Questions before I purchase
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 5,878
Likes: 17
From: The Desert SouthWest
RE: Questions before I purchase
First of all welcome to the Forum, you'll learn ALOT here if you visit daily and read the posts and threads.
If you're totally new to street bikes then TAKE that MSF course is the most important thing. It will keep you safe and teach you some very important things you won't know by instinct about riding.
Get a used bike and ride it for 6 months or a year and see if you like riding and do it enough to make it worth the investment. I'm a fanatic and can't get enough personally and I can ride year around which is a wonderful blessing. I'm not sure where you're at, but the weather may limit how often you will want to ride unless you're really a hard-core rider.
The post above is true about maintenance costs. Tires dont last nearly as long on bikes as they do on a car, especially the rear tire. You'll change the rear twice for each front tire. I'd say you'll get anywhere from 8 to 10k on a rear (12k if you're really easy on the bike and have great roads) and 15-20k on a front tire depending on what type of road surfaces you typically ride on, how heavy your throttle hand is, whether you keep a close eye on tire pressures, etc.
Research what tires will cost you and mounting also is extra, so realize those things. Oil changes are easy and fun, so do those yourself.
Yes you'll get 50 mpg with a 1200 Sportster (with your size I'd not go 883 personally), but don't miss the maintenance costs is the point.
Now don't forget the other advantages m/c's have... You can park them nearly anywhere, slip through traffic jams (assuming you can do that in your area), insurance is reasonable, registration, etc... PLUS it's the MOST FUN thing you can do with your clothes on IMHO, hehe. It just may become your daily therapy session to hop on your bike and take that 50 mile ride at the beginning and end of your day!
Good luck and let us know what you decide...
If you're totally new to street bikes then TAKE that MSF course is the most important thing. It will keep you safe and teach you some very important things you won't know by instinct about riding.
Get a used bike and ride it for 6 months or a year and see if you like riding and do it enough to make it worth the investment. I'm a fanatic and can't get enough personally and I can ride year around which is a wonderful blessing. I'm not sure where you're at, but the weather may limit how often you will want to ride unless you're really a hard-core rider.
The post above is true about maintenance costs. Tires dont last nearly as long on bikes as they do on a car, especially the rear tire. You'll change the rear twice for each front tire. I'd say you'll get anywhere from 8 to 10k on a rear (12k if you're really easy on the bike and have great roads) and 15-20k on a front tire depending on what type of road surfaces you typically ride on, how heavy your throttle hand is, whether you keep a close eye on tire pressures, etc.
Research what tires will cost you and mounting also is extra, so realize those things. Oil changes are easy and fun, so do those yourself.
Yes you'll get 50 mpg with a 1200 Sportster (with your size I'd not go 883 personally), but don't miss the maintenance costs is the point.
Now don't forget the other advantages m/c's have... You can park them nearly anywhere, slip through traffic jams (assuming you can do that in your area), insurance is reasonable, registration, etc... PLUS it's the MOST FUN thing you can do with your clothes on IMHO, hehe. It just may become your daily therapy session to hop on your bike and take that 50 mile ride at the beginning and end of your day!
Good luck and let us know what you decide...
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 10,602
Likes: 721
From: Bellevue, NE
RE: Questions before I purchase
I don't think a Sportster is the right bike for you but, more importantly, if you're buying a bike to save gas money, you should really crunch the numbers. Consider the purchase price, tax, title, registration, maintenance (if you can't do it yourself you'll be shocked at what the dealer charges) and insurance. You'll have to ride a LOT of miles to make all that up in fuel savings. Not trying to talk you out of riding, everyone should do it!! Just do it for the right reasons.
Road Captain
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 711
Likes: 0
From: Bothell, WA
RE: Questions before I purchase
If you're after gas mileage, buy a rice burner or a moped with a beefed up suspension to support your weight. Harley's are not about economy, they are a life style that does not fit everyone.
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 3,909
Likes: 6
From: Livingston, Texas
RE: Questions before I purchase
I agree ! Why would a guy weighing as much as you buy a sporster. Rent a bike, try a wide glide and you can go from there. Second choice would be a Heritage Classic. It comes with saddle bags and windshield. Would be nice for you to tote a rain coat in and stuff.
My indy shop has a mechanic that weights about that much, he likes my wide glide. It lets him streach his legs out. If yer sure your gonna stick with it get a extended warranty. Buy a manual and learn how to change yer own oil. If you ride yer bike slow you will get good gas milage. If you run the heck out if it yer gas milage will drop.
My indy shop has a mechanic that weights about that much, he likes my wide glide. It lets him streach his legs out. If yer sure your gonna stick with it get a extended warranty. Buy a manual and learn how to change yer own oil. If you ride yer bike slow you will get good gas milage. If you run the heck out if it yer gas milage will drop.
Club Member
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 18,304
Likes: 26,543
From: Northwest of Los Angeles
RE: Questions before I purchase
I'd like to chime in on a topic that I don't think anyone's mentioned. All the technical advice you're getting is pretty good, but I have another concern.
You live in San Jose, and you're a new rider. You propose to buy a new motorcycle and dive right into a 100-mile per day round trip commute in a high-traffic-intensity freeway environment, in all sorts of weather.
I submit that the risks involved in commuting in that environment, for that distance, as a brand new rider may far exceed any reasonable risk/reward calculation. Will you survive it? Probably. But keep in mind that even under ideal conditions motorcycling makes high skill demands on its adherents, with real life-or-death consequences for a small slip-up or a moment of inattention or distraction. And the environment you propose to ride in can be terrifying for even a reasonably experienced rider. The good ones will even admit it.
