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Posted: 3/4/2002 11:54:34 PM EDT
[#1]
I only tip the scales at 160 and the largest of Harley's was easy to handle. I drove a 1990's police model Hog carring my wife with no problem, so you should not shy away from the big bikes, unless you want more agility. I understand that the belt drives are more reliabe and will last longer than the chain bikes, however I prefer the drive shaft of a Honda Shadow 1100. The newest 88 cu in. Harely engine is supposed to run smoothly and should be a great ride for cruising. My wife and I are looking to buy a Fat Boy in the near future. Personally, I would stay away from the sportster, it is a bit small for long rides. Just my .02
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Posted: 3/5/2002 4:05:01 AM EDT
[#2]
Thanks- I'll be taking a closer look tonight, maybe see their other location with the used bikes.
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Posted: 3/5/2002 4:13:04 AM EDT
[#3]
My interest in bikes has never gone to Harleys, but in the past Buell has had BIG problems, all the bikes were recalled in the past few years for major work (replacement of swingarm, maybe?). Buells used to have horrible reliability problems. They may have gotten better since Harley now owns them instead of Eric Buell. I like 'em and it's nice to see Harley trying to service the sporty bike crowd, but do some research before you buy one.
Sportsters are tiddler bikes that you are not going to ride for very far or very long, at least if you have any fillings. Some of these come with gas tanks that will only allow you to go about 90 miles without filling up. Fine bikes if you just want something to zip around with occaissionnally, but I am not sure you'll be happy if you want to get back into riding big time. Rubber belt drive is fine. They work well in relatively low powered engines like Harleys; no lubing chains or shaft drive effecting the bikes handling. Heavy bikes do not seem heavy once you are underway. I have had a motorcycle license for decades and it does not effect your insurance. Harleys should not be "high risk" bikes, it's usually sport bike riders that they are after. There are a lot of good new japanese cruisers out there and maybe they are being accepted more as being "okay" by cruiser guys, but Harleys certainly hold their value much better and have a panache (HA HA) that japanese cruisers lack. Besides can't get that sound elsewhere-those weasels at Harley patented (or tried to, it might not have worked). KLRs have limited off road capability. Fireroads etc are fine. Think of them as being in the Jeep Grand Cherokee class. |
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Posted: 3/5/2002 4:21:43 AM EDT
[#4]
For your buck...... you may want to look at some of the big-bore models from the 'big four.' Kawasaki would top my list with the 1500 Vulcan series, Honda also has some really nice iron. Some companies consider Harley D's as high risk due to theft, (I've had two, both stolen!) Wait for a company sponsored ride and try a bunch.......
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Posted: 3/5/2002 4:37:29 AM EDT
[#5]
The rear belt drive on a Harley is a kevlar reinforced belt. It will outlast a chain by far.
I know of Harleys putting about 100 horsepower to the rear wheel running a belt with no problem. The belt drive is very low maintenance. Some models COULD be considered sport bikes by your insurance Co. (Like a Buell or XLH 1200s) My bike insurance is from a different compony than my auto insurance because I got a better deal that way. As far as prices on bikes, just check with a few dealers in your area.. Some sell bikes for a lot more, or less than others. My Road king is three years old and still has a book value of nearly what I paid for it. NO jap bike can say that. Hope to see you in the wind. DAKING |
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Posted: 3/5/2002 4:52:33 AM EDT
[#6]
Opinions are like, ummm, well, you've heard this one. "Everyone's got one."
Big cruisers generally aren't a problem for shorter people because they are low to the ground and have a low center of gravity. I see more and more women riding big bikes. Harleys are cool and retain their value, but once you get through with paying over twice what you'd pay for an equivalent Honda/Kawi/Suzi/Yamaha, and chipping in the extra for insurance, you might as well have taken the difference and invested it, you'd probably be farther ahead. My auto company (Farmers) wouldn't insure my bike, so I have separate insurance for it. I have a m/c endorsement on my d/l, it didn't do anything to my car insurance, nor did the fact I ride a bike. 'Course I may be too old for that stuff to matter, and I don't ride a crotch rocket. See ya on the road. Or at the range. |
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Posted: 3/5/2002 5:01:17 AM EDT
[#7]
PRK,
Just to add my 2 cents, I have a 1996 FXDWG (Dyna WideGlide) with over 35000 miles and it's still going strong. Not sure what kind of riding you plan to do, but the Dyna's are super all round rides. At this point if I were to get a new bike, I'd have a hard time deciding between a Road King and a Electra Glide (That I would then strip down to just the batwing and bags...jammin out to that damn radio is just the coolest). |
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Posted: 3/5/2002 5:59:37 AM EDT
[#8]
I would defenitely recommend one of the Japanese variants in a big cruiser.
