Venture /HD

[newventure]

Well last friday I hauled my friends road king over to an independant dealer for him to trade his bike in on a springer. He had some shoulder problems and the king was to heavy of a bike so he traded. While he was doing the deal I looked over the used inventory and I hate to admit it but harley does make a nice bike. Just looked at the paint, chrome, and the bikes overall, and I must say alot better quality vs. the metric bikes. This morning I was cleaning up the venture for a possible ride today once the temps. got a little warmer and I was somewhat disappointed at the venture. Don't get me wrong, I like the venture, for power, reliabilty, and looks, still don't like the top heavy feeling when turning when riding two up. I can tell you if the economy was better and I had the coins, I would consider moving the venture, but I'm afraid my wife would have some issues with that to say the least, as she claims that's her bike. When we got home and unloaded the his bike I was offered a ride on the Harley, and I did like the sound and it handled nice and was manageable. Granted it was a springer, but I have ridden and ultra about two years ago and got the same positive experience, but with the price difference between the venture and a Harley that was the deciding factor. I can see why harley has a cult like following where as the metric rider's don't seem to have this. I mean on Sunday's around here the HD's dealers are open and appear to do a fair amount of buisiness, where as the metric dealer's are closed, so this metric guy ends up riding with the harley guys and eventualy end up at the HD dealers looking at all that eye candy,works on me at times. Sometimes I feel like Rodney Dangerfield, I get no respect! because I don't ride a HD, anyone else get the sme feeling at times?

[beyeker]

I think you have been brain washed by aliens.

[bluerstd08]

I understand the dilema. When my father-in-law takes his Ultra Classic out and starts doing his bragging about his Harley, I look him and anyone else who does this and I ask how long have they had it and how much do they ride. Hes had his HD for a year and put less than 1000 miles and I've had my RSTD for 10 months and just turned 15000 miles. Mine may not be a Harley and be obscenely loud but I ride it and never have a fear about overheating or burning my leg at a light or people rolling there windows up when I pull up. Your Venture will easily go upwards of 100,000 mile where as most harleys have been rebuilt at least once by then. They are pretty but the reliablity of the V4 is surpassed only by the GW in my opinion. Be proud of what you ride....

[Yammer Dan]

I understand the dilema. When my father-in-law takes his Ultra Classic out and starts doing his bragging about his Harley, I look him and anyone else who does this and I ask how long have they had it and how much do they ride. Hes had his HD for a year and put less than 1000 miles and I've had my RSTD for 10 months and just turned 15000 miles. Mine may not be a Harley and be obscenely loud but I ride it and never have a fear about overheating or burning my leg at a light or people rolling there windows up when I pull up. Your Venture will easily go upwards of 100,000 mile where as most harleys have been rebuilt at least once by then. They are pretty but the reliablity of the V4 is surpassed only by the GW in my opinion. Be proud of what you ride....

 

 

Yeah all that.!!And ask the Hardley if he wants you to wait on him at the next light....

[YamaDuck]

Nope not at all. HD builds a beautiful bike no doubt about it. But when I ride with my friends who are financing there HD and I paid cash for my venture and when we stop at a traffic light and they have to take there hands off the handlebars because their arms are shaking so bad they are starting to itch and when I have to cancel a ride because the HD friends bike is in the shop I am just thankful for my Venture's and my Road Star (oh and by the way I have two Ventures and a Road Star I bought new and I have less money in them than one new Ultra Classic). Yes HD have some features I would like on the Yamaha's but when you compare the total package the Venture is miles ahead IMHO. Yes my HD friends try to get me to buy a HD. When I only had the Road Star they tried to get me to by a HD. When I moved up to a touring bike I looked at HD again and again against my friends advise I bought a Venture and yes when I bought my third bike my friends just new I had finally bought a HD. But no another Venture. Of course I've always made my own choices and peer pressure has never worked on me.

[newventure]

I agree on all points mentioned, as far as being brainwashed, could be I don't know. As mentioned on my initial post, there is a cult type thing or following that if you ride anything other than a HD you don't exist. I like the venture alot and like being different instead of being in the norm, but there is alot of HD's out there and most of the guy's / gals we ride with are HD rider's. I will admit that when I ride by a group of hd's guy's sitting along the road and one or more of them is working on a bike I just kind of chuckle to myself. I don't want this to turn into a metric vs. hd battle, but just my observations. I generaly like all bikes and my opinion riding is a sport. I have the venture, a kawi 1500 classic and the other half has a honda shadow aero, so we have a variety of bike's in the garage, and we do ride alot whe time and weather permits. Again these are my observations that I've seen over the years.

