Okay ... you've properly impressed us as a tightwad ... now, "how much $$$ do you have into your" boat ...??

I'm with you Neil ... at least to a certain exent ...

* * *

I have my bike set up in an account in my Quicken program ... so, I know pretty much to a penny how much I have in it ... [after checking my records] I have $20,354.07 including purchase price of the bike ... in retrospect, I've dropped money on stuff I could have gotten cheaper ... I've matured as a buyer of parts/accessories/mods quite a bit since I paid a dealership ~$700 to install handlebars ...

I reduce my Quicken account by funds received from the sale of take-off items ... and I gave $10,337.50 for my bike ... at the time of purchase, I bought a quick detach sissy bar, pad and luggage rack and a handful of other miscellany for about a grand ... so, I've got a little over $9,000 (net) in mods ...

Fairing and stereo setup ~$1,200
Hard bags ~$650
Paint tins (powdercoat) and parts ~$1,000
EFI Tuner ~$500
Cams (installed by me) ~$400 including tensioner shoes, gasket kit, etc
Fuel tank conversion from FXD to FXDB ~$500
Front and rear fenders ~$300
FLST front end ~$750
Crash bar and fairing lowers ~$600
Softail floorboards ~$500
Handlebars ~$700
Belt drive ~$600
Big bore kit ~$500
Heads and pushrods ~$700

... leaves about another $100 of little stuff that'll nickle and dime you to death ...

Most of that stuff, I shopped around a lot and got at discount online sources ... almost 100% of the labor by yours truly ... so, I could probably easily have double in it to attain the same result ...

I try to be smart about any change I am contemplating and would definitely NOT say that for me it is "a great deal of fun to frivolously blow a lot of money, w/ no care whatsoever for actual value received." That may be the case with some ... but, not me ...

My bike is a daily rider ... I am not concerned about 'getting my money back' for everything I have in it ... I am not selling ...

I think it is an eye opener for guys to step back and honestly ask the question ... no right answer ... but, doesn't do much good if you are only going to lie to yourself ...

R/
'Chop

 

How does one make a small fortune in the boat business?...Start w/ a LARGE fortune!

Uh huh. Very smart.

 

on my FXWDG - I just Spent $800 on stage one - V&H V02, Short Shots, FuelPak, and then have another couple hundred in sissy bar, bags, relocating bracket for LP. All told probably 1,300.
Still thinking about changing the bars and some other detail stuff as the piggy bank fills back up.

 

A little under $2600 on my 2011 FXDF. stage 1- propipe chrome with quiet baffle, fuel pak, hd high flow filter. detachable hd sissy bar and rack set, side kick seat, bar and shield foot pegs, heel rest, nostaligic grips, black levers, wrinkle black derby cover. bunch of little chrome stuff.. **** really adds up

 

About 3500 so far but looking at spending about 1200 in the next few months

 

2 oz of blood and 1 cup sweat and prob a few tears...

 

I got my bike in 09 and this is my fourth exhaust counting the stock exhaust it came with, that may be an indication of how much I may have spent in the last 3 years....lol

 

hmmm I stated 3k but lets add it up

pipes: 400$
drop is front springs 100
lowering blocks 70
windshield 300
saddle bags 250
quick detach 150
quick detach sissy bar 300 ish
kuryakn intake 200
diamond black grips 80
coil relo 110
led rear light 150
led turns +RTB 200 ish

math adds to just over 2300$ Ive only had the bike since sept and only 3600 miles on it lol

 

Not sure if you're familiar with my bike ... I basically have a FLD prototype with a removable fairing ... the motor is significantly stronger than stock (probably stronger than most Stage II 96" or maybe even 103") ...

At one point I was considering trading in for an Electra Glide variant or Road King ... then made a conscious decision that it was as cost effective to build the capability into my Super Glide and retain the 'convertability' ... further, I would have had to build the motor and add a fairing to the Road King to be where I am with my present bike ...

In other words ... I think I would have spent at least as much or more getting the same effect ...

I also acknowledge that there is a definite element of enjoyment that one pays ... and of course, money spent on a wheeled vehicle is an expense (NOT an investment) ... that doesn't bother me ...

My point was that I have gone into it with eyes open ... and that if there was something I decided I wanted (or 'needed') I found a way to do it that was more cost effective ...

An example ... I used my bike for a 70-mile one-way commute in cold weather for several years ... I thought it would be beneficial to have a fairing to knock down some of the cold wind and rain ... I've only got about $1,200 in mine ... I could have had great fun 'frivolously blowing a lot of money' on a Dragonfly with custom paint and all the bells and whistles ... instead, I shopped around and found a less costly alternative ... that for me represented a greater value for the outlay ...

Maybe none of it is 'smart' ... I sometimes tell myself that I save money commuting on my bike in comparison to my cage (a Jeep--which is true) ... but, if that were the sole objective, I'd be driving a Kia or a Prius ... AIN'T happening ...!

R/
'Chop

 

How much do I have into it?

Bought it for $6500, and with all the mods, let's see $6540 total. (I changed the oil)

I've only had it a week, and it is being stored at my fiance's garage for now.

But I am looking at new handlebars for now.