You get more bang for the buck and a more reliable bike. I'm sure there are plenty of HD owners that have "never had a problem"[rolleyes] but eventually the HD will leave you stranded at some point in time. I looked at the Buells for two years. Searched the internet for info on them and decided on a BMW. According to a rep at the MC show, Buell is going to discontinue the Cyclone, S3, and X1 after this year (one would bet they are tired of spending money in warranty related items). So, that would explain the sales. Not to mention...Have you checked resale value on these machines? |
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Posted: 3/5/2002 6:19:55 AM EDT
[#9]
Here is Harley's home page:
[url]http://www.harley-davidson.com/hd_main/hd_home.jsp[/url] Just click on the "Products" button for details on any model. You should be able to sit comfortably on any of them. When you go to the home page click on the site map button & then go to "Compare Bikes" near the top, center of the page. Then you can compare the FXDWG & the Sportsters. The seat height on the Sportsters is actually rather high at 28 inches. The gas tank on the Sportsters is only 3.3 gallons so you will only be able to get about 100 - 120 miles unless you really push it. They are rated at 57hwy/48city but... Worst case you can buy a fork lowering kit to lower the front forks & thereby the whole bike. Also, I've seen a lot of "fat bobs", i.e., 5 gallon tanks, on Sportsters. I don't know the wrenching but it's probably pretty easy to drop them on. For insurance try Dairyland. They are part of Sentry Insurance. They seem to be the most competitive. Here is the address:[url]http://www.sentryonline.com/Motorcycle.html[/url]. I assume that you are in CA based on your handle. You may want to try the HD dealer in Santa Barbara. They used to be at 519 E. Gutierriez St. Phone 805/564-1696. I was dealing with them on a bike a few years ago & they would have delivered it to the Midwest cheaper than I could buy it from any of the local dealerships. Go to the 100th anniversary in Milwaukee if you can. The 95th was great! |
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Posted: 3/5/2002 6:34:36 AM EDT
[#10]
Heres a site for a cool bike maker some of you might have seen on the Discovery channel. www.westcoastchoppers.com They've made custom bikes for WWF's Goldberg, Shaquile O'neal and others and prices only start at about $60,000 a bike.HAHA. CAPITALIST
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Posted: 3/5/2002 10:30:03 AM EDT
[#11]
Quoted: Heres a site for a cool bike maker some of you might have seen on the Discovery channel. www.westcoastchoppers.com They've made custom bikes for WWF's Goldberg, Shaquile O'neal and others and prices only start at about $60,000 a bike.HAHA. CAPITALIST The owner is an arogant prick. I had a customer who had one of their rear fenders that cracked twice. Jessie wouldn't give me the time of day, one of the guys that worked for him took care of the problem. My customer finaly just replaced the fender with another mfg after it cracked for a third time. As for the "glorified rubber drive belts" Three of the bikes I built used 113ci S&S engines (read monster motors) and I have had zero problems with kevelar final drive belts, so this won't be an issue. As for the jap cruisers, they are fine. I know several people who ride them. Hey, just so long as you are in the wind, right? What irritates the HELL out of me are the guys who ride jap cruisers that bash Harleys, but will go to the ends of the earth to have their bike look like "one of those pieces of junk"[rolleyes] I had a guy bring me his Suzuki Intruder yesterday. He wanted the turn signals and light bar set up "Just like a Harley" then proceded to tell me how his bike was so much better. I just laughed. To me, a bike is a bike. Ride several if you can, then decide what you like and what you can afford. The most important thing is, ride safe and have fun.[:D] |
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