LOL!!!this is sum funny chit right cheer;)...I always hang back some...so they don't start feeling intimidated.Once the line begins to progressively catch on there's a sportbike back there(a big one)...they normally will start spacing more...I then just glide on up past...find a opening...slide in and continue cruising with em...that's when they REALLY start waving me around...easing to the right usually.Funny as hell.I like to mess with em though.When they start waving me out...I just stay where I am....waving back like.."Hey there,how's it goin"...they hate that shit;)Had em actually PULL OFF and wait for me to roll by....now THAT's respect!Love my Ninja;)

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 1/14/2015 @ 6:50 PM *

LOL Wow!

I'm willing to ride just about anything

... but own it ... naw, that's another deal

Funny how we see things. I love my VTX 1800, and the M109 might be the only Suzuki I would ever own. Its a lot like the X... a really good cruiser if ever there was one. I try to ride both of my bike equally, and for different reasons. I have to say my favorite thing tho is to ride them both a lot in the same day. The difference is STAGGERING getting right off of one onto the other. However I must say going from the X to the 14... not a good thing. Especially if you don't re-calibrate your shit before you grab a handful.

With that said, back on topic. I have ridden 2 Harleys and really don't care if I ever ride another. I love the way they sound and look but it stops right there.

A funny story though, my friend used to ride R1's and rode them like a F$%KING idiot, 80mph wheelies past cops and such... but I digress. He bought a nice heritage softail, and we swapped bikes one day. (this was the 2nd Hardly Ableson I was on) we went up the road and as expected he disappeared on the blue blur that was my bike. We met back up at my house (where I caught up to him), and he said, Ok, thats too f$%king fast, I gotta go.

I don't know why but thinking about that day always cracks me up. I love my friend, but he wanted the new life attitude that is supposed to go with a harley... I am pretty sure he has the underwear.

I love all bikes too. If my wallet permitted I would have a cruiser (m109) a dual sport (ktm) and a naked (Ducati) and perhaps a harley night rod. That be my list. Of course I'd keep the 12 and the 14r.

Me, 2007 Kawasaki ZX-14 and 2014 BMW S1000RR HP4...

* Last updated by: yannih on 1/16/2015 @ 2:59 AM *

When I had my '06 ZX14 I bought my Wife her first real streetbike. A Vulcan 800. It already had the loud pipes, and seemed like a cool ride. I decided to trade my 14 in on a Vulcan 2000. I figured with an engine that big, the tire should chirp every time a cylinder hits. Boy was I wrong. I dragged the floorboards leaving the dealers lot. I bought it on a Saturday and went back to get my 14 the first thing Tuesday when the opened back up. That was a $600 mistake. Never again.
In my humble opinion, cruisers suck.

LOL Jimmy,
I bought my X new at the end of 2001, traded my CBR929rr in on it. I had the same experience. I was planting my pegs in every corner. Over the winter I found a kit and moved them 1.5" up and 2.5" out. I've only ever caught them once since.

That Vulcan was a pig man... you really got soured by the cruiser you bought, there are strong cruisers out there. Sort like all assholes are people but not all people are assholes hahaha.

For a 730lb bike that damn thing will lay down in corners like you wouldn't believe. Again I know its not a sport bike. The funny thing is on the vtxoa site they used to shout me down for riding it so aggressively. My response was always "I wouldn't ride it like that if it wouldn't do it" ... come to think of, I have the same problem with the 14 LOL.

Harley's and their appeal to women (sometimes hot women) are a testament to the fairer sex's lack of emotional stability. lol

What women find appealing about a beer gut, long dirty hair, dew rag, a scruffy beard and an overall lack of personal hygiene is one of life's great mysteries.

As we all know, The "dirty bad boy" has some intangible hold on women. Lol (at least "some" women )

I've seen hotter, youngish women hanging all over some of the nastiest looking bikers you can imagine.

* Last updated by: ZX14MAN64 on 1/16/2015 @ 9:14 AM *

I love this topic. Off subject slightly but I wanted to get ahead of GRN decision and think it all through prior to my "sportbike" purchase at age 44-45. I personally do not like Harleys, the price and the stigma attached to them. I did all kind of research on all types of bikes. I am a big guy at 6'2" so I needed a big bike. Harleys are not big just heavy slow and bulky. I knew who I was in my heart and what my passion was. Sportbikes. Even with cars I do not like luxury cars, it has to have speed handling and engineered for both. The 2012+ ZX14r was a no brainer. In addition the ABS and engineering no Harley can compare. Forget the speed aspect it is also just a beautiful comfortable bike. In the back of my mind I have the Indian cruiser (a beautiful bike) or a more affordable choice is the Kawasaki Vaquero 1700 ABS for a cruiser to go on a nice ride with the wife. That will come later someday but will never be first in my heart (aside from wanting to cruise with my wife) because the sportbike type of motorcycle is who I am as a rider. Harley cruiser types don't see themselves on a sportbike. My brother has a Harley and he finds my sportbike laughable, which I expect, because he does not know any better and is stuck on Harleys.

