Honda originally positioned the CTX 1300 as a replacement for the ST1300. Detuning made it easier to ride, lowering the seat made if a comfortable "babyWing" for those who couldn't afford a Goldwing. The marketing strategy was innovative but not successful. The CTX lineup (there was a 700 too) failed miserably. A high dose of Honda boring didn't bring new riders, and the detuning from the ST1300 sent those disciples to Connies, and FJRs.
Just for the record, my current "Jap bike" was built Ohio. Yes, HD's sold here are still built in North America as well, but just like my Honda, a huge portion of the parts are imported from around the globe. In the end they're probably about the same ratio of "American Iron". Mine just has a different nameplate than yours.
Well, no. But that's an entirely different debate. You want a new bike. You seem to be happy with Jap brands. You can't seriously afford a Harley. HD's reliability scares you. So why not stick with Honda? Or go with a Yamaha or Kawasaki touring barge? Good specimens sell for really cheap 2nd hand and their owners are desperate to get rid of them. Last guy who tried to sell me one almost followed me home trying to convince me. You can pretty much name your price. You never liked Harleys anyway, especially when their owners made fun of your bike. It's times like this when you have to go with what makes you happy. Where your heart is.
BTW, I could afford a Harley, stop it with that insane and petty argument again. I could "Afford" lots of them. Reality is I have a budget in mind because unlike some people I actually have a busy and exciting retirement plan that involves traveling the world and being quite comfortable doing it, versus eating cat food in a cheap nursing home because I spent all my money on depreciating toys my entire life and didn't actually think past the end of next week like many today do.
A neighbour in the area (who was well known for having a "man cave" garage lots of locals hung out in) was one of those guys. Brand new Corvette and a brand new mega pickup in the driveway. 2 Harleys and a quad in the garage. A ski boat that was seen behind the pickup on occasion. It all fell apart when he got laid off and the "to the last penny" financing pyramid fell apart. All the toys disappeared. The house was power of sale less than a year later.
FWIW I looked at a lot of HD's this time around and have the pictures and "WTF, You, a Harley, seriously?!" texts from friends to prove it. I just didn't find one I liked that checked all the boxes, simply put. The attitude of owners like you still turn me off, but as I said several pages back in this thread, I wasn't going to have that rule them out as part of the search, but had I ended up with one I wasn't going to become the walking billboard HD owner who snubs anyone else not on a HD themselves because, of course, they "couldn't afford one".
Here's one of the Ultras I looked at, FWIW. Cam chain had been done to the hydraulic upgrade and it would probably have been 2 years before I'd have needed to worry much about it. Loved the sound of the exhaust on it, it had some stereo farkles on it that were nice, and it checked all the boxes except one.
The colour.
That's the reason it's not in my garage right now. Just can't do that colour.
By the time I spent the time and money to get it completely stripped and painted professionally that one didn't make financial sense anymore.
Oh come on, it doesn't matter if you can afford it or not, or what your long term financial plans are. We all know you are not fond of Harleys. Period. As much as you say HD riders have attitude towards others you seem to want to dish it out just as much in return (umm sig "Why I don't I don't own a Harley and my never" says it all). It's great that you were considering them but lets face it your headspace it more geared towards owning a foreign brand, and your budget more likely works for that. Even if you decided to get one of those HD's I think you would just be regretting it, I dunno just my impression. Hopefully whatever happens it works out for you.
LOL! You're going to buy a Harley. I knew that right from the first few posts you made about Harleys on this forum. Like I said, someday you'll all own a Harley. The guys with the biggest chip on their shoulder are the most obvious. And dude, I ride with anyone.
And saying that it doesn't mater if you actually like the appearance of your bike or not is patently nuts. Would any of you ride a bedazzled pink motorcycle? If you can't look back at it as you walk away and like what you see, you bought the wrong bike.
So a guy joins a forum with a Honda. Then jumps into every thread with Harley in the title trying to start an argument against Harleys, their owners attitude, reliability etc.. Then sells his Honda and asks for advice on a new bike. Spends a week looking at...Harleys...
Say yes, he'll say no.
Say black he'll say white.
Say stop he'll say go.
