When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Went from an 05 TC88 to a 19 limited.
I really loved that 05.
After 8K miles on my 19,I'd never go back.
Motor, frame, rear tire, radio and technology...and I'm missing a few.
Yep, I could've kept dumping money into my old ride upgrading all those things.
And while I never look at a pleasure vehicle as an investment...i couldn't dump dollar after dollar into my old bike.
Yes, I had them put the vent in mine...oh the horror.
I felt zero pressure, I simply wanted a bike that had everything I wanted off the showroom floor.
Zero regrets, even as it sits in my garage under a cover for the next few months.
First off.....forget resale value of your Harley. Those days are long gone. Your bike isnt gonna be an investment.
I think the EVO shouldve lasted another 10 years with larger displacement and other various improvements. M8 shouldve come out around 2010. Twin Cam shouldve never came out. But, it didnt happen that way. Simply put....there was nothing wrong with the EVO and it certainly wasnt outclassed.
Twin Cams never really caught on with me. Way too many issues from the get go. Cam bearings and shoe tensioners....they first started the Twin Cam project in 1992. By 1999....shouldve been zero issues.
M8 has its own issues....but my opinion much better than a Twin Cam.
Anyways.....I wouldnt upgrade to an M8 if a person has a paid off Twin Cam. But, if you wrecked the Twin Cam or just felt like spending....buy the M8.
I still ride the EVO.....I dont find new bikes very appealing. Theyve gotten very expensive and very much more complicated...skip the tools, just have a cell phone.
Motorcycles were meant to be simple and not too expensive.....and I think weve gotten too far away from that.
I would keep your old girl and just upgrade the motor to your liking.
My fleet of four 4x4 Tucks/SUV, Diesel Van, and 2009 Scooter, have all been paid off for many of years.
Still owe a little bit on the house and no credit card debt.
It never crossed my mind. My 2012 RKC is perfectly set up for me, runs great, and gets me everywhere I want to go. I'm not a high mileage guy so this bike will last me a long time.
I would keep your old girl and just upgrade the motor to your liking.
My fleet of four 4x4 Tucks/SUV, Diesel Van, and 2009 Scooter, have all been paid off for many of years.
Still owe a little bit on the house and no credit card debt.
I still ride the EVO.....I don’t find new bikes very appealing. They’ve gotten very expensive and very much more complicated...skip the tools, just have a cell phone.
Motorcycles were meant to be simple and not too expensive.....and I think we’ve gotten too far away from that.
we've been away from that for a very long time.
given your dislike for tc, if you look at an ultra from 1997, pre twin cam, the list price was $16,950. adjusted for inflation, that makes $26,849 today. a new limited will start at $28,699. but look at what all you get compared to what was offered in 1997. so it really isn't that far off, and could be argued that today's bikes are even a better value than 23 years ago.
(and yes, i think they are expensive too..... just offering a different viewpoint)
given your dislike for tc, if you look at an ultra from 1997, pre twin cam, the list price was $16,950. adjusted for inflation, that makes $26,849 today. a new limited will start at $28,699. but look at what all you get compared to what was offered in 1997. so it really isn't that far off, and could be argued that today's bikes are even a better value than 23 years ago.
(and yes, i think they are expensive too..... just offering a different viewpoint)
Back then.....our bikes held their value very well. Not so today.
True the bikes offer so many nice features today. However, when those nice features malfunction....it can be a very expensive repair. Vehicles are the same way....
I do believe their M8 engines are a step in the right direction. A few issues that will eventually get worked out.
Boils down to what a person wants....a DIY and rides regular.....hard to beat an EVO.
If I were to purchase a newer model....it definitely would be an M8.
I understand the whole inflation argument but I had to get a new job after 20 years & I'm earning what I used to earn circa 2003-2004. Therefore I'm perfectly fine with my paid off '09 Ultra Classic. I did rent a '17 Ultra Classic on a trip back in 2017 & yes it was absolutely incredible but not $26,000 incredible...I remember pulling the rolling hills in PA loaded down 2 up in 4th gear. Pretty impressive for bone stock, didn't even have to downshift if u didn't feel like it.
An M8.....probably not, I love my old Evo's, but then I loved my 09 also.....MUCH BETTER RIDE AND HANDLING, along with more room. IF? I was going to get another bike it would probably be the last years of the Twinkie Rushmore models for the comfort and the new electronic goodies, but I will keep my Evo with it's 96" stroker.
Nope, love my 2007 Fatboy. After customizing it for me, my wife keeps asking what I need to do to it. I just tell her, tires and oil changes when due.
P.S. The new fatboy should be called something else, it does not share the lineage, or resemble a Fatboy. Not saying it is not a good bike, just wrongly named.
7 Surprising Harley-Davidson Products that Are Not Motorcycles
Slideshow: The bar-and-shield logo shows up on far more than motorcycles, some of the company's most unexpected products have nothing to do with riding.
Slideshow: From the troubled AMF years to modern misfires, these bikes earned reputations for reliability issues, questionable engineering, or disappointing performance.
Crazy Bunderbike Build Looks Amazing, But Is It Impossible to Ride?
Slideshow: The Swiss custom shop has taken a Harley Softail and stretched it into something so long and low that it looks closer to a rolling sculpture than a conventional motorcycle.
Engraved Rebellion: Inside Bundnerbike's Glam Rock II
Slideshow: A standard cruiser becomes an intricate metal canvas in the hands of a Swiss custom house known for pushing Harley-Davidson platforms far beyond their factory brief.
Slideshow: Harley-Davidson's challenges aren't abstract; they show up in dropping shipments, shrinking dealer traffic, and strategic decisions that aren't yet translating into growth.
