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Who has a motorcycle?

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thanks for all the great info guys.

are kawasaki sport bikes any good?

My roommate just bought his first bike, a 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 650R, two days ago (I decided to buy a new Suzuki M109R when I was helping him look for his first bike, LOL). He's never ridden before, but seemed to catch right on yesterday when we were practicing. He had no problems handling the bike at all.

It's a nice sport bike with enough power to keep you happy for a while, but not so much that you'll get into trouble. It's probably a better starter bike than a GSX-R600 or the CBR600RR.

His bike:
http://i303.photobucket.com/albums/nn157/daytonaflyer/IMG00123.jpg
 
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A big problem with Harleys is the image. It just reeks of a rider/owner who lacks intelligence. After all look at it for a minute.

The stereotypical Harley rider:

1. Has a Tattoo,
2. Smokes
3. Drinks and rides his bike from bar to bar, and finally
4. Doesn't wear a helmet.

All of the above show a person who just lacks good judgment and/or is just plain stupid.

On the other side:

No other motorcycle rides and sounds like a Harley. I do like to ride a Harley but for serious riding give me a Goldwing any day.

One time I took a 2,000 mile trip with a friend. He had a Harley Ultra Classic. We traded bikes half way through the ride. Before the ride was over, he wanted to stop at a Honda shop. Before we left that shop he had traded his Ultra for a new Wing. The Wing compared to a Harley is like comparing a B777 to a DC-6. Yes, the 6 is romantic to dream of, but would you really want to fly a transcon in a 6 or a 777?
 
The stereotypical Harley rider:

1. Has a Tattoo,
2. Smokes
3. Drinks and rides his bike from bar to bar, and finally
4. Doesn't wear a helmet.

All of the above show a person who just lacks good judgment and/or is just plain stupid.

On the other side:

No other motorcycle rides and sounds like a Harley. I do like to ride a Harley but for serious riding give me a Goldwing any day.

The sad part is that 90% of Harley riders are just guys like you and me who want to look cool. There is absolutely nothing better about a Harley than any other major cruiser on the market. You're basically paying for the name. At least when you buy a BMW and Mercedez car you're getting a nicer car with extra features; with a Harley, you actually pay more to get an inferior bike.

And yes, any bike can sound just like a Harley or even better. There is no hidden secret, you just have to get loud pipes put on. Shouldn't cost more than $500 for most bikes.
 
And yes, any bike can sound just like a Harley or even better. There is no hidden secret, you just have to get loud pipes put on. Shouldn't cost more than $500 for most bikes.

This part of your post is really not correct. An 1800 Honda VTX V-twin for example will never sould like a Harely no matter the pipe. Only a Harley will really sound like a Harley.
 
Actually, Harley's aren't really that loud either....until Vance n Hines/Screamin Eagle/Kuryakyn, etc. pipes are installed.

Anyone that wants to soccer-mom proof (or at least attempt to) their cruiser is gonna put aftermarkets on their bike. Most, but not all, cruiser-riding types want their machine to sound loud. The real reason stock pipes are quiet in nature is because of the EPA and the noise pollution regs. Remove the baffles or have straight head pipes on a Shadow 600 even and it'll be pretty loud.


Daytona......nice choice. There is a dealer up here advertising a new M109R LE for $8,888. Almost 4 grand off the msrp. As soon as I unload my Honda....I'm headed up there with a cashier's check, after I try to get a little more knocked off. As far as being tall, I'm under 6'0 but am planning on getting 2.25" lowering bones and 1"risers for the handlebars. Probably at the same time I put on the Cobra Swept Exhaust and new fuel management. The charts show it dyno'd at over 135 torque and 102 hp. Most Harley's dyno in at around 80-85 hp. I'm dying to get this thing in my garage.

Are you on m109riders.com? Ton's of good info...especially when you start performing the mod's.

PM me with pics when you get a chance.....
 
