What if I dont want a Harley...
Cruiser
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
RE: What if I dont want a Harley...
Welcome from Youngsville NC
I'll say this .... 2 wheels is what matters. You will enjoy what ever you ride.
There are a many good bikes out there. I ride with the Southern Cruisers which is a mix of all kinds of bikes. Many will 'rant' for hours just how great their bike is, how comfortable it sits etc. etc. etc. Looking at the variious offerings its easy to see and say that various metrics offer as much feature wise as HD at half the price. Well, there is no doubt some truth to that.
On the other hand:
One the obvious differences is resale value. If you maintain a HD like it is supposed to be and take care of it, odds are it will sell for nearly as much as you paid for it. If you find a real nice 60's panhead or shovelhead odds are you will pay several times its original sale price.
I would also say the dealerships play a strong role. Sure you are gonna run into somebody you dont like any where but generally speaking, most of the HD dealerships out there all but become 'family' once you establish a relationship with them and they will treat you right. There wont be quibbiling over warranty, generally the sales and service people will bend over backwards to make sure you get what you want and need.
Finally there is the quality of the bike its self. When HD puts their name on something you are generally getting the best. Its not always cheap but you usually get what you pay for.
By all means, get a bike, any bike and enjoy and be safe. There will always be some that thumb their nose and say HD is the only REAL bike but most of the time its good natured, kinda like Ford vs Chevy. Personally, I thinkanyone that rides a metricis just that much closer to getting their Harley
I'll say this .... 2 wheels is what matters. You will enjoy what ever you ride.
There are a many good bikes out there. I ride with the Southern Cruisers which is a mix of all kinds of bikes. Many will 'rant' for hours just how great their bike is, how comfortable it sits etc. etc. etc. Looking at the variious offerings its easy to see and say that various metrics offer as much feature wise as HD at half the price. Well, there is no doubt some truth to that.
On the other hand:
One the obvious differences is resale value. If you maintain a HD like it is supposed to be and take care of it, odds are it will sell for nearly as much as you paid for it. If you find a real nice 60's panhead or shovelhead odds are you will pay several times its original sale price.
I would also say the dealerships play a strong role. Sure you are gonna run into somebody you dont like any where but generally speaking, most of the HD dealerships out there all but become 'family' once you establish a relationship with them and they will treat you right. There wont be quibbiling over warranty, generally the sales and service people will bend over backwards to make sure you get what you want and need.
Finally there is the quality of the bike its self. When HD puts their name on something you are generally getting the best. Its not always cheap but you usually get what you pay for.
By all means, get a bike, any bike and enjoy and be safe. There will always be some that thumb their nose and say HD is the only REAL bike but most of the time its good natured, kinda like Ford vs Chevy. Personally, I thinkanyone that rides a metricis just that much closer to getting their Harley
6th Gear
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
From:
RE: What if I dont want a Harley...
Babe -are you for real?
At the end of the day - the people who would knock your choice of bike, do NOT pay your rent!
Stop trying to live up to other people's expectations!
I own a Harley and i am proud of her!
I also - in the past, owned an Indian, a Norton, BSA , and a Triumph.
I was just as proud of them for their performance at the time.
It's not theSIZE of the ocean baby, but the MOTION of the ocean!
At the end of the day - the people who would knock your choice of bike, do NOT pay your rent!
Stop trying to live up to other people's expectations!
I own a Harley and i am proud of her!
I also - in the past, owned an Indian, a Norton, BSA , and a Triumph.
I was just as proud of them for their performance at the time.
It's not theSIZE of the ocean baby, but the MOTION of the ocean!
Road Warrior
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,989
Likes: 11
From: Right Coast
RE: What if I dont want a Harley...
ORIGINAL: Prodaytrader
I'm getting pretty close to making a decsition on whether or not now is the time to buy a bike. I have a limited budget right now because of some other recent purchases, but I think I could also afford a used bike if it was the right price. I think I could put together about 6k maybe 7k. I live in Dallas and have made a few preliminary searches for a used Harley but I am finding that there isnt really much in the way of a used Harley for 7k or less. I think this a little scary actually. It seems 10k is about the minimum for a used Softtail. There are plenty of sportsters but to be honest I think I would be caught dead on that bike. At any rate I also did a search for non Harley bikes and found a plethora of used yamahas for under 5k. I have looked at these bikes before and they look pretty good to be honest. So now I am at a cross roads. I cant find a softtail for under 10k but I can find boulavards for under 5k, but and this is a big assed but, its not a harley. I'm not what you would call a motorcycle enthusiast. What I want is the wind in my hair and the sun on my face. Everything that could be accomplished on a harley can be had on another brand of motorcyle, but its not a harley. Will I be made fun of, for buying anything but a harley? Will other rides allow me to ride with them if I dont have a harley? I also own a jeep wrangler. Jeeps have a club very similar to harely owners and although a Metro Geo will pretty much do the same thing as a jeep, its not a jeep and jeep owners will always make fun of Metro owners. I dont have friends with bikes but I was kind of hoping to meet people on the road and go riding with clubs but I worry that they wont let me in if I dont own a freaking harley. The thing is, if I wait on the harley it will be 5 years or more before I can get to the point of buying one but if I go for a yamaha I could get one before this summer.
