I road a Harley and I must say...
 

I enjoyed being on two wheels. Two wheels are always better than none. With that said, here is the deal, I rented a Harley Dyna Glide Lowrider fuel injected bucket o bolts, and still managed to have fun. Every second though I was wishing it was my hawk. I have a feeling that the superhawk is going to be the bike that all other bikes I ride will be measured.

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Getting a full face helmet and a jacket was like pulling teeth. Appearantly the only reason to wear one is if it is cold out, not much of a problem in Palm Springs. Lucky for me the guy let me rummage through his helmet stash and this one fit me, a dusty scratched relic, still better than a skid lid.
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Headed out to "Big Bear Lake". I didn't know it was at 7k feet and that I would have to climb over a pass at 8500 feet, brrrr.
http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/w...esert09087.jpg
Whats with the flimsy single rotor? One of many problems in the design among other things like an unreadable tack, shacky loose chassis, and passenger foot peg connected to the rear swing arm :confused:.
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Up and up I went for 45 miles
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Made it to Big Bear Lake now time to go over the pass again, so cold it hurt.
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Day 2
 

You get 24 hrs so from the day before I had until 2 on this day to return the bike. Day one I rode 200 miles or so.

Headed south this time out HW 74 up into the mountains.
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You can see the road I am on snaking up the mountainside.
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On this ride the scenery was alot different then the day before. White sand and completly desolate road ways entrapped me, it felt lonely and hostile at times, I prayed the Harley wouldn't break down as there was also no cell phone coverage.

All in all a good time. The Harley sucked without a windshield and was a handful in turns, to me it felt like the steering bearings where loose, then I realized Harley doens't use bearings just compressed greese :p. The motor was decent but really was unmoving, I wasn't overwhelmed but I also was not disappointed. Suspension felt like a badly set up vintage bike, surprising since the fork legs are twice the diameter of the old bikes. Did I mention all the knocking chassis noises. It was ok comfort wise but that mostly had to do with the standard foot peg position. I won't ever buy one, already have a motorcycle that is pretty hard to beat in every catagory. Hope you all enjoy the pics thanks for reading.

if you ever decide to rent another harley, try a touring bike like the streetglide. it is a totally different riding experience than the dyna. It has a windshield, radio and better ergo's.

Awesome trip! That place looks like a blast.

I have never ridden a Harley. I have a friend who has rented a Fat Boy several times. He said he really liked it. He rode 2 up with his wife and is contemplating buying one for 2 up riding and scenery gazing.

Thanks for sharing. Yeah those awesome roads definitely look like they'd be better enjoyed on something else. I've always enjoyed riding Harleys, but then again I love everything on two wheels as long as it runs properly. I have always thought the brakes were for shit-half the brakes and the bike weighs twice as much. I guess I just don't expect a very sporting (or modern feeling ;) ) ride and ride it for what it is. It's like driving a musclecar or classic car when you're used to driving modern sportscars. There's still lots of enjoyment to be had (depending on your frame of mind), just a different kind of fun that might not be for everybody.

I've ridden an Electra-Glide. What a behemoth! I could see myself crashing it if I tried to ride it in a spirited manner. With that much weight, stopping distances are just not what I'm used to. :eek:

A different kind of riding for sure. If I were ever to buy a cruiser (:rolleyes:), I think a Moto Guzzi would be so much cooler. :cool:

Great write-up and fantastic pictures! They really made me feel like I was there, but stupid question: where was your trip/

'dude on the Hawk GT list went to the only rally I attended (at T.W.O.) on a 'guzzi Stone. This guy could ride like mad, leaving most of the hawk riders and a lot of local squids in the dust -- just more reminder than it's often the man, not the machine, that makes the difference.

If *I* was going to get a cruiser it would HAVE to be the Yam Warrior. That bike is just MEAN!

Randy

After seeing this video I am thinking Triumph Rocket III

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvjOZV7i3lY

On day one I left Palm Springs on the I-10 North to exit 85 then east on HW 38 over the pass until HW 18 to Big Bear.

On day two I left from my in-laws condo in Palm Desert. They live off of Monterey which eventually turns into HW 74 (Pictured) then left onto HW 371, North on HW 79 west on 78. Then north on I -10 back to the rental place. I covered about 260 miles from 8:30 to 1:45. I wouldn't call my riding spirited I really took it easy, I guess I just assumed with it huge fork legs and the fact it was only a year old for it to feel a bit more stable.

