Hog Fanatic

Bike Night At Quaker Steak & Lube

Harley Fan — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 14:07:59 +0000

Here in the Omaha/Council Bluffs area, Quaker Steak & Lube has a weekly motorcycle night that regularly attracts several hundred motorcycle enthusiasts for food, drinks and fun.

I had the opportunity to go to the Bike Night on Wednesday the 5th of August with some neighbors and friends of mine. We had 4 motorcycles in our convoy - my bike, a Victory, a Fat Boy, and an Ultra Classic.

My 2009 Road King Classic

The ride over was great, and the first time I'd really ridden with a group. We stayed in staggered formation the whole way from Elkhorn to Council Bluffs and had no problems.

We arrived pretty early - around 5 or so - and managed to score some good parking up front. There wasn't much of a crowd to begin with, but the parking lot was sectioned off for the motorcycles - if you had a car, you were kind of out of luck, because you had to walk a ways.

ID checks were done on the front patio, with wristbands given to those eligible. I had a kamikaze and called it a night, drinking-wise.

We went inside to eat when the band got started, but I managed to get a bunch of pictures of the event. Here they are, in no particular order:

Motorcycle Night At Quaker Steak and Lube Early On

Lot Full Of Motorcycles At Quaker Steak And Lube

More Motorcycles At Quaker Steak And Lube

Still More Motorcycles At Quaker Steak And Lube Bike Night

Lone Boss Hoss At The Motorcycle Night

Choppers In The Front Row Of Motorcycle Night

Chopper Row At Motorcycle Night

Awesome Chopper At QS&L

Another Awesome Chopper at QS&L

It was a great night, Quaker Steak and Lube made a point of having enough security on hand to keep everything running smoothly, the food was good and the people were friendly. After we left (a bit early, to take advantage of the remaining daylight) we had a nice 45 minute ride through Iowa's trees.

I'm looking forward to taking the wife with me next time we go.

2010 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Lo

Harley Fan — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:52:54 +0000

After the 2010 Harley-Davidson lineup was announced to the general public on the 25th of July, 2009, the bike that generally stood out the most was the new Fat Boy Lo - a lower and darker version of the extremely popular regular Fat Boy model.

Replacing the Night Train, which didn't return for the 2010 Harley-Davidson model year, as the softail's "Dark Custom" model, the Fat Boy Lo is an exciting new addition to the Harley lineup. As the year progresses, we'll see how many people hop onto this new model.

2010 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Lo Side View

2010 Fat Boy Lo Pricing

Going with the basic Vivid Black color will cost you $16,299 while the Black Denim upgrade color brings an MSRP of $16,674.

A factory-installed security will set you back an additional $370. If you're in California, you can expect to pay a $200 emissions fee.

2010 Fat Boy Lo Overview And Features

So how does the new 2010 Fat Boy Lo stand out from the rest of the Harley-Davidson lineup? Well, let's take a look:

First and foremost, the front and rear suspension have each been lowered by 1.15 inches. This gives the Fat Boy Lo model a "long and low" stance. With the lowering of the suspension, the Fat Boy lo seat height is just 24.25 inches which is the lowest of any Harley-Davidson model.

The seat for the 2010 Fat Boy Lo isn't just a carryover from 2009. It's a new, narrower seat designed to make it possible for almost any rider to place both feet flat on the ground when the motorcycle is at rest.

The stainless steel 1.25-inch-diameter handlebar has the wiring routed internally, giving a clean and custom look. The Fat Boy Lo handlebar is narrower than the Fat Boy handlebar. Owners who are serious about blacking out their motorcycle should consider switching these shiny handlebars for something blacked-out.

The half-moon rider footboards are similar to what is on the regular Fat Boy, but are finished in gloss black on the Fat Boy Lo.

The wheels on the Fat Boy Lo are going to be stolen and used on other bikes - mark my words. The regular, shiny stainless steel bullet hole 17-inch wheels front and rear have been swapped out with slick looking wheels with black centers and machined outer rims. Tire sizes are 200 mm-17 rear and 140 mm-17 front.

The fuel tank is the classic "Fat Bob" fuel tank, which has been topped with a satin-chrome console featuring a nice-looking speedometer and ignition switch, a leather tank panel with a new Harley-Davidson medallion, and classic-looking satin-chrome tank side badges.

