I'll agree, I wish I could like Victories, but they're almost universally ugly. The Vision is my favorite, but I still wouldn't buy one.
I went to the local dealership to look at the Switchback...... my short legs don't permit my feet to reach the controls.... atall. But they have a 2010 XR1200 that they want to sell me, asking "$9,995" ....... quick to add that they need to get rid of the bike to get future allocations. I think I've read that the '09 & '10 can be had for as little as $9,000. All this while riding my Bandit 1250 with it's new Spencer seat mod..... pretty comfortable! Oh..... and the guy told me to strip my 1250 of everything I put on it, sell it all myself, and he'll give me as much money as he can so get rid of that XR Sportie.......
The new Dyna looks sweet and with the 103 engine! I haven't seen one in person yet. Now they just need to bring back the FXDX!
This is meaningless. Who cares how it is geared? What matters - among other things - is the combination of the following three things at cruising speed 1) available power 2) engine vibration transmitted to the rider and 3) piston speed. Whether or not 6th gear is 1:1 or .xx:1 is completely irrelevant. It's like saying a bike is better because it has a longer exhaust pipe, because you aren't taking into consideration a hundred other things which work with gearing to produce a specific result. "overdrive" is marketing at work. No production bike is a true overdrive anyway, because the crank always turns at a higher rpm than the rear wheel. Like I said, marketing hype. Don't drink the kool aid.
You won't see me on a harley because some marketing jackass said "it has mountains of torque". You'll see me on a harley if I enjoy riding it. Wtf is "mountains of torque" anyway? Am I really supposed to believe an air cooled V twin can move a mountain?
I could see the Switchback as a replacement for my T-Sport in a year or two. I like the looks and the 103 with 6-speed and EFI would be awfully nice. I wish it had double disks on the front though.
I've never met a rider, H-D or otherwise, who said the marketing program of the manufacturer was the reason they bought whatever they were riding. Besides, if the marketing programs worked the manufacturers would stick with them instead of all the changes they make all the time. errrr, never mind.
our dealer has a red one in stock that i looked at this morning. i liked it better than i thought i would (and i thought i was going to like it). im 5'7", 30" inseam, and it was easy for me to flat foot. it really balances well ... even easy to take off the stand. i realize the weight difference isn't tremendous, but it "feels" much smaller than a road king to me. it even feels a little smaller than a heritage softail. very comfortable ergos for my frame, i feel like i could ride on that thing for hours. i didn't have any problem reaching the forward controls, although i usually prefer the mids on a dyna. i think given the weight and the 103ci engine, it should have pretty decent scoot for a harley. just my $.02. i'd like to own one when funds allow.
I've sat on the vic, and it was too low and cramped for my legs, but so is the stock harley (less so though, at least mine was) - but HD makes a perfect seat for me that costs $220 (tallboy) - does vic? And at least on the touring harleys (again, haven't seen the switchback so I can't speak directly to it) you can modify the shift lever (gearshift) pretty easily. Never needed to modify the brake one. Or so it certainly looks (and I did move the one on my Dyna).
2 comments on double disks so far? Really people? It's common to have single disks up front. You can argue that dual disks just add weight and dont supply any more stopping power than a good single. I wouldn't let a trivial thing like that deter me from buying any bike.
And I could argue that the dual disks on my Dyna do a great job of slowing that thing down in a hurry. The switchback has several features I wish my bike had... Quick detach hard bags instead of soft bags, a quick detach windshield and, as I stated before, more cubes and EFI. But I'd like to see dual disks because I've got 'em and I like 'em. It wouldn't be a deal breaker though.
There is absolutely no reason to sell one of these at a discount. It will be MSRP plus freight and set-up. The demand is going to exceed the supply on the bikes. You are a fool to think you can go in and expect a deal on a new model no matter what the make.
If you ride like a slug then dual rotors are not that important. If you ride in a more spirited fashion then the dual front brakes are indeed very important and not "trivial" as you seem to be asserting.. Since when are brakes on a motorcycle trivial? The new Switchback should have two IMO. That and the floorboards are the only thing wrong about the bike. The Fat Bob has dual floating rotors and is the best Cruiser that Harley makes. (again IMO)
Gotta agree..... love the removable bags, removable windshield, 2-1 exhaust, cast wheels w/tubelss tires, big time torque, low seat height, the craftsmanship & quality chrome of a modern Harley, stellar fuel economy, full fenders, large gas tank, etc...... but those gaye-ass forward positioned floorboards.... appealing to the wannabe pirates/cowboys or folks with long legs are on the bike simply for the sake of trend..... a STUPID trend. -- But consider that I've been a sport-bike rider for 40 years, AND I have a 24" inseam that in NO WAY reaches the controls. IN ADDITION, as a sport-bike rider, I know how to ride fast.... and though I wouldn't expect a heavy low slung bike with a long wheelbase, FAT tires, and soft suspension... to be a sport bike...... it's for these VERY reasons that I would demand dual rotors up front! Harely needs to get their act together. There are more and more Baby Boomers like myself who, after YEEEARS of riding at break-neck speeds, just wanna slow down, cruise, smell the roses, and feel a fully capable and solid bike beneath them with a realistic geometry, modern suspension, damn good brakes, and IMO.... ABS is a GOOD thang!
That almost sounds like Harley may not be running out of customers after all Here's the thing (I suspect) though-- as people age and "just wanna slow down, cruise, etc" thier perceptions of what constitutes a "solid bike with realistic geometry, modern suspension, etc" probably changes as well; and the H-D platforms start looking ok. They'll continually improve over time; but likely at the glacial pace they always have. You probably disagree; but I'd guess that all those years you were riding at breakneck speeds, you'd never consider riding any other way, and certainly not on a Harley. Face it dude-- you're getting old. And the chaps are on the rack over there Time changes us all.
Yes, but looking at it from my side, 32" inseam and bad knees, I bet those floorboards would need to be re-located forward. They do on the Touring bikes, and the Dyna is a smaller chassis. Oh, I like floorboards for a touring bike, and I guess many others do, too. Nice thing about a Harley, you can customize this to fit you perfectly. Some mid-mount pegs from another Dyna model and you'd be all set.
Um, before you get all trigger-happy with replacing the "T", drop me a line. I still regret selling it.
