Considering an HD
Road Master
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 897
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From: South-Central Minnesota
RE: Considering an HD
Do it...They are very reliable. The motor, once your inside, is soooo simple and basic, its no wonder they are so reliable. The days of oil leaks are gone....modern advancements in materials, castings, and tighter machined tolerances have led to much more reliable machines than the AMF bikes that garnered such a bad reputationg for the company.
My bike turned 5 years old today (April 27th) and I have over 41,000 trouble free miles on my FLHT. I've done gear drive cams and motor work for the performance and peace of mind, but never had any trouble that made me do it.
My bike turned 5 years old today (April 27th) and I have over 41,000 trouble free miles on my FLHT. I've done gear drive cams and motor work for the performance and peace of mind, but never had any trouble that made me do it.
Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 247
Likes: 1
From: Ocala, FL
RE: Considering an HD
I was in the same situation as you described. I have ridden metrics and European bikes for for over 30 years. I lived in Southern California so service on my Triumphs or Moto Guzzi was not a problem. Last year I sold my 3 bikes, retired, and moved to Arkansas.I bought a Metric Cruiser, but in August '05 I had an up close meeting with concrete and was sidelined for 4 months. I just bought my first Harley. This is a real machine. No Plastic, No Nonesense. Any Accessory imaginable is available. However the best part is the community of HD Owners. We have a great HOG Group in my town, and this (and others) HD forums are great. Buy the Harley..You will LOVE IT !!!
Road Master
Joined: Mar 2005
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RE: Considering an HD
I have this thing about the name "bike." I had a bike once, a Honda Magna. I now own a motorcycle, a Harley-Davidson Heritage. Can I ride it? Yes. Can I man-handle it? Hell, no. Knock on wood, 11 months old, 19,000 miles, not one belch. EFI, starts everytime, in less than a second, hot or cold. If you like to ride, look and smell, you won't regret it. If you want to fly, miss everything and get there first, get something else, along with an ADD policy.
[IMG]local://upfiles/1638/B754B1D3AEF7461FA0C63184AFEF8919.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]local://upfiles/1638/B754B1D3AEF7461FA0C63184AFEF8919.jpg[/IMG]
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RE: Considering an HD
ORIGINAL: marcus84
Howdy, I see you're in Oregon. Check out http://www.hdcoosbay.com, several members got their bikes from them at nutty low prices and I might get mine from them as well. Tiger is the guy to talk to.
Howdy, I see you're in Oregon. Check out http://www.hdcoosbay.com, several members got their bikes from them at nutty low prices and I might get mine from them as well. Tiger is the guy to talk to.
Stage II
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
RE: Considering an HD
Hi Michael. Make your own mind up of course but if you choose HD you'll quickly find you made the right decision. I had been out of riding for quite a long time until a few years ago when my wife and I bought a Yamaha Road Star Warrior. I liked the unique styling and all of the power. But we thought we'd get a 2nd bike so my wife could ride alongside me rather than two up. Several of my friends and co-workers owned Harleys so after looking into them we settled on a Softail Standard for her. It didn't take long before we were back to riding two up but this time on the Standard. By now we were reasonably hooked so the following year traded both bikes in for an '04 Screamin' Eagle Deuce. Awesome bike and, man, did it get attention. Awesome looks, plenty of power, and lots of "wow" factor.
This spring we decided we still wanted something more comfortable. Something made for taking long trips with plenty of creature comforts to make the ride more enjoyable for both of us. We looked at Goldwings and we looked at BMW's. Very nice bikes and, in the end, we could have saved several thousand dollars going with either of them. But when it came right down to it there's a sense of family you get with owning an HD that you don't get with the other brands. There's recognition you get from the non-riders. And there's a conversation waiting at almost every stop just because you own a Harley. We didn't want to give that up. I have a hard time explaining it but when you own your own you'll see what I mean. We ended up getting the '06 Screamin' Eagle Ultra. Now we're almost to our 1000 mile service, absolutely in love with our new ride, and haven't had a second's worth of regret.
Good luck to you whatever you decide.
This spring we decided we still wanted something more comfortable. Something made for taking long trips with plenty of creature comforts to make the ride more enjoyable for both of us. We looked at Goldwings and we looked at BMW's. Very nice bikes and, in the end, we could have saved several thousand dollars going with either of them. But when it came right down to it there's a sense of family you get with owning an HD that you don't get with the other brands. There's recognition you get from the non-riders. And there's a conversation waiting at almost every stop just because you own a Harley. We didn't want to give that up. I have a hard time explaining it but when you own your own you'll see what I mean. We ended up getting the '06 Screamin' Eagle Ultra. Now we're almost to our 1000 mile service, absolutely in love with our new ride, and haven't had a second's worth of regret.
