bigcozy
Enlightened
I went with a member of my club to pick up his V-Rod from its first service and he asked me to ride it back to his house (about 70 miles) and give my opinion. I grew up a HD mechanic as a kid, but raced rice burners. I own a HD FXSTC but I am not a HD apologist, and also own a Honda Shadow VT1100 and just sold a Ducati.
First, this is not your father's HD. The spitting, snarling, cold natured air cooled V-twin is gone on this puppy. Starts were immediate and warm up was quick. While the bike looks ungainly, it handles better than anything HD this side of a Dyna Sport. Very centered mass, and almost no "fall in" from the forks. The brakes are better, the supesion is better, the engine is better. While HD purists may take away style points for being not true to the old time HD styling, you have to notice the hydro formed frame tubes that bend in impossible forms. The bike is seamless, one component flows into the next, very non HD in nature. The biggest difference is the V twin water cooled engine that was derived from the HD short lived racing program and Porsche motorsports. For all the world, it reminds me of my old Honda V-65 Magna, the engines are very similar. It pulls hard from start, but doesn't go flat the higher the rpm's go - it just keeps pulling until you run out of nerve or the rev limiter kicks in. The power band is wide and immediate. You twist it, it goes right now and you better be hanging on. Combine that with the serious frame and supension, and you have HD that goes fast and doesn't have to slow down in the curves.
If you are old enough you might remember the "power cruiser" wars back in the 80's. The Honda V65 Magna, Suzuki Madura, Kawasaki Eliminator, and the still alive and kicking Yamaha V-Max. This bike falls into that category, but is much more well done, albeit much more expensive. You can cruise on this bike, and you could tour on it with a windshield and some bags. For once, you can buy a HD that you don't have to bolt tons of things on to get it like you want it, the engine needs nothing. I am very impressed with this bike, but the HD hardcores hate it. In my opinion, this is the first shot at getting the public ready for the inevitable water cooled engines. Tree huggers are going to make big twin air cooled bikes a thing of the past from both emissions and noise standards. HD took a huge engineering leap forward, and it will pay off down the road. In the mean time, they made a much better and practical bike than I would have thought they could. Maybe not as cool, but does just about everything better.
I liked it. I just can't afford it.
First, this is not your father's HD. The spitting, snarling, cold natured air cooled V-twin is gone on this puppy. Starts were immediate and warm up was quick. While the bike looks ungainly, it handles better than anything HD this side of a Dyna Sport. Very centered mass, and almost no "fall in" from the forks. The brakes are better, the supesion is better, the engine is better. While HD purists may take away style points for being not true to the old time HD styling, you have to notice the hydro formed frame tubes that bend in impossible forms. The bike is seamless, one component flows into the next, very non HD in nature. The biggest difference is the V twin water cooled engine that was derived from the HD short lived racing program and Porsche motorsports. For all the world, it reminds me of my old Honda V-65 Magna, the engines are very similar. It pulls hard from start, but doesn't go flat the higher the rpm's go - it just keeps pulling until you run out of nerve or the rev limiter kicks in. The power band is wide and immediate. You twist it, it goes right now and you better be hanging on. Combine that with the serious frame and supension, and you have HD that goes fast and doesn't have to slow down in the curves.
If you are old enough you might remember the "power cruiser" wars back in the 80's. The Honda V65 Magna, Suzuki Madura, Kawasaki Eliminator, and the still alive and kicking Yamaha V-Max. This bike falls into that category, but is much more well done, albeit much more expensive. You can cruise on this bike, and you could tour on it with a windshield and some bags. For once, you can buy a HD that you don't have to bolt tons of things on to get it like you want it, the engine needs nothing. I am very impressed with this bike, but the HD hardcores hate it. In my opinion, this is the first shot at getting the public ready for the inevitable water cooled engines. Tree huggers are going to make big twin air cooled bikes a thing of the past from both emissions and noise standards. HD took a huge engineering leap forward, and it will pay off down the road. In the mean time, they made a much better and practical bike than I would have thought they could. Maybe not as cool, but does just about everything better.
I liked it. I just can't afford it.
