Buying a Harely need opinions

That is a bike I would own....They are not constrained by "tradition and heritage"., they have a clean sheet and design very nice bikes, People who own Victorys don;t usually get sucked into buying the "costume"


The OP wanted opinions......I gave mine and the reasons for them.Sorry of HD owners don;t find them valid. I did not expect them to. Been there done that. Former cigarette smokers are more passionate about their old vice as well.

 

Not to worry....We have nothing in common.

 

I can tell just by looking at your reproduction of a real motorcycle.

 

this has been funny reading. The bike does not make one an outlaw, it is the rider. Yeah there are loud Harleys, but last night after the Rodeo we were passed by 10+ crouch rockets that were doing well over 100 weaving in and out of traffic. We go on a dinner ride every week with friends and yes my Harley is the loudest so I always ride at the back plus I have the most and brightest lights.
The main thing is there are good and bad in every group..........we al ride two wheels no matter where it is made or who made it. Every bike has it good points and bad points.......But how many can say they bought a bike and rode it for 5yrs and put 27000 miles on it and sold it for what they paided for it

 

Now That IS funny...No one copies more than HD and their owners. They copy themselves year after year. Their riders copy each other right down to the fashion. If the Japanese are copying Harley then apparently milions and millions of people would rather and are buying the "copies" than they want to buy the "originals." Anyone with $9- $15Gs to spend on a bike can have a Harley if they want one Yet more want "the copies or the "other" alternative. 300K bikes is not a whole lot of bikes to sell worldwide (in their BEST year) yet they have not been able to even sell that many in the past few years while the metrics sold millions. Harley is having trouble selling 250K bikes a year!!!! Those are chump numbers for a bike that is so copied.LOL


HD has a storied history of having to be bailed out time and time again either by other companies, other individuals or from the US Gov. Harley Davidson Management is not why it survived nor made a highly profitable company with a great product that lead the rest of the world in its particular market. No, HD survived because all they knew how to do was to beg for mercy and hope for the best. Harley Davidson copied other manufacturers from day one and played victim ever since to put the blame for their situation on everyone but HD. Harley has NO history of pulling ITSELF out of trouble . They got handouts, buyouts, government trade protections. EVEN The HD "Sport bike" offering from Harley's engine is based on Porche engine design. Harley Davidson has been learning Japanese since the 80's when they suddnely came to the conclusion that in order to survive, they'd need to copy Japanese management philosophy and also their production technique.Then began importing far better Japanese parts then they could make for their "American (assembled) Iron".


No one who has a high school education would ever pay money for obsolescence and failure however IF.... if you offered them a product rich in "tradition and heritage", well Hmmmmmm Only HD could ever claim to have a rich heritage and tradition in failure and obsolescence and swap those terms around and get people to pay a premium for the conversion of the terms, obsolesce and failure into "tradition and heritage"...Um right...

Buy one for the brotherhood and something to have in common amongst those who have the same dress the same and ride the same.....But don;t speak technology.....innovation....mold breaking...Leave that to the Japanese copies. They are what HD SHOULD have evolved to. (and in many cases of parts arriving in Milwaukee from Japan somewhat are...)

 

As I am reading this diatribe from my E-mail, I'm thinking "This dude must own a Honda."

Got your number!

 

A 2000 HD Electra glide classic listed for $16,100a ..and sold for $2000 OVER that in most cases...No way that bike is even worth $10,000 today when 2007s are going for far less than $1400 and listed much higher.

http://www.nadaguides.com/Motorcycl...C-ROAD-KING-CLASSIC-1584cc/Standard-Equipment

You mean like this? http://www.cycletrader.com/find/listing/2007-Harley-Davidson-Flhrc-Road-King-Classic--97288421 "Asking" price far less than new.....and less than 12K miles on a 2007...Im guessing they will sell that bike for less than $13k and the poor guy who traded it got a lot less than 11K ACV. Resale Harleys are not what they used to be. Boomers are selling them all over the place. 4 years old with no miles for far less than new prices. Heck you can buy a new Harley for MSRP out the door here.

But yeah.... I can say it.. I sold mine for far more than I paid for it in 1994....Those days a are long gone....No one is going to sell a $17,000 fat boy for $17000 in five years with 27k on it... Heck CycleTrader is FULL of three year old Harleys with far far fewer miles listed for 30% less than new ones. There are a total of 22,000 Harleys listed...That's 10% of Harleys entire new sales last year!!! I seriously doubt many will get what they paid...Especially those who were sucked into the 100 Anniversary models. Anyone with 10g can buy a late model Big Twin easily......so why are so many going unsold and how are the Japanese cruisers selling at all with all those low priced Harleys available?

