Hello everyone...questions
Cruiser
Joined: Feb 2015
Posts: 149
Likes: 12
From: Orlando
Go to a dealership and see which one looks good, that fits you the best and then buy it. After all, it's your choice and I can't and won't tell you which one to get because everybody has their own preference on which one feels and looks the best to them and that they can afford. Good luck.
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Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 2,442
Likes: 418
From: South Carolina
If you read through all of the old posts on what bike should I buy here, youll see a bunch of different opinions, and theres no right or wrong answer. Theres an answer thats best for you but unfortunately you wont know the answer until youve been riding for a while.
A lot of factors enter into it - your size, your location, your type of riding, your aptitude, your budget, etc. Some folks jump into a loaded bagger as their first bike and do fine with it. Most start somewhere below that on the evolutionary scale, since most folks dont really know all of the questions to ask.
But keep in mind - as a new rider, youre probably gonna dump it once or twice, probably in a parking lot and definitely in front of people (with at least one really good-looking woman, too). Whats your tolerance for repair bills? Youll feel less crappy about scraping up a $4,000 bike than a $40,000 bike.
Get a bike that you feel comfortable with, one that you can maneuver at slow speeds without problems and one thats big enough to take you on some highway rides. Whether you think youre gonna ride highways or not right away, you will eventually, and if youre 280 lbs on a 250 Rebel, it wont end well.
The important thing is to start smart - take the course, practice in low-density situations, and find a sane, patient friend to ride with (if you have one - a lot of us dont!). Dont get in over your head, dont get in uncomfortable situations, dont ride drunk (or even buzzed), and just enjoy the experience. The 1200 youre looking at might be a good starter bike, it might be a good forever bike, or it might be too much for now - only youll know for sure.
Lot of good reading material out there - good luck and I hope you enjoy riding even half as much as the rest of us here do. Keep us posted.
A lot of factors enter into it - your size, your location, your type of riding, your aptitude, your budget, etc. Some folks jump into a loaded bagger as their first bike and do fine with it. Most start somewhere below that on the evolutionary scale, since most folks dont really know all of the questions to ask.
But keep in mind - as a new rider, youre probably gonna dump it once or twice, probably in a parking lot and definitely in front of people (with at least one really good-looking woman, too). Whats your tolerance for repair bills? Youll feel less crappy about scraping up a $4,000 bike than a $40,000 bike.
Get a bike that you feel comfortable with, one that you can maneuver at slow speeds without problems and one thats big enough to take you on some highway rides. Whether you think youre gonna ride highways or not right away, you will eventually, and if youre 280 lbs on a 250 Rebel, it wont end well.
The important thing is to start smart - take the course, practice in low-density situations, and find a sane, patient friend to ride with (if you have one - a lot of us dont!). Dont get in over your head, dont get in uncomfortable situations, dont ride drunk (or even buzzed), and just enjoy the experience. The 1200 youre looking at might be a good starter bike, it might be a good forever bike, or it might be too much for now - only youll know for sure.
Lot of good reading material out there - good luck and I hope you enjoy riding even half as much as the rest of us here do. Keep us posted.
Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 574
Likes: 89
From: Rochester, NY
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 5,801
Likes: 809
From: South Carolina
I might have missed this part? Are you buying new or used?
Sporty's are nice, but you'll be doing mods and sinking money into it and never get it back out of it.
The dynas are nice power and the mods you put into it you'll be happier
Good luck with your choice and be safe
And after you buy pics.....
Sporty's are nice, but you'll be doing mods and sinking money into it and never get it back out of it.
The dynas are nice power and the mods you put into it you'll be happier
Good luck with your choice and be safe
And after you buy pics.....
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,681
Likes: 233
From:
i didnt read any of the replys, so this im sure has been said. My opinion for all new riders unless you are rich is to go buy yourself a $800 old motorcycle off of craigslist. If you can ride the crap out of that for a year and feel comfortable then go buy yourself a good bike...if your rich who cares go buy the best bike you can because odds are you will dump it. There is a learning curve, the first bike i bought 2nd week i parked it facing a slight downhill driveway in neutral....came out and it had fallen over and had a huge dent in the tank and scraped up paint. Its things like that. Thats the little stuff you learn. You learn about how easy a bike is to dump or drop your first few years on a bike. How about just maintenance? its better to learn on an old beat up bike cause you will scrape it with a screwdriver that slips, man the list goes on and on. There are so many times i was glad i had a beater because i would have been kickin myself in the *** over and over if i had a nice harley and did that ****.
Last edited by saltlick; Mar 14, 2018 at 08:12 PM.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 16,021
Likes: 7,147
From: Sandy Eggo's North County
Good Morning from San Antonio. God willing Ill enter the Harley world soon once I take the MSF course and purchase a bike.
Ive been wanting to purchase a bike off and on for over 10 years and have decided to take the MSF course this summer.
Im torn between starting on a small sport bike or just jumping into the Harley world on a superlow 1200T. Would this be a good beginners bike?
Thanks again, glad to be here.
Ive been wanting to purchase a bike off and on for over 10 years and have decided to take the MSF course this summer.
