YZ250 Posted May 26, 2016 Report Share Posted May 26, 2016 Does anyone know of the NE Ohio Harley dealerships allow for longer than average test rides or rentals? I plan on buying a Harley from a private seller and not the dealership, but before I drop some big money (to me) on a bike, I want to be sure I am making the right decision. I'm hoping to take a test ride for a few hours...does any dealership allow that? I also am hesitant to do so knowing that I will not be purchasing the bike from the dealership...any advice on that? Thanks for your input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jschaf Posted May 26, 2016 Report Share Posted May 26, 2016 I rode a Harley for 20 minutes one time & that was plenty for me. Never want to do that again. Good luck on making a rational decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wahoo Posted May 26, 2016 Report Share Posted May 26, 2016 Good luck getting a multi-hour test ride.... I think you're going to need to rent one for the day. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YZ250 Posted May 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2016 52 minutes ago, jschaf said: I rode a Harley for 20 minutes one time & that was plenty for me. Never want to do that again. Good luck on making a rational decision. I'm coming from a sport tourer (Yamaha FZ6) so a cruiser will be different for sure. What didn't you like about the HD? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
YZ250 Posted May 26, 2016 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2016 31 minutes ago, Idiot said: There are a couple of them that offer daily and weekend rentals. I don't know of any that rent by the hour. You might be kinda in luck though... Ohio Bike week starts on friday up in sandusky and I think the local dealership there is offering test rides on just about every model. If that doesn't work out, google Ohio Harley dealerships. Theres one in sandusky, three (maybe four) in cleveland, one in medina and a couple in canton. Their websites will tell you if they offer rentals or not What model of harley are you looking at? I would like to test ride a Dyna model (Street Bob because the dimensions/controls are most similar to a Super Glide Custom) and a Touring model (Road King) to see what I like when it comes to cruising country back roads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonik Posted May 26, 2016 Report Share Posted May 26, 2016 SE Harley rents. I think most of them do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted May 26, 2016 Report Share Posted May 26, 2016 I've put a few hundred miles on a dyna. Shit bike. Underpowered, no ground clearance and surprisingly uncomfortable for a cruiser. Road kings are a tad better but still anemic. I've rode almost every model Harley makes and the only thing that impressed me was the straight line acceleration of the vrod. Coming from an fz6 which will do pretty much everything you're gonna be underwhelmed by a bike that does pretty much one thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kritz Posted May 30, 2016 Report Share Posted May 30, 2016 (edited) Love my V-Rod and ZRX Edited May 30, 2016 by Kritz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kritz Posted May 30, 2016 Report Share Posted May 30, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kritz Posted May 30, 2016 Report Share Posted May 30, 2016 48 minutes ago, Kritz said: Love my V-Rod and ZRX Can't post a pic to save my ass... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonik Posted May 30, 2016 Report Share Posted May 30, 2016 Tried to fix if for you, but they are really messed up. Are they uploaded here, or hosted on another site? If another site just post the link, leave out the IMG tags. So just paste: ....http://www.fliker.com/image.jpg.... for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zx3vfr Posted May 30, 2016 Report Share Posted May 30, 2016 Rented a fat boy for a day once. It was enough for me to get my Harley fill for probably the rest of my life. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kritz Posted May 30, 2016 Report Share Posted May 30, 2016 19 minutes ago, Tonik said: Tried to fix if for you, but they are really messed up. Are they uploaded here, or hosted on another site? If another site just post the link, leave out the IMG tags. So just paste: ....http://www.fliker.com/image.jpg.... for example. Used the tools from Ohio Riders. Maybe you have to pay to post pics. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zx3vfr Posted May 30, 2016 Report Share Posted May 30, 2016 Just now, Isaac's Papa said: They're absolute shit, aren't they? I don't understand the appeal. I was in myrtle beach on vacation in March when it was snowing up here.. I wanted to get my fill. I should have chosen a better choice... Plus a 190 pound 25 year old on a bike that large must've looked redonkulous Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zx3vfr Posted May 30, 2016 Report Share Posted May 30, 2016 2 minutes ago, Isaac's Papa said: I'd rent a Bavarian shitbox before I rented an American shitbox. Well I'm 5 years wiser, none the smarter but I just don't understand the appeal... I did ride a r1200c once and I did enjoy that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary#17 Posted June 6, 2016 Report Share Posted June 6, 2016 We've rented from SouthEast Harley before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricer1 Posted June 7, 2016 Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 I rented a Harley Heritage soft tail to ride from Fort Myers to Key West and back, because someone didn't feel comfortable riding the Harley, so I let them ride my Yam FZ1. My impressions; it is way underpowered at 68 HP for a bike weighing around 800 lbs. The braking compared to the FZ1..... dangerous, you would need a long time to try and stop in an emergency. Changing direction in an emergency seemed to take much longer when compared to a sport touring bike. Scrapped the foot boards on curving exit ramps which was very surprising. A couple of positives, very low center of gravity, the seat height is low for shorter people and the HD club thingy is probably nice for many people who don't know many friends who ride motorcycles. JMHO! