Guys with Harleys.... Please give me some info....

[Mikekoz13]

OK Guys.... here's the deal..... I'll be 49 in a couple of weeks. For the last 4 years I've been telling my wife that for my 50th birthday I want a new Harley.
So with just about a year before I purchase I've started doing some research.

Now this would not be my first Harley..... my last bike was a 1994 Fatboy that I bought new. But the bikes have changed a lot since then.

So here's what I would like to know:

1) What year and model Harley do you own
2) What do you like about the model you own
3) What do you dislike about the model you own
4) If you could go back to the day you bought yours, would you buy the same model knowing what you know now.... or a different model.... and why.

Thanks for the help guys..... a year goes quickly at this age so my purchasae isn't too far out there.........

[schro]

Just make sure you get one that has a stereo so you can play Jimmy Buffett 24/7.

 

[Mikekoz13]

That would be a Jap bike my friend..... not American Muscle....

[Tyler]

Hey Mike, while I don't own a Harley, many of my friends do as well as my dad.  They all said to make sure you know what you want to do with the Harley when you get it.  Are you going to take long rides?  Short rides?  Alone?  With your wife? 

Those might be good things to let the guys know so they can relate their bike to what you want to do.

[Mikekoz13]

Hey Mike, while I don't own a Harley, many of my friends do as well as my dad.  They all said to make sure you know what you want to do with the Harley when you get it.  Are you going to take long rides?  Short rides?  Alone?  With your wife? 

Those might be good things to let the guys know so they can relate their bike to what you want to do.

Hi Tyler!

I know how I'm planning to ride it but I didn't want to "poison the pot" and influence the other guys answers.
I'm curious to know what other guys like and don't like.

[schro]

That would be a Jap bike my friend..... not American Muscle....

Well then, get a helmet that has a built in stereo so you can listen to Jimmy Buffett 24/7

 

[Paul]

Mike, mine is a 2009 Harley Softail Deluxe.  It was my choice for the overall retro look of the bike with the wider fenders, whitewall tires and spoke wheels.   I really love the saddle seat which fits like a glove.  I have been riding for four months now and honestly can't find anything I dislike about it.  I love the look of stock bikes and am not into changing them much by adding windscreesn, etc.  Mine is all black and chrome and gets a lot of comments when I am out riding. 

[Nonick]

I've got a Heritage Softail, which is lots of fun for riding around and on short trips, but has a fair amount of vibration.   

I'm thinking my next one will be Road King Classic, so I can go on longer trips in comfort.  I like the "naked" look on Harleys.  I test drove one and fell in love with it. 

I have a buddy with a Road King Custom and it has a 60 watt speaker system where he blasts his tunes from his IPOD through that thing so he can listen to music while cruising!  He came over to my place one day and I heard his music about the same time I heard his bike! 

[Alexander215]

I would love to own a Harley one day. But it would have to be a bike that was visually close to a exile cycle.
http://www.exilecycles.com

Clean, crisp and bad ass.

[buddha]

No Harley anymore but for years I rode a 1990 FLHTC (Electra Glide Classic). I rode it until I had about 60,000 miles on it and traded it even up for an almost new (170 miles) 2000 Ducati Monster with a V-Twin 904cc engine. That bike was a lot like the Buells that Harley sells in some of their dealerships. I have since sold the "Duc" and am currently bikeless.

2) What do I like about the: a) Harley is the amount of storage I had. The bike comes equipped with a Tour Pack (trunk) which has integral backseat armrests and HUGE hard saddlebags. The bike was amazingly comfortable on long rides, like sitting in a La-Z-Boy. The upright seating position creates an impact problem for the lower mandible if you hit a big bump or a pothole.
b) Ducati, 65 mpg, a 4.2 gallon tank and a six speed tranny = 240 miles before I even hit reserve! The Duc was also THE fastest scoot I ever rode although it was not a crotch rocket, per se. It was what Kawasaki calls a "naked" bike. Not quite upright seating like the HD but not bent over in a Kamikaze crouch, either. For the type of bike it was it, also, was pretty comfortable. The speed came in handy when a "buy American" redneck decided to tailgate me once because I wasn't on a Harley or a Victory. He became a dot in my mirror in about 2.5 seconds. With the V-Twin this bike sounds as cool as any Hog.

3)What I didn't like about a) the Harley was about 40 mpg on the highway. Plus, in crosswinds that thing was like a sailboat. For example, during one of my Sturgis trips I made the mistake of taking 90-94 west from Illinois instead of taking secondaries like I normally did. When I crossed over from Minnesota to South Dakota the crosswinds started and there were a few times I nearly became "semi chow" or went into the ditch. This is the reason I have heard that some people hate the solid wheels on the Fat Boy. b) The Duc doesn't come with hard bags and soft bags have a tendency to get caught between the composite fender/rock guard that is about a half inch from the tire and the actual fender upon which the seat/taillight is mounted. So not a lot of storage on the stock version and the hard bags are muy expensivo. Also, not a lot of mechanics out there for the pizza burners.

