Well, since you came to a Honda Owner Group (HOG) after 7 posts to tell us you bought a Harley instead of a Honda, you shouldn't mind if we critique your decision, right?
Where to start...motor. The HD has a Big Twin twin cam in it, 1687cc's minimum.
Honda doesn't make anything V Twin that big anymore, but if there were a leftover VTX 1800 at a Honda dealer, I promise you it would be faster, nastier, tourquier, more reliable and less expensive to run and maintain.
Even the 1300 Stateside or Fury would be as fast/quick or very close to it.
Nice to see we're buying Cruisers for speed now. You're probably the same person that comes out crying you bought a cruiser to cruise with when someone claims their bikes faster than yours.
The Softail with stock exhaust is no louder than the Honda 1800. Vance and Hines each of them and the sound Honda will scare more people than the Harley...that VTX 1800 is a monster.
That's complete opinion, and quite the bad one at that. Funny how every metric rider tries to get their bike sounding like a Harley, but you think the Honda sounds better. Key word, "think".
Suspension...hopefully you are 180lbs or less; otherwise you will find the Softail suspension inadequate and will have to upgrade those (pricey) trick shocks. Even when tweaked, Softails are the least comfortable platform HD makes.
More ignorant B.S. The Softail is one of the most comfortable platforms HD makes. But I guess being over 180lbs and with only 42k mi on mine I wouldn't really know that would I..
But yes, Softails all look cool, all 564 variations they make of the platform...nobody "nicklebacks" (my euphemism, you can use it) themselves better than HD...there are waymore Softail models than there were Shadow models, for example.
564? Exaggerate much??
So, you are buying a low-powered, expensive (in every way measurable) imitation of a Harley Davidson motorcycle...a twin cam motor with a huge list of defects in its design and a truly uncomfortable rear suspension with a decent front end, thanks to Showa (Japan).
Living under a rock are we? Yeah, the TC had some problems when it first came out, but it is 2012 now, try to keep up..
Obviously a poor decision on the metrics.
Harleys are sold by the creation of yearning for a classic American Motorcycle and the wistful desire to relive a simpler time.
And for that experience, you will pay. Oh yes, you will pay.
About the same as you will pay for any other bike, of less quality..
Harleys are wonderful old tractors wrapped up in great Marketing & Advertising.
You'll feel cool and superior and have a sense of prestige and rebel status every time you tool down your street on that baby.
Honda doesn't make anything like a HD Softail.
At least you got something right.
Personally, I'd buy a Dyna before a Softail in a heartbeat...and it would be a carb fed Evo, not a TC. But that's just me.
That statement right there proves you know nothing about the Softail line.
But in terms of a good comparison, you should go ride a Victory before you buy a Harley....Victory's 106 motor is simply a superior motor to the TC 103.
Too bad most of the people that leave Harley to buy a Victory end up taking a loss on the Victory to go back to Harley in less than 2yrs.
Have fun!
