move to the darkside???

[CHRIS_D]

If I was in the market for a cruiser, Victory would be at the very top of my list. Dollar-for-dollar, an infinitely better built/more reliable bike than a Harley. Here'd be my choice...:https://www.polarisindustries.com/en-us/Vic...in/KingpinTour/

This is one drop-dead-gorgeous bike!

The heck with the Kingpin check out the NEW Victory Vision

I test rode this bike and it handle and rides great. For 4 year I owned a 2003 Victory Classic Cruiser and had zero problems with it (in fact I traded it in for the FJR).

Back in 1995 with the same hope as you I purchased a brand new HD Ultra Classic so that the wife would ride more often with me. Well guess what, it didn't work. :dribble: IMO, if your wife currently doesn't like riding now it most likely not going to change no matter what bike you purchase.

As for sending her MSF class, please don't send her UNLESS SHE WANTS TO LEARN. As MSF instructor you will occasionally see rider's that are coerced by their significant other into attending the BRC. They're usually very miserable and it's just not fair to that person or the rest of the class.

 

[Bounce]

IIRC A Victory was the only V-Twin that successfully completed Mass Gold. There weren't many V-Twins entered, but those who were either broke down or quit because they couldn't maintain the required pace for the duration.

 

[2006FJR]

If I was in the market for a cruiser, Victory would be at the very top of my list. Dollar-for-dollar, an infinitely better built/more reliable bike than a Harley. Here'd be my choice...:https://www.polarisindustries.com/en-us/Vic...in/KingpinTour/

This is one drop-dead-gorgeous bike!

The heck with the Kingpin check out the NEW Victory Vision

I test rode this bike and it handle and rides great. For 4 year I owned a 2003 Victory Classic Cruiser and had zero problems with it (in fact I traded it in for the FJR).

Back in 1995 with the same hope as you I purchased a brand new HD Ultra Classic so that the wife would ride more often with me. Well guess what, it didn't work. :dribble: IMO, if your wife currently doesn't like riding now it most likely not going to change no matter what bike you purchase.

As for sending her MSF class, please don't send her UNLESS SHE WANTS TO LEARN. As MSF instructor you will occasionally see rider's that are coerced by their significant other into attending the BRC. They're usually very miserable and it's just not fair to that person or the rest of the class.

That Victory looks hot. Not a bad looking option for the long haul.

 

[GLIDEMAN]

Honestly? When I 'retire' from sport touring, I'll be on a Road Glide or a Wing. Provided, of course, Harley still makes bikes and not merely a marketer of logo'd clothes or just is a House of Lifestyle...

Road Glide and Wing, good advise, I have a Electra Glide but if I did it again, it be a Road Glide.

I've had (2) EG classics an Ultra and a Road Glide not to mention a Goldwing. I will agree that the Road Glide does Handle better than the Ultra Classic. But "Ride Better" is a exagerated statement. You get much better weather coverage on the Ultra and that is a huge deal if you are indeed going to tour on this bike. Road Glide in the rain is absolutly miseralbe. The fairing is so far in front of the rider that all the rain water is basically dumped in your lap. If you are definatly going to tour and you can keep yourself from being caught up in the whole Harley Davidson hype then I would say that the Ultra is a great choice. My wife used to call the passenger area the "Queen Seat". If you are going on short trips or rides around town and are not going to "tour" then the Ultra is overkill. I went to the fjr from an Ultra because I got tired of seeing myself coming and going and everywhere that you went was a Halloween Party.... CPA's with freshly shaved heads Gucci sunglasses brand new Harley clothes from head to toe and a 2000 Fat Boy with 1200 miles and this guy thinks hes a biker.

Whew..... somebody stop me.... I climbed on my soapbow for a minute there....sorry.

 

[CHRIS_D]

IIRC A Victory was the only V-Twin that successfully completed Mass Gold. There weren't many V-Twins entered, but those who were either broke down or quit because they couldn't maintain the required pace for the duration.

I just purchased the FJR a few weeks ago and traded in both my Victory and the Triumph Sprint ST for it. It's weird being down to one bike. Anyway, the Victory only had 22K miles, however I do know Victory riders with over 100K on their bikes with little to no troubles.

 

[krashdragon]

:assassin: :assassin: :assassin: i gotta tell ya, my little lady has made the commitment that if i get a scoot that will give her a bit of security while riding two-up she will go with me on my rides. I simply love my fjr and just competed a 2500 mile trip through the beautiful pacific northwest with my pal but honestly, I would rather have my bride of 24 years riding with me than leaving her at home. I have been considering a "oh my gosh" HD Ultra Classic instead of the FJR and wanted to see what ya'all thought about my thought process. You have all been great here and I have learned so much from the forum, i gotta know what "you guys" think about dfp's dilemma... Okay, have at it ladies and gentlemen, i can take it... :clapping: :clapping: :clapping: :clapping:

Ummm..... Ask HER.... What does SHE man by a bit of security?

