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-   -   Harley Davidson Superlow XL883L - The Comprehensive Review (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/superbikes-imports/141465-harley-davidson-superlow-xl883l-comprehensive-review-8.html)

The more I read about Harleys, the more I get the impression that Bullet and Harleys are long lost twins separated at the Mahakumbh a century ago.

Btw, one can stand on the pegs of the Bullet as well - including most Bulleteeer heavyweights northward of 130 kilos. And I guess the pegs cost some 250 bucks or something and look like they have been forged by a village blacksmith from the medieval ages. :)

Lovely thread sir and congratulations on the 883. I have been a silent reader and have been enjoying your updates. Whatever might be said about the Harleys, they have a cult following and though i never thought I was a Harley kinda guy, i just cant avoid a second glance whenever i pass by one or one passes by me.

Maybe in a few years I might become a convert too, happy with the Ninja 250 as of now.

Ride safe.
@Shubz : Congratulations on the booking, may you have a lovely ownership experience.

Hey Sammyboy! good to hear from you after a long time! Thanks for your wishes bro. For now the wait is just killing! Particularly when Dheeraj bhai said the 2014 models are "few months" away! :Frustrati :)

Standing on the footpeg like this? ( Please image below):)

Iam a little over 100kg and footpegs on the bullet does take my weight with ease and never showed any signs of breaking off considering i do stand on the peg quite often while riding ( going over a bump) and for some pictures ( like the one below)

Kumbhmelarl:

Yeah, it is a little hard to digest the exorbitant costs of the accessories of the HD. IMO, their strategy should be different of charing one time premium and ownership experience should be reasonable both in terms of accesories and service costs. They should build these costs in their OTR price by charging that little extra or even better not even build it in their initial cost to make it even more value for money to own an HD

Mates, I never compared the footpegs of the Harley to the ones found on the Bullet. I just compared them to the aftermarket ones now available in local markets and the Harley's are definitely of a better built quality than those. That is not to say that the ones found on the Bullet are not good.

However, the point of them being similar in other aspects of built quality is like comparing chalk and cheese. Believe me as I too have owned a Bullet for many years and also recently I inspected it at close quarters as I was nearly on the verge of placing my money on a Thunderbird/Classic before the Harley thought came to mind. Each part of the Harley is crafted to last a lifetime but sadly I cannot say the same about a Bullet. Also the refinement in other aspects of a Harley ownership can be understood after owning one. That is not to justify the more than high cost being demanded by the Harleys. But then at nearly 2 lacs the Enfields ain't cheap either. I can safely say that the Superlow's 260kgs built is worth at least double of the Enfield's by the quality of the materials used and rest can be attributed to duties.

I did not want to get into this comparo and would like this to remain a Harley thread. Hope you understand...

Lol, that is very hilarious Doc, but the first time I test rode the Iron 883 believe me that was the notion I got in my mind. Both of them are push rod engines which might give them the same engine character (High Torque delivery in low Engine RPM).

On the costs for the accessories, remember you would be paying exactly the double India because of the custom duties & HD-India's share of profit.
Yes they reek of quality, fit and Finish but are they worth it for the price? That's another story.

DKaile Sir,
Apologies for bringing in the RE into the context but could not help it.

Absolutely bro. Am not a Bullet fanatic at all (in fact far from it), most of you already know that. All in good fun! :)

Speaking of quality, you have to see the Bullet footpegs (without the rubber) to actually appreciate the metallurgy from the middle ages. When iron was first discovered and forged into shapes .....

Sunday Khautali Ride. 990 km on Odo post ride. Crossed 125. Need a good full face helmet to breach 140. Engine seems to have opened up post 1st service oil change...

The bike completed 1000kms last night. 1 month and 5 days into ownership.



The headlight throw is quite effective


1001km comes up fast by my standards. I have not driven any other bike so consistently in my life. My last bike, a Karizma, completed around 5000kms in 9 years.


