Thinking about buying my first Harley Davidson bike

[01PyTypeR#1140]

What do you guys think about this one? Night Rod special VRSCDX
http://www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/Content/Pages/2008_Motorcycles/2008_Motorcycles.jsp?locale=en_US

[Eddie]

Get the Vmax!!!

http://www.starmotorcycles.com/star/...e/23/home.aspx

[RaymondV]

Get a Honda
The Shadow Sabre is a cool bike

http://powersports.honda.com/motorcy...odelId=VT11C27

[01PyTypeR#1140]

Get the Vmax!!!

http://www.starmotorcycles.com/star/...e/23/home.aspx

Nice but there's just something about that Night Rod special VRSCDX

[owennewton]

Get a Honda
The Shadow Sabre is a cool bike

Is that a Hardly Davidson?

[luckydog]

I like the Sportster or the Softail

[01PyTypeR#1140]

Is that a Hardly Davidson?

So it's water cooled!
I seen one in person and I lost my jaw.

[birdbrain]

well your younger, so that look appeals, it looks nothing like a Harley to me.but of course, times change.

[RaymondV]

Yamaha VS Suzuki VS Honda VS Harley Davidson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnGX5jL-lhg

[Youngjedi]

I rented a Road King Classic While in Reno...Fell in love with it. If I had the money, I would sell my Aspencade and get a road king. My favorite part about the bike was just starting it up. The engine starts with a loud rumble..beautiful!

[drcrippen324]

The guy to speak to is sporty iv had many a good conversation with him over bikes especialy of the harly and the triumph variaty he is looking at selling his sporty for a soft tail at the moment so he is obviously in the middle of doing his home work

[Subarubrat]

Take what I am about to say with the understanding that I am a Harley owner, I have a Heritage Springer, and that I actually do like the bike.

Buying a Harley is an act of making a deliberately wrong choice for the wrong reasons if you apply any measure of judgment to it. There is a fundamental dishonesty by most HD owners that rally bugs me. The bottom line is that the bikes cost thousands more than ones that will go, stop, and turn faster, start every time, get better mileage, and log HUNDREDS of thousands of miles more with virtually no trouble. A Hayabusa will run circles around the Night rod in every way and do it for about 5k less.

You can expect problems that are unheard of in modern vehicles. Wire harnesses will randomly melt, starter pawls will break, and at some point, yes a part will fall of the bike no matter how much locktite and checking you do. And when you go to the dealer the problems will continue. Most bikes are sold before they ever hit the floor. Most dealers have waiting lists for some models and I have been in many that have only Buels, sportsters and used bikes in stock. Since the staff doesn't have to work for sales it becomes the culture of the dealership, and it is like a license to print money they don't have to be accurate, courteous, or even acknowledge the customer standing at the parts counter for 15 min. And then get ready for them to charge you $150 for a $15 wire harness that is no better designed than the one you just had. Clearly there are some exceptions to this but I have seen allot of this crap.

In short, be prepared for things to break and to pay far more than you would for another bike because it is a HD

So why did I buy one and why do I like it? Why on earth would someone buy a Mustang when there are STis, EVOs, Lotus, etc out there that will run circles around them, get better mileage, have far greater durability and reliability? I chose an STi myself, pumped it up from 300Hp to 505Hp and have put almost 90k miles of flooring the piss out of it and driving it like it was stolen, and only regular standard maint has been needed. I chose an Elise RR over a Z06 Vette and get 30 Mpg while still being able to outrun an Enzo on the track. It would be logical that I would have chosen anything over the HD given my way of doing things. But the reason that a guy buys a Mustang or Vette over a better performing option is because they want that huge engine, that deep primal rumble and the classic American styling. It doesn't matter that the V8 makes no more HP than the turbo 4cyl, or that loud doesn't mean fast. That is why I love my HD, it is a chromed out 88ci that has so much noise and vibration that it can shake bolts out and it looks as much like art as it does a vehicle. No Hayabusa will ever sound like that or look like that. Even the import copies of HDs just don't pull it off.

So if you want a HD because it is an HD, and you are prepared to accept problems then you will be happy. If your buying it expecting it to work like a Honda then you will be frustrated and angry.

[luckydog]

In the 70's my buddy bought a brand new Triumph 650 instead of the BMW 500 he really wanted.