Have a look at these "asking" prices for late model Road Kings!!

 

Nope Yamaha.....My cruiser days consisted of an 87 FXRC then two Honda 1100s
and now a Yamaha. Nothing to hide. I can buy and ride any bike I choose. I chose Yamaha. Best bang for the buck and no uniform required...

 

Old age...going blind I guess. Enjoy the ride! I know I will.

 

Always do....

 

Wow, your rants just remind me of the kid that thinks baseball is stupid after he didn't get picked for either team. Was that the problem? Noone would ride with you? Do you need someone to ride with you? Would that heal the years of deep personal scarring from having to watch the other guys sit and enjoy a few beers while hanging out with friends? Because in the end, that is one of the best things about it. I enjoy my rides by myself, but I enjoy a good ride with friends also.

To each his own - and I'm glad mine is now where near anything you like.

 

Sorry cannot relate to your amateur Psychological profile and awful metaphorical skills..... There is no team here to be "picked" for.. Last time I looked i can buy a Harley and join the fraternity without an invite. And ride out to the Harley Boutique every Saturday for hotdogs and begin the bar hopping...... LOL Unlike many HD owners I don't derive joy from bar hopping on the same bikes wearing the same clothes, placards and shields , drinking beer, and discussing the latest chrome trinket I am yearning for while living the myth of resale value while pretending to be a non conformist rebel........ but if that's one of life's supreme joys for you I have nothing but respect with a dash of pity.

My friends have slightly loftier goals and interests. Some ride bikes . Others have boats, others are musicians.....I swim in many ponds. none defines me. I define them.

 

Wow! YOU have got to be the Charlie Sheen of the motorcycling community i.e. total denial.

 

Figures, your an elitest. And you win the award for the gayest thing I have read so far this year. If there is any pride in that - it's all yours big boy.

 

If you could spell elitist you might understand the definition better... LOL
Make no mistake, I take absolutely no pride in anything I say being the "gayest thing" you have read so far this year. But you may need a more intersting life or at least read a few more books or comics...

I deny Harley is the end all of V-Twin cruisers. Indeed.
and I like Charlie. I believe he is doing life HIS way for better or worse.......as I do mine. He refuses to conform to an "image" some corporation pushes on him. I do likewise. No one tells me what to wear, what phone to buy, what car to drive, what watch to wear, what music to listen to, what ink to get, I take the stickers off my ball caps and actually from the bills....LOL

 

haha this thread cracks me up. i am better than you!

 

Your right, I believe the OP got the point a long time ago. I'll jump off this steaming pile of turd and let Kingfrog have it - he beat me with age and experience at his high level of thinking.

 

My new Vic will be delivered Monday.

 

It's a bit strange how motorcycles can get in your blood. In high school I was always begging my buddies to let me borrow their bikes, since my folks wouldn't let me buy one. After a couple of dumbass accidents (road rash only) I got scared, and stayed off of them for 25 years. Then when I got to Bermuda, scooters and small bikes were the only option for transport, so I was suddenly riding again... only this time much more mature and sensible. Coming back to the States, all I could think about was which bike I wanted. Then last summer I had to sell my Vision, and spent the next 7 months dying to get back on and ride (I hope that isn't prophetic).

 

Been riding something all of my adult life...first real bike was a naked 4 cyl. Gold Wing GL1000 (before they became 2 wheeled Miatas) in San Diego. Nice bike but I wanted something light and sporty to ride to the Rock Store near LA so began on Sportbikes. KZ550 green I think. Then I wanted to travel to Phoenix and Las Vegas and so I bought a Honda CB1000 custom thing had like 10 speeds.After moving to Vegas, I went to the Laughlin Rally on it and the Harley bug bit. Found an FXRC and rode it until I was offered stupid money for it in the early 90's and bought a Honda VT1100 and never looked back. The smooth Metric V Twins won me over.

Now I have an itch for a VFR.........(but know I should probably get one of those new Honda 250 Sportys LOL.) All I do any more is commute. No more rides to nowhere. No runs or get togethers, I especially don't care to go where a lot of riders go like the Dragon and Rallys anymore.
When I lived in Vegas I had to ride four hours through desert to get anywhere different..(although once out and into the mountains, the scenery is fantastic points east and southeast. I rode all the nice roads in San Diego and Riverside county.... meh Cannot compare to 15 through Utah into Colorado or the north rim...

Riding is not bad here but its the same from here to Colorado LOL.....Trees and ......trees.. and nothing and more trees....and deer...


My brother is 56 years old and has always ridden sport bikes.. CBR1000RR, Ducatis Still does. and has the broken bones to prove it.