[BOOLSHOT]

When I was looking to trade in my DRZ400s for a cruiser, a friend at work, who is a hardcore Harley guy ( Harley Davidson tattoo and all ) said " you gotta get a Harley ". I knew I couldn't afford a top of the line Harley, and a lot of their bikes seem pretty small. He said " Get a used one, but it's got to be a Harley, everything else is junk". I ended up finding the Stryker while going to look at a Honda. Liked the look of the Styker much better. Went home and did some research on the Stryker, and decided it was the bike for me. I was ready for the crap he was going to talk about getting a Yamaha, and not a Harley. I didn't care, I was happy with my choice. When he saw the bike, he was impressed. Loves the looks of it. I got no grief at all. The Stryker is just an all around great bike. When he asked how much it was, he couldn't believe it... He would of guessed it was at least $15,000... It is just that nice!

 

[The_Joker]

8)
I've sat on every HD...none are as comfortable as my Stryker....and don't look as good either.....

 

[JRRKAR]

When we were looking around for bikes, we did our safety course at a Harley dealer. We, problably like most people here, are not the type of people that HAVE to get a Harley just becasue of the name. We looked at their bikes, but didn't really see anything we liked very much. Obviously the Stryker is a "chopper-ish" type bike, which is very different than Harley's. Some people have to have a name, for us, we went for what we really liked regardless of the name. So far we haven't ran into anyone who has given us any grief.

 

[2670]

I've got no problem with Harleys. They are very nice and the fit/finish is really good. They are just not that interesting to me....except the V-Rod. Most Harleys look the same to me.

I think of it like this. Harley guys love their classic look, their chrome, and their sound. Stryker guys like the performance, the handling, and the option to mod beyond the chrome pieces and saddle bags.

 

[BOOLSHOT]

A couple weeks before I got my Stryker I borrowed a friends bike, because I had only been on my DRZ 400s. Wanted to see how it felt on a cruiser. I test rode his Harley Rocker. Was nice.. that was before I had even seen a Stryker . Very similar riding position. There is actually a comparison online between the Stryker and the Rocker. Rocker is about double the cost..

Sent from my HTC VLE_U using Tapatalk 2

 

[Kubalj]

I've got no problem with Harleys. They are very nice and the fit/finish is really good. They are just not that interesting to me....except the V-Rod. Most Harleys look the same to me.

I think of it like this. Harley guys love their classic look, their chrome, and their sound. Stryker guys like the performance, the handling, and the option to mod beyond the chrome pieces and saddle bags.

Interesting thing about the V-Rod -- I ride with a few Harley types, and one guy on a V-Rod. Everyone refers to mine as the "Stryker" and sometimes the "Yamaha"...but nobody calls the V-Rod a " Harley". They call it a V-Rod. All the other bikes are just referred to as "Harley's". It's kind of weird, but it's almost like they haven't fully accepted the V-Rod as a full-on Harley, or maybe cause its not like anything else in their stable.

 

[NOLAStryker]

Why is it that we are so concerned with what Harley guys think? I'm guilty of this too. I love watching people walk past a line of HDs to check out my bike. I guess because they (most of them) are such a proud boisterous bunch.

 

[BOOLSHOT]

I think it is because the style of the bike. I don't think it is trying to look like a Harley , but if you show an average joe a picture of our bike, they will think it's a Harley . I think Yamaha hit a homerun with the Stryker, and I just love the fact that there isn't really anything bad Harley guys can say about it. Not justified anyway. I ran across a review on line, from before theStryker was even out , and they bashed it big time . It was Harley guys saying how scrappy it is going to be, and how only middle aged wanna be's will ride it .. I thought it was kinda funny .. reminds me of the people who have to put someone else down, to make themselves look and feel better. 8)

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[depke]

It was between the Harley wideglide or swithback and the Stryker for me.
Ended up with Stryker for a bunch of reasons. (all the way from looks, price and comfort)

I just went back the Harley dealer to show them my Stryker. (they are not Harley-or-nothing prudes and are great people)
They just loved the Stryker! Loved the looks, the 210 standard rear with the 21" front, the chop look, the candy apple red color, the chrome, water cooled, and more. They asked what I paid and were blown away when I told them my OTD price.

I told them I was surprised at their reaction and was ready for the crap they might give me. They truly loved the bike and as far as they were concerned, "Welcome to the biker fraternity"...

 

[11Stryker]

I think it is because the style of the bike. I don't think it is trying to look like a Harley , but if you show an average joe a picture of our bike, they will think it's a Harley . I think Yamaha hit a homerun with the Stryker, and I just love the fact that there isn't really anything bad Harley guys can say about it. Not justified anyway. I ran across a review on line, from before theStryker was even out , and they bashed it big time . It was Harley guys saying how scrappy it is going to be, and how only middle aged wanna be's will ride it ..

Hey they were right! I'm a middleaged wanna-be LOL

 

[snowman68]

The HD forum I read about it was the same as far as being a slow pos that they said would only be good for a beginner bike for their wives untill they could handle a Harley.... Little did they know it will kick about every stock Harley except V-Rod

 

[2670]

I've got no problem with Harleys. They are very nice and the fit/finish is really good. They are just not that interesting to me....except the V-Rod. Most Harleys look the same to me.

I think of it like this. Harley guys love their classic look, their chrome, and their sound. Stryker guys like the performance, the handling, and the option to mod beyond the chrome pieces and saddle bags.

Interesting thing about the V-Rod -- I ride with a few Harley types, and one guy on a V-Rod. Everyone refers to mine as the "Stryker" and sometimes the "Yamaha"...but nobody calls the V-Rod a " Harley". They call it a V-Rod. All the other bikes are just referred to as "Harley's". It's kind of weird, but it's almost like they haven't fully accepted the V-Rod as a full-on Harley, or maybe cause its not like anything else in their stable.

I took my MSF class at the HD dealer. In a class of Harley riders, I said I only liked the V-Rod and they all said that they did not like it. It wasn't a "real Harley".

I think it's because it is modern styled and not a chrome hog. The Muscle line is their attempt to get the old guard to like that bike, but it won't happen. It's just too different for most of them.

The V-Rod was one of the three bikes that I very seriously considered (Victory Vegas Jackpot and Stryker being the others). It was just too expensive and too much bike to get started back in with.

 

[Okda]

i guess they don't like it cause it is water cooled

 

[Raven]

I just finished a 5 day ride with over 100 bikes where not only was I the only stryker, I'm pretty sure I was the only Yamaha! A few Victories, a honda here and there, and 1 Triumph. There rest were ALL HD's. You would not believe the comments that I was getting on the stryker, and how many times it was mistaken for a Harley. Even had a Victory dealer come up and say, "so what model Harley is that anyway?"

I told him it was the best kind of Harley, not one. Its a Yamaha. He was shocked. Love it!!