Neo-Cobras as Four Wheeled Harleys?
 

An earlier post got me thinking: have Cobras become the Harleys of the car world? Like the original CSX cars, Harleys (at least stroker Sportsters) ruled the streets in the 60s. Then came Vipers and TT Porsches (and Japanese sportbikes) and humble pie was served for lunch and supper. Do we drive them now because they're loud and flashy? Have they become male costume jewelry?

Well... When I'm asked what it's like to drive a Cobra, I usually respond with, "It's like driving a Harley on four wheels - it's a raw experience; loud, windy, with no creature-comforts."

Yeah, I think so. Isn't a vehicle pretty much a symbol of how we want others to perceive us?

Not true of daily drivers of course- those may be by circumstance or happenstance.

The Cobra is the only car that I have ever drivern that the Harley guys and gals consistently give me a thumbs up. The Cobra is a Harley on four wheels.

Funny that you mention that...I have been contemplated building a Harley as well....I just like building things...and yes it helps that they are somewhat loud....

I just can't resist opening up this can of worms: Cobras made their reputation based on superior function. The form was certainly spectacular, but the legend grew out of the fact that they accelerated, turned, and stopped better than anything else. Today's Harleys are all noise and shine. Cobras deserve to be better than that.

BTW, I've owned Harleys since 1970, and still have a kick-only stroker Sportster in the garage. But for real two wheel fun, I climb on the Kawasaki.

There is no comparison in terms of performance
 

Here's a much better/more appro comparison using the first year edition of my 2000 street bike:
http://www.vmaxoutlaw.com/tech/magaz..._85/index.html

OH, and in a straight line a cobra like mine will still take any production car in the 1/4 mile....

I applaud over the top Cobras like yours, but they're the exception these days. When I finally get mine together, it will likely have a 500+ cubic inch engine.

I remember the V Max/427 Cobra article, a great read, but the Max was (and is) a one trick pony. The Cobras were dominant on the race tracks based on handling as well brute force. In any case, I'd much rather ride a Max than one of these new $25k Milwaukee marvels.

For me I have always loved the lines of the car, the raw horsepower and bad boy attitude make for the perfect play car. For me the Cobra is an expression of "now I can because I want to" When I was a teenager I loved the car but like most others at that stage of my life, reality got in the way of toys. Now in my mid 30's I own one because I want one. I don't psychoanalyze the reasons behind it. There is just something about the body lines that make kids (both big and little) stop, point and smile.

James

Funny thing is
 

I put 2 x the miles on my bikes (Yamaha V-Max and Suzuki DR650E Enduro-dual sport) each year compared to my cobra. It's just easier to ride 'em and clean every few weeks or less vs taking care of the custom paint each time the snake comes home or goes out of her den. Also my Max has a unique power-type thrill that even exceeds the cobra's. Don't get me wrong, I love the cobra, always something new and lots of fun gawkers, and for nights out, grand touring and such she's going to be a lot of fun in the future, just not as many miles :cool:

OHHH! YAHHH!
 

Three of my immediate co-workers have new Harleys and the 4th has had his for a couple of years. I guess this is my ‘Harley’!

jdog:cool:

guess i'm just a lucky guy ....have a harley road king and wc cobra........both get plenty of looks and attention...............

Just call me "Scooter"
 

For once in my life I wanted a really fast all around car. NOT a "race" car, drag or track, just a FAST as hell all around kick butt and take names car.

Wasn't sure WHAT that would be, then it hit me, the COBRA!! I never thought about a connection with a Harley, but it's true! I feel right at home cruising with my friends on their Harleys, hell the Cobra IS a "four wheel Harley". Kinda cool.

I've had bikes all my life, never had a Harley, don't really want one, nice bike but to common here in Hawaii. Currently I have a couple of dirt bikes (Kawa 250 Enduro and Suzuki 200 Enduro).

I just recently bought a 2004 Suzuki Burgman 650 for "work" 'cause it carries a TON of stuff and is great for zipping around down town in heavy traffic!

http://www.clubcobra.com/photopost/d...gman-AN650.jpg

638cc twin, liquid cooled, fuel injected, "Tip Tronic" FIVE SPEED transmission (auto or manual shift), 15" wheels, 100+mph and IS FASTER than a 1400 cc Road King Harley. I know, I've raced two of them and shut them down!


..looking for a matching "basket" for the front, and "Beanie" whirlly blade style helmet. :D

My "weekend" cruiser.
 