The 2010 Fat Boy Lo comes from the factory with over/under shotgun exhaust pipes with satin-chrome mufflers and muffler shields, and flat-black header shields. Why they went with this, I have no idea. The first thing I'd do on this bike is swap out that exhaust with something dark.

As you can see from the picture here, Harley-Davidson designers did put a fair amount of blacked-out parts on the 2010 Fat Boy Lo.

2010 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy Lo

The denim black finish was applied to the frame, the swingarm, the front shock covers, the derby cover, the horn cover, the oil tank and the air cleaner cover. They missed the front fork covers, though, and that should be one of the first purchases for any new owner.

A counter-balanced Twin Cam 96B V-Twin powertrain is rigid-mounted in the frame and gives the Fat Boy Lo model 93.67 ft. lbs. of peak torque at 3000 rpm. The engine is finished in black powdercoat with bright machined highlights on the cylinder fins, and satin-chrome engine and primary drive covers.

The 2010 Fat Boy Lo 6-Speed Cruise Drive transmission features a new helical-cut fifth gear that's designed to address the "whine" that annoys some Harley riders.

Conclusion

For those Harley owners who intend to buy a bike and black it out, the 2010 Fat Boy Lo is a good way to save some cash on modifications that you'd do anyway. You're going to want to swap out the exhaust and front lower fork covers for something blacked out, but most people change those out anyways. As a blank canvas, the Fat Boy Lo is a great starting point for a really sweet ride.

Fat Boys Available On e-Bay:

Harley Davidson Softail 2007 Harley Davidson Fat Boy Softail lots of extras

29 Bids

US $9,200.69

1d 3h 35m

Harley Davidson Softail 2006 Screamin Eagle Fatboy FLSTFSE2 fat boy

28 Bids

US $14,600.00

1d 21h 58m

Harley Davidson Softail FLSTF FATB FAT BOY USED 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON SOFTAIL FLSTF FATBOY FATB

US $13,695.00

17m

Harley Davidson Softail FLSTF Fat Boy 1997 Harley Davidson FLSTF Fat Boy

17 Bids

US $4,051.00

2d 12h 41m

Family Trip To Kansas City Made Even Better By Riding My Harley There And Back

Harley Fan — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 17:07:46 +0000

It had been a while since the family had gone anywhere together, so my wife decided that it would be a great idea to have the family drive down to Kansas City, rent three family rooms at Great Wolf Lodge and enjoy four days both there and at Worlds of Fun.

Of course, the first thing that popped into my head when she brought this idea up to me was:

Oh, hey. I could ride my new Harley down there.

Now, I wanted to ride the Harley because it would be fun, because I hadn't been on a real "long ride" before and because I wanted to see how a Harley-Davidson touring class bike really "toured."

I didn't want to ride the bike because a nearly 3-hour trip with a 5-year-old, a 3-year-old and a 8-month-old in a confined vehicle would be crazy. That wasn't on my mind at all.

I swear.

So I brought the idea up with the woman in charge, and somehow, my awesome wife agreed to let me ride the Harley down to Kansas City, following them the entire way.

551 Miles - before leaving on trip

On the morning of our trip, our entire party loaded up 4 vehicles with 9 people and luggage - a Durango, a mid-sized sedan, a Honda CRV and my 2009 Road King Classic. Everything went smoothly, which was a surprise in a way and wasn't a surprise in another way - my wife's a master of organization.

To say that I was looking forward to this ride was an understatement. I've never taken a long trip on a motorcycle, the longest being about an hour ride from Tecumseh to Omaha on my father-in-law's Honda Shadow Aero.

Since we started out at 9:20 on a Sunday morning, the traffic was light. That, combined with the great weather, put me in a damn good mood and I settled into the saddle of my 2009 Road King Classic for a good long ride.

I will admit that after about an hour of riding, I started to get a little sore.

After a few minutes more, I wanted to pull over for a bit.

I just couldn't get comfortable! I'd move around on the seat a bit, trying to adjust the pressure points for comfort's sake - but nothing worked for long. I tried standing on the footrests, lifting my legs, resting them on the engine guards. At most, I'd have 5 minutes of comfortable riding before I had to move again.

I think that if I had gone and picked up some decent highway footrests, I would have been a lot more comfortable on the ride down.

