What if............
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Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 12,653
Likes: 18
From: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
What if............
After reading a good number of posts, I've come to the conclusion that folks can get pretty opinionated about their bikes and accessories. And that's great. They should. Nothing like personal experience. But sometimes, we can be pretty closed minded about things just because we don't find them as useful as the items we have experience with, or, we just don't want to admit that we made a mistake and are having to live with it. So we praise things to the point of ridiculous, when in all honesty, they're only as good as the alternative. So the following questions have come to mind and I thought it would be a good brain exercise for some of us.
So, what if you didn't own a bike right now? Still had the desire, but no way of doing it. Would some of the following things be so important if this were the case? Things like Dyna vs. Sportster vs. Softail vs. Bagger (keep in mind the cost differences)? What about forward controls vs. mid controls? Or stock exhaust vs. aftermarket?
Would you wait until you could get exactly what you want or think you need? Or would you make do just to be able to ride? And if you had to limit your choices to just one aftermarket item, what would they be?
So, what if you didn't own a bike right now? Still had the desire, but no way of doing it. Would some of the following things be so important if this were the case? Things like Dyna vs. Sportster vs. Softail vs. Bagger (keep in mind the cost differences)? What about forward controls vs. mid controls? Or stock exhaust vs. aftermarket?
Would you wait until you could get exactly what you want or think you need? Or would you make do just to be able to ride? And if you had to limit your choices to just one aftermarket item, what would they be?
Thread Starter
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Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 12,653
Likes: 18
From: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
RE: What if............
ORIGINAL: 3power
In the scenario above, I'd take a Dyna FatBob in Candy Red with aftermarket exhaust, forward controls.
In the scenario above, I'd take a Dyna FatBob in Candy Red with aftermarket exhaust, forward controls.
You cheated!! [:@]
Tourer
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 364
Likes: 0
From: Mill Hall, PA
RE: What if............
I have been in this scenario. We wanted to get a bagger, but just couldn't afford it when we were looking to buy. So, we "settled" on the Sporty. Now we have decided that we like the Sporty so much, that we aren't getting rid of it, we will be saving it for our kids. We paid off some bills and got rid of some not needed stuff and used our tax return to get a 105th Ultra. The hubby is much happier with this than the one we were originally looking at. As for aftermarket, I am not sure. My Sporty already had a backrest on it and that is my only MUST have on a bike.
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 807
Likes: 0
From: The Deep South
RE: What if............
When I was in the market for a new ride and I had sold mine, I was going crazy. I had already decided that I had to have a bagger or at least something with bags on it. I had taken everything into account and landed on a touring class bike. Most of my buddies rode Harleys. I had a few that were on metrics as well. I researched and compared to the point of obssiveness. You could ask me about any bike and I could rattle off the specs like I was reading the sheet.
I had two bikes picked out, the Harley Road King and Yamaha Roadliner. The Yamaha was a few thousand dollars cheaper but I really liked the Harley. I just wanted a Harley. But, because I was on a budget, I wanted to make sure that I got the biggest bang for my buck at the time of sale and later resale. The Yamaha won for the buy price but, the Harley came out on top for the resale. I could'nt decide so I called a friend (HD rider). Told him that I was probably going with the metric. I jokingly asked if he would still ride with a guy who bought a metric on purpose. I was ready for the HD/Metric ragging I usually got (had a V-Star before) from this bunch. I didn't get it. He just said "is it worth saving a few more months and waiting to get what you really want? Or do you absolutley need to ride now and just settling on what you can get today?" He said to really give it some thought because, what you buy today is what you are going to be on for a good while. To be happy or not.
I waited and bought the RK. I bought a pair of new grips and that is all I bought besides gas for several months. One of the few times in my life I actually waited until I was ready but, got exactly what I wanted.
I had two bikes picked out, the Harley Road King and Yamaha Roadliner. The Yamaha was a few thousand dollars cheaper but I really liked the Harley. I just wanted a Harley. But, because I was on a budget, I wanted to make sure that I got the biggest bang for my buck at the time of sale and later resale. The Yamaha won for the buy price but, the Harley came out on top for the resale. I could'nt decide so I called a friend (HD rider). Told him that I was probably going with the metric. I jokingly asked if he would still ride with a guy who bought a metric on purpose. I was ready for the HD/Metric ragging I usually got (had a V-Star before) from this bunch. I didn't get it. He just said "is it worth saving a few more months and waiting to get what you really want? Or do you absolutley need to ride now and just settling on what you can get today?" He said to really give it some thought because, what you buy today is what you are going to be on for a good while. To be happy or not.