Any thoughts?
Welcome.
If it isn't a Harley its just something else. Membership into the Harley world is more than worth the added cost. Its a kinship to which you will form a bond and wonder why you hadn't done it sooner.
I'm getting pretty close to making a decsition on whether or not now is the time to buy a bike. I have a limited budget right now because of some other recent purchases, but I think I could also afford a used bike if it was the right price. I think I could put together about 6k maybe 7k. I live in Dallas and have made a few preliminary searches for a used Harley but I am finding that there isnt really much in the way of a used Harley for 7k or less. I think this a little scary actually. It seems 10k is about the minimum for a used Softtail. There are plenty of sportsters but to be honest I think I would be caught dead on that bike. At any rate I also did a search for non Harley bikes and found a plethora of used yamahas for under 5k. I have looked at these bikes before and they look pretty good to be honest. So now I am at a cross roads. I cant find a softtail for under 10k but I can find boulavards for under 5k, but and this is a big assed but, its not a harley. I'm not what you would call a motorcycle enthusiast. What I want is the wind in my hair and the sun on my face. Everything that could be accomplished on a harley can be had on another brand of motorcyle, but its not a harley. Will I be made fun of, for buying anything but a harley? Will other rides allow me to ride with them if I dont have a harley? I also own a jeep wrangler. Jeeps have a club very similar to harely owners and although a Metro Geo will pretty much do the same thing as a jeep, its not a jeep and jeep owners will always make fun of Metro owners. I dont have friends with bikes but I was kind of hoping to meet people on the road and go riding with clubs but I worry that they wont let me in if I dont own a freaking harley. The thing is, if I wait on the harley it will be 5 years or more before I can get to the point of buying one but if I go for a yamaha I could get one before this summer.
Any thoughts?
Welcome.
If it isn't a Harley its just something else. Membership into the Harley world is more than worth the added cost. Its a kinship to which you will form a bond and wonder why you hadn't done it sooner.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 56,052
Likes: 88,134
From: Western South Dakota
RE: What if I dont want a Harley...
Are you lookin' for justification and a sales pitch fromthis crew? Cause to me that's what it sounds like.
I'd say you don't want one, otherwise you wouldn't be asking a dumb question such as this, and would already have one.
Personally, I have had to make a lot of sacrifices $ wise to have one.
Sell one of your fancy cages, and buy an older one and then get a newer Harley, dude.
There's an old adage that says,
"If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand"
That pretty much sums it up, I'd say.
I'd say you don't want one, otherwise you wouldn't be asking a dumb question such as this, and would already have one.
Personally, I have had to make a lot of sacrifices $ wise to have one.
Sell one of your fancy cages, and buy an older one and then get a newer Harley, dude.
There's an old adage that says,
"If you have to ask, you wouldn't understand"
That pretty much sums it up, I'd say.
Tourer
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 380
Likes: 0
From: Huntsville, AL
RE: What if I dont want a Harley...
Welcome from Alabama.
I guess my opinion is that you should get what you can afford. I consider my bike a luxury (like television and lots of other things that I don't need to have to live or make a living). I refuse to pay interest to finance luxuries, so I had to wait for a long time.
I bought my 18 month old 2006 Sportster (less than 850 miles) forabout7500with cash. It was showroom clean.
It's a buyers market right now. Clean, low-mikebikes are out there if you're patient. Have cash in hand and be ready to ask the guy to meet you at the dealer for pre-purchase inspection if you don't know what you're looking at.
If you buy usedfrom a dealer, be prepared for the mark-ups. They can be significant.
I guess my opinion is that you should get what you can afford. I consider my bike a luxury (like television and lots of other things that I don't need to have to live or make a living). I refuse to pay interest to finance luxuries, so I had to wait for a long time.
I bought my 18 month old 2006 Sportster (less than 850 miles) forabout7500with cash. It was showroom clean.
It's a buyers market right now. Clean, low-mikebikes are out there if you're patient. Have cash in hand and be ready to ask the guy to meet you at the dealer for pre-purchase inspection if you don't know what you're looking at.
If you buy usedfrom a dealer, be prepared for the mark-ups. They can be significant.