FOOT PEGS HIGHWAY 4 HARLEY MOTORCYCLE V TWIN 1 125

US $49.95

3d 8h 19m

NEW PAIR HIGHWAY PEGS W HOLES HARLEY HONDA JAP METRIC

US $8.99

3d 11h 5m

Kuryakyn Large 1 1 4 Highway Iso Pegs

US $90.95

1d 3h 11m

HARLEY IRONHEAD SPORTSTER HIGHWAY PEGS EXT MOUNTS

US $29.95

5d 10h 50m

So I think I'll be looking at either eBay or checking with the parts guys over at Dillon Brothers Harley-Davidson in the next few weeks for some good-looking highway pegs to put on the bike.

First Stop On Our Trip To Kansas City

Luckily for me, someone else decided that they needed to stop at one of the ubiquitous rest stops dotting the Missouri freeways.

I enjoyed the respite from the little more than an hour of riding that I'd done. I took off my helmet, stretched my legs a little, got a drink and took the above picture.

That done, our little convoy hit the road again.

Now, my wife asked me before we left if I had enough gas to make the trip. Since a 2009 Road King Classic has a 6 gallon fuel tank, and since I probably get between 40-50 miles per gallon, I figured that even if I did a little driving on the full tank of gas that I got on the Saturday before we left, I'd still have plenty of gas to get me to Kansas City.

I was wrong, sort of.

I watched my fuel indicator lights vanish, one by one, as we rode further. Finally, as I had one dot left and my fuel gauge warning light went on, I let the wife know that I needed to get some gas and pulled over at the next exit.

So, with the wife looking on and fuming that the convoy was being separated, I sheepishly filled up my gas tank, hopped back on, turned my iPhone back on and got back onto I-29.

Looking back, I probably had enough gas to make it into the hotel parking lot. I'm still glad that I stopped - it made the rest of the ride more comfortable.

Finally, after arriving in Kansas City, and after a brief stop at the Legends mall to eat at the T-Rex Cafe and to shop for and buy two leather jackets from Wilson's outlet store, we found our hotel.

760 Miles - arrived at Great Wolf Lodge

It was nice to get off the bike and stretch out for a while.

When I set out on the trip, the thing I was most worried about - and the thing my wife enjoyed pointing out the most as a reason I shouldn't take the motorcycle - was the potential for rain.

According to forecasts, rain on the way down to Kansas City wasn't going to be a problem. Once we were there, however, there was a 30 percent chance that there'd be significant thunderstorms - especially during the last two days.

It did rain heavily on Monday, starting with a light drizzle while the family and I were wandering around Worlds of Fun, and graduating to a full-blown lightning and thunder show later on that evening while we swam around in the Great Wolf Lodge indoor water park.

The bike got rained on, but oh well. Free bike wash.

While in Kansas City, I never really had a chance to take the motorcycle out for much of a cruise, although I did take it out to the local Walgreen's pharmacy to get some various and sundry items that the family needed.

The family drove to a few places to eat, and I did want to mention a place called Granny's Chicken Ranch - because it sticks in my mind as the worst meal I've had in a while. I ordered a three breast meal, and I'm not sure how, but they managed to make one piece taste overcooked and dry, the second merely decent and the third perfect.

The chicken strips for the kids were horrible, and I'm not a picky eater. If you have to down a few swallows of water to choke down a chicken strip meant for kids, there's something wrong.

Nobody else in the family had a problem with their meal at Granny's Chicken Ranch however, so these may have been isolated happenings.

799 Miles - About to head back home

Since we had a two-day pass to Worlds of Fun, and since the kids had such a good time visiting there the first time, we decided to stop by for a few hours before we hit the road and headed home.

799 Miles - sitting in the Worlds of Fun parking lot

We rode a few rides, and we had some funnel cake. I think the adults were all tired, but the kids had a lot of fun and that's really what matters.

The morning that we left, I checked the weather forecast and saw that there were nothing but clear skies in store for the ride back home.

Awesome.

My father in law left in the mid-size sedan earlier that morning. My sister-in-law and her friend and her friend's kid left in the CRV at about 4:30 in the afternoon, and I left a few minutes later, after changing into jeans and getting everything all situated.

I was worried about being tired for the ride home, but it turns out that fatigue wasn't even an issue. As soon as I got on the bike and headed for the interstate, I got that smile on my face once again and the tiredness just dropped away.

I was also a little worried that I'd be feeling that same fatigue on the ride back home that I had on the ride down.

