I would loove to roll around in one of those or the Gear-up model.

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2008 HD VRSC-DX Night Rod Special
2008 Buell 1125R

I'll put in my .02 as someone who's never ridden before, and just recently bought one. First and foremost, I've never owned a foreign made automobile. The last one owned by my family was like an 87 mazda when I was a baby. American automobiles have always treated us well. When I graduated high school my parents bought me a 94 ford thunderbird for $1500. The car lasted throughout college and a year afterwards. We bought it with 70k on the odometer and sold it with 137k for 1000. It had some bad paint wear, but was a good car. After that I bought an '02 ford focus. That's been good to me, but I've owned it just over a year. My parents both drive dodge vehicle. Mom has a caravan with about 40k on it and dad has a 95 ram with 187k on it. He's looking for a new one, but it is an older truck. So why would I buy any motor vehicle that wasn't made in America. Plus I'd rather support an american run company then send my money overseas.

My dad used to own a Harley, and 89 tour glide that was given to my parents by my mom's father. They got so much enjoyment out of it for awhile. But it got too be to much to handle. My dad is 5'8" and weighs 190-200lbs. He could barely hold the bike up due to weight and how high you sat. He had to stand up on his toes practically. Then he had health issues come into play. He sold it maybe 5 years ago for 9 or 10,000.

I'll tell you I live a pretty dull existance. I work, pay bills, and play computer games. Occasionally I go out with friends, but alot of them have been moving on with their lives. My "best" friend is now practically living with his girlfriend, having a baby and I hardly ever get to see him. When I do, he's usually with his girlfriend. They are literally attached at the hip. So I became depressed, shut in etc, etc. One day enough was enough after a long discussion with my parents we decided I needed to get a few more hobbies. I always liked shooting guns, so I joined a gun club. Still needed something else. Then they asked me "Well, what do you really want to do?" It didn't take long because I had been thinking about a motorcycle for months. Easy decision "Learn to ride a motorcycle."

My mom was pretty much shocked, but she came around. Went and got my permit, bought a helmet, bought gloves. Then registered for a safety course, a week later I bought boots and they knew that I was serious.

I said to my dad I wanted to buy a bike. His reply was "Buy a Harley, 1200cc will be about right.." I asked about a million questions most of them are so big, weigh alot more then other bikes, etc. What if it has too much power @ 1200cc should I buy a smaller one yadda yadda. I asked my dad if he wanted to go look at some on tuesday. I've never seen the man so ecstatic, and happy for me. I think he wants to get on one again too. Sat on some sportsters, but they just didn't feel right. Felt a bit too heavy (Again, I never rode before), and a bit awkward. We went home with a bill of sales, but I knew it wasnt what I wanted.

There had to be one though. So after countless hours looking on the harley-davidson website I called a dealership and asked if they had any nightsters. They had 3, 2 with security one without. So I sat on one. I fell in love. Seat left a bit to be desired, and I'm not sure about the mid controls. But I felt like I had an excellent center of gravity, and felt like I could move the bike around effectively. I bought the one without security, because it seemed kind of crappy since you always need to have keys to start sportsters anyway. Vivid black paint. Did a stage 1 w/ 2" baffles, I told the guy I wanted it loud, he said that the most cost effective was 2" because you don't have to repogram it to run right or anything. I like the blacked out look, so I did black slash down cut mufflers and black heat spreader on the exhaust.

I went home and went to bed woke up later that night and my dad asked me about if I had saw anything I liked and got a quote. I told him not only did I find one that I liked, I bought it. Told him all the addons I got, etc. He told my mom, and she came in and asked me all about it. Earlier Friday our neighbor was shining up his harley and I was outside my mom came home and told me "That'll be you soon, shining up your bike. Because if you don't have pride in a harley, you don't have pride in anything."

I'm still generally concerned that the bike (2009 Nightster) will be too much for me. I'm concerned that the throttle will be too touchy, or that I'll drop it. Overall though, was it worth it? Well, I've never seen my entire family happier. My father is on like cloud 9 about it. I'd have to say it is worth it.


I told this story elsewhere and a Honda owner told me that it was arrogant and ignorant that I don't buy foreign vehicles. Is it? I thought it was patriotic, what do I know.

Buying a domestic vehicle isn't arrogant or ignorant only if you have checked out all other options first before making your decision. Patriotism is a good reason that can heavily influence a decision, but in today's global economy it is almost impossible to find anything that is, in your case, 100% American made. Things have changed a lot since your parent's generation.

