Again, I'll respond like I would to my own son.
Then WAIT. Especially considering that you have children.
I wouldn't. It's a little more involved than just "bolting them together"

I'd also ask my son: Do you have any savings? If something happened and you and/or your wife lost your jobs, do you have enough money put away to survive for 2 or 3 months? Do you own or rent your home? $2500 is a good chunk of a down payment on a house OR to start a college fund.

My point is, if "times are tough" like you say, then it doesn't make sense to buy a Harley, just because you want one. Think of your family's needs first.

 

good advise.

 

times are tough, and that's why im going to school to finish my degree, and between the gas prices, and the price of upkeep of a car in general, on top of the amount of traffic time i spend in a car, a motorcycle is a far better option than any car i can buy for 2000 dollars.

I'm not opposed to getting a shadow or vstar, but I was under the impression that not only are Harleys a better overall investment of money, but they also have a higher reliability factor, keeping repairs to a minimum and thereby keeping my cost of running down. With gas hovering around 4.25 right now, getting something like my 10mpg van or even a 25mpg car that i could afford just is very expensive, and going to school full time means a lot of short, gas chugging miles. Also, I spend a good 30-40 minutes going that short trip to school, because there's always traffic during that time. both reasons i want a bike over another car. If i wasn't in school, i could be putting more time into work, but the objective here is to not have to work 70 hours a week just to get by (have done it, was as well enlisted Army, 11 series so don't start going off about being lazy or irresponsible, thanks) but to give myself the education to make good wages while spending time with my family, and as i'm going for my law degree, i'm gonna be in this boat for a few years yet.

a savings? we're pretty thin, but we have a little bit to fall back on if the emergency came up, but a lot of money goes out in stupid things, like gas for the van which runs us easily $500 a month or more. if anything, this allows us a little more breathing room, as well as giving me the ability, now that the semester is winding down, to go get another bartending or serving job a few nights a week without it impacting our home schedule, or my summer school schedule.

don't take me the wrong way, im not throwing out your advice or anything like that, these are all things we have considered, and we have weighed each end and decided that getting a bike is what is going to work best for us.

That being said, is the feeling i have about import cruisers having a lower reliability and higher failure rate then Harleys correct? Am i basically the same off (in terms of mechanic reliability) either way? Thanks for the input folks.


as a side note: a down payment on a house is usually in the area of 20%, correct? in the city i live in, and the majority of areas near me, the median home price is 672,128... giving you a 20% down payment of around $134k?

2500 is 2 months rent in a 900 sqft 2bedroom lol.. not exactly a down payment.

 

Yes, I know where you live and what housing prices are there. That's why I said it would be a "big chunk" of a down payment - not a whole down payment. The father in me just has to say this though - the absolute best investements I've ever made in my life were in real estate/property and I regret not starting at a younger age. Moving on...

As for HD reliability compared to metrics, I can only go by my own experience. I just sold a Suzuki Boulevard that I had for 2 years and I know that the parts, accessories, etc. that I bought for it were less expensive than for my SG. Both very reliable, though and didn't need much in the way of repairs, really.

Only you know what you're comfortable with financially so, whatever you decide, I wish you much luck with it. Ride safe.

 

You may actually get more out of a metric since they cost less to begin with, if both bikes are going for 2K, you may actually be getting a more reliable bike with a metric. I personally wouldn't buy any Harley for two grand, just too many negative possibilities/probabilities for me to worry about. Not that that's a bad thing, I've known a few guys that have bought basket cases and ended up with great bikes for very little money invested, but they were great builders in their own right, and spent a lot of time making their machines beautiful works of art. It's just not for me. To each their own though.

 

Save your money until you can afford a decent scoot be my suggestion.

 

This is a motorcycle forum, so I'll stick to motorcycle advice. If it were the "If you were my son" section of a financial planning forum, I might offer different advice. But you're not and this isn't so.........

As far as investments - A Honda bought at a great price is a more sound investment (italicized because any motor vehicle, in general, isn't an investment - it's an expense) than a Harley bought at a poor price. You should be able to find a Shadow for what you have to spend. A year later, if you take care of it, you can sell it for what you paid for it. Maybe then you'll have enough to buy a late 80s FL, which is definitely a cool bike and one that can be had for $5-6k. It can be the core building point for a very cool bike, or leave it as is and enjoy the ride.

You will likely not find a more reliable bike than a Honda.

Personally, I don't like Shadows. Slow, weird handling, Wannna Be bike. But, they serve a purpose - beginner/transition bike. That's what you should look at. If you want to apply even more common sense, get a 250 Ninja. It's a smart choice as a starter bike, but cool is not on the radar - unless smart is cool. Which it is.

 

I've been shopping for a new bike (used, new to me) for quite a while now, and even 883 Sportsters are going for $3500 or better. The only Harleys I see going for less than $3000 are "some assembly required."


[edit] It's always possible you could find cheaper, but you want to be certain you aren't just buying someone else's problem. As you say you're no wrench, you might want to find one to take with you when you go for a looksee.

 

I think its safe to say I've 'been there' . I understand the desire to own a Harley, but I agree what others have said, family comes first. Do not shortchange your family just to have a Harley. My family was me, my daughter and one old house. All I made was going to pay the bills. A Harley was just not realistic. I had to give up being a mechanic to find jobs that paid more just to keep up. I became a repo man cause it paid very well. It also meant repoing bikes. I needed a bike and an M license. All the guys I knew had Harleys but were not gonna let me practice on one, so I went and bought a new 450 Honda Rebel for $3000 paid in full. Yes I had to eat a lota crow for years but it was paid in full and had a warranty. I was able to save extra money for that one day when I could get a Harley. I went without a bike for many years in between but it paid off. I don't think you'll be an outcast nowadays like it was back then. Most Harley riders now don't care who rides along as long as you ride with common sense.
So if your short on funds, you may be better off with a new metric with warranty and maybe no payments. Not much to worry about besides gas and insurance. Then you and the wife can start a Harley fund. I just don't see getting a running carefree Harley for $2500 ... unless thats your down payment on a new one.

Thats my .02 cents plus tip .

Whatever you do, Good Luck and ride safe !

 

hey there,im a fairly new rider been riding about a year and i am a fulltime commuter rider in southern ca,what i would do FIRST before even saving up for a bike or anything is take a basic riders course,MSF they have one in long beach just to see if you even like riding also they will teach you how to ride,its a little fast paced but they do that on purpose to weed out the riders that think riding isnt for them,also PCH is no joke,tons of traffic and crazy drivers,i went to MSF and had no experience and just couldnt get the clutch and throttle concept so after the first day i got counseled out but i was so hell bent on riding that i still went out and bought a brand new honda shadow spirit 750cc cruiser for 6k,put 3500 down,just that first day of MSF helped me so much and taught me the basics,then i spent the next few weeks riding around my neighborhood,then hit the streets slowly then finally the freeway then finally went back to MSF,rode my bike there and back both days,even though i been riding freeways busy streets etc MSF taught me so much going back,passed got my certificate in the mail took it to the dmv and presented to them and they gave me my motorcycle license on the spot(had my m1 permit) so i would take theMSF course first before anything else!! now after almost a year im ready to upgrade to a harley and trade in my honda this november goodluck to you though !