If he buys a Honda, it's to cut off his nose to teach us all a lesson. Buys a Harley? It will be the most loved bike he ever owned but he'll never stop complaining about it. Like some guys and their wives.
And saying that it doesn't mater if you actually like the appearance of your bike or not is patently nuts. Would any of you ride a bedazzled pink motorcycle? If you can't look back at it as you walk away and like what you see, you bought the wrong bike.
And saying that it doesn't mater if you actually like the appearance of your bike or not is patently nuts. Would any of you ride a bedazzled pink motorcycle? If you can't look back at it as you walk away and like what you see, you bought the wrong bike.
So a guy joins a forum with a Honda. Then jumps into every thread with Harley in the title trying to start an argument against Harleys, their owners attitude, reliability etc.. Then sells his Honda and asks for advice on a new bike. Spends a week looking at...Harleys...
Say yes, he'll say no.
Say black he'll say white.
Say stop he'll say go.
If he buys a Honda, it's to cut off his nose to teach us all a lesson. Buys a Harley? It will be the most loved bike he ever owned but he'll never stop complaining about it. Like some guys and their wives.
I ride a lot of miles with, not on Harleys. I've ridden lots of them, never owned one and never really yearned for one. Sure some of their riders are pirates and posers, but I've seen same on virtually every bike brand on the road. 20 minutes west of me it's easy to find riders in $3000 Italian leather racing suit on 5 year old Ducatis with 3000km on their clocks. 10 minutes south and there are plenty of GSXR/Rx/CBrr riders with flipflops/tshirts and shorts. 10 minutes east there are lots of Village People on BMW 650 Scooters who like butter tarts. Ive met Pirates who are pirates, pirates who are great guys. Squids who are squids, squids who are great guys (but stoopid), and I know a couple of Gelato racers that I count as friends, and a few times a year I ride with the Village People.
Personally I don't care what you ride, how you dress, or what your girlfriend looks like. If you're good company on a ride then come along. If you want to preach conversion to me -- get lost.
I did a dozen rides last summer with my neighbour's MC the Southern Cruisers -- mostly old farts on HD's. I was the odd man out -- 20 heavy cruisers and me on my FJR or VSTROM. Never once did I feel like an outsider.
I ride a lot of miles with, not on Harleys. I've ridden lots of them, never owned one and never really yearned for one. Sure some of their riders are pirates and posers, but I've seen same on virtually every bike brand on the road. 20 minutes west of me it's easy to find riders in $3000 Italian leather racing suit on 5 year old Ducatis with 3000km on their clocks. 10 minutes south and there are plenty of GSXR/Rx/CBrr riders with flipflops/tshirts and shorts. 10 minutes east there are lots of Village People on BMW 650 Scooters who like butter tarts. Ive met Pirates who are pirates, pirates who are great guys. Squids who are squids, squids who are great guys (but stoopid), and I know a couple of Gelato racers that I count as friends, and a few times a year I ride with the Village People.
Personally I don't care what you ride, how you dress, or what your girlfriend looks like. If you're good company on a ride then come along. If you want to preach conversion to me -- get lost.
I did a dozen rides last summer with my neighbour's MC the Southern Cruisers -- mostly old farts on HD's. I was the odd man out -- 20 heavy cruisers and me on my FJR or VSTROM. Never once did I feel like an outsider.
And saying that it doesn't mater if you actually like the appearance of your bike or not is patently nuts. Would any of you ride a bedazzled pink motorcycle? If you can't look back at it as you walk away and like what you see, you bought the wrong bike.
Still holding out hope that the one guy with the potentially ideal Ultra will actually message me back so I can come see it. It’s the last reason I haven’t already put the deposit on the other option, but as I mentioned before, getting the guy to respond much less agree to anything is like pulling teeth. I’m getting the impression that he really kind of doesn’t actually really want to sell it.
Theres another good prospect I like but it’s on Manitoulin Island which is really way more hassle than I want to deal with right now to just see it (especially without the ferry), and conversation thus far has given me some concern that it may not be exactly as described.
Theres another good prospect I like but it’s on Manitoulin Island which is really way more hassle than I want to deal with right now to just see it (especially without the ferry), and conversation thus far has given me some concern that it may not be exactly as described.
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