If you get the ricer,..you'll still be a "wantaharley"

 

WanaHarley,

My friend if you want one, and can make a deal, get one. I have been riding bikes since I was 14 and untll very recently had ridden nearly everthing but a Harley. Now in my 69th year I have stepped up to a Harley Ultra Classic and I am having fun riding again that I haven't had in years. Several told me I was TOO old to start riding a Harley, but brother, you only go around once so enjoy the ride while you can. My last bike was a great Goldwing 1500 but I seldom got it out of the garage; this Ultra comes out just to go to the store and of course I love all the aminities it offers to make a ride more fun.

God Bless!

 

I just went through the same dilema. I was torn between a Triumph or Harley. The Triumph is a nice bike but it was light and the fit and finish was definately of lesser quality. The day I test drove a Harley, I imediately went home and told my wife that it was Harley all the way. The ride was not comparible. The HD (06 softail heritage classic) was sooooooo much nicer and a heck of a lot more fun to drive. Honda does make a nice bike and I owned my first of 3 Hondas at the age of 9. I was at a popular bar over the weekend and there were several Harley's parked in a row. A young couple with a new Honda drove up and parked within the HD's. In terms of looks, the Honda didn't have anything on the HD's. This is just my opinion but I think you will be very happy with your new Harley Davidson.

 

That has more to do with the size of the bike, then with the type of bike I think.
I bought a 2000 Yamaha 650 custom for about $3500 a year ago to get used to riding again.
It's a good looking bike and could probably sell it for very close the same amount today.

The problem is finding cruiser type bikes 650cc or less in good shape at a decent price.
You have to figure my Yanaha is $7000 brand new which is rediculous.
Many people consider these starter bikes and they either keep them or share with family and friends.
When I bought my Harley I had 5 offers on my Yamaha in the first day.

My daughter wants to ride so was keeping it for her to learn on. Problem is she is a little thing
and for her I might have to get a 250cc (like a rebel) cause it's lighter.
They are almost the price of the Yamaha in the paper.
Then my brother called and he wants to either buy it or borrow it cause he wants to get back on
a bike (he wants a Harley though).

Anything bigger then that and you are looking at someone who is at least a
little more experienced (or so you hope). Often they know what they want
and can judge what you added so they will be less inclined to just buy a bike.
They will also be more into wheeling and dealing with you.

 

trning
I have to ask what makes it more fun when riding a HD? I think I am missing something. A friend of mine that has a wide glide told me that 2 weeks ago. We went on a 400-mile ride later that night we fired up the pit and was talking about the ride and how fun it was. Then he told me just think how much fun I would have had if I had a Harley. I did not get to ask him what he met by that when one if the wives told him that they was sure I had just as much fun on my Honda as that did. I have driven a wide glide, sportster & 2 Ultra Classic Electra Glides. I can say the belt drive is sweet! Over a shaft drive. I have had fun riding any bike I jump on as long as I get to burn A tank of gas. Maybe it's different when you own a Harley. Enlighten me is it the brotherhood of knowing that you was surrounded by 70,000 people who liked and have the same brand bike as you. If that’s the case I think I under stand it give's ever one at the event something In common.

 

All I know is that my riding buddy, who rides a Kawasaki Vulcan 1500, every so often asks if I would like to ride his bike!

He wants a Harley so bad he can taste it, but he says he can't afford one. I don't believe him.

 

Well I'm a new member of the forum and unfortunately for me I still ride metric. (For now) I fully intend to buy my 1st Harley next May right after i pay for my daughter's wedding. I, like a lot of riders started with Metrics because they were much cheaper than Harley's. In my area of the world up until last year local dealers were charging 4 and 5 thousand bucks OVER the list price. Well I always wanted a Harley but I'd be damed if i was going to pay 24 thousand for a 19 thousand dollar motorcycle.

Well seems like things have changed, local dealers are selling their bikes for list ... I can live with that. And not only that in the past they wouldn't consider taking my metric trade and now they're happy to take it. I'm sure they won't SELL it at a Harley dealership but once I trade it in I don't care what they do with it.

Sooooooooooo I'm a current metric rider who CAN'T WAIT to buy my 1st Harley. CAN'T WAIT!!!!!!!!! And the only reason I don't have one now is paying for the up coming wedding.