Let the brother ride your 14R and see if he still laughs at it

Hey Polished, take your wife out on the 14 before you decide to get a cruiser. I'm lucky that my wife loves sport bikes and loves to go fast and is a spectacular passenger, but we once borrowed the shop Triumph Rocket to take a ride to Yosemite. Well, we both HATED it. The engine was stellar,the chassis handled well, the brakes were really good, but the riding position nearly killed us. We had to stop every hour to stretch our backs and legs. On our trip to Crater Lake on the ZX two years ago we'd routinely ride 5-7 hours at a time, only stopping for meals and pictures.We use a stock Connie seat and find it real nice.

Mad

Harleys ain't so bad, especially if they're well maintained, but sport bikes they are not. I demoed a 2015 Softail Breakout at the Long Beach MC show in December and it was cool as fuck. Made the right noises, had the right stance, pulled decently for a big twin. Couldn't corner worth a shit, but that's not what it's for. I demoed a Star Raider a couple years ago, and it is basically a Japanese version of the Breakout... meaning it did everything the Harley did, but better and cheaper. It could actually corner pretty well, considering it had a 240 fattie under the rear fender. But a Star/Yamaha doesn't get you in with the Orange and Black crowd.

Fascinating to observe how the genesis towards the 'other' begins and morphs into a self perpetuating, self replicating meme of self fulfillment. Bikes, cars, nations, races et al... all are on the table in the never ending quest for superiority...

Harley's for example, are fine at what they do and are intended for. Not my usual cup of tea, but I have an 04' Sportster 1200 that has been lightly modified and is quite quick and nimble and faster than most Harley's in the area. The forward seating position is perfect for easy rides less than 100 miles or so and is the bike I ride around town more often than not. Does a 10.8 1/4 mile and tops out around 160. More than fast enough for me. After more than 100 miles it isn't that much fun. Went I went to the Harley I complained about the turn signal switch on each handlebar with the self cancelling feature. Now I wish all my bikes had the same setup... I met Vance Breeze one night long ago while on my built FJ1200 and him on a built big Harley... humbled me quick.

It is fascinating to observe Harley owners, especially those who own Sportsters, spend so much time, money and energy on making them faster, lighter and more like a superbike. I tweaked mine around some to run more efficient, better and lighter and called it a day. Then again, there is no shortage of ZX owners who take home a 200 HP machine and then spend thousands on making it even faster and lighter. Where the Sporster riders go wrong, IMHO, is trying to make the Sporty into something it isn't, and then spending more money than it would cost to get a much better ZX, R1, or what have you. I see it take place every day. But that is just me imposing my values on others. If it makes them happy, if it makes the ZX owner happy to spend another %4000.00 on their bike, cool...

More often than not, the best bike to ride is the one you're on. Be it the XR100 with street tires on a dirt track, the trials bike in the boonies, the motocross bike on the jumps, the 750 GSXR on the track, the Sportster around town or up to Big Sur, or the 07 ZX, 15' ZXR, or the 15' Panigale on the road. Different strokes for different folks, none better than the other...

Disconcerting to observe the metamorphosis of hate in action... then again, sadly, nothing new on this site...

OH S#@$!KNUT...it's YOU;)Hey...how's it goin?Yeah...guess some things never change,eh?My take...?Hey...Harley's are fine.I've had a few...nice ones...no Sportsters though.Rode one about 25 miles once for someone else...new...a girl.I can definitely see the appeal for a lady...for sure.I'll just say...at a stop light(or anywhere along that ride)if I was intending to try and see behind me in the mirrors..head check only please;)Honestly thought something was like WAY wrong with it...shook so bad.Nope...it was just what it is.

"Disconcerting to observe the metamorphosis of hate in action.."...no hate here..or in any posts about this I can see.Making light of somethin isn't necessarily hate...

Bunch of guys here have Harleys.Or crusiers.It don't matter.The bike you ride 9(and 3/4's) times outta 10 is the bike you like.No matter how ya slice it.That's my take.

In the words of the venerable Nasty. "Eat a DICK," Knut!

Yes, no hate towards any bike or any bikers. Just some good natured ribbing. If you enjoy what you do and don't hurt anyone, more power to you.

Was at a dealer today buying gloves and sat on a Triumph Roadster 3. 2300 cc and about 145 hp but 165 ft lbs of torque. 800 plus pounds.

