New or used?
My last four motorcycles have all been new. I'd love to buy a SG and I would buy that new. Nothing wrong with used, but when it comes to bikes, I like new. It's purely preference for me and at the end of the year, the new bike is used too.
I'd never buy a new truck again though.
One thing to think about is the fact that the 2020's are about a month away from being introduced which means the dealers are going to be looking to liquidate the new 19's on their floors. So if you want the benefits of a new bike, now is the time to get one...just a year old new bike. Just a thought.
Hmmm.....I don't know that don't sound like much of a reason to buy new - oh did we even talk about the loss when you take it off the dealers floor - easy $2500-$5000 immediately! considering where the OP lives lets ask - are you going to ride this year round? cause if you`re spending north of 20k for riding part of the year & the bike sits as much as ridden? well take that into consideration. Used - nothing wrong with it, take someone who knows bikes to look it over if you`re not mechanical, lots of good used bikes with no issues out there!
Good luck!
My '79 Lowrider pisses oil out of every crevice faster than I can fill it up. It shakes so bad it rattles bolts loose on the highway. It can barely maintain current highway speeds despite without gasping for air. I do love it, but I'm under no illusions that it's "better" than any motorcycle built after 1985 in terms of performance or reliability.
Every M8 bike does not sump. Nor does every M8 bike transfer fluids. Mine has been on the receiving end of a lot of my personal abuse without burning an ounce of fluid, and without transferring an ounce of fluid. The reason why issues like sumping/transferring that seem common is because people go on forums with their problems, not to talk about how trouble free their bikes are. Half the posts about sumping and such are people that read other people's issues, then post their worries about the same thing happening.
My point in all of this is: There are obvious benefits to buying new, despite your claims. I live in Wisconsin and realistically ride my bike for 8 months out of the year, aka whenever there isn't salt on the roads. That, to me, is still worth the price of new vs old. I like having Navigation, Bluetooth, a stereo, cruise control, ABS, and a smoother/more powerful engine than any pre-M8 bikes.
So, if you or the OP is Ok with dealing with age and mileage related maintenance/repairs/issues in order to save money, so be it.
With all of that experience with used bikes, I would still like to someday buy a brand new bike off the showroom floor, just because I want to have a bike that's truly "mine" from day one.
The Best of Harley-Davidson for Lifelong Riders
The other great thing about a used bike is most of them already have the "Harley tax" paid for, meaning the original owner already replaced the pipes, seat, bars and usual things that would cost a pretty penny if it weren't already done. That saves me money that I can spend on making mods that I want to add.