The First time I drove my COBRA, I immediately started referring to it as a 4 wheeled Motorcycle. when I speak of Motorcycles, I speak Of Harleys. I appreciate all the Fancy shmancy Jap Techno Tuner Bikes, But I lump them into the same Category that most true Hot Rodders throw the "Fast and the Furious" type of Cars into! Not my era. I am a Child of the 60's and love all the Vehicles from then. As for Harleys, I have owned and built over 50 of them. I have owned every type of V-Twin they made since the 1936 Knucklehead (Even Had one of them) up to and including the Current Twin Cam Engined Bikes. I have never owned a "Flat Head" as they are Lacking in Power immensely.

I continue to have a problem with the Harley/Cobra thing. In the days of the original Cobras, they were revered because they were very quick, good handling cars. When I went out on the road in mine, I was confident that there was nothing that I'd come up against that I could not annihilate. The noise and flash were nice, but secondary. Coincidentally, at the same time I had a 77 cubic inch Harley XLCH that could do the same to just about any bike of that era.

Today's Harleys have the noise and flash part down, but are far down the scale of two wheeled performance. For me, a Cobra (real or replica) is about substance first and form second. Harleys are all form.

Many of todays replica Cobras (or continuation models as far as that goes) are also about "form". And thats OK.

Some race, some do shows, some do both! It's all good.

I ride my Scooter because it's so "practical" for what I do. But it sure was fine to jump on my friends Hog the other day! I love that heavy exhaust note, the rumble of it all. Hogs are still king of the road (all 1.3 million of them here in Hawaii). :D

I'm sorry; I have to go on record again as not understanding why anyone who is into Cobras could possibly be interested in Harleys. Yes both are flashy, yes both make allot of noise, yes both are primarily "toys" but that is where the similarities end. People who harp on "real power" while talking about Harleys are delusional at best. Even the much vaunted V-Rod gets spanked by 15 year old sport touring bikes from other countries. Notice I haven't even mentioned Cobra performance yet. That's because there is no need to, even with a mild small block and on the porky side of Cobras it'll still eat just about anything on the road. Granted, to deal with serious cars it would need a more virulent power plant and they’re readily available. But with a Harley, unless you have cubic dollars dumped in the bike after the cubic dollars you spent on the bike its self, you’d better hide your assless chaps if you see any jap sport bike. And even then you can't go near a canyon/road course without looking like an idiot(at least from a perfomance point of view). I've read the rantings of Cranky on numerous occasions and I have to say that many times I whole heartedly agree with him. Drive the piss out of it! That’s what Cobras are for. If you won’t, sell it to someone who will and get a Harley to wax. Many Harley riders these days are posers/ waxers, having their bikes trucked to big meets so they can pretend to be mean old bikers. What a crock! It used to be that any one who was on a Harley was branded a wild man and was on the fringes of civilized society. Now it’s so mainstreamed it’s not even funny. Now it’s the kids (and some not so young) on their fast bikes who are filling that nitch, not the R.U.B.s. I sure hope the Cobra isn't heading down that path. If it is, I'll have to find something else to aspire to.
Steve

Steve:

Well, I sort of agree with you. Harleys are pure profiling these days. Sure, there are now 120+ cubic inch big twins that will run low 11 second quarter miles, but as you pointed out, these bikes have 5X the cost of a current Jap 600 in them, and the 600s will now run high 10 second quarters. But relative to the four wheeled competition, the Cobra has dimmed a bunch as well. You're certainly correct that most Cobra replicas will beat a majority of the cars on the road today. But back in the 60s/70s, Cobras could beat ALL of the cars on the road, and there are four door sedans now that will run low 12 second quarters with automatic transmissions and all the comforts of your average luxury home.

I still love 'em in spite of all that.

Marco you're right, I just couldn't sit by and let Cobras get lumped in as poser-mobiles, good only for waxing and "profiling." Presently I have a much modded 70 Boss 302 and my daily driver is a Saleen Mustang (+ a Yamaha FJ1200). I'm heavily into the performance aspect of motoring and still see the Cobra as an attainable "super car." A Cobra should be mean, loud, brutal and if handled wrong, very scary. To see it defiled as some sort of neuvo-poser trash just tweaked me a little. Could other forms of "male costume jewelry" be defined the same way? Of course they could. Nugget rings immediately come to mind! LOL I'm including this link for some amusing reading on the side.

http://www.goingfaster.com/angst/

Steve