You are coming to a HD-centric site. You know what we, collectively, will say.....

 

I'll be wearing "Ride for Kids" t-shirts when I'm back on two wheels. Actually I'll be wearing leather so it doesn't bother me much, but yeah I see the point.

Trick is, I found out quickly after the first harley and also second harley the thing that moves me is having two wheels on the road, in the wind, with plenty of throttle left and not at work. LOL!

However, when I first got on the road with the first bike which was a fully chromed out beautiful old two-tone Evo, there was definitely something "classic" and "cool". Didn't get that from the 04 fatboy, strangely. If I were pick up another harley, it'd have to be an older one I put some love into. A nice quiet reliable Evo-motor, braided cables, chromed and dressed up like it rolled out of a 50's car/bike show. A new Camaro might be a great car, but I'd have more fun in a '67 convertable that's been loved over a brand new one anyday.

 

That is along the lines of what I intended to say, but you beat me to it.

I can tell you stories of buddies that bought fake Harleys, that soon got rid of them. One was a jailer that rode his "hardly" to work. Some incarcerated ladies asked him if he would give them a ride on his Harley after they got out. Too embarrassed to tell them it was a Jap bike, he bought a Harley.

Go to a bike rally or bike run on a Jap bike and try talking bikes with the fellow riders. If you ride a metric, you've got nothing to add to a conversation, it takes owning a Harley to appreciate them and feel the comradery . Harley riders are generally open minded and appreciative of other bikes, but you'll feel like a gay in a biker bar.

I don't see too many metric cruiser bike events, except for a few Gold Wing events, so finding other people sharing your passion just won't likely happen on a regular basis. Owning a Harley is a conversation starter all of it's own. Just drive over to a Harley fund raising ride or whatever is happening and mingle in the crowd. Then maybe you'll understand the difference between owning a metric cruiser and a Harley. You'll meet cops, lawyers, doctors, engineers, ironworkers, pipefitters. business owners and people from every walk of life, but they all have one thing in common that brings them together...And it sure isn't metric cruiser ownership!

I've owned about 20 bikes and spent quite a few years racing off-road. I always built my bikes to be one-up on my competitive buddies. I did the same with my Harley, but cruising isn't the same as racing. I still like handling and performance, so incorporate that into every 2 and 4 wheel vehicle that I own. My Harley is no exception.

The aftermarket has everything that you could desire for a Harley. They are great stock, but parts are available to make it faster, handle better and outperform about any bike in it's class.

If you are old enough to remember Mark Barnett from the late 70's and early 80's, you'll recall that he was a world class motocrosser. He now owns the world's largest HD dealership in Texas and puts out his own Harley oriented magazine "Barnett's". It is one of the best magazines I've yet to come across. If he can make such a drastic switch from factory works bikes to Harleys, anyone can.

 

Buy a Harley just like everybody else...

 

Ok. Let's say someone comes up to you with 2 sets of car keys. One is to a mint condition 1970 Ford Mustang Mach 1, and one is to a 2011 Ford Mustang. You can have either one of the cars for free. If you take the metal and chrome Mach 1 get a Harley. If you take the more reliable, fuel injected, plastic 2011 copy of the original get the Yamaha.
I find it funny that you don’t get emotional about motorcycles,because most HD owners are emotional about their bikes. And there is a reason I cannot articulate, for that. You have to experience it.

 

try both bikes first. i bought a 2010 wide glide at xmas.
first harley i got. i test rode nearly every bike the dealer had.
the bob was the best, but i went with the glide because it was a better starting point for what I wanted to do with the bike.

ive been riding brit bikes and jap bikes for 20 yrs plus. the first thing i noticed was the brakes were seriously crap compared to jap sportbikes (obviously), and on tech spec and price the brit/jap bikes will beat the harley into the ground all day long. but.......

i kept reading on the harley sites as i was doing my research, "if i have to explain, you wouldnt understand". once you get on a harley, it all becomes clear. the harley has IT, SOUL, whatever you want to call it. i think once you ride the bob, your decision will be a no brainer.

