I own the 2004 Midnight Roadstar with chrome forks and chrome studded seat and bags.,mags and white walls, and HD riders are always turning there heads when I go by to see what it is. My Opinion on chrome is the Harley is far superior and the machining on the exterior engine definetly is. I was a machinist with Johnson/Evinrude Outboard for years. The polishing of the aluminum parts is weak in comparison. That being said lets do the math. I purchased my bike used with 3000 miles on it for $7000 and that included 2 helmets in May 2007 a year and a half later I have 21,000 miles on it and the only maintenance was plugs various fluids and filters tires and light bulbs. THAT's IT!! IF you look at which is the BETTER VALUE and you bought the bike to ride not to say I own a specific brand just so you can make some kind of statement there's no contest. I'm just back working after a 3 week lay off and I'm so glad I Own such a low maintenance bike. Also the fact that I don't have a HUGE amount of money invested in it. By the way I just paid $1.85 a gallon for gas!! Now if we can just get rid of the ETHENOL!!!!!! I get make it to DAYTONA FOR $6 bucs!!!!

Everyone I ride with here in NY has a Harley, in fact one, a street glide I think, can pull up the front wheel in second gear.
Down in Fl. the rest of my friends ride a variety of bikes.
Most of them rode with me back in the 70's and are just glad I have a bike that the parts don't fly off of going down the hiway
We still kid each other about the brands we ride, they call my * a rice burner (I tell them rice is cheaper the gas) and I call theirs garage warmers (and they say at least they have heated garages).
Even though we all are proud of what we ride, we are all prouder that at our ages we are still alive and riding.

I know this topic is old, not only on this board but its also been talked about since Honda had the add that read 'You meet the nicest people on a Honda' meanwhile various 1% clubs were riding around on Harleys, getting drunk and arrested.

Back in 'the day' I used to ride an old HD Shovelhead rigid chopper. That was back when you could buy a Harley for $3,000 new. Anyway, me and my old 'Shovel' friends were getting drunk in a bar and flirting with the chicks outside when this clean-cut guy rides up on a new Harley. We didn't know what it was at the time as it was the new Evo motor. We laughed at him asking him where were his tools? He didn't look dirty or greasy enough to be a biker. That was back when you HAD to know how to wrench on your scooter to be a biker or you were gonna be broke down on some lonly road and get beaten-up by rednecks. We stared to call them RUBs on CreditGlides (Rich Urban Bikers who didn't pay cash for their bikes because they were too expensive). How times have changed!!!!

The bottom line is this: Bikers will always tease each other about what they ride. Its part of being a biker. "Your Sporty is a Chicks Bike" or "I'll get an Electra Glide when I get my social security check, geezer." I say to one of my buddys who has a Heritage "Nice little bike, dude" My current buddys made fun of me because I rode a Harley (but I still have one). Now they are going to make fun of me because I don't ride a REAL bike like a VTX1800 or whatever.

Ride what you ride because you like it but most importantly, RIDE FREE.

Makcap wrote:
Maybe the question is when does a roadstar become a custom bike and not a factory bike.



Its not OEM when you remove an OEM part and add the first piece of bling IMO..personally I am just glad the local tax guys do not come around to see if you have added some value to your ride and adjust your taxes like they do on houses ..Coug

Geez. Don't give em any ideas Coug.

Hey to each their own, and I own a Roadstar!!

I don't know if you guys remember the thread, but I just bought a new Roadking and still have my 06 RS. I did a comparison. Anyway, after owning both, I will say that the roadstar is every bit as good as the roadking. They are different, but anyone who says the roadstar is not in the same league as a harley is not being honest, or doesn't have the ability to be objective. There are things about each that are better than the other, but overall both bikes are awesome. I believe that the fit and finish on the HD may be a little better than the yami, but thats not to say that it isn't good on the RS. Both of my bikes are set up similarly, (rs has BAK, ported intake, pipes, dking has k&n filter, pipes and stage one download). Here are some other differences.

Power: Keeping my set up in mind, I think the star has a more power. I don't know that if would win in a drag race but it definetely has more attention getting power.
Ride: The air suspension on the HD is better and I think it handles a little better.
Maint: Definetely easier on the star.
Looks: They are both beautiful
Cost vs. what you get: Roadstar by a long shot.

Not to say that I'm an authority on either bike but having both now, and being the previous owner of a VTX 1800, I will say that the roadstar is as good a bike as their is on the road. If you search the forum for roadking/roadstar comparison, the thread is very interesting and unbiased.
Oh and one last thing, HD has nothing that even compares to the roadstar clinic. It seems the HD guys (not me) are more concerned with what you ride than anything else. Me, I just love bikes and am glad to ride with anyone who wants to go.

Thanks Dlm

I enjoy hearing the opinion of someone who has actually owned a bike. The hear say and dogma gets old and does no one any good.

Thanks again

Crash369 wrote:
I admit I test rode a 2009 street glide two weeks ago, I need a touring bike to go along with my toy. I was expecting it to blow me away and yell take me home, I was really disappointed. The fairing and radio was awesome but lack of power left me down. The salesman said Oh yeah you have to do this and that to make it really get up and go. That made my mind up going to find another R* and make an Ultra.

I gotta say, if you are use to riding that sled in your sig pic, you will be hard pressed to find a dresser that won't seem like it is dragging an anchor. The power is there but you are hauling around a lot more weight. I had an Electra Glide Classic that I took down to the frame and rebuilt it as a bar hopper. It was like night and day. I couldn't believe it when I cracked the whip on it.

As far as the thread question goes, I use to be one of those HD zealots that believed nothing on the road matched it. Well, when I was riding them, nothing on the rode did match a HD. But the times, they are a changin. When I noticed the first metrics coming out with HD styling I would say they were copying HD, and maybe they did to some extent. I am older and wiser now and I have to say, don't worry about what others think. Ride what you want to ride. I've logged thousands of miles on a HD and I will say for the cost of the RS to a comparable HD, there is no comparison. The RS comes out on top. HD's aren't what they use to be either. I feel like the real HD is gone for good. Not dissing HD at all, and I have my opinions on the cost of them being out of reach of the ones that were so loyal to them for decades, but I am reluctant to post it here. I would be happy to explain to anyone through PM if interested. I don't bar hop anymore, I am not wild and crazy anymore, (I rarely go over 100 MPH) my RS suits me fine. I will proudly ride along side my brother and his Heritage Softail without any thoughts of being inferior. I just hope he won't.