Why are Harley's so different?

[Area57]

I don't think I understand motorcycle engines. I went to the Harley dealership to see what they were all about and sat on a good looking 750cc. The salesman said I didn't want it, it was like a scooter and couldn't go past 60. Wtf? 750 isn't that much smaller than my engine. I had to start looking at harley's with just ridiculously big and heavy engines before he thought they were acceptable.

He said it was something about the engine didn't rev past 7000 rpm compared to an R6 that would go maybe 17,000. What's the point of making a 750cc engine if it can't go past 60? why not make a little engine?

 

[Dustin]

You have opened a very large can of worms, my friend. Harley-Davidson talk is very polarizing in the motorcycle world.

First and foremost, Harley-Davidson sells an image. They sell cool. Yes, they make nice bikes and they are actually very well built and engineered but people typically buy them because they are Harleys. The customer base demands a certain 'character' for their bikes and H-D builds it for them.

Motorcycle engines are complicated. You have so many different engine configurations and so many different 'states of tune', if you will. A 750 cc engine can be built to produce 40 hp or 170 hp and everything in between and there are countless different ways to build an engine of that size (or any size).

The salesman was just trying to make a big sale off of you and fed you some bullshit. The bike you looked at was the Street 750 which makes 53-55 hp at the rear wheel and supposedly does a 14 second 1/4 mile. Top speed of 110. Yes, that slow for modern motorcycle standards but plenty fast for it's intended purpose which is commuting & city cruising. I'd say it's probably my favourite bike in H-D's lineup as it's the least vulgar and ostentatious.

Still, it's probably slower than a Suzuki Burgman 650

 

[FZ1riderNY]

I'd rather have the Burgman.

 

[OldBiker]

That Street 750 has almost the same hp as my 40 year old Suzuki GS-750 had. Nice to see that Harley finally caught up to a UJM.

 

[old sparks]

That Street 750 has almost the same hp as my 40 year old Suzuki GS-750 had. Nice to see that Harley finally caught up to a UJM.

And 10 HP less than the SV650, which debuted in 1999, if you want a V-Twin comparison...

 

[OldBiker]

I think the GS-750 had 60 to 70 hp. I forget.

 

[PredatorFZ1]

Harley's are definitely not power houses from the factory. I think the V-ROD is the fastest Harley they have.

 

[Dustin]

Harley's are definitely not power houses from the factory. I think the V-ROD is the fastest Harley they have.

Yes and that's apparently 'not a real Harley'. Speed and power are certainly not the primary focus at H-D HQ, haha.

I'd rather have the Burgman.

Me too, by a long shot. Scooters rock!

 

[dirtlego]

I think the V-ROD is the fastest Harley they have.

... with the engine built by Porsche if I'm not mistaken!

PS
That's right. Harley-Davidson V-Rod - Porsche Engineering

 

[Area57]

oh, ok, it was my favorite too, because it looked the least like a harley. Ok, good to know. For the most part I think they are a bit cheesy. Like you're trying too hard. I appreciate they are made in america, and the most normal ones are ok, but yeah, too much into the image. But what do I know. i like the sport bikes the best and those are pretty over the top too, but at least it serves a purpose, the way it looks, aerodynamics or something.

 

[Dustin]

Say what you will about the Harley culture but there's a lot of guys out there riding a lot of miles on them. Motorcycles are just tools, what becomes of them is up to the rider. Like the majority of sportbikes out there, most Harleys are ridden for image and the loudest and most obnoxious of the bunch garner the most attention.

Pirates vs. Power Rangers: A Guide To Dressing Up Like a Real Biker

 

[Hellgate]

Because their pants don't have seats...

 

[Oldschool]

I had to laugh yesterday. Our lane is clear enough to get out to the street which is dry as are most roads here now. My neighbor a few doors down pulled his Harley out for its first ride of the season. Beanie helmet, check, chaps, check, then before putting it in gear, stereo loud enough to hear 4 houses down, and away he went.

They will be easy to pick out in the senior's home. They will be the stone deaf ones.

Oh, but the bike has really nice paint.

 

[Dustin]

I am dreading the first dry day of the spring. The peaceful streets will be filled with the sound of straight piped farm equipment and high revving sewing machines.

 

[Oldschool]

Signs of Getting Old

When you start to appreciate Bob Seger more than you used to and the look of Harleys. From a purely looks point of view ( mostly the pretty paint jobs) I don't mind Harley bikes. Stock pipes aren't even too bad.

Don't get me wrong, I'd never pay the outrageous coin they want for one, no amount of paint beauty is worth that. I might download a Bob Seger tune or two though.

Straight pipes, that's a different story. Those I'd like to empty a can of spray foam insulation into while they are parked. That would quiet them permanently. I'd like to be able to hear my downloaded tunes as the years March on.

 

[PredatorFZ1]

We have a big Harley shop about 3 miles from my house they do poker runs through town all the time, one reason I didn't care if my bike had the DB killer put in the exhaust or not. It's still not going to be as loud as the straight pipes with no baffles like the Harleys. If I wanted a cruising bike with no speed in mind it would be an Indian motorcycle the craftsmanship are above what Harley's are.

 

[Area57]

straight pipes, are those what are making all that noise? I hate that. I was trying to spend some time on the california coast once and kept running into this group of bikers. they were so loud they kept waking me up, revving their engines at seven in the morning.