Good luck to you whatever you decide.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 3,475
Likes: 3
From: Southeast Wisconsin
RE: Considering an HD
ORIGINAL: Michael in Oregon
Wow, alot of great input form you guy's, thanks! Was not expecting all this. What's the good, bad and ungly on carb's vs. EFI? Thinking EFI this time. I like the idea of hitting the road and not having to worry about what kinda elevation I'll be climbing. Running EFI though, there has to be a bad side to it..?? When considering a stealership, what should a first time buyer look for? Also, what's a good deal regarding the price tag? How much room is there to work on the asking price?
Wow, alot of great input form you guy's, thanks! Was not expecting all this. What's the good, bad and ungly on carb's vs. EFI? Thinking EFI this time. I like the idea of hitting the road and not having to worry about what kinda elevation I'll be climbing. Running EFI though, there has to be a bad side to it..?? When considering a stealership, what should a first time buyer look for? Also, what's a good deal regarding the price tag? How much room is there to work on the asking price?
Michael,
There are plenty of rumors that Harley won't even be offering carbs in the near future. That said, carbs are easier for the backyard mechanic to work on but they will also be considered old technology soon--for better or worse. I've had EFI on two bikes now and haven't had so much as a burp. Just keep in mind that performance upgrades will require much more than just changing out a couple jets.
Find a dealer that listens to you and respects your needs as a rider. As far as price, MSRP is the name of the game now in most areas of the country. If you are being asked to pay much over MSRP you should probably go to another dealer. Freight and set-up can run anywhere from free to $1000, but the average seems to be around $400.
Good luck and let us know what you decide.
Rob
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Joined: Apr 2006
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RE: Considering an HD
ORIGINAL: solorider
Michael,
There are plenty of rumors that Harley won't even be offering carbs in the near future. That said, carbs are easier for the backyard mechanic to work on but they will also be considered old technology soon--for better or worse. I've had EFI on two bikes now and haven't had so much as a burp. Just keep in mind that performance upgrades will require much more than just changing out a couple jets.
Find a dealer that listens to you and respects your needs as a rider. As far as price, MSRP is the name of the game now in most areas of the country. If you are being asked to pay much over MSRP you should probably go to another dealer. Freight and set-up can run anywhere from free to $1000, but the average seems to be around $400.
Good luck and let us know what you decide.
Rob
ORIGINAL: Michael in Oregon
Wow, alot of great input form you guy's, thanks! Was not expecting all this. What's the good, bad and ungly on carb's vs. EFI? Thinking EFI this time. I like the idea of hitting the road and not having to worry about what kinda elevation I'll be climbing. Running EFI though, there has to be a bad side to it..?? When considering a stealership, what should a first time buyer look for? Also, what's a good deal regarding the price tag? How much room is there to work on the asking price?
Wow, alot of great input form you guy's, thanks! Was not expecting all this. What's the good, bad and ungly on carb's vs. EFI? Thinking EFI this time. I like the idea of hitting the road and not having to worry about what kinda elevation I'll be climbing. Running EFI though, there has to be a bad side to it..?? When considering a stealership, what should a first time buyer look for? Also, what's a good deal regarding the price tag? How much room is there to work on the asking price?
Michael,
There are plenty of rumors that Harley won't even be offering carbs in the near future. That said, carbs are easier for the backyard mechanic to work on but they will also be considered old technology soon--for better or worse. I've had EFI on two bikes now and haven't had so much as a burp. Just keep in mind that performance upgrades will require much more than just changing out a couple jets.
Find a dealer that listens to you and respects your needs as a rider. As far as price, MSRP is the name of the game now in most areas of the country. If you are being asked to pay much over MSRP you should probably go to another dealer. Freight and set-up can run anywhere from free to $1000, but the average seems to be around $400.
Good luck and let us know what you decide.
Rob
Road Master
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,148
Likes: 1
From: East Central Missouri
RE: Considering an HD
ORIGINAL: Michael in Oregon
Bad link!
ORIGINAL: marcus84
Howdy, I see you're in Oregon. Check out http://www.hdcoosbay.com, several members got their bikes from them at nutty low prices and I might get mine from them as well. Tiger is the guy to talk to.
Howdy, I see you're in Oregon. Check out http://www.hdcoosbay.com, several members got their bikes from them at nutty low prices and I might get mine from them as well. Tiger is the guy to talk to.
Try it this way! Link
Phil
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