Well I'm new here, I just signed up. I have ben riding a suzuki intruder and have been looking at the goldwings and the Harleys I have checked out both the honda is impresive with all the fancey remote open boxes and gadgets it has. Harley has well it's a Harley you can't put a Harley sticker on your truck when your riding a Honda Goldwing. Here's what I ended up with. If I can figure out how to load a pic.
It's an 06 Electra glide classic Blk cherry/ Blk pearl I love it so far.
[IMG]local://upfiles/8745/F858B77CBF1C42B8B50907AB3A975044.jpg[/IMG]

 

Welcome from INDY.......NICE SCOOT.....I am sure you will never stop loving it

 

My 2 cents: I bought my first street legal bike in '72 (after growing up riding dirt bikes) at age 16 - it was a '71 yamahahaha 175 enduro. Have continuously had bikes over the years and all have been metric. Prior to buying my '06 FLSTCi had a '99 Vulcan Classic that I put 80K+ miles on my daily commute. A rock split the cases on the freeway and insurance company totaled it out. I was torn between another metric and my first Harley and for me the key was this - of those 80K+ miles I would guess only 3K or less could be called pleasure riding. I would only ride to work and use the car for weekends. The metric was an appliance for me and a good one at that. But now I not only use it to commute but take the bike out on weekends for the FUN of it.

 

Another point; When Harley's age, they become classics. When Japanese bikes get older, they just become obsolete. Factory eventually abandons them and these bikes fade into non-history. No so with any Harley.

You can own these bikes or life. The metrics still have a bit of a disposable factor to them as they ago. Speaking from ownership experience of both Metrics and Harley's.

 

my $0.02 (not that anyone really cares =) )

I am on my fourth Motorcycle... First one was a Suzuki Katana... loved it... it was paid for... probably would still have it had it not been stolen.

Second was a Kawasaki Vulcan 800 Classic. I liked the bike... had it a couple of years... never put many miles on it. To be honest... most people that rode up to it thought it was a Softail... take off the badges and it would have looked a lot like a harley.

Third was a Katana again... put maybe 1200 miles on it in 2 years... Lost my butt on both the Kaw and the Suzuki when I sold them.

I now have an 06 Fatboy and could not be happier. I have had it since August of 05 and it already has 3500 miles on it.

The "if you have to ask you wouldn't understand" stuff... Well... sort of. There is an intagible aspect to the Harley. Yes it is more expensive than other bikes but it feels more "solid" than other bikes I have ridden.

Now... You really want to see a debate? Don't ask Honda Vs. Harley... Ask something like Road King VS. Fatboy (Fatboy of course). =)

My wife's outlook on the Harley was this, "I don't care if you spend the money as long as you use it." This was said of course because I never used my other bikes as much as I use the Harley. Well... I use the Harley plenty and therefor the wife is all good with the bike. =)

 

I have owned both and both will last many, many years if properly cared for and not abused.
I personally like the simple engineering and style of the air cooled Harley's,
much less to go wrong and much easier to repair and maintain.

Plus ridin a Harley just ain't like anything else !

Willie

 

HARLEY HARLEY HARLEY AMERICAN AMERICAN AMERICAN

 

I had an '04 Wing (18000. Did every oil change.....took me about 30 minutes at most. Don't know why the 1500s were so tough. The Wing was a great bike....but had an overall bland personality.

Depends on the sportbike. My CBR1100XX is pretty damn comfortable. I put 10K on it in the last 6 months alone. Hell most bikes of any kind are sold with under 20K miles.

 

I agree. When cruiser people lay eyes on a CBR1100XX they see a crotch rocket like the R1 or Gixxer, a pure sportbike. However, the 1100XX is a good touring bike, and probably more comfortable than most Harleys in the long run. We often hear cruiser riders talking about how comfortable their bikes are, when the cruiser riding position is in fact hard on your back over long distances. A little bit of forward lean is good for your back.

 

WantAHarley, Like just about everyone else who rides, I grew up on Japaneese bikes. Street and dirt. Did a little enduro racing too. I was not very good at it, but I enjoyed the hell out of just the same. When it came time to buy my first NEW street bike back in 1978 I made the "practical" choice and bought a Suzuki GS750 instead of theTriumph Bonneville 750 I was considering. The Suzuki was a good bike and I had it for many years, but deep down inside, I never stopped wishing I had gone for the Bonnie. Harleys were also an object of desire for me, but were always a little "out of reach". Now, many years and a couple of kids (grown) later, I find myself in a position where the Harley is reachable. The metric bikes offer alot of bang for the buck for sure, but.....I am going for what I have REALLY want this time. And every Harley owner I talk to tells me the same thing. Once on a HD, you never go back to metric. I have rented three HD's, found them thoroughly enjoyable and perfect for my style of riding. My new EGC arrives in just about 3 weeks. Bottom line? You will not regret it.