How about an used R1100S? For more information check out the Pelican Parts R1100S Board.

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are you avoiding softails because you set a budget? if not, have you sat on a night train?

easy to ride, amazing view from the seat, comfortable and great looking in person. the stock pipes are fat and ugly and should be replaced with straightshots or something but its almost perfect off the showroom floor.

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It's an aesthetic thing with me. I don't like the look of the sharply raked fork and the skinny front wheel. Too Easy Rider for me.

oh, gotscha. thats the only redeeming quality of the harley look to me. im an EZ Ryder kinda guy

as for the sporty, im 5'6" and 140 pounds and i felt it was hard work for the bike to move me....give it a test ride at high speed. if you test it at low speeds only, you fall in love with it

Triumph scrambler is pretty cool too...but, on par with the 883 harley motor

Yowza.

Driving home from a birthday party with kids in the back. This 20 something gal who was screaming hot comes rolling by on her Softtail. She was wearing a wife beater t-shirt, boxer shorts and cowboy boots. It was quite a lovely scene.

..

Really surprising coming from you Jeff. "The only good HD is the one I happen to own...all the others suck". Grow up man...you should certainly know better if anyone! You really think the 70 hp. 800 lb HD tourers (including your RK) are better touring bikes than say, the BMW K1300GT (160 hp) or even the new Gold Wings? For real touring, the HD is a distant 3rd based on any practical criteria. . .wait...what about the Kawasaki Concourse, Yamaha FJR...no the HD tourers are not even in the top five...unless you just want something upon which to wear your assless chaps to the HOG meeting. Gotcha!

The dyna has a twin-cam 96 cubic inch engine (1600cc) in the lightest frame HD makes except the sporty. Pulls hard and will run 70 mph in SIXTH gear under 3k rpms....try that on a sporty. Lastly, if I wanted a comfortable bike that didn't weigh 800 lbs (like an HD tourer), with decent performance and a comfortable architecture, the dyna is a great choice. A sporty might be fun for 30 minute bar hops, but not for any distance riding at all. Either one can ride circles around an HD tourer btw.

To answer the question...the new twin cam engine has closed loop fuel injection vs carb on the evo. More displacement and six speed gear-box.


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I may be in the minority, but I don't like the looks of any of the current HD bikes. The most tolerable to my eye is the Nightster.

Any number of other bikes I'd rather buy, but I think the HD thing is one of those "you either get it or you don't." They have never struck me as being particularly responsive bikes, either in handling or power. And frankly, riding in LA, the last thing I need is a bike that won't go where I point it *now*.

Todd...as an owner of BMW's sport machine K12S and an HD SGC, I can tell you first hand that both of these machines have a valid place in my garage. Different tools for different jobs I guess. You chose to live in LA and ride in LA traffic. Not sure I'd ride any bike in that environment. I live in a rural lake community 20 minutes from the foothills of the Appalachians. For relaxing country road rides with no specific destination, the HD SGC is the perfect platform. The sound, feel and simplicity of the SGC provides a certain satisfaction that is hard to describe and I certainly understand if you can't relate. For mountain carving, there's no better tool than my K12S. It devours tight mountain curves effortlessly and only wants to take them faster each time.

Completely different machines for completely different tasks. Both of which are very satisfying. Ultimately, I've never ridden a bike I didn't like.

Huh? You lost me here. I'm endorsing the Sporty over the Dyna - Dottore asked which of the two we would recommend. I don't own a new Sporty. The one I do own dates from 1976, and is not even in the running. What gives?

And, yes I do think the newer Twin-Cam powered H-D touring bikes are better motorcycles than every one of their competitors you mention. For a lot of reasons. Sheer horsepower and gadgetry are not what make a quality motorcycle, or a quality riding experience. Many of the "conveniences" and wiz-bang accessories on those bikes simply dilute the riding experience. If I'm going to go that far down that path, I'll just go all the way and hop into my 911, thank you very much.

H-D has compromised the Dyna platform a great deal to appeal the "showroom chopper" crowd. The rear suspension travel was reduced significantly several years ago to lower them, and had to be stiffened accordingly to keep the damn things from bottoming all the time. The Super Glide was actually a great bike until they did that to all of the Dynas, with its standard foot position, reasonable handlebars, and resultant great ergonomics.

Speaking of ergos, the Dyna has very much compromised them to appeal to that bar-hopper wannabe bad ass crowd. It's the worst of the bunch. Between the forward controls, handlebars, seating position, and suspension, it's the worst of the lot. Granted, you can buy a Sporty that is just as bad, and spend a good deal more for it than one that is actually far better.

