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What Have They Done To My Bike, Ma?

Rocket J. said:
I mean, no more kitty litter tub under it to catch the drip, no more having to wire brush the fouling off my rear plug every 500 miles on a roadtrip, no more cooking my batteries from an over-active charging system, no more & etc.

I'm on my 5th Harley which ranged from an ancient 45 flathead, '66 kickstart Sportster, '72 Nighttrain, '80s Sportster. I now ride an '05 Electra Glide Classic and the culture shock to it was tremendous. The bike is downright ummmmm sophisticated yet it's still got a bit of an edge to it. It's my favorite of all my past bike (including the Triumphs and even a rice propelled bike or too). OK, yeaaaaah EPA has caused grief with their lean running mandate and I'm scared to death with that new fangled security fob deal, but I'm dealing with that. the bike's got "better" pipes a "better AC" and a download to make it run better. I just don't even get the security fob near my bike. The good old fork lock is all I'll ever need for security. Well, and I've never even had the radio/stereo on since I bought it because I'd rather just always listen to the sweet music from the pipes.

The EGC is a most excellent bike. It has many improvements over my past bikes and I'm learning to deal with most of the newer features while deeply appreciating not having to deal with the more raw features of the past.
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The "sweet music from the pipes" is wonderful but remember, you now have the capability of a really nice sound system that will compliment those pipes with your favorite tunes!. Try it, you'll like it! addition
 
smitty901 said:
Yes the good old days were not as great as we like to think.
Drum brakes were mentioned if you never had those you should try them some time.
Kick start and the countless hours we spent working on them because we had to.
Now most all of the work I do is want to stuff. Major failures that are not self inflected are rare. A different type of chain coming out every year that was suppose to end the problems forever, none ever did. tires that had poor traction on dry roads let alone wet.
Sprockets and cogs that wore out almost as fast as the chains did.
Like my old rides but I keep the new ones for day to day riding.
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Smitty is spot on...early on I looked at HD product in the 70's...rode one and did not like the rough and rowdy design back then, the oily mess on the driveway (drip oiling like your old chain saw), hard starting, drum brakes and vibration...eh...what did you say?...can't hear a thing and my hands are numb. :small3d014: and it was a nice sunny day? Fast forward to 2004, rubber mounted engine, oil wetted clutch, belt drive, electronic ignition, electric starting, spot on carburetion AND a good handling Harley? who wudda thunk? :small3d029:
 
jaceddie said:
All that kicking to get them started, and then finally having to get help to push start it, I don't miss that at all. :)
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Agree, I even hate pull starting my mowers & snowblower. Luckily, for this winter, my blower does have plug-in elec. start.:D
 
Try to find out if it got the valve seal recall done. I recently bought a low milage 05 Road King that required the updated ones due to excessive oil usage. It was covered under extended warranty.
 
Ahhhhhhh, horizonchaser, I understand your thoughts about the sound system, but it's just not for me. I do realize that it's a big feature of the Electra Glide Classic, but it just came with the deal I got on the bike. It wasn't something I specifically wanted. The bike was too good to pass up even if I had to take the stereo with it. The same with the security system. I don't like that, either. I've heard more horror stories related to malfunctions with the security system than any other system on a newer Harley. I would have been happy with a more Spartan touring bike, but the EGC just called my name when I first met it.

I seldom listen to music anywhere and there's absolutely no choice for me to make if there is a well tuned V-twin, under me, playing it's bass. My question is just why in the world would anyone rather listen to a CD when there is the note of the V-twin exhaust to be savored instead?

Anyway, to each their own, I reckon. Harley does sell lots of bikes with sound systems.
 
RocketJ, you are so right, much as I love tunes in the cage, I never did like tunes on the bike...too distracting, and yes...the freedom of the open road with the sights, sounds and smells needed for safe travel just did not appeal to me to add sound system (I did try CDs, with ear buds)...sound was great, but too distracting for my taste. Even GPS, a "necessary" evil is fine with just burst of info and then silence...intercom might be an option, but fine with shoulder tap codes from my pillion partner. JMO

As for the Security System, have it and love it...simple to use, effective and works fine. Did not need the audible alarm module (also mounts way low in the mud and grime which I chose not to install), but otherwise would be fine. Just make sure you have the manual code, though likely if you keep up the battery on the fobs will be trouble free.
 
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Just got back from St Augustine Harley where I met Kemo, They had alot of new bikes, The salesman was trying to push a red Night Train off on anyone in the shop LOL he said everyone wants the black one and they cant sell the red one
 
Rocket J. said:
Ahhhhhhh, horizonchaser, I understand your thoughts about the sound system, but it's just not for me. I do realize that it's a big feature of the Electra Glide Classic, but it just came with the deal I got on the bike. It wasn't something I specifically wanted. The bike was too good to pass up even if I had to take the stereo with it. The same with the security system. I don't like that, either. I've heard more horror stories related to malfunctions with the security system than any other system on a newer Harley. I would have been happy with a more Spartan touring bike, but the EGC just called my name when I first met it.

I seldom listen to music anywhere and there's absolutely no choice for me to make if there is a well tuned V-twin, under me, playing it's bass. My question is just why in the world would anyone rather listen to a CD when there is the note of the V-twin exhaust to be savored instead?

Anyway, to each their own, I reckon. Harley does sell lots of bikes with sound systems.
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Rocket, It's not so much that I would rather listen to the CD over the "Bass" of the engine. It isn't one or the other, it's both. But I hear you. I guess my enthusiasm for great tunes while riding to enhance the ride isn't for everybody. And yes, the Security System is something that I inherited with my bike too. I'm not too crazy about it either.
Enjoy your ride!:s
 
It's probably sacrilege to even mention this , but I've never even thought about putting that huge Tour Pack on the back of the bike, either. I first saw the bike with the short seat with no backrest and certainly not with the Tour Pack. I really like the look of it "stripped down". Now should my wife decide that she wants to go on road trips again I'm sure my mind will be changed about the Tour Pack, too.

I'm not being fair about the tunes thing, either. I've just got a mind-set about sound systems on bikes and haven't even tried it. I've never considered that you can enjoy both the sound of the pipes and your favorite tunes, too. Maybe I'll give that a try
 
I used to feel the same way about tunes on a bike when I was young. " Who wants all that junk on a motorcycle, Might as well have a car". You'll find out that tunes add to the party just watch!
 
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