Newbie on the HDF, newbie with Motorcycles.
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Stage IV
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Winston-Salem, NC
Newbie on the HDF, newbie with Motorcycles.
Always admired bikes (and I do mean always, as in some of my earliest memories), but the situation with the money, location, opinion of significant other, etc. was never right. But now it looks like the stars might be aligning at the right time.
My main question at this point is "am I insane for seriously thinking about buying a used ST Heritage Classic as my 1st bike?" ( Even if the stars align , my budget max is about $16,000, hence the used bike.)
Cons:
A lot of people say that you shouldn't start with a bike with that big of an engine, as you aren't used to having that kind of power, and are more likely to inadvertently go charging into a phone pole or a Mack truck.
Others say that at low speeds, such a big bike would require you to wrestle with a really big chunk of iron for control.
Pros:
The FLSTC is the bike I really want; the Honda Rebel is not.
When I sit on the smaller bikes, I feel like I'm teetering on top of them, not "
down in it"; the softail, with its balance and low seat relative to the frame just feels more secure.
The salesman at the HD dealership said it's fine to start out on a big bike. Now, my 1st reaction was " Of course you'd say that, you don't have any bikes under 883 cc to sell". But then I started thinking about a couple of things he said: The fat front tire provides more stability. The other thing he said was that if you can ride a bicycle, you can ride a motorcycle. ( I ride my bicycle regularly), and I think this makes sense: with a bicycle, you have to not only do the steering , shifting, accelerating, and braking, but you also have to provide the power, and making those 2 different motions at the same time can cause a lot of jerking around. Also, on a bicycle you're sharing the road with other vehicles that are going much faster than you.
I'm not a wild teenager, I am a more or less reserved middle-aged man.
The footboards as opposed to pegs seems a lot easier. (More on that in a later post.)
What say ye?
My main question at this point is "am I insane for seriously thinking about buying a used ST Heritage Classic as my 1st bike?" ( Even if the stars align , my budget max is about $16,000, hence the used bike.)
Cons:
A lot of people say that you shouldn't start with a bike with that big of an engine, as you aren't used to having that kind of power, and are more likely to inadvertently go charging into a phone pole or a Mack truck.
Others say that at low speeds, such a big bike would require you to wrestle with a really big chunk of iron for control.
Pros:
The FLSTC is the bike I really want; the Honda Rebel is not.
When I sit on the smaller bikes, I feel like I'm teetering on top of them, not "
down in it"; the softail, with its balance and low seat relative to the frame just feels more secure.
The salesman at the HD dealership said it's fine to start out on a big bike. Now, my 1st reaction was " Of course you'd say that, you don't have any bikes under 883 cc to sell". But then I started thinking about a couple of things he said: The fat front tire provides more stability. The other thing he said was that if you can ride a bicycle, you can ride a motorcycle. ( I ride my bicycle regularly), and I think this makes sense: with a bicycle, you have to not only do the steering , shifting, accelerating, and braking, but you also have to provide the power, and making those 2 different motions at the same time can cause a lot of jerking around. Also, on a bicycle you're sharing the road with other vehicles that are going much faster than you.
I'm not a wild teenager, I am a more or less reserved middle-aged man.
The footboards as opposed to pegs seems a lot easier. (More on that in a later post.)
What say ye?
Road Warrior
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 1,486
Likes: 619
From: North Dakota & Minnesota
Welcome from North Dakota.
Harleys don't have an insane amount of power and the bike you chose has a low center of gravity and isn't a bad choice for a new rider. I would recommend a riding class and just go for it.
Harleys don't have an insane amount of power and the bike you chose has a low center of gravity and isn't a bad choice for a new rider. I would recommend a riding class and just go for it.
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