Harley Guy, bye-bye

[defcon65]

OK, I admit this is juvenile, but 'Harley Guy' and his straight pipes challenged me to a race last night on the way back from dinner. He was rapped up all the way and I toasted him, not even close. Is that possible?
I always thought most motorcycles, even excessively loud and overweight relics of a bygone era of engineering would generally beat most cars in a race, due to the power/weight consideration.
I have to say I was really surprised and he didn't even back down. I've had Katanas and such hole-shot me before and I just couldn't care less about it, knowing they were much faster. I figured an iron horse Harley would be a closer match but still pull away with confidence. This one couldn't.
Anybody with a similar experience?

[ruf-porsche]

How big of a beer gut did that harley rider have? Most pocket rocket riders are slim, guys, while most harley rider are beer gut dudes and big momma.

[tsuter]

I wouldn't be too impressed with myself. A 2006 stock twin cam 88 has under 60HP and an Ultra weighs 778 pounds plus the rider. Even bored and stroked with custom EFI maps, I only see about 100/100.

[vanwyk4257]

Most stock HD's are overweight, underpowered Pigs!
My stock Honda VTX 1300C would probably be quicker than most HD's and I still don't think it's much quicker than my '75 911, although the 1-2 shift takes a lot less time!

[defcon65]

The rider wasn't real big and the bike wasn't a full-dress hog with all the shiny doo-dads and tassels attached. It wasn't some old AMF groaner, either - looked to be a newer custom cruiser type. I have no idea what the engine specs might be. It sounded loud and proud until I put it 200 feet behind me shifting into third gear.

[sammyg2]

IMO Harley's suck big time as far as performance. Underpowered antiques.
Put pipes on em so loud that they wake the dead (and deprive everyone else of their right to reasonable peace and quiet) and they get up to around 62 hp. The ultimate poser bike.
i don't want to hear that crap about loud pipes save lives, they don't.
All they do is to let overgrown children act like children.
Can you tell I hate harleys and the people who drive them with loud pipes?

My older brother has one of those poser bikes with loud pipes, I told him what I thought about his pretend bad boy bike (he's in the insurance business, talk about a rebel) now we don't speak anymore.

[baldman]

Originally posted by sammyg2
The ultimate poser bike.
i don't want to hear that crap about loud pipes save lives, they don't.
All they do is to let overgrown children act like children.
Can you tell I hate harleys and the people who drive them with loud pipes?

LOL! Yet when someone talks about Porsche drivers and their "obviously tiny manhood" you jump right to the defense, right?

Yeah, I own a Harley... with straight pipes. My bike is loud as heck when I get on it, but when I ride normally it is quieter that a rice burner with one of those mufflers that sound like an elephant with a kazoo up it's a$$.

Why anyone would want to try and take a 911 on a Harley is beyond me; they are made to cruise. As the saying goes "Why just 'get there' when you can arrive?"

[aftermath]

My cities police chief, decided to crack down hard on the bikes with basically no mufflers. Cant wait.
I ride bikes, harley type bikes are not fast, just loud. Good peice on bike performance against a newer 911 ( vs 600cc I believe ) on the tv show bbc top gear, that will put it into perspectvive for you. A sport bike ( most ) will beat a 911 in acceleration, but not in cornering or braking. A harley bike wont ( most ). Now some of the harley looking bikes made by the japanese are 1800cc engines, and those would probably beat a 911 in acceleration.

[Nine, Frau!]

It is very believable that you blew him away. I have an 80 ci evo with a bunch of Screamin Eagle goodies on it. I recently went to the dyno and it pulled just over 80 horses and about the same torque. They are for making noise and getting tail. They should only race against each other. And that is exactly what the AHDRA is about.......

He should have known you would blow him away.....

NF

[Nine, Frau!]

I should add that there are 145 cubic inch v twins out there that are scary fast; but none of them say Harley Davidson on them.....

