By Joe Berk
Don’t get excited; I don’t have that many friends. But lately two of them (Baja John and Uncle Joe Gresh) both bought Harleys. I guess I started thinking about it when I went to the gym yesterday morning. There was an early Harley V-Rod parked in front. It looked brand new. It’s too bad that bike didn’t make it with the beer bellies and tattoos bunch. Harley is on the skids now, struggling through a huge sales downturn and significant layoffs. I guess they don’t know what to do. I do (small bikes and even smaller prices; it ain’t rocket science, Milwaukee). Eh, what do I know?
The V-Rod had me thinking about Baja John. He bought a V-Rod last year. I haven’t seen it yet, so I called John and asked him to send a photo. It’s the one you see at the top of this blog. I need to get out there to Arizona and visit with John again. Maybe on the next pig hunt. Maybe sooner.
And then there’s Gresh and his Buell. I knew more about that motorcycle, as Sue and I hosted Gresh out here in La La Land when he came out to pick it up. It’s a beautiful motorcycle, and it’s been fun watching Joe resurrect it. He’s having fun. It’s too bad Buell didn’t work out for Harley, either. I thought those bikes might have been the answer. Joe’s adventures have had me thinking maybe I need to find an older Buell to play with. It would be fun. But there aren’t too many Harley dealers around here anymore; they’ve been dropping like left wing loonies (sorry for the redundancy) at a MAGA rally. Seriously. Harley dealers are falling fast. It’s a shame, really.
The upshot of the above, of course, is that if you are in the market for a Harley, this is probably a good time to buy. I’ve owned two Harleys; one was a turd and the other was awesome. They sure were beautiful, though. Even the ’79 Electra-Glide (the turd) that treated me worse than Kamala Harris at a Toastmasters meeting was drop dead gorgeous.
I think if I was going to buy another motorcycle, it would be a Moto Guzzi. The work I’ve been doing for Motorcycle Classics magazine with Cycle Garden in Indio cemented what I already felt: Guzzis are the world’s most beautiful motorcycles. I like the Ambassadors and El Dorados from the 1970s, and I also like the Griso. I’m keeping my eyes peeled. And there’s another plus on the Guzzis: They sure are easy to maintain.
How easy? Hey, buy a recent issue of Motorcycle Classics, turn to the “How To” section, and you’ll see. The upcoming issue has a feature on how to de-rust a gas tank, and it’s pretty interesting. I think you’ll like it.
Subscribe to ExNotes for free!
We need your support! Do what you can to help ExNotes stay in the black!
More Huber? Check out A Trip Into The Moment.
More Gresh and Berk? You bet! Check out A Cup O’ Joes!
Join our Facebook ExNotes page!
Re the Guzzi.
The motorcycle everyone loves and very few buy.
I hear ya, Tom. Our good buddy Dan N. has bought a few.
Exactly
Guzzis are the nicest bikes I have never owned.
Actually not true. I did have a “67 ev7 I didn’t put on the road.
I am a little surprised at the bait and switch here.
Although an ancient Guzzi ambassador is more Harleyish than Buells or Vrods.
They even run the same footboards .
I bought a new “79 king of the highway
FLH I rode from Ct to Sturgis and back .
A pretty much close to flat out much off the way home in 1980. Stripped it when I got back and created a road king before Willie G ever got the idea.
I beat the ever loving crap out of that bike . Still have a 79 1/2 waiting revival if I live long enuff .
The main problems with these were EPA induced. Valve guides didn’t like unleaded gas and lean carb “popping”
That would close the choke plate.
Nothing sounds as sweet as a lightly muffled shovelhead lazily going the the gears off in the distance on a summer night. Certainly no CHIPS kx1000.
“Nothing sounds as sweet as a lightly muffled shovelhead lazily going through the gears off in the distance on a summer night.”
When you’re right, you’re right. Can’t argue with that statement.
Harley’s are so cheap to buy it’s mandatory. You can get a beautiful, low mile Big-Twin for $5000. Sportsters hover around $3000/4000. Buell’s are free with fill up. I see them $2K to $3K.
Tempting. Very tempting. But my heart belongs to Guzzi. And Chinese 250s.
Hey! There is nothing better than a used Sporty and Buell is a a sporty Sportser….Moto Guzzies are staff drive Harleys…so any of those would be fine for me… Just sayin..