Dyna Glide too much for a first bike?
Novice
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 18
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From: Colorado Springs
RE: Dyna Glide too much for a first bike?
I purchased a used 2003 Sporty as my first bike after not having ridden for 15 years. I liked the bike but it was less than 4-months before I traded up to my dyna. What a difference it made in ride pleasure. Love the Dyna.
Tourer
Joined: May 2006
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From:
RE: Dyna Glide too much for a first bike?
I was in the same boat you are in now. I never rode before and tok the MSF course. I bought a Sportster first after some said to buy something bigger first. Should have listened.Contrary to popular belief, Sportsters aren't necessarily a first bike. They are more top heavy. After three months my wife happened to see the 35th anniversary superglide and we wound up trading the Sportster for it. The Superglide is much smoother and I believe easier to ride.
My advice is to buy what you can afford. After getting it, go out to a vacant parking lot and play with it. Get to know it and soon you will fel comfortable enough to get out on the street. If you don't feel comfortable with that, then buy a used Honda, Yamaha, or something and use that for a while. I think you would do fine with a Harley. I recently had the chance of toying with a Fatboy and found it easy to ride also. Good luckin your decision.
My advice is to buy what you can afford. After getting it, go out to a vacant parking lot and play with it. Get to know it and soon you will fel comfortable enough to get out on the street. If you don't feel comfortable with that, then buy a used Honda, Yamaha, or something and use that for a while. I think you would do fine with a Harley. I recently had the chance of toying with a Fatboy and found it easy to ride also. Good luckin your decision.
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 394
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From: Kamloops, British Columbia
RE: Dyna Glide too much for a first bike?
After 20 years of no m/c riding, I started back on a 98 Dyna. They're easy bikes to ride -- low cg, tractable power (no stalling), and easy handling. And, at 6'1" and 230lbs, I'm too big for a Sportster. But I second the group in suggesting you take the MSF first, then move up to the Dyna. I bought a used one so I wouldn't be the first to scratch it.
Banned
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 2,976
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From:
RE: Dyna Glide too much for a first bike?
IMO................. Get an older Honda, etc. 500 to 750cc. Take a safety course, get your MC endorsement and make your mistakes on that bike.
Drool over owning your first HD, and then when you do buy a Harley you will have a great respect for the folks on other than HD products.
Much cheaper to drop a $500 Honda 500 something, then a new Dyna. Also much easier to pick up the smaller bike.
Whatever you do ride safely.
DougJ
Drool over owning your first HD, and then when you do buy a Harley you will have a great respect for the folks on other than HD products.
Much cheaper to drop a $500 Honda 500 something, then a new Dyna. Also much easier to pick up the smaller bike.
Whatever you do ride safely.
DougJ
Thread Starter
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Novice
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 23
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RE: Dyna Glide too much for a first bike?
thanks for the advice, i think that i should be better take my time,
after all i think the waiting will make it ever better when i take a glide
btw what model is the black one on the right? how about the other one?
after all i think the waiting will make it ever better when i take a glide
btw what model is the black one on the right? how about the other one?
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 4,722
Likes: 7
RE: Dyna Glide too much for a first bike?
Hard to tell for sure but the black one on the right appears to be a super glide custom or a dyna that has been mod'd to basically look like a custom. The reason I'm not so sure is the paint. I don't think the FXDC's come in a wrinkle finish and that paint appears to be very flat. Of course, it could be a FXDC with different tins on it - or repainted tins. It looks exactly like my bike did off the showroom floor except for the paint. The queues are the chrome console on the tank and the pull back handlebars along with what looks like the bettery cover with the super glide script on it.
I basically said this before and many more have as well but it's apparent that you shouldn't look at the Sportster as an entry level bike. Given the size and price (compared to other models), it's easy to get that impression. But don't let it fool you into thinking it's the milder Harley. They are awesome bikes in their own right and you can overstep your comfort level with them very easily if you aren't careful.