Let me tell you...riding a motorcycle on a long ride while making sure you stay with a group of people in cars, and riding a motorcycle when you can go as fast as you want, stop when you want and start again when you want...these are totally different rides.

I stopped twice on the way back home. Once about 30 minutes outside KC for gas, once for a drink. Other than those quick stops, it was sheer riding pleasure.

I briefly hit 110 miles an hour while passing a few semi trucks.

There was no seat fatigue at all.

My bike ran flawlessly smooth.

It rocked.

I loved every second.

Back home with 1006 Miles on the odometer

My 2009 Road King Classic sitting in the driveway after our family vacation to Kansas City

While the ride home was absolutely fantastic, I was still happy to pull into my own driveway and chill out for a while. The wife's sister showed up in the CRV about 30 minutes after I got home, and the wife herself showed up a few hours later, so I had a good amount of downtime to myself.

If you're interested in long-distance riding, there's no better way to do it than on the back of a Harley-Davidson touring motorcycle. If you're in the market for a Harley and want to get a good price, you should definitely check out what people are selling theirs for on eBay.

Harley Davidson Touring Electraglide 08 Harley Davidson Ultra Classic 96 Cuin Electraglide

34 Bids

US $14,200.00

1h 2m

Harley Davidson Touring FLH HARLEY PANHEAD 1965 {BARN FIND NO RESERVE LK

31 Bids

US $8,188.88

3h 21m

Harley Davidson Touring 2003 Harley Davidson Road King Classic 100th Anniv

31 Bids

US $14,802.00

4h 10m

Harley Davidson Touring FLHP 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHP POLICE ROAD KING

32 Bids

US $13,000.00

1d 9h 14m

Harley Davidson Touring 2009 HARLEY DAVIDSON FLHT ELECTRA GLIDE

36 Bids

US $15,100.00

4d 1h 1m

Harley Davidson Touring FLTR Harley Road King Trike w Reverse NO RESERVE on a HD

31 Bids

US $10,500.00

4d 12h 21m

Every year, thousands and thousands of people buy and sell Harley-Davidson motorcycles on eBay. Try it and find yourself a great deal.

My Week Of Riding From The 11th To The 17th Of July

Harley Fan — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 03:30:38 +0000

Saturday was a good day to ride the Harley. A little overcast but with nothing falling from the sky, it was the kind of weather that makes for interesting scenery as you chug along. I took the bike to Owen and Logan's t-ball game, following behind the wife as she drove the Durango. She did not want me to do this, but she had no choice, as I am the man.

Here's the bike as it sat in the driveway, waiting for the wife to come home:

My ride on the driveway

Once I got home, it was time to get ready for work.

The weather in Omaha is...mercurial.

It changes, often quickly.

Quick changes in the weather can make my ride home not fun, so that's why I check the weather before I go. If there's a significant chance for rain on my ride home, I'll take the car.

No rain in the forecast for Saturday, so I took the bike.

After getting to work

On bike before setting off for home

There was rain in the forecast for Sunday, so I took the car, despite the fact that Sunday nights are the best day for riding home. Nobody on the road, nobody out drinking on a Sunday night, perfect riding conditions.

And, of course, it didn't rain like the weatherguys said it would.

So, despite the fact that there was a slight chance of rain in the forecast for Monday, I took the bike to work.

Before setting out for work

After I got to work

After I got home, I noticed that my new bike was creeping towards a nice, round number. A milestone, if you will.

Putting some miles on the bike

I didn't get a chance to ride to work that next day, and I took off Wednesday, so I just rode the bike over to my mom's house on Thursday, following the wife as she carted the kids in the Durango.

When I got there, I got there.

500 miles on my new motorcycle

Just got my first bill from the Harley credit guys, and I can say with all my heart that the 2009 Road King Classic I bought was worth every penny. I'm loving each day I get to ride it.

Why I Am Buying Harley Stock

Harley Fan — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:27:14 +0000

I've driven a lot of cars in my lifetime.

When I did my stint selling cars back home in California, I had an opportunity to drive a good variety of nice cars. Some of the cars I took out for a spin were considered highly desireable, and were priced in the $50,000 - $85,000 range.

Despite their price tag, despite the "awesomeness factor" of those cars, I never had as big of a smile driving them as I do every single day that I can ride my Harley.

