Short Fuse;n53022 said:
Not really. The japanese have been making better bikes than HD for decades. Chrome want get ya home.
Couldn't agree more. I come from a sport riding/touring background. I have owned many bikes and ridden several hundred thousand miles on them all over and have never owned a HD. Because they can not provide the performance I expect and require. But you can tell by the reactions here that to many, the "image" of riding is mort important than the performance, or capability of the bike itself. It's like refusing to shoot guns, unless they are a Colt 1911. THAT is what the Japanese will never overcome: "the Image".
It's also what Victory failed to overcome.
All that said, the truth is the Japanese, and Victory, have never quite got it right. As hard as they have tried, they have been unable to capture the true spirit of riding a Harley Davidson. The sound, the feel, the pride or ownership, the top paint quality, the resale value, the pirate outfits, etc. The proof is in the pudding, as they say.
Sure, a Star or a Shadow is a nice enough cruiser. But, I'd rather have a Streetglide. It's got all the performance one would need on this type of bike. Hell, there's actually several models I would be happy to own. If I were buying a cruiser, I'd likely not buy Japanese. Never saw a Japanese cruiser that didn't look like a cheaper copy of a HD, because that is precisely what they are. They have spend billions trying to copy an HD. Who cares if their bikes make more power? It's a cruiser.
Just my opinion.
