Omaha, don't make the same mistake I made. I took one of the new M8 powered Heritage Softails for a ride last week. Big mistake! I actually liked the ride and handling. The complicated electrics and difficulty of servicing the front end (no fork drain screws or grease fittings anymore) give me pause as does the price. Still, if I could swing it financially (I'm retired now), and had a place to keep it I'd be tempted to have both.

 

That's funny. I had a very similar conversation with my wife.

She saw someone on one of the new Indians a while back. Commented on how she liked the look, and said we should go test ride one.

My answer was NFW. Either we hate it, in which case it was a waste of time, or we love it, but I'm not about to drop $25k+ on any motorcycle!

(At least not in one bite...I'm slowly working my way there on the Evo!!! )

 

That looks to be a "Pick it up and ask forgiveness afterwards" model to me.

It's what I did on my 98 RK and she came around. She was PO'd about having 3 bikes, not the price..

Silly girls.

Griz

 

Absolutely love it....................

 

I live only about 3 miles from a Harley dealer, but I almost never go there because of the above statement.

In the old days, I used to enjoy going to look at the new bikes and shoot the bull about Harleys and motorcycling in general. But now all anyone at the dealership cares about is selling me a new bike. Period.

As far as they're concerned, I'm riding a dinosaur. That's OK, since I'm becoming an old fossil myself. They're completely baffled when I tell them I'm not interested in buying anything newer than my '96 Heritage.

.

 

Uncle G,

Have a look at how to change the battery on the 2018 Softails. Even Matt Laidlaw said it was a pain in the ***.

For those of you that don't know know, there is no more horseshoe oil tank. The oil tank is underneath like it was on the Dynas. There is a single shock absorber under the seat occupying some of the space where the oil tank used to be. The battery and other electronics is underneath it. To change the battery, you remove the sideplate and it is buried in there somewhere. You can't really see it.

The last time I was at the dealer, a t-shirt girl was throwing herself at me, and it wasn't about making a sale. She was pretty, nice, and half my age. Maybe she saw my hair and observed it is turning Fifty Shades of Gray?

 

I know about the battery, and the front end is more difficult to service as well. There's a lot of technical questions I have that nobody is answering yet. Like anything, there are trade-offs. You gain some, you lose some. I just wish my bike didn't already have 213,000 miles on it. Sure, it runs great now, but nothing lasts forever, including Uncle G.

Then too, at age 65, I find myself looking at buying my first house, as the landlord has the duplex I've rented for many years up for sale. I also retired this year, so a new Harley may not be financially viable in the near future.

 

Till you kick start a Panhead, you haven't heard the music.

 

I vote for complete overhaul of what you have, and upgrade its perceived shortcomings.

I don't think you are ready to be put down yet, and neither is your bike.

 

Well, I'm not going anywhere soon and neither is the bike. Now, a second bike, maybe(?)


Now, I DID always promise myself one more new Harley when I retired.