What if I dont want a Harley...
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Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2007
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What if I dont want a Harley...
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?
Any thoughts?
Road Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,062
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From: Ohio
RE: What if I dont want a Harley...
I have a Suzuki Boulevard C50 sitting in my garage right now (it is for sale). Anyway, I bought it new 2 years ago and did a bunch of mods to it. I rode with mostly Harley riders and they didn't have a problem with my bike. Sure some will poke fun at you, but most don't mean you any harm. My boulevard was a great bike... I put almost 25K on that bike in two seasons of Ohio weather... so I drove it often. I've made trips with it to Tennesee and North Carolina and it never failed me. I was a little different than your situation... I could of afforded the HD that I'm driving now back when I bought the boulevard, but I thought why would I want to spend another 13K on a bike. Well after owning my Roadking I can truely say that the boulevard (c50, c90... whatever) can not compare to the build quality of this bike. Plus I just feel better on the USA made RoadKing... I should of bought this bike 2 years ago!
Get what you can afford for now (one of those metric bikes) eventually you will get that Harley of your dreams. The most important thing is that you are out there riding and enjoying the open road!
Be safe and good luck, Ralph
Get what you can afford for now (one of those metric bikes) eventually you will get that Harley of your dreams. The most important thing is that you are out there riding and enjoying the open road!
Be safe and good luck, Ralph
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Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2007
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RE: What if I dont want a Harley...
so crushertx3... would I have to make payments on the bike with my 6k down payment? Because I already spend about 1,000 a month on car payments and I cant afford another payment right now. Thats the delima. I have about 7k to work with and thats it. No payments or addition working capital. I'm tapped at that amount..lol and I would have to sell my jeep to do it at that. Even that figure assumes that I get close to 6k for the jeep, lol. Yea I want a harley, theres no doubt about that, but it would take another 3 to 5 years before I start to pay off some of this other crap, that I thought was more important at the time. I'm looking at a yamaha royal star right now and I can get one of those with under 15k mines for about 6k to 6.5k. I havent seen anything close to that with the harley. Now its entirely possible that in 5 years I might sell this bike and put that towards a harley but only after paying some other stuff down.
So whats the big difference in the harley's scarygt? Just because its made in America doesnt really mean more quality does it? Take a look at Toyota for crying out loud, they just outsold GM for the first time. Besides, you did admit to likeing the Suzuki so what makes your harley so much better? Is it possible that a bigger suzuki would have been just the same as the roadking? I must admit that having driven a roadking across state one time, they are nice bikes but I just cant afford it. I need something cheaper but does the same.
So whats the big difference in the harley's scarygt? Just because its made in America doesnt really mean more quality does it? Take a look at Toyota for crying out loud, they just outsold GM for the first time. Besides, you did admit to likeing the Suzuki so what makes your harley so much better? Is it possible that a bigger suzuki would have been just the same as the roadking? I must admit that having driven a roadking across state one time, they are nice bikes but I just cant afford it. I need something cheaper but does the same.
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 1,667
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From: west coast
RE: What if I dont want a Harley...
you might be able to work a cash deal @ HD of Corinth on a used Road King for around 7K
but that might be pushing it a little but they have been known to deal may run you 10K but with 7K down you could get $60.00 month payments
but that might be pushing it a little but they have been known to deal may run you 10K but with 7K down you could get $60.00 month payments
"Moderator"
Joined: Mar 2007
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From: San Tan Valley, Arizona
RE: What if I dont want a Harley...
You have $1000 / month payments on a Jeep?
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Road Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,062
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From: Ohio
RE: What if I dont want a Harley...
Ride wise it crushes my old bike. Fit and finish it crushes my old bike. Pretty much everything on the Metric bikes are plastic... that is how they keep the cost down. Looks and ergonomics the Harley beats any of the metrics. You'll find that the metrics don't know how to make a passanger comfortable... i had to do many a mod to get my wife comfortable on teh zuki. The sound of a Harley V-Twin just can't be duplicated by the metric v-twins... The sound is part of what makes this bike so damn much fun! And everyone loves the Harley... it feels nice to have people come up and ask you a bunch of questions about your bike and then not run away when you tell them it is a Suzuki. Granted Joe Public is pretty stupid and most can't spot a Harley from a Yamaha so maybe that won't happen to you. Trust me their is something to be said about owning the HD... It is different kind of feeling. My metric and everyone out there are trying to look like the Harleys... why? Because Harley's are cool! 
I still enjoyed the ride on the suzuki, but now I enjoy the ride and the socialization that comes with the Harley.
I still enjoyed the ride on the suzuki, but now I enjoy the ride and the socialization that comes with the Harley.
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Road Master
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 1,062
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From: Ohio
RE: What if I dont want a Harley...
Did I mention that I can buy probably 16K of HD add ons for this bike. That is also a great thing with the Harleys... you can go into any HD dealer and buy a ton of extras for your bike. And guess what..... they fit and look great. That is a very very cool thing about the harleys and it is part of what made me want to get one.
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Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2007
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RE: What if I dont want a Harley...
no the jeep is paid for, i have 500 a month on the audi 2.7t and 500 on the explorer my wife drives. not to mention payments on everyother damn toy I have to have. you know the deal. one toy to many.