I'm having hard time getting back into the Motorcycle world.
 

I had a harley when i was a teen and rode the crap of it until my 20s and it burned in a garage fire when i was on the road. i have been truck driving for 12 years and havent had the time to ride so i never bought another. The trucking industry is gone to crap, i started driving for the freedom and the brotherhood of my fellow drivers but all that has been pushed out by the industries laws and regulations making it just a job. I have decided to attend a Motorcycle Mechanic school this summer. I chose to end my driving career and go to this school for a few different reasons, But mainly I want to get back into riding and spend the rest of my life doing it. Im 32 years old now so i still have time to enjoy it.

My question is, how do you go about getting a decent cheap bike these days? everything i find has an outrageous price or its just flat out over priced. I refuse to ride anything other than an American brand, therefore i am bike-less. Im not into the hype of all the $20,000 chrome or the latest bells and whistles that people put on bikes or all the other useless stuff. I just want a basic bike i can do what i want with. i have even found bikes that fit into my idea of what i want, and they are still high in my opinion, or maybe times have just changed but either way im not made of money.

All i ever hear from people is, go to harley d and get this or get that. All the dealerships i have gone to seem to cater to the weekend biker with great retirement plans and AAA++ credit and most other dealers seem to not be far behind them. and craigslist? forget about it, these people are nuts... Im just a simple broke azz dude looking for a simple ride that i can put some miles on.

I paid $2,500 for my old shovel head and back then my dad was deep into motorcycles so he helped me get it the way i wanted it, and it was awesome. i wish the ole man was still around to help me now that im ready to dedicate my life to his lifestyle, being young i never really understood what he meant about freedom and brotherhood until i realized i didnt have it anymore. I always wanted to do my own thing, thats why i chose to drive instead of follow him. I realize i made a mistake, and now i am trying to get back to the path i should have stayed on. any ideas would be greatly appreciated, i will be moving to phoenix az this summer, so if you know of any places i can get something to wrench on at a good price, that will be awesome too. Thanks!! Big Rod

Not sure about finding an affordable ride, but I can tell you to save your money by not going to the scoot school. The only thing you will gain from that place (or another like it) is about 20 grand in student loans. You'll be lucky to get hired at a shop making 8 bucks an hour.

http://www.harley-davidson.com/used_...bmLocale=en_US

It's no dreamcome-true guarantee, but it ain't a bad place to start.

I would suggest looking around at garage sales, estate sales and places like that for a basket case - a bike in pieces. That would get you the experience of working on the bike and back on the road at the same time.

Harleys have become luxury items, so the price tag has sky rocketed.

Concerning your choice of career, it is something I would NOT recommend to my own children. I work at a Harley dealer and the mechanics really do not make much money. This is at least partly because they work on commission and the work is very seasonal. From what I've been told it is definitely NOT a career where you are going to get rich at.

Just food for thought, I'm sure though that others will have a different opinion.

I'm not understanding the part about the dealer catering to the weekenders with AAA++ credit. All money spends the same. Are you saying the bank won't finance you? That's not the dealership's fault. They would like to see everyone who walks in the door get financed.

What im saying is... everybody doesnt have perfect credit and yea its the banks fault for requiring it etc and the individuals fault for ruining it etc.. however, i just think somebody like harley d should make things more easily affordable to everybody, a few more financing options would be great even the buy here pay here thing like some car dealers offer, or lower down payments etc... as the guy said above, a harley has become a luxury so prices have soared. This has made them not affordable to alot of the people that live a lifestyle that has built up there name for them for years.

Harley actually does their own financing.

Check with your local bank or credit union for more options. Harley certainly does not require AAA++ credit to finance.

I've seen people with a 600 fico get approved through Harley. The interest rate is astounding but the bank is taking a risk lending to someone with a bad credit history.

Well if you paid $2500 for your shovel in your teens you should not be surprised to pay at least $10,000 today. However, there are a lot of decent used Harleys around for less than that. You should be able to find a good used Sportster for $4K to $6K. If you don't buy from a dealer you will probably have to find financing from a credit union or bank. Good luck.

Lol I for one am glad Harleys retain their value quite well. If you can't afford a Harley right now then get something else. Gotta pay to play, not really sure why its someone else's fault because you can't currently afford such and such.