Vmax 12 Vs Harley davidson fat something or other.

[intruder]

Well I dropped off my daughter at uni today and past the city harley dealership so decided to go in.
I was curious what the difference in handling would be between a mega expensive harley and the 1st gen max.
WELL after borrowing a lid and showing them my licence I took out a fat arse, and to my delight it turned out to be completely crap, the big numbers on the spec sheet did not equate to the drive experience, it was loud and slow, the max would have blown the fat thing into the dust on every road, the torque meant noise and the horse power meant ... well more noise. The handling for a bike that is £20,000 and 30 years newer than a gen 1 is really about the same it wiggles and wobbles in certain situations just like the max altho it did feel a little more stable in a high speed straight line. I have had my curiosity well and truly satisfied and conclude that I would never by a bike with a big name but nothing to justify the crazy amount of money with nothing at all to show for it, you would expect great power, you get none, you would expect great handling, you dont get that, you would surely expect high tech modern engineering, ohh no, you still get a steel tube frame and not very good brakes and a motor that has it roots from decades ago.
I will be very happy riding my max now knowing you get as good and better than a harley for a fraction of the cost .
Rant over, enjoy the odd ball vmax coz there is nothing like it anywhere else .

 

[rebeltaz83]

I have to laugh Everytime I hear a Harley owner getting after it, like you said all noise, no go. I mean you can see them twisting the throttle and they barley get moving. My wife asks why I'm laughing, I tell her if that was me on the max, I'd be gone. I've had a few pass me only because 1- I'm not in the mood to race, just enjoying the ride. Or 2- my low fuel light is on lol. Usually it's the second, but sometimes I'll putter and take in the scenery, and relax after a long week at work, helps clear my head. I'll pass them all the time, but only a few have tried to race. I don't even downshift, I just twist and go....... And laugh the whole time. Your paying for a name, and lots of chrome. I really don't see Harley lasting much longer unless they really come up with something for the younger riders. The only Harley I considered was the vrod. But after looking around I thought why?? I have the vmax. Now I got a second gen. There really isn't anything that appeals to me. Maybe a used eluder in a few years, they are right up there with the Harley price. I just can't see paying that much........I mean I bought a gen 2, but it has allot more technology in it. Harley is nothing more than an overpriced chromed out vibrator.

 

[[email protected]]

I don't see the need to knock the HD brand. I've ridden quite a few. Enjoyed every minute of it. One thing I gotta give credit to HD on is comfort. I found the bikes I've ridden to fit me well. I've found they handle just fine for spirited riding. If you know how to ride, you can ride a HD fast. You can ride anything fast. It just takes more skill on some bikes.

 

[caseyjones955]

I've owned and ridden HD before but there is no denying they are obsolete and overpriced, even then. If you love them you must love them for what they are but I'm in full agreement with the OPs assessment of the HD. I'm pretty sure free enterprise will sort them out before I'm to old to wave my cane around and go into a semi-senile I-toldja-so rant.

The only way I can make sense of it is to realize that a Yamaha (and most others) is a motorcycle mfr and HD is part motorcycle and part extremely well marketed novelty item/image. Aside from the performance deficit and myriad of other HD gremlins and issues they are monotonously mundane and mainstream, like SUVs. I no longer see the appeal but apparently some others still do. I don't understand, but I guess I don't have to. Live and let live I suppose haha.

 

[rebeltaz83]

I don't see the need to knock the HD brand. I've ridden quite a few. Enjoyed every minute of it. One thing I gotta give credit to HD on is comfort. I found the bikes I've ridden to fit me well. I've found they handle just fine for spirited riding. If you know how to ride, you can ride a HD fast. You can ride anything fast. It just takes more skill on some bikes.

But for the price, you'd expect more. I'm not really knocking the brand. I knew a few people that owned a few and swear by them, but they weren't the racer type.I heard they are smooth. Guy I worked with had a street glide. Electric blue?? It was blue anyways, very nice looking bike. Had allot of electronics gps, cruise, all that. Didn't seem to vibrate as much as some I've seen. I've seen them vibrate so bad the mirrors would fall down at stops lol. Only Harley I every rode was my uncle's 54 hard tail, with s&s everything. Loud, not really fast, not very comfy, lol. Rear brake and shifter were opposite. Brake was on the left, shifter was on the right. Kick start. Very old school, no turn signals, had a bicycle Speedo. And only one mirror. Looked nice though. He's since sold it. Now he has a vstar 1100. There is one that catches my eye. The breakout?? I think that's the one. It's nice looking, but I'm very content with my gen 2 for now. Nothing else really appeals to me. Not in the slightest bit interested in buying another bike. They need some upgrades for sure. The people I'm more referring to are the ones that give you that look when you ride past, if it isn't a Harley it's **** and then they try to pass you, downshifting, running it up to red line literally trying catch up but can't, lol. Any bike is fast, depends on the rider and how familiar with the road. I like to leave a little room for error. On a closed course is a different story. There's roads I've been on thousands of times, but you never know what lays in the road on the next blind curve.......... Rock, Boulder, hay bale, tire....... I've seen them all, had I been riding on the edge I wouldn't be here. Giving room for error, I'm still here. I've seen that you tube video a few times. You can't fix stupid........ Well you can but it isn't legal lol. That rider should go to a track. I like going fast in the Twisties, but it's personal preference I guess on how far you take it, but there's no return if you go just a little bit too far. Just too many variables on the open road, and some are life changing, I'm just not willing to take that chance....... Not in that way anyways. Anything can happen anytime anywhere, but I would like to know that I did everything I could to try to prevent the worst.

