Testing out some big twin performance bikes.

The other day, me, my wife and youngest daughter were out and about and happened to find ourselves near the local Indian Motorcycle dealer. I did a test ride of a Scout Bobber a while ago so we stopped in to see if they had any definitive information about the arrival of the new FTR1200. While no dates have been released yet, they were taking deposits on the bike. For as little as $500 you too could commit to getting first crack at these cool new rides from Indian. This dealership is owned by a Harley dealership owner that is located around the back of the Indian store. We strolled over to see what bikes they had out. In doing so I met one of the salesmen and chatted about the possibility of doing a test ride. Today I was able to get out and take a spin on a couple of bikes I've been interested in. Read on for more!

Biggs Harley Davidson is a pretty big shop that you might never even notice. The Indian dealership that I mentioned earlier faces a local highway. The Harley dealer is behind it and doesn't face anything and the only evidence of its existence is the bar and shield sign by the Indian shop. It is big with a couple of extensions for the service area and extra bikes. I arrived to have to wait to get into the parking lot as a train of riders left for a dealer organized ride. It was a typical Harley dealer inside. Lots and lots of shiny chrome and bald eagles. 'Merica!

The first of the two bikes I rode today was the new FXDR 114. This bike is a recent release by Harley. A few weeks ago I mentioned my interest in this bike at an event on the base to promote motorcycle safety where I met Josh Hayes, pro-American Superbike racer. This bike is touted as a performance bike by Harley. The release video was shot at a track and showed lots of curved roads and lean angle into the curves. While the body work is a bit non-traditional, the bike is pretty standard for Harley. Long, low and crazy ergonomics with a big, grunty, V-Twin engine, I was having trouble getting the hang of the fat grips, forward controls and an engine that only wanted to rev to 3500 rpm. The front brakes were on point and the handling was good once you were up to speed. I just couldn't get the hang of the riding position. The test ride loop that the salesman lead me on gave me just a bit of everything I could expect from riding this bike in my local area. It was good, but just not me. 

The next bike I'd be throwing a leg over is the Fat Bob. I follow some pretty awesome guys on Instagram. Tony from Shred Moto Co. races one of these that is pretty well prepared for the track. With that in mind and fresh from taking the FXDR around the ride loop, me and the sales guy set of on the another spin. Right away the riding position was sooo much more conformable. I started getting on the gas right away. The bike sits you more upright. Your feet are forward and your chest is in the wind, but you feel planted with the seat shape and foot peg position. I could dig into the curves we had without worry about dropping the bike over. The engine was the 107 and felt like it wanted rev out a little more than the FXDR. The FXDR just felt too tight. At 3500 rpm the engine wanted me to shift. With the Fat Bob, I could get it to 4500 or so before the vibration made my internal butt tachometer pull the gear lever. With my Yamaha FZ1, I have to slip the clutch at anything below 2000 rpm to get it to go and it only really starts to roll smoothly at 3500 or so. Definitely different engine characteristics. The bike had tons of torque and plenty of power. I could see myself riding one of these long term.

Both of these beauties fetch a pretty penny. Out the door you are into either for about 20 large with the FXDR being the pricier of the two. 20 grand for a motorcycle is just too much for me to pay. I feel a little bit guilty about riding them with no intention to buy. For that kind of money I could get 5 bikes for my self-decided $4,000 rule. That rule is if you pay $4,000 for a bike it will be well sorted and need nothing from you other than your butt in the saddle. For $2,000, you'll get a running bike that you have to put some cash into, generally enough cash to meet the $4G rule, to make it ride worry free. Anything less than that and it is a project and you'll be paying money little by little to get yourself first to the $2G stage, then eventually more until you hit the $4G level. I'd rather have 5 used bikes in my stable than 1 expensive bike. They are pretty though aren't they?

Well there you have it folks. The last picture is the Fat Bob so that you could see the potential that this bike has to be a cool street beast. What do you think about these bikes? Drop me a line in the comments if you feel the same as I do. I'd love to hear what others think. Until then, ride safe friends!

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