Me too. 03 Sonata 32 miles to a gallon and 63,000 carefree miles.

Smooth Thanks for posting those pictures. If you were to take and add the tour pak and a full fairing to that roadstar the bikes would really & I mean really look a lot alike. And that's what I'm talking about. Don't get me wrong I like harleys I own one but when you compare the two bikes together with the same features they look alot alike but yet the R* is thousands of dollars less. Now the one thing that the Ultra or Electria glide has that I wish I had and that was electronic cruise control.

Smooth wrote:
I recently purchased a beautiful 2003 Ultra - 100th anniversary edition. It is a good touring bike.....very comfortable, fuel injected and the air suspension makes a big difference on long trips. My wife really loves the back seat, which is like a recliner.

The Ultra and the Roadstar are two completely different bikes I am a proud owner of them both. They both have their good points and faults too.

I would love to hear a more detailed perspective. Tell us more!

And I just read this entire old thread (cause I'm new around here and bored because you guys aren't talking much) so I will share my limited Harley experience. I have ridden two brand new Dynas, a 94 and a 98. They both belonged to friends.

I don't know anything about their reliability, they seemed fine, but neither one of those things handled worth a darn. The fought me around corners (and yes I know how to counter-steer) but the front ends pushed like crazy. They seemed like they had really high centers of gravity, and they were skinny and cramped.

You sit on a Road Star and it feels like it is made just for you. So perfect. Low center of gravity. Handles like a bike half the weight. You can make it do anything you want. I could always tell from the look of discomfort on my friend's face when he got on my Road Star that it felt sooooo good that he felt like he was having to sacrifice quite a bit to have a Harley.

But he took solice in the fact that it was a Harley, warts and all. Have I mentioned they also seem a little diminuative next to our Road Stars? I think Yamaha out-Harleyed Harley.

Though I suppose there are some people somewhere who may think that a particular Harley handles and fits them exactly like they want a motorcycle to do those things. I just don't know any of them.

you mean I own a R*, I have always been told " Nice Harley"

I'd be lying if I didn't say its crossed my mind.. but I just have a hard time justifying that kind of money for a product that requires that much frickin TLC. Every harley owner i know has his bike in the shop at least 2 or 3 times a year for something screwing up. I don't see making the change anytime soon, but it is always there in the back of the ol brainpan.

dj1duke wrote:
you mean I own a R*, I have always been told " Nice Harley"





I get that, too, and mine's completely stock!

Why spend the extra bucks when most of the people that see your bike cant tell the difference any way or much less care. And besides the road star has more spacious accommodations than most harleys any way. unless you are skinny your passenger will be against your back but not on the road* I am over 200 and the wife is close to 200 so we have plenty of room and she usually doesn't even touch my back unless I get on the brakes pretty hard.So No Thanks Hardly Davidson. Don't need the Better than thou attitude.

First off I will appologize to anyone I may offend, remember this is my opinion based on select situations I have been involved in.

My quest to buy a bike again came from multiple rental rides from easyrider Harley rentals. Some on Sportster, but most on Fatboys, and even a full dress Road King. I wanted to buy a Harley since thats the look I was going for (classic road bike). Of coarse I was tempted to go rice burner after riding a friends Honda Aero. Had my eye on the Springer Softail but never been on a springer. I quized the guy at the dealer and he assured me its the nicest bike I would ever own and I could ride it after I go through the financing. Then when he found out I was researching it with Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha.... he **** a back woods white trash brick and assured me all those bikes were crap. When I asked him which of those bikes he had ridden... you know the answer to that. So no test ride, mixed with a little attitude, I went elswhere. Another Harley store showed the same routine so I talked to the finance guy....14000 for the bike, 6000 for the extras, taxes, blah, blah... came to 25K !!!!
I was allowed to ride the Roadstar and fell in love.
IT IS MORE POWERFULL than any stock Harley I have been on. It handled like it had Power Steering. The seat was lower and had better balance from low center of gravity. It has bigger brakes, longer wheel base, wider seat, standard chrome (midnight edition), and I would not have to invest in the forward controls to get my legs in a comfortable position. Still I had my heart set on a Harley, so I quized every Harley guy I ran into. What a bunch of Im better than you ......!!+
Granted this was in So-Cal yuppie hell, but not one seemed reseptive to even listening to me after I mentioned I looked at a Yamaha.

I just could not see me spending an extra 10K for the right to be an ****. Your bike is an extension of your personality. I am not a ...... I appreciate all riders, even those on the Vespa. So the only thing leaning to Harley was so I could buy made in the USA. Then someone told me even Harley imports its front suspensions from HONDA. Chew on that Mr. Ill never own a Jap bike!

Now that I have owned my bike for a while, I ride side by side with the Harley boys, and tell them the same thing people tell me
NICE HARLEY.

However they reply thanks, while I reply... THIS IS BETTER THAN A HARLEY...ITS A ROADSTAR !!!

When I save up enough money to buy a Big ol HARLEY BAGGER, I will run out and buy a new Roadstar for myself and one for the Mrs.

if I wanted a Harley I would have one!

I must admit I REALLY like the Harley bikes. I have yet to ride one but sat on plenty I love the look, the quality of parts availiblity of aftermarket parts, the Harley "sound"
What I DON'T like is the price tag and reliablity
I have a friend who is going to help me find a salvage Harley and rebuild and trick it out. He does it on the side for extra cash. He said if I do the work (I got a full shop and I am a welder/fabricator) we could build sick harley for about $7-8k including the bike.

I really like my R* but, I still lust after a Harley this way I could have both

Steven