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustinNck1 Posted June 7, 2016 Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 I've tested a fatboy. Worst harley imo. Horrible handling. Had a Sportster 1200 for 2 years, it was a fun commuter. My dad has a Ultra Limited with the 103 motor and it's very comfortable, but it's made for cruising not performance. A set of cams wake it up. I actually considered a street glide before buying the fjr, but it just doesn't have the ground clearance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted June 7, 2016 Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 57 minutes ago, JustinNck1 said: I've tested a fatboy. Worst harley imo. Horrible handling. Had a Sportster 1200 for 2 years, it was a fun commuter. My dad has a Ultra Limited with the 103 motor and it's very comfortable, but it's made for cruising not performance. A set of cams wake it up. I actually considered a street glide before buying the fjr, but it just doesn't have the ground clearance. Yeah anything on the dyna platform is gonna suck. Fat bob lives up to his name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustinNck1 Posted June 7, 2016 Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 29 minutes ago, Idiot said: Fatboy is a softail, fat bob is a dyna... Harley's aren't for everyone, heck cruisers aren't for everyone. For me and the kinda riding I do they work and I enjoy them. There are two things I really really appreciate about harley; 1) If cruisers are the kinda bike for you they offer more options and configurations than anyone else, and 2) Once you figure out which basic Harley is for you they are more configurable than anything else out there. Exactly. They are designed to be a cruiser, and in my opinion they are some of the best cruisers. Accessories galore too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustinNck1 Posted June 7, 2016 Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 Just now, Isaac's Papa said: I think Jim's Voyager is pretty nice. Not sure what they cost against a comparable Harley, though. Dealer support and networking is a big deal to some folks. I'd rather own something that doesn't require a dealership every 50 damn miles, though. Also, enough with the t-shirts. We get it. You're an outlaw. Super scared over here. That bandana damn near made me piss my pants. Don't forget the matching Harley jewelry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gixxus Christ! Posted June 7, 2016 Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 1 hour ago, Idiot said: Fatboy is a softail, fat bob is a dyna... Harley's aren't for everyone, heck cruisers aren't for everyone. For me and the kinda riding I do they work and I enjoy them. There are two things I really really appreciate about harley; 1) If cruisers are the kinda bike for you they offer more options and configurations than anyone else, and 2) Once you figure out which basic Harley is for you they are more configurable than anything else out there. I owned a cruiser once. A 96 Honda Shadow vt1100. Fun little bike for what it was, and looked great. I railed the shit out of that bike and rode it like a sport bike. Seriously, body position and everything. I made that bike do what it wasn't exactly born to do with zero mods, in fact I bought a set of factory mufflers for it because the aftermarket pipes hurt my ears. Cruisers aren't just for cruising, I assure you. But Harley's are for posing and eventually raising your credit score because you paid off a loan for 5 years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricer1 Posted June 7, 2016 Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 As long as someone wants to ride any motorcycle, they can ride with me. There are all kinds of people in this world there are all sorts of bikes for different riders. Now, the ape hanger thing...... who in the world would want those?! Hehehehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ryan_c_F Posted June 7, 2016 Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 On 5/26/2016 at 7:16 PM, YZ250 said: I'm coming from a sport tourer (Yamaha FZ6) so a cruiser will be different for sure. What didn't you like about the HD? I have an FZ1 and have rented a few Harleys. My personal feeling is that the straight up-and-down seating position stresses your lower back, and there's not really an option to take the strain off. On my FZ1, I can lean forwards, back, stand on the pegs, kick my feet up on the frame sliders, hike my ass back up onto the pillion seat, and so forth. On a sport bike you can stand up on the pegs like jumping a horse and take road imperfections in stride, whereas the cruiser kind of has you locked into one seating position and you end up eating road impacts directly into your ass and spine. That said, my back is kinda bad because I'm starting a diet program about 20 years too late, so YMMV. If you're generally healthy you may not find this to be an issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zx3vfr Posted June 7, 2016 Report Share Posted June 7, 2016 Time for a gold wing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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