Harley Forum

I've been riding bikes since age 6 or 7. Mostly dirt bikes but a lot of friends road bikes too. In 1998 I picked up a 1995 Harley Sportster 1200 from a GREAT independent shop in VA. Classic Iron.....would highly recommend them to anyone. I was originally lookin' in the Harley shop right down the street (East Coast HD) but they pissed me off becase the only words I could get out of them were "don't touch the bikes". To this day if I RIDE in there they will speak to me but if I DRIVE they wont say a word. Worst bunch of folks I've ever met.

Anyway I got my bike the first week of December and the second week the tranny went out on my truck. I rode it back and forth 40 miles each way to work until late January when i left to go overseas. Can remember breaking ice off the zipper of my jacket to get it unzipped. For the next 3 years I traveled alot. I would ride the bike hard for 2-3 weeks and then park it outside for 3 months till I came home. Fire it up and repeat. Maint? What Maint.? I changed the oil but that was about it. Crashed it once being dumb then again into a deer in W. VA. Rode it the rest of the way out of W.VA to the Easyriders Rodeo in Chillicothe with the left handlebar directly over the middle of the gas tank. Moon's Mobile Cycle Repair stayed up late to swap bars for me then I continued up to IN and back to VA. Rode it from VA to Denver then up to Sturgis....4 days of riding there then back the same route. Loaded down with camping gear, me and a passenger no less. 5000 miles in 2 weeks. Used to leave VA on a Friday after work and ride straight thru to my parents place in IN then Sunday morning ride back. Probably did that 10 times. After 3 years of that I went overseas for 6 months and when I came home I finally had my first problem....battery was dead. Replaced it and she fired right up and away we went. Mind you I dont drain the oil, gas or put it on a lift. Just shut it off and put her on the kickstand. Rode for 2 months then went to Iraq for a year. Came back and am riding it still. Never has leaked a drop in its life and never has left me stranded. The only parts Ive replaced besides oil filters and tires are things I broke when I crashed.

In '03 I ordered a Road King Classic thru Military Sales and they had to hold it for two years till I could get back to the states and pick it up. Got it early March of this year and have 7300 miles on it now without a problem. Patriot HD handled the delivery and you couldn't ask for a worse dealership. Had no interest in dealing with me at all and even went so far as to tell me "we don't make money on military sales" so we don't have time to worry about you. (For the record HDMoCo pays a dealer a fee to handle the setup delivery etc of a bike purchased thru military sales) Despite the $2000 I spent for backrest, luggage rack, and Screamin Eagle kit.

I ride every day there isn't ice on the road. Road King is outside gettin rained on right now and I will be joining it soon as Im off work. I tell everyone the same thing....my favorite brand of bike is a Honda, they're bulletproof.....but ridin a Harley is like driving a classic car. You know its not the Best car on the road....but from the saddle it sure feels like it.

Happy riding and best of luck with your bikes......whatever brand they may be.

Joseph M. Wood