So I rode a pirate ship...

[Magnarider]

Well, it finally happened.  I took my dad's '02 Electraglide Classic with the 1550 bore kit and 6-speed gearbox out last week.  Here's a pic for those of you that are Harley illiterate:



Firstly, when I got on it, it felt really awkward.  The seat is set up so that it really makes you slouch, and it's really wide.  Almost too wide for me in fact.  When I came to a stop, I felt like I had to slide forward on the seat in order to get my legs wide enough for it.  The bars felt odd too, too high and coming too far back.  It was pretty heavy too.  Once I started riding it wasn't too bad, although the floorboards took some getting used to (I've never liked floorboards, even in my cruiser days).  In stop and go traffic, or just areas with lots of stops and low-speed riding, I really wouldn't like this bike.  

However, once you get going a bit, and can just cruise, I have to say this bike is pretty comfortable.  This bike is totally at home putting on big miles.  Maybe not at a spirited pace, but it'll just eat them up with pure comfort.  For instance, the seat that he put on from HD has air bladders in it that can inflated and deflated in order to change the shape of the seat.  So, your butt gets sore in the middle of Nevada, fine, hit a button and the pressure points will totally change.  Then just repeat this process until you don't feel like riding anymore.  Not to mention the driver's backrest which was really nice.   It was also weird having such a huge windscreen up front as well.  The entire area that I sat in was completely dead air, no wind at all.  

Onto the engine.  I wasn't really all that impressed with it overall, but that's probably because I'm used to machines that redline at 10 or 11, not 6.  Although I do have to say, this big V-twin did make plenty of torque.  Can't fault it a bit there.  The clutch was effortless and the transmission was smooth.  There was also a huge gap between my foot on the floorboard and the shifter, so I found myself having to pick my foot up quite a bit to shift, only to find out that I missed it anyway.  Enter heel-toe shifter.  This made it a lot easier, and wasn't as hard to get used to as I thought it would be.  

So, overall, I guess you could say it was an experience.  And, I do have to say that now, I get it.  I understand why people would want a bike like this.  It's got all day comfort, plenty of torque, a stereo, and like I said previously, it's really comfortable for stacking on the miles.  However, I still don't want one.  It's not what I'm looking for right now, but I could see myself on one of these someday down the line.  All in all, not a bad machine.  

[bomber]

I recently rode a buddy's 73 bagger, and I wound up feeling similarly . . .

no tach, but you knew it was time to shift when your right boot vibrated off the floorboard . . . .

you didn't steer it so much as make navigational suggestions . . . . . it didn't fall off the road or anything, but I had a great deal of trouble putting the front wheel exactly where I wanted it (this gave me enven more heebie jeebies watching columns of HD riders doing their formation thing -- it also explains why they go so slowly while doing so)

now, my buddy full well knows the limitations of this bike (all bike have some, and he has a number of more modern bikes to ride when he feels like strafing apexes) . . . .he said. "how'd you ike the bagger?" I responded favorably, as I DID have a good time (though I wouldn't want to own it) -- when I mentioned the vibration, and how it seems to vibrate in all planes at once, he said, "oh, no -- that motorcycle doesn't vabrate, bomber -- it expands and contracts about 1/8 of an inch, ver rapidly."

I had to wipe beer off my chin

[1KPerDay]

I'm sure you're aware of this but comparing a shovelhead bagger to a late-model H-D is like comparing an AMC Pacer to a new Malibu.

Thanks for the report, Magnarider.

[bomber]

1K -- you bet I am --

both interesting (I am the WIll ROgers of Motorcycling), but neither really suit me ;-}

[stevent]

Well I just bought a new '08 ElectraGlide Standard with triple disc ABS Brembos, seamless fuel Injection, smooth shifting six speed, throttle by wire and tons of other cool shit, so far I'm happy as hell with it. No comparison to the 1980 FLH I used to have or even the '05 TC88 I traded in for it. So far it's the best bike I've owned including Triumph, BMW, and a dozen Japanese bikes. I still wear my Multitek & Hi Viz 'stitch on it though, pirates don't know whether to wave at me or not ...

[atadaskew]

Well I just bought a new '08 ElectraGlide Standard ....

Doood, congrats an' all but did you know that the 09's have an all new frame/swingarm/wheels/suspension with re-routed headers and new engine mgmt system to help with the heat?

[stevent]

Doood, congrats an' all but did you know that the 09's have an all new frame/swingarm/wheels/suspension with re-routed headers and new engine mgmt system to help with the heat?

I know, that's why I got a fire-sale deal on the '08  

[atadaskew]

I know, that's why I got a fire-sale deal on the '08  

Nice work my man.  I want an 09 Street Bob but the dealers in LA are still flooded with 08's.  You'd think they'd get the message and lower the price on those to move them out?
Have fun with your bike.

[2006FJR]

I know, that's why I got a fire-sale deal on the '08  

If you don't mind me asking, what did you pay?

[DaleFranks]

I want an 09 Street Bob but the dealers in LA are still flooded with 08's.  You'd think they'd get the message and lower the price on those to move them out?

Nope.  The MoCo is hell on price reductions.  They are constantly driven to protect the brand, and shy away from price reductions if they can possibly be avoided.  HD considers their product to be the premier American motorcycle.  It's a premium product with a price to match.

Once you start allowing price reductions, you lower the perceived value of the brand.  The MoCo hasn't spent a century puffing their product up as the quintessential icon of American motorcycling to squander that marketing effort by turning it into a discount bike.

[Geoff]

Nice report!

[1KPerDay]

Nope.  The MoCo is hell on price reductions.  They are constantly driven to protect the brand, and shy away from price reductions if they can possibly be avoided.  HD considers their product to be the premier American motorcycle.  It's a premium product with a price to match.

Once you start allowing price reductions, you lower the perceived value of the brand.  The MoCo hasn't spent a century puffing their product up as the quintessential icon of American motorcycling to squander that marketing effort by turning it into a discount bike.

Man... you really got hurt. Let it go, my friend. Breathe... someday you'll find another. *sniff*

[DaleFranks]

Man... you really got hurt. Let it go, my friend. Breathe... someday you'll find another. *sniff*

Huh?