i traded my '03 harley dyna 3yrs ago in daytona for my '04kgt, which now has 40k miles on it. while loving my k, i never quite got the harley urge out of my heart and mind. the sound and mystique when i saw them on the road still exhillerated me inside. even though while riding my k, i usually remarked to myself what a dream it was to ride, the harley was always there, like a passionate affair for a married man. just couldnt shake it. last month i made the rounds of some harley dealers, pricing trade-in values and what have u. when i told the salesman i was interested in the electraglide standard, he pointed to my mistake, said the electeaglide deluxe had chrome on it(and was only $3000 higher). i flinched, thinking i hadnt equated chrome with value or riding pleasure in years. he also inquired how i like my dealer, an odd question i thought at the time. later at home, i realized what he was doing. the harley crowd on weekends go to a local dealer, eat free hamburgers, listen to a redneck band and shop for chrome. but more on this realization later.
about 2 wks ago, a friend called saying he picked up an '02 harley electraglide deluxe for a song and would like me to chek it out and service it. he encouraged me to keep it a month, ride it, and let him know what i thought. i thought i was finally seduced, and would never be able to get off a harley. this was the perfect opportunity to see which harley i would like.
so i ride, maybe 100 miles one day. not too bad, but felt some weariness and fatigue when i got home. maybe i was tired anyway. in a couple of days, i gave it a good workout, mixing some curves and county roads with a 50 mile jaunt up and down I75 at 90mph. 3hrs and i come home exhausted. plus i'm having to hold my mouth in a different way at stop lites to seperated my teeth from each other. and this is the rubber mounted non-vibrating engine model! oh, also, despite having a windshield and partial fairing, buffeting was bad. went from bad to worse as i changed my leg position, wind rushing right up my legs. by this time i'm questioning how i ever owned one of these, but i'm getting enlightened realizations daily. so this is why harley ownership requires ownership of a pickup or trailer. this is why harley riders in my tampabay area TOW their bikes to daytona for bike week. well, the last week that harley is sitting in my garage. it looks like the anachronistic behemoth it really it. i cant wait till my buddy comes after it. for the last week i cant even listen or look at a harley without getting exhausted. aint havin a beemer great?

Harley Davidson:


Yesterdays technology at tomorrows prices.

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Growing old disgracefully

A friend of mine traded his LT for an '08 UltraClassic simply because he was worried about the LT's rear giving and the lack of dealerships.

He brought it over to my house so I could farkle it for him. Though it's a pretty bike (I rode Harley for about 28 years) seeing him sit on it at idle was enough to discourage even wanting to ride it.

Harley does some things well, and now they have ABS, but the touring platform really needs the VRod engine in it.

The Texas State HOG Rally is in my town this weekend (New Braunfels, TX) and just watching the poseurs is painful. My biggest concern is folks riding in bumper to bumper (fender to fender?) traffic using their highway pegs and not covering the front brake. A potentially considerable price to pay for looking cool.

I'm awaiting the statistics when the rally is over (shudder).

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-=grif=-
What was that middle thang?

Thank you for that. It came for me at a very oportune moment.
Back I'd say @ 93 or so (forgive me feable mind on the years) I had the good fortune to own one of the frist evo wide glides (Evo, non rubber mounted, with a 4 spd kick start tranny (86?)) AND a 92 4V K100RS. I rode here in the northeast (of US) all winter as much as possible. I loved both bikes and had some real problems in the brain. I felt I was SUPPOSED to be riding the HD but was so loving that K bike. I'd feel guilty on the K but loved it so. I loved the harley for whatever reason one does and did smile when I rode it. but it wasn't the same. When I went to York PA for the HD open house - which did I ride there. Yes sir, the BMW. I felt guilty as all h*ll but made the ride in one day. the crowd at the open house was very kind and receptive. It did take the sting out. Sold the BMW when building our house in the mid 90's. Still miss it. Sold the HD when my daughter was born in 99. After fighting for children for 15 years (and having been layed up in the early 80's becasue an 85 YO woman "didn't see me"), I made the decision to give it up. After riding in one form or another since the late 60's I just gave it up. I guess the Gas prices were enough to bring me back into the fold. Last season I bought a 97 black and yellow Valyrie and put on @ 9K miles commuting before fall. I had to sell it to pay our proeprty taxes. That was indeed a wonderfull bike.
I found myself lurking here a for a few weeks now, the fever hitting a high pitch. I appologize for turning a thankyou for the Harley BMW comentary into a poor, hasty into. I do thank you again for the post and for letting me become a member.

KES in MA