What makes the difference in what you ride, as long as you ride. Harley is an American Icon, but not 100% American made. Some Japanese bikes are made in the America. From what I know, the only true 100% made American motorcycle is Victory, from every nut and bolt. They say Indian will be the same when they are released again in 09. From what some of you are saying Harley's leak oil, I have had my Heritage now for 4 years, not one drop of oil on the garage floor. Now for those that say those that ride Harleys are gay, stupid, etc, I guess all of us that are in the military that ride Harleys are gay, don't think so. If you have ever been in Japan or lived in Japan for any lenght of time, Harleys are loved and welcomed. Why don't everyone just wise up, ride to ride, don't care if you are riding a moped, you are riding.
Far as gas milage, getting 45-50 MPG on mine.

Harleys dont break down, they dont leak and their technology is superior to Japanese and Italian technology in many ways. No one bike is everything to everyone. I own two Harleys, a Ducati monster and a CBR 1100xx. The Harley has better fuel injection systems then either. No enriching lever (also known as a choke), just punch the starter and go. O, and you know how automotive companies are all going to keyless ignitions? And Kawasaki with the new Concourse 14 are doing the same, well Harley has had that for some time. Harleys entire model line is fuel injected, and every cruiser they make has a 6-speed transmission. Not one of the Japanese brands comes close. Anyone riding around on a Japanese cruiser, its second rate and a copy of the original. Just done poorly. Ive had them as well, and they are great for cheap disposable riding, but thats what they are worth when you sell them as well. Nothing! The funny thing is anyone who thinks Harleys are all 20k is just showing their ignorance. Thats what so crazy, buy a Yamaha strato-what ever, kawasaki 2000(ugly), honda shadow/vtx or suzuki m-what ever/boulevard, and they all cost 15-20 for their top level models. You of course will not get that back when you sell it as then its just another old jap bike. They are not perfect, but anyone who does not acknowledge they do what they do better then any other brand out there is just lacking in knowledge and experience.

As long as it has Japanese parts in it, it should be a fine bike.
I'm impressed with the v-rod series by Harley. It has a German Porsche engine!

I am a 64 year old biker..rode 'em all, except moto-cross. Did lots of scrambling back in 64 and lots of fast biking in years gone by...Fastest
bike when I was young was a BSA Lighting (1966..my wife still loves that one). My first bike was a 1965 Honda 305 Super Hawk, a little fellow by today's bikes, but rode many miles, over three hundred at a clip, and watched as many of my friends stood around cranking their asses off, some on British bikes, but mostly Harley guys....which were the ones that always held the trip up....My friend Duane bought a 1965 Sportster and had it bored with big pistons, valves, etc and had nothing but money tied up and the Beezer still tore his ass up low and top end. At the same time, my brother in-law bought a big Ultra Glide to ride my sister around on.......Beautiful bike, but not much fun for a man at the time of 32 years (we were all in our mid to early 20's) when the rest of us were climbing hills and going to the limit. Well, today I have said, ridden many bikes and just bought a VTX 1800... It does everything I want, for a lot less money than Harley.......made right here in the USA by hard working Americans in Marysville, Ohio. I guess as I finish, Harley Riders need to get of their high horse and realize that we are all
bikers. I see all the time Harley riders won't even recognize you on the road if you are not on a Harley...God, help them for they know not what the do.....Biking should be a brotherhood of all bikers! Live To Ride!

I rated my 95 sporster, now for my 05 Electraglide. This bike is a fun as you can get. I don't trailor unless I expect snow (happens in Ohio from December to February, thank God global warming cut the snow season in half). After riding my Sporster to Sturgis, DC, Florida, etc I decided to treat my butt a little nicer. I picked my Electraglide up in July 05 after having the Stage 2 Big Bore kit, stereo amplifier, and Bubb pipes installed. In case you ever consider Bubb's forget it, heat sheild fell off after three months, should have got the Rinehart slip-ons. I have ridden my Electraglide to Tennessee and rode the Dragon. I kept up with everything but the sportbikes, not bad for a dresser. My wife rode with me to Savannah with no problems. Her previous record was 10 miles on the Sportster. I am heading to DC this summer, Savannah again, and maybe Sturgis. My friends laugh at me for owning an "old man's bike" at age 36, but anyone of them would gladly trade bikes on a long ride, especially since their girlfriends/wives are riding with me if my wife isn't. I got the bike I'll need for the rest of my life. So much fun it should be illegal, and sometimes is.

Yep, buy a Harley. Nothing says "Look at me. I need attention and have no idea how to spend my money since I bought this $20,000.00 dinosaur and still can't get chicks". If you ride a Harley, take comfort in knowing the population with half of a brain or better is laughing at you.