Stay away from any Harley that has "low" associated with its name or advertising in any way. Stay away from the forward controls and that silly 21" front wheel. Finally, stay away from the Dyna platform altogether for any serious riding. Even the Soft Tail family is better, if you stick to the Heritage. It's actually a pretty darn good touring bike. H-D fully reworked the Soft Tail frame and suspension about 8-9 years ago, and it is now their second best riding big twin platform.

But, in the end, the best bikes Harley builds are their touring bikes. Other than the more "sporting" Sportsters, it's the only platform that is not compromised to attain "the look". The FL line has the best frame, best brakes (only big twin with dual front discs, now with optional Brembo anti-locks to boot), best ergos, and best suspension by far. They are designed by serious high milage riders for serious high milage riders.

Anyway, the above represents no more than my humble opinion. I have been around Harleys since I was 16 years old, having had one kind or another continuously for the last 32 years. I've seen their good and their bad, and have stuck with them through it all. My best guess is that I have somewhere between 350,000 and half a million miles in the saddle of various Harleys. Yes, that kind of seat time tends to form some strongly held opinions about the make, and models they produce. If you think my opinions are wrong, that's great. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. Just don't ever tell me to "grow up"; I've almost quite literally done so on a Harley.

I understand the "horses for courses" argument, and I even get the HD thing - but I don't get it. If that makes sense. I understand the attraction, and there are certain HDs that I find compelling (some recent flat-tracker in orange and black comes to mind) but I was surprised when I went to look at the 2009 bikes online and just didn't "get" any of them except maybe the Nightster.

"Relaxing" is not a word that comes to mind when riding in LA. Though once you get away from the city you can find that.

Not sure how old your dyna info is, but I don't belive it to be true.
Just this weekend rode a Softail, and a Road King.
Dyna outhandles both. Mid pegs and normal bars.

Perhaps your vast HD experience has kept you out of the showroom for the past 5 years. The SG and SGCustom have mid controls (not forward like the Softails), comfortable seating and riding position (no "apes" here) and the best all around performance of any HD currently in production. Suspension is not lowered...except perhaps on the low sportster and other low versions of most of their bikes. Oh yes...no 21" front wheel either. I think you're confused.

Mostly what is bothersome is your gross stereotyping over something as insignificant as model type (really a personal preference based on riding needs and aesthetics). No one buys an HD for performance. No one. My V-rod was a disappointing attempt. If you don't "tour" why would one buy a tourer of any quality? For many, the dyna is an excellent and competent platform. Your over-generalizations about those people are your business, I suppose.

Lighten up. You're not seeing the reality that exists beyond your bug splattered goggles. All that HD experience you reference seems to have left you jaded. It can happen you know.

when i owned my harley, i lived in manhattan and rode it in manhattan and the rest of NYC. that bike went where i wanted it to go NOW. much much much better than my ninja. not to mention, that i could see over my shoulders because of the sitting position....the suspension gave me a few hairy moments... great city bike the sportster is.

cant wait to get another harley some day. i miss that thump thump thump rumbling feel and sound and that relaxed position

acting like a tuff guy. spring st. nyc
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waiting for the light. 7th avenue

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current source of neck pain . but i love her....:)

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whats wrong with the forward controls and 21 inch wheel?

gotta disagree. its just subjective opinion but to me, any other current harley without them is LAME looking and feeling. an old knucklehead bobber with standard controls looks right. feels right. but on a sportser or dyna or softail? not for me.

i get the subjective taste thing, but i dont get your "stay away" from them advice.

does the 21 inch wheel make things scarry sometimes? yes, a little. but not so bad that i would choose a harley without it. as for style, i would demand it. along with spoked wheels. i cant stand mag wheels on a harley. man is that wrong and ugly. however, thats just my taste. i wouldnt advise anyone to stay away from them because a particular brand of society likes this or that

yikes. That is scary.

oh...and as for my sportster which was a custom...it handled quite brilliantly except for the rear springs. the only thing that SUCKED was the motor, and that has nothing to do with the wheel or controls or handle bars

i sold it because my lawnmower was faster on the highway....and i couldnt stand the feeling of cars and trucks up my azz all the time with no way to get away from them

whats scarry about it?

You're kidding, right?

Let's see:

no gloves
tennis shoes
jeans
open face helmet

Jacket looks open and not armored - can't tell though.

Riding position is the antithesis of being able to actually maneuver the bike in tight situations.