When I ride, it's a completely different experience than when I drive - even though when I ride, I'm going over the same roads and interstates that I drove every day.

You notice things when you ride.

You see more.

You think less.

You're more "In the moment."

When I get to work and when I get home from work, I'm in a better mood if I rode my Harley than I normally am when I drive.

So what's this about buying Harley stock? Have I gone and swallowed the Harley-Davidson Kool-Aid? Am I basing what should be a logical decision on an emotional feeling?

If you follow the stock market at all, Harley-Davidson has been getting hammered by stock analysts who are warning people - especially short-term investors - to stay away from buying Harley's stock:

While the company normally does not release mid-quarter sales figures - although it did during the middle of the first quarter of 2009 - a survey by Robert W. Baird showed sales slipped again in the first part of the spring.

New motorcycle sales were down at the surveyed dealers during April and the first part of May by between 20 and 25 percent.

Dealers said they had problems with everything from the economy to the weather.

Harley said last week it was beginning another trade-in promotion through the end of August to help sales.

* On average, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect Harley to report a profit of 25 cents per share on revenue of $1.18 billion. In the same quarter last year, the company posted a profit of 76 cents per share on revenue of $1.4 billion.

* An RBC Capital Markets analyst lowered his sales estimates for motorcycle maker Harley Davidson Inc. and suggested investors "avoid" the company's shares in the short term.

* KeyBanc analyst Scott Hamann wrote to investors on Tuesday that "It is our expectation that the general economy and deteriorating employment numbers could hinder significant increases in motorcycle purchases."

Ok then. Here's some more:

RBC analyst Edward Aaron said sentiment on Harley is "very negative" on weaker second-quarter sales, which Aaron estimates will fall 25 to 30 percent, following a 10 percent first-quarter decline.

"While Harley's inventory issues are not quite as bad as other areas of recreational products, dealer inventory levels are clearly too high heading into the model-year changeover," wrote Aaron in a research note.

Harley is also expected to announce production cuts this week when it reports second-quarter results. Aaron said that Harley's high fixed-cost structure is also problematic, but restructuring efforts at its York, Penn., plant has the potential to restore investor confidence.

"In the interim, extremely weak demand and downward estimate revisions leave the stock vulnerable, in our view," he wrote.

Aaron, who rates the shares "Sector Perform," cut his price target to $16 per share from $18 per share.

With all the analysts warning people to stay away from HD stock, why would I go out and buy it, other than the fact that I'm someone who just naturally looks to go a different way than the crowd?

Harley-Davidson is a company with a hundred-year history. They've gone through problems before (AMF, anyone?) and come through. They have some of the most advanced design and manufacturing processes in the world when it comes to motorcycles. They have a brand that would cost so much to overcome by any competitor coming into the market that Harley would have to cut their own throats in order to lose market position.

Will Harley cut their own throats? Will they move their factories to Mexico? Will they screw up their designs so badly that their fans lose interest, shrug and look at their cheaper competitors' offerings?

Maybe they will. I doubt it, but it could happen.

I don't think anyone wakes up and thinks, "I want to own a piece of Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners," despite the fact that PSE has been performing pretty well and has good analyst reviews.

Buy stock in what you believe in. Buy stock in companies that treat their customers right, in companies who sell what you and your neighbor and your neighbor's neighbor and his brother want to buy. They may not have the money to buy one right now, but sooner or later

For me, that's Harley stock.

New to investing?

Here's what I do to invest in Harley-Davidson stock, easily and with the least amount of fees:

I have my Sharebuilder account set to buy a certain, small amount of Harley stock every pay period.

I use Sharebuilder because ShareBuilder is designed to make dollar-cost averaging easy by allowing you to buy in dollar amounts - dollar-based investing. When you buy stocks at a typical brokerage, you can only buy whole shares. If your chosen stock sells for $70 a share, and you have $200 to invest, then you can only buy two shares for $140 (plus commissions). The remaining $60 has to sit on the sidelines until the next month (which means it can't be working for you in your portfolio).

If you have $50 a month to invest at a typical brokerage, and the stock you've selected currently sells for $85 a share, what do you do? Either you wait until you scrape together the remaining $35 (and hope the price doesn't go higher), or you find another stock.

