From: tim@intrepid.gsfc.nasa.gov (Tim Seiss)
Subject: Re: They Call Me Mr. 883
Organization: Goddard Space Flight Center
Date: Fri, 9 Oct 1992 14:30:09 GMT

In article <1992Oct8.212854.22399@rtsg.mot.com> svoboda@rtsg.mot.com (David Svoboda) writes:

>In article <1992Oct8.125623.3263@nsisrv.gsfc.nasa.gov> >tim@intrepid.gsfc.nasa.gov (Tim Seiss) writes:
>|Net,
>|
>|  I'm mildly ecstatic to report that The Deed is Done: I put
>|a deposit on an '93 XLH883 last night at Harley-Davidson of
>|Baltimore.  No, I didn't get a test ride on the black one they
>|had parked outside, but I asked for one.  
>|
>|  No Flames, please, 
>
>No flames, but a question.  What reason did they give for
>not giving you a testride, when you were obviously serious
>about buying?  This is pretty standard with many other
>marques, but (according to the folks here on r.m.h) pretty
>much ALL Harley dealers give test rides, serious or not.
>
>And, uh, how can you feel comfortable buying a new motorcycle
>without ever having ridden it?  Or have you ridden a Sporty
>before?  

I called the dealer on Monday and Tuesday, talked with 2 different
salespersons.  Both of them said I could have a test ride if
the bike was ready to ride (I assumed this meant oil and gas).
I told them I was going to come in on Wednesday evening, the
only night they're open late.  I know that didn't really mean
that much to them, but I kind of thought they would try to get
the bike ready since there was some interest in it.

So Wednesday evening rolls around, I load the wifey, helmet, gloves,
and boots into the truck and head over to the dealer.  We get to
the shop and find 3 new 883s parked in front of the dealership,
2 standards and a hugger.  I give the bikes a quick look over,
sit on them, and walk into the showroom.  I'm greeted by the
owner and I tell him I talked to him Monday and I was interested
in a test ride on one of the standard 883s.  He tells me that I 
can't have a test ride because 2 of the bikes aren't ready to ride
yet, and the third is already sold and is going to be picked up
that night.  Yeah, I was disappointed, but not too surprised.  I
just let it stop there, as I've never been a persuasive or
argumentative type.

As for buying a bike I've never ridden, I have ridden MRBIL's (i.e.
My Retarded Brother-In-Law's) 1200 Sportster several times, so I
had an idea of what the bikes felt like.  Riding his 1200 completely
changed my opinions of Harleys, because I really liked it.  As
far as the 883 goes, I really wanted to ride it to see if I liked
the low-rise bars (which I think I prefer, given my dirt bike
experience and preference for twisty back road riding) and to get
an idea of just how different the smaller motor is.  The specs
for the 2 bikes show the 883 having 50 ft/lbs torque and the
1200 with 71 ft/lbs torque (from '93 brochure).  I had an
opportunity to ride a 600cc water-cooled V-Twin Honda TransAlp
through miles of rural North Carolina roads last year, so I'm
sort of assuming the air-cooled Harley 883 V-twin will be similar,
but I don't really know...

Yeah, I'm going to love the new bike.  My head is already spinning
just thinking about an 883->1200 conversion, 2-into-1 exhaust
system, jets, cam, shocks...But then the wifey-pooh suggests that
she take over the 883 next year so I can get that FXRS-SP or FXDL
Dyna Low Rider that I REALLY like...Not likely, but we'll see. 
After all, that's why I don't have the Black 883 Standard sitting
outside the building today, because the wife wants the Victory Red
one...

-Tim Seiss
Newsgroups: rec.motorcycles.harley