Eh, some of them. But others do walk the walk. For some it’s a hobby, for others it’s a life.
You are a terrible human being.
I suppose that may be true. I still believe there are many thousands if V-twin riders that know nothing about how their engine works and just send it to the shop when it stops working. And there is a bit of a gap (heh) between where it is out of tune and where it stops working.
It would seem to me carbon buildup on the plugs is an indication that sometyhing is off. If you are just cleaning and re-gapping the plug you are riding an out of tune machine as suggested above.
The problem will resolve itself in time.
Not disputing any of this, but as a Missouri resident I gotta tell y’all I see a lot of ape-hangers that are well in excess of the 15" regulation. So it appears the regs are not well-enforced. I’ve never seen something as extreme as the OP’s photos.
We were on a driving vacation in the western U.S. a few summers ago, and came to the realization that the big Sturgis rally was about to start when we saw lots and lots of bikes on the highway, heading in that direction. On two separate occasions, we saw guys pulled over by state troopers (this would probably have been in Idaho or Wyoming) with serious ape-hanger handlebars; we were guessing that they were getting ticketed for violating those laws.
In answer to the OP’s question, it AIN’T legal.
And you’re absolutely correct Astro, a rider has almost no (serious) control over their bike, with handlebars like those.
Even if you tried really hard, you couldn’t be more wrong!
+1!
Ride to live. Live to ride! If I have to explain it to you, you’ll never understand.
DILLIGAF!*
*Do I Look Like I Give A Fuck? 
it takes up so much space, adds absolutely nothing to the discussion and is essentially a blatant cry for attention. then on the other hand we have these ape-hangers…
This is a pet peeve of mine. Why did you move next to a place that is objectional to you and then complain? Why do people move next to ranches and then complain that cow or pigs stink? I’ve never gotten that.
The people I know who have ape hangers ride them because their arms/back/hips hurt if they ride for any length of time. I don’t know anyone who would be so crazy as to ride like that.
On I-90 eastbound, just after entering South Dakota, there are road signs listing a bunch of the more important motorcycle laws, one of which is “Handlebars must be below shoulder height”.
For people who travel between states in “unusual” vehicles, it is important to understand vehicle reciprocity. As a simple example, if you register a private passenger vehicle in a state that doesn’t require a front plate, you can’t be cited (well, successfully, at least*) for not having a front plate by another state. Requirements among the various states differ greatly. There are some states that would probably let you register a bathtub on a skateboard. I know of at least one that doesn’t require a headlight (though if fitted it must be operable).
- You won’t get anywhere arguing with the officer about it. If you can’t politely convince him in the first minute, the best thing to do is just take the ticket and contest it through channels later on. I’ve been successful by saying “It’s got a plate” when asked “Is that legal?”.
That has to be the most ridiculous image I have seen all day.
SFW.
Ok fine, I take it back. Wow.
Not really. Did you read the short HowStuffWorks article I linked to? The long lope and the popping sounds you hear when the motor is idling and accelerating are not because the motor is out of tune; it is due to the configuration of the engine. An out of tune Harley stalls, and I doubt you or the OP are complaining about a stalled (quiet) Hog.
There are advantages and disadvantages to each combustion engine that we use today. Ever own a weed-wacker? Chainsaw? Dirt bike? Or any other machine employing a light weight two-stroke motor which requires a mix of fuel and oil in order to run properly? Notice the copius amounts of blue smoke coming out of back of the machine? That isn’t because it isn’t “properly tuned up” or because the wrong motor was chosen. It is a consequence of choosing a powerful but light-weight engine.
I am not nor do I ever expect to be a Harley owner. But those who do choose a bike based on the distinctive sound of the exhaust note, the feel of the loping engine, and the impressive torque accept a couple of negative side effects of the V-twin character: the heavy, low-frequency vibrations tend to rattle the frame and the pieced together components of the motor. Screws tend to back out of the frame and motor, which requires more frequent checks and maintenance. When this happens inside the carb, the timing can be thrown off. Inside a fuel injected bike: the gas to air ratio can drift. And this is no different than in a high-horsepower muscle car.
Get it? It’s like the choice between the quiet, 232 horsepower low-maintenance rotary motor in the 2011 Mazda RX8 and the rumbling 220 hp high maintenance 8 cylinder 283 motor in the '67 Chevy II. Both will get you somewhere quickly, but the character of the drive (and the driver) are completely different.
