After selling my 2007 Heritage 2 years ago I was debating on buying a convertible or a tour bike for my wife and I to take trips together. I started looking at Harley’s again and when I saw the color of the anniversary limited I was hooked. The decision was made easier by my wife missing riding together. Still breaking it in, but absolutely happy with my first bagger. The 107” M8 is night and day superior to the 96” in my Heritage. Speaking of the Heritage, it’s lost it’s Heritage looking way too modern with those hard bags. Motorcycle sales continue to decline so I get that Harley needed to modernize their line up, but as us old dudes move on I am not sure it’s enough to attract a new generation of riders.

 

Kind of ironic as it is the locking hard bags and cruise control that are helping to sell the bike as an alternative tourer for those not wanting a dresser. My dealer can't keep them on the floor.

 

Never thought of it that way, Makes sense.

 

Lack of locking hard bags and cruise control is what finally made me jump ship to a bagger. Having to carry my shut into the motel at night on the way to and back from Sturgis or Daytona over time got old fast. Also, using the old friction thumb wheel on the throttle was a real pita, aside from being suicidal. ;>)

 

Agreed, for some folks the lack of hard bags and cruise made Softails unappealing, but I hate to see old names used on new bikes when those names now seem false. The Dyna Fat Bob isn't a Dyna, and the Heritage lacks the look and feel of the past that made the name Heritage have any meaning. When the old Softail lineup had Springer, Standard, Heritage etc, there was a theme to the bike that made the name compatible. I don't see that anymore. Makes as much sense to me as having a "Road King Softail" with external shocks. "Huh?" is all that comes to mind for me.

 

My new 114 is scheduled to ship from the factory on th 31st.

 

If they stick the 114 into the FLH line next year I'm going to be mighty pissed off I say !

 

The title says after seeing the 18's are you going to buy? I've been a member here for some time I don't post often but I do read a lot of posts and reply occasionally. I was in a bike accident and my beautiful 14 StreetGlide was written of leaving me with a cheque but no bike, so there I go looking through the bikes at the dealer not really impressed with the colours for the 18's but there were no more 17's in the colour I wanted. So now I come back to this forum and start reading about all the trouble this new motor has and I should stay clear of them until HD figures this out. Great now what do I do hold off on buying one until the concensus here agree that things are fixed and now is a good time. I know everyone has opinions and some are speaking from experience but is it as bad as this forum protrays it to be. I'm ready to order 18 SG in black Tempest but all this hype is making me wonder if I should hang onto that cheque a little longer.

 

Well after reading of all the sumping issues along with oil transfer problems on 25,000 + bikes. I’d personally look elsewhere. Not saying don’t buy a bike, Just nothing that has an M8 in it.
Spending all that money and then the wait for replacement parts and on the od occasion a new motor is not for me.

I like to sleep well at night after I’ve dropped a good chunk of change like that on a bike

My 2 cents
Wiz

 

Hopefully it won't be too long. If they are smart they would have planned ahead for a big mid-year release...sometime in February.

Gotta say, this softail business has opened my eyes back to stables like Suzuki and Kawasaki. And man, it sucks to write thst. That ZX14R and 194HP sure feels like it could scratch an itch though...and for only 15K...damn. That's like 120HP more than my bike and I would be ecstatic to just have 120HP.

I love my FXDL but damn...Harley should be chomping at the bit to straight up stomp the guts out of a bike like that. I have always assumed they could do it if they wanted to but...I kind of wonder if they are afraid to compete. After the beating they took this last year from Indian maybe they should think about shutting the doors.