Electric tractor...

In reply to stanger_missle:

That was exactly the treatment that I got when when shopping for a Buell back in the late nineties.

It should go without saying that I never bought one.

I very nearly bought a Bandit 1200 later that year, but spent the money on a wedding instead.

In all seriousness, I have a hard time seeing H-D successfully marketing an E-bike, even if its a great piece of machinery. This is something that Yamaha, Honda or BMW should be trying to sell.

In reply to HappyAndy:

Same treatment I got while just trying to figure out my helmet size......and to top it off, they only had Harley branded "Skull caps" that were made the same thickness as bump caps OSHA requires......berkeleying BRILLIANT

You got to love when an American company tries to come up with something to push forward into the future and everybody slams the crap out of them. Hey, I'm not really a Harley guy, I bought my bike because I love sportsters not because I wanted an HD. The only HD branded stuff I own is the shirt and hat they gave me when I bought the bike. Nothing else the company makes appeals to me. Well, except for maybe the vrod. I love America and American products. Especially American products with history. I'm glad to see them trying to figure out how to survive into the future.

You can keep your soulless Yamahondakawizuki, I'll keep my tractor and supplement it with something Italian or German.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: In reply to yamaha: You joke, but thats already been a thing.

I have a coworker that has two of these in pristine shape.

yamaha wrote: In reply to HappyAndy: Same treatment I got while just trying to figure out my helmet size......and to top it off, they only had Harley branded "Skull caps" that were made the same thickness as bump caps OSHA requires......berkeleying BRILLIANT

That's just a crappy dealership. My wife bought her helmet at a Harley dealer and it's a good quality unit with real crash protection. And she uses it to rider her Honda scooter. ;-)

Aren't most/all Harley helmets made by HJC? That ain't a slouch helmet maker!

In reply to nicksta43:

For the record, I rode a 1200 sporty last night and it was every bit as bad as remembered.

IDK if its the fact its heavy or the fact that their stock pegs/controls feel like they're for someone my size who had his legs amputated at the shins.....but that experience sucked.

In reply to dculberson:

The helmet selection seems to vary on if you're in a helmet law state. I've been in 9 different indiana HD dealers recently and only could find those "bump" skull caps.....

This is Ohio, no helmet required to ride here.

nicksta43 wrote: You can keep your soulless Yamahondakawizuki, I'll keep my tractor and supplement it with something Italian or German.

So you're saying you like wrenching more than riding. Got it. I'm the opposite. I'd rather ride than wrench. In 21 years my "soulless Yamahondakawizuki" has required a couple sets of tires, a few batteries a chain and oil changes. It's never failed to start. It's never left me stranded. It's always been exactly what it is: A dependable, easy on the wallet fun thing on 2 wheels.

Slam us "ricers" all you want with your nose in the air while riding your "'Murikan" made bike that cost 4 times what mine has over the last 16+ years. I'll still be smiling and havin' a good time on mine.

PA is a no helmet state as well, and the dealers I've been to there all carry DOT helmets. No knock-off skid lids in evidence that I recall ever seeing.

Are you stumbling over there being half helmets on display? A half helmet isn't inherently a toy. The ones Harley carries are fully DOT compliant.

I went to a Buell demo at a Harley dealer around 2008(?). I got there early and when the Harley dealer opened one of the guys was like "what are you people doing here?" Luckily the Buell truck showed up shortly after and the Buell guys took charge, but the dealer guys thought we were nuts.

Anyhow, at that time the Harley dealer actually had carbon-fibre HJC helmets, and at a pretty good price. Buell actually led to some pretty decent gear being sold at Harley dealers, IIRC they had fully armored Vanson jackets that said "Buell" being sold right next to the nylon windbreakers that said "Harley."

Boy did I want to like those Buells, but that is a topic for a different thread...

Do you guys do realize that the electric Harley's are all just ridable prototypes at this point? You couldn't buy one if you wanted.

In reply to foxtrapper:

IDK, they are evidently hidden really well in a back "Private" room that requires a secret knock to enter.

Only Kokomo's store had anything other than skull caps on display.

In reply to Bobzilla:

Mine costs $Texas to run, but supercar beating performance always comes at a price. Amusingly, this electric makes more power than the anemic 883's. I'd ride an electric, but that'd have to be a Denso/Mugen or a Motoczysz. The latter already has a 200+hp electric.

WI is also a helmet-free state, but the only helmets I've ever seen at the Harley dealerships around me (I can chuck a rock at six of them, being in the Milwaukee area) are ALL DOT, probably even Snell rated. In the Harley catalog, there are NO non-DOT helmets, either.

In reply to Bobzilla:

I don't like Japanese cars either. But I like Korean

I don't like sport bikes, I respect their performance but I just do not like to ride them. That said if I wanted a sport bike it would be Italian. I do want a touring bike and it will be a BMW.

My nose isn't in the air. I like all vintage bikes. I do love my Sportster and I haven't had one problem out of it yet.

With very few exceptions there is zero yamahondakawizukis that I have any desire to own. But if you do more power to you. And unlike you I don't think you're stupid for choosing the bike you chose.

nicksta43 wrote: And unlike you I don't think you're stupid for choosing the bike you chose.

Citation where I said that please? Otherwise, I will expect an apology for being a dick.

I'm sorry you're being a dick. It's evident in your attitude.

yamaha wrote: For the record, I rode a 1200 sporty last night and it was every bit as bad as remembered. IDK if its the fact its heavy or the fact that their stock pegs/controls feel like they're for someone my size who had his legs amputated at the shins.....but that experience sucked.

For the record, I rode a Yamaha Bolt, when it was introduced. While they tried to capture the styling of the Sportster, they certainly missed on how well a Sportster rides. The Bolt buzzes so bad, my teeth were numb after ten minutes.

nicksta43 wrote: I'm sorry I'm being a dick. It's evident in my attitude.

Agreed. Since you can provide no citation of me saying it, this must be your apology.

In reply to Bobzilla:

Why do you hate America?

In reply to nicksta43:

Because I would have rather seen Indian succeed than Harley.......at least then we could have had a thread on why the trademark bureau axed their "offensive brand name"

Disclaimer, yes I know the Indian nameplate still exists, but it isn't the same company.

Harley isnt the same company either is it?

Didn't the name and inventory get bought by the bowling company, and then they opened new factories and the quality was crap? AMF.

I have no dog in this fight, I just don't understand how people pay more or equal amounts of money for something that does not perform as well.

Rob R.

There is nobody making anything like sportster for the same money. The bolt looks decent if you don't look at the flange hanging out of the bottom of the tank but it didn't feel as good to me. And yes I rode one. I like the sporty better. The only other bike I really even considered was a Triumph Thruxton, not really a lot of bleeding edge technology in that old tractor either. Oh and the performance numbers are not that different either.

I would love to have seen Indian survive, and I would love to have an original Indian bike but those are way out of my price range. If Harley died and Indian survived I have a feeling the same people you're bitching about owning Harleys would be owning Indians and you would have the exact same attitude towards them.

On topic though I have no use for an electric bike at all. My normal ride is 150-200 miles, some days even longer because I just don't want to get off. I can't commute to work on my bike but if I could then I might have a use for an electric bike.

Umm, an Indian, complete, rough but rideable can be had for $20-40,000

What does HD charge for their bikes?

In reply to Trans_Maro:

Mine was 7900 out the door.

But it's a girls bike