[CMIKE]

so this metric guy ends up riding with the harley guys and eventualy end up at the HD dealers looking at all that eye candy,works on me at times. Sometimes I feel like Rodney Dangerfield, I get no respect! because I don't ride a HD, anyone else get the sme feeling at times?[/quote

 

Yep that is exactly what happens to me...All my buddies own the other brand...and it twist me off sometimes...I had an encounter where a dealership told me to go park on the other side of the lot. Long story...not worth talking about. Even when me and my buddies who ride other brand bikes go off on trips...folks walk around me to talk to him and never acknowledge I am there.

I really do not understand it...when we are together we cannot pass the other brands dealership with out stopping. I can drive by a dozen Yamaha dealers without slowing down...no problem.

Yamaha has some other bikes that handle better than the RSV and ride good...but like the other brand...not as comfortable as the Venture.

 

I agree they have some really nice bikes...but I will not pay retail plus for the high cost of maintenance and accessories. On top of that having to deal with the A__hole dealers across 2 states, where I tried to buy one before I woke up and purchased the venture. The attitude even the dealers have amazes me. Seems everyone that comes into the parking lot is a potential customer.

 

I never been one to follow the crowd anyway.

 

Notice I did not say a word about the brand...so you cannot accuse me of bashing anyone.

[newventure]

so this metric guy ends up riding with the harley guys and eventualy end up at the HD dealers looking at all that eye candy,works on me at times. Sometimes I feel like Rodney Dangerfield, I get no respect! because I don't ride a HD, anyone else get the sme feeling at times?[/quote

 

Yep that is exactly what happens to me...All my buddies own the other brand...and it twist me off sometimes...I had an encounter where a dealership told me to go park on the other side of the lot. Long story...not worth talking about. Even when me and my buddies who ride other brand bikes go off on trips...folks walk around me to talk to him and never acknowledge I am there.

I really do not understand it...when we are together we cannot pass the other brands dealership with out stopping. I can drive by a dozen Yamaha dealers without slowing down...no problem.

Yamaha has some other bikes that handle better than the RSV and ride good...but like the other brand...not as comfortable as the Venture.

 

I agree they have some really nice bikes...but I will not pay retail plus for the high cost of maintenance and accessories. On top of that having to deal with the A__hole dealers across 2 states, where I tried to buy one before I woke up and purchased the venture. The attitude even the dealers have amazes me. Seems everyone that comes into the parking lot is a potential customer.

 

I never been one to follow the crowd anyway.

 

Notice I did not say a word about the brand...so you cannot accuse me of bashing anyone.

Yep ,last year all of us went to a local HD dealer for a benefit ride and there were alot of bikes there, different brands, so we find a place to park next to the building and as my wife and I are backing our bikes up to the building one of the staff comes over and says, hey you can't park there in front of the loading dock/door, so we go back to the back of the lot. We were there about an hour or so and register and look around, and when the ride is getting to leave we walk by where we were going to park earlier and there sets a bunch of harley's. I was very tempted to go over the that staff memebr and say something and my wife sort of stopped that because I would have let him know what I realy thought, but later I cooled down and enjoyed the ride. But it's tough sometimes, it's like your a second class citizen if you ride something else. I agree, they are nice bikes and do have that good v twin sound.

[BOO]

Hey, that cult you are talking about is a bunch of old guys sitting around talking bikes and eating free hot dogs while you are out riding and having a good time. But mostly a sales gimmick.

By the way my son has a 5 year old Honda with 3,000 miles on it so not riding is not only HD.

In my personal opinion there are 4 kind of bikers, those that ride, those that talk about riding, those that ride from bar to bar and those that clean and shine. You can easily add others but that's what I see. Very rarely do people fit into more than one category.

BOO

[Guest seuadr]

it's not the bike, it's the rider. i know a ton of nice harley guys, and i know a ton of idiot "i'm better than you because i spent money" riders. it comes down to... do you want other people to look at you, or are you secure enough with yourself to just enjoy the ride? myself, i'm fine with people looking down their nose to me, because i don't have a payment, i don't have any maintenence i can't do myself, and i can fully expect to get 100,000 trouble free miles out of my bike for less than the cost of a full set of harley riding gear.

