Bike's Life Cycle
I almost hate to visit the dealership to buy a bottle of oil for the same reason. I have a roving eye. I guess they know that at the MoCo and set up the dealership floors to snag us. Anyway, my last bike went 10 years before I went with my Road King. I was at the dealer yesterday and was attracted to a sweet CVO SG. I walked away -- THIS TIME!! 
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Advanced
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
Thanks for all the replies. Having a bike with a payment is weird. I know, I know...you should never finance a recreational vehicle...but I did. Anyway it is hard to justify when you are late 30's/early 40's with kids. With sports, work and the rest it's hard to find time to ride yet I do find myself liking a lot of other bikes.
Grand HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 4,928
Likes: 285
From: Edmond Oklahoma
I don't know, Harleys are luxuries, so it's not like we are discussing the practicality of owning a Harley Davidson motorcycle.
I hate the tern its your bike, get what you want because its kind of a condescending to posters asking to discuss comparisons. But it fits in this case, since it is a luxury, get what makes your heart go pitter patter. It's not a bike life cycle, it's a bikers passion life cycle.
I had and 02 RKC and I really miss that bike, but I dont miss the funky way it felt behind trucks and rain grooved highways. And it didnt have ABS. The 09 SG fixed what I didn't like while feeding my passion to ride a bright shiny Harley.
Will my affection for my SG wear off? Maybe, Ive been thinking about experiencing the RG, so we will see.
On the other hand, my SG rides great and it is an attention getter. I broke it in the way I like and it runs great. Im not sure I want to start over. Or, maybe what I miss the most is not having a bike to break in. Or maybe I need to listen to Mkguitar and find me a cheap light weight evo fast bike. Yeah, I like that thought of that. How do I get that past my wife? Hmmm.
Bikers Life Cycles, do they ever end.
Beary
I hate the tern its your bike, get what you want because its kind of a condescending to posters asking to discuss comparisons. But it fits in this case, since it is a luxury, get what makes your heart go pitter patter. It's not a bike life cycle, it's a bikers passion life cycle.
I had and 02 RKC and I really miss that bike, but I dont miss the funky way it felt behind trucks and rain grooved highways. And it didnt have ABS. The 09 SG fixed what I didn't like while feeding my passion to ride a bright shiny Harley.
Will my affection for my SG wear off? Maybe, Ive been thinking about experiencing the RG, so we will see.
On the other hand, my SG rides great and it is an attention getter. I broke it in the way I like and it runs great. Im not sure I want to start over. Or, maybe what I miss the most is not having a bike to break in. Or maybe I need to listen to Mkguitar and find me a cheap light weight evo fast bike. Yeah, I like that thought of that. How do I get that past my wife? Hmmm.
Bikers Life Cycles, do they ever end.
Beary
Road Master
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 792
Likes: 0
From: Florida
I feel the same way. I think part of it for me is the personalizing the bike to my liking. I see plenty of other bikes out there either at the dealer or at rallies. What I tend to do is find things I like about other bikes and maybe put them on mine. A little bit from everywhere.
My 2000 RK police is new to me. I got it last November. Only had 15,000 miles on it (has about 22,000 now) and it wasn't a service bike it was a police edition shriners bike. Once my new bags get back from the painter there will not be much left on there to be able to tell it was a police bike other than the nacelle and the red switches. I figure I will run this one till it dies and then stick a new motor in it and do it again.
I do however want a 72 for just around town. I have the money and the wife actually has been telling me if I want it, get it. So I have the approval there. I guess age does weird thing sometimes. I really never use to be this responsible. I go in to the dealer weekly and look at it and have yet to pull the trigger. For some unknown reason I talk myself out of it every time. Who knows, maybe Santa will buy it for me for X-Mas. But one thing for sure, if I do get one, I will run it until it dies too.
My 2000 RK police is new to me. I got it last November. Only had 15,000 miles on it (has about 22,000 now) and it wasn't a service bike it was a police edition shriners bike. Once my new bags get back from the painter there will not be much left on there to be able to tell it was a police bike other than the nacelle and the red switches. I figure I will run this one till it dies and then stick a new motor in it and do it again.
I do however want a 72 for just around town. I have the money and the wife actually has been telling me if I want it, get it. So I have the approval there. I guess age does weird thing sometimes. I really never use to be this responsible. I go in to the dealer weekly and look at it and have yet to pull the trigger. For some unknown reason I talk myself out of it every time. Who knows, maybe Santa will buy it for me for X-Mas. But one thing for sure, if I do get one, I will run it until it dies too.
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 1,183
Likes: 1
From: Las Vegas
I think just about everyone likes to new toys, it like anything in life we simply get bored with the old and want new. I see folks all the time that get a new bike every year or two, for whatever their particular reason is. I think my current Limited may be the last for awhile. Like some others here, Im just tired of making these hefty payments and would like to enjoy more disposable $$$. Ive purchased 3 different bikes since 2008, if I wanted to get rid of this one already my OL may not be all that thrilled
BL, if you want a new bike and can afford it knock yourself out.
BL, if you want a new bike and can afford it knock yourself out.
Intermediate
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 32
Likes: 0
From: Portland Oregon
I thought I would jump in on this one.
Being a mechanic, I have never bought a new car in my life, I just get ones that I rebuild or fix and keep driving them.
I really can't count how many I have gone through in 37 year or so.
But Harleys are another story, My first new one was a 2003 Sporty custom. I really worked it over to make it the bike for me and how I ride. But I started to go on longer and longer rides, and no matter what you do to a sporty, at some point you max out how far you can ride it before it wears you out.
