Torque and Chrome

Is it me or does Harley Davidson really seem antiquated these days?

Now that I got rid of my 04 Dyna and got my new 08 Goldwing, it seems that just about every Harley I see is old/antiquated looking. I know its a personal preference and I wouldnt bash it but they seem so old and out of date. I went to a hot dog place for lunch and someone rode in on a brand new fat boy with so much chrome it beamed like the sun and it had a custom paintjob and matching helmet. I thought to myself "wow, it looks so out of date and all that chrome is such a waste of money". Im not bashing Harley owners but dont thier motorcycles seem old/antiquated/out-of-date with other motorcycles? @ r doug w..... First of all, Hondas are known for reliability, so you wouldn have to fix it. Second, newer Harleys are also fairly complex and it would take somone who knows what they are doing to fix them. @bikinkawboy.... I appreciate your intelligent post. First of all, you could pretty much say that most motorcycles look pretty similar, not just GWs. My original rant was about how outdated/antiquated HDs look. GWs maybe common but they do not look old or antiquated. Appearance is always subjective but then you need to refer to my original post. As far as your comparison to the cars you mentioned, they are pieces of junk (subjective) by most of the reviews I have read and read. Ford is doing better but Chrystler has always been crap. Most modern day cruisers look like Harleys because Harley has a niche in the market. It would be pretty obvious that Harley has its name and many people buy BECAUSE of its name, so it smart marketing for other manufacturers to copy its designs.. (Ran out of room).... A personal beef I have with HD is the fact that their bikes are dogshit slow. Most other manufacturers put in signifcantly larger engines but MANY HD owners buy a new HD and plan on increasing performance, as I did when I bought mine. Goldwings are being redesigned and will be released in one or two years. I can pretty much guarantee th just about every other manufacturer will be playing catch-up to the new technology they build into their bikes. You can take that to the bank!

Public Comments

1. Old does not mean it's bad...
2. it's a life style, some like the bling and the style of the bike for others they've been harleyized no other bike exists , but for comfort a wing was the best choice you won't regret it.
3. It's all just a matter of personal preference. Most of the imports are more advanced than HD. I like my old HD, it only has about five wires on the whole bike. Give it fuel and a spark, that's all it needs.
4. I bet you can't fix you're 'wing' with a hammer and an adjustable wrench, you can with a harley,
5. Ok Paul, so your proud of your new bike and that's understandable but using subterfuge to crow about it is lame. And you know what? When I see GWs, I think, "Man, talk about cookie cutter bikes. They're all clones." I could always say, "Is it me or are there are plenty of people with an antiquated view of Harleys?" If you and the other critics knew anything about mechanics and electrical systems, you'd know that Harleys are anything but antiquated. The Chrysler PT Cruiser and the new Ford Thunderbird and Mustang cosmetically look like 45-55 year old cars. Mechanically they are as modern as any of the other cars those manufacturers make, so do you consider them antiquated? And incidentally, why is a HD considered antiquated but the Yamaha Star bikes aren't? From a mechanical, design and visual standpoint, they have more in common with a Harley than they do with other Japanese cruisers. In case you haven't been doing your homework, that's the whole idea, to look like a Harley.
6. One point for harley, they did adopt fuel injection. They also built the V ROD, so they could do modern if their buyers would accept them.
7. It's you. What's old and antiquated is Harley bashing. Get over yourself and your mobile home, I mean GW.