Harley-Davidson Forty-Eight

Thanks Shuggiemac you are just reinforcing what I was thinking as I think it would be hard work on the motorway which is where I could be doing a lot of miles. Chipper

Thanks for the info Cap I have been offered a good deal for my Guzzi and £1600 off the list for a new Dyna custom. I know I am easy meat to sales men and I change my mind like the wind when it comes to bikes but I do like the riding position ( it fits like a glove )and I think the build quality is there now. Residuals should be good.

The big snag is I may be transferred to France or Belgium and will commute home at the weekend. I know the dyna is not a tourer but would I be expecting too much of a windshield and heated grips to do this mileage. I know an RT would be ideal but I do not want one and could the Harley be comfortable enough for the commute.

Can I be convinced it can, as the pose value on the continent in the summer would be priceless. The good thing with Harley is the accessories and the bike can be made into what ever you want within reason. My heart is really overuling the head on this one so some help is needed. Harley are even bettering the deal as I knocked it back today and will talk again on Wednesday. Chipper

Chipper, if you liked your Guzzi then I think you will engage with a modern 1584 Harley like a duck to water. I presume you are talking about the Super Glide Custom? And a new one? If it's that model and used, then the anniversary white coloured model will have the best residuals, and unlike many Japanese bikes the yellow hue was particularly popular too. Of course, like Mercedes in silver, Harley is synonymous with black too, so any of those is particularly good. If you feel you have the self restraint to cruise at 70 mph on long journeys and are happy with a 5-10 min leg stretch every fifty miles or so, then I see no reason why you couldn't come home for the weekends, although you don't mention whether we are talking from Calais or Carcassone! ;-D Screens can help, but personally I actually prefer unfaired bikes up to 70 mph or so, because although the wind pressure is there, the annoying buffeting isn't. Full face lids can help, but I've a Davida which works well on cruisers with some bespoke earplugs in situ. Kev is right that the Road King is erm, King of the Road when it comes to cruisers. I've ridden most Harleys over the last twenty years, plus things like XV535, VMax, FatBoy, Rocket 3 and all sorts, and as far as cruisers go that's the best IMHO. It's th best because it looks right from every angle, it has slightly better ground clearance than the other Harleys with running boards and with the quick detach screen and panniers it's practical, and on hot days the removal changes it from being a classic tourer to a sunset boulevard cruiser Guzzi California stylie. The model released last year is significantly better for two key reasons; firstly, it's frame is about 67% stiffer, and you can really feel it helping the handling, especially two. And secondly ABS came as standard. As with all heavyweight cruisers, a bit more rear brake use and a little engine breaking really helps reduce braking distances and if you're going to ride in adverse condition ABS is a very reassuring safety aid too. Anyway, I digress. The SuperGlide is a super ride, within remit. I would say that your heart is definitely ruling your head right now. It's no bad thing that. But remember when it's raining and you have 300 miles to ride, you've got to be happy with your choice too. Harley dealers are very reasonable people. They should let you take it for a very 'long' ride, like 3 hours and 120 miles is most probably not out of the question assuming the roads are dry and the sky bright. My view would be to take it for such a ride. At the end of it if it's floated your boat, you'll know. At that point it won't matter a damn what I or anyone else tells you, you'll either of had your head turned, or the idea of GS with panniers or something else that's characterful and engaging, but can do the job with decent aplomb may be back on the agenda. Let us know how you get on ;-D

"It will make riding interesting getting a cruiser around bends and I am preparing myself for the village people jokes"
... congratulations. Most Harleys handle acceptably well nowadays, and the Dyna's have the best ground clearance so don't sweat it. As for the jokes? You'll only get those from bigots who have never ridden a modern Harley over a reasonable distance before. To appreciatte one has to experience...

I pick the Glide up a week on Saturday as I have some business on this Saturday and with all the haggling this week has delayed the transaction. I think the insurance on the Harley will be cheap as it cost £26 to ammend my policy. I did have to ammend a policy 3 times in one year cost more for ammendments than the actual policy.

I have one question which may sound stupid but is there any bungee points on the back or do you have to get a luggage rack which I will in time. I commute to the office and then travel the UK and I normally bring a travel bag with me bungeed to the bike. I can put the rucksack on my back but if there are bungee points I am in business. Chipper

Thanks Cap, I have already got a good quality rucksack. A £20 buffalo; had it for 3 years and not a leak and the 80 L bag from HG also. The rack is the way to go but it may be cheaper to buy a solo seat and a rack than a sissy bar to accompany it. Still plenty to play with.

The stelvio broke down today on the way to college, as ever in the p%**ing rain so will be repaired under warranty next week. It has not been running right for months and is the main reason for part-exing it. In a way I am happy it has broke down as it gives me a perfect defence for buying the Harley. Lets hope it is ready for next week. Chipper

" Modern Guzzi's aren't supposed to be too bad regarding reliability "

I think that is questionable Cap as most of the owners I spoke to had worse problems than me. Lack of specialised dealers who know what they are doing to bolster an unfinished product with better quality management in the factory is what Guzzi need and even though they are moving in the right direction with Piaggio they are are still lacking. To date I have been waiting 7 weeks for a side stand bracket as the original bent and I have to use the centre stand instead.

