Thinking about buying a Harley.... [Archive]

Jordy

11-05-2003, 04:31 PM

Just my $.02, but from what I've seen real Harleys tend to hold their value much better than the customs in the same price range, ie, Big Dogs, Titans, American Ironhorse, etc. Not to mention I've never been a real big fan of the S&S motors that seem to end up in most of those aftermarket bikes. Go with the Harley and trick it out from there. :cool:
Harley is high up on my toy list. I had one picked out and was going to pay cash, but ended up buying a house instead... Guess I made the right choice as it's kind of hard to live in a bike. :D

hd&boatrider

11-05-2003, 05:04 PM

If anybody is interested I am selling the Harley in my avatar. The pipes are different as it has Samson Ripsaw exhaust now. Price is $20K firm and I expect it to go fast this time. Ads will be running in a week in the Riv and OC Cycle Trader. If interested email me at twint64235@aol.com

SoCalOffshore

11-05-2003, 05:25 PM

What Harley you get depends on what kind of riding your gonna do. City only or long hauls down the rode. I will be selling my 1995 FLHR Road King in a couple of weeks. The Road King is a good bike for both city cruising and long hauls. I have ridden that bike to Reno, Laughlin, etc. It's a great cruiser.

topgun

11-05-2003, 06:36 PM

Think about this, your local lending institutions will loan you money to buy a Genuine Harley, custom bikes they don't want to loan money on. They have no blue book to go on if its an aftermarket motor, frame etc. If you buy a custom, it will say that on the title (at least in my state). Insurance for an HD knockoff is another issue.
That being said, I would much rather have an S&S motor to start a build with, than a stock Harley motor. I build as I can afford it, and already have an 81 custom shovelhead to ride as I build my next bike. Current project is a 124cu.in. S&S motor and a Daytec softtail frame.

CAHotRodBoy

11-05-2003, 06:43 PM

Originally posted by SoCalOffshore
What Harley you get depends on what kind of riding your gonna do. City only or long hauls down the rode. I will be selling my 1995 FLHR Road King in a couple of weeks. The Road King is a good bike for both city cruising and long hauls. I have ridden that bike to Reno, Laughlin, etc. It's a great cruiser.
I agree with SoCal, different bikes for different riding. I have a brand new FLTRI Road Glide. This is my touring, long distance bike. I also have a home built custom chopper/bar hopper. With kick only, 4 speed, rigged mount it is great for hot rodding around but you don't want to spend too much seat time on it. A Soft Tail or a Dyna would be a good compramise.
If you want a hot bike / hot rod bike then a custom with S&S would be better. Buying a stocker HD and modifing it would end up with a lot of take off parts. You can alsway sell them at at swap meet but that can be a pain. Why waiste time & $$.

HammerDown

11-05-2003, 07:11 PM

I've had Harleys ever since I was 10...yep my 1'st mini bike was a HD one banger with a 3 speed trans foot shifter and hand clutch.
Depending on the type of riding you do or plan to do can help you with your decision. If your looking for a nice long distance bike for 2 up riding comfort but don't really want the Cadillac model, or even just cruising local I'd suggest the Road King. I had one, awsome Bike that did everything I needed...removable windsheld and side bags were just a plus. I did'nt want to sell it, and did'nt buy it to sell...but someone made me an offer I could'nt refuse.
All the SoftTail models FatBoy> (holds its value+) Springer etc. are good riders...but for more comfort the swingarm bikes still have the edge. Unless your a very small frame person I would stay away from the Sporster models...those that have them grow tired of them very soon and move up to the Big Twins.
Those polished big cube "cookie cutter customs" are OK and have become very popular...but not really a true custom in my book and the resale value on those $25-40,000 cookie cutters will never hold up like the HD. There is place for them in (todays market) but in a few years????.
The bottom line. It's your money, ride what YOU like...but if for some reason you decide that a Harley/ motorcycling isnt for you (how could that be...lol) ...when the time comes to sell that HD, you'll break even or be ahead of the others.
The name of the game is still and will always be the name thats on the fuel tank> Harley Davidson.
After 103+ years...that speaks for it self.

playdeep

11-05-2003, 07:36 PM

Hammerdown,
Excellent points...concerning Harley's
The kid down the street from me has a rice burner wanna be Harley.
Every weekend I stop by to watch him put on more aftermarket stuff,so that it will look more like a real Harley.
The guy has a ton of money in it now and when he goes to sell it he won't get squat for it...
The funniest part of the whole deal is when he rides by sporting his West Coast chopper shirt..LOL
I have had a FLH ShovelHead(Alotta upkeep),as well as a Full custom,softail.
I have to admit,I really miss riding...
btw,Today I rode a full custom,w/a 100 in. Rev-Tech motor and 6sp. tranny,titled as a 2002,3700 miles,billitt everything,nice bike...
The guy is asking 10k,my question is what are these bikes worth?
How does the Rev-Tech compare to the S&S motor?
My thinking is 10k wont even get you a nice sporty.
Any suggestions?
Michael

