texxasco - I didn't mean to sound vehement or defensive. I had kind of a rough day and my back's still up a bit.
And yeah, my age plays a big part in it. Also just the area. I don't know why we get steamrolled for wanting to own a bike, but we do. I didn't realize that bikes nationwide are so cheap down there. Maybe I'll have to cross the border...
I will say that as a rule Japanese bikes do outperform Harley's. That's a big factor if you're looking at numbers and that can play a big role in the decision. It's my personal preference to choose a bike with a lot of character and I think Harley Davidson builds bikes that could definitely be described as having character. I read your post as bashing HD bikes and responded a bit quickly, but I'm willing to meet in the middle ground and forget it over a beer if you are, in true biker spirit.