I highly recommend all new riders take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course. They offer a basic RiderCourse and their Experienced RiderCourse is a great refresher.

I recently bought a Kawasaki 250 Sportbike for my daughter and it is a blast to ride. 60-70 mpg doesn't hurt either.

I also have an on-off road bike. It is great to ride to and from the trails without having to trailer.


MT
 
This part of your post is really not correct. An 1800 Honda VTX V-twin for example will never sould like a Harely no matter the pipe. Only a Harley will really sound like a Harley.

A little clarification...In the 80's, Harley Davidson trademarked (not patented like most Harley owners claim) their V-twin sound. For 6 years the Japanese bike makers fought them in court over the trademark, claiming that most Vtwins sound relatively similar, depending on the exhaust pipes installed. Eventually Harley Davidson caved and admitted defeat. Thus, almost any bike can sound like a Harley. Almost.

Before I bought the Suzuki, I was rolling a 2006 Hyosung GV650 Avitar, a smaller 650cc cruiser from South Korea. It's a nice starter bike, and I put a new pipe on it and it sounded just as good as most Harleys. But of course, a bigger engine usually sounds better.
 
A little clarification...In the 80's, Harley Davidson trademarked (not patented like most Harley owners claim) their V-twin sound. For 6 years the Japanese bike makers fought them in court over the trademark, claiming that most Vtwins sound relatively similar, depending on the exhaust pipes installed. Eventually Harley Davidson caved and admitted defeat. Thus, almost any bike can sound like a Harley. Almost.

Harleys all use a single pin crankshaft but for various reasons Honda with the 1800 VTX uses a split crank that results in a different sound. The Harleys all sound like "potato, potato, potato," whereas the Honda VTX and many other Jap bikes sound different with a less pleasing sound, more of a “bang, bang, bang” sound. Also, even another V-twin that may even have a single pin crank like the Harley will probably sound different because of a different angle of the cylinders. The Harley sound can be imitated but the clones never seem to really sound the same.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still think Harleys are no where as good a motorcycle as any typical Jap bike, and I don’t like the image of the Harley rider as I have previously described, but they do have the right V-twin sound. That sound is often imitated but it is never duplicated exactly.

Would I buy a Harley? No, it’s the hi-tech touring bike for me, like the Honda Goldwing. I like my XM radar, CB, dual GPS's, cruise control, CD, auto-tuning radio, WX channels, reverse gear, anti-lock linked brakes, tubeless tires, hydraulic clutch/brakes, and 2-up rider comfort at 100 MPH.

If Harley made a jet, would anyone fly it? NO way! So there is your answer as to engineering and quality control. The Honda Jet will be flying soon. There is no Harley jet.

Ride safe! Live to ride! Ride to live!
 
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Daytona......nice choice. There is a dealer up here advertising a new M109R LE for $8,888. Almost 4 grand off the msrp. As soon as I unload my Honda....I'm headed up there with a cashier's check, after I try to get a little more knocked off. As far as being tall, I'm under 6'0 but am planning on getting 2.25" lowering bones and 1"risers for the handlebars. Probably at the same time I put on the Cobra Swept Exhaust and new fuel management. The charts show it dyno'd at over 135 torque and 102 hp. Most Harley's dyno in at around 80-85 hp. I'm dying to get this thing in my garage.

Are you on m109riders.com? Ton's of good info...especially when you start performing the mod's.

PM me with pics when you get a chance.....


Man, that is by far the lowest price I have ever heard of anywhere in the country for a new M109R. The one I bought was on sale for $10,900...down from $13,000, and it's was a brand new 2007 model (I like the 2007's color better).
After sales tax it ran me an extra grand though. They wouldn't budge on price one bit, and I even walked out on them once.

Good luck negotiating, but I'd be really surprised if you can get it out the door for anywhere near $8888. My guess is that's the price that gets you in the door, but they have absolutely no intention of selling it at that unless it's used. Probably closer to $12,000 to take it home. Maybe you'll get lucky.
 

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