TCHB

11-05-2003, 08:12 PM

I bought a new Harley Heritage in 2000 and kept it for one year. I found out I did not have the time to do riding. I sold it for about $1,000 more than I paid for including taxes.

al cole'holic

11-05-2003, 08:13 PM

:D Liberator Motorcycles (http://www.liberatormotorcycles.com) :D

HammerDown

11-05-2003, 08:21 PM

Originally posted by playdeep
Hammerdown,
Excellent points...concerning Harley's
I have had a FLH ShovelHead(Alotta upkeep),as well as a Full custom,softail.
I have to admit,I really miss riding...
btw,Today I rode a full custom,w/a 100 in. Rev-Tech motor and 6sp. tranny,titled as a 2002,3700 miles,billitt everything,nice bike...
The guy is asking 10k,my question is what are these bikes worth?
How does the Rev-Tech compare to the S&S motor
Any suggestions?
Michael
Asking>Ten Grand for a 100" Billet everything whatever it was! Most likely someone payed big $$$ for it new (poor guy). Hard le$$on to learn I'd say.
Ahhhh a Shovel Owner...a Man after my own heart. And I must say I still own my (fully Custom HotRod) 88" 1979 Motor and Trans Shovel...that I could today sell for more than one of those aftermarket customs. Last weekend a "BigDog" dealer wanted me to leave it in his show room floor and take a left over BigDog Chopper....uh, Not!
As far as Rev-Tech vs S+S, do a search here on the SandBar...I explaned the whole history of those Twain made motors. True they come along way...but RevTech vs S+S:rolleyes:
Equal Bikes with those 2 power plants...the RevTech will NEVER have the value the other has. And yes, most likely you'll need the 2 year warranty that comes with the RevTech. :rolleyes: For more than one reason...buyer beware.

playdeep

11-05-2003, 08:44 PM

HammerDown,
Thanks for the heads up on the Rev-Tech issue...maybe I"ll show up with 5k,He seems kinda desperate.
I was at Barnett's in El Paso a couple of weeks ago.
That place is a must for anyone who is into Harley's,The place used to be a damn supermarket and it is HUGE!,filled full of Harley's.

MRS FLYIN VEE

11-05-2003, 08:48 PM

american iron horse. deffenatley. be different. we are. :D

spectras only

11-05-2003, 09:47 PM

I've been around motorcycles since 5 years old .Owned and drove all kinds ,but never owned a harley.This time I'm seriously contemplating getting one .Here's a picture of one I'm dealing on right now ;) http://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/91fatboy.jpg

playdeep

11-05-2003, 10:03 PM

SpectrasOnly...FAT BOY...Nice bike.
One thing that will have to get used to is the solid wheels..crosswinds have a serious effect on the handling with solid wheels.
They can take some getting used to,so that you don't get instantly blown into another lane.

spectras only

11-05-2003, 10:18 PM

Just going to be adding more weight [ accessories;) ] to keep it from blowin over:D.BTW had this baby for a long time http://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/Norton2.jpghttp://www3.telus.net/spectrasonly/Norton1.jpg

Liberator TJ1984

11-06-2003, 06:13 AM

I just bought a Screamin Eagle 1200 Sportster...
It,s a nice little HotRod;)
but I won't be making any long distance rides:D on it either
@ 70 or so it is really good ride

rivercrazy

11-06-2003, 08:54 AM

Even though I'm a admited rice rider, I do have a lot of respect for Harley's and Harley riders. I ride with them all the time. They are great bikes and the customization people are doing on them these days are awesome. Especially the paint jobs.
But after riding a bunch of them over the years, I still prefer the power, handling, braking, cornering, reliablity and refinement of a japanese bike (Yamaha FZ1 owner here).
But I don't ride as fast or on the edge as I used to. A crash or two and getting older changes your priorities!
My advise for anyone getting into the sport is to buy the best riding gear you can afford and take some professional riding classes.:)

dimarcobros

11-06-2003, 09:45 AM

Thank you all for the input, very helpful.
I want a bike for local cruising and the occassional long haul, maybe once a year at best.
What is the deal with a iron horse?
DMB

MRS FLYIN VEE

11-06-2003, 09:47 AM

the iron horse is an awesome bike . i'll see if i can get a pic of ours up for you. mind it is a little brite but we like it. :D

hd&boatrider

11-06-2003, 09:50 AM

Originally posted by dimarcobros
Thank you all for the input, very helpful.
I want a bike for local cruising and the occassional long haul, maybe once a year at best.
What is the deal with a iron horse?
DMB
AI are nice bikes dimarco...just not built for any long hauls.
If you get a bike maybe you might want to go to Sturgis with Nodigg and I next year. Anybody else want to try to make the trip with us in 04? It is a blast and you need about 10 days or so to enjoy everything.