4) If I could go back to the day I bought my "geezer glide" I would have bought the Buell with an 883 and had it fitted with hard bags and lowers and maybe a trunk for long trips. For a bike that weighs in about 450 dry the 883 is plenty. Either that or I would buy a kinda tricked out 883 Sportster with straight bars and a single seat and had the hard bags and a bullet fairing put on that. Bigger tank, too. You would get about the same effect. I don't remember who it was in this forum that had a Sporty that was set up kinda like that but it was way cool. It also looked like it would fit a tall guy like me pretty well.

Now, I know in advance that what I am about to say is real sacrilege and I will apologize in advance to any HD riders that I offend and I know that I am a bad person BUT, one of the big selling points of Harley has always been individuality. You can buy the HD and spend 5 or 6 grand tweaking it until it looks like you and in the end it is still a Harley. In Sturgis, about 70% of the bikes I saw were Milwaukee Muscle. Aside from cosmetic changes, chrome, and custom exhaust what you have is a Harley. In all the years I went to Sturgis I only saw one other Duc.
Now that, mi amigos, is an individual.

[aarrggh]

  ..i know i only been a member less than a day but i went for a vintage harley ....this old wore out beast was found sitting in a barn for 40 years and is only good for pushing too local bike shows...my friends laugh cause they think its useless junk..but it is a big hit at harley shows...lots of people dream of restoring a vintage harley ......anyway if i was too buy a new harley a roadking or fatboy would be on the top of my list...and i may have too buy one soon if i want too do any actual riding..............

[Tyler]

Hi Tyler!

I know how I'm planning to ride it but I didn't want to "poison the pot" and influence the other guys answers.
I'm curious to know what other guys like and don't like.

I got ya! 

[Robmeister]

OK....one year later, but I'm doing my pre-purchase research. Gonna pull the trigger within the next 6 to 8 months MAX.

I will test drive or rent-for-a-day for my final decision.  But right now I'm just diggin' on the look and showroom floor feel of the Heritage Softail Classic.

http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/photos/2010models/2010-Harley-Davidson-HeritageSoftailClassic-FLSTC.htm

Been readin' up a lot on Harley Forums and what not, so I'm aware of the various differences beyond just "the look."  
The Softails typically don't have the rubber mounted engine.  But I'll see how it feels when I test drive a few......I don't see vibration being a big deal to me.

As far as usage, right now I’m really just fascinated by hopping on for a cruise around town on nice days and tooling into the countryside a bit, which is local here in Denver.  

When I went to my local Harley dealer and threw my leg over a few models, the Electra was super cushy and comfortable, which would obviously be better for long hauls.   But that’s a big ol’ thang for just hoppin on for around town.

I’ve heard from several Harley riders that when you test drive or rent, you’ll just “feel” what’s right for you.  But as far as what just plain looks damn cool, it’s the Heritage STC that gets my nipples erect.

When Nancy and I were first married, I rode a Suzuki 850 as my sole transportation.  So I’m not a total greenhorn.   It had the “cruiser” feel  with the lower seat, mini wind shield and back rest for Nancy.

http://www.suzukicycles.org/photos/GS/GS850G/1983_GS850GL_blue_800.jpg

I enjoyed the hell out of it round town, but Nancy didn’t ride much with me and I/we never did the long haul thang.

Ultimately, if I get the “long haul” bug and my wife ends up going on more and more rides, I’ll simply solve the problem by adding an Electra to my garage.
 

[aarrggh]

 COOL .       And one year later for me is i just sold my Harley on Ebay today  ( picture on my previous post ) .
 It will be on its way too Japan next week .. yippee ...
   And a Suzuki i shown on another post somewhere was wrecked so ill be bikeless for awhile . .
   I may not even buy another bike again .  o`well           

[BikerDave]

OK Guys.... here's the deal..... I'll be 49 in a couple of weeks. For the last 4 years I've been telling my wife that for my 50th birthday I want a new Harley.
So with just about a year before I purchase I've started doing some research.

Now this would not be my first Harley..... my last bike was a 1994 Fatboy that I bought new. But the bikes have changed a lot since then.

So here's what I would like to know:

1) What year and model Harley do you own
2) What do you like about the model you own
3) What do you dislike about the model you own
4) If you could go back to the day you bought yours, would you buy the same model knowing what you know now.... or a different model.... and why.

Thanks for the help guys..... a year goes quickly at this age so my purchasae isn't too far out there.........

I currently own an '06 Fatboy which I ride all over the country. I love this bike. It's very nimble and responsive (for a Harley). I've never had a single problem with it. The only changes from stock are a K&N air filter and Vance and Hines Big Shots Staggered pipes. It runs like a raped ape. The older I get (I'll be 56 in August), the better an Ultra Classic looks. Much nicer for the long haul and nasty weather. But then, the way my hip and knees are going, my next bike might be a Street Glide trike. Good luck with your birthday present!