I got home yesterday in Portland surprised to se it was sunny, so I hopped on the Hawk for a short ride. It was nice to be back on my favorite bike. I wish there was an easy way to have it with me when I visit Southern Cali.

Looks familiar
 

Dressed up in the same leather jacket that I have, it almost looks like me in the pics. Those windy roads look inviting enough! But not having cell contact on some of those "lonely roads" is a bit disconcerting. Too bad I wasn't down there with you on a rented V Rod. Just kidding. I'd rather be on my old bike.

My former brother-in-law put together a crashed (it had been centerpunched by a car) 1982 Lowrider back in 1984-85, he still has it. I razzed him about how many parts were made in Japan.

That bike was my first experience with large amounts of torque...I loved it, but hated the weight and riding position. I had a '78 CX500 set up for canyon racing then...it actually would have looked like a cafe racer if it had clipons and a solo seat.

Next time you visit Palm Springs, try the 74 to the 243, through Idylwild to Banning where you can loop back to Palm Springs on the 10, or reverse your direction from Banning and do it backwards to get back to Palm Desert. The Idylwild to Banning stretch on the 243 is one of my favorite roads, but it would be torture to ride it on a Harley.

Thought those pics looked familiar..welcome to SoCal, some nice roads here. Just got back from Big Bear myself. I think you would have enjoyed the roads a lot more on the 'Hawk.

+1 on the 74/243 ride, one of my faves!

forget the faults of the bike, look at the roads you were on!!!

there where still smiles per miles, just not as many. Next time I will try 243 considering all of the recommendations. Any one in So Cal want to let me borrow their hawk?

Uhhhh...no.

chilly?
 

Didn't the Harley have any heated grips?:shock:

Wow! That video was badass!

nope, but I wished it did

Big bear lake is a nice ride used to do it all the time, nice pics.

Andrew, cool report.

Thanks for the pics.

But you did miss one out - where's the pic of you in town watching yourself in the store windows as you putt putt putt past?

Cheers.

No time for putt putting, although I am stylin' in that leather jacket! :D.

Maybe next year I can somehow get the cafe racer down there.

They didn't have a new XR1200 to rent, huh? it would have been a better experience for your riding style. Nice pics regardless. Any curvy road on any bike is always a good day! :)

yeah... the xr would have been totally awesome! However the XR the only harley to catch my eye isn't being sold in the US, what is wrong with Harley anyways? They have a sportier bike, they say they want to capture a younger croud in the US but then ship their best chance, to date, overseas.

Yeah it is. They stated selling it this year. You need to hang out in Harley shops more! :D

Or you could maybe have gotten your hands on a Buell 1125R. I got to ride one on the track and they are like a SH on steroids. :)

Yeah, pretty much anywhere you can enjoy a Harley is 3x more enjoyable on a superhawk!

Here's one I rented, yup I think the full face and textile jacket scared off some waves. I had only been riding for 8 months, and 1 month on the superhawk, I was just happy to get out of the parking lot without dropping it, lol.

I did split lanes through a NH traffic backup though which motivated a few others to follow which were too afraid to otherwise.

Try walking a 700 lb bike for an hour with a passenger in 2 mph traffic.

Here's the g/f checking the map:

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She'd never try taking pictures from the back of the hawk, she got a bunch on this trip...

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I skipped over the part where you're from Oregon. That palms to pines highway is awesome except for the blind cagers that are on it sometimes. We cruise up there and back from SD on occasion. Fun hanging off the bike on those long sweepers (and ducking under motorhome mirrors!) The whole area south of there is biker's heaven. I've never been up the road to Big Bear except after a snow.

Figures a woman would want to be looking at a map! :rolleyes:

"No honey, we aren't lost"

I guess she couldn't talk you into stopping for directions...:p

I saw an XR1200 on Pacific Coast Highway in Dana Point last Sunday. He was following another Harley, and they were both riding very tentatively as my wife and I passed them on our bikes.

You took the right road up to Big Bear, Hwy 38 out of Redlands, as the 18 from San Bernardino is much more heavily traveled. But the 18 never gets above 6,000 feet.

cool pics dude.

honestly i think one of the coolest things about riding motos is the moment when "it" clicks and you can appreciate and enjoy a ride at damn near any speed.