they don't under stand the new tec of the new models, more old school, but the late model Harley's although they are heavy still they have got the handling down pat compared to the earlier models.
But it is funny most of my Harley riding mates no longer ride with me and my mates who have other bike as they complain we do to many miles to quickly with only minor stops, but they keep bragging how good their Harley's are, as well on our Sunday rides we see more Harley's stopped somewhere all hanging around their bikes talking about what ever than riding them, and if the weather is grey or sign of rain they don't want to come out at all which makes it better when out with my true riding mates.

Ashley
 
As many of y’all already know, I did a road trip in USA on a rented HD Road King, my mate on a rented Softail Classic / Heritage thingy.

I’ve never owned a HD and only ever ridden one for short rides before.

My Road King was brand new, it had the PDI whilst I was there to collect.

I rode that Road King for 3000 miles, never so much as a loose bolt or a misfire. It’d cruise at 90mph (as Jerry said) as though it was just ticking over. Open the throttle at 90 and it PULLED like no Norton can (ok, except the V4).

So despite being brand new, it just did the 3000 miles without being touched, without any perceptible effort in fact. Despite me being new to HDs, I did the 3000 miles without so much as a sore arse, even on the ‘long stint’ days.

Performance, handling, braking, even ground clearance, were a big surprise.

Whilst riding I started plans to buy one back home in England, but when I got back home the reality of the size and weight kicked in, just not suitable for my needs HERE, but if I lived in the US or similar I’d have one without hesitation.
 
I picked up a used 90's FatBoy last year and to be honest I really like it. The PO had a ton of chrome (not my thing) on it which I'm in the process of removing. Its not even real chrome its plastic chrome parts covers and dress up "Ride to Live" crap. The good thing is they sold loads of them and parts are cheap even OEM parts. In the garage the size can be deceptive. The rear is really skinny where as the front isn't as wide as you think. Once I place a piece of 2X4 under the jiffy stand it doesn't take up any more room than the Commando does. Some nuances are, I never use the key and some other HD guys say they don't either. The signals are non latching so you gotta keep your thumb on the button for operation. You need the rear brake if you need to stop quickly. There is a factory fitted pipe on the oil tank with a plug on the end for easy oil changes and tucks back in the frame when not in use.
 

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