Truth is, Harleys are assembled in America using a lot of offshore content. If you're going to play the patriot card, be prepared for someone to gleefully point out all the Japanese, Korean, Italian and German parts on your bike every time you unfurl the Stars and Stripes. If you really wanted to support the American economy, you would have been better off to buy a Victory, as they are much closer to the 100% American content than Harley. But, unfortunately, Victory does not offer an entry level bike similar to the Sportster.

At any rate, congrats on your new bike and I hope you enjoy many happy miles on it. Just don't forget to wave to everyone on two wheels, not just the other Harleys, m'kay?

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Mike

'07 Road Glide/Ranger (Texas Sidecars)
The Blackbird Stealth Bomber

I'm sure the Estados Unidos Mexicanos salutes your patriotic purchase of your '02 Focus made in Hermosillo, Sonora!

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2005 Triumph Bonneville
2005 Suzuki V-Strom 1000
2003 Triumph Trophy 1200
2009 BMW F650GS (wife's)
1990 HD Sportster XL883 (for sale; wanna buy a Sportster??)

It's not necessarily arrogant per se, but you also have to look at a few things. My Honda shadow was made in Maryville, Ohio. Sure Japanese company and mostly japanese parts, but built by the American working class. For me, the question has ALWAYS been "Who has the better product?" Being an avid capitalist, my money goes to what I want, regardless of boundary lines. Especially as Gummie said, even American owned companies have foreign involvment. Most dodges are made in Mexico, as are some Fords. But I'm not a fanboy either. I have a Japanese bike, but if I were to get a car, it'd almost 100% be a VW (drove a jetta TDI recently that got 10 more mpg than my bike while not being completely boring).

I kinda look at it this way, if I don't like American products, I would hope my money going elsewhere would help cause the American products to get better. For example, America really needs to adopt diesel as a viable alternative to gasoline. As it is now, we can only find it in a few VW models, and the largest light trucks; the rest of the world uses diesel like crazy, in everything.

Anyway, imo, that's the way capitalism and the American way is supposed to work.

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[IMG]http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff16/Amdonim/527606_886228938392_991908680_n.jpg[/IMG]

2000 C10 Connie

I hope I can call you Gummi too for there is no way I can pronounce your nick.

Anyway, I've got a sidecar too that I would like to show you.



Yep, it's real allright. Its a 1942 BMW 750 though it probably has parts from 1938 to 1944-45. It was my father's before he passed on and I keep it up in his memory. That and my wife likes to go to events and loves riding in it though she is not so eager now.

Anyway, I've got other pictures of it but I thought this one would be enough for now.

BTW, I love Urals and if it wasn't so far to drive to get parts, I would have bought one too.

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My first Harley. A 2008 Electra Glide that I got at an auction. I'm going to take the dual seat off and put back the sprung single seat and the Cop top pack.

You can call me whatever the hell you want, as long as you're holding a cold, unopened can of beer in your hand.

Nice sidecar rig, but it looks more like a Zundapp KS 750 to me than a BMW R75 Wehrmacht rig. I'd like to see more pics of it, please.

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Mike

'07 Road Glide/Ranger (Texas Sidecars)
The Blackbird Stealth Bomber

That I can do!



Can do! Should I create a new thread for them?

As for Zundapp, I've been questioned on it but as far as I know (and my father and his restorer friends told me), it is an orginal BMW. I think the problem is that it came to me with a lot of late war parts and they are fairly crude. But at this point, any parts are 'GOOD' parts. Nearly everything needed is custom made.

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My first Harley. A 2008 Electra Glide that I got at an auction. I'm going to take the dual seat off and put back the sprung single seat and the Cop top pack.

Probably a good idea, seeing as how this is a thread about Harleys.

The front wheel, valve covers and cylinder heads on that motor are definitely Zundapp, but maybe it's been stuffed into an R75 chassis. If you have any side views of the frame that would be helpful.

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Mike

'07 Road Glide/Ranger (Texas Sidecars)
The Blackbird Stealth Bomber

Harley-Davidson's have definately come a lot way since 2000 when they introduced more rubber mounted engines (especially in the Sportster range) and now all H-D's are fuel injected as well. H-D was the first major manufacturer (as I remember) to do their entire lineup fuel injected BTW.

Now, they have a lot of new models, abit customs of the original models in their lines like the many sportster 883's and 1200's....

Mike

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