I hope the Harley build quality is better, I can`t see it being any worse but there are always a Friday afternoon bike being made. I have enlisted the help of my brother in law to fit the accessories as Harley only charge £93 per hour for labour. I just hope my brother in law has the same ability seeing that he works on Aston Martins he might just be able to cope.

Chipper

Chipper, how you getting on with your Glide?

Anybody on here ordered a forty-eight? I think it look very cool, especially in silver - cooler than the Iron 883, and the extra poke of the 1200 should make a difference to real world performance too. Plus that phat front tyre looks really good.

If I had one I'd prolly fit a left shock mounted number plate, some period handlebar grips, a spring-sprung retro leather saddle, a black Vance & Hines exhaust, a Ki-Tec fueller and totally remove the front mudguard. Then ride it around for a while.

In time, I'd add some whitewalls maybe, and long-term ideally a black powder coated springer front end. Then ride it some more and probably not bother cleaning it after a while - a well used look always seems to suit the striped down honest use nature of the Sportster.

A way cool old skool customised bobber, for less than £10k has to be fair vfm in this sky-rocketing prices days...

Yes the Sportster tank range makes it less practical for sure. The forty-eight is actually named after it's peanut (sized and named) tank, which was available from 1948 onwards - the Sportster was released in '57. Fitting a bigger tank is relatively easy and arguably improves the look of the Sportster, but not many people seem to bother doing that for some reason. Anyway, the Glide will be much more comfy and practical for sure.

I guess your cousin will be looking at Victory or Triumph if he wants and even bigger cruiser. The real McCoy Harleys are hard to beat mind. The Rocket feels too unweildy, the T-Bird vibes too much at 70 mph and lacks ground clearance, based on my own demo rides. Add residuals, available accessories, the social scene (for those that want it), and the Milwaukee bikes make strong cases for themselves. I like some Victory machines and they rode well, very similar to Harley, with good build quality and strong engines. I like the fact that they are a genuine American V-twin and metric! The Hammer is particulary attractive and the 8-Ball practical. But 250 section tyres don't do corners particularly well, there's less Victory dealers about and residuals won't be as strong for similar RRP's.

Enjoy your hog! :-D

Harley are running a promotion at the moment. Test ride any of their bikes, and you get entered into a free draw to win a Dyna of some description. So I figured that it would be rude not to take advantage of this.

I opted to have a go on the XR1200X. I didn't get on too well with it, but this was the first time on a bike in about a year, so I was rusty.

I've ridden an 883 Sportster in the past, and the XR felt a lot quicker. I was quite surprised by that. It made a good noise once you got the revs up, but felt quite lumpy (I was told that's called character).

What I didn't like was that the torque picks up very quickly from 55 ft lbs at 2500 rpm to 67 ft lbs at 3500 rpm. My clutch control was, err, a bit shaky, so the bike would hook into that jump in the torque curve as I let it out a bit fast. Didn't make for a smooth ride.

I'm a little over 6'2", and the bike felt a bit small, but it's bigger than other Sportsters.

Anyway, I wasn't really getting on with it, so decided to head back early. This proved to be a good thing, as the bike ran out of fuel about 100 metres from the dealership. It turns out that the previous rider hadn't topped it up...

Fuel issues aside, what struck me about the XR is that it's not as nicely finished as the other Harleys. The Forty Eight looks really good in the metal, and has some nice detailing, such as the seat. In contrast the XR (particularly in black) looks a bit plastic.

If I was after a Harley then I'd probably go for one of the more traditional bikes, and something a bit bigger than a Sportster. (I do have an irrational attraction to the Cross Bones.) But I suspect that the Moto Guzzi Griso or BMW R1200R would be a better XR1200 if I wanted a slightly retro all-rounder.

One last thing, some Internet Power Rangers frequently question the sexuality of Harley riders. I noticed rather more women at the dealership than I've seen elsewhere in the biking world. :)

Update on Harley ownership is I am loving every minute of it. The superglide is great on the commute (40 miles)and still very comfortable and requires no stretching in the morning. Only 1400 miles so far as I have been working away but first service was done foc if there is such a thing.

Yesterday there was a rattling coming from under the engine on a trip to Wolverhampton and mysteriously stopped on the way into the dealers this morning, but they checked it out and an exhaust had cracked. It was replaced straight away under warranty and I was impressed with the service.

I have settled into riding a cruiser and I am suprised at how well the glide handles and I am not noticeably slower on my commute which takes me through b roads. I have not bought a screen as yet but will take my time before I purchase. The social scene for harley riders is good but can`t see myself as a road pirate so far so good. Chipper