I want a Harley some day

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Gotta agree with most of the riders here...ride what you like, it's being out in the open air with the freedom a motorcycle gives you that's most important.
I started with my first bike over 30 years ago and still enjoy it. I remember when Harley riders wouldn't even acknowledge anyone riding another make. And same for Honda Gold Wing riders. Now anyone up on 2 wheels acknowledges each other.
But I gotta disagree with 4404speed. Bikes are like cars, they're all going to depreciate at first but keep them nice and keep them long enough and they'll go up in value. I know I can get more for my 33 year-old Kawasaki than I paid for it.

View attachment P7200492_edited (Small).JPG

 
4404spd said:
You wouldn't understand obviously! Trashing Harleys puts you in the same catagory as the Chevy guy trashing Mopars! You cant compare a Kawasaki in any aspect to a Harley Davidson. I had a 05 Softail Deluxe I bought new for $17500 and traded it 5 yrs later and got $14500. for it and bought a 2010 Street Gluide for $19500, Traded it a year later for the CVO and got my money back. Try that with a Kawasaki you would be lucky to get half your money back in 1 year.
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Jesus dude, you need a little wind therapy.... calm. down.

I wouldn't buy ANYTHING new, period. I never said harleys don't keep their value. I just said that they are over valued, and stay that way. Sure i can buy a 6 year old harley for a few grand less than a brand new, but i can buy a 5 year old kawi for less than half of what the original owner paid.
I guess I'm more open to other brands than you are. Loyal to Harley because it was once all american.


Oh, BTW, I drive chevys :-k
 
65_valiant said:
Jesus dude, you need a little wind therapy.... calm. down.

I wouldn't buy ANYTHING new, period. I never said harleys don't keep their value. I just said that they are over valued, and stay that way. Sure i can buy a 6 year old harley for a few grand less than a brand new, but i can buy a 5 year old kawi for less than half of what the original owner paid.
I guess I'm more open to other brands than you are. Loyal to Harley because it was once all american.


Oh, BTW, I drive chevys :-k
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Figures!
 
It is not about WHAT you ride but that you RIDE. Will be a while before mine is on the road again. Just a plane Jane Custom Chrome Soft tail chopper. 110" 6 speed. Before that it was all Japanese Sport Bikes.....one of them had 100k put on it, and it was not an easy 100k. Front tire/brake pads every 5k, rear tire life was 3k. Had more than it's share of road rash from dragging pegs in the corners. Pretty sad how some folks look down on others because they don't ride a this or that.
 
And lets not forget the famed tariff that save the beloved HD....if it were not for the buyers of Japanese bikes paying it HD probably would not be here today
 
I dont look down on anybody. Just tired of hearing Harleys trashed. Buy that **** from the nice people who brought you Pearl Harbor. I dont care.
 
I have and ride a 1977 Harlev XLCR (cafe racer), no problems... Fast as hell...starts up and goes
 
I used to have a Harley Lowrider, and I would like another bike someday, but I can't seem to get the wife on board. In her line of work she sea's to many motorcycle accident's. Oh well, someday.....................................
 
jos51700 said:
Incorrect on all four points, if done correctly.


Get a new mechanic, or new dealership.




Primary chain, yes.
Final drive, no. You can see the belt drive on the LH side.
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HA! I am my mechanic. And what would a mechanic have to do with the original parts failing prematurely???? I used to be a supervisor at one of the HD manufacturing plants. The main thing you are paying for is overpriced Union labor. Even the guy sweeping the floor makes $50k. I like all bikes regardless but my foreign bikes were faster, handled better, more reliable, and a lot cheaper.
 
The cruisers are like riding an office chair. Harley Davidson it's initials HDstand for Hundreds of Dollars because every time you take that bike to the shop it's going to cost you Hundreds of Dollars! Now I ride sport bikes but I have riden a few cruisers my dads Suzuki, my uncles Harley (for a month after he broke this leg and didn't want it to sit after he had it taken out of winter storage), and a guy I know has an 2004 Honda Rune. I'd take that Rune over any Harley any day. That bike run better, WAY more reliable, way better mpg and it's a 6 cylinder. That said I did get to ride a V-Rod last year and they are pretty nice.
 
Hey OC is that a Z1 I see... Made in the US of A, Lincoln Nebraska
I had a KX1000 LTD, paid $1500, polished and painted it, rode it for 4 years and sold it for $4000. I now have a Yammy Venture, same as riding a living room couch but I sure miss the KZ
 
My take on the Harley vs. Metric debate. They all have the good points and bad points. As far as money my take is that a Harley will have a higher buy in with a higher resale, a metric will have a lower buy in with a lower resale. Not sure on what the price for Harley parts are. Metric parts replacement parts or somwhat hard to find after they get 10-15 years old. Aftermarket parts are somewhat expensive for both. Myself I ride an 08 Honda Shadow Spirit 750, love it and if someone doesn't like that it's not a Harley, then that's there problem.
 
