To Harley or not to Harley?

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jaskc78
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To Harley or not to Harley?

#1 Unread post by jaskc78 »

So earlier this year I'd decided that if I got promoted I'd buy myself a new Harley as a gift. Well, I found out over the last week that I will be promoted. Probably either September or October, and that'll mean about $300 more a month, then December is 12 years in the Air Force and that's another $200 a month.

So...with $500 a month, I'm gonna get a new motorcycle. In the next couple months I'll be debt free with the exception of my truck payment, but I'm gonna roll over the credit card payment and other crap to pay it off sooner. That combined with my own Mass Vehicle Liquidation Sale, I'll have to buy more stuff to drive/ride to work.

Currently looking at the Yamaha V-Star 1100 Custom with the Midnight trim, the Honda VTX1300T, or the Harley Softtail Night Train or Dyna Fat Bob.

The Honda and Yamaha have the price thing going for them, because they're $4500-6000 cheaper than the Harley right off the bat, and the accessories seem to be a lot cheaper, too. The Harley, however, is....a Harley. Is the Harley name really worth the extra dollars? I understand that the Harley has a bigger engine and a whole slew more after market support availability, but how do they stand up as far as build quality? I want a bike that'll do just as well around town as it will cruising 80mph on the highway for hours on end. And while I appreciate the after market options, I don't want to feel like they're necessities.

The Honda is water cooled, which I think would be very nice when the air gets to be 110 degrees+, but the people I work with that ride Harleys say that the oil cooler makes for very reasonable engine temps even on the hottest days. The 6-speed transmission would also be very nice for highway cruising, but I'm sure the 5-speeds on the Honda and Yamaha are both more than capable. The shaft drive on the Honda and Yamaha is also enticing, but again I'm sure that the folks at Harley Davidson wouldn't still be using a final drive system that was weak or flawed and the folks I work with, again, have nothing bad to say about the belt or chain drive on Harleys.

Anyone have any insight? I think a lot of it will come down to the test ride, so maybe I just need to wait for that to see what all questions are answered for me, but I'm just not that patient.
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BuzZz
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#2 Unread post by BuzZz »

I am a brand mean. I don't care what name is on the thing.... if it hits all the right nerve clusters, I'll ride it.

So I would say ride all the bikes your looking at and buy the one you like best. Bikes are a very subjective thing, what feels good to one guy might not feel right to the next guy. Even within the same styles and usage groups.

All the bikes will be as mechanically dependable as the next bike. Air-v-water cooling is up to taste again. Both systems do the job just fine. Water-cooling allows tighter control of engine temp range and so they can make the tolerances tighter, so there's that to think about if it is important to you.

As long as you buy the bike that feels best to you when you ride it, you can't really go wrong.
No Witnesses.... :shifty:

jaskc78
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#3 Unread post by jaskc78 »

thanks for not helping at all, Buzzz. :laughing:

and yeah, it'll come down to the test ride, i think, since i've never been good at making decisions based on price.
"Dude, women are like Vol-Tron. The more you can hook up the better it gets!" --RvB
Currently waiting on a new hip before I can get a new bike.

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BuzZz
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#4 Unread post by BuzZz »

If you try to justify a motorcycle based on money, you miss the point, IMHO. :mrgreen:

It has always come down to 'how much money do I have for a motorcycle?' at bike buying time. Then I buy the best candidate I've found for that much, lol. If I had 30 grand, I would be riding that tricked-out Hypermotard S they got on the display stand at the dealer in town. So I'm not the one to say much about that. :roll:

If the most expensive choice is the one you like best, it is still the best deal. If you like the cheapest bike best.... even better. My life don't work that way though..... :wink:
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jaskc78
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#5 Unread post by jaskc78 »

yeah, i know what you mean there, Buzzz. i can count the number of times i've kept cash in my pocket while walking past something i want on one hand...maybe even just one finger.

oh well, guess it'll wait til test ride time, which is going on through the end of the month according to the Harley Super Ride. i know what i'm doing tomorrow.
"Dude, women are like Vol-Tron. The more you can hook up the better it gets!" --RvB
Currently waiting on a new hip before I can get a new bike.

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#6 Unread post by jeff_connors »

All the models can be confusing. Start at the general and move to the specific. Just like an AF checklist!

Type of bike you like, cruiser, sport, standard

Looks and features, seat feel, instruments, etc.

