So I'm on the phone with the Vegas branch of EagleRider Harley rentals booking a bike for a day trip while my old lady and I are there celebrating our anniversary. The kind lady on the other end asked me what bike I wanted. Myself having no real working knowledge of Harley models I ask her for help. I explain that I own a sportbike and was hoping she could recommend something but try my best to sound like I know what I'm talking about. She asks what size my bike is and then somewhat bites her tongue when I said it's a 650. She puts me on hold for a minute and then comes back and says the only thing she can rent me is a Sportster 883.

I rode an 883 on a day trip in Alaska and I'm perfectly okay with it so that's not the issue. I wanna know why does me riding a 650 mean I'm only suitable to ride a Sportster? For all she knows I could have the fastet production 600SS and anything they have is just a rolling couch. I went back and looked at the bikes on their site and most are 1200+ cc's so that got me thinking. Why are these bikes displacements so high? Is is because they're heavy? Is it because they're not as efficient for the size? Is it a dick waving thing? Someone please explain.

edit: If anyone is close and wants to meet up for a ride this Saturday let me know.


Modified by Apocalypse at 8:20 PM 10/3/2006

 

Dick waving. Fo'sho.

My guess is the weight of the bikes is too high for a simple 600-800 engine to lug around, especially the fully dressed ones (eg, Electra Glide).

My suggestion is to skip the Vegas-in-town riding thing. The strip gets crowded all the time. If you make it out to LA, you can cruise the local twisties and check out why the West coast is the best coast.

 

I mean even this thing doesn't look that big, what's it need a 1450 cc engine for?



I think a Road King or a Fatboy woulda been cool. Maybe I can convince them when I show up.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by marmaladeboy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My suggestion is to skip the Vegas-in-town riding thing. The strip gets crowded all the time.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Oh for sure. I've already been there a few times and I don't really plan on seeing the strip for the umpteeth time. I want to get outta the city and maybe see Hoover Dam and miles and miles of desert.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Apocalypse &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Oh for sure. I've already been there a few times and I don't really plan on seeing the strip for the umpteeth time. I want to get outta the city and maybe see Hoover Dam and miles and miles of desert.</TD></TR></TABLE>
It sounds great, ideally. But once you get into the heat, it's not at all like the movies make it out to be. But then again, I don't ride street anymore...

If you make it out to Baker (~60mi from Vegas), check out "Mad Greek." It's a good greek restaurant that has great strawberry smoothies.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by marmaladeboy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">once you get into the heat, it's not at all like the movies make it out to be. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Ha... it's supposed to be 81° in Vegas this Saturday. It was hotter than that here today.

Silly Californians.

 

Harley obtains their large displacements by increasing the stroke, rather than the bore.
Lets compare my RC51 to a 1200cc harley sportster. My RC51 has the following bore and stroke, 100.0mm x 63.6mm, while the sportster has an 89mm x 97mm bore and stroke. The stroke is a full 50% larger on the sportster. This is where their displacement comes from. The benefit of all that stroke is great low end torque. But with that low of a rod/stroke ratio the 1200cc sportster can't spin very high before the cylinder walls would literally break.
According to their respective websites these bikes make almost the exact same torque (79 ft/lbs) but the Harley makes it at 4000rpms while the Honda makes more around the 7-8k region.
Harley keeps their big stroke design because that's part of how their alure. People like the sound of Harley's and that's how you get it. I haven't ridden one myself (or any other big stroke twin) so i won't comment on how it rides.

Don't worry about the lady on the phone. She's just ignorant. There was a guy that wrote a nice review talking about how he went from an sv650 to an F4i and how the F4i melted his face. He was thinking he needed at least a Busa in order to feel faster than the sv. It's all about people's ignorance to engine designs and how they deliver power. Don't sweat it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Apocalypse &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Ha... it's supposed to be 81° in Vegas this Saturday. It was hotter than that here today.

Silly Californians. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Doh! You're right. Where I work it's 70 year-round...guess I've been here too long.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Apocalypse &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Ha... it's supposed to be 81° in Vegas this Saturday. It was hotter than that here today.