kazooom said:
Hey OC is that a Z1 I see... Made in the US of A, Lincoln Nebraska
I had a KX1000 LTD, paid $1500, polished and painted it, rode it for 4 years and sold it for $4000. I now have a Yammy Venture, same as riding a living room couch but I sure miss the KZ
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Not a Z1, but a KZ1000E (shaft drive). Bought it brand new off the showroom floor back in '79. Several years later I laid it down up in the local SoCal mountains when I hit some DG (decomposed granite) going through a corner. All cosmetic damage but my insurance totalled it. I bought it back, had the dent taken out of the tank, replaced the speedo and tach, put on the Vetter "Rooster" fairing, replaced the damaged exhaust with the Kerker 4-into-1, had the custom candy red and black with gold pinstriping paint done, and pocketed a few hundred bucks as well.
I love to ride it when I get the chance - just wish there were a few million less drivers in SoCal. It takes an hour or more to get to someplace nice to ride - beach, mountains, desert, or just away from all the crazies behind the wheel.
 
I just bought my first Harley almost 2 years ago. I don't regret it for a second. Been very reliable and great on gas. It's internally balanced so it doesn't vibrate as much. I absolutely live it and ride it as much as I can. Doesn't leak a drop if oil and it's very comfortable!
2007 FXSTBi new bars, new mirrors, new seat and new exhaust

10127fb4.jpg
 
Loosenutz said:
HA! I am my mechanic. And what would a mechanic have to do with the original parts failing prematurely???? I used to be a supervisor at one of the HD manufacturing plants. The main thing you are paying for is overpriced Union labor. Even the guy sweeping the floor makes $50k. I like all bikes regardless but my foreign bikes were faster, handled better, more reliable, and a lot cheaper.
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I'll agree with the "union labor" comment, 100%. I despise unions. They're outdated and hold little water with me, now that OSHA is keeping people from cutting their hands off in saws ;)

As far as faster, better handling, more reliable, and a lot cheaper...it's challenging to find all that in one particular Jap bike. Personally, if I'm going to buy a cruiser, I'm going with the real deal and buying a Harley. That's what they're made for, and they do it best, in my opinion.

However, if I want to ride the dirt, will I buy a Harley? Of course not. I'll buy Jap. If I want to road race, the XR1200 does well in certain classes but it's no gixxer.

It's all about application. HD's ARE expensive. They're also built with better components and have better warranties and are, surprisingly, more technically advanced in a lot of ways. The Delphi fuel injection that HD has used since what, 2001? 1999? is still way ahead of the Japanese EFI as far as tunability and features.

But just as you would not want to use a hammer to mow your lawn, nor would you use a lawnmower to drive a nail, you should pick your bike for what you want to do with it. In this case, when it comes to cruisers, there are some non-HD that I think are decent (Kawasaki's VN900 line, for example) and some that suck $hit (Honda 750 and 600), but HD still trumps all in general-sense cruiser world. In my opinion.

My personal bike? Best of both :)
1998 Buell S1W. Modified XL1200 motor, nimble chassis. It's accompanied in the garage by a Honda MB5, an RD350/FZR600 hybrid, a FZ50 Suzuki, a QT50 Yamaha, and a GS550L Suzuki. This is the fewest number of bikes that I've owned at any given time in the last 15 years. I've got enough parts to build a couple more FZR600's and an FZR400 with Banshee motor while I'm at it.

Where am I coming from? Well, I worked as a Master of Technology in HD shops for a decade and I worked on Jap bikes for a decade (some overlap as I worked on the Jap bikes that came in to HD world). My specialty was and still is Buell. I've worked on everything from personal watercraft to ATVs and dirt bikes, ricky racers, and even a few sidecars and trikes. It was a lot of fun getting paid to do what I love, but it did take the shine off riding bikes, and I got tired of seeing my friends get all busted up or dead.

So, yeah, the OP can build an awesome HD chopper. He can build an awesome Jap bike chopper. He can ride any of them stock, modified, or whatever. Hell, he can even pull a John Britten and build his own. It's all good.
 
I sometimes ride with a guy who bought a brand new harley sportster about three or four yrs ago. He doesn’t hide the motorcycle failures about his Harley like most do. He told me that when he left the dealership with is new harley that when he was almost to the house the foot peg fell off. He had to turn around and go pick it up out of the road lol
About a month ago we was going to go riding and he told me he couldn't make it because its at the dealership getting the charging system fixed.
To me harleys are like buying a pair of shoes. You can buy Reeboks or you can buy the off brand. The Reeboks have jap materials just like the off brand. However you going to pay extra for the Reeboks because you’re buying the name. People that buys harley ride around with their noses stuck up in the air “I’m bad I own a Harley eeerrrrr!” My friend brought that up to my attention. Ever since he did I have noticed harley riders got that head tilt backwards. They’re going to get a hard shell beetle lodged in their nostril one day and it’s not going to be funny! lol
 
ESP47 said:
I used to never really care about bikes at all but I was at this guy's house not too long ago and he had this old school 50's Harley panhead that I fell in love with. I've never had a bike so I'd have to go take the class and get certified and all that, but I was wondering what the story was with old bikes. Kinda like how our mopars have pros and cons, what are the pros and cons of older Harley's?

