I confess I bought my bike "new". To be fair, that was 23 years ago.


With retirement looming, I will also admit to considering a '17 Street Glide.

 

I never knew that, or at least never paid very close attention. So would a Dyna with an M8 on a new frame be one of those things they'd bring out mid-year or are we talking about new paint colors, different handlebars and such?

 

I don't have a lot of money, and I ride an old bike. Didn't know that made me "worthy".

 

I sold 3 Mopars, Cuda and Challenger were small block cars converted to a Hemi car. Both I built when young and dumb. Clean cars and driven a fare amount until I got sick of screwing with them. The RT Challenger Convertible was a survivor. All original. And a driver. The RT was worth far more than the Hemi cars.

Have you ever owned any of these cars and cared for them? They are not near as fast as folks like to think they are. They handle like log trucks on flat tires. They don't stop. Even if you put disk brakes on them there still like stopping a train. All they are good for is sucking money out of your wallet and making other people happy. Do you have any idea what is involved in keeping old cast iron hemi engines alive with period correct go fast parts installed?

I had all three of the cars for well over 25 years. I built both the Hemi cars myself and cared for the RT survivor. I sold the cars to old friends that have wanted them for years. I made good coin on them. But more important I passed them on to guys that still have wood for cars that really are rolling junk.

The cars and bikes paid for the new Harley in full, plus it's stage one kit, back rest, two years worth of Amsoil, one years insurance and tt&l. Plus bolstered my retirement quite a bit.

I would rather have a new Focus RS than a Hemi car any day of the week.

The 78 Harleys bought in early 79 were junk. Don't care what you say. Complete and utter trash. Bought both new off the show room floor. They spent more time back at the dealer than they were worth. If they weren't breaking safety wire and beating fasteners apart it was because they wouldn't start. The sporty tried to be a almost bad bike where as the shovel was a absolute disaster.

As for the M8 yes I sprung for the engine. And bought the bike solely for the engine. A tranny they should of built 30 years ago. Heads that will actually breath without hogging the ports out to a level that could make a twin cam suck the valve guides. Suspension thats only 20 years behind. I bought a semi modern vintage bike. So far it's been a blast.

 

It's never been about the bike or someone's income it is however all about the man, food for thought .

 

That's some straight talk from a guy who knows what it's like to own old vehicles. I've had a few and honestly there's only one out there now that could tempt me, an XLCR. Having owned antique bikes before, I have no illusion what a PITA they can sometimes be and know it costs money to just to have them, let alone ride them.

 

My Lowrider S is the first new vehicle I've bought. The bikes I owned before were used and I was more than happy with that. In truth I never got why people bought new, or traded in their old one till I sold a bike a while back and realized I would pay someone the amount of money I'd loose just to not have to deal with it (course it wasn't a $20k bike mind you). It's also nice knowing no one has fiddled with it, that I get to be the first, lol.


The three reasons I bought new:

1)Mainly because there aren't any used ones out there and it's what I wanted.

2) I didn't want another build to make something close what I wanted (I build vintage cars/trucks, already have 2 projects)

3) I never been the first owner of something and wanted to at least once.





If you want my honest opinion why so many people are buying new, I'd say some of it has to do with a social status. Sometimes it seems like society thinks anything that's not cutting edge is crap, heaven forbid you don't have an iPhone 8s+ the day it comes out, just the fact that it exists means your shameful normal iPhone 8 is now completely useless.

Secondly I'd say fear, because no one is teaching anyone how to use a wrench and fix it themselves anymore so the idea that may have to change a battery themselves becomes fearful. New means you don't have to deal with all that (in theory). And since they're not doing any of the work themselves they don't see that just because it's new doesn't make it good, and just because it's not new doesn't make it crap.

 

If you've experienced that around here, those are just the idiots.

 

Or just people with no money and crappy old bikes that are trying to feel better about themselves by bagging on others who may (or may not) be in a better position financially.

 

Truth.