Chinese Harleys still coming

Thumper · 01-12-2023, 05:18 PM

The allure of HD has always been, and always will be the bigass loud V-twin. Some less loud, with lots of luggage and chrome, but still bigass. And heavy.

They are REALLY nice to ride (not the loud ones, at least for me). I rode a few in the 70s, but ended up with a brand spanking new Suzuki GS550, first year (the GS750 was on the showroom floor too). The choice was not easy. Rice burners, as they were called, were turning away from American manufacturing. My rationale had to do with those cars on the road. I wanted to be more nimble, and survive. The fact that the little DOHC 550 was actually faster than the big twins and performed way better in the canyons of Northern New Mexico was also a factor.

But a couple of accidents (one major) taught me the bigger lesson. It doesn't really matter what you are driving, if you are driving on the road. It is like Russian roulette, and eventually your number will come up. Do your best to avoid an accident. My defense was to leave the road. The consequences are just too much for me. I skitter to the trail, watching 4 wheeled vehicles like they are pissed off hornets.

01-12-2023, 05:18 PM	#4
Thumper Join Date: Feb 2021 Location: Kansas City Posts: 2,289	The allure of HD has always been, and always will be the bigass loud V-twin. Some less loud, with lots of luggage and chrome, but still bigass. And heavy. They are REALLY nice to ride (not the loud ones, at least for me). I rode a few in the 70s, but ended up with a brand spanking new Suzuki GS550, first year (the GS750 was on the showroom floor too). The choice was not easy. Rice burners, as they were called, were turning away from American manufacturing. My rationale had to do with those cars on the road. I wanted to be more nimble, and survive. The fact that the little DOHC 550 was actually faster than the big twins and performed way better in the canyons of Northern New Mexico was also a factor. But a couple of accidents (one major) taught me the bigger lesson. It doesn't really matter what you are driving, if you are driving on the road. It is like Russian roulette, and eventually your number will come up. Do your best to avoid an accident. My defense was to leave the road. The consequences are just too much for me. I skitter to the trail, watching 4 wheeled vehicles like they are pissed off hornets.
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