That being said I do have to add that I still get a big grin on my face riding my honda VTX1800. It's got power out the ***! (different computer maping, air cleaner and pipes) and sounds good and is very comfortable. But the tank seem is ugly, it's TOO big and the mileage sucks! PLUS it'll never be a Harley and i know this. For me it's a great ride and it'll do until I finally get a Harley and I'll NEVER put down or look down on a metric owner. BUTTTTTTTTTTT I've always wanted a Harley ... I DO understand wanting a bike that's an American icon and I CAN'T FRIGEN WAIT until I'm TRULY a member of the club![8D]

 

fu2 - I am new to the board but not to bikes. What you are asking is VERY difficult to quantify with words. First off, Honda makes a great motorcylce, I doubt anyone denies this. You can go out to your Honda, fire it up and drive away everytime - just like a Harley. So in the physical sense - sure, they are the same. Somehow, the marketing genius' (and this is TRUE GENIUS) at HD have engrained the "feeling" of freedom, patriotism, loyalty, and America onto their products. AMAZINGLY effective. Riding is an emotional thing, if it was not we would all be scooting around in Chevy Cavaliers and not risking life and limb to ride a scooter. As riding is clearly an emotional thing, riding the American icon that yells of the ideas of America, freedom, and loyalty embodies that spirit.

Sure there are people who do not understand this and do not benefit from these thoughts, but they are also often people who lack that pride.

My first bike was a Honda CB360, it was a lot of fun. This was in the 70's, I could not afford a Harley so I rodae what I could. Then I traded up (maybe more like over?) to a 1970 Norton 850 commando. WHat a hunk of junk! But when it ran and I did not need to use vice grips to operate the clutch, it was fun! Next I got a Kawasaki 750 Turbo, then a Yamaha Virago 1100, then a Suzuki Katana 1100, then a TRiumph Bonneville... I kept changing bikes, finally I went to a DC Police auction and bought a 1967 HD FLH wih a side car and rebulilt it. I FINALLY understood what it was all about. Prior to this, I had always thought "Eh whats the big deal about having an unreliable, slow oil leaker" I was not able to see beyond the bike as a mechanical means to go ride. The FLH was an inferrior bike to the others I had owned. It had a top speed of less than 65 mph with its three speed trans, it was like riding a giant marshmellow. I had never been happier on a bike. I rode that thing for years until I could swing a 2000 Fat Head Heritage Softtail Classic. I was in heavan! This bike was very powerful, very reliable and still had that same "feeling" my old FLH had.

I kept it until a bad incident led me to sell it. On a ride in the Blue Ridge Parkway with a large group of bikes, the ride leader lost it coming around a corner and slid into oncoming traffic and was killed by an oncoming car. He was a 20 year motorcylcle cop and knew how to ride. I decided to get out of bikes.

A few years later, here I am again - but the only bike I would even consider is another HD.

Hope this helps shed some light on why at least I will only ride a HD.

 

you cant buy patriotism, even from a harley store. lots of us who ride hondas, or other bikes, have served in our countrys armed forces and certainly do not lack pride.

buying an icon that "yells of the ideas of America, freedom, and loyalty" isnt the same as actually embodying those qualities, its just being a consumer. the people that i have met that most embody these qualities are actually the least likely to "yells of the ideas of America, freedom, and loyalty". weird, huh?

in my experience, the do-ers are not usually the yellers, and so i tend to be a little suspicious of people who are anxious to try to buy into something that requires what money cant buy.

 

First and foremost - THANK YOU for serving. Second, I would never say that those who ride other bikes are not good AMericans, that is simply not true. My point was only that HD has done a great job a capturing that "feeling" - no one can really deny that, it is reflected in their sales, customer loyalty (how many people tatoo themselves with Harley?), and a feeling of freedom.

Wheter you buy into it or not is totally up to, but there is no denying a HUGE number of people do.

I am a car/bike nut to say the least. I bought a Corvette because it was Corvette (very similar though not as fantaical) The Harley is a quality machine, but without the feeling it invokes it would just be a bike (Like a Honda). If you do not get anything out of riding a Harley, or buying American then buy a Honda and save a few $$. This whole thing would make a fascinating psyc study!