Harleys are all about trying to project this tough, outlaw, biker image. Drop 20k at your local Harley dealership and you are in the brotherhood. I love the Harley pose by some of these bikers. You know, the chin up, no smile, I'm bad look. Weak!!! Bad news for you sheeple, many Harley parts are made in Japan. Hello???????

Rate it? Half of you jokers apparently have never ridden a Harley but cheap knock-off jap cruisers. How in the hell can you rate something you haven't ridden? Why does Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki bother to copy the design of Harely's if they're crap? Go to a dealer and ride and used one. The Harley's are crap argument doesn't hold water anymore. AMF doesn't own the company anymore and they don't overproduce the bike or rebrand cheap bikes under the Harley name. Your bias is based on out-dated information. Gay posers? Go to a biker rally and bring that up, not in the comfort of a review board. Why do riders of Jap Cruisers wear Bikerleathers also. Why do riders of cafe bikes wear Power Ranger outfits? Many of the people referred to as Gay Posers are Veterans of the Armed Forces. Where was you're butt when we served? Ever worked on a Jap bike? They're inexpensive because they are built cheap. Ever seen a 25 year old Honda still running on the street in the volumes Harleys are? No, you don't. They run great for three years after seven years you can't find parts for them. Jap bikes morph constantly trying to squeeze in the latest technology. Why are Harley's expensive? Demand (Simple economics) and the fact all the cheap plastic bodywork and fenders exist on Jap bikes, not Harley's. Do people dream of owning a Ford Escort over a BMW? Which would you buy? Apparently Escorts according to this board. Is there anything inherent wrong with the U.S. imposing import tariffs on Jap manufactures who flood the market to destroy an American company? Hell no. Why are Jap bikes less expensive? Built cheap and flooding the market produces no sales, demand isn't high enough. Jap bikes sit in the showroom for up to 3 years before they're bought, that's why huge rebates exist on them. Are the Jap manufacturers losing money? No, they still make a profit, because CHEAP is built into them. For you performance buffs. You're fast until the next bike comes out which blows it away. You're hero days are always numbered. Somebody will always have a faster bike than yours, just a matter of time. Outdated? I'd rather have technology that has stood the test of time rather than new fangled crap that a wrench can't work on. Go to rice dealer and look at all the abandoned bikes they have. Why? because many of the bikes are worth less than the cost of repair. That's right, less, usually within a year. Goldwings are also a knock-off of time-honored cruisers. They're good bikes, but Honda couldn't be taken seriously without producing a touring bike. Toyota makes luxury cars under the Lexus brand to penetrate the market. Drop 22K on a GW, sell it back to the dealer in 1 month. You'll lose 6k driving over the curb the day you bought it. Ask the dealer. The resale value is crap. Half the bike in a plastic shell, take that crap off and look at it. Is it a bike or a space shuttle? It hardly looks like a motorcycle. JAP bikes are like Bic Lighters everybody has one for awhile then tosses them. I'm sticking with a Zippo.

Ok, I'm a chick. My husband has always love Harleys and the mistique. At first, I said there's NO WAY we are spending thousands of dollars on a Harley (we are newlyweds and were saving up for our first home). We compromised on a Jap bike. The Jap bike ran great and we had a lot of really great rides. It was also inexpensive and had better technology than a Harley. My husband wouldn't stop his relentless quest for his Harley. After a year of saving, we bought our first house and he then got his Harley. I thought it was a waste of money because I read that Harleys weren't as good as Jap bikes as far as not breaking down, etc... The Harley is great! It hasn't broken down yet, but if rumour has it it will break down eventually. It's extremely comfortable. So maybe Jap bikes have better technology, cheaper plastic parts and ride longer without breaking down (and are cheaper). The one thing that Harley has that the Jap bikes don't (besides higher resale) is a following and a comraderie. What does this mean??? Harley riders are more satisfied (as tourers) because Harley is a club/organization/way of life. I can meet up with 50 complete strangers tomorrow in any county in my state and go on a great tour, together, as a pack! We all have a bond due to our common interest in Harleys. I can rent Harleys all over the world and tour. The Jap bikes don't have this...it's an empty ownership. When you buy a Harley, it's like you pay extra for a better overall experience. If you are a loner, one who never wants to ride with others, one who doesn't want the comraderie/socialization --then stick with the Jap bikes. If you want not only a motorcycle - but a way of life - an opportunity to socialize with others - then get a Harley. Both types of bikes serve their purposes. I don't denounce Jap bikes. I respect them for the purpose they serve. Harleys are great bikes - if you understand why...

Have had 5 Jap bikes, and 3 Harleys. I really enjoyed the Jap bikes. I tried a Harley and fell in love! I think the guys badmouthing the Harley's are just jealous. They feel left out, or like they ride a cheap imitation. Jap bikes are cheap, and have a lot of fake (plastic chrome) Harley is the real deal! Also the Harley handles great. I have a 2003 Ultra. Had a Gold Wing. The Ultra is way better than the Wing. Harley's Rule!!! Don't be jealous. It's o.k. to drool though. Just not on my paint. Jeff.