If you've got the money and want a dyna - buy it, take a rider course, and use your head. If you were willing to hop on a sportster and go, you shouldn't hesitate to do the same with a dyna. But if you are concerned about trashing it, go find a used rice-burner and build your confidence up. For me, it just seemed logical to go ahead and get what I wanted and not settle for something else and still be wanting for the other. But that's just me. When I get something on my mind that I want, I can't stop thinking about it until I just go and get it. If I'm careful, I shouldn't wreck it unless it's someone else's fault and that would have probably happened no matter what I was riding. If I just drop it, I'm likely not dead, haven't done a lot of damage, and I have insurance.
I basically said this before and many more have as well but it's apparent that you shouldn't look at the Sportster as an entry level bike. Given the size and price (compared to other models), it's easy to get that impression. But don't let it fool you into thinking it's the milder Harley. They are awesome bikes in their own right and you can overstep your comfort level with them very easily if you aren't careful.
If you've got the money and want a dyna - buy it, take a rider course, and use your head. If you were willing to hop on a sportster and go, you shouldn't hesitate to do the same with a dyna. But if you are concerned about trashing it, go find a used rice-burner and build your confidence up. For me, it just seemed logical to go ahead and get what I wanted and not settle for something else and still be wanting for the other. But that's just me. When I get something on my mind that I want, I can't stop thinking about it until I just go and get it. If I'm careful, I shouldn't wreck it unless it's someone else's fault and that would have probably happened no matter what I was riding. If I just drop it, I'm likely not dead, haven't done a lot of damage, and I have insurance.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 5,763
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From: North of Hell, South of Heaven
RE: Dyna Glide too much for a first bike?
ORIGINAL: Wyde Glyde Bry
I listened to my friends, and purchased a Wide Glide as my first motorcycleever. They claimed if I bought a Sportster, after owning it for a little while, I'd wish I had purchased the bike I really wanted.
They were right and wrong.
I'm glad I have the Wide Glide now that I'm able to ride(so they were right)... but it was a horrible bike to learn on (they were wrong in telling me to get it as a first bike).
If I had it to do all over again, I would have purchased a lighter bike that was easier to ride. True, I'd likely be stuck with a bike I didn't like that much for a few years... but that's the price you pay to learn. When you begin racing you don't start out in NASCAR.
Ibelieve if you're willing to take a motorcycle riders course to learn the basics, and you take your time learning after that course, with the aid of an experienced rider (think empty parkings lots on Sunday afternoons), you can get away with buying a bigger bike for a first bike. But it will take a lot of practice to get comfortable.
Remember, once you leave that empty parking lot, there are many other obstacles, some stationary, some moving (i.e., other vehicles). So please don't take the learning opportunity lightly, whether you purchase an 883 Sportster, or an Ultra.
I listened to my friends, and purchased a Wide Glide as my first motorcycleever. They claimed if I bought a Sportster, after owning it for a little while, I'd wish I had purchased the bike I really wanted.
They were right and wrong.
I'm glad I have the Wide Glide now that I'm able to ride(so they were right)... but it was a horrible bike to learn on (they were wrong in telling me to get it as a first bike).
If I had it to do all over again, I would have purchased a lighter bike that was easier to ride. True, I'd likely be stuck with a bike I didn't like that much for a few years... but that's the price you pay to learn. When you begin racing you don't start out in NASCAR.
Ibelieve if you're willing to take a motorcycle riders course to learn the basics, and you take your time learning after that course, with the aid of an experienced rider (think empty parkings lots on Sunday afternoons), you can get away with buying a bigger bike for a first bike. But it will take a lot of practice to get comfortable.
Remember, once you leave that empty parking lot, there are many other obstacles, some stationary, some moving (i.e., other vehicles). So please don't take the learning opportunity lightly, whether you purchase an 883 Sportster, or an Ultra.
Sportsters are a nice bikes, but I would suggest a Triumph Speedmaster. It has the look, it's English cool, it's lighter and in their world, nobody calls it a girls bike even if it matches an 883 in displacement.
