My first bike was a 1200 sportster which I bought purely because someone at work knew someone who was selling it. I knew absolutely nothing about bikes or harleys or the image of harleys, I was buying it purely as a means of transport and the lad I knew said it was a great deal. My brother, a proper biker, was horrified. I rode it happily for three years, all weathers commuting and it was completely reliable and I liked it a lot. Sold it when I saw a 1098 on a French film. It's a grand bike and was cheap to buy, run and insure.
I might just add, I also have a super blackbird and a honda f6c Valkyrie which I bought really only because it looks like Judge Dredds bike. They are both absolutely brilliant bikes but I reckon the F6c would do what you want. And it is properly fast.
When I got my Low Rider S, because I bought it new I got one year's free membership of HOG (Harley owners group). It's not really my scene, badges and Hell's budgie handshakes etc, but I tagged along on a few runs as it cost me nowt and I could pick people's brains on a brand that was comletely new to me. It was actually quite good fun. The demographic was overwhelmingly over 50 but they did a lot of miles, two runs a week, at least, lots of charity runs and events (usually in aid of children's charities or the North East Air Ambulance) and they rode all year round in all weathers. There was blokes on £30,000 baggers doing Santa charity runs in December in rain and sleet. I admit, I wimped out on that. My bike was tucked up in a shed on an Optimiser. Most of them had European and/or Japanese bikes as well and a lot of them, particularly the younger ones, came to Harleys from sports bikes and saw no conflict in keeping both a Harley and an R1M or Panigale in the garage at the same time. TBH it was a bit of an eye-opener when it came to brand snobbery, which was always incoming came from other brand riders towards Harleys. I never saw the other way round, except for a bit of good natured ribbing. They were well organised and courteous too. We went out on a mid week evening run one summer and came across some horse riders on a back road. Simultaneously every bike pulled over and stopped and killed their engines until the horses had passed. Not sure I'd buy another Harley. Mostly because there isn't one in the current line-up I really want, or at least could afford. And I've owned a Rocket 3. Once you tasted cruisering with 170 odd ft/lb of torque it's hard to accept anything less. I find the Harley-hate tedious TBH. I don't care what anyone rides. I don't like Enfields myself. Not my thing at all. But I wouldn't knock someone else who does. They're all two-wheelers and that's all that matters to me.
When I bought the F6C at Macclesfield superbikes (who I genuinely couldn't recommend highly enough, for a deeply caring and personal assistance/service as my dad passed away when I was supposed to complete) there was a rocket in the corner which was the nicest looking bike I ever saw. Carbon and gold sounds awful but it was absolutely beautiful. 20k though sadly. I've always had them on my list, but the Valkyrie is such a nice bike I'll stick with it for a good while for my commuting.
I liked my Rocket. The ridiculous level of propulsion is hugely addictive. Nothing on two wheels pulls in 6th gear from 2000 rpm like those things. But I couldn't have had it as an only bike. It was just too big and cumbersome. Handling was ace on power on fast twisty roads and while it would out-haul mates on supernakeds on roll-ons it was hard work on nadgery B roads. My Harley was actually heavier than the Rocket - and the LRS is Harley's idea of a pared down "sports" model - but on the move it didn't feel it. Though the Rocket had better brakes and suspension (Harleys always seem to be under-sprung and under-damped, I think because the American market likes it that way) the Harley actually felt lighter. Maybe psychological because it had less sheer bulk. But I had doubts about the build quality of the Rocket. It was reliable and not in any way shoddy but little details had distant alarm bells ringing about how it would age. And I enquired at one point with Big CC racing about sticking a turbo on it (yeah I know but I've always been a more-is-more sort of person) and they said they'd worked on 2.5 Rockets before and had doubts about the quality of the Thai steel in the engine components and warned against trying to push them too far. It was at that point I traded it for a 1260 Diavel and I don't regret it in the least. I'm glad I've owned and experienced a Rocket 3. Everyone should ride one once. It really is an experience.
Buy what you like and fuck everybody else's views, if the fastest F1, Motogp and T T lads buys one then the rest would think well that's ok then and follow suit............maybe.