 

[[email protected]]

But for the price, you'd expect more.

I agree. You can definitely spend less and get "more bike" for your money. But with HD, you pay for the name. That means something to a lot of folks. Enough that they pay for it, obviously. Then there are those that would rather get a bike that performs for a fair price. Makes sense to me and that is the camp I am in. But, I can still appreciate a ride on a HD. No matter the country of origin, the number of wheels it has, or how much you paid, if it gets you in the wind, it can't be all bad, right?

 

[rebeltaz83]

I agree. You can definitely spend less and get "more bike" for your money. But with HD, you pay for the name. That means something to a lot of folks. Enough that they pay for it, obviously. Then there are those that would rather get a bike that performs for a fair price. Makes sense to me and that is the camp I am in. But, I can still appreciate a ride on a HD. No matter the country of origin, the number of wheels it has, or how much you paid, if it gets you in the wind, it can't be all bad, right?

That's right. Not everybody likes the high horsepower bikes, or rockets, or cruisers. It's personal preference. To me I'm out in the wind enjoying the ride, open it up a little, being stupid but within my limits, I don't usually push it, and not for very long. Blow out the cob webs, and back to reality. Wind therapy as one of my good friends always says. We all have our opinions. This forum is very respectful on that, I haven't seen allot rotten eggs. We all tend to voice our opinion and get along. Who knows, I may end up buying a HD in the future. Like I said I was looking at the vrod, and the breakout catches my eye all blacked out, as for HD is a rarity. They are usually about the chrome. HD is big where I live. And no 2 are alike. And they are all customized. Big wheel kits, lowered, stripped down and chromed out. They are highly customizable for looks. Parts are plenty. Ride what you like. I rode with a group of Harley riders and not 1 said anything about my v max. One rider was asking questions about it. It's all about the ride.

 

[[email protected]]

Wind therapy as one of my good friends always says. .

Wind Therapy. I like that!

 

[Fire-medic]

I like the Big Twins (Evo's), but my H-D experience doesn't include their last 20 years (Twin Cam & Milwaukee 8). I don't have Road Glide experience, but I like the Softail ride, but I wish there was more cornering clearance. Maybe the new ones are better. It does make you slow-down and smell the roses. The bike makes me feel like I'm in a parade every time I ride it, and that's OK. I think back to when I was a kid in the 1950's, and the Motormen (cops on bikes) would ride in the Memorial Day and Fourth of July parades.

This is a great time to buy a H-D because prices are 'way-down for the Twin Cams, all those guys want the Milwaukee 8's. You can get a bike without many miles on it for pretty-cheap. I recall in the 1990's when H-D had waiting lists for new bikes, and here in so. Florida, if you didn't trade one in, you had to buy a chrome package and pay for the labor to install everything, adding about $3K to the bike's price. Now you can get a 10K mile Big Twin for <probably $8K.

 

[rebeltaz83]

That's all I heard about in the 90s growing up. Harley this, Harley that lol. But I do agree the prices on the used ones are very cheap. V rods are around $5,000. About $10,000-$8,000 for the dressed ones....... I'm not at all familiar with the different types of HD bikes lol. Prices depending on year and mileage with accessories. I know what you mean by cornering clearance. When I rode with the Harley group in the mountains and the Twisties they all were down to first gear on the majority of the corners. They kept asking if they were holding me up, I could go around........ But I had no idea where we were heading so I kept at the back. I'd let them get ahead, and play catch up lol.

 

[redneksoldier]

I grew up in a HD family back in the 80s and 90s. My dad was a HD mechanic and eventually opened his own shop. He preferred the "from the ground up" custom builds and he was very good at it. My first street bike was a '57 panhead, kick start and points ignition. I still like them for their purpose.
Recently, my wife has expressed interest in a bigger, touring bike for longer road trips. I will seriously consider HD for the comfort and tech features. I saw a very nice CVO Ultra Classic 2010 model with only 32000 miles for sale for $10,900. The prices on these things is pretty near rock bottom on the used market. Good time to buy one if it fits your needs and purpose.