Im torn between starting on a small sport bike or just jumping into the Harley world on a superlow 1200T. Would this be a good beginners bike?
Thanks again, glad to be here.
Take (and successfully complete) your BRC. Basic Rider Course.
THEN, come back to see if motorcycling is really what you want to do.
If it is, then great. If not, then no foul. (It's not for everyone.)
I would suggest you enroll in the Harley Davidson Program (Rider's Academy.)
This way, you'll be riding Harley's Street 500 during your class. Yes, it's small. On purpose. Yes, you CAN buy the actual bike you ride during your range exercises.
You can ride it to gain more skills and not have to worry about "dropping" your 750 pound, chrome laden, pride & joy.)
Motorcycling should be taken in steps. Just like any new skill. Do you think the military let's just any kid out of ground school immediately into an F35? Nope, you go through stages of lesser capable birds first. You work your skillset up to the bike/aircraft capability.
Forget the Sporty for now, just get your ground schooling done first.
Anyone that tells you to "go for the gusto" without being prepared is doing you a disservice.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 9,511
Likes: 13,828
From: Pa.
Very well said NORTY FLATZ.
The OP can do whatever he wants. I'll just add my opinion on my observations of nearly 40 years in the saddle.
The very best riders, hands down, that I know, started on dirt bikes as kids and worked their way up through the years to medium sized road bikes to finally a Harley.
By very best, I don't mean they can pull out of their driveway and go down the road. I mean they are cool, confident and skilled when faced with a sudden road challenge, whatever that may be, and their maneuvers are done without a thought about it. It's automatic.
I've seen very few, that started late on a big bike, ever catch up completely to the skill level of those guys.
Take from that what you might. Just my observations.
The OP can do whatever he wants. I'll just add my opinion on my observations of nearly 40 years in the saddle.
The very best riders, hands down, that I know, started on dirt bikes as kids and worked their way up through the years to medium sized road bikes to finally a Harley.
By very best, I don't mean they can pull out of their driveway and go down the road. I mean they are cool, confident and skilled when faced with a sudden road challenge, whatever that may be, and their maneuvers are done without a thought about it. It's automatic.
I've seen very few, that started late on a big bike, ever catch up completely to the skill level of those guys.
Take from that what you might. Just my observations.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 5,352
Likes: 648
From: Vegas, baby!
The very best riders, hands down, that I know, started on dirt bikes as kids and worked their way up through the years to medium sized road bikes to finally a Harley.
By very best, I don't mean they can pull out of their driveway and go down the road. I mean they are cool, confident and skilled when faced with a sudden road challenge, whatever that may be, and their maneuvers are done without a thought about it. It's automatic.
By very best, I don't mean they can pull out of their driveway and go down the road. I mean they are cool, confident and skilled when faced with a sudden road challenge, whatever that may be, and their maneuvers are done without a thought about it. It's automatic.
When a person is walking and they stumble for some reason, they take action to keep their balance or fall on their nose. This is possible because of experience gained as they learned over time.
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Joe Kucinski
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2016
Posts: 5,801
Likes: 809
From: South Carolina
Very well said NORTY FLATZ.
The OP can do whatever he wants. I'll just add my opinion on my observations of nearly 40 years in the saddle.
The very best riders, hands down, that I know, started on dirt bikes as kids and worked their way up through the years to medium sized road bikes to finally a Harley.
By very best, I don't mean they can pull out of their driveway and go down the road. I mean they are cool, confident and skilled when faced with a sudden road challenge, whatever that may be, and their maneuvers are done without a thought about it. It's automatic.
I've seen very few, that started late on a big bike, ever catch up completely to the skill level of those guys.
Take from that what you might. Just my observations.
The OP can do whatever he wants. I'll just add my opinion on my observations of nearly 40 years in the saddle.
The very best riders, hands down, that I know, started on dirt bikes as kids and worked their way up through the years to medium sized road bikes to finally a Harley.
By very best, I don't mean they can pull out of their driveway and go down the road. I mean they are cool, confident and skilled when faced with a sudden road challenge, whatever that may be, and their maneuvers are done without a thought about it. It's automatic.
I've seen very few, that started late on a big bike, ever catch up completely to the skill level of those guys.
Take from that what you might. Just my observations.
But there is a lot of good advice here for the OP..
Buy what you want, but buy what you can handle!
Cruiser
Joined: Sep 2017
Posts: 231
Likes: 16
From: Nor Calif
[QUOTE=HarleyD1929;17177052]
Buy something smaller-lower $$, try it, like it & want to continue?? Then sell & get the Harley...
Assuming he's not a troll, we as experienced riders should offer beneficial advice, we can bs with him later..
if he has no experience on a bike, msf is gonna loan him a 125 enduro..
Stepping up to even the smallest Harley is gonna be a huge difference, and then throw in traffic instead of cones..
This... if he has no experience on a bike, msf is gonna loan him a 125 enduro..
Stepping up to even the smallest Harley is gonna be a huge difference, and then throw in traffic instead of cones..
Buy something smaller-lower $$, try it, like it & want to continue?? Then sell & get the Harley...