I really like the way this bike sits. I wouldn't want the ape hangers to be so high but I love the way the rest of it looks. I'm guessing it wouldn't be the most comfortable thing on long rides but I don't plan on doing much of that. Are these old rides really expensive to fix up? I've been trying to do some research but it seems like prices are all over the place and I don't really know exactly what I'm looking at anyway. I was just wondering what your opinions were on older bikes.

http://www.streetchopperweb.com/features/0710_stcp_1965_harley_davidson_panhead/photo_02.html
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You guys just scared off the pore bastard that started this thread, he went out and bought an old bicycle instead. LOL!
Now this is a motor cycle!
View attachment Indian.jpg

Kenny
 
jos51700 said:
I'll agree with the "union labor" comment, 100%. I despise unions. They're outdated and hold little water with me, now that OSHA is keeping people from cutting their hands off in saws ;)

As far as faster, better handling, more reliable, and a lot cheaper...it's challenging to find all that in one particular Jap bike. Personally, if I'm going to buy a cruiser, I'm going with the real deal and buying a Harley. That's what they're made for, and they do it best, in my opinion.

However, if I want to ride the dirt, will I buy a Harley? Of course not. I'll buy Jap. If I want to road race, the XR1200 does well in certain classes but it's no gixxer.

It's all about application. HD's ARE expensive. They're also built with better components and have better warranties and are, surprisingly, more technically advanced in a lot of ways. The Delphi fuel injection that HD has used since what, 2001? 1999? is still way ahead of the Japanese EFI as far as tunability and features.

But just as you would not want to use a hammer to mow your lawn, nor would you use a lawnmower to drive a nail, you should pick your bike for what you want to do with it. In this case, when it comes to cruisers, there are some non-HD that I think are decent (Kawasaki's VN900 line, for example) and some that suck $hit (Honda 750 and 600), but HD still trumps all in general-sense cruiser world. In my opinion.

My personal bike? Best of both :)
1998 Buell S1W. Modified XL1200 motor, nimble chassis. It's accompanied in the garage by a Honda MB5, an RD350/FZR600 hybrid, a FZ50 Suzuki, a QT50 Yamaha, and a GS550L Suzuki. This is the fewest number of bikes that I've owned at any given time in the last 15 years. I've got enough parts to build a couple more FZR600's and an FZR400 with Banshee motor while I'm at it.

Where am I coming from? Well, I worked as a Master of Technology in HD shops for a decade and I worked on Jap bikes for a decade (some overlap as I worked on the Jap bikes that came in to HD world). My specialty was and still is Buell. I've worked on everything from personal watercraft to ATVs and dirt bikes, ricky racers, and even a few sidecars and trikes. It was a lot of fun getting paid to do what I love, but it did take the shine off riding bikes, and I got tired of seeing my friends get all busted up or dead.

So, yeah, the OP can build an awesome HD chopper. He can build an awesome Jap bike chopper. He can ride any of them stock, modified, or whatever. Hell, he can even pull a John Britten and build his own. It's all good.
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Very well said. Don't get me wrong, I love riding my Harley. People just need to realize why they are paying the premium. FYI, I bought my 2007 Roadster for $3500. It's got 34k on it now but it's needed quite a few parts replaced in that time. It needs all the top end gaskets replaced right now because they are all seeping oil. I'd never consider paying the price for a new one though.
 
I bought a Dyna new in 2007. I was so disappointed, parts literally fell of the bike, electrical problems, out right poor engineering. It sure was beautiful though, I sold it after six months.
 
I was out at the local cruise place this weekend. So what I thought was a Harley bagger cruising thru....went to look at it closer Kawasiki Vulcan..it was a good lookin bike. Way down low I finally found the kawasaki name.
 
efriedrich said:
I bought a Dyna new in 2007. I was so disappointed, parts literally fell of the bike, electrical problems, out right poor engineering. It sure was beautiful though, I sold it after one season.
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Yep, when I was working for Harley I learned their cosmetic quality standards are the best in any industry. You wouldn't believe the parts they would crush because of very minor blemishes. Wish they could get the rest of the bike to that level.
 
See, this is what amazes me...I never had these problems on the bikes that I worked on. Only two comebacks in a decade. If it was the bikes, it would happen to everyone, but it's not because I saw huge numbers of bikes going out and performing flawlessly.

The two most common things that lead to unreliability were aftermarket parts and flat-rate-only shops that put profit over performance.

It's worth noting that even among all shops, flat-rate or not, I've yet to see a shop that had lots of comebacks that drug tested...
 
jos51700 said:
See, this is what amazes me...I never had these problems on the bikes that I worked on. Only two comebacks in a decade. If it was the bikes, it would happen to everyone, but it's not because I saw huge numbers of bikes going out and performing flawlessly.

The two most common things that lead to unreliability were aftermarket parts and flat-rate-only shops that put profit over performance.

It's worth noting that even among all shops, flat-rate or not, I've yet to see a shop that had lots of comebacks that drug tested...
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Of course... I could stop hiding my crack in the oil tank but it makes such a nice hiding spot. :roll:
 
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