Buying a Harely need opinions

It's okay son. Hopefully, some day you'll be able to afford one.

 

I went with a Triumph Thunderbird 1700. It fit me like a glove, almost 100 hp and 118 ft lbs of torque. All I will ever need, and it was less than $14k out the door. Not as many aftermarket upgrades, but they're coming along. I never sat on a Harley that I thought was comfortable, but that's just my opinion. I bought the Storm model, it's all blacked out with twin headlamps. My third Triumph. Look at my profile pics for a shot of it. Sit on some bikes and get a good feel. You may or may not decide on Harley after that.

 

Sounds like a good plan to me. Pick yourself up an old Intruder 700 or similar and have some fun then go with the nice bike and enjoy for many years. Like the old man's style too.

 

I will start by saying that you are entitled to your opinions and to answer your question on how to keep a Harley from leaking oil onto your driveway. Answer: The two I have owned never leaked at all. I used to have the same mindset as you back in the 80's always saying that Harley's leaked oil but I never saw it first hand.

As far as power, again when I was younger it was all about horse power and the design of the bike. I will never fault anyone at looking at the specifications and considering horse power when purchasing a bike but it should never be the main reason for buying the bike unless you are going to race it on the track and then suspension and tires come into the equation.

Reliability has been rock solid on my current Harley ( Road Glide) since I purchased it new (September 2006.) Outside of scheduled maintenance and replacing tire and brakes no other issues have surfaced. I am not saying that they are perfect there are people over at the Harley forum that have had there fair share of issues.

Lets discuss not buying a Harley for your first bike. First and foremost only look at bikes you can afford and do not settle for bike you do not want. If it takes an additional year to save up for the bike then do it. I have had friends that wanted a bike right away but they settled for a bike that fit the price they were willing spend and the monthly payment was also at their price point. Several months later after the newness wears off they get tired of the bike and they are looking at ways to buy the bike they wanted. As with all things, bikes depreciate. I ride a bike for a living (Motor Cop) and our police bikes (BMW) weigh 700lbs. Two of our Motor Officer's had never ridden a bike before being assigned to the unit. They did two weeks of training at the department before going to the motor academy and they passed with flying colors. So what am I getting at, don't let the weight of the bike scare you when deciding on a bike. Click on the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuQ1i1W0I2s&feature=fvsr . Granted Harley's are not sport bikes but they can handle if you know how to ride the bike.

As far as technology, I believe if it is not broke don't fix it. My bike starts, stops, and gets me from 'A' to 'B' with no problems. There is not much more I need to say on the topic. The streets are not a race track so horse power is not an issue for me.

Comfort, this is going to be dependent on the size and weight of the rider. What is comfortable for me may not be comfortable for another rider. Years ago I sold my 2001 Honda CBR 929RR due to my knees and wrists bothering me after riding the bike for more then an hour. The pleasure of riding the bike was gone and I transitioned to a BMW K1200S, still sporty but not such an aggressive riding position.

So in short, I think you need to reexamine your facts on the Harley Davidson brand. You can google Harley reviews and you will see they are getting good reviews. Anyone that is looking for a Harley I encourage to contact a Harley dealer and see if they rent Harley's. Before buying my Road Glide I wanted the Street Glide. I did a 4 hour rental at my Harley dealer and rode several bikes and at the end of the day the Road Glide was the bike I purchased.

In closing I like all motorcycles, and I am not pro Harley but pro motorcycle.

Work bike


Touring Bike


Fun Bike

 

^^^^^^^^ well said sir.

 

sportsters are not a good choice for a first bike.they are extremely top heavy.a dyna is a better choice.