Whomped a Harley

[uncledj]

Went for a ride with some friends up to Geneva on the Lake over the weekend. My one buddy couldn't go (working) but his wife asked to join us. She wanted to ride the Harley 1200 Sportster (Nightster?) that she recently bought. A great time was had by all, and on the way home, I happened to be in the lead, with her next in line, just pulling away from a stop sign with a straigt_away ahead when I hear her stomp on it. I'm pretty quick on the draw, and did the same thing. I don't suppose I have to tell anyone here how it turned out, but it gave me a great feeling putting that Harley in it's place. She, alone, 120 pounds soakin' wet,.... me, with the wife on the back, 350 pounds between us, plus all three compartments loaded with a duffel strapped to the back. Well, lets just say we ran it up to about 85 before letting off, (wife yelling at me the whole time) and the Harley was further behind than when we started, buddies wife looking astonished. Next stop she said "that thing's a beast". (87 Standard)

I believe she's correct.

I love it.

 

Edited August 31, 2010 by uncledj
forgot to list bike model

[rsstar]

"She wanted to ride the Harley 1200 Sportster (Nightster?) that she recently bought."

 

You beat a girl, not the Harley. Give her some time to get used to the bike and try again. You might be suprised !!

[uncledj]

Yup, she's a gal, but she's quite capable. She's a cop by profession, and rides a modified Yamaha Banshee or a Honda CR 500 in the dirt. She wanted to buy a Hyabusa (spelling?) for the street, buy my buddy wouldn't let her.

I'm pretty confident that with her low weight, her experience with bikes and her need for speed, that she gave a pretty good representation of what that Harley could do.

[wizard]

You beat a girl on a Sportster? Wow?

[Marcarl]

Now if you had been riding an '85, you would have had time for ice-cream!

[Snarley Bill]

never been beat by any harleys. not even close. stock ones just don't have it. i beat a fat boy, with my vanguard powered cushman eagle. the guy was in such awe, he followed me back to our cushman meet in montgomery city to look at the scooters. i ran with three harleys with my 250 cc chinese scooter. they had gals on the back and kept looking in their rearview mirrors and there i was right on thier butt. my wing will eat one and spit it out. i had a sportster stroker one time that ran good. but anything out there would beat it now. some of the v-rods are right up there with the old v-maxes, i find it hard to believe, but i read a comparison on the two. have to see it to believe it. i had a couple of stock sportsers. i would never race anyone with a stock sportster. i have seen some bad harleys. they can be built to the hilt.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

If she wasnt married, I'd ask you to give me her number!

 

Yummy!

 

Oh BTW, she let you beat her. Its called diplomacy.

 

 

 

[Yammer Dan]

Yeah let her ride it for a while and get used to it. Then

 

 

 

BEAT HER AGAIN!!:rotfl:

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Now...just in case someone does not 'get' my sense of humor...

 

I'm well aware that most well-running Ventures (1 and 2) can outrun most non-modified Harleys.

 

Thats a given. But thats missing the point.

 

Most Harleys are NOT racebikes. If its in showroom stock condition (or mildly modified), most Harleys are underpowered, when you look at the dyno figures. But they are CRUISERS.

 

They are meant to look good, sound good, and feel good.

 

It would be like comparing a Nissan 300ZX to a Humvee. They both have 4 wheels after all. Yes the Nissan will outrun the more expensive Hummer, but that's missing the point.

 

I'm not defending Harley or the lady either, but maybe she was feeling 'sporty'...not trying to 'race' anyone...and as a man, I'd have let her stay ahead of me, because women on bikes look so damn good, I'd want to stay back there and enjoy the view.

 

 

 

[Guest Tinman]

I've driven a modified 1200 Sportster for the last decade. It is not heavily massaged, but it is NOT stock. I ride in an MC with a bunch of other HD riders, mostly Road Kings and Ultras. There is not one of them I can't leave in a cloud of dust. Mind you, I have not yet had the opportunity to ride a RSV yet, so I really don't know - Is the RSV really that much faster than 'Glide? Man! I'm really looking forward to my first test ride this weekend!

[Yammer Dan]

I've driven a modified 1200 Sportster for the last decade. It is not heavily massaged, but it is NOT stock. I ride in an MC with a bunch of other HD riders, mostly Road Kings and Ultras. There is not one of them I can't leave in a cloud of dust. Mind you, I have not yet had the opportunity to ride a RSV yet, so I really don't know - Is the RSV really that much faster than 'Glide? Man! I'm really looking forward to my first test ride this weekend!

 

You need to take that ride on a 1st Gen!!

 

When did Ventures become a race bike???

