N(Harley)Day Not a Benton!

BramptonRob1958

BramptonRob1958

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After having stored my 2013 HD VRod in the garage for far too long, I decided it was time to A) Sell the bike and stop riding or B) find a bike that I wanted to ride and wasn't a chore to gear up and go.

I attended our local Spring Motorcycle Event and looked at every new bike that I could find......Went in with an open mind to make, model and purpose... I owned and rode SportBikes into my early 50's and then went down the Harley Cruiser road with a Night Train and then the 2013 VRod Muscle.

So I still longed for my Sport Bike Days and never was really able to bond with a 700 pound cruiser! But at 64 next week I have to be honest that while my mind is up for a Sport Bike, my body is likely not lol.

The Market has changed a lot even since the start and hopefully lingering end to Covid. So after information overload, research and more research, I ended up buying the New Generation Sportster S. Not a sport bike, not really a cruiser, not a standard, not 700 pounds Doesn't do Potato, Potato at obnoxious levels and annoy my neighbours.

So, what is it you ask? It's just over 500 pounds wet, packs 121 HP @ 94 Torque and is a blast to ride.

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Tarkus60

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Everything about that bike is badass.....except that friggen exhaust....lol
Not your father's harley for sure!
Enjoy!
While at 62 I still have a few more years on my Road King before I down size.
I am also a old sport bike guy. I rode a Gsxr600 a few years ago...lol about paralyzed me!
 
unixfish

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That is So. Freakin'. Cool!

121 HP in a 500 pound bike? That is insane. I used to have a 1976 Honda 360 that a previous owner had done a bit of work on - it was really quick (or at least I thought so). I cannot even image how that bike gets up and goes.

Very nice.
 
John Backlund

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unixfish said:
That is So. Freakin'. Cool!

121 HP in a 500 pound bike? That is insane. I used to have a 1976 Honda 360 that a previous owner had done a bit of work on - it was really quick (or at least I thought so). I cannot even image how that bike gets up and goes.

Very nice.
Click to expand...

121 hp on a 500 pound bike is going to stir up your adrenaline a bit when gassing it, but try 200 hp on a 426 pound bike. BMW S1000RR. ;)
 
Deeve

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Hey - when I owned that 360, I thought IT was hot.
This is hot AF (and I don't mean AMF)
Peace - Deeve
 
hdvades

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Awesome bike! I just checked it out on HD's site. A lot of cool accessories too. I like the scrambler style exhaust and the tail bag. Inverted forks. Great technology! I see a bit of the ole XLCR in the design. Enjoy!
 
stxrus

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Congratulations
I rode a Sportster in Georgia probably 15 years ago and I was impressed with the performance. A lot of power for such a small bike
 
BramptonRob1958

BramptonRob1958

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Tarkus60 said:
Everything about that bike is badass.....except that friggen exhaust....lol
Not your father's harley for sure!
Enjoy!
While at 62 I still have a few more years on my Road King before I down size.
I am also a old sport bike guy. I rode a Gsxr600 a few years ago...lol about paralyzed me!
Click to expand...
Love the Road Kings, I've found out that I need a smaller footprint. Even the VRod which wasn't a particularly big bike @672 lbs was too large for my liking.....It's funny almost like guitars....except I don't ride my guitars......lol
 
BramptonRob1958

BramptonRob1958

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hdvades said:
Awesome bike! I just checked it out on HD's site. A lot of cool accessories too. I like the scrambler style exhaust and the tail bag. Inverted forks. Great technology! I see a bit of the ole XLCR in the design. Enjoy!
Click to expand...
Thanks! The technology was a big part of the decision.....The VRod had the traditional potato rumble that made my ears bleed even with a full face helmet on. It had a lot of power, liquid cooled as well and Brembo brakes......but it never put a smile on face like the Sportster S....
 
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BramptonRob1958

BramptonRob1958

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stxrus said:
Congratulations
I rode a Sportster in Georgia probably 15 years ago and I was impressed with the performance. A lot of power for such a small bike
Click to expand...
Thank you!.....if you are still riding, do yourself a big favour, try the Sportster S or the Nightster.

Neither bike is anything remotely close to the Sportster you rode 15 years ago.....The only thing shared is the Name!
 
stxrus

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BramptonRob1958 said:
Thank you!.....if you are still riding, do yourself a big favour, try the Sportster S or the Nightster.

Neither bike is anything remotely close to the Sportster you rode 15 years ago.....The only thing shared is the Name!
Click to expand...
No, I no longer ride. Between our crappy roads and our even worse drivers it’s just too dangerous to ride a motorcycle

I’m really an old school rider. I’m not a fan of Sport Bikes. I’ve been a Panhead lover since I got my first one at 16. The old Sporty was a fun bike

Anyway, good luck with your new bike.
 
3fngrs

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Nice. I'd give it a spin. Worked on my road king all day. General maintenance. Think I got too much oil in the forks.

Anyway, the new sportsters are interesting. I think they look cool but I hate to see the older style go away.
 
BramptonRob1958

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3fngrs said:
Nice. I'd give it a spin. Worked on my road king all day. General maintenance. Think I got too much oil in the forks.

Anyway, the new sportsters are interesting. I think they look cool but I hate to see the older style go away.
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I don't think you'll ever see the traditional Harley's go away unless the customer base goes away or dies off.

Far too many purists at this time to let it happen. However, HD does need to infuse new riders from other segments and bikes like the New Sportster and Nightster will help with that.

Even my old bike (VRod) wasn't embraced by the majority of HD purists even though it sounded like your typical Harley it needed aftermarket pipes to make that happen..... Even the liquid cooling was frowned on.... but if anyone took the time to ride one, well you know the rest....

The Road King's are a great bike and what I picture when I think of Harley. Just far too heavy for the type of riding that I do mostly. If I did a lot of long trips or carried a passenger , I'd would definitely look at a RK.

Good luck at getting your forks sorted.
 
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