This is one badass bike. Nothing more. No, it isn't always a cry for attention. People get luzuries, get used to it.

Question: What's the difference between a Harley Davidson and a vacuum cleaner? Answer: You can only fit one dirtbag on a vacuum cleaner! Seriously, nothing says Look at me, I'm starved for attention! like the roar of a Harley. Guys who ride these things almost always have issues with their mothers, in addition to trying to compensate for being small in the pants.

Harleys hmm why in gods name would you want to pay 20+ thousand dollars for a motorcycle that first of all is notorious for having problems second has this huge engine and gets very crappy fuel mileage and very poor power now i could see if this huge engine put down big power why it would use alot of fuel but they dont harleys v twins are about as fuel effiecient as a 5 hp briggs and stratton and just about as powerful too now i will give credit when i think it is due harleys are very nice looking bikes and i like loud as well as the next guy but if you are gonna have the bark and no bite it is all pointless you harley guys are about as pityful as these new hondda civics with the fart cannon exaust yeah its loud but has no power this seems like dumb ass to me even the Vrod which is a high performance harley is has if i am not mistaken a 1340cc correct me if i am wrong and makes what 110hp well shoot fire any 750cc jap bike makes that with a much lighter better handling package i raced this queer on a harley one time on my old honda cb750 sohc which for its day was pretty fast and this freak on this sportster883 with all sorts of hop ups pulls next to me running his mouth you wanna race that japanese pile of crap i am talkin this 883 was built cams pipe ported polished ect so i broke him off a a little bit off the line we were pretty even by the top of second i had him by about a half a bike third i walked out to about 2 bikes and by 3rd i continued to pull ahead and by the time i let off in 4th he was about 5-7 bikes behind this is with a totally bone stock honda 750 single cam which is not really a fast bike but decent for its day and this was a few years ago and as far as cruisers go all the japanese companies offer a very nice cruiser ar half the cost of a harley and a much much better bike more power better handling better brakes and way more reliable than any harley ever thought of being so if you own a harley i am sorry to say you got screwed all you bought is a name with no quality no power and ancient technology that you will be fixing more than riding i can think of alot of things to spend 20 grand on and a stinkin harley isnt one of them i could buy 3 jap cruisers for that kind of money and have a much nicer bike that out performs a harley in every aspect and that old cb750 i had is still running great and has never been rebuilt the only thing that has ever been done to it is the carbs were gone through but that bike is 25 years old and has had the hell ran out of its whole life who here has a harley that old can say that about his bike ill bet you all i own not one of you can say your bike is that reliable i know better if you say otherwise facts are facts and japan builds a better product this is true with thier cars also you cant wear out a little nissan or toyota or honda they will keep going and going

Let me tell you Harley enthusiasts/posers what you really are, conformists. Conformity at it best. First off, Harley-Davidsons are about as American as the Macarena. They are assembled here, yes, from parts built in Japan and Taiwan. You fell for their marketing, and paid dearly for it. You are a victim, not the patriot you think that singular purchase made you. I keep hearing that because I don't like Harleys that I'm closed minded. Is that so? Harley enthusiasts are the ones always spouting how all imports arent real motorcycles, and I'm the closed minded one. At least I have enough common sense (which isnt so common it seems) to know that motorcycling is more than an emblem on the side of your gas tank. I bought the best bike my money could buy. I could have bought a Harley, but why. I can buy a better performing bike elsewhere for half as much and not have near the problems. I didn't buy my bike for status, to pick up chicks, nor because everyone I know has one. I bought it because I love to ride. Most Harley owners just love their bullsh*t image, and are willing to pay big bucks to get it. Yea, the CHP all ride Harleys, but do you know why? They used to ride Kawasaki 1000s, but when Harley-Davidson Motor Company almost went under (for the third time), California bailed them out by buying new bikes for all of their highway patrol. They have been bailed out three times until they finally started marketing to societys lowest common denominator, and if you own a Harley, thats you. People who own Harleys are either too stupid to know they have been duped, have more money than brains, or are some doctor/dentist/lawyer/accountant in a mid-life crisis. Hands down, H-D motorcycles are the worst production motorcycles in the world. They are 20 years behind everyone else in the engineering/technology arena. Take a ride on your Electra Glide and then hop on a Kawasaki Mean Streak or Honda Valkerie for a little comparo. If you still think that your overpriced, antiquated, cantankerous, rattle trap, piece of crap is still better (and not because its a Harley, were talking performance here, I know, I know, your not used to that), you are truly a lost soul, or a moron. And if I hear one more time about the status or mystique they bring the rider, I will pukeexactly what is the mystique of stupid? They suck, period.