[csogbk]

Some of our police bikes are sporsters (yep, 6'4" of me on one!) but the can get on it too!! Glad ya let her know who the real "Road King" was

[Guest tx2sturgis]

I've driven a modified 1200 Sportster for the last decade. It is not heavily massaged, but it is NOT stock. I ride in an MC with a bunch of other HD riders, mostly Road Kings and Ultras. There is not one of them I can't leave in a cloud of dust. Mind you, I have not yet had the opportunity to ride a RSV yet, so I really don't know - Is the RSV really that much faster than 'Glide? Man! I'm really looking forward to my first test ride this weekend!

 

It depends on the riders, and also, how much the HD has been modified. The 1200 sporty, or the 883 thats had the 1200 jugs installed, are pretty fast compared to most of the Big Twins.

 

I can tell you the 103 and 110 inch bikes get off the line quicker than the much heavier and lower torque Venture, but as speeds increase, the Venture can close the gap, and pass the big-inch Glide, assuming you have the room, and keep the revs up.

 

If the 103 or 110 (CVO) bike has been 'breathed on' by a good engine man, you MIGHT only see his tailights till you get close to triple digits....even then its gonna be close. Speed-shifting the Venture, and keeping the revs up, will help you keep the gap small, but hitting the factory rev limiter will be a real bummer. Most HD riders on ElectraGlides and RoadKings will hesitate to speed-shift. As I said, it might come down to the riders skill levels when paired against certain bike/rider combos.

 

Also, you dont want to pair up your Venture against a Buell or a V-Rod...with a skilled rider on either, you will only see his backside.

 

Edited August 31, 2010 by tx2sturgis

[SilvrT]

Yup, she's a gal, but she's quite capable. She's a cop by profession, and rides a modified Yamaha Banshee or a Honda CR 500 in the dirt. She wanted to buy a Hyabusa (spelling?) for the street, buy my buddy wouldn't let her.

I'm pretty confident that with her low weight, her experience with bikes and her need for speed, that she gave a pretty good representation of what that Harley could do.

 

This gal is a cop, and apparently an experienced rider yet she is not yet her own person in that she allows someone to dictate to her what she can and cannot do??

 

And here she is, a cop .... street racing!!!

 

Talk about setting an example!

 

I'm sorry but after some of the recent threads about accidents, deaths, and bad images of bikers I find this whole thing a pathetic example of why such things happen.

 

:witch_brew:

[Sonnyboy]

My friend has an SVO ultra that has been tweaked. He and I have managed a few run offs on the open road. From a lite with both of us with passengers he will pull away from me until the high end of second gear for me, then I play catch up and do. Pulling out on the highway with a second or third gear start off it isn't even close. I would just pull away from him as long as I am holding the revs high when we start accelerating.

 

At least I use to be able to until the deer got in the way in May. Now it recuperation and waitting to get another.

[V7Goose]

I've driven a modified 1200 Sportster for the last decade. It is not heavily massaged, but it is NOT stock. I ride in an MC with a bunch of other HD riders, mostly Road Kings and Ultras. There is not one of them I can't leave in a cloud of dust. Mind you, I have not yet had the opportunity to ride a RSV yet, so I really don't know - Is the RSV really that much faster than 'Glide? Man! I'm really looking forward to my first test ride this weekend!

Tinman, you probably have already seen this info in other threads, but thought I'd just make sure - in preparation for your first ride on an RSV, you need to absolutely understand how important it is to ride that engine differently than a V-twin. If you just get on it for a gentle ride without really thinking about this, you will think the RSV is a poor dog.

 

This short stroke V-4 does not have low end grunt like a long stroke V-twin. It thrives on much higher revs, and if you jerk the throttle wide open at anything under 3,000 RPM, it will hammer and shake a while until the revs finally build to a decent level. Unfortunately, these bikes do not come with a tach, so there is no really easy way for a new RSV rider to really understand where to keep the engine speeds. Here are two things you can do to compare the difference:

 

First, make sure you goose it good in 1st and 2nd gear when hitting an on-ramp or similar type road - jerk the throttle open and hold it until you feel the engine falter when it hits the rev limiter. You can try that in 3rd gear too, but know that you will not hit the limiter in 3rd until about 96 MPH. My point here is not that you should always try to hit the limiter, just that if you haven't hit it at all, you probably won't have any idea how high you can (and should) be reving this engine.

 

Second, be running a steady 50-55 MPH in 5th gear, then roll the throttle on hard - this is way too low an RPM for 5th gear, so you will see exactly what I mean by "dog". Now do the same thing while running in 3rd gear - this is what the bike should feel like. Note that I am not saying you always have to kick it down to 3rd to accelerate from 50, just that you need to do it if you are going to snap the throttle wide open. And remember, 3rd will take you way past legal speeds and other traffic on any road in America. In more sedate riding, you can spend all day in 5th gear, running clear down to 40 and back up to over 100 without ever needing to shift as long as you are generally staying with the typical car acceleration.

