Honestly the feet forward thing might bother me. I like having a little weight on my feet. Sometimes I felt like I was steering the old Triumph with my feet. Nice bike.

it does look cool. its just not functional in any way. it is going to suck in the city, it is going to suck in the twisties, and it is going to suck for any kind of travel. and you are going to pay out the nose for a bike that sucks.

So, if you've ridden one farther than 10 miles, raise your hand.


SmileWavySmileWavySmileWavy


That's what I thought.

I'm not a cruiser guy but that bike is drop dead sexy gorgeous--kind of like a very pricey hooker.

Go for it--what's the worst that could happen? You get tired of it after a year and sell it?

that is a good point gogar.

however, i've ridden a few bikes. that v-rod weighs at least 600 lbs (or am i way off base?) and i don't need to ride one to know that it is going to be work to maneuver. the long wheel base is going to exacerbate this problem. then add the GOBS of torque and HP into the mix and you have a recipe for disaster.

SmileWavy

I lust for more time with the car I have, not the car I'd like to find. I don't have digitals shots of the 81 Sportster I sold 14 years ago, otherwise I'd swap pics with you.

A friend has the Screamin Eagle version, and it's got plenty of power. He's a retired Sheriff, hotrod/ supermodified mechanic and works on the local Harley dealer's toys, so it's dialed in. And very very expensive in its current form.

I'm not a small guy, so I fit OK, and have ridden it for about 20 minutes. It sounds cool and gets a ton of looks, but it's not my ... "style" may be too strong a word. I don't dislike "Harley guys" per se, but I don't want to become, or be thought of as, one of them. I just turned 40 this summer, and have seen more than a dozen of my friends over the last 2 years get the lamentable Harley "bug". a few months later, every piece of non-work clothing says "Harley" on it; 3 of them have shaved their heads and grown goatees (I swear there's not a word of a lie in this) and many of them have developed a faux (to me, b/c I've known them for a while) swagger. This "posse" includes the former head of emergency medicine for a local hospital, a self-made multimillionaire (who's gone the most overboard on the "look like a douchebagtoughguy" aspect of Harleyphilia) and a couple of avionics whizbangs.

I usually bump into them at some ginmill and they've got some obviously new bike gear on (nothing looks goofier than brand new chaps) and, knowing I ride, I get "hey JP! I bought a bike!" .... "Really, what kind?!" I say, excited to have another member of the two-wheeled fraternity, and holding out some certainly vain sliver of hope that it's not a Harley .... "I got a [fill in the name/alphabet soup of Harley nomenclature]" ... And then I do my damndest to act excited for them. I keep hoping that the response from one of these guys will be something interesting some day.

Can the bikes attract broads? Yes, but not the kind of broads I'm interested in. I'd like to think that I don't have any of the toys I have to attract broads, and if they're some kind of evidence of mid-life crisis, I hit mid-life crisis at 24 years old. So I've got 8 years left... :D

I think the Triumph is just a better bike; I agree it's not as "Daytona stripper" sexy as the Screamin Eagle V-Rod, but it's got more presence, more character, and, frankly, less baggage.

If you ride it and like it, buy the dayum thing. Just please, please, please don't buy a stitch of Harley gear. Enjoy the bike if you can't help yourself, but leave the maverick, rebellious "lifestyle" in the multimillion dollar corporate bikeshop.

I don't think I could ever start a conversation with a guy on a Harley about his bike ... OOOH, you got the chrome clutch cover from the 2006 catalog! That's a hot piece, they sold out of those! And the screamin eagle kickstand! Man, that really pulls the whole thing together! Whereas, some random stranger on a Guzzi or a Norton or a BSA and I have talked for 30 minutes at a gas station about esoteric bike stuff.

I did almost buy an XLCR w/ under 2000 miles this year ... immaculate, fully original, etc. But for $10k I can find much much better motorcycles. The siamesed exhaust pipes did look sweet...

JP

Bill, havent you learned by now that any discussion about HD on here is futile??
Its impossible with the nose in the air, "Eurovehicle" snobbiness, that some of these guys have. Its really sad and pathetic.

Moses only one persons opinion that means anything. That is yours. Period.
You like the bike, buy it!!

I LOVED the old Triumph. It was pretty upright. I liked that. I need to go ride a V-rod. Not sure how I'll feel about having my feet so far forward. Triumph still makes the Bonneville and the Triumph Thunderbird looks nice, but a little big.

A tricked out Bonnie can be very cool. These guys do amazing customs

California, Triumph, motorcycle, dealer, South Bay Triumph

Yeah, go try a new Triumph along with the V-Rod. You might love it.

Moses, how do I say this without sounding like a total narcissistic jerk, but have someone take some pictures of you on it, or drive it by a plate glass window to check yourself out on it - they aren't for everyone, (and I am one of those doofuses that don't look good on these, not at all)

(course, if you do look terrific on it, ride it for a while, too. then make the plunge)

Yes it might. I drove a few "feet forward" Harleys this summer and hated the feel. Absolutely hated it. You just cannot hustle the bike the way you would like in that position. It forces you to cruise. You can't attack corners at all. It's a deal-breaker for anyone who's ever owned a sports bike IMO.

I know Vinny, I should learn.

Ride it Moses. Hell, if you have the itch ride everything that you like. I know thats what I did.

Birth of the V Rod
 

Ever seen the movie - if you are looking for something to push you over the edge, watch it, then try to resist.

Gordo

This Triumph looks sweet. It would be like a reunion...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1256613337.jpg

That is nice!

IMO, it has a few too many Harley-influenced styling cues, ie: the console on the tank, the chrome rear fender supports, the seat shape, and forward foot controls.

Here's a 2009 T100. Same engine, upright stance, tank cutouts, a real emblem on the tank, less weight!

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1256614087.jpg

And don't count out the real thing! But, if you're concerned about "ride quality" this is pretty much out of the game.:cool:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1256614275.jpg

what about the bike looks cool?

Might as well think about this contender...better foot peg placement, it will corner and with 200 hp it has 80 ponies on the V-Rod:


http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1256615583.jpg

Comparo vid:


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Road test:

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the v-max is quite the machine. i wouldn't count on it cornering well, however.

if i were to go back to a triumph, it would be the thruxton. the critics also really like the new daytona.