I've had one H-D. Very disappointing. Never again. Or perhaps I should have named it after that Belgian airline... Should have kept the BMW R100RT that I'd owned for 16 years...
Cheers,
Graham (G4FUJ)
Sold L44FOR 4/4 Giallo Fly '09 Gen2 MINI Cooper ragtop '90 LR 90 SW
Oh well... you show your head above the pulpit and someone always wants to knock it off I guess
I did'nt chose the Harley to do the project on because I wanted to have the fastest most refined bike out there, just like your son did'nt choose the VW pick-up to win races or seek the smoothest drive. Like I am sure we can agree, it's all about having a bit of fun doing your own automotive 'thing'...making it your own...reflecting your mood, style, mojo.
....anyways up chuck....this Harley is going to be REALLY different and individual !
How much of it will still be HD when it's done though?
I used to read some of the Custom mags and the vehicles specs used to make me laugh - Custom HD, engine by S&S, frame by soem specialist or other, forks by another, bodywork (tank, seat etc.) by Corbin et al. There was rarely anything HD left in it... Mind, I suppose that applies to many Cusotms - at least the VW above still shows some semblance of the original split screen VW Microbus - anyone remember Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie? You go for it on the HD, I just mentioned that my one and only foray into the world of HD was disappointing...
(SABENA Nick, SABENA but you know that!)
Cheers,
Graham (G4FUJ)
Sold L44FOR 4/4 Giallo Fly '09 Gen2 MINI Cooper ragtop '90 LR 90 SW
The mere mention of that name cries uncool..............to many
The amount of abuse you can be subject to for owning a Harley. Quite unbelievable.
Me I think they're great to a point and then like as you say can go the other way (that rhymes)
I've had 4 Harleys but now sadly without
Viper, you've hit the nail on the head....even the most uncool thing can be cool and vice-versa. It's not what you wear, it's how you wear it. You need to have the attitude to go with it and you have to make it your own.
If we are talking Harley's I would agree with the stereotyping as an uncool bike, for sure. My perception of this is mainly due to too much 'brand pushing' and not enough product improvement combined with the sheer number of 'executive bikers' blindly going the Harley route thinking that they can buy a made to measure style off the shelf from the dealer..to pretend to show off on together with all the other Harley executives on a sunny Sunday....down at the Harley dealers...where else....soo uncoool. I am starting with the most un cool Harley available (so I am told by Harley officianado's). It's a 2009 XR1200.....you may have seen them 'buffalo'ing' around UK race tracks during this years BSB race season...yes there is a race series for the Harley XR. It's supposed to be styled in sympathy with the iconic 750 flat tracker...but somehow does'nt. But I have rose tinted spectacles with built in blinkers and want to make one 'my own'. My vision is one of a hybrid style, and it will evolve over future years...retro/modern...cafe-street...with lot's of functional take-two-through-the-city-in-the-rush-hour-traffic practicality thrown in for good measure. I plan to keep it for donkey's and it will go rusty as I go grey'n'baldy so it won't be a show bike, but it will have attitude.
Back on the Vee-Dub....It's not for me to say if your son's VW is cool or not. I'm sure he loves it and why should'nt he, it's a really fun vehicle.
For me (and only me perhaps) the extreme wheel/tyre combo on something like that style of vehicle is somehow a step too far (but then that might be whole point). When I see the classic VW coach lines I see classic streamliner styling in all it's beauty...rust...no problem...nice cleanly styled leather interior without covering up or adding distracting stuff.....yep... that's universaly cool, I would guess....but then those wheels/tyres just take over the whole effect without adding anything to what made the original vehicle cool in the first place.
Oh heck, i'm taking this concept of fun much too seriously...sorry guys ! Have fun.
How much of it will still be HD when it's done though?
I used to read some of the Custom mags and the vehicles specs used to make me laugh - Custom HD, engine by S&S, frame by soem specialist or other, forks by another, bodywork (tank, seat etc.) by Corbin et al. There was rarely anything HD left in it... Mind, I suppose that applies to many Cusotms - at least the VW above still shows some semblance of the original split screen VW Microbus - anyone remember Alice's Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie? You go for it on the HD, I just mentioned that my one and only foray into the world of HD was disappointing...
(SABENA Nick, SABENA but you know that!)
Cheers,
Graham, it does'nt really matter to me if Harley logo is lost off this particular bike and I won't be building a Harley custom bike either. Not my thang. But I quite like the 'basic bones' that I will be working with. It won't be radical because it has to be practical and usable.
H-D.....(even Morgan ) .....are capable of being a disapointment if one's expectations are lifted up beyond reality.....sometimes 'bad' can be 'good'.....unless it's just rubbish. I don't think the Harley's are rubbish but they are rather crude ! P.S. Fuel injection can work wonders on an old plonker of an engine....my mildly tuned XR engine is a bit of a peach...well pleased actually. 90hp at the back tyre combined with good dollop of torque low down.....not bad for a 'small' Harley engine. This baby even corners...
The VW van thing is BIG. I can tune in to the split screen thing, and understand what's going on, even though I wouldn't want one. Spending time at Woolacombe provides a chance to view such VW's and there were plenty there last week. The problem with the old one's is that few have any go, so get under your feet on the road. We followed a van briefly on the way home - dark green and nicely done, but incapable of more than 40mph by the look of it. That I don't understand, when engine upgrades are reasonably simple. But the aspiring silver foxes turn up in brand new VW vans (with windows).Also with bling wheels, and heavy tints all round. I can even understand that to a degree, but it seems to be more about posing than enjoying the drive.
DaveW '05 Red Roadster S1 '16 Yellow (Not the only) Narrow AR GDI Plus 4
That Citroen looks very 'earthy' clothed in all that rust. Funny how some (particular) vehicles seem almost to be living things. Organic is the word i'm looking for. There's a guy I see fairly regularly with an old step side Chevy pick up in red oxide primer and a liberal sprinkling of rust. It looks the real deal. Been there, worked hard, done that, but now it's being preserved in that worn out state and only maintained mechanically enough to give a semi-retired useability for it's owner.....it's a cool motor and I always smile when I see it out on the road....it's super cool.
but you know that!)
) .....are capable of being a disapointment if one's expectations are lifted up beyond reality.....sometimes 'bad' can be 'good'.....unless it's just rubbish. I don't think the Harley's are rubbish but they are rather crude ! 