 

and enjoy the ride,

Goose

[SilvrT]

Just to add to Goose's comments... as you crack that throttle and the revvs build, you will actually feel it when the power band is reached.

[painterman67]

Now...just in case someone does not 'get' my sense of humor...

 

I'm well aware that most well-running Ventures (1 and 2) can outrun most non-modified Harleys.

 

Thats a given. But thats missing the point.

 

Most Harleys are NOT racebikes. If its in showroom stock condition (or mildly modified), most Harleys are underpowered, when you look at the dyno figures. But they are CRUISERS.

 

They are meant to look good, sound good, and feel good.

 

It would be like comparing a Nissan 300ZX to a Humvee. They both have 4 wheels after all. Yes the Nissan will outrun the more expensive Hummer, but that's missing the point.

 

I'm not defending Harley or the lady either, but maybe she was feeling 'sporty'...not trying to 'race' anyone...and as a man, I'd have let her stay ahead of me, because women on bikes look so damn good, I'd want to stay back there and enjoy the view.

 

 

 

 

 

 

got to agree with you there brother. thats why when the wife and I ride together I let her take the lead. I llike watching her up there. And dont get me wrong , she rides an 1100 shadow spirit and I havent ran off from her yet when she dont want me too.

 

David

[GeorgeS]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a Sportster only has about a 45 HP engine. Not exactly something to be fearfull of.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a Sportster only has about a 45 HP engine. Not exactly something to be fearfull of.

 

The stock 883 is in that range, but a mildy tweaked 1200 will be around 60-70 HP, and its not hard to get 75-90 HP out of one IF the right cams are installed, plus some other work...and dont forget, the Sportsters are about 300-400 pounds lighter than the Venture, and are USUALLY piloted by riders under 200 pounds...not always of course.

 

No, they dont strike 'fear' in the hearts of men, but they can run at a respectable pace. I had a 1995 1200 Sporty, and it would run up to about 120 mph pushing a large windscreen, and easily pass most of the Big Twins of the day.

[uncledj]

Wow, didn't expect to cause such a rucus with my initial post. After reading through the thread, a couple of points. As far as the "street racing" thing goes, it was out in the boonies on a straightaway, with no cars in sight, and as far as a cop setting a bad example,....I'd hate to think she was so anal that she couldn't have a bit of fun, given the right circumstance. As far as the Sportster not being a race bike, but rather a cruiser,...what the heck is a fully dressed Venture? As far as I should've let her pass me, ...I've known her for over 30 years, and I love her like a sister, but she's always been competitive with guys, especially me because she used to have to compete with me for her hubbys time. We were best buds in High School, and are still very close today. So, in summary, I was just expressing my joy with just how well this old bike performs, which, I thought, is a big part of why we First Genners love our bikes so.

[SilvrT]

Wow, didn't expect to cause such a rucus with my initial post.

 

So, in summary, I was just expressing my joy with just how well this old bike performs, which, I thought, is a big part of why we First Genners love our bikes so.

 

I don't think any rucus was caused and one of the great things about this site is we can express ourselves. The "trick" is not to take much of anything here personal.

 

as an FYI, I couldn't count the number of times I've done and felt the same.

[ddoggma]

My buddys sportster has the 1200 heads and the stage 1 kit on it. Its not a dog, but it's no match for my 88, after the second or third telephone pole.

[Trader]

And here she is, a cop .... street racing!!!

 

Talk about setting an example!

 

I'm sorry but after some of the recent threads about accidents, deaths, and bad images of bikers I find this whole thing a pathetic example of why such things happen.

 

:witch_brew:

 

Hopefully you WERE just :witch_brew: and couldn't possibly mean what you posted too seriously!

 

It totally depends on the time and place. The OP said they shut it down at 85.

 

If it was a city street...then stir away! (the comment was it was "out in the boonies"

 

But I've read al lot of posts of people cruising at that speed all day!

 

The fact she is a cop would probably make her judgement as to the time and place better than most.

But.... Cops are people too! Into every life a little FUN must come!

[Yammer Dan]

Wow, didn't expect to cause such a rucus with my initial post. After reading through the thread, a couple of points. As far as the "street racing" thing goes, it was out in the boonies on a straightaway, with no cars in sight, and as far as a cop setting a bad example,....I'd hate to think she was so anal that she couldn't have a bit of fun, given the right circumstance. As far as the Sportster not being a race bike, but rather a cruiser,...what the heck is a fully dressed Venture? As far as I should've let her pass me, ...I've known her for over 30 years, and I love her like a sister, but she's always been competitive with guys, especially me because she used to have to compete with me for her hubbys time. We were best buds in High School, and are still very close today. So, in summary, I was just expressing my joy with just how well this old bike performs, which, I thought, is a big part of why we First Genners love our bikes so.

 

Well said. I know a certain State Trooper that I think is a Great Cop but ride with us a few times. What you think Warrior??