 

[El Canadiense]

I have had a chance to ride all of the latest Harleys and in my opinion, the Fat Bob with the 114 c.i. engine is an absolute blast in the vision of VMax. It handles very well and has a lot of usable power. USD forks and monoshock suspension make a huge difference. You can throw this bike around like a dirt bike. The rest of the brand doesn't impresss me much and if you want to see a really disappointing bike, check out a Street 500 or 750. In my mind, the Fat Bob 114 is the best Harley ever made. Pure fun and adrenaline. I own a 2007 Street Glide, a 2001 VMax and a 1990 FJ1200 and they are all great in their own way.

 

[lastwhiteman]

I have had a chance to ride all of the latest Harleys and in my opinion, the Fat Bob with the 114 c.i. engine is an absolute blast in the vision of VMax. It handles very well and has a lot of usable power. USD forks and monoshock suspension make a huge difference. You can throw this bike around like a dirt bike. The rest of the brand doesn't impresss me much and if you want to see a really disappointing bike, check out a Street 500 or 750. In my mind, the Fat Bob 114 is the best Harley ever made. Pure fun and adrenaline. I own a 2007 Street Glide, a 2001 VMax and a 1990 FJ1200 and they are all great in their own way.

Your last sentence sums it up, different bike, different purpose. I own a '95 max and a '00 Fat Boy. They are obviously ridden differently and as an example I work Friday though Sunday and only need to maneuver weekday insane traffic one day (Friday). That's VMax day when I have the power to blast my way out of road rager range in the morning when all the busy executives are late for important meetings. Plus the benefit of decent brakes. After work when I leave around 8pm is when they're leaving happy hour at the bar. Saturday and Sunday is when I can relax and enjoy the ride on the low and slow Harley or burn up the pavement on me Max. My split personality is content.

 

[El Canadiense]

Your last sentence sums it up, different bike, different purpose. I own a '95 max and a '00 Fat Boy. They are obviously ridden differently and as an example I work Friday though Sunday and only need to maneuver weekday insane traffic one day (Friday). That's VMax day when I have the power to blast my way out of road rager range in the morning when all the busy executives are late for important meetings. Plus the benefit of decent brakes. After work when I leave around 8pm is when they're leaving happy hour at the bar. Saturday and Sunday is when I can relax and enjoy the ride on the low and slow Harley or burn up the pavement on me Max. My split personality is content.

Check out that new Fat Bob and the new Fat Boy on dealer road test days, both are awesome rides with lots of balls.

 

[intruder]

Hold on to ya brakes chaps, My riding buddies are all harley boys, one has just bought the new fat boy , he also has a vrod anniversary edition, other guy has an older fat boy and a sportster 1200, other guy has an old iron but well choppered. I really am under pressure to go HD and I have secretly wanted one, I test rode the fat boy, test road the break out couldnt get comfy on a little sportster so didnt bother, test rode a fat bob, and my conclusion was that the fat bob was the best all rounder but the vrod was the better bike in performance and handling despite being quite raked out. I love the vmax even with its widow making handling and thats on a 93 with the bigger forks and brakes, I have had many bikes (76 to be precise) biggest was a triumph rocket 3 which is powerful as hell but feels a bit like you are riding a car! I have had many super fast sports bikes which are obviously going to hold the road at nutter speeds. The coolest bike was the breakout which had me staring at myself passing shop windows (in itself a dangerous occupation, Horses for courses and all that and so long as the course is straight and smooth the harleys like the vmax 12 are a nice ride, the guy in the vid is not a skilled rider coz he nearly died twice while the sport bike rider was probably filming with one hand holding the camera. Harleys in Britain are fantastically over priced and if they were more reasonably placed would get many more sales. The japs can produce great reliable machines at low prices , lets hope mr T doesnt wallop us with tariffs on these bikes or they will surely die off over here.

 

[intruder]

Hey el canadiense I used to live in Acton Ont many years ago, is it still worth the drive to the old Hide House?

 

[intruder]

 

[intruder]

That vulcan 1500 is one of my other bikes, it is single carb job and is also not fast and handles like a cruise ship after a few beers but it is comfy and relaxing and it just what the psycho annalist would recommend after a brain out trip on the vmax.

 

[intruder]

This is my Triumph sprint 900, its quite fast and is stable at any speed, you can leave go of the bars at over 100mph and let it slow down till it stops and it wont go anywhere unless you shift your weight to steer it, not a wiggle or a wobble .

 

[intruder]

my vf1000 , too fast for the silly 16 inch front wheel (1980s long lost idea)