Tiberius wrote:merseymouth wrote:Harleys? Tractors with a poor exhaust system! No thank you. MM
Maybe once upon a time but not any more.
The last Harley 'tractors' were probably the 'Shovelheads' which died off in the early 80's The next generation Harleys (called Evolution - surprise surprise) were a massive improvement on the earlier bikes. Reliable, oil tight, smooth (wth the rubber engine mounts) and 80 - 90 MPH all day cruising comfortable.
The later water cooled bikes (2001 VRSCA onwards) were a further mega leap on for HD. Smooth as you like and genuinely fast.
I've owned three Harleys, all bought new. A 1989 883 Sportster, a 1992 FXRS Lowrider and a 2002 VRSCA V-Rod. I toured all over Europe on them (yes, even on that little Sportster tank) and they were all 100% reliable and so so easy to maintain.
I moved on to BMW/Ducati/modern Triumphs etc, but I'm really glad that I spent a great chunk of my life ticking the Harley box.
Absolutely wonderful motorcycles,
I think the main point was "poor exhaust system"? not true?