Pros -
- Zero issues
- FE is around 18~20kmpl for a 900cc engine
- Ordered a good full face helmet to breach the 140 mark soon. 125 already capped.
- Always starts in first push of the starter button unlike my previous Enfield 500.
- The built quality is impeccable.
- Solid cruiser with easy maneuverability even in crowded city streets unlike some of the heavier Harleys.
- Bike has improved in performance after oil change and 1st service. But the exhaust note also seems to have smoothened out (read gone down... lolz)
- The camaraderie of the Harley Gang in Meerut (now 12 members) is alone worth going for a Harley.
- Highly reliable till now. Comments like the one quoted below which were posted on my selection thread while I was making a decision are all highly exaggerated and now seems totally unwarranted.
So my actual user experience is not at all like the one suggested by the respected team member though I am not contending that the issues listed by him might have actually happened with someone he knows.

Could have been better -
- Some ergonomic issues like placement of horn button are now used to. Also the brake pedal footrest is stretched too far out. Nothing major, just requires a little getting used to.
- Horn should have been more premium sounding, although its quite loud.
- The size of the headlight could have been bigger (Fat Boy style) for better styling although the effectiveness of the present headlight is impeccable. But then how would Harley space out its different models.
- The handlebar could have been lower for better looks like in the Iron. But ergonomically the present position is most comfortable for long drives.
- I could go in for forward controls due to my height but then I would loose out on the handling prowess of the mid mounted controls.
- Though I am having zero scrapes nowadays riding solo, as one gains experience at the speed and angle of ascent on really bad speed breakers, with a pillion you need to be careful on really large bumps.
- 'Khatak' noise while changing gears still scares many.
- Bump handling/suspension over really bad roads could have been better. Needs a paid upgrade/progressive springs, if one wants a better ride.

Cons -
- I don't really care for a RPM meter but it wouldn't have hurt if it was there as standard and not a paid accessory. Similarly also the Fuel Gauge instead of just a low fuel warning light. All are paid accessories on a 7 lac rupee bike.
- Accessories are costly.
- Any superbike like Ninja 650 and above would beat it in a jiffy but then that was not my, or should be your, frame of mind while going in for a cruiser like Harley. Most other Indian bikes are dispatched in the rear view mirror on a clear stretch of road. I don't race with the hooligans on crowded streets and believe me there are many.
- Scratch near the rear number plate put by the service station on 1st service.
- Service setup in Meerut and smaller towns is not there. They charge 5000/- and taxi charges to send a technician to Meerut for servicing and will be cost effective only if shared with other Harley owners.
- Unlikely that the bike would make it to Leh via Manali route crossing all those riverbeds and slushes, or lets say I am not risking a 7 lac bike doing that. Might make it via Srinagar route but I always wanted to do the Gata Loops on my Superlow. Maybe one day...
- Price further increased by 20k on the Superlow from 1st October.

Overall, I am most happy and satisfied with the best bike of my life and the nitpickings are just for the sake of it. Brings a smile to my face every time I ride it. Never happened with any other bike I owned.

At the tennis courts today

Congrats! Wishing you a succesful 100001 on the odo un less you decide to upgrade her. clap:

I believe the Pros outrate the Cons straight. And Harley is a lifestyle bike, so accessories are meant to be expensive. Thanks for their decision to bring <10L bikes in India so many have made thier dream come true and many have revived their dream of owning one.

When I see the limitation in service network is a con, I recollect the beard cartoon you posted a while back. Grow your beard :thumbs up

Dheeraj - could you please point me to the link where the price rise is mentioned?

Thanks,
Shubz

It's right there on Superlow's home page - http://www.harley-davidson.com/en_IN.../superlow.html . The Ex-showroom price was Rs. 5,71,000/- when I bought it and now its showing as 5,91,000/- on Harley India's site. And I think they have not increased the Iron's price which is still at 6.71L as before. It is only the Superlow which must have been costing them more. And it's Dhiraj btw not Dheeraj.

Apologies for mis-spelling your name Dhiraj. :)

That way the website is showing Rs. 6,71,000 while my booking invoice shows 6,82,930 as of 24th Sept 2013.

Hmmm. Well I was quoted and booked at the same price as is shown on the website at that time as I have attached in the jpg below. Maybe for Bangalore they are charging extra due to transportation or local taxes.

Dhiraj those are cool headlights bro. Are they HIDs stock from the factory? The light looks pretty white. Nice illumination.