Advanced
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 65
Likes: 0
From: Spain
RE: Dyna Glide too much for a first bike?
my .02,
I got a Dyna Superglide Custom as first bike, and changed to forward controls at the dealer itself.
I never (never) had a motorcycle before, onyl saw other bikes, and tested my bro's Sportster. It was simply too small for me. So I had to pick up a bigger model. I picked up the dyna because I like the look with the visible suspension at the rear part and I took the forward controls because my friends told me that it'ld be better for me, as I'ld learn to drive directly with forward controls.
I had doubts between the superglide and the wideglide, but there all the people said that learning to drive with the wider angle would be more difficult.
2 months afterwards I can tell they were right. I'm really comfortable with my Superglide
I got a Dyna Superglide Custom as first bike, and changed to forward controls at the dealer itself.
I never (never) had a motorcycle before, onyl saw other bikes, and tested my bro's Sportster. It was simply too small for me. So I had to pick up a bigger model. I picked up the dyna because I like the look with the visible suspension at the rear part and I took the forward controls because my friends told me that it'ld be better for me, as I'ld learn to drive directly with forward controls.
I had doubts between the superglide and the wideglide, but there all the people said that learning to drive with the wider angle would be more difficult.
2 months afterwards I can tell they were right. I'm really comfortable with my Superglide
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Thread Starter
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Novice
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 23
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RE: Dyna Glide too much for a first bike?
i like sportster but i think its small and i guess i would sooner or later buy a bigger one so there's no reason to buy another bike first and then loose money by selling it,
so i'll have to wait untill i save enough money for a Dyna, in the meantime i can have a friend's bike to learn, or even ask the dealer to lend me or rent if he's not willing to lend me a smaller bike for a few days just to get the feeling or riding a motorcycle,
anyway i think that Super Glide looks great plus its the cheapest of the Dynas and Softails and since i can judge only by the look i wonder me if thats a good choice or if i should try to save some more money and get another Dyna or even a Softail,
i looked at the harleydavidson.com to see what every Dyna and Softail has to offer but i cant say that helped me...
Softails are quite expensive and some models like the Heritage look too big for me,
i was thinking about the night train... is a better choice than the Super glide?
how about the other Dynas?
talking about the pleasure in riding and handling are there any differences?
or the difference in the price has to do with the goodies they have on? in that case i dont mind at all
is the Super Glide a suitable bike for both riding around the town and long distance cruising?
so i'll have to wait untill i save enough money for a Dyna, in the meantime i can have a friend's bike to learn, or even ask the dealer to lend me or rent if he's not willing to lend me a smaller bike for a few days just to get the feeling or riding a motorcycle,
anyway i think that Super Glide looks great plus its the cheapest of the Dynas and Softails and since i can judge only by the look i wonder me if thats a good choice or if i should try to save some more money and get another Dyna or even a Softail,
i looked at the harleydavidson.com to see what every Dyna and Softail has to offer but i cant say that helped me...
Softails are quite expensive and some models like the Heritage look too big for me,
i was thinking about the night train... is a better choice than the Super glide?
how about the other Dynas?
talking about the pleasure in riding and handling are there any differences?
or the difference in the price has to do with the goodies they have on? in that case i dont mind at all
is the Super Glide a suitable bike for both riding around the town and long distance cruising?
Tourer
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 299
Likes: 0
RE: Dyna Glide too much for a first bike?
I bought my first motorcycle in march of this year. Its a 2002 Wide Glide. I pretty much had no motorcycle experience before this. Went and got my permit and I have been riding it everywhere for he last 6 months with no problem. I thought it was going to be way more bike than I could handle but not even close. I am 6-4 about 215 lbs though. Yesterday I took my skills test and passed it with ease on my wide glide.
Get the WG for sure. You won't drop it and it will be easier than you thought. Best purchase I have ever made.
Get the WG for sure. You won't drop it and it will be easier than you thought. Best purchase I have ever made.