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- - Today, I rode a Harley... (http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=118040)

Today, I rode a Harley...

I was outside working on the bike (in the street, in between the neighbours house & ours - as quite often happens) and the neighbour was working on his (Harley Sportster).

Eventually, the conversation turned to "I reckon the throttle response is off on this, it's a little too jerky for my liking." Shortly followed by "Do me a favour, take it our for a spin & tell me if you think I'm insane." So I geared up, and went for a run on the Harley.

#!?& me it was shockingly bad! Not the throttle, just the whole experience. I think I've learned a few things about Harley riders though today. So i suppose that's a plus (not talking ill of something before experiencing it etc).

The whole geometry of the bike felt completely wrong. Anything more than what felt like 10degrees lean & it looked like the engine bars were going to come home far less shiny than they started out. The gears are about 4 miles apart, and the lever is about 10miles ahead of the bike! Get it up to 70mph (officer) and you back off the throttle because you're scared of three things. Either you're going to find a corner & have to lean the thing over, your teeth are going to fall out because of the vibrations, or your hands will drop off for the same reason.

The clutch was heavy (supprisingly so for a smaller model like the Sportster), and the whole thing about the engine trying to trick you by pretending to stall every time you slow down - can someone explain that to me?

Once I got my head around the fact that you ride it in a rediculously high gear permenantly, and use gentle acelleration, the vibrations went and it actually felt a little bit comfortable.

I was going to head out to a road that's very straight, and very long (I was riding a Harley afterall) to test rolling on/off the throttle for him. But about half way out I figured "sod this, this aint a fun ride, I'm heading home."

Once I'd pulled up back where I'd left, the neighbour asked me what I thought. Simple answer. "I think you're f&!£ing insane! You swapped your V-Max for this pile of vibrating $&!£, what were you thinking?!?"

Suffice to say, I won't be buying a Harley on the basis of that ride - not until the men in white coats take my licence away anyhow! I may ride a girls bike, but it's definately better than his Harley!