Price

Just because you have the money to afford that bike, that does not mean you have to spend it. Establish your priorities, family, investments, TSP?, etc. A bike, no matter how anyone justifies it, is a toy. UNLESS you replace a vehicle with a bike and most people don't do that. Now my bike is a toy but one thing has helped pay for it. If you take your bike TDY, the travel pay will help you pay for it and buy tires, etc. And it's fun to take the bike if you can.

Personally, Harley's to me are overpriced and over-hyped. You will have just as much fun on a two wheeled non-Harley bike. I know a lot of people say it's a "life style." That is BS. I don't need to buy a life style. I love my bikes and have 4 currently. I have about the money in those that I would have in the cheapest Harley. My 2 cents.
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#7 Unread post by Wrider »

Alright, time for my two cents.

The 1100 VStar isn't going to be as powerful as the VTX1300
the VTX is about as powerful as the Harleys, about the same amount of torque.
Shaft drive is the least maintenance, but there is NOTHING bad about belts as long as you keep the belt on there straight. (I've seen HDs with 50K on the clock and the original belt)
As far as air/oil/water cooling, when I was in Phoenix I saw all three do just fine, so don't worry about that.

Honestly if you can afford any of them, I'd go test-ride them all. Show up with some decent cash in hand and most dealers will let you test ride just about any bike on the block.

And just to confuse you a little more, may I throw in the Suzuki Boulevard line? Shaft drive, liquid cooled, V-Twin, and just as reliable as any of the others... :)
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Ryethil
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Re: To Harley or not to Harley?

#8 Unread post by Ryethil »

jaskc78 wrote:
(snip)

I'll have to buy more stuff to drive/ride to work.

Currently looking at the Yamaha V-Star 1100 Custom with the Midnight trim, the Honda VTX1300T, or the Harley Softtail Night Train or Dyna Fat Bob.

The Honda and Yamaha have the price thing going for them, because they're $4500-6000 cheaper than the Harley right off the bat, and the accessories seem to be a lot cheaper, too. The Harley, however, is....a Harley. Is the Harley name really worth the extra dollars? I understand that the Harley has a bigger engine and a whole slew more after market support availability, but how do they stand up as far as build quality? I want a bike that'll do just as well around town as it will cruising 80mph on the highway for hours on end. And while I appreciate the after market options, I don't want to feel like they're necessities.

The Honda is water cooled, which I think would be very nice when the air gets to be 110 degrees+, but the people I work with that ride Harleys say that the oil cooler makes for very reasonable engine temps even on the hottest days. The 6-speed transmission would also be very nice for highway cruising, but I'm sure the 5-speeds on the Honda and Yamaha are both more than capable. The shaft drive on the Honda and Yamaha is also enticing, but again I'm sure that the folks at Harley Davidson wouldn't still be using a final drive system that was weak or flawed and the folks I work with, again, have nothing bad to say about the belt or chain drive on Harleys.

Anyone have any insight? I think a lot of it will come down to the test ride, so maybe I just need to wait for that to see what all questions are answered for me, but I'm just not that patient.
My intuition tells me to stay out of this one but fools rush in...

From my experience, the Honda is the better choice for a japanese bike. It has a lot of features that are neat and it's very realiable.

However, a Harley is a Harley. If all you want is an appliance then go for it. I'm not trying to be snobish about this though you've probably heard this rant before. The problem is that a Harley rides different and it resides in a different world. The experience of riding a Harley is like a lover. All people have warts and not so nice things about them. However, the one that twists your crank isn't necessarily going to be most perfect or even the best house trained. Harleys don't try to be your best friend. Harleys are so much more. They have a personality as such that every one of them takes on a personality of its own.

I love them the same way I love old Triumphs and pony car Camero. I've been told that when you would by a Ponymaro new, the first thing done was find a back road and stomp the loud pedal. The torque of the engine would twist the frame and the resultant frame seasoning would cause each Comaro to drive differently. Each one handled and drove different.

My only problem is that I'm smaller and have less strength so many Harleys are out of my reach. But I love them all. And when you drive up someplace, you don't have to explain why you didn't by a Harley.

This one is for the guys. :rockon:
Alex
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#9 Unread post by paul246 »

Get whatever turns your crank but at least consider buying used. There is a glut on the market no matter what brand you decide upon. Great time to pick up a low mileage bargain.
There is no such thing as a bad motorcycle.

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#10 Unread post by king robb »

No doubt...craigs list is loaded with great bikes for super cheap. I wish I had an empty pole barn and a loaded checking account.
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