here in denmark we have the highest prices off all countries, when it comes to bikes and cars 150% luxus tax.
i got my iron because likede the look, and i could buy it cash(over 20000 usdollars with 546km on the clock) but now after 1,5 years, i still like the bike even though i hate the vibration from 4200-5000 rpm, iam only 39 years old but have bad hands,discos in the neck and flat feet like you have never seen before) i don´t want a bank loan ,but man a low riders s is lurking, my max riding 62 miles before i need a brake. for crusing 50 miles per. hour it´s just fine(62 miles at a time) but highway is a pain, i have done alot for comfort just hoping the extend forwards, gel in the seat does the trick next seson. my legs are very long(sadly not for a dress cause they are hairy he he)
please try alot off the harley models before picking one. a fatboy s is 48000 usdollars here, a street glide speciel is 51000 usdollars a nice trike is over 100000 usdollars
regards
Sören

 

Thanks for the info, Sören. I think we could do business doing some exports of Harleys to your fair country :-)

 

certainly not a masculinity issue - I've ridden everything from big engine sportbikes down to 50cc scooters. Currently rolling and loving the Dyna but as folks correctly point out they're pretty expensive in Aus (all the US bikes are) and the particular concern with the 05 FXDLi is parts can be annoying to find here in the US and going to be even harder to track down in Aus (and expensive). The 05 is also starting to cost in maintenance so I'm veering towards something newer and better suited to a Sydney commute.
While I'd love a new Lowrider (probably not S) I probably can't justify the $ which is why I'd starting thinking Sporty/Scout size. I've ridden both here in the US (in fact test rode a Roadster and a Scout ABS this week) and the former is positionally all wrong for me (forward controls and raised handlebars are more my scene with a stiff back) but loved the ride. The Scout I can see why folks love it (damn quiet and smooth and felt like it had great pickup around 30-50mph) but I miss the big chunky switchgear my Dyna has (silly thing, but if I'm riding it every day I kinda care!).

Oh and the Mustang vs Fiesta comment... totally get that. Love my Mustang (I'll miss that when we move) but I know that in most situations (especially anything not involving a straight line) a new ST will smoke it!

Now, if only the budget would stretch to a garage full of toys...

Lots of great input and pointers (as well as the seat/shocks/controls just for looks alone I'd want a 2-into-1 exhaust!) and plenty of time to keep thinking about my choices and saving my pennies

 

Dyna is Mustang, Sportster is Miata. Lots of "fun per pound". The Fiesta has no fun per pound.

 

No i didn't upgrade the 883. More power doesn't change the fact that the bike is like riding a moped compared to a bagger. So you barely outrun a 103 to 65 mph which is questionable at best and the 103 eats you alive after 65. Where is the advantage in the fact that most HD riders don't drag race and the fact that i will slaughter your 1200 with roll on power without downshifting at 60mph plus. How is it a liability around town?

If i only had a choice between a Sporty and Dyna i would choose a Dyna. I rode my Sporty less than one tank of gas this last summer vs 12000 miles on my bagger without any long trips. Sorry i need the most diverse bike. I need the storage as i'm not weekend warrior and i spend alot of time with cruise locked at 75mph something the Sporty is horrible at.

Again its really up to the needs of the rider. If you are an occasional short trip rider or weekend warrior. What you ride doesn't matter as long as you are happy riding it. I'm having a hard time selling my Sporty as there are so many on Ebay or Craigslist which tells its own story.

 

Harley riders don't care what anybody else rides. Where i live 9.9 out of 10 bikers are on Harley's. Thats awesome in its own right. We do see an occasional Gold Wing or Crotch rocket though. Access to Harley's in Australia is pretty common. Aussie land has HD dealerships. I think if i was moving to Australia i would just buy a bike when i got there. The cost of shipping a bike their is not cheap. Good luck

 

I've ridden Sportys before. Damn fine machine. Dynas are good too. Sportys are a hair faster.

Rode some Buell's too....

 

Hate is not good for you. You should try to mellow out. Trying to compare your bagger to a real motorcycle is not easy. We forgive you.

 

I can tell you are a Harley fan....

 

i see you've committed to the dark side.

i dont disagree with most of what you've said. i said a lot of what you've said, in this very thread and outside of it. i clearly see both sides of the beef.

liability, it's a bus/albatros/spruce goose. wide turning radius, occupies more space. not as nimble, heavier, harder to service, more points of electrical failure, less places to park due to size, lower reliability, baked in mechanical problems,.... the list goes on and on. all that matters is you are happy. my dyna is nowhere near as maneuverable as my sporty. no where near as fun either. if i was commuting/living on either... i'd sell both and buy a jeep and a z4... wait...

selling issues: it's an 883 and not a cliche iron. most don't appreciate the 883r. the market is oversaturated with xls