With ShareBuilder, dollar-based investing means you can purchase fractional shares with the entire amount of your investment dollars. Your $200 will buy you 2.857 shares of your $70 stock (without a transaction fee). Or your $50 will buy you 0.588 shares of your $85 stock, so you don't have to put off investing until tomorrow.

As a nice little bonus, if you're a member of Costco, you can sign up for Sharebuilder and get a bonus deposited into your account when you open it and make your first stock purchase.

Over time, I think investing in Harley stock with Sharebuilder will work out very well for me, because I do believe in the Harley brand. Whether or not the same thing would work for you is something for you to consider.

Added A Sissy Bar And Backrest To My Road King Classic

Harley Fan — Sat, 11 Jul 2009 16:01:14 +0000

After taking my wife and my mother for a ride on the back of my 2009 Road King Classic on the 3rd of July, we all realized that two-up riding is fun.

For those of us who are in the drivers seat - me - it's more fun.

For those of us who are trying to stay on the passenger pillion without slipping off the back - my mother, wife and anyone else who happened to jump on - it's not as much fun so much as a terrifying.

I'd imagine that slipping off the back of a motorcycle that's going about 40-50 miles per hour would be very bad.

So the consensus is that passengers would feel much more secure riding if they either had something to hold onto, or if they had some kind of backrest that would keep them from flying off the back of the bike when it got moving. I, on the other hand, did not want to have something permanently bolted to my bike. I like the looks of the solo seat too much.

Sissy Bar and Backrest In Their Boxes

To that end, the wife and I drove over to Dillon Harley here in Omaha to see what we could buy to address the problem satisfactorily.

After talking with Dan Von Seggern at the Dillon Brothers Harley parts counter and explaining to him what we needed, Dan pointed us to part numbers 52627-09 and 52886-98c.

Detachable Sissy Bar And Passenger Pad Boxes Sitting On Counter

Closeup Of Passenger Backrest Pad and Detachable Sissy Bar Box Labels

52627-09 is a Harley-Davidson brand detachable, standard-sized sissy bar that fits Harley's touring motorcycles, such as my 2009 Road King Classic.

52886-98c is a Harley-Davidson brand smooth passenger backrest pad that conveniently comes with the hardware required to bolt onto the detachable sissy bar mentioned above.

If you order the 52886-98c smooth passenger backrest pad from here, be aware that it will not look like the picture shown on Amazon. It will look like it does in the pictures shown below:

Contents Of Sissy Bar And Backrest Boxes

Detachable Sissy Bar And Backrest Assembled

Detachable Sissy Bar and Backrest Assembled Rear View

Once I put together the detachable sissy bar and passenger backrest combo, a process which took all of 5 minutes with an appropriately-sized allen wrench, I took it outside to my bike and put it on.

Fortunately, when I ordered my bike, I had them put on the Harley-Davidson 4-Point Docking Hardware Kit - which is part number 54205-09, for your convenience should you decide to order it for yourself.

I would highly recommend getting that kit when you order your bike, however, as it makes attaching and detaching hardware designed for it incredibly easy, even if you have no actual mechanical aptitude yourself.

Here are pictures of the end result:

Detachable Sissy Bar and Backrest Attached To 2009 Road King Classic

Detachable Sissy Bar and Backrest Attached To Bike View From Directly Behind Bike

Detachable Sissy Bar and Backrest Attached To Bike Viewed From Rear Left

The seating for the passenger was now, according to my wife and my mother, comfortable.

Even babies like it.

Cute Baby Utilizing Detachable Sissy Bar and Backrest For Riding Comfort

Future Harley Rider

Since the whole setup is designed for the passenger on your motorcycle to keep their balance and not feel like they're going to fall off every time you accelerate off a green light, I put it to the test with my mother, who volunteered to be a crash test dummy.

After taking mom for a quick spin around the block, she pronounced the new passenger seating to be "just about perfect," with the only thing missing being a cupholder of some kind.

The cupholder thing will not happen. She will have to deal.

Here's the mileage of the ride we took, before and after:

Mileage before ride

Mileage after ride

If you decide to buy this setup for your own bike, take care to pay attention to the installation instructions. You connect the black front brackets on the sissy bar to the black bracket holders located to the immediate inside position of your rear shocks. Once you locate these (picture/other side), which can be a bit difficult if you haven't had your saddlebags off, installation is a snap.

Taking it all off takes less than 2 minutes. Putting it all on takes less than 4.