MRS FLYIN VEE

11-06-2003, 09:51 AM

this is our iron horse. http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/500/719bikes_023-med.jpg

hd&boatrider

11-06-2003, 09:52 AM

By the way MFV....I assume the your AI is a rigid frame, is it?

MRS FLYIN VEE

11-06-2003, 09:53 AM

boatrider is right they are not really made for real long hauls kind of tough on the booty. :D

MRS FLYIN VEE

11-06-2003, 09:54 AM

the blonde comes out with all that kind of stuff. LOL! Originally posted by hd&boatrider
By the way MFV....I assume the your AI is a rigid frame, is it?
i'm not sure. can you tell from the pic. i'm not too smart about all that. :D :D

hd&boatrider

11-06-2003, 09:55 AM

Originally posted by MRS FLYIN VEE
the blonde comes out with all that kind of stuff. LOL!
i'm not sure. can you tell from the pic. i'm not too smart about all that. :D :D
It looks like a rigid but I am not positive. Do you feel the bumps in the road quite a bit?
Anybody else tell by the pic?

MRS FLYIN VEE

11-06-2003, 09:59 AM

i haven't got to ride on it yet. :( the mr. is still gettin use to it. and now with the twins i have to wait a while. LOL! :D

CAHotRodBoy

11-06-2003, 10:01 AM

Originally posted by MRS FLYIN VEE
the blonde comes out with all that kind of stuff. LOL!
i'm not sure. can you tell from the pic. i'm not too smart about all that. :D :D
It's based on a SoftTail frame. Look on the back of the frame right in front of the rear wheel, you can see the swing arm (orange tubular thing) and the swing arm pivit on the frame. Instead of having a triangulated swing arm of the SoftTail resembling a rigid, it has a more standard style swing arm, so...not a rigid.

hd&boatrider

11-06-2003, 10:02 AM

Originally posted by MRS FLYIN VEE
i haven't got to ride on it yet. :( the mr. is still gettin use to it. and now with the twins i have to wait a while. LOL! :D
By the looks of it you will look pretty on the back but your back will be hurting a bit :). I guess you will be using one of those portable stick pads for your seat. Small but it will get you down the road a couple of miles :)

CAHotRodBoy

11-06-2003, 10:03 AM

Originally posted by hd&boatrider
AI are nice bikes dimarco...just not built for any long hauls.
If you get a bike maybe you might want to go to Sturgis with Nodigg and I next year. Anybody else want to try to make the trip with us in 04? It is a blast and you need about 10 days or so to enjoy everything.
I would deffinatelty be up for Sturgis next year with this:
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/750112-1274_IMG-med.JPG
I also have an enclosed trailer that someone could haul with a chase rig.
Anybody doing the Love Ride this Sunday?
I'm going if it doesn't rain. :(
Maybe we can get a Hot Boat group, I'll wear my Hot Boat t-shirt!
:D

MRS FLYIN VEE

11-06-2003, 10:06 AM

Originally posted by hd&boatrider
By the looks of it you will look pretty on the back but your back will be hurting a bit :). I guess you will be using one of those portable stick pads for your seat. Small but it will get you down the road a couple of miles :)
it does have one of those suction cup seats that goes on the back. i don't know if my butt is too big for it or not. i don't think i will hang over much. LOL!:D

CAHotRodBoy

11-06-2003, 10:09 AM

Also have this for sale: Rubber mount softtail custom. S&S, Dyna trans, best of everything. Asking $30K. More info available if interested.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/750112-1281_IMG-med.JPG

hd&boatrider

11-06-2003, 10:11 AM

Originally posted by CAHotRodBoy
I would deffinatelty be up for Sturgis next year with this:
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/750112-1274_IMG-med.JPG
I also have an enclosed trailer that someone could haul with a chase rig.
Anybody doing the Love Ride this Sunday?
I'm going if it doesn't rain. :(
Maybe we can get a Hot Boat group, I'll wear my Hot Boat t-shirt!
:D
I don't go on the Love Ride. Sorry. You need to be careful because one of those rookies will take out a whole bunch of people.
You ever been to Sturgis before? Some of the other rides I go to are Laughlin and Hollister. Nodigg and I were talking about riding to Daytona also. If there is enough interest I am all for getting ***boaters and their bikes together and going to Sturgis as a group.