For a long time I've pondored this Harley vs all attitude. First off, I fall into the group, "if its 2 wheels, ride it". But then I dont feel like I need to beat the Jones's. I read a comment in here something to the effect of "Lastin 100 years and dominating the market." Look up the reason that "Jap" bikes changed the cc ratings in the early 80's. Example: Virago from 750 to 700, 1100 to 1000. Harley was getting their ass kicked back then by the "Jap" manufacturers and the government put a tarriff on imports based on the cc rating. Dont get me wrong, I'm as pro-american as they come, but Harley didnt do it on their own. As far as owning one, maybe when they start selling a bike worth 17,000 insted of one worth 9,000 with 8,000 of attitude, but til then... I think not. BTW, Know where my VTX was built???? South Carolina.

Harleys suck! They are gay as hell. All that biker fasion crap is for queer posers. Nice chaps, Nancy! You look so sexy in leather. I can't wait to hang a dead cow carcas on my shoulders. Glossy, over-rated, over-priced, gas guzzling, loud pieces of sh* *t is what they are.

It's loud, it drips, and it breaks down a lot. It's slow and it uses cutting-edge technology from the 1950s. It's an American-made VW motorcycle. Just like VW has their undying fanbase, Harley does, too. If you don't understand the attraction, you never will. What a bike! For an old man's bike (ie not a Sporty), it's pretty friggin' cool.

Harley Davidson's SUCK. Over-priced oil leaking junkers owned by posers. No you are not cool because you won a Harley... all it show is that you paid twice as much for your motorcycle than you should have. They are unreliable, leak oil, and break down often. My honda VTX has almost twice the horsepower at half the cost and by the way it's made right here in America.

The bike is underpowered, noisy, heavy and FANTASTIC! What can you say? It's a Harley! Two years from now when a $20,000 Gold Wing is worth $13K, a Harley will be worth more than you paid for it. Hondas are just 2 wheeled cars. Harleys are a legend.

I recently stepped up to a 2003 Electra Glide Classic from my 1989 HD Sportster 1200. My Glide is a fantastic ride. I opted for the EFI this year. I picked it up on Oct 12 and have ridden about 1500 miles so far. This is the most comfortable bike I have ever ridden. Once summer comes, I will really be racking up the miles. The phrase "If I have to explain, you wouldn't understand" says it all. Anyone who doesn't like Harley's just cant understand it. Granted, they might not get the best gas milage, but I am averageing about 40 miles per gallon. This year, CD players come stock and it has a great sound system--40 watts per channel. HD is an American icon. To last 100 years and dominate a market, they must be doing something right.

I've got a 2000 Ultra. I'm 5-8 with a 30 in inseam and cruise around town all the time. I've been in 48 states in the last 10 yrs on an Electra-Glide. There is no other bike like it. If this bike is queer then there have been a bunch of lesbians lined up to ride mine.

I have been riding for over thirty years, mostly Harley Davidson, but in that time have owned a Norton, BSA, Triumph, and some assorted Japanese bikes. I realized early that motorcycling was at least two different worlds. It was never more evident when I took my H2 750 Kawasaki on a Harley run in the seventies. It was a lot faster and handled better than my old Sportster, however I still found that "around the watering hole" I was still in last place. I see a lot of "Harley look-a-likes" on the road now. Complete with "look-alike" bikers. I think most of them understand it is not the same; it's the ones that don't who give me a chuckle. Someone and I don't know who, said it best about Harley-Davidson, "If I had to explain it, you wouldn't understand." And you can malign the motorcycle and the lifestyle if you want, we don't really care, for we have never really promoted it anyway, just lived it, and loved it. And just remember, "If I had to explain it, you wouldn't understand." Because without being trite, I am sure this is as close as anyone who doesn’t understand, will come to understand. I now have over eighty thousand miles on my current Electra Glide, and my brother has over a hundred and thirty five thousand, and between us we probably have a million miles combined. And at least as many fond memories.

THE American touring bike.Comfort,rideability,and it doesn't REALLY handle like a battleship!(besides,chicks dig it)

I think Harleys are queer as hell. Why do people ride these bikes? They are loud and flashy and overall they're gay.

I hate Harley's because they are so loud and because they get such bad gas mileage because they are so heavy.

Classic hog from a classic American company.

The only real bikes around today are Harleys. The Electra Glide series is one of the best riding bikes around. To support this the police in almost every city in the US use this bike for their bike police. Also, small speed bikes are not real bikes at all.

Grossly over-rated. While it provides many creature comforts, it is a "bulky" ride, and terrible for in-city driving. (I know, its a touring bike...but even touring you have to stop in town once in a while!)

excellent touring bike...still has great resale and fun to drive.