First HD ride experience

A friend stopped by today to look at the Rocket. He wanted to ride it in the worst way. He's a very experienced rider and an old friend, so I said OK. We decided to switch bikes. I'd ride his Dynaglide and he'd ride the Rocket to a friends house....30 miles away. I realized I had the short end of the stick as soon as I sat on his bike...vibrating, snorting, farting and hickups....then I started the bike. It sounded worse than I did. It reminded of my first Rupp minibike. Neighbors came out and laughed, pointed and carried on. This was the first time I've ridden a HD. We take off....the ride gets worse. I hear you guys complain about the suspension on the Rocket....the dyna felt like it had boards for suspension instead of shocks. I think my Rupp rode better with no suspension. Well 1 mile up the road, I'm jealously wanting my rocket back. Sometime between the 1st and 2nd mile I got a break, the HD drops off it's mufflers...WHAT AN OBNOXIOUS SOUND. I pull over and wait....20 minutes and for my buddy to come back. He said he had a great ride. I told him to take his Cushman home and give my Rocket back.

DagoII

Thanks DagoII. Jamie

Every time I ride one of them there v-two's it seems like its dragging a cylinder. now I'm a car tech by trade and used to fixing vehicles that act like that. I can't imagine wanting your bike to feel like its missing, it would drive me nuts!!! at least more than I already am

I just do not understand the hype. I thought I wanted a V Rod until I test drove one. **** what a joke! I then test drove a Dyna Low Rider, it put the V Rod to shame as far as torque but still a joke compared to the R3. Personally I have no problem belonging to the (group). Hey if you want to drive a tractor on the interstate that is your prerogative; they look OK & sound OK , but for the price: Like I say (****) !

I'm a back yard mechanic and probably could've fixed it on the road myself. Just did't get on that piece of ****e again.

My Only Harley Experience

One of my good friends..(I only have two who can stand me)...is disabled. He is a Harley owner, veteran chopper pilot (Nam), and talks about his 06 Harley with Love in his heart and a twinkle in his eye. I don't say much negative about the Harley's because he chose to ride the Classic and he can operate the shifter with his prostetic left lower leg and foot. (Lost to diabetes about 4 years ago)

He called me a few days ago and asked me to come look at his bike and check the status of the battery. I did so and in the process wired his Battery Tender into his battery which was dead and could not even be tested.

After a couple of "charging days" I went back and started the bike, Even though we have been on many rides together, I had never even sat on his bike. I took the opportunity to check it out. Granted I have been riding the R3 for the last year and a half and have loved every moment riding we have shared. I could not get over how "small" this bike was physically to the R3. It seemed narrow, short, when started it shook, jumped, snorted, was not promising power wise and I had not even backed it out of the garage and had not desire to do so. Being completely unimpressed, I thanked my lucky stars that someone or something sent me another direction when I went looking for a newer ride from my 01' Valk.

I also have joined the ranks of not understanding the facination with HD. I am not putting them down...I just don't get it...and my brother owns two of them. Given all the faults the R3 may or may not have...and I have had my share of temporary irritations...I would rather take the chance owning it than to be in command of any other bike I have ridden....but then I am old, opinionated, happy and probably senile....SB...

I had an HD among others....

With me, it's not what you ride, it's that you ride. I've ridden and owned everything from a Cushman with a Kohler to a Velocette Thruxton 500 side valve single and yes a Harley Davidson FLT Classic.

Every bike has a personality, all different, just like the owners. I might put HD's down a bit on site, but, my best friends and riding companions have HD's even today.....The guys in Nashville at the RAAII met them last year because we rode together...all the way from here in Michigan to York, PA, to Kitty Hawk, to Maggie Valley, to Nashville for the rally and then home, over 2500 miles. My 2 friends and I did the same thing, put in gas, cleaned the bugs off the windshields, checked the tires and the oil and rode them. I averaged 40 mpg. They averaged 50. I had gobs more power and the bike I enjoy and ditto for them. I hope my R3 lasts as long as either of their HD's....Ed has over 175,000 miles on his and Carol is a bit over 100,000. They aren't as pretty as the R3, the paint is faded and the chrome looks a little weathered but those bikes have been in every State in the Union except Alaska and more than once. By the way, they don't have loud pipes and obviously, they aren't posers.

People who ride bikes today are different than bikers of years past. That's not all bad, but the biker today is more impersonal. Good example is when I ride my R3, probably 90% of oncoming bikers wave. When I ride my KLR, less than 10% wave. I don't get it. We are all a brotherhood. It's much better to have unity no matter what you ride.

Now, when I have the Bonnie/Sidecar out...100% wave and 10% turn around and chase me down to have a look.

I rather like Harleys and always had good experiences on the ones I've ridden any distance as well as the Road Glide I've owned. I've ridden a '99 Softtail standard from Shreveport to Houston and back and I really enjoyed that bike. The rear suspension is better than the stock rear suspension on the Rocket.. lol, of course, that's not saying much. The only issue I had on that trip, was I when I ran low on gas and I turned the petcock to what I thought was reserve, but instead I turned the gas OFF!.. lol I was actually stumped for a minute, cursing at the dumb thing, until I noticed I was the dumb thing.. lol

I've ridden an '01 Road King from Shreveport, to San Antonio, and then up to Sturgis, and back to Shreveport. Now, I will say, that bike was a DOG. It would not go over 80 MPH. Ran great, but slow!

I also had a '01 Road Glide, which was a beautiful silver and chrome bike, That bike same engine as previous Road King, but mine was carbureted, would fly for a mostly stock Harley. My standard cruising speed was 80 MPH no matter where I went, and it would roll up to 120 or so pretty easily.

All of them got a good 50 MPG, and never required any maintenance other than changing the oil, and normal routine stuff. None of them, of course, could even see the tail light of the Rocket for more than a few seconds.. lol

The Rocket had been great as well, and I've been on a few multi-state trips with it, and fixing to head out on another one this Thursday!!!!! 3 days!

Hi all,
I didn't mean to hit anyones nerve points with my story. Just a fun story. Most of my riding group ride HD. Back in the days when Sportsters were chasing Bonnievilles around dirt tracks... or vise versa. They were always exchanging first place. In my town this rivalry has always been tounge and cheek and still is. I like and respect Harleys, they've stuck in there all these years. They are just not for me. Just not into 60's technology. The story is true and just meant to be amusing...........besides we know which bike is better!!

Ride safe
Dave

My wife and I rented a HD Classic for a week during Biktoberfest in Daytona, Flew to Orlando, And picked it up at Orlando HD. My wife probably has as many or more miles in the pillion as most captains have under there belt, on a mix of various bikes, 1980-GL1100, 1984-1200Aspencade, 1996 SEI, 2001 LC1500, and a 2003K1200LTE and now the rock. We only managed 1700 miles on the Classic, But she proclaims it the best pillion ride of the bunch, much to my suprise. She still say's she is going to buy me one. And I spose I'll have to ride it. However with the economy as it is in michigan, they may have half a chance to build a reliable bike by then. I hate to admit it but they must have something going, all the manufactures have raised a bead on HD, maybe in time they will raise the bar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! instead of raid the bar