Update on buying a Harley-Davidson...

[Shiny_Surface]

Looks cool Chris, hope things go smoothly if you go through with it

 

[Rufus Leaking]

I think that's an awesome looking bike!

Do you ride now? Have you ridden before?

 

[griff10672]

I love the way those look .... awesome bike !!!

good luck with it man !!!

 

[Shiny_Surface]

I just need a new hobby. I'm not getting burned out on playing guitar, but I am kinda bored with gear and stuff. I've got some killer stuff now and want to take my mind off buying gear. So now I'll switch it to buying bike stuff. lol

Chris

That bass boat you said you had sounds like an awesome hobby. Are you far away from any bodies of water or something like that

Having some beers in the middle of a lake without anyone bothering me sounds quite peaceful

 

[AmpliFIRE]

I like it!

 

[Shiny_Surface]

That bass boat you said you had sounds like an awesome hobby. Are you far away from any bodies of water or something like that

Having some beers in the middle of a lake without anyone bothering me sounds quite peaceful

Oh, that bass boat didn't last long. lol... I ended up selling it after 2 years or so. It was a monster Nitro 21' with a 200hp Merc. Excellent looking and riding boat! But my oldest was young and both she and my wife complained about it being too hot, me going to fast, having to go to the bathroom, etc... It wasn't relaxing AT ALL.

Also, a boat is a huge pain in the arse to get in and out of the water (lol) with guys lined up behind me just waiting for my newbie ass to hurry up. I didn't enjoy it at all, to be honest.

Plus it sat there in my driveway hardly ever used. Using that boat required that we go to specific lakes (that would allow an engine that size) and it always turned into a full day event. It was a mistake and I'm kinda scared this bike will be a similar mistake. But at least I can jump on it for a quick hour ride or something with minimal effort. Ya know?

Chris

Yeah I didn't realize all those ancillary issues, lol.

 

[Rufus Leaking]

Man, I don't want to put a damper on your excitement but please be careful. Not to say you fit this description but the number of 40 year old guys who have never ridden before who buy a bike and end up getting injured or killed is climbing steadily. About 6 months ago, a guy up near me bought a Harley (his first bike), drove it off the lot and was killed on it 2 hours later.

I would love to ride... I think it would be cool as fuck. But I've got 2 young kids at home and I know that even if I was the safest rider I could possibly be, there's always all the other drivers that you can't do a thing about, and I can't take that risk for their sake.

OK, sorry, rant off. I'm sure you're well aware of the risks. Just felt it couldn't hurt to hear it again.

Anyway - that bike looks cool as hell!

 

[EightmanVT]

That's a really sweet looking bike. I think the flat black with chrome contrast is sweet looking!! A bored out 1200 on a Sportster sized bike (<600lbs)- I expect it would "scream".... especially if they've tweaked it on a dyno. That bike will get up and move. Having power is a good thing on a bike - IMO - I'd like to have even more than I have now. It's always up to you how you use it - but - like I've said before...take your time - and take the class.

People will say - why power on a cruiser - do you really want to go over 120...and my answer is...no...but I like getting to 90 as fast as I possibly can.....

Again - take your time...find a parking lot in the evening or some low traffic areas and get used to your bike and riding in general. After I took the class - I was obsessing about getting a bike...and got the 1800. It was my first time ever riding a "real" bike and the first time ever on real roads. I had my wife follow me up to the dealership and ride rear guard the entire way home. I had a white knuckled grip doing no more than 45 the entire way home. But - then that evening - took the bike out for a good 3 hours...and by the end of that ride felt completely comfortable. Then a few more rides with more experienced riders - keeping up with them on long twisty rides - took care of the rest. So - moral is - be careful, don't be in a hurry, don't outride your capabilities - and chances are your skill/confidence will increase very rapidly.

 

[griff10672]

I just spoke with the dealer and told him my concerns and he agreed that it may be too small for riding with the wife. CRAP! I'm heartbroken, because I love the look of the Nighster.

He suggests I move up into the Dyna class. They apparently have quite a few used bikes there, so I'm stopping by after work to check them out. CRAP CRAP CRAP!

at the rate your going .... your going to end up in one of those huge soft tails

 

[Juggernaut]

I want one of these.....nice ride, easy on the pocket book.

 

[moronmountain]

I should also point out that the salesman kept going on and on about how fast and powerful this bike is... He said he's taken it out and it is just screaming fast. I'm not looking for that, because I'm not a speed freak. But I guess it's nice to have that? Hell, I dunno.

And yes, I will be SUPER careful with it.

Who ever told you that an 883 isn't "enough" bike is on crack. Is an 883 a fast bike? Nope, but it's still a big bore bike and will get you down the road just fine. Chris don't buy a bike that is a "screamer." You admit that you have basically zero experience on a bike. A fast motorcycle will get away from you so fast you won't know what to do with your self. When I wrecked my dirt bike I was putting in second gear. The next thing I knew I was sliding under the bike on a gravel road and I had YEARS of riding experience. I had just never ridden a big bore 2 stroke before. If that bike is as fast as the salesman is telling you, you WILL get a boo boo on it no matter how careful you are. Sorry, but that's just the truth.