[Renne]

What's with all the justification? Come'on all...It's 2 wheels on the ground with a motor in your crotch! If you look at what we've owned (check the threads) you'll see that the "REAL" riders have had them all....if ya get caught up in the "whoa is me HD" you'll be as narrow minded as the Corvette/Porsche boneheads and I've been there too!

 

We have a "GOOD" ride, good looking, reliable, reasonably priced and to top it off,,,,,"GOOD FELLOWSHIP"!.....Don't digress to H.D. mentality flock stupid...

 

Renne.........I've owned and ridden em' all.....I like my RSV!

[kyle]

well, if your like us and ride two up 90% of the time the venture is tops, watch the ultras go by with the gal all smooshed up against the driver, not very cool... every ride we go on our bike draws its fair amount of attention plus we dare to be a little different... as far as the hd attitude, little weewees will do that....lol

[buddy]

Yes HD makes some nice bikes and we rode an Ultra once and yes it had a smooth ride but that was on the HWY. In town at stop lights, looked Like I was having a fit. the handle bars were shaking so much, Which made my hands and arms hurt.

When I was looking for a cruiser ,I checked a lot of them out and a few I really liked, but in the end I came back to the Royal Star Tour Deluxe due to the XVZ1300 motor, With this motor I know after the first 100,000 miles this motor will be ready for another 100,000 miles. They don't call it the bullet proof motor for nothing!! And I get a smooth ride too......

Buddy of mine has the Ultra & Road King and has been through both motors

(top end) with less than 80,000 miles.

I like HD but I prefer the Yamaha motor! Does not mean I wont own a HD some day,I just prefer the XVZ1300 motor over the HD motor right now.

Sorry if this bothers some folks....

[MoRiverRat]

Yep ,last year all of us went to a local HD dealer for a benefit ride and there were alot of bikes there, different brands, so we find a place to park next to the building and as my wife and I are backing our bikes up to the building one of the staff comes over and says, hey you can't park there in front of the loading dock/door, so we go back to the back of the lot. We were there about an hour or so and register and look around, and when the ride is getting to leave we walk by where we were going to park earlier and there sets a bunch of harley's. I was very tempted to go over the that staff memebr and say something and my wife sort of stopped that because I would have let him know what I realy thought, but later I cooled down and enjoyed the ride. But it's tough sometimes, it's like your a second class citizen if you ride something else. I agree, they are nice bikes and do have that good v twin sound.

 

Interesting - I have never been run off the parking lot. On my many travels with my buddy with an Ultra Classic, I have visited a lot Harley Dealers. They all have been nice to me. I did have one guy at a shop where my buddy's bike was being repaired ask me what I was riding and I said a Yamaha. He said he was sorry. I replied "I'm not, I'm not at a Yamaha dealer having my bike repaired". He left me alone after that. My buddy had to rebuild his motor before 75k miles.

 

If you find yourself in a Harley dealership, I challenge you to find something(other than a motorcycle) made in the USA.

[Gamecock]

Don't get me wrong, I love the look of a HD and I have ridden several. My dad has a 2002 Electra Classic and the father in law has a 2003 Ultra Classic....for a long haul I'll take my Venture any day of the week, and they won't admit it but they would too. My bike just has so much more power than theres not to mention just more comfortable to sit on.

 

I'll have a Harley one day, but it won't be for long trips, I'll keep my RSV for that. I'd like to have a Street Glide just to ride around the house and for days under 300 miles.

 

 

Ben

[YamaDuck]

There is one thing a HD has and I wish my Venture had... A better sounding stereo system! I don't even mind the 4 carbs. You don't want to run a bike out of gas that has fuel injection. I live at about 990' above sea level and last Aug. I rode to the top of Mt. Evans, Co. My GPS read 14,177' above sea level and was not adjusted for the altitude and ran just fine all the way to the top. A fuel injected BMW 1200 was at the top and complaining that his BMW was cutting out. I guess his computer could not adjust for the thin air. I love the looks of most of the HD's. For some reason every time I look at a HD I buy something else.

[CaptainJoe]

The dealerships that do that are the exception rather than the rule. Just proves there are stupid people wherever you go. The majority of dealers know they can't treat people like that, cause they will never be able to sell you a Harley if they did.

