I think you answered your own questions.

 

Prudence like this is rare these days. Like you... I sleep well. But the world is made up of many different people. Keeps it interesting.

 

az232,

As some are finding out, owning an HD is addictive and why some embrace it as a life style. I raised 3 kids and still managed to own 3 HD'sat the same timeand hope I still have one more new one in me when I retire. One time it caused me to work a second job for 6 years (70-80 hours a week). F'ing grind it was. It shouldn't have been that long but my wife snuck in a new car and braces for the youngest, a new computer and that extended the intended time for 2 jobs. I can tell you...hard work won't kill you but it'll make you want to die sometimes.

 

+1...everything before and after that was a moot point...

 

+2

[sm=icon_cheers.gif]

 

While I understand where you are coming from, I am on my 3rd bike in 4 years...

[ul][*]I bought my first bike, a used 1999 Lowrider back in 2004. I was brand spanking new to riding and bought what I could afford.[*]I bought my 2nd bike the next spring (2005), a used 2003 Fatboy with a ton of chrome on it. Since I was upgrading and thedealer wanted to sell the bike, he gave me everything I paid for the Lowrider + accessories. Basically, I lost $1,000 in taxes that I originally paid on the Lowrider or you can say I"rented" the Lowrider for10 months for$1,000 -$100 a month. You can't beat that.[*]I purchased a 2008 Streetglide this winter and traded in my Fatboy. I believe the dealer gave me more for it than I would have gotten off the street but I still lost $9K from my purchase price + accessories I put into it. I ended up "renting" the fatboy for 3K a year - about $250 a month.[/ul]
I think I did really well, I never had any negative equity in any of the bikes when I traded them in. When I upgraded from the Lowrider to the Fatboy, I was still ignorant to a lot of things about riding (i.e. I didn't like the looks of fairings and thought a bagger would be too big for me). Now that I have been around the block a few times, I think I finally figured it out and hope to keep the 2008 Streetglide for a long time.

While I do have a good salary (especially for my age - 32), I am not married and do not have any kids. So there you go....

 

+1

 

They do it because they can and want to.
Personally for something like this I would like to build it up and make it nice.

And, people like that rock because like mentioned they put really nice, nicely accessorized harldy riddden harleys on the market for cheap.

 

I don't think you are missing anything, and by your description, I think you do have it, az. Just because my buds trades for a "new" ride every other year, that is my "buds" thing. Me, I like mine paid for, and I want something no one else in the parking lot is going to confuse for their's. The "only" way I know how to accomplish that is in my grudge, with my tools and my bean. IF my buds wants to change his bike around, and he wants to do it via the dealer or parts catalog, knock U-self out for heaven's sake. Not my cup of tea. I'll sand and paint and wrench til the cows come home, it's how I maintain my sanity. You saved, and shopped and cashed out. You did what you wanted, what you could, you appreciate your ride, and sounds like you like it. If you desire to "keep up with the Jones", then make sure you have the Jones' wallet to work with. Me, I'll just show up with my "tinker" toys, because that's what I like.And I harken back to what an ol' street rodder told me decades ago, "Just remember this kid, it ain't what you bought, it's what you built."If you find satisfaction in trading every year, by all means, trade every year. If you strive to put one of these new ones over the250,000 mile mark, go for it. Building an ol' pan into a rolling museum makes me no more of a hero thanplunking down 21,000 for a "new" ride makes the next guy a hero. It's what he does that he likes, it's what I do that I like. When asked how come I still ride an old hardtail kicker at 55, I simply respond, "because I can" Howcome you trade every year or even in the same year, "because you can" If you can't, the only oneyou are ultimately fooling is, yourself. Now, saddle up that 06 RK, strap on a smile, hang a left at the first corner, roll on the throttle,and N JOY the chit out of it,because "you can" GUMBY

 

I dont know about other people but I never trade if Im up side down on an auto loan and believe it or not this is the first bike I have ever financed. we trade cars about every two years and a bit longer on my trucks. I see you have kids ours are raised and gone with the last one graduating college in may . I paid cash for my previous bike and probably should of waited and done the same with the new one but the fat bob caught my eye so along with owning my sportster i have an extra 1200.00 dollars a month laying around so I said what the hell live a little, I traded and now for the first time in my life have a motorcycle payment. but paranoid me I put enough money aside to make the payments for a year just incase work went to hell in a hand basket.