I waited and bought the RK. I bought a pair of new grips and that is all I bought besides gas for several months. One of the few times in my life I actually waited until I was ready but, got exactly what I wanted.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 13,389
Likes: 26
From: Windham,Maine
RE: What if............
The only way to ever get what you want and save big money is ground up build a bike yourself.
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Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,763
Likes: 0
From: AZ
RE: What if............
ORIGINAL: sharkeydude
When I was in the market for a new ride and I had sold mine, I was going crazy. I had already decided that I had to have a bagger or at least something with bags on it. I had taken everything into account and landed on a touring class bike. Most of my buddies rode Harleys. I had a few that were on metrics as well. I researched and compared to the point of obssiveness. You could ask me about any bike and I could rattle off the specs like I was reading the sheet.
I had two bikes picked out, the Harley Road King and Yamaha Roadliner. The Yamaha was a few thousand dollars cheaper but I really liked the Harley. I just wanted a Harley. But, because I was on a budget, I wanted to make sure that I got the biggest bang for my buck at the time of sale and later resale. The Yamaha won for the buy price but, the Harley came out on top for the resale. I could'nt decide so I called a friend (HD rider). Told him that I was probably going with the metric. I jokingly asked if he would still ride with a guy who bought a metric on purpose. I was ready for the HD/Metric ragging I usually got (had a V-Star before) from this bunch. I didn't get it. He just said "is it worth saving a few more months and waiting to get what you really want? Or do you absolutley need to ride now and just settling on what you can get today?" He said to really give it some thought because, what you buy today is what you are going to be on for a good while. To be happy or not.
I waited and bought the RK. I bought a pair of new grips and that is all I bought besides gas for several months. One of the few times in my life I actually waited until I was ready but, got exactly what I wanted.
When I was in the market for a new ride and I had sold mine, I was going crazy. I had already decided that I had to have a bagger or at least something with bags on it. I had taken everything into account and landed on a touring class bike. Most of my buddies rode Harleys. I had a few that were on metrics as well. I researched and compared to the point of obssiveness. You could ask me about any bike and I could rattle off the specs like I was reading the sheet.
I had two bikes picked out, the Harley Road King and Yamaha Roadliner. The Yamaha was a few thousand dollars cheaper but I really liked the Harley. I just wanted a Harley. But, because I was on a budget, I wanted to make sure that I got the biggest bang for my buck at the time of sale and later resale. The Yamaha won for the buy price but, the Harley came out on top for the resale. I could'nt decide so I called a friend (HD rider). Told him that I was probably going with the metric. I jokingly asked if he would still ride with a guy who bought a metric on purpose. I was ready for the HD/Metric ragging I usually got (had a V-Star before) from this bunch. I didn't get it. He just said "is it worth saving a few more months and waiting to get what you really want? Or do you absolutley need to ride now and just settling on what you can get today?" He said to really give it some thought because, what you buy today is what you are going to be on for a good while. To be happy or not.
I waited and bought the RK. I bought a pair of new grips and that is all I bought besides gas for several months. One of the few times in my life I actually waited until I was ready but, got exactly what I wanted.
Good story!
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Tourer
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 366
Likes: 0
From:
RE: What if............
I waited for a while before I got my Road King. Honestly though I didn't know what I was missing. At that time I was just happy I could ride and enjoyed riding what I was able to afford. Yamaha V Star
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,008
Likes: 8
From: Dogtown, Oakland, CA
RE: What if............
lots of people wait for years to ride because they are stuck on getting one bike. thats fine for them, but i like to ride.
if i didnt have my bike, i would buy and ride whatever i could get my hands on, and that includes a scooter.
the folks who wait years or longer saving up for a bike, or thinking about saving up for a bike and telling everyone that theyll get one someday are missing out on a lot of riding. ok for them, i guess, but i like to get some riding in. every day.
ive had a bike when i didnt have a car.
if i didnt have my bike, i would buy and ride whatever i could get my hands on, and that includes a scooter.
the folks who wait years or longer saving up for a bike, or thinking about saving up for a bike and telling everyone that theyll get one someday are missing out on a lot of riding. ok for them, i guess, but i like to get some riding in. every day.
ive had a bike when i didnt have a car.