Harley Davidson Dual Sport Motorcycle

[Old Can Ride]

OCR, was there a reason you picked the NC750 General Discussion forum for this?

"it should have been put in here"

If you can't understand "IT", then you could never be a real Harley Davidson rider?

Hooray !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Fuzzy]

.......

 

[lipsee]

Sure its abit pricy but I for one love the look,and if you had followed the build on adv by Jimmy the Hog,you would realise alot ot thought went into it,,pity only moneybags need apply!!!

 

[Mojave]

Hmmm... don't confuse Sportsters with Hogs.

I owned a Sportster for several years, a 2003 XL883R that I had the engine converted to a stage three 10.5 to 1 1200cc by a local engine builder - Earl Burley. I did a lot on that bike including plenty of off pavement sandy desert roads.

I took it to the drags a couple times. On my fifth run ever, with an easy launch, pulling the clutch on every shift, it went 12.9 seconds and 105mph. And I had not even got the jetting right yet. I think with race gas, a little tuning, and more skill on my part I would have easily gone into the high 11's. Unfortunately, that was the last race of the last season of the Inyokern Drag Strip, Worlds oldest drags, shut down by the FAA. Later, after watching "World's Fastest Indian" I put a 29T pulley on it. I saw a couple times 130mph on the GPS. Granted, it wasn't the most solid feeling bike I've been on at speed. In fact, depending on the state of the tires going north of 110 was always "interesting".

It was a great bike for two up. My wife, who rides her own Ninja, is still a little ticked I sold it. Highway passes were a mere twist of the wrist.

After 9 years, by far the longest I've owned any bike, I sold it to a buddy who rides mostly Ducati' 999's and BMW. Sure, he could walk me on a fast road but I regularly waxed his *** on tight mountain roads. Knowing him I think the last increment of conversion - light spoke wheels with Brembo brakes, will probably be found and it will become the street tracker it almost was. Al is a genius for finding high grade parts for pennys on the dollar.

I think I'd still have the bike except for the three level cervical fusion I went through 15 months ago. While I can do a lot still, and I seem to be getting stronger, the somewhat cramped ergo's and short travel suspension cut out the Sportster as a general purpose bike. I never wanted to "chop" this particular bike up as it was just too nice. However, if the right 883, 2003 or before, came along for cheap... I think about doing my own "adventure" bike. Hacksaw all the extraneous frame bits off. Find or build some decent wheels and Grameccia brakes. Whip a mild 9.5 to 1 1200cc kit on it. Springer seat (!) for a proper seat height. Build a CrMo swingarm (lose 10 pounds with that alone!). The result would be a 440 pound wet bike with 60 fat RWHP, 55MPG, that intrinsically handles well on the street or dirt.

Earl used to race Pro-stock a "street legal" sportster based dragster. Made around 150 HP, and ran in the low 9's with 140+ trap speed. I rode his daily ride, a completely normal looking Sportster that ran in the mid 10's, the wildest rudest motorcycle I've ever ridden. For those that appreciate simple rawboned motorcycles, Sportster culture isn't HD culture. And possibly there is nothing lower to a Hog rider than a grown man on a Sportster. You'll never feel like one of "them" based on the icy denial of even existing.

BTW, I think 72K for this "custom" is beyond ridiculous.


R.I.P.

 

[Old Can Ride]

Hmmm... don't confuse Sportsters with Hogs.

The year before I started riding, 1957, Harley Davidson produced the first Sportster. For 10 years I wanted a Sportster. When I got back from Viet Nam that decade long dream came true. Thanks to "Then came Bronson", because then came my decade dream's orange sportster with the eye of god on the tank.

Yes folks, our dreams are never quite what we thought they would be. After one 80 mile ride to Panama City, the sportster was up for sale, and it sold the next day! The 1969 Honda CB750 changed motorcycling and my dreams. We could now travel comfortable two up. However, ALL Dreams change and so do people!

 

[Fuzzy]

George Carlin on Harley Theme Restaurants
[video=youtube;eHNRgg3mQqA]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHNRgg3mQqA[/video]

 

[Old Can Ride]

This fairy tale begins like all good fairy tales "A long, long, long, long time ago, when motorcycle companies use to have conventions for their dealerships"

About all the motorcycle companies "use" to hold their conventions in Las Vegas, and it was not uncommon for the conventions to run one after the other. This way multiline dealerships just had to change hotels. I don't know how this started but a very, very few of us dealers who actually road motorcycles to Las Vegas would meet at the Haley Davidson Café on the strip before the first convention started. They do have great turkey grill sandwiches. This little get together of the real deal dealerships was always fun.

[video=youtube;Q7TftiEmvHY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7TftiEmvHY[/video]