A few weeks ago I spent a couple of days riding a new Harley Fatboy around Arizona. Now just for the record, I have never spent any real time on a Harley. My previous bikes have all been rice burning Honda’s. A little over a year ago I decided to start looking for something a little more exciting and found myself torn between a Harley Fatboy and a new Indian Spirit. As fate would have it the Spirit won the day.
Now this decision was not without some agony mind you. Having read the many forum messages I was very much aware of the so-called problems. Oil blowing out of the carb, shock leaks and noisy rockers just to name a few. The worst criticism came from the die hard Harley people. Hell the Indian is just a Harley clone they said. Why buy an imitation when you can have the real thing. Oh, by the way, did I tell you that I am an engineer and have been helping Harley make motors for about ten years now.
So why did I choose the Sprit over the Fatboy. At the time it came down to three things. Looks, Looks and Looks. What can I say, the Spirit is one awesome looking bike and I knew it would draw attention. The kicking S&S motor did not hurt either.
So it’s been well over a year and what do I think. Well the more I looked into things, the supposed problems seamed to make sense. Issues such as oil blowing out of the carb is perfectly normal for that type of motor. A simple cool looking modification and no more oil leaking. The noisy taping in the motor had more to do with performance cams then supposed poor craftsmanship. I did have one legitimate problem, a leaky fork seal. Fixed in a day by my friendly dealer. Other then that it’s been nothing but great riding and long looks from everyone I pass.
So that gets me back to were I started. My ride through Arizona on the Fatboy. After about three hundred miles it finally dawned on me what I was experiencing. On the surface I was riding a well-made motorcycle that ran flawlessly and did it’s job well. Yet something was wrong. Whether it was the smooth start from the fuel injected motor or the abundance of stamped out steel parts the Fatboy seemed to lack the very thing that had made Harley great. Character! Harley had finally succeeded in making a Jap Bike. Then all the negative comments started to make sense. The quality issues, arguments about authenticity (remember the AMF days) and a general bitching were nothing different then the Jap/Harley argument twenty years ago. And just like twenty years ago it all came down to one thing. Character.
Indian may not make the best bikes out there and perhaps they are not the purest. But at the end of the day they have something Harley has clearly lost, American Character! In my opinion Harley has spent more time worrying about the Japs and creating cute clothing then making bikes with character. I should know, I helped them do it.
My advice to anyone thinking about buying a Harley. Save your money and buy a Jap bike. A few custom parts and no one will know the difference. However if you want the real thing go for the Indian or Big Dog!
Now this decision was not without some agony mind you. Having read the many forum messages I was very much aware of the so-called problems. Oil blowing out of the carb, shock leaks and noisy rockers just to name a few. The worst criticism came from the die hard Harley people. Hell the Indian is just a Harley clone they said. Why buy an imitation when you can have the real thing. Oh, by the way, did I tell you that I am an engineer and have been helping Harley make motors for about ten years now.
So why did I choose the Sprit over the Fatboy. At the time it came down to three things. Looks, Looks and Looks. What can I say, the Spirit is one awesome looking bike and I knew it would draw attention. The kicking S&S motor did not hurt either.
So it’s been well over a year and what do I think. Well the more I looked into things, the supposed problems seamed to make sense. Issues such as oil blowing out of the carb is perfectly normal for that type of motor. A simple cool looking modification and no more oil leaking. The noisy taping in the motor had more to do with performance cams then supposed poor craftsmanship. I did have one legitimate problem, a leaky fork seal. Fixed in a day by my friendly dealer. Other then that it’s been nothing but great riding and long looks from everyone I pass.
So that gets me back to were I started. My ride through Arizona on the Fatboy. After about three hundred miles it finally dawned on me what I was experiencing. On the surface I was riding a well-made motorcycle that ran flawlessly and did it’s job well. Yet something was wrong. Whether it was the smooth start from the fuel injected motor or the abundance of stamped out steel parts the Fatboy seemed to lack the very thing that had made Harley great. Character! Harley had finally succeeded in making a Jap Bike. Then all the negative comments started to make sense. The quality issues, arguments about authenticity (remember the AMF days) and a general bitching were nothing different then the Jap/Harley argument twenty years ago. And just like twenty years ago it all came down to one thing. Character.
Indian may not make the best bikes out there and perhaps they are not the purest. But at the end of the day they have something Harley has clearly lost, American Character! In my opinion Harley has spent more time worrying about the Japs and creating cute clothing then making bikes with character. I should know, I helped them do it.
My advice to anyone thinking about buying a Harley. Save your money and buy a Jap bike. A few custom parts and no one will know the difference. However if you want the real thing go for the Indian or Big Dog!
Actually I would buy an Indian if they made an exact reproduction of the old in-line four. They would most likely sell every one they built. Anyhow, enjoy your bike since that's what it's all about!
