Nice Finish

[keepergale]

I visited the local HD dealer just over a week ago looking to pick up tickets for the flat track races in Pomona. Great racing by the way. Any way as long as I was there I checked out their new bikes.
 People can say what they want but Harleys are beautifully finished. The paint looks like good custom stuff. The chrome is the good stuff also.
Ok let the attacks begin.

[atadaskew]

I'm in agreement.  When I was shopping for my cruiser I was able to compare the best (i.e. most expensive) cruisers from Yam, Honda and Kawi to Harley as they are all on the same block.  Lincoln Blvd in Marina Del Rey, CA.
The fit/finish/paint/chrome on one of the cheapest Harleys - a Sportster Custom - is so much better than any of the Japanese bikes it wasn't even funny.  
The only other brand that is similar to HD is Victory.  Those bikes are beautifully made.

[chornbe]

5... 4... 3...

[Playinthestreet]

...2, ....1.....

[atadaskew]

And go!

"Hey, I don't care if my VTX1300 has plastic fenders, gas tank seams, shaft drive with lash, one carb,  plastic chrome, thin paint, tacky switchgear, looks fugly.  I only paid $6K for it.  Harleys are over priced!"

 

[keepergale]

Well thats a start.

[jeeplite]

My favorite finish (not color) is the two tone turquoise and white, it looks like glass.
I have the two tone envy green on a Springer Classic that is OD green and lime out of the sunlight and in the sunlight it goes from reds to yellows to blues but mostly green metal flake that would make a Bassboat look shoddy, oh and then you can see the gold metalflake in the lime green. I bought it sight unseen thinking the colors would be a solid color. It grows on you and they only made 16 Springers with that paint.

[atadaskew]

The colour of my Dyna is "Red Hot Denim".  It is a matte eggshell type finish, a deep red that has metallic sparkles w/in it when the sun strikes it.  Flippin' gorgeous.

[sfarson]

The colour of my Dyna is "Red Hot Denim".  It is a matte eggshell type finish, a deep red that has metallic sparkles w/in it when the sun strikes it.  Flippin' gorgeous.

Totally flippin' gorgeous.  Have never come across a paint and color, drawing attention like that of Red Hot Denim.

[kevin_stevens]

I should go to a Harley showroom with somebody so they can point out all this beautiful finish and craftsmanship to me.  I'm not being sarcastic, I really mean it.  I guess I don't have the right eye for it.  They don't look special in any way to me.  

KeS

[chornbe]

Star motorcycles are on a par with Harley for appearances, though I think Harley uses thicker paint and clear coating.

I will say, Japan has never shipped anything the color of my big white Harley. It's called "White Gold Pearl" and it is just amazing.

[Geoff]

I've owned many different makes of bikes. The paint and chrome on Harleys is by far the best I've seen.

[st ryder]

I should go to a Harley showroom with somebody so they can point out all this beautiful finish and craftsmanship to me.  I'm not being sarcastic, I really mean it.  I guess I don't have the right eye for it.  They don't look special in any way to me.  

KeS

Speaking from personal experience: "There are none so blind as those who will not see." You can look all you want, but until you are ready to see, you won't. Attitudes will effect vision. The quality is in the details, the fit and finish, the integration of the design/lines,  the quality of the materials, the sound, and the feel, (love those rubber mounts) and of course the pedigree. I still remember quite vividly the exact moment when I "got" the Harley thing that the T shirt says can't be explained. I was checking out a Wide Glide at a Friday the 13trh rally in Port Dover, and it dawned on me: the owner of that bike didn't give a rat's ass about how fast it was, how well it cornered or braked, or even if it leaked oil. It was *his* bike, customised to fit his personal tastes and it represented, to me anyway, freedom in the wind, and from the restrictive sport bike mind set. I felt as though a burden had been lifted form my shoulders or as if a veil had been lifted. Here I was, ready for "something more", and didn't realise it until that moment.  

Great bikes.   I'd love to own another one some day.  

[Playinthestreet]

I was asked to judge a ride-in bike show at Widman's in St Louis some years ago.  The guys with the fancy custom paint jobs were po'd at us judges as we picked a bone stock Electra-Glide, with 65k miles on it, stock paint, as "best paint".  While I'm sure the owner took better than average care of that bike, there aren't many vehicles, 2 or 4 wheel, that could look that good over 65k miles.

[chornbe]

I was asked to judge a ride-in bike show at Widman's in St Louis some years ago.  The guys with the fancy custom paint jobs were po'd at us judges as we picked a bone stock Electra-Glide, with 65k miles on it, stock paint, as "best paint".  While I'm sure the owner took better than average care of that bike, there aren't many vehicles, 2 or 4 wheel, that could look that good over 65k miles.

My knees rubbed the paint away on my FJR in a matter of months. On the sportster and on the 'Glide, I'm crawling all over the bike to get those things to take turns and the paint barely even shows any rubs or swirls.

It really *is* that much better.

[mjrfd99]

I was asked to judge a ride-in bike show at Widman's in St Louis some years ago.  The guys with the fancy custom paint jobs were po'd at us judges as we picked a bone stock Electra-Glide, with 65k miles on it, stock paint, as "best paint".  While I'm sure the owner took better than average care of that bike, there aren't many vehicles, 2 or 4 wheel, that could look that good over 65k miles.

You have my kind of eye

[kevin_stevens]

Speaking from personal experience: "There are none so blind as those who will not see." You can look all you want, but until you are ready to see, you won't. Attitudes will effect vision. The quality is in the details, the fit and finish, the integration of the design/lines,  the quality of the materials, the sound, and the feel, (love those rubber mounts) and of course the pedigree. I still remember quite vividly the exact moment when I "got" the Harley thing that the T shirt says can't be explained. I was checking out a Wide Glide at a Friday the 13trh rally in Port Dover, and it dawned on me: the owner of that bike didn't give a rat's ass about how fast it was, how well it cornered or braked, or even if it leaked oil. It was *his* bike, customised to fit his personal tastes and it represented, to me anyway, freedom in the wind, and from the restrictive sport bike mind set. I felt as though a burden had been lifted form my shoulders or as if a veil had been lifted. Here I was, ready for "something more", and didn't realise it until that moment.  

Great bikes.   I'd love to own another one some day.  

Ok, I should go to a Harley showroom with somebody ELSE.

KeS

[atadaskew]

My knees rubbed the paint away on my FJR in a matter of months. On the sportster and on the 'Glide, I'm crawling all over the bike to get those things to take turns and the paint barely even shows any rubs or swirls.

It really *is* that much better.

Exact same deal with my Wing 1800.  The paint on it was so soft that after a few rides the sides of the 'tank/air box cover' were already marred/dulled.
My Ducati, on the other hand, has fantastic paint.  Still looks like new after 25K miles.

[st ryder]

Ok, I should go to a Harley showroom with somebody ELSE.

KeS

Doesn't matter who you go with, just go.

[falconati]

Such nice looking machines.  I visited half a dozen dealerships when I was in vacation in the South, and noticed that the dealers were SO much nicer (in terms of people) than the ones I've been to in Minnesota and Iowa.  I'm sure part of that was just the general nature of Southerners, but there was something else there...

At any rate, I'm moving to Wisconsin in a few weeks, and I hope the home of the brand has some nicer salespeople than I'm used to.