Has she EVER ridden with you?

If she has, I'll bet she's looked down at the ground when you were cornering and somehow thinks that a bigger bike won't lean over a s far.

Ask he if she' like to learn HOW to ride, the MSF class has TINY ( be sure to emphasize that) bikes to learn on.

And most of the people in the class do not know how to ride. (another important mention)

Tell her that if she takes the class, she'll understand better what's involved with riding, and then

SHE will be able to choose what bike SHE would like for the both of you to ride together...

Dont' asy anything about her getting her own bike.... that part come later, IF she likes riding......

and be sure, like the MSF instructor here said.... Be sure and tell her you'll be off riding while she's in class...

The word NOT is a negative..... peeps stop listening after the word no.

See... ya just gotta be sneaky about it..

If she's likes riding, great, if she' can't or won't ... give her some time ( like months) to think about it, and if she isnt' even willing to give it a try,

then she's not going to go riding with you. Period...

Other good suggestion were the Wing (although the only riders I saw wearing tank tops and shorts riding thru the Mohave were the Wing riders), BMW's, and the Victorys (Personally, I pick the Vics... very well engineered.)

good luck....

Mary

OH, there are several ladies forums and yes, us old biddies do ride....I'm over 50... dang it all!

 

[Scab]

My guess (and this is only a guess) is that her reference to security has more to do with her "comfort" zone. Comfort meaning both mental and physical. I bet she just wants a bike that she feels "secure" on. As in; "I can get comfortable." and "I'm not going to fall off or be thrown off."

 

[Silver Penguin]

OH, there are several ladies forums and yes, us old biddies do ride....I'm over 50... dang it all!

You make some good points Mary.

I agree with the writer who said not to enrol the lady in question for MSF against her will. That's a given. There is no way that a student could succeed or even enjoy the class under those circumstances.

If she has even the slightest of interest, she might peruse the Women Who Ride Forum, via www.delphiforums.com That is aimed at female beginner riders. Gotta say that it isn't the same, slick operation as this forum, but it serves a purpose.

If the interest persists, then it might be time for an MSF class. Their motto is High Challenge, Low Threat. It may be possible to find a local class, taught by a female instructor, if that would help.

Personally, I enjoy riding on the back of my husband's bike now and again (preferring that he ride my FJR that day because it's the best passenger ride amongst our selection of bikes). On the other hand, anything more than about 20 miles and I'm ready to be on the front seat again.

Jill

 

[vegas bmr guy]

IF the picture above right is truly your lady then I would spend more time at home with Her. Otherwise, I think honestly you will be very disappointed in the Ultra Classic Harley. Unless you spend a ton of money for motor modifications to make it really run or buy a screaming eagle limited edition motor you will be very dissapointed in the lack of power, suspension, brakes and general handling. If you want something Bigger for two up. Look at a BMW R1200rt. This bike is still very light, 110 hp. and handles like a sport bike. The suspension on the BMW is superior to most bikes and you will find the RT can be ridden very quickly one- up or two-up.

You will have to adjust to the BMW twin characteritics. This motor must be reved to aleast 4k and likes to rev higher. This is where the power and torque is. You will find it is very smooth running at these rpms with plenty of power. You can't hurt it so just rev it up in the 6-7 grand range and enjoy. I would recommend a test drive before you lay down the hard cash.

While the BMW lt is very nice, it's very big and may or may not be what you are looking for. It is the plushes ride for

BMW but at 832 lbs. It is more like a Gold Wing. The bike handles better, in my humble opinion than a gold wing and has more power and much better gas mileage than a wing. Also if you're not in a hurry the rumour is that BMW will be introducing an all new LT in the next year. It will, most likely be lighter, with more horse power and better handling yet, still with all the comfort features I believe you and your lady desire. Take some test rides and take her with you to see what the lady likes best.

I just purchased a new Kawi concours 14. It is very much like the FJR only much smoother with a 6th gear which is an OD. I would look for a new improved FJR in 08 to compete with the new Kawi. You never know if might be the bike you and your lady are looking for as well.

Good luck on your search for your ladies two-up bike.

Have fun and ride safe,

Steve

 

[RadioHowie]

Here it comes.....

 

[gr8eyes]

here it comes...... here it comes.......here comes your 19th nervous break down......................

 

[dfpextraordinaire]

Thank you for all of your comments and opinions, I appreciate it...