None of this changes the fact that ape-hangers above legal height are a road hazard, and that pipes tuned to exceed legally acceptable sound ordinances are a nuisance. But there is no reason you can’t Google “Harley motor” to determine why some bonehead drives a vehicle that sounds (to you) as though it is out of tune.
Kevin Bloody Wilson song and a biker - Live Fast Die Handsome Bud…
Plus, everyone behind that guy has to smell his pits.
No, because I already know how a Harley works. Checking the link… yep pretty much what I already knew.
I’m not compliaining about anything. I was just pointing out what I think are errors or misconceptions in what you and **Death of Rats ** posted. I don’t know how out of tune a Harley can be before it stops running so I will defer to your expertise that as soon as it is out of tune at all it will immediately stop running.
The copius amounts of smoke coming out of a two-stroke motor is from burning the oil you mention that needs to be mixed with the gas. Unless Harley has come out with a new model that I’m not aware of I’m pretty sure we are talking about four-stroke engines so this doesn’t really have anything to do with the subject at hand.
I suppose I don’t know know the inner thoughts of most of the people that ride Harleys but, from the outside anyway, it seems most of them ride them because Harleys are cool and they aren’t those rice burning pieces of shit. (channeling what I think the thought process is, not my thought process)
Not bragging (well actually I am a little bit) but since I ride a 76 Triumph Bonneville (vertical twin) my brother and I restored I’m well aware of how vibration can affect screws.
I’m also aware that if the fuel mixture is rich enough to foul your plugs cleaning and re-gapping the plugs will do nothing to correct the fuel mixture.
I don’t need to google anything to determine why some “bonehead” drives a Harley. I don’t have any problems with people that drive a Harley. You seem to have a problem believing that a fair percentage of them don’t know how to work on theier motors and that some percentage of them are too lazy or just don’t care enough to bring them into the shop when they are out of tune but before they completely stop. Although, according to you, as soon as a Harley is out of tune at all it will immediatel stop so that window is pretty small.
The theory is “loud pipes save lives” and the people who practice it can pull out studies that look to show its true. Make enough noise and you don’t have people cutting you off or “not seeing you”.
My pipes all run the range from “louder stock” to “slightly louder than stock”. I do indeed want to make enough noise that if I’m in your blind spot you can hear me even if you can’t see me. I DO NOT and will not make enough noise that my neighbors (I live in the inner city) know my schedule.
We used to call them Trailer-Queens. Now we call them OCC Specials. I dug around trying to find a picture but couldn’t. I did a pair for a guy that were that tall and made out of chain welded to be stiff and a matching sissy bar that was 6 feet tall from the line of the frame. For a motor he used a small V-8. The bike got like 50 miles a year on it but the dude paid cash for the work and funded a lot of my riding.
Shovelhead riders yes, not so much so on the newer motors. I think we still have a lead as mechanics but thats more to our habit of bagging (dressing out our rides with a bag or two of aftermarket goodies carried home or ripping stuff off at home and having it dressed up) than it is plugs.
You were right to that point and from there I have to disagree a bit. I have owned and ridden Harleys since 1968 - my current stable is a 1966, a 1994 sort of and a 04. Had some others now and then but my main ride was almost always a Harley. V-twin motors do not HAVE to shake themselves apart. I throw in the Yamaha Virago series as well as the newer Harleys as evidence of that
That being said I will disagree with justrob a bit and say that Harley owners are more likely to be mechanically inclined and more inclined to work on their own scoots than any other brand. Its an odd cultural thing that goes with the brand like HOG and leather. Most dealerships even offer training so that you can replace your own worn cables and flip a tire if you have to. Want a percentage? I would SWAG it at about 75% able to do basic motor work given the manual for their model. But that is going down and I expect it to continue to fall until we’re about the same as everyone else.
I suppose I can concede that although I wouldn’t agree that “dressing out our rides” with bolt on accessories translates to being able to do basic motor work. Even if 75% of Harley owners can do basic motor work that would still leave thousands of riders who can’t which is a not small number.
I like the bike. That bike is from an era when bikes were bikes and men were…Jesus?
This thread makes me want to take the baffles off the VTX.