Overall, I would say that the detachable sissy bar and passenger backrest combo is a worthwhile purchase for anyone with a Road King or Road King Classic that plans on taking anyone for a ride.

Here are more sissy bars available for sale on eBay:

Harley Detachable SISSY BAR Back Rest Backrest

US $85.00

11d 6h 27m

Sissy Bar Side Plate Detachable 04 up Sportster

US $110.00

26d 5h 7m

celibi 4 IN 1 DETACHABLE SISSY BAR BAG LUGGAGE BAGS

US $104.95

2d 23h 42m

Detachable Sissy Bar Sideplates Gloss Black

US $125.95

8d 6h 48m

And here are more passenger backrests for sale on eBay:

HARLEY SOFTAIL PASSENGER BACKREST PAD SMOOTH 51641 06

US $59.95

2d 11h 14m

Harley D Touring Passenger Backrest Pad VRSC 51645 06

US $49.00

4d 7h 4m

HARLEY SOFTAIL DEUCE TOURING PASSENGER BACKREST PAD

US $79.95

3d 3h 51m

Harley D VRSC Compact Passenger Backrest Pad 52748 02

US $66.45

3h 46m

Riding To Work From July 5th To The 7th

Harley Fan — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:02:57 +0000

We had a beautiful week for riding motorcycles here in Omaha, so I took advantage of it as often as possible.

I missed riding to work on the 4th of July due to the fact that it was a holiday weekend and I figured there'd be more than the usual amount of idiots on the road - especially when I was riding home at 11:20 at night. So the first time I rode this week was the 5th - Sunday.

Awesome day. Sky was clear, not too hot, not a lot of traffic. I took my time and enjoyed it.

The ride home was especially nice. Almost nobody on the road, so I could relax and enjoy the ride more without having to match speeds with traffic.

Mileage before ride

Mileage After Ride

Mileage after ride home

Same riding atmosphere for Monday the 6th of July - a little more traffic, but that meant I could change lanes a bit more. The Road King Classic is riding like a Cadillac. It doesn't have much in the way of lean, but it's as stable as anything I've ever ridden.

Mileage after getting to work

Mileage after getting home

I was a bit more rushed on the 7th. I intended to try out my other helmet - a 3/4 Harley Davidson Jet II helmet that I'd bought a while back from Holstein's Harley.

After I was all suited up and ready to go, I put on the Jet II and rode to work.

A few things I liked about the Jet II:

It feels like it would protect better if the bike goes down
It cuts down wind noise
The face shield protects against bugs and rocks
It would be great in the rain

Yeah, it feels more solid than the 1/2 helmet that I have. Right after I got on the interstate, I was hit by a small rock or a large bug - right in the face. If I hadn't had the faceshield, it might have hurt a bit. As it was, I just saw it, it hit, and then it was gone. No harm, no foul.

The wind noise was very different while I had the Jet II on. I hit 75 miles per hour without even blinking twice, and it felt like I was moving along at about 40 miles per hour. About a 30 mile per hour difference there.

A few things I didn't like about the Harley Davidson Jet II:

It cuts my hearing down by at least 60-70 percent
You can't feel the ride as much

Wearing the Jet II made me feel like I had a pair of earmuffs over my ears, it cut down the noise so much. It wouldn't be so bad if there were maybe...earholes...or something. Like a football helmet. My wife says that would look really, really silly, but she has a white and turquoise half-helmet that looks like it came out of a Barbie catalog, so what does she know?

After riding with the Jet 2 helmet, I didn't think it cut down my vision at all, but I did feel like I wasn't part of the ride. There was a definite disconnect between me and the road that I didn't like at all.

I'll be sticking with the half-helmet in the future, unless the rain is coming down.

Mileage before ride home

Mileage After Arriving Home

Jet II 3/4 Helmets for sale on eBay:

GENUINE HARLEY DAVIDSON MED JET II MOTORCYCLE HELMET

US $69.99

1d 7h 4m

GENUINE HARLEY DAVIDSON LARGE JET II MOTORCYCLE HELMET

US $69.99

2d 3h 50m

Harley Davidson Jet II 3 4 Motorcycle Helmet Black

US $135.00

2d 2h 20m

Harley Davidson Jet II 3 4 Motorcycle Helmet Silver

US $135.00

2d 4h 43m

HARLEY DAVIDSON JET 2 II 3 4 HELMET 98013 06V NEW XS

US $134.95

4d 9h 29m

Harley Davidson® Mens Jet II 3 4 Helmet 98012 06V XL

US $127.50

12d 9h 28m

More Women Riding Motorcycles Than Ever

Harley Fan — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:40 +0000

If you're like me, you've been trying to get your wife to try riding her own motorcycle for a change instead of sitting on the back of yours.

