It’s best to feel complete even without the motorcycle.
Yeah, 'cause everyone knows that you only ride a Harley if you’re not a wimp, and only wimps ride anything else.
Crotch rockets are for, well who knows, maybe Japanese manga wannabees, the earlier poster didn’t quite make that clear.
Yup , the soul of the road means nagging annoying vibrations, and a clutch lever that needs soup plate hands instead of the usual human dimensions, soul of the road means massive heavyweight bulk, and pre-war technology, sure that’s what ‘soul of the road’ means.
Personally, I look at a machine, I’m not even slightly interested in the ‘worldwide stock’ of one particular manufacturer, but it does say something about the Harley rider if that is the kind of thing they’re interested in - growth of worldwide stock - hardly lone desperado bandit is it? I really don’t give a fishes tit for large sales or image, its what I want that counts.
…and when you’ve finally run out of meaningless platitudes upon which to justify your choice of machine, simply go out and ride what you like.
I have read plenty of good things about BMWs especially the GS series, but I find them a bit too tall for me so I’ve never taken one out.
Typical American response. :rolleyes: “They hate us because they’re jealous!”
Spiny Norman gave his opinion after riding one. My sister has one that vibrated so bad it broke the frame. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been stuck behind one on L.A. freeways because they were too wide to split lanes. Many of them are so loud they cause me physical discomfort in my inner ear.
Sheesh. Pick whatever bike you like. There’s no “grade” to make.
I did dislike the Sportster, I listed some of the reasons, but if you want “vibes that resonates with the soul of the road”, then by all means, buy what makes you happy. Personally, I happen to like my accessories staying on the bike, I’m strange that way.
I don’t give two bits for aura and mystique (well, not entirely true - I did like my Ducati), gimme a riding iron that starts, moves, turns and stops. If “Made in Milwaukee” is a determining factor for you, get a Harley, enjoy it, and more power to you.
You’ll need it! 
I’d probably spend my money on the metric. The Harleys are nice, I’ll admit, but for the money you get more from the metrics. You can get all the accesories, and since the metrics are running the V-twins, you can even get the nice rumble. That said, I do hope to own a Harley someday. Someday when I can afford to buy it, and can afford to have someone else fix it. Why do you think it’s only the retired folks that you see on the HD…Very good retirement planning, and lots of fixodent to hold the false teeth in.
Actually, that Kawasaki is a clone of an earlier Triumph 
.
The Kwakka 650 is perhaps closer to being a ‘modernised’ classic thant the Triumph Bonny, it has more of that original bike ‘charactor’.
It would be a good buy or a newbie, if a little bit crude, but then Kwakkers in gerneral seem more rough and ready than the equivalents from say Honda of Yam.
The W650 has a good following, its cheap, easy to maintain and readily tweaked for more power, I believe they have a dedicated club too.
In some ways the Triumph Bonny is a bit too clever to be a true retro, when the inevitable comparisons were made between it and the W650 they didn’t always come out in favour of the Triumph, which costs significantly more.
The W650 is more or less an update on their original Bonny clone that Kwakka made in the 1960’s, and that was on improvement on the original because they changed the way the crankcase was split - horizontal instead of vertical so that it didn’t leak oil all the time, they also pressure fed all the main bearings with oil which improved reliability no end, and improved things like the electrics and clutch feel.
Basically Kwakka made the Bonny into the bike it could have been if the Meridan Triumph’s owners had not been so shortsighted as to fail to keep up developments work.
I’m not all that keen on the new Bonneville, its just too mild and the riding postion is very ‘sit up and beg’ but I’ve no doubt that it is a competant and reliable machine.
Right now they are making a single seat cafe racer style the Thruxton, Triumph have a lot of histroy to exploit in the creation of retro machines.
The new Thruxton appears to me to be the bike Triumph should have built all along instead of the Bonneville, as it has reasonable power, and torque, I like the lines much more especially the exhaust which is a big improvement on the Bonny.
The Thruxton has a slightly more leanind into the bars riding position ans adjustable forks.
I think that the Thruxton version would have been a more worthy challenger to the W650.
The Thruxton is a very cool bike. Don’t know if the OP could deal with clip-on handlebars though.
I’d like to suggest the Spagthorpe “Dachsund” as a good bike to return to.
Seriously I have a BMW R1150 RT which has the ergonomics that you desire, an upright posture, quiet, plenty of power, and smooth enough that you can go for a very long ride without fatigue.