Scab, you hit it on the head, i picked my wife Marti 24 years ago and the most important thing in the world to me is having her along with me. There is nothing like experiencing the world from the back of a motorcycle and I want her to share that with me. It sucks to know that my FJR will be in someone elses garage but having a scoot that we can ride together will make it all worthwhile. I have plenty of experience with Harleys, Triumphs, Honda's and Yamaha's and am not making a decision based on a whim. This entire process has been thought out but I really was interested to see what "you my FJR Family" thought about it too! We have already looked at the Beemers and the Wing's and still feel like the Ultra is the coolest and according to some of my other pals who have them, very very comfortable. I will miss the power, smoothness and the cornering ability but having "my Angel" behind me with that beautiful smile on her face will be make it okay. We went and looked at a new 08 Ultra Classic late last week, blue with black accents and she fell in love with it. I told the salesman that I was considering a Harley Ultra but wanted to buy used, she looked at the tag hanging on the 08 and said, "********, if you are going to get one, let's get it new!" I thought, who are you and what have you done with my wife? I took my FJR to the Yamaha dealer in Cottage Grove and put it on consignment. Should be just a matter of time now.

ps. No, the avatar is not my wife, Marti is way prettier! :clapping: :clapping: :clapping:

 

[Scab]

Hey, as long as ya'll are happy together, well, to heck with the rest of the world. BUT, we still require pics of the new bike. I don't care what it is, if it has 2 wheels, there is something about it to appreciate.

 

[FuzzyRider]

I told the salesman that I was considering a Harley Ultra but wanted to buy used, she looked at the tag hanging on the 08 and said, "********, if you are going to get one, let's get it new!" I thought, who are you and what have you done with my wife?

Well if you got your wife to go for a new Ultra then it's time to push the point and get a Screaming Eagle 110 cubic inch upgrade to the Ultra. I had the pleasure to demo a 110 c.i. Screaming Eagle Road King a few week ago. Talk about torque - you'd be amazed at how hard that bike pulls. When you load it up with luggage and a passenger the extra umph will come in handy!

 

[MotorSWATCop]

If you love your FJR and are thinking of a touring bike, you must go to the Wing. It will give you so much more performance than the Ultra. I came from a Wing to the FJR and I can vouch for its performance capabilities.

 

[dwilli]

Keep the FJR and get the Harley. Mine loves the Harley (04 FLHTCI) but won't go on the FJR. Says she feels like she'll fall off the back and thats with the top box. I guess the armrest's wrap around her and give her a more secure feeling while on the Harley.

So, not all bad. When it's time to get away for a few days I take the FJR. A little time apart never hurts.

Not going to touch the Harley vs other bike ********. It's your money, buy what you want.

 

[ctfjr]

Having just sold my wing after 5 years and waiting till spring for my next ride - either FJR or C14 - I am in just the opposite situation. The wing was the only bike my wife would ever ride on. She still wasn't into serious touring and I was / am. In the end she didn't ride that much & I am more interested in a sport tourer now. For what is is, the wing is an awesome machine and yes pegs are annual consumables - I have several sets hanging in the garage. Good luck in your decision!

 

[blueman]

I have ridden a few HD's including the V-Rod. I don't get it. Meaning I do not get what people see in the HD's being fun to ride. For the price of an HD you could buy two FJR's. I like that!!If the price for the HD was half the price of the FJR which it should be, I would still buy the FJR. I said this before, I am so glad that HD is so popular now. Demand drives price not quality. When I can buy a vastly superior bike"the fJR" for half the price of a HD life is good! I guess it gets back to personal appeal, or image or something like that. But when taken into account the price for each bike the decision is that much easier for me!

 

[Diver]

personally, I kinda like the Harleys..not as good a performance as my warrior (also a V-twin) but made for a different purpose...the money don't mean nothin...bikes are for fun (even the one I commute on) and if you're ok with the cash, then it's not too expensive. I love the fel and sound of a twin...it's just too darn fun.

My wife said I have to keep my road star warrior when I get the FJR, cause she likes to ride on the cruiser....

Diver

 

[rockwells]

I've been blessed with the ability to own both, plus a Beemer 1150GS. Momma wants nothing to do w/ the GS (too tall, no backrest). Loves riding on my Road King. When I bought the FJR, I took her for a ride, about 250mi or so. The FJR has the touring seat, and a passenger backrest. At the end of the ride, she said it would be awhile before she did that again, as she thought I rode much more aggressively on the FJR. Well, duuhhhh...(I wanted to say) The R/K, although I love her, is no match for the FJR, performance wise. So, maybe it's your riding style? On the topic of the Victory Vision, once they've been out a couple years, I'll probhably trade in the R/K for one. They're sure sweeeet lookin'