[Shotimes] (OT) removal of air box for a new toy!

[Ron Porter]

It's one of those comparisons that we get into with cars.

For $150K, you can buy a Bentley Continental (decent performance, great
cruising ride), or a TT 911 (close cruising abilities, MUCH better
performance).

For cruising, I would rather do a BMW (as Zack suggested) or a full-dresser
Honda, which is probably the best long-distance bike out there.

For the riding that I have done, which is maybe 200-300 miles max at a time,
I want the performance.

As I have told people for 30 years (it was a typo with "3" in the earlier
post), the only certainties in life are death....taxes...and Ron Porter will
never own a Harley.

Other manufacturers have made much better cruising bikes than H, and even
the import Harley-clone twins are better for cruising than a Harley.

Harleys, like Corvettes, are a state of mind. They can't be compared to
anything else. You love 'em....or you don't.

Ron Porter

-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Garber [mailto:dgarber@servicelinklp.com] 
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 2:41 PM
To: Ron Porter; shotimes@autox.team.net
Subject: RE: [Shotimes] (OT) removal of air box for a new toy!

I know Ron. I made the 'stock' comment in reference to your comment
about showing you a Harley (assuming stock) that'll go mid-12's. Mine
will easily do that.

And sure, you can't beat the Jap bikes for performance-per-dollar. Hell,
the Hayabusa isn't even the best bike to get in that regard. The latest
GSX-R 1000 is the bike to get. 174hp stock and SUPER light! F1 race-car
performance for $11,999. The new Kaw's and the new Honda are also
wicked-fast and both are under 12k.

But try riding that bike for any length of time! And that's where your
comment comes in. No, Harley isn't ever (well, not likely anyway) going
to build that kind of bike and frankly, I wouldn't want one. A bike with
that much balls on the street - ya, get that will updated. It just
doesn't trip my trigger. And for any kind of distance, they are awful
comfort-wise. I like to spend the day on my bike. My Sporster is
comfortable enough to do that, and light/powerful enough to take most
squids to the cleaners anyhow. Anything more than that, I'm not all that
interested for what I give up.

Again, to each their own. Basically, I was just commenting (TIC) on your
post about Harley's being dogs.. Since I own one that is definitely not
a dog, thought I'd throw my hat in the ring..

It would be a new twist to the Lapeer fall/spring event to bring a
couple bikes though!


Dave Garber





-----Original Message-----
From: Ron Porter [mailto:ronporter@prodigy.net] 
Sent: Thursday, June 23, 2005 2:29 PM
To: Dave Garber; shotimes@autox.team.net
Subject: RE: [Shotimes] (OT) removal of air box for a new toy!

Dave, we were talking "your" Harley against "my" Yamaha.

If we want to talk "new", let's talk the $22K V-Rod that does 11s
against an $11K Suzuki Hayabusa that does high 9s (both with good
riders).

No offense, dude, but I've had this argument for the last 3 years from
back in the days when I had my 500cc Kaw triple.

Harleys ain't about pure performance. Never had been....never will be.

It's like folks who like the MB 500 roadster against a 911 twin-turbo
roadster or a Ferrari 430 Spider.

Ron Porter