Harley Pro’s and Con’s
Damn, I should be writing more often than this. But the weather has been great and it’s more fun putting on miles. Still, this is a responsibility. I like to see feedback on the comments and observations I make here.
I’ve had the 2005 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide for about a month now. I’ve put on a couple thousand miles and I’m liking the bike. It’s different, but some of those differences are good things. The short rake, for instance. That’s one of the things that has taken a little to get used to, but the low-speed balancing on the Harley is definitely nicer than most other bikes.
Little things impress me, too. Like the turn signal auto-cancel function on the Harley-Davidson that is absolutely flawless. While I’m still not a fan of the turn signal switches being on separate grips (right turns can be tricky if you have to release the throttle to signal), but I’m hoping that is more of an adjustment on my part.
I have a couple complaints, though, and I want to qualify them as evident on the 2005 I’m riding. Perhaps they’ve been addressed in the past couple years. There are two extremely easy safety features that Harely has overlooked that other manufacturers have had on bikes for several years. The first is to disable the engine except if in neutral or the clutch is in if the kickstand/sidestand is down. This prevents riders from forgetting to put it up and prevents potential accidents on left hand turns. It’s a simple contact point that can be easily implemented if they want.
The second is the lunge. It can cause a small accident or injury to someone if you try to start the bike while it is in gear by accident. Other bikes kill the starter if the bike is not in neutral or the clutch is in. Another simple feature for Harley-Davidson to put on a bike.
Motorcycle companies should learn from each other. When a good thing comes out for a car or truck, you see it implemented across the board quickly. Safety features should be required of manufacturers when they are created.