NF

[trader220]

To each his own I have owned over a dozen HD's in the past 20 years and some of them I hopped to be pretty quick. That’s not their mission, would you compare our 911's to a caddy? I don’t think so. I don’t race bikes, and I learned to ride off road as a kid in the 1970's. I out grew the need for lots of chrome and loud pipes and now I just enjoy getting out on nice days and going for a ride. I don’t call all the crotch rocket guys that have never been over 85 on their bikes posers why people here are so against people who own a HD, its not that big a deal.

[defcon65]

Sammy, I'm with you on the loud pipes. Unfortunately, so many cops ride these bikes as a hobby, the chance that they will self-enforce existing noise ordinances is about nil. Of course, these same cops will gladly harass the hip-hop element for their booming trunk subs, but apparently the straight pipe thing is, as you pointed out, a public safety issue.
The mainstreaming of the biker sub-culture has been a huge disappointment to say the least. Don't even get me started on big biker mamas, their garish tattoos and the apparent unavailability of loose-cut leather pants.

[DW SD]

My 911 is almost as loud as a harley - it sounds GREAT! I am careful in my neighborhood, but do set off car alarms on occassion.

I thought some of those Harley / Chopper style bikes were pretty quick - maybe 12 to 13 second quarter mile. Acceleration should be pretty close to many 911s if you simply look at power to weight ratios.

How many 911s here have better than 1 RWHP to 10lbs of weight?

Doug

[brendon]

I have a Harley V-rod with "straight pipes" and it's pretty quick and loud.
As you know these aren't the traditional Harleys; this one with the pipes and intake mods dynoed 119 hp at the rear wheel!

I can tell you it is MUCH faster than my SC for acceleration, but the SC corners much better and is just more fun to drive

And for the record the SSI's/sport muffler on the SC is louder at idle all the way up to WOT!!

[sammyg2]

I'd like to add a footnote to my previous post:
Guys who drive 911s on the street with loud exhausts are just as bad as the poser harley riders.

If your car is loud and you break down, I will not help you. If your bike with loud pipes breaks down, I will not help you. If you go through my neighborhood and set off car alarms, I will call the cops and try to get you busted.
Karma and all that, I have a right to reasonable peace and quiet, your little ego deficiency does not justify depriving me of that right.

[trader220]

Call the cops all you like they wont care, thats silly.

[theclaw]

I've got a hot rod '93 Ducati 900SS with a sound that turns the HD posers on their heels. I've tracked it for years and can keep up with the modern rice burners. Its all skill. A fat HD rider with a trailer queen is no better than the insurance guy in the Boxter waiting at the drive up Starbucks.

Can you turn that V-Rod in less than a city block?

See you at the track.

[Laneco]

Joe,

It is not only possible - its basically a sure thing that you kicked his HD booty. Nothing like serving up humble pie on an overgrown air compressor!

I was driving the spyder one day with my husband in the passenger seat (where the MAN BELONGS!!). HD dude wants to make a race of it. I don't think he's serious and just give a little whoo-hoo pedal in first. HD dude gives it a wrist dislocating throttle twist and leans over the bars HARD.

Okay buddy - GAME ON! WOT in 2nd gear in the spyder is a real effective zip-code changing event. Ran it up, backed it down and let him catch up, then did it again. Didn't want him to think the first time was an accident.

Nothing like getting your $$ hog whupped by a middle aged soccer mommy in a home-made car!

angela

[Danny_Ocean]

Q: What's the difference between a Hoover and a Harley?
A: The location of the dirt-bag.

I love pulling up alongside 'em at a light, when driving my Stingray (chambered sidepipes...no muffs). They'll give their "hey look at me" rev and then I'll bury my tach in neutral. That get's their attention.

Dipwad, wanna-be, poseur "bikers"...I'm not impressed.

[afterburn 549]

Now a days Harley makes a good little bike....compared to whats readily available in the store....out of the box..I own one. No defence needed