Massive and impressive in every way. And we view our 1441 and big and beefy!

* Last updated by: ZX14MAN64 on 1/17/2015 @ 8:14 PM *

Nice to see a judgmental asshat step in and speak his peace. Obviously broadcasting from a much higher morale pedestal than us heathens. Good show.

Knut says.."self replicating meme of self fulfillment. Bikes, cars, nations, races et al... all are on the table in the never ending quest for superiority..."...hmmmm...yeah...I guess..why,look at those IS guys...doing a fantastic job of helping their fellow Muslims....yup.Who's that group over there in Africa?You know...those great guys stealing all the starving people's food..gunning down those 'infidels'.Raping the girls and selling the kids into the sex trade...all in the name of their precious ALLAH.No superiority thoughts with them.They KNOW they're superior.You know...God's sword on this earth kinda thing.

I wonder...ya think maybe 'some' of these guys here that 'race' or whatever are simply doing it cause they get a kick outta just pushing everything about it to the limit...their OWN limit?No agenda...no ulterior motive.

Knut...how do YOU feel personally when ya open yer bike all the way...runnin down that straight.Watchin that needle peg?Holding it there..'superior'?

Really...how DO you feel?'better than'?'smug'?...'elite'?

Maybe none?Maybe all?Maybe you're just as human as the rest of us then.

Believe me...there's LOTS of people giving their lives(dying or LIVING) for others...every second of every day.The world isn't only Takers.Or self seekers.If you really think that..you need to go and GIVE of yourself.See how that feels....???

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 1/17/2015 @ 10:39 PM *

much higher moral pedestal than us heathens

There's a pedestal for us heathens too. Take this as a compliment but Mavi's definitely on mine!

Sincerely Heathen w (hahahhahahahaha) luv it!

We are and will always be on a quest. We all make sense of our lives by the goals we set, and milestones we set to achieve. This is our reason for being. For some on this site it's about speed, the motorcycle as escape and\or extension of themselves. I see no harm in that, nor harm in building a machine for superiority. Competition also builds excellence and innovative refinement. Take a look at C's flash for example, born from the pursuit of superiority! The things you judge here, I am certain are done so to pick a fight or solicite a reaction from us. These flared responses fuel your thesis, one that looks to judge us as aggressive, hedonistic beings. So in playing to your trap, and with respect, please continue to eat a dick.
Lovingly yours
Wolfman

* Last updated by: Wolfman on 1/18/2015 @ 10:34 AM *

Perhaps our "bias" comes out, from the love of motorcycles, some of us want the best we can
get, the most power, torque, handling etc ...

And after riding say a harley, we just don't understand why some people think they are the "best"
or what ever word they want to use, furthermore, most of us have ridden harleys,
a lot the harley guys, that put our bikes down, have never ridden a sport bike ..

Add to the mix, that a lot of sport bike guys wave to the harley riders, and the harley riders
don't wave back, and in some cases, flip off the sport bike rider, so its all relative ..

Ive met some really cool harley guys, and have ridden with them in malibu canyons etc ...
but they seem to be in a relative minority, to some extent ...

On the same token, I have met some real asshat sport bike riders, but again they seem to be in the minority ..

Yup...depends what yer in it for...I think the real enthusiast sees riding as a pure sport...free from the trappings of model and whatnot.Like you said Cara...MOST Harley guys have never ridden a zx14...I could see most not wanting to ride a 1000 or something...but getting with it on a 14?...I think most would be nicely surprised at the bike...though they may not say so.There is also a certain amount of animosity that comes from "harley" riders....they still have the mindset of..."F-n Japs"....stuff like that.You add in some of the younger pups wheelying all over...freeways...things like that...fuels their dislike of sportbikes.

I wave to em...they've no idea I'm 61...not a spring chicken....it IS funny when sometimes I pull into a gas station...take off my lid.And there may be some Harleys fueling up.I get some interesting looks...and sometimes...they come over and start asking questions.Cool to be outfront and straight with em about the differences in bikes.Course...here...it's MOSTLY Harleys around.I never feel any bad vibes from any of em.They're cool.Most of em on the road wave back....but usually not until I've waved first.IMAGE...that's what gravitate to...image.Sa'll good...I get it.

I have a slight advantage...I've ridden BOTH models over the years.Both good for what they are...except NOTHING can compare with the mighty 14....nuthin;)

I feel GOOD whenever I'm ridin mine.It's a great bike...well worthy of praise.

..."bucking the system" can take many forms;)

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 1/18/2015 @ 11:25 AM *

Is there such a thing as an online 'drive by'?I think Knut did one....

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 1/18/2015 @ 12:24 PM *