Funny thing about this thread...my brother in law has a Harley and I went to the Dealer in Memphis here to get him a Christmas gift and was amazed at the culture and the beuty of the bikes....would really like one, but the ones I like are $20k and I would rather add a Mustang Cobra to the stable rather than a bike.To stay on topic....I think the cultures are VERY similar.

 

 

I am trying to talk my wife into letting me trade my C3 on a really nice Harley. I have the best of both!

 

I think harleys are off the radar as far as performance goes. They are TOO slow. They handle like a garbage scow and have poor brakes.
Of course they ARE shiny.

 

Your Avatar looks to be a pic of a Deuce.

Man, that is my favorite Harley. I don't have a Harley Deuce yet but that's the one I'm getting.. . . some day.

 

3 of my buddies have deuces(also VTX,V-Rod,Shadow)& we exchange for anywhere between 10-40 miles& at 80mph that thing gets dangerously twitchy& like above said sloppy handling& lousy brakes,btw 1 of my current bikes is a Busa.

 

Both represent the American ideology, Freedom!

 

I think that what Vettes and Harleys have in common, besides the owners being fanatical, is that anyone who sees either one knows what it is. There's no mistaking either of them.
I have a 99 red vette, and an '04 black Superglide. 99% of the reaction from JQ Public is very positive.

 

There is nothing like having American Muscle...and American Iron sitting next to each other in the garage. That, and having your friends drool when they come over.

 

Here's to American Icons! Zuti

 

Don't want to start a war but I have to agree! All flash and sound, nothing there. I might also add that statistically 50% of the bikes on the road today are Harleys. So much for uniqueness and standing out in the crowd. 20 years ago, only 5% of the bikes on the road were Harleys, then you would have stood out. Then the baby boomers swarmed in, of which I am one, and started buying all those Harleys. Would you own a Corvette if every other car on the road was a Corvette? By the way, I have owned more than 20 bikes in the last 35 years.

Didn't mean to turn this into a rant, but I have never understood the attraction of a bike with an engine designed in the 1940s. 45 degree V-twin (think big vibration)? Single carburetor? 5500 RPM redline? External oil tank? Tiny restrictive mufflers (when you find someone civilized enough to be using mufflers)? Separate gearbox and engine?? Harley Davidson seems to make a virtue of obsolesence. If they took half the money that they put into styling and put it into updating the engine, the bike would be a lot more interesting. They made a good start with the V-Rod, it is only 15 years out of date instead of 50.

 

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Didn't mean to turn this into a rant, but I have never understood the attraction of a bike with an engine designed in the 1940s. 45 degree V-twin (think big vibration)? Single carburetor? 5500 RPM redline? External oil tank? Tiny restrictive mufflers (when you find someone civilized enough to be using mufflers)? Separate gearbox and engine?? Harley Davidson seems to make a virtue of obsolesence. If they took half the money that they put into styling and put it into updating the engine, the bike would be a lot more interesting. They made a good start with the V-Rod, it is only 15 years out of date instead of 50.
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These are all the things that make a Harley what it is. Not everyone wants to break the sound barrier when they go for a ride. Riding a Harley is like driving a "Peterbuilt" or a "Kenworth" Riding a rice rocket is like driving a high priced European sports car.

 

You don't have to understand. It's a personal choice, just like people who restore and live in 200 year old houses, or underpowered antique and classic sports cars. It's not always about the latest technology or most power... sometimes its about tradition. These are American icons and they somehow embody the American spirit. They also speak to the fact that as an American, you and I can have our own opinions and they do not have to be the same.
Have a great Holiday! Zuti

 

In August of this year, one of our Corvette Club members was killed while riding his new Harley. He was in a group returning from a charity run.
At the service there was not enough parking for a sea of Harley's and Corvettes. It was a sad day, but an awsome sight.
R.I.P. Jim Layland

 

Both is the way to go

 

I remember one time when I first got my Vette I drove to a local yatch club. I parked the Vette in a small lot taking the end spot so that at least one side of her was safe from potential door-dings. The other side, of course was unprotected and I was hesitant to leave her there. I hiked up to the top of a hill so I could get a good view of the river. From where I was standing I could also see my car but I was too far away to do anything if someone decided to mess with it. Just then, I saw four Harleys pull into the lot. Two bikes parked on the "unprotected" side of my car and the other two parked on my left. I watched from a distance as the four Harley owners checked out my new Vette. After I came back to my car I realized that they had, in effect parked that way to protect my American icon with theirs. Sort of a "salute". I don't think I'll ever forget that. I respect Harleys for what they are-an Amercican icon/legend with "soul". On the other hand, I have no interest in or respect for crotch rockets or the typical punks that drive them.

 

Hmmmm... well where do I begin... First off - the engine wasn't desinged in the 1940's... The latest engines (non-V[omit]-Rod) from Harley are the Twin-Cam 88's which were first released in 1999 on the FLH's and then on the Softails in 2000... By your logic, GM should be shot for using a longitudinally mounted V-8 that's not Turbo-charged... Secondly, all those "obsolete" features to which you refer have no trouble making 120+HP/TQ reliably... Obviously it's not stock, but it works "fairly" well... I submit that your statistics are wrong -- unless you include the Harley knock-offs (oh I'm sorry - "METRIC CRUISER" is the PC term now).

Handling: well it's not a race bike, and therefore doesn't handle like a race bike... BUT I've had no problem sticking with Porsche 911's in the twisties (actual roads, not a track)... Poor brakes??? WTH are you talking about??? I can stop mine on a dime (relatively speaking)... Obviously the rice burners can out brake me, but again, Harley's aren't race bikes -- though many DRAG bikes are Harley based...

Power: Stock - not bad... Ok so it doesn't do 0-60 in 3 seconds... But I GUARANTEE you I could throw you off the back of my bike with NO PROBLEM... Stock Harley's are about low end torque... Yes they're heavy -- but that's because they're not made of plastic!

Corvette:Harley - Love my Harley, love my Vette. Both are a BLAST to drive... Both ARE American Icons. Both come from the factory somewhat lacking (IMO), and both are a blast (and a money pit) to mod! Both have a cult following (owners and non-owners), both have devoted clubs (national and local); Harley owners LOOK meaner than Vette owners, but they're equally as nice; Harley has better merchandise than Corvettes (get on the ball GM!); both are fairly expensive toys (not talking Sportsters); both are fairly exclusive; - there are A LOT of similarities...

To expound on 6SPD98's analogy - driving a Harley is like driving a Vette (or a Viper)... Driving a crotch rocket is like driving a Ferrari or Lamborghini (though for a lot less $$).

Flame suit on,
Vaughn

 

They are both GREAT American Icons Oh, and where is the Vette engine built? Salute to our Canadian brothers. If you are ever in the Midwest try to make it to Milwaukee for the engine plant tour. I think it's about an hour long but you get a real appreciation for the work and dedication that goes in to a Harley. Now I would like to go on the Bowling Green assembly tour.

 

I like 'em both!

 

Both are wonderful machines.
[IMG]VetteHarley[/IMG]