 

[moronmountain]

at the rate your going .... your going to end up in one of those huge soft tails

LOL!!! You're right and I was afraid this would happen. Sigh... Here's a '92 SuperGlide I'm going to look at after work. Pretty badass looking too, me thinks. The price is right as well.

http://www.gatewayhd.com/pre_owned_deta ... veh=635708

Chris

Ok dude listen to me. Dyna's are my favorie Harley and it's what I would probably get, but they handle like CRAP!!!!!!!! You have never ridden a bike before dude. You WILL FALL DOWN AND GET A BOO BOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You really need to get some experience on a small old Japanese bike man................

 

[jisham]

Alright, you got the fever now and there's no going back. Keep us posted on what you end up buying.

 

[moronmountain]

Ok dude listen to me. Dyna's are my favorie Harley and it's what I would probably get, but they handle like CRAP!!!!!!!! You have never ridden a bike before dude. You WILL FALL DOWN AND GET A BOO BOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You really need to get some experience on a small old Japanese bike man................

Really? I'm reading about them on another forum and those people say they handle great and are similar to the Sportsters in that area. Hmmmm...

I appreciate the concerns. I really do. But I'll be fine.

Well they are on crack. My buddy owns a Dyna, Electra Glide and an 883. The rear suspension does this thing where it "washes" and "floats" around corners. He's fell on the Dyna a couple times, but NEVER on the others. He's a decent rider too. Good luck man, I just had to get it off my chest.

 

[moronmountain]

Well they are on crack. My buddy owns a Dyna, Electra Glide and an 883. The rear suspension does this thing where it "washes" and "floats" around corners. He's fell on the Dyna a couple times, but NEVER on the others. He's a decent rider too. Good luck man, I just had to get it off my chest.

Are you positive you're not thinking of a Softtail? That's the same description people seem to give Softtails. They say it's like a waterbed on wheels.

Chris

Both do it. I'll give you that my buddy's is a Wide Glide, but them and most soft tails do that. The Electroglides handle pretty good as do the Sporties. If you're gonna spend $15k on a bike slow down, go find a $400 clunker, ride it for a few months, and THEN go get a bike. Harleys are NOT beginner bikes. Not because they are so fast (cuz they aren't unless you've done stuff to them), but because they handle like poo for the most part. You're a lot like me Chris, so that's why I'm being so blunt.

 

[Gitfiddler]

Riding a bike isn't as easy as it looks (remember Pee Wee's Big Adventure when he ran into the sign at the biker bar).

As the others have said, if you're serious about riding, buy a beater at first or something for less $ until you're comfortable riding and until you know that riding is for you. If you spend a lot of $$ on a bike and, due to inexperience, drop it or worse, crash it, you're out a lot of $$$. so much for the notion that you're going to be able to resell it for what you paid for it "because it's a harley".

take the harley rider course, or any other course in your area before dropping the cash to ensure that you really want to ride. it's only a weekend or so, and won't have to go to the dmv for a license

i don't know how it is in Missouri, but my friends in the "harley community" used to tool on guys who ride 883's or 1200's. yes, they're plenty fast, etc, but they were considered "woman's bikes"

 

[ejecta]

That is one of the coolest Harley's Ive seen!!! BTW since youve never ridden before take a riding class. Seriously it will be worth it. Riding bigger bikes takes some skill and best to learn the tricks up front. And Rufus said it earlier and was very true, be careful and think about this long and hard. Bikes are dangerous and people on the roads just dont see bikes as well as the should. Trust me Ive had so many close calls and I would like to be around as long as I can for my family so I wont have another street bike. I will get a new bike but it will be this one.

 

[EightmanVT]

LATE BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!! I just found out that my aunt's ex-boyfriend, someone I really got along with great but haven't seen in years, is a BIG WIG at the exact HD dealership I'm working with and he told her he could get me an incredible deal on anything! HOLY COW! Stay tuned!

Chris

Do you have any family members that work in funeral homes? They may be able to get your wife a good deal on a coffin.

Ouch - That's a little harsh. No reason to overly scare him on this - he seems to be well aware of the risks involved in riding. There's no reason a mature adult cannot become a good rider in a short time, even starting on a larger bike. It's all on the rider -- and the last thing we want is Chris riding scared - that, IMO is as dangerous as anything. Just becareful, take the class, be smart, take your time getting to know the bike and yourself as a rider - and you'll be fine , at least in the areas you can control. Asshole drivers are in another category.

 

[griff10672]

at the rate your going .... your going to end up in one of those huge soft tails

LOL!!! You're right and I was afraid this would happen. Sigh... Here's a '92 SuperGlide I'm going to look at after work. Pretty badass looking too, me thinks. The price is right as well.

http://www.gatewayhd.com/pre_owned_deta ... veh=635708

Chris

that's gorgeous brother !!!!

your a smart enough cat .... heed some of the warnings ... but do what you feel brother ... it's your life .


same kind of look as the others you've been looking at but with more chrome ... ( I really did like the flat black on the newer Sportster )

 

[jisham]

Do you have any family members that work in funeral homes? They may be able to get your wife a good deal on a coffin.

You guys are GREAT for boosting confidence! If anything, you're probably making things worse by trying to scare the hell out of me. But it's not working.

Plenty of people start riding later in life and do just fine.