The Perfect Motorcycle (for me!) Your Results May Vary

Who doesn't love a Harley? Me! Except when I do. For the longest time, I was an ABH (anything but Harley) rider. Most of it came down to two things:

1. The dealer experience was always terrible
2. I have a serious problem with cults

For years, I would test ride a Harley or rent one for a day to remind myself why I can't stand them, but then I had an epiphany. In 2013 I rode a new Harley Dyna FXD at a demo day and it simply changed the game. Stripped to the bone, it was basically a motor and a seat with mid-mount controls and a rake that was considerably sportier than Harley's typically lazy front ends. I scraped the pegs in every corner and hit the limiter constantly, but it was my definition of the American motorcycle experienced distilled to its bare essence. I couldn't believe how happy that bike made me and I filed that feeling in the back of my mind as the one Harley I would consider buying.

Fast forward to 2020. Covid-19 is in full swing and we're all on lockdown. Like many citizens around the world, I had too much time on my hands and started surfing the internet. Next thing I know I'm on Cycletrader poking around and thinking about that Harley I liked so much. The boomers are aging out, there's a glut on the used market, and with the lockdown, motorcycling was something that felt safe. I had room to roam, I was safely socially distanced inside my helmet, and used motorcycle prices seemed really reasonable. I pulled the trigger and I've been loving and hating every minute of it.

The Loves:

• That feeling I had the first time I test rode one in 2013 is there every time I fire it up
• The lumpy idle and the high torque right out of the gate
  
• I love the chrome and the color (metallic blue)
• For a Harley, it handles reasonably well and isn't too porky
• Easy to accessorize (see also The Hates)
• When I ride with my Harley buddies, I relax and enjoy the scenery instead of wishing I was flogging a sportier motorcycle
  

The Hates:

• Why on earth are these things almost unridable out of the box? The ergos are horrible, pipe placement (burning my pant legs and rear brake fluid reservoir) is annoying, and the seat suuuuuucks.
• Lousy suspension travel that makes the bike look nice, but slams you over routine dips in the road
  
• Other than being shiny, this bike is inferior in every way to every other bike I've owned, including my Kawi EN500 starter bike (it had carbs and a drum brake, but still much better on long rides and great handling for a cruiser)
  
• For having such fancy paint, my riding suit scratches the hell out of it (needed to put on 3M clear to prevent further damage)
• The whole three-hole fluid thing (oil, transmission, and primary drive)- I can't decide if it's awesome or stupid. Pretty much every other cycle on the planet has an integrated engine and trans, making oil changes simple
• Speaking of oil changes, the filter is mounted sideways in the frame without an easy way to remove without dumping oil all over your hands and the cycle. Sure, you can buy a custom drain funnel, but in my opinion, this is a bug, not a feature
  
• The exhaust melts textile pants and boot heels with the greatest of ease (I've since stitched demin patches on my armored pants to deal with this)
• At high speed, the seating position doesn't lean you forward at all, so you're left holding the bars like Captain Ahab in a rainstorm

In not so many words, it's not a sportbike. H-D makes you adapt to it, not the other way around. However, I absolutely love it for what it is and I enjoy riding it almost as much as my Ducati. What I've realized through this experiment is that I'm a sport-standard guy at heart and my next bike will likely be a Monster, an Aprilia Tuono, or the sweet-looking Indian FTR1200, which is basically a modern version of my current ride. If I lived closer to dirt, I'd love to have a lightweight dual-sport and learn to properly ride it.

Just like the theme to Diff'rent Strokes, what might be right for you may not be right for some. Many people are drawn into motorcycling because of whatever their friends are riding at the time. Once the hook is set, though, I strongly encourage you to take the MSF safety class, then hit every demo day you can to see what's right for you. From personal experience, I started out on a cruiser because up to that point, everyone I knew had a cruiser or UJM (Universal Japanese Motorcycle). Two of my buddies bought cruisers for the same reason. After a few demo days at Triumph, Honda, Harley, etc., we all went in different directions. I fell in love with the Triumph Thruxton style and went the Ducati route. My other friend rode a sport tourer and bought an FJR1300. My other buddy went full-on Harley and bought a Street Glide. 

One great way to do some serious experimentation is to go to Riders-Share, look for bikes in your area, and go to town trying out different styles of bikes. In a twenty-five mile radius of my house, I have several Harleys, Honda Rebels and Shadows, some sportbikes, a BMW R1200 dual-sport, a Yamaha Vino scooter(!), and one of my favorites, the Victory Judge. It's about fifty to a hundred fifty per day, and it's a really fun way to try things out without the pressure of test riding something at a dealer.

Motorcycling is a highly individual sport and it's so much more satisfying when you have a bike (or two or seven) that does exactly what you want while riding and makes you want to sit in your garage with a beer and just look at it when you're not. Happy hunting!