New life, new bike: Is a Harley-Davidson Switchback the right choice for South Africa?

Harley Davidson FLD Switchback 2014. 

Well it's been a while since I posted here...

And lots has happened - I've spend few years in Dubai since 2012 - bikeless as it really 'ain't the right place for regular bike usage - and now here I am in South Africa, thanks to a job transfer.

The immediate attraction of the job offer - apart from more sensible temperatures - was the chance to get a bike back into my life.

And one of the first things I did was set about finding the right machine.

I took ownership this week of a 2014 Harley-Davidson FLD Switchback - the Dyna chassis with a sixties' Duo-Glide look that came up at the right money.

South Africa's massive and I felt something comfy with a bit of touring ability would fit the bill. Took a look at the

1,000 miles overlooking the English Channel

And so, the 1,000 mile mark is reached, good run too, along the English Channel through Folkestone and Hythe.

999 miles...

...1,000

Not quite two months on the road and...

Heading for the 1,000-mile mark on the new VT750... just one complaint

Now with 800 miles on the clock, pictured here at Dover overlooking the cruise terminal. Nothing to report really, she runs right and is good fun, my only complaint is the catalytic converter in the pipe which gets so hot anything that touches it melts.

It's Tha Heist, a 250cc US bobber kit from the Cleveland Cycle Werks which moves into the Kikker 5150 market in the UK

Cleveland Cycle Werks 250cc Heist which is moving in where the Hardknock Kikker left off
according to some in the business, certainly worth a look (pic http://www.clevelandcyclewerks.com ) 

 For those of you at the BMF show this weekend, you will have seen the UK debut of the Cleveland Cycle Works bobber 'Tha Heist'.

It's a familiar format now, thanks to the pioneering work of the builders of the Hardknock Kikker 5150.

The latest little machine comes with a Chinese Lifan single cylinder motor, based on a Honda lump and built under licence then planted into an all US-built hardtail frame.

Fork gaiters for the Honda VT750S and VT750RS

Honda has done a decent retro styling job with the latest VT750S but I wanted to fit fork gaiters for the complete Sixties look and as a big plus, they protect the stanchions from pitting.

Road Test and Review: First 500 miles on the Honda VT750S 2011

Castle Gate at Arundel in West Sussex

It doesn't matter who Honda claims the VT750S is likely to buy the the bike, you'll either love it or hate it.

If Harley still made the Sportster XL883, with the spoked wheels that it turned out through the nineties and early 2000s, then the VT750S would sell far fewer. Harley doesn't, so that's Honda's gain.

Five hundred miles after picking the machine up I felt it was time to give to write the review that I've had a couple of emails requesting.