Bank forecloses on Big Dog Motorcycles

[Zixxerpilot]

You guys keep talking like Big Dog is the worst riding bike on the planet, but have any of you ever RIDDEN one? I have, several in fact. They are not a sport bike by any stretch, but they work well as a cruiser. Get them out on the open highway, and they are a ton of fun to just sit back, and chill on. Not to mention torque to spare. The rake isn't so bad they wobble, the ride is pretty good, and they tend to look pretty damn good while hauling around.

Quality concerns of BD's past had little to do with the bike. S&S had an issue with engines, specifically the coating on the pistons, and was being, well, difficult, to deal with. BD got caught in the middle of that whole mess.

I've done several hundred mile days on a BD, and did so better than my GSXR, and I don't say that often about cruisers. Just because it looks like the garage queen bikes, doesn't mean it is.

[Orson]

You guys keep talking like Big Dog is the worst riding bike on the planet,

I don't think anyone has bashed Big Dog, the motorcycle in this thread.

someone called chopper riders "small-dicked" and of course the Frenchman took it as a swipe at the motorcycles themselves.

Is it unfair to judge all chopper riders as small-dicked? Of course it it but, it's a cross they must bear.

Just like Guzzi riders all all judged to be old farts who wear red suspenders. We bear that cross without throwing ourselves on the floor in a tantrum  

[Jeff]

Just like Guzzi riders all all judged to be old farts who wear red suspenders. We bear that cross without throwing ourselves on the floor in a tantrum  

That's because throwing yourself on the floor would result in a broken hip.

[bomber]

That's because throwing yourself on the floor would result in a broken hip.

Resulting in missed nappage. This is not to be tolerated.

[cbsnbiker]

I have the urge to play devil's advocate....

I'm usually the prolix one in a thread  , but this time I'm going to simplify and keep this message shorter than OrangeSVS's.

I've had discussions with riders, especially cruiser/chopper types, who find my approach to choosing a motorcycle cold-blooded. They have a Romantic concept of what it is to choose a motorcycle. I do not.

When it comes to motorcycles, I'm a function-over-form kind of guy. Does it do the job I want it to do? Is there a good dealer nearby to help me keep it in good working order? Etc. If yes, then maybe I buy and ride it. If no, then I don't. How it looks is subsidiary to how it works.

There are many bikes out there that do roughly what I want a motorcycle to do. I own two of them. I continue to own a third primarily for nostalgia, although even it does certain jobs very well.

There are many bikes out there that do jobs for which I currently have no use, such as race replicas, off-road dirt bikes, full-dress tourers, etc. They do their jobs well; they just do jobs for which I currently have no use, or not enough use to make the purchase.

Then there are bikes that do not do their jobs as motorcycles well. The aesthetic is one of form over function: the intended job is merely to look a certain way, with all else, including functionality, compromised for the appearance.

These bikes hold no interest for me.

Furthermore, in many cases these bikes do certain things particularly poorly. One of them is muffle sound. Many of these bikes are terrible at being socially quiet. They also often handle poorly, ride poorly, produce excessive vibration, and break down.

I honestly don't remember if I've ridden specifically a Big Dog. I've ridden other similar bikes. I just don't like them.

[mwood7800]

Big dog had major problems with there chinese manufactured electronic insterments, with no back up. Most the bikes would not even start half the time.  They went tits up 3 years ago, leaving all dearlers up shit creek.