Some people manage it, others don't. For those who have succeeded in getting your wife on a motorcycle of her own, you're not alone.

I came across a great story featured in the El Paso Times this afternoon and had to share it with my readers - who may or may not be surprised by the numbers shown in the article.

Road Queens

Apparently the Motorcycle Industry Council has released statistics showing that more than 5.75 million women have made the move from the passenger's seat to behind the handlebars.

From the article:

Tim Buche, who represents the Motorcycle Industry Council, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, and Motorcycle Safety Foundation, said that in 1998, the percentage of women riders in the U.S. was only 8.2 percent, but it rose to 9.6 percent in 2003 and 12.3 percent in 2008. Even more significant, of about 2.5 million people who rode motorcycles in the United States in 2008, 23 percent - or 5.75 million - were women.

Very nice! I would imagine that more of those women would be in their 40's or older, especially with the cost of entry barrier that a Harley has, but those more mature women can hopefully lead the way for their younger counterparts.

From the article:

Cindy Barba said she enjoys the independence that riding a motorcycle gives her. According to Barba, "We are a small group and we help support each other," she said. "I am a single mother, so this is my time, this is my hobby, this is my alone time. All these girls are doing the same thing. This is their time on the bike and we all share the same interest, just being out there on our own with the wind in our face."

Sounds good to me. The more people that are on the road with two wheels, the better off all motorcycle enthusiasts.

Link to Original Story: Worlds colllide: More women taking to road on motorcycles

Old Road Harley-Davidson In Burglarized Two Weeks After Opening

Harley Fan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:21:24 +0000

On the first of July, 2009, Old Road Harley-Davidson in Santa Clarita was broken into and burglarized - less than two weeks after the dealership opened its doors to their new location.

According to Old Road Harley-Davidson general manager Doug Maguire, about $30,000 in merchandise was stolen.

Shortly after 9:30 that night, Doug received a call from the dealer's alarm company, that the alarm had gone off at the shop located in the Santa Clarita Centre Pointe Business Park.

By the time Doug arrived on the scene nobody was around - but he found that someone had made off with a large amount of clothing and motorcycle parts after smashing a window to gain entry.

"They knew what they were doing," Doug told the media the day after the break-in.

According to the police, they have no leads as to who did this.

Old Road Harley-Davidson opened their new 24,000-square-foot motorcycle dealership on the 19th of June, 2009, after relocating from Van Nuys after being in the same location since 1965.

According to Doug Maguire, who has been with Old Road Harley-Davidson since 2004, the last time that their Harley dealership was burgled was around 1985:

We were five years in the ghetto and never burgled.

2009 Heritage Softail Classic

Harley Fan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:31:46 +0000

The 2009 Heritage Softail Classic is a flexible ride that's just about the most cost-effective motorcycle in Harley's lineup.

With everything from the factory installed, it's set up for long-distance touring.

With the passenger pillion, the saddlebags and the windshield taken off and put into storage, the Heritage Softail Classic makes for an excellent around-city cruiser, with looks similar to that of the Softail Deluxe.

The 2009 Heritage Softail Classic in vivid black will set you back $17,999. Going with one of the solid colors will bump the price up to $18,344 and the bike in one of the two-tone color paint schemes will cost $18,654.

Available Colors:

Vivid Black
Pewter Pearl
Dark Blue Pearl
Red Hot Sunglo (New for 2009)
Two-Tone White Gold Pearl/Pewter Pearl
Two-Tone Deep Turquoise/Antique White (New for 2009)
Two-Tone Flame Blue Pearl/Pewter Pearl (New for 2009)
Two-Tone Red Hot Sunglo/Smokey Gold
Two-Tone Black Ice/Blue Ice (Custom Color Available October through December 2008)
Two-Tone Light Candy Root Beer/Dark Candy Root Beer (Custom Color Available January through March 2009)
Two-Tone Big Purple Flake/Brilliant Silver (Custom Color Available April through May 2009)