Next time take their name and location and report them to central office, adding you will never buy a Harley and see what happens.

Two of the guys I ride with are Harley owners. I Rode over 4000 mi with them last year and yes, it did seem that they couldn't resist the urge to stop at every Harley shop. I guess its a cult thing. I was riding a 2005 650 Vstar. Never once was I ask to move my bike. The entire group of us would have left if I had.

I won't own a Harley till they make one watercooled and quieter.

Ray, one of the Harley owners likes his Kawasaki better than his Ultra Classic. Probably due to the fact his Harley started leaking oil before his 10,000 check up. It was a common problem on the 6 speeds, and he was not a happy camper.

Don't know if this true or not but A Harley Dealer told us the highest cost maintence bikes were Bmw then Harley. I like my Yamahas and Suzukis and Hondas. The only attention they need are oil, grease and gas.

[Squidley]

Get what your heart wants Ron, as always, the grass isn't always greener. I have an older shovelhead and I have been able to ride it around a bit. I will say that yes the newer Harleys are better than the old, but still shake badly.

My Harley was a gift, and for that reason I will never get rid of it. I have sat on many bikes and rode an awful lot of them. The RSV is the most comfortable bike that I have ridden on. I like the thought of having the best of 2 world for my soul, the RSV when I want to ride without concern and the H/D when I tink that my grandfathers had theirs, make me feel closer to them even though they have long sinced passed on. Go with your heart, if your not into 3, 4, 500 mile day trips perhaps the H/D is a better fit. Life is too short to not follow your heart when it comes to a toy like a bike.

[BEER30]

"BE WHO YOU BE , NOT A WANNABE "!

 

 

BEER30

[hig4s]

HDs do have sweet paint, and no fake plastic chrome,, I like that, but the Venture has a relatively modern liquid cooled engine, with decent power and a longer wheelbase with more comfort (for my wife and I) than any HD,, I like that. It also was cheaper, but then resale value is not as good.

 

One of the guys at work has an 09 Road King he got just over a year ago when the 09s first came out. Very nice bike but it has been in the shop 6 times in the last year.. My 07 Venture has been in the shop 0 times since I bought in the begining of 08.

 

But his problems have been with the new throttle by wire and the computer and if he resets the computer it will work again until he shuts the bike off, so it is not like he hasn't been able to ride it. He has put 23k miles on it already.

 

Bottom line, if you like it and can afford it, there is nothing wrong with buying an HD,,

[Reed]

 

Interesting - I have never been run off the parking lot. On my many travels with my buddy with an Ultra Classic, I have visited a lot Harley Dealers. They all have been nice to me. I did have one guy at a shop where my buddy's bike was being repaired ask me what I was riding and I said a Yamaha. He said he was sorry. I replied "I'm not, I'm not at a Yamaha dealer having my bike repaired". He left me alone after that. My buddy had to rebuild his motor before 75k miles.

 

If you find yourself in a Harley dealership, I challenge you to find something(other than a motorcycle) made in the USA.

This my be true, But HD Has some Foreign parts in them to! For a example, The computers on the fuel system are made in japan!!! HD is not 100% made in the U.S.A.

[Marcarl]

In answer to being open on Sundays?????? maybe it's that the metric dealers don't need to be open because everybody's out riding and wouldn't come in anyways, I mean if you enjoy the riding, why stop???

[Guest seuadr]

This my be true, But HD Has some Foreign parts in them to! For a example, The computers on the fuel system are made in japan!!! HD is not 100% made in the U.S.A.

heck, nothing is really made in one specific place any more if it is a multiple part component.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

I won't own a Harley till they make one watercooled and quieter.

 

A stock Harley V-Rod is quiet and water-cooled...get out yer wallet!

 

[GlennTuc]

There are two HD dealers close to where I live, and their sales staff are great people. They act like riding is their life and they don't care what you ride, just ride. I'll drop by the one in my town occasionally to look at the "Eye Candy" or pick up something and they never give me a bad time about my RSV. One of the salesman even complimented me on the bike and told me how he thought they were an excellent ride. Now, on the other hand, the other HD dealer also owns the Honda/Yamaha dealership accross the road from his HD dealership. So, you know they're not going to run you out of their parking lot.

 

Glenn