 

I have a buddy that was looking at getting a warrior. He lives in a smaller town so he asked me to look around for what was available here. One dealer told me warriors have not been a good seller and there are still brand new bikes in the warehouse from every production year, what year does he want? I bet there are deals to be made if this is true were you live.

Take your 2 day test ride and you'll know after that. Like many have already said, a Harley feels different than any other bike. Either you like it or you don't. Good luck and enjoy whatever you get.

 

I just bought a superglide in april after owning a yamaha v-star. To me there is no Comparison. The harley is all metal, heavy, and doesnt seem to be blown around on the road as much. It makes v-star feel like a toy. The v-star definatley vibrated less but if you set the bike up for you, you'll love it. Bars, seat, etc. Mine is carbureted so it isnt as smooth as the new fuel injected ones. If you do buy the harley buy the service manual. Its worth its weight in gold. When i bought my bike it road like a woodened wheeled wagon. With the manual and the help of this forum it now rides as smooth as glass.

 

Hey rtm58, you certainly have alot of good info given here. As a new fatbob owner (3 months) and a owner of 2 metric cruisers, and 2 beemers, allow me to give my 2cents worth. The Fatbob is a totally different bike-extreme vibration at idle, rough suspension, mediocre front brakes despite being dual discs, mediocre handling. However, I was pleasantly surprised at the high qualtiy of constuction, mostly metal with scant amount of plastic. It gives the bike a totally bankvault-solid piece of granite "feel". Hard to quantifiy, but a real turn-on for me. Being an old guy with english sized tools, it was great to be able to use them. Since I like to tinker and change my own oil,the fact that all of the drain bolts were the same size was very handy. A fine point, but extremely cool. The Harley is easy to work on, the service manual is great, and the mechanical options/accessories are virtually endless. In short, the Harley just has that American heritage/culture connection/construction that the Germans and Japanese cannot reproduce. No doubt, whatever you buy will be satisfactory, but Harley's are just special and different in a way that strikes a cord in this American guy! Good luck with your future purchase!

 

This has been a lot of fun. So, since I must be living under a rock, I just recently looked at 2012's and discovered the 103 engine size. Ok, so I am not at all connected to the outside world. That is a real game changer. Also, I need to clarify something I said in my original post. I really AM passionate about motorcyling, I was just trying to put myself into a "neutral" position about these 2 bikes so I could make a rational decision about this. But, who am I kidding? What is "rational" about motorcycling? If I was going to make a rational decision about transportation, I'd buy a hybrid or an SUV. Since I saw the new models and that dark blue color, I have not even given the Raider a second thought. Gee, I guess I really DO want a Harley! I will post more after my ride in mid-September.
One side note:
I was lucky enough to go to Daytona this year for Bike Week. Got to ride a Fat Bob there. I also rode some other brands and let me tell you, Harley really understands how people think. Yes, they want to sell motorcycles, just like everyone else, but their setup was light years beyond what everyone else was doing.
At the metric sites, you had to fill out about 3 pages of paperwork and go through an orientation. Then you had to sign up to go out on a group ride and you could only sign up for 2 bikes a day.
Now, take a stroll over to the gigantic Harley tent. A very friendly face greets you and asks if you would like to take a test ride. You give them your driver's license, they put it in a scanner and a slip of paper with a barcode comes out.
You then take that paper to the appropriate area for the style of bike you want to ride (sporster, soft tail, dyna, etc) and they put you on the bike and tell you to have a good ride. Course throughout the area is maked. Come back. What, you want to ride about 3 or 4 more? No problemo, just take that same barcode paper to the next bike and off your go. You can do that all day long, every day, until the end of bike week. So, who really wants to sell bikes more?
And then there is the whold Harley culture thing. It is alluring and I know a great many people who ride Harley's that don't scoff at me for riding what I do, but they gently try and nudge me in the "right" direction.
So it is looking more like the Harley will be taking up the open spot in my garage.
Thanks again to all who helped me out in this endeavor. Now all I need is the money! (HA!)