Silly Californians. </TD></TR></TABLE>

and that 81 wont feel like 81. the humidity is so low out in nv/nm/az that 90 there is comfortable (if you're not in direct sunlight)

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by marmaladeboy &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
It sounds great, ideally. But once you get into the heat, it's not at all like the movies make it out to be. But then again, I don't ride street anymore...

If you make it out to Baker (~60mi from Vegas), check out "Mad Greek." It's a good greek restaurant that has great strawberry smoothies.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Haha, that place has literally a million signs between Vegas and them.

 

I think she prolly went and asked somebody else and recommend the smaller bike because of your age and experience on that type of bike. There fun bikes but dont try and compare it to a 600cc sport bike. Diff. engines really make it a diff. bike all togther.

I regulary ride my fathers Duece which has a stock 96cu in' (1500cc) engine.

Harleys can be fun

 

H-Ds need a lot of cubes to make a lot of power. A sportbike would waste one in a straight line, but their top-gear acceleration probably isn't too shabby.

 

Have you ever heard a Harley rip through the gears? They go from 1-4 and they're going like 50 mph... they don't have much of a powerband. They do make alot of torque, but it falls off relatively quickly.

I'm currently learning how to drive an 18 wheeler.... it has a 500 rpm powerband

P.S. I thought I read something about them doing a complete redesign on the old 1200 Sportster powerplant, something about liquid cooling?

 

I was on Rte. 3 once on my SV, going pretty fast...and got passed by a guy on a huge, upper-range Harley like I was standing still. SV was running out of breath and he just steamed away.

 

I'm referring to the older models, like the 80 cube evolution motors and earlier.

 

My dad rented a Street-Glide or something last time we rode together and that was like 1,400cc and he let me ride it, and...my Monster could have smoked it acceleration wise, I was like wow.

But yeah like Ross said it could pwn me in top-end.

 

The v-rod is more of a performance cruiser and actually makes more hp than tq, unlike most harleys. If it was one of those kind of cruisers that walked all over you then i wouldn't be surprised.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by slvrblckrdRC51 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The v-rod is more of a performance cruiser and actually makes more hp than tq, unlike most harleys. If it was one of those kind of cruisers that walked all over you then i wouldn't be surprised.</TD></TR></TABLE>

No, it was one of those big ol' Road Kings or something.

The V-Rods are sick and sound just amazing.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sup gurl &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">My dad rented a Street-Glide or something last time we rode together and that was like 1,400cc and he let me ride it, and...my Monster could have smoked it acceleration wise, I was like wow.
</TD></TR></TABLE>

I figured out the calculations and it will destroy it. I did it with a M600 and a Softail. Monster weighs less than half the weight.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Cabby89 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I figured out the calculations and it will destroy it. I did it with a M600 and a Softail. Monster weighs less than half the weight.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Wait, so I would be destroyed or my Monster would destroy it?

If it's the latter...


LOL

 

Are you gonna be there, riding around the strip? on the weekend? I'd just rent a scooter or two because it gets pretty traffickie. Plus, no helmet law under 50cc. Not that I condone it, but I'd hate to roll up to the Venetian valet and walk towards Tao w/helmet hair lol.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by sup gurl &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Wait, so I would be destroyed or my Monster would destroy it?

If it's the latter...


LOL</TD></TR></TABLE>

Monster would destroy.

Softail weighs in ruffly at 700lbs and makes 63hp
Monster I believe weighs in at 350lbs and makes 63hp

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Cabby89 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Monster would destroy.

Softail weighs in ruffly at 700lbs and makes 63hp
Monster I believe weighs in at 350lbs and makes 63hp</TD></TR></TABLE>
it's not just about the hp, it's about tq too.
But, the monster still wins.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ScareyH22A &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Are you gonna be there, riding around the strip? on the weekend? I'd just rent a scooter or two because it gets pretty traffickie. Plus, no helmet law under 50cc. Not that I condone it, but I'd hate to roll up to the Venetian valet and walk towards Tao w/helmet hair lol.</TD></TR></TABLE>

I don't plan to really get anywhere near the strip. I do enough sitting at lights in 80° heat around here, I don't really feel the need to do it there.

Helmet hair is no problem 'cause I rock a #2 all over.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by The_Head &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
I'm currently learning how to drive an 18 wheeler.... it has a 500 rpm powerband

</TD></TR></TABLE>

dont those have like 10+gears or some rediculous thing?