I think that, first, you need to select a bike that suits your physique; a Sporty, while one of the best all-around bikes ever built, might not be the best one for you. If it's because of price that you're looking at a Sporty rather than a so-called Big Twin, I suggest you look at something like a Honda 1300VTX instead--a roomier, more powerful bike at a similar price.
Second, I think that you might want to do a couple of thousand road miles in a lower-stress environment than commuting. Riding 100 miles a day in San Jose freeway commuting traffic will make you old before your time--if you're lucky.
Finally, as others have pointed out, if you think that at the end of the day commuting on a Harley will cost less than commuting in a new Honda Civic, you're dreaming.
Think it through, man. And if I sound like your father, sorry, but I'm probably older than he is.
Philip
You live in San Jose, and you're a new rider. You propose to buy a new motorcycle and dive right into a 100-mile per day round trip commute in a high-traffic-intensity freeway environment, in all sorts of weather.
I submit that the risks involved in commuting in that environment, for that distance, as a brand new rider may far exceed any reasonable risk/reward calculation. Will you survive it? Probably. But keep in mind that even under ideal conditions motorcycling makes high skill demands on its adherents, with real life-or-death consequences for a small slip-up or a moment of inattention or distraction. And the environment you propose to ride in can be terrifying for even a reasonably experienced rider. The good ones will even admit it.
I think that, first, you need to select a bike that suits your physique; a Sporty, while one of the best all-around bikes ever built, might not be the best one for you. If it's because of price that you're looking at a Sporty rather than a so-called Big Twin, I suggest you look at something like a Honda 1300VTX instead--a roomier, more powerful bike at a similar price.
Second, I think that you might want to do a couple of thousand road miles in a lower-stress environment than commuting. Riding 100 miles a day in San Jose freeway commuting traffic will make you old before your time--if you're lucky.
Finally, as others have pointed out, if you think that at the end of the day commuting on a Harley will cost less than commuting in a new Honda Civic, you're dreaming.
Think it through, man. And if I sound like your father, sorry, but I'm probably older than he is.
Philip
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 5,289
Likes: 3
From: Rowlett, Texas
RE: Questions before I purchase
Well let's think about this for a second. You can get with your weight about 40 miles per gallon on a 883 or 1200. Even if you go to a Dyna, you will get about the same.
Well. At least it's cheaper than a car. A smaller cc bike will give you better results. They make 450cc scooters you can get over 60 mpg.
Well. At least it's cheaper than a car. A smaller cc bike will give you better results. They make 450cc scooters you can get over 60 mpg.
Cruiser
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 156
Likes: 0
From:
RE: Questions before I purchase
Oldboldpilot has a good point that you might want to ease into the bike.
Starting out as a brand new motorcyclist and commuting 50 miles to work is a daunting task. Especially in your area. I've been riding for a few years and I'd be hesitant to ride there.
MSF is a great way to start riding. I did that before getting on the road and it's probably the best decision I made as far as riding goes. My suggestion would be to take the class and pick up a cheap bike to ride around for a few months(recreation wise) to get the feel of riding and make sure you'd want to commute.
Personally, commuting 50 miles every day because I "had" to(especially in traffic) would take the joy out of riding. I'd rather get a fuel efficient cage to drone away the miles and save the bike for weekend fun.
As for size on a bike(I'm almost your weight and I'm 6'1), definitely try the bike out before you buy it. I rode a Ninja 500 for a year while learning and had a blast. It was actually pretty decent comfort wise, just not on really long rides. V-rod was also a comfortable bike with a good seat.
I've never ridden a sporty though.
I guess my point is the bike will probably be fine but make sure you'd be comfortable on that long of a ride.
Starting out as a brand new motorcyclist and commuting 50 miles to work is a daunting task. Especially in your area. I've been riding for a few years and I'd be hesitant to ride there.
MSF is a great way to start riding. I did that before getting on the road and it's probably the best decision I made as far as riding goes. My suggestion would be to take the class and pick up a cheap bike to ride around for a few months(recreation wise) to get the feel of riding and make sure you'd want to commute.
Personally, commuting 50 miles every day because I "had" to(especially in traffic) would take the joy out of riding. I'd rather get a fuel efficient cage to drone away the miles and save the bike for weekend fun.
As for size on a bike(I'm almost your weight and I'm 6'1), definitely try the bike out before you buy it. I rode a Ninja 500 for a year while learning and had a blast. It was actually pretty decent comfort wise, just not on really long rides. V-rod was also a comfortable bike with a good seat.
I've never ridden a sporty though.
I guess my point is the bike will probably be fine but make sure you'd be comfortable on that long of a ride.
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Stage III
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
RE: Questions before I purchase
WoW
Thanks a lot for all the post, and advice. You guys bought up very good points that I will have to consider. It seams that my weight will most likely prevent me from getting the sportster. I have always wanted a motor cycle, and always wanted that motor cycle to be a harley. It seams like the smart thing to do is get a used Fatboy, after I complete my class on June 12th. Take my test at the DMV, and ride my Fatboy around after work and on weekends for a couple of months to get the hang it. Do you know anyone in the Bay Area has good deals on Used Harley's? For cars your have Cars.com, autotrader.com, but motorcylcles are always left out.
Thanks again guys
Thanks a lot for all the post, and advice. You guys bought up very good points that I will have to consider. It seams that my weight will most likely prevent me from getting the sportster. I have always wanted a motor cycle, and always wanted that motor cycle to be a harley. It seams like the smart thing to do is get a used Fatboy, after I complete my class on June 12th. Take my test at the DMV, and ride my Fatboy around after work and on weekends for a couple of months to get the hang it. Do you know anyone in the Bay Area has good deals on Used Harley's? For cars your have Cars.com, autotrader.com, but motorcylcles are always left out.
Thanks again guys
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