For me it was a 250 mile ride on the Oregon coast into a headwind, as much as I hated selling her, it was clear I needed to move up.
I really should have bought a touring bike in 2003, now in 2006 I did, my first new E-glide. I planned to have her for life.......right up until the honda accord made a left turn into me. She was only 10 months old and 9,000 mile, and now needed 12,500 in repairs, so there insurance company totaled her, and bought me a 2007 e-glide.
This is the bike I own today, some days I lover her, other days, she is a turd.
32,000 miles and I have replaced three drive belts, had the engine explode on a dyno run and most recently the transmission main bearing failed out.
Did a say that I do not have the warranty? well I don't, and I have found that the 2007 was not a very good year of Harley touring bike to own, and mine is most definitely a "Friday" built bike.
I have thought about selling it more then a couple times. But I am so far deep into it and I would get so little in selling it what is the point? I now have a S&S built 103 police engine, a rebuilt transmission, a 30 tooth Andrews gear to get the bike to accelerate right, in short it is as good as it will get now....so I might as well ride it and get my moneys worth out of her.
My point is if you have a good solid reliable bike that you love, keep her.....some days I really miss my 2006.......some days not.
Being a mechanic, I have never bought a new car in my life, I just get ones that I rebuild or fix and keep driving them.
I really can't count how many I have gone through in 37 year or so.
But Harleys are another story, My first new one was a 2003 Sporty custom. I really worked it over to make it the bike for me and how I ride. But I started to go on longer and longer rides, and no matter what you do to a sporty, at some point you max out how far you can ride it before it wears you out.
For me it was a 250 mile ride on the Oregon coast into a headwind, as much as I hated selling her, it was clear I needed to move up.
I really should have bought a touring bike in 2003, now in 2006 I did, my first new E-glide. I planned to have her for life.......right up until the honda accord made a left turn into me. She was only 10 months old and 9,000 mile, and now needed 12,500 in repairs, so there insurance company totaled her, and bought me a 2007 e-glide.
This is the bike I own today, some days I lover her, other days, she is a turd.
32,000 miles and I have replaced three drive belts, had the engine explode on a dyno run and most recently the transmission main bearing failed out.
Did a say that I do not have the warranty? well I don't, and I have found that the 2007 was not a very good year of Harley touring bike to own, and mine is most definitely a "Friday" built bike.
I have thought about selling it more then a couple times. But I am so far deep into it and I would get so little in selling it what is the point? I now have a S&S built 103 police engine, a rebuilt transmission, a 30 tooth Andrews gear to get the bike to accelerate right, in short it is as good as it will get now....so I might as well ride it and get my moneys worth out of her.
My point is if you have a good solid reliable bike that you love, keep her.....some days I really miss my 2006.......some days not.
Cruiser
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 123
Likes: 24
From: Germany
I owned a 99 Road King and loved the bike dearly. I had her shipped to the US for the 100th an rode Route 66 from Chicago to LA afterwards. We traveled all over Europe and I treaded her like a baby. Then in 2011 some stupid kid in a cage took my right away and ran me over. I spend 4 days in the hospital and the bike was totaled. After I got the money from the insurance, I went to buy a new bike. I got blinded by a Hot White Denim FLHX with a brown CVO seat. I knew it was wrong to buy that bike, but I was in love. In my heart I knew I should have bought a Ultra Classic. I invested a mint in accessories and still was unhappy. Also the dealer was not worth a dime. The worst mechanics I have ever seen. This October I finally bit the bullet, lost a lot of money and got what I should have in the first place, a 2012 Ultra Classic in Tequila Sunrise / H-D Orange. It was expensive, but I've learned my lesson. Listen to your heart.
Ride safe
Werner
Ride safe
Werner
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Tourer
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 431
Likes: 0
From: Queensland Australia
I reckon we all lust after something different all the time, every rally I attend its like ohh I like that, ohh I like that! and when ya get home its like I think I need a new bike.
But at the end of the day are they really that different?
But then again its just money!!!!!
But at the end of the day are they really that different?
But then again its just money!!!!!
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 759
Likes: 0
From: Hampton, VA
I currently have a 2010 Ultra that I think I will have for a long time. It took a few bikes to get here but I think until Harley does something dramatically different with the touring bikes this is it.
I used to teach the MSF course for the Navy, the students rode their own bikes. One day a guy showed up with a BMW that had anti-lock brakes, he gave me the opportunity to ride it at lunch time, I did several of the exercises ending with the quick stop. I was amazed at how quick it would stop, I hit the brakes as hard as I could felt the ABS do its thing and the bike stopped. I decided that is something I wanted on my bike. As a result I bought the 2010 Ultra and really like it. I haven't needed the ABS, but it comforts me to know it is there.
My wife just bought a 2010 SG and that got me itching again, I rode it last night and that solved the itch (for a while) it was a nice ride but I prefer my Ultra.
I used to teach the MSF course for the Navy, the students rode their own bikes. One day a guy showed up with a BMW that had anti-lock brakes, he gave me the opportunity to ride it at lunch time, I did several of the exercises ending with the quick stop. I was amazed at how quick it would stop, I hit the brakes as hard as I could felt the ABS do its thing and the bike stopped. I decided that is something I wanted on my bike. As a result I bought the 2010 Ultra and really like it. I haven't needed the ABS, but it comforts me to know it is there.
My wife just bought a 2010 SG and that got me itching again, I rode it last night and that solved the itch (for a while) it was a nice ride but I prefer my Ultra.