MRS FLYIN VEE

11-06-2003, 10:12 AM

that is what i want to ride. i need a small bike for myself. i will ask the mr. about it . i can't get anything real big. i think i may be too small for anything bigger. :D

dimarcobros

11-06-2003, 10:14 AM

I can see why you wouldn't want to go on long hauls on that, but it is a very nice bike nonetheless.
DMB

hd&boatrider

11-06-2003, 10:14 AM

Originally posted by CAHotRodBoy
Also have this for sale: Rubber mount softtail custom. S&S, Dyna trans, best of everything. Asking $30K. More info available if interested.
http://www.***boat.com/image_center/data/520/750112-1281_IMG-med.JPG
Nice looking bike. My Wide Glide 2 is for sell for $20K and will be going into the Cycle Trader. It is the one in my avatar. Only 1200 made and it was designed by WILLIE G himself. I am giving it away at this price. I will be keeping my 2000 Heiritage Softail.

hd&boatrider

11-06-2003, 10:16 AM

Originally posted by MRS FLYIN VEE
that is what i want to ride. i need a small bike for myself. i will ask the mr. about it . i can't get anything real big. i think i may be too small for anything bigger. :D
You need to consider the one I am selling MFV. A collector edition Harley Davidson designed by Willie G Davidson himself. It actuall has real gold flake flames in the paint. If interested just PM me.

MRS FLYIN VEE

11-06-2003, 10:24 AM

it is a very nice bike but in your opinion. would i be able to ride it. i am about 5'5 and around 120lb. would that be too heavy. :D

Havasu Cig

11-06-2003, 10:28 AM

I have a Harley Badboy that I bought new in 97. I don't ride it much (less than 3k miles), but it is nice to cruise to the beach once in a while. I don't feel bad about it sitting in the garage because i know it is only going up in value.;)
I grew up riding sport bikes, and have had the urge to buy another, but I have never felt the way about a sport bike like I do my Harley.:cool:

CAHotRodBoy

11-06-2003, 10:46 AM

Originally posted by hd&boatrider
I don't go on the Love Ride. Sorry. You need to be careful because one of those rookies will take out a whole bunch of people.
You ever been to Sturgis before? Some of the other rides I go to are Laughlin and Hollister. Nodigg and I were talking about riding to Daytona also. If there is enough interest I am all for getting ***boaters and their bikes together and going to Sturgis as a group.
I agree about the Love Ride. Probably rain anyway! :(
I rode to Sturgis from NH in 1983 on a Shovel. Done Daytona a bunch of times. Laughlin, too. Laconia was in my back yard when I lived back in NH.
Count me in for Sturgis in 04!

HammerDown

11-06-2003, 11:47 AM

Done Daytona 19 years in a row, Laconia about 8 Sturgis 5 times.
Sturgis SD was the best, 300+ miles a day and loved it. However would need another Road King for that one.

NastyOne

11-06-2003, 11:55 AM

This bike is all you!!!:D

MRS FLYIN VEE

11-06-2003, 11:57 AM

awesome bike NastyOne :eek: :eek: :eek:

wineguy069

11-06-2003, 12:07 PM

My Hog :D
http://home.pacbell.net/gsibert/boat/harley.jpg

mbrown2

11-06-2003, 12:10 PM

Originally posted by NastyOne
This bike is all you!!!:D
WCC, the only custom I would buy...(maybe Bourget too)

hd&boatrider

11-06-2003, 12:13 PM

Originally posted by mbrown2
WCC, the only custom I would buy...(maybe Bourget too)
Sure, if you got an extra 50K and up....

hd&boatrider

11-06-2003, 12:14 PM

Originally posted by MRS FLYIN VEE
it is a very nice bike but in your opinion. would i be able to ride it. i am about 5'5 and around 120lb. would that be too heavy. :D
No, it would not be too big for you.

mbrown2

11-06-2003, 12:16 PM

Originally posted by hd&boatrider
Sure, if you got an extra 50K and up....
Its only money...:)

hd&boatrider

11-06-2003, 12:19 PM

Originally posted by HammerDown
Done Daytona 19 years in a row, Laconia about 8 Sturgis 5 times.
Sturgis SD was the best, 300+ miles a day and loved it. However would need another Road King for that one.
Our last day coming back from Sturgis we went 1K miles to get home :(. Nodigg rode his bike about 700 miles to Central CA where a buddy was dropped off. I was stuck driving the damn chase vehicle that day. I did not mind that day :)

HammerDown

11-06-2003, 03:31 PM

Originally posted by hd&boatrider
Our last day coming back from Sturgis we went 1K miles to get home :(. Nodigg rode his bike about 700 miles to Central CA where a buddy was dropped off. I was stuck driving the damn chase vehicle that day. I did not mind that day :)
If I get another big bike...it would be cool to hook up with some of the other board members in Sturgis 04.