Well this subject has come up over and over again. I'm always surprised at people's opinions. I happen to own a R* and 2 other harleys so I have something to truly compare.
This is a comparison of my 00R* to 05 electra glide standard & 72 shovelhead!
People say they don't like the idle vibration of the harley!
But what about the vibration you get out of the R* while riding.
My R* vibrates so badly I can't play a CD in the stereo other then at IDLE! It vibrates like my old shovelhead! If I let go of the handle bar the ends of the handle bar shakes and rattles the levers while riding.
But my harley is so smooth while riding down the road it can play a CD!
at anytime! Yes at idle it's rougher but still smooth enough to play a CD and as soon as the
rev's come up real smooth!
The R* is very top heavy and no where near as balanced as my harley but I don't hear people say how well the harley corners and feels compared to the R*!
I hear people say that they feel closer to the forks!
Yes this is true in a sense. Yamaha pushed the floor boards more forward giving you the feel of a larger longer bike.
Harley looked at having the rider in a more upright position. Making your feet flat and your legs going straight up rather then being pushed forward. Your body is sitting vertical & horizontal. When I first rode my electra glide after 8 years of the R* I immediately felt the same way as people have stated and I'm only 5'7" but then after riding the harley for a period I actually like the position more for long distance rides which it's not uncommon for my wife and I to do a 750 mile day! I ended up having to put on a drivers backrest seat on the R* in order to be comfortable for that long of a ride.
People talk about the price difference. Yes you pay less for a R* but within a few years the bike brings next to nothing back. People on this forum consistantly tell others who are looking at a used R* they say don't pay that much for that year bike with that kind of mileage and they put the price so low it's ridiculous. What does that say for the R*? It tells me that your investment in the R* should be ride it till it burns to the ground,cause it will never be worth much after a few years.
Where as my 1972 Harley FLH is still worth more then any R* out there and that's a 37 year old bike!!
So in the end my point is both makes are different and there are some good points to each, and yes there are some bad points to the R* despite every one here thinking the R* is the greatest.
Neither is perfect but they both will bring a smile to your face if you truly are a biker at heart!!
Stop trying to convince yourself that you made the best choice by buying a R* and any other bike out there can't compare. Just enjoy what your riding and be proud of it and keep the wind in your face! I will ride with you even if your on a scooter as long as you can do the speed limit!!!
Danny
Danny
Favoured: 0
Every time someone eats a harley dog, they trade in the roadie.
but when's Yakman gonna be in the area? I like the idea of a few of us getting together for some ride time. HD of Appleton rents their bikes out but I'm unsure of the daily charges. Don't know if Vandervest in Green Bay rents or not. I can call the Appleton shop if Yakman would like to get an idea. 