Parts started falling off since day one, after 3 months it started burning oil, he decided to drive it from Chicago to California

we all told him the bike wouldn't make it. the engine froze up when he hit Texas. he took a bus to CA and flew back to Chicago.

about a month later he had to fly to Texas and ride his bike back after the engine rebuild.

he sold it as soon as he got back

I'm sure if he had gotten the BMW he would have made it to CA and back easily

[01PyTypeR#1140]

If I wanted a touring bike I would get a honda Gold Wing, but I'm not ready for that yet. What I'm looking for is that HD sound and some power. With a Hayabusa I'm sure to kill myself.

[Eddie]

I owned a motorcycle race and repair shop for 13 years. I have owned and worked on every type of bike you can imagine and have raced semipro for 14 years.

Here is the deal in simple terms. If you are very wealthy and just want a bike for a very occasional ride on a weekend or a short hop through main street not too far from home or want an image having really nothing to do with motorcycles the Harley Davidson would be fine. .

If however you are looking for a Motorcycle with the fun, adventure and feeling that it brings without any thing to worry about except for being out riding too long then buy any other motorcycle. Oh yeah and you save thousands as well! Money that can be used towards ridding gear ,insurance and something nice for the lady so that she wont complain that you wasted money on a motorcycle.

One last thing this has nothing at all with being Un- American it has to do with motorcycles no matter who makes them. If we bought only American products just to prove our patriotism then our houses would be pretty bare and Pachitalk wouldn't exist.
Its funny how only when it comes to motorcycles does this present itself when purchasing a product.

I agree with Suburubrat about his product evaluation.

Let me say this... America without its corrupt politicians Rules!!!

[20sporty02]

well, i dont want to get into a big debate on whats better
because eveybody has a different opinion.

but harley davidsons arent just for the rich who like to take short trips or ride on weekends
i havent had any problem with my sporty that i didnt cause myself, and i wouldnt be afraid to ride it anywhere for any length of time
back in the day they were prone to breaking down and leaking oil, but alot of that has been corrected over the years

some people buy motorcycles and some people buy a personality (thinking owning a harley makes them a biker)

i've rode alot of different bikes over the years and i personally like harleys (but thats just me)

if you want the harley sound BUY a harley

if you want the harley look, buy any other brand, because they are all trying to copy the harley look anyway

bottom line MY opinion is harleys arent as bad as people (harley owners and non-harley owners) say they are, they wouldnt be in buisness 105 years later

[bfree]

I'd feel safe on this one!

[garfield]

I owned a motorcycle race and repair shop for 13 years. I have owned and worked on every type of bike you can imagine and have raced semipro for 14 years.

What bikes did you race with, if i may ask ?

[Eddie]

well, i dont want to get into a big debate on whats better
because eveybody has a different opinion.

Harley Davidsons arent just for the rich who like to take short trips or ride on weekends
i havent had any problem with my sporty that i didnt cause myself, and i wouldnt be afraid to ride it anywhere for any length of time

Dont misunderstand my comment on the rich. I was saying this.
Unless you are a real mechanic that does his own work at home. Such as you probably are.
Unless you are a Real biker /Motorcyclist that lives and breaths bikes and rides every possible chance you get or even commutes by motorcycle to work. Which you probably are.
Then Harley ownership in a real world sense would not be the smart choice for that particular buyer.
If you didnt do your own work then you would have to be RICH to have it done for you!
If you only wanted a motorcycle as a once in awhile fad or just because you might want to (Get Girls) or just to have a fun toy to romp around on to be sold or tossed at seasons end the Harley wouldnt be for you, again unless you were Rich enough to have such an expensive piece of bling.

The Harley costs too much to be bought on a whim for those not wanting to do all of the maintenance that it or for that matter any other motorcycle must have. It is really for a dedicated motorcycle enthusiast not for someone who wants to hop on it expecting the reliability and lack of maintenance that they are used to in their cars.

Its really not for the average I want a motorcycle because it looks cool buyer unless that buyer was RICH enough to do so. As was said earlier there are many other brands that have cruiser shapes. For the majority of people they are perfect and can be bought without a mortgage.

As for buying one thinking..Well If I dont want it anymore ill just sell it as it wont lose its value. This idea is just plain wrong. Have you seen the economy lately? No one is buying up expensive used Motorcycles. Classifieds are flooded with used Harleys that are never sold as they are very expensive and who but the RICH can afford them as a plaything now?

So unless your a Diehard Biker or Rich they are not a realistic option as a first or whim motorcycle purchase.

[01PyTypeR#1140]

I'd feel safe on this one!

http://www.ohtoy.com/catalog/images/...7-2.225152.jpg

I think you would still hurt yourself on that.