Who here rides a Harley?

[SOLID]

do you think an in experienced rider should go straight to a harley? If I'm going to buy a bike I want it to be the one I want, but I don't want to fuck it up because of in-experience.

 

[big4life]

How many years do you have on dirt bikes?

My 883 was only the second street bike that I rode. I used to ride dirt bikes all the time before that though and I didn't have any problem. The main thing is to respect the bike, don't be afraid of it, but show it the respect that it deserves. Bikes can be very unforgiving.

 

[Code]

The main reason Harley's are chosen (aside from that trailer park machismo) is that they are forgiving bikes.

 

[SOLID]

How many years do you have on dirt bikes?

not really any, just have ridden them before...not real dirt bikes like today's dirt bike, I'm talking 1970 Honda dirt bike. My buddy had a couple and we used to ride them when we were younger. Virtually I am totally in experienced.

 

[big4life]

Oh, then maybe you want to look into a used smaller bike, just to learn on. You can find some cheap Honda's and stuff like that around.

Or you could always ask your uncle to help you learn. I tought my nephews on my 883, and they didn't have any problems.

 

[SOLID]

that's the thing, I don't want to have to spend money on a shit bike. If he could teach me I'd go that route.

 

[gymnpoppa]

No flame intended but Harley's are overpriced, unreliable, obsolete piece fo shit museum pieces. They are the most technologically deficient bikes. Death on wheels.

My honda CBR1100xx wil brake faster with the rear brake only then a Herley will with the front. Don't get me wrong, the are nice to look at and all, but put your money in something that's actually WORTH your money. LIke a Ducati, Honda, suzuki etc..

You can't put a price on mystique.........however you're partially correct.

Who cares whether your rice burner will brake faster? You'll need it to.....to watch us SweatHawgs picking up the girlies.

 

[Zerxes]

that's the thing, I don't want to have to spend money on a shit bike. If he could teach me I'd go that route.

I'd get a small little shitbike just the same to take your test on brother, assuming that they don't have one there that people can use. They are alot easier to learn to do "figure 8's" on than it would be a larger bike of say 400 or more pounds. Plus, you might dump it a few times learning to do them. I dumped my Suzuki Katana 600 a few years back during the drivers test, because I wasn't prepared to do the tight figure 8's that they wanted you to do with that heavy of bike. I failed, but I think that I had them downpat by the end of that day. Just a suggestion.

 

[Taffy]

Cold!!

I have a Harley Sporster 883. I love the way it looks and take a lot of pleasure from cruising along on it.
The biggest downside that I've experienced is how cold they are to ride. Bikes with fairing provide far more protection from cold wids.......as a result my Harley sits in the garage waiting for the few times a year I can take it out!!

 

[FLASHMAN1]

The main reason Harley's are chosen (aside from that trailer park machismo) is that they are forgiving bikes.

Wow, someone hates Harleys... What do you mean by trailer park machismo??? Maybe, just MAYBE people prefer the sound or looks of a Harley to the Jap bikes... Or maybe it's the legend that attracts them??? whatever the reason, who are you to talk shit about the bikes themselves? NONE of my Hogs, even my little piece of shit '74 iron head sporty has EVER left me stranded. Yes, some of the new Jap cruisers are nice bikes, but NONE compare to the sound of a Harley, I don't care what kind of pipes you put on them. They just don't compare. As far as looks go, again, the jap cruisers are nice looking (some of them), but they just don't have that little something that stirs the soul like a Hog does. And maintenance-wise, Harleys are now just as well built as the others. This may not have been true years ago, but now, with isolation mounting, belt drive, wet clutches, the list goes on and on... And let me tell you another thing, the prices are not all that far off either, just go look at a new Yamaha V-star, or Kawi Vulcan. Factory stock, some of these "much cheaper" Jap bikes are upwards of $14k. For the $2-3k difference, my money is going to a Harley. Resale value, no matter what ANYONE says, is WAYYYY higher than the jap bikes, even after you put miles on it. Right no, you could go to a Harley dealer in Meredith, NH, buy a BRAND NEW '03 optioned Heritage Softail for list, (about $17200), ride it away, put 1500 or so miles on it, and a month later sell it for $19k. period. don't believe me??? look at Ebay, it happens all the time... Even if you have it a few years, and ride it frequently, you'll STILL be able to come up almost even money. Show me a car or a jap bike, or ANY OTHER VEHICLE IN THE WORLD, that after it's a few years old, you can sell it for ANYWHERE EVEN CLOSE to what you paid for it.....