Hard tails, I just don’t get the concept. Why take a bike and remove the suspension? It’s not just HD’s that do it, I’ve seen a guy over on StanceWorks doing an old Honda. What is in any way remotely cool about removing the suspension, the comfort and reducing traction by going to a hard tail. I just don’t understand why anyone would do that.
Bike guys enlighten me please.
Grew up riding hard tail bicycles. Hard forks in fact. Was remarkably easy to ride them. Not much different when it comes to motorcycles.
I've hard tailed a motorcycle or two in my life. The ride isn't that remarkably unpleasant. Better, imo, than that of a suspended rear with bad shocks.
The classic wedge shape of a rear hard tail frame is pretty to many. Harley makes a good selling on that shape.
Motorcycling isn't always about maximum traction or comfort.
I could see the functional reason if you are climbing steep inclines or negotiating ruts standing on the pegs in the dirt. For the same reason you lock the rear shock on your mountain bike when you climb. It's easier to use your body weight to force traction where you want it if it's not pogoing on it's own. Although real motorized dirt bikes I've ridden all had articulating rear suspensions that seemed to be pretty effective for others. (I'm not a dirt bike expert... I am more likely to be found laying in the dirt near a bike than waiting for you at the end of the trail)
Why do Harley street bikes do it? Why do they do anything... fashion and marketability.
Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Why do Harley street bikes do it? Why do they do anything... fashion and marketability.
Quoted for truth...I think P.T.Barnum had phrase that aptly described the target and being born....
minimac wrote:Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: Why do Harley street bikes do it? Why do they do anything... fashion and marketability.Quoted for truth...I think P.T.Barnum had phrase that aptly described the target and being born....
I'm not hating on them. All the bike mfgs would love to sell like HD. They are really not my thing - and I do poke a good deal of fun at the pirates who roll around on them with "Get Back" whips and logo brand accessories but... there is something about those bikes that draw the guys with 80k on the odometer too. I don't know what it is - but it's there somewhere.
Same reason grown men insist that a Miata is the best car ever.
It's what that person likes.
Huh, I always thought it was so they could be referred to as a hard ass......
Trans_Maro wrote: Same reason grown men insist that a Miata is the best car ever. It's what that person likes.
I still don't understand. Miata's are cheap, cheerful, cheap to run, easy to work on, great top down motoring and handle great. So there is lot's to like
With a hard tail you take a bike (HD or other) and spend money to make it (to my perception) worse in every way. I don't understand why people like that. I guess I don't get excessive stance and -30deg of negative camber or the concept of DDing a pick up truck either, so I'll just go back to my own lawn and get off of other peoples.
Are you sure the bike you see are hard tails? Many look like it but the rear triangle is really pivoted with hidden spring and shock to keep the hard tail look.
Some vintage Flat Track race bikes do get bolt on hard tail conversions cause the shocks and dampers of the day sucked so bad it was easier to tune with tire psi.
This is the bike that got me asking. From this: 
Via this as a temporary stop gap:
To this:
So no it's not a mid life crisis HD and yes, it most certainly is a hard tail. Super cool collage kid on StanceWorks (my guilty pleasure) who is self taught with an amazing K20 powered BMW 2002
foxtrapper wrote: Motorcycling isn't always about maximum traction or comfort.
It is for me. In fact, those are the 2 primary things I'm looking for in my replacement of my NH. I don't get the principle of a motorcycle for the looks or to impress people ideology. I want it to ride.
Bobzilla wrote:foxtrapper wrote: Motorcycling isn't always about maximum traction or comfort.It is for me. In fact, those are the 2 primary things I'm looking for in my replacement of my NH. I don't get the principle of a motorcycle for the looks or to impress people ideology. I want it to ride.
For me - I do like a beautiful bike. I love the look of the Moto Guzzi I posted in the "Vintage Bike" thread. I didn't buy a bike like that because I like to ride a wide array of roads, weather, distance and curves... and I can't have more than one bike. I needed a swiss army knife. A jack of all trades.
The solid frame bikes do actually look pretty sweet and if you only cruise it to the bar and back it fills it's role. Like the Rockster is a brawler and the Ninja is a carver. It's a single purpose machine. In this case it's purpose is completely retarded.
I like a pretty bike too. But if it can't serve my needs, it's no different than anything else. IT's purely looks and nothing else. It's not hard to have looks AND function. Choosing just one seems silly to me. but YMMV
Hardtails are popular for the same reason that Cafe bikes are popular---- some people think they look cool, and you look cool on them. I have to admit, I like the looks of both hardtails and Cafe'd bikes---- but I have no desire to own, or ride either. I like my motorcycles to have functionality.
It's easy to imagine cruising @ 70 and coming up on an unknown pothole while sitting a hardtail. Let's say you come back to Earth a little sideways which send you into a tank slapper and there's a semi on your left side . . . . . 
Oh, and while we're at it let's take the front brake off so we can really look cool.
Graefin10 wrote: It's easy to imagine cruising @ 70 and coming up on an unknown pothole while sitting a hardtail. Let's say you come back to Earth a little sideways which send you into a tank slapper and there's a semi on your left side . . . . .
The front brake thing is just astonishing to me. I actually saw one at a show where the only brake was on the primary. EeK.
Now a hard-tail with a pogo solo seat I like a lot for some reason. But the old bikes flexed a lot more and would soak up the bumps. With eh new metals and welding techniques they are just a one way ticket to pain.
Because they look awesome, sometimes
In reply to Adrian_Thompson:
Stanceworks + harley hardtail.....why am I not surprised at all?
Why do guys install springer forks and suicide clutches and jockey shifters?
Because they can and think it's cool.
I've been riding motorcycles for 40+ years I've had a bunch of Goldwings and Harley's for the last 20. I still own 2 Harley's, a 79 XL and a 87 FXR.
I work on Harley's in my home hobby shop. I will not ride a hard tail nor will I ride a jockey or suicide. I'll work on them but you have to test ride your own junk.....
Motorcycling is a tough and dangerous past time, to make it tougher and more dangerous requires a certain level of brain damage.
Wait, people actually remove the front brakes on bikes for looks? Are you serious!?!?!?
Adrian_Thompson wrote: Wait, people actually remove the front brakes on bikes for looks? Are you serious!?!?!?
You really don't need it if you just plan to park sideways in front of a bar and teeter home at 20mph. You can just drag your feet to stop
As it was explained to me, some men just like to pee blood after a long ride.
To me, a hardtail is any guitar without a whammy on it, and they're about as worthless.
Adrian_Thompson wrote: Wait, people actually remove the front brakes on bikes for looks? Are you serious!?!?!?
People do it, although thankfully it's not as common as it once was.
Kenny_McCormic wrote: As it was explained to me, some men just like to pee blood after a long ride.
That's what my Kawasaki triple was for. That was a bike that could make me pee blood for real. The hard tails, never.
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