I am 48 years old. I had moto X's when I was young, got got away from It and then got in debt like everybody else, house, car baby.... So No more motorcycles for me. When I was 40 at my birthday party, I told my wife that I would have a HD before Im 50 and If she wasnt happy with that she might as well start packing, luckily since I was half in the bag and It was my birthday so she gave me a mulligan But I was serious. I broke down at 44 and got a Honda Shadow since that was all I could afford. It helped to aleviate the pain but I knew that everytime I sat on It that It was not what I wanted. Drove It for 4 summers but I was ALWAYS turning my head when I heard that sound comming and secretly wished that was me. Now I am 48 and I got My first one in the garage and I CANNOT wait to ride It.

Why a Harley? I wont give you technical reasons , smooth ride resale value and all that crap, for me I just knew That It was I had to have, so If you dont feel that then maybe you dont want one.

 

I didn't and don't care about resale, I don't care about the latest and greatest technology, I don't care that I can't go from 0-60 in less than a couple of minutes, I don't care that my bike shakes uncontrollably at idle, I don't care about alot of things.

BUT... I do care about the theraputic value I get from riding a legend, a piece of history, americana. I love the way it feels to lumber through the country side on this 800 lbs behemouth and the thumbs up I get from the farmer on his tractor as I pass, the nods I get from the 60 year old hippy, the waves and smiles I get from the kids through the back window of the car. I care about how this machine makes me feel. You can't put a price on that feeling. Unfortunatly, the MOCO knows this and the price keeps climbing. Yep, I'm one of 'um that will just keep paying the price.


Steve[sm=icon_rock.gif]

 

Sedbiker said "......therapeutic value......"

Couldn't have been said better, really. So I won't say any more!


Bones

 

ctimm64 summed it up pretty well above (parsed for effect)

 

I have often felt that a person should sit on a Harley and fire one up. If after that they don't understand the feeling, don't waste their time buying one, because they just don't get it.

 

...and there are always those that are unfortunate not to get it. That is why there are the Jappers.......

 

I have a Harley because it is the only thing stout enough to haul my sorry bu++ around.

 

IMO if you buy the fatboy,you will become the history,and will adapt and become the lifestyle,just like the rest of us.
my first was a honda 350,at 17 years of age,I ran the crap out of it for about a year then it died on me on my way to a huge party pissed me off so I pushed it off a big hill near by and left it for rust,swore I would not ride another bike untli I could get a harley,at 47 years of age I bought my first a dyna superglide custom '05 now a year later I am trading for a '06 road king.put 20000 miles on my first year and and foaming at the mouth for the next year,my first trip to sturgis couting down the days.[sm=biker2.gif]

 

Why did I buy a Harley? Hmmmmmmmm...

WHY did I buy a Harley? Hmmmmmmmm...

I think, because when I was little, this one guy in an all yellow, leather riding suit with black stripes down the sides of the legs was standing next to his Ninja and holding his helmet under his left arm, bent down and looked at me and said, "Nobody's faster, boy!"

Then some scruffy guy in a black sleeveless AC/DC shirt with a bandana on his head walked up to us and just PUNCHED HIM SQUARE IN THE FACE knocking "leather-yellow-riding-suit-guy" totally out, looked down at me, and said, "I guess he wasn't fast enough!". Got on his shovelhead, started it up while the Earth under my feet shook, (with blood rolling from his knuckle to his chrome grip) and said to me,

"I'D RATHER ROAR LIKE THE LION THAN SQUEAL LIKE A DEAD CHICKEN!!"

Before he rode away, if memory serves me correctly, I walked up to him and handed him my ice cold Coca-Cola and he threw me his dirty bandana....Hmmmmm.

BUT, I digress....

He then cracked open those monsterous pipes, and disappeared in the clowd of dust that I could have sworn swirled slowly into the form of a Bar and Shield!!

THAT'S WHEN, I decided, IT WILL BE A HARLEY!!!!

(NOTE: also,, someone said it might get me laid)

LOL!!!



[IMG]local://upfiles/4802/28827256B3C249239CD0328713983C15.jpg[/IMG]

 

I started out with a '55 K Model when I was in high school,It gave me fits sometimes but never stranded me anywhere. I guess I just developed a love for the brand and never considered any other.
I swapped the K for a '61 FL in the mid 80's and rode it up to last year when I sold it to buy the EG. I had a '84 Tourglide for a while also but sold it back in the early 90's.

Harleys just get in your blood I guess..........