my harley is nearly 15 years old and it runs beautifully... The new engines (the ones that started with the 88ci one back in 1999) are really quite reliable and pleasant to work on when you need to. Tools are simple and plentiful. Honestly if you want to talk about bikes that are a bitch to work on its got to be 80s era Japanese bikes. I had a Yamaha Maxim that had an electrical diagram that would make your head spin and the engines are often so compact that they are incredibly hard to work on, especially on the side of the road.

luckily, while harley has improved its reliability, Japanese bikes have improved their maintainability and right now there are a ton of good bikes on the road, not to mention Victory and Indian and a lot of Euro brands that you didn't see in the states back then. Its a good time to be on 2 wheels.

I have a lot of friends who ride bikes in the city, most of them have been hit or had a door opened into their path. Don't get cocky or you may find yourself bleeding one the pavement one day.

They happen often enough on interstates, but worse are multi-lane state highways, they are usually more constricted and people treat the 2 lane ones pretty much like they are regular roads and change lanes with very little consideration.

I learned to ride in New Jersey, land of such roads... these days I barely notice when someone cuts me off or merges into my lane. I am numb to it.

on a bike, even a tiny hit can be lethal. People merge into motorcycles all the time without even noticing. I don't even react anymore when it happens, I just avoid them and then get away from them. Its not even worth getting upset about it because it happens just about every time I go out on the bike.

Humm, they why is it that I can hear them coming up my street 10 seconds before I can see them? I must have magic ears.

You should really get your hearing checked, that is not good. I ride a 2000 HD lowrider, not a super quiet bike, and I can hear plenty around me.

You mean doctors and lawyers?

Nobody buys a motorcycle because they are concerned about their safety, the idea that somehow harleys are extra dangerous is asinine. Motorcycles are dangerous, in large part because car drivers are often distracted and don't notice bikes on the road around them.

you can get a device that basically flips your high beams on and off during the day, it improves visibility a lot. There are also flashing break light kits that draw extra attention. Lots of stuff helps but there is no single fix for distracted drivers checking facebook on the road.

riders are taught to ride durring the day with high beams on. It makes a huge difference in how many people notice you. Noise matters too, my bike is louder than my girlfriends and when we ride together people don't end up cutting her off nearly as much as they do when she is alone.

Now those stupid loud straight pipes, those are just compensation.... but I do think a totally silent bike would kill a lot of riders. This one doesn't seem to fall into that category though, it still makes noise, though its not a very pleasant one from the movie they released.

I would rather they called it a car.... I don't want more people with motorcycle endorsements with no actual ability to ride a bike that is not this one.

Sure, you might have had to take the test or course on a "real" bike but it takes a lot more hours than that to become competent at riding.

For the company, they really want to be a car, the motorcycle test is quite difficult and the rider education course is expensive... they would be much better off if anyone with a car license could drive this... which is how it should be if it basically acts like a car.

Is there actually a separate endorsement for them? What about those weird ass spiders with the 2 wheels in front, from what I have seen those ride more like a motorcycle than a traditional trike.

I had no idea any states did this... It does make sense... some skills translate but others habits might get you killed. Still, it must be a pain for older riders who just want to move to a trike for ease and comfort when they find out they need a new license.

to be fair, if its a stop sign with nobody else there, I like to try to keep my feet up and stay balanced for a 2 count before continuing on.... if you can do it you look badass... if you fuck up and have to throw a foot down suddenly you look like an idiot :-)

You know the score, pal. If your not cops your little people.

Maybe if you cover up all the EVO badging and take off the stock body work that differentiates it. It may not be that different but I can spot them (or BMW M series cars, or Audi R series cars) without much trouble. I'm sure a cop who spends all day driving around and pulling over cars would also get pretty good at it.