Comments on: Should I buy a Harley-Davidson?

By: Cornporto

Cornporto — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:00:55 +0000

You should definitely buy the Harley. Well, unless you’re straight.

By: sn00p

sn00p — Sat, 09 Aug 2008 02:57:18 +0000

Reading through the other answers, there are alot of opinions… opinions are like arse holes…. everyone has one

A harley is very reliable, the people yipping and yapping about them are just being parrots and repeating what’s been said since the early 70′s…. sure in the early 70′s they weren’t as reliable…. show me a decent import from the 70′s that hasn’t gone through the same to stay on the road today. But for piece of mind, there is a great dealer infrastructure, so for any service or maintenance, it should be a piece of cake to get to a dealer near by…. can’t say the same for all the imports or even the victory. A harley also has a great deal more support in the after market than any other, more service parts, more upgrade parts, more cosmetic parts…. period, there’s no arguing that.
Image wise, well, that’s a variable…. so that’s your own thing, if someone else’s comments can effect your image, then it says much more about you than your bike.
And for a sportster…. this is where the real ignorance of many shows true…. a sportser IS the sports car of harley davidson. power to weight is much better than a “bigger” bike like a soft tail or dyna… a mustang may not be as big, fancy, or expensive as a lincoln, but it can certainly whip a lincoln
These ignorant people also yip about how a sportster (or any harley) is underpowered compared to their crotch rocket or whatever…. if horsepower is all you look at, you don’t know wtf you’re looking at. any harley has a torque curve as flat as can be, meaning these things pull no matter what the rpm…. whoopity doo… an import might have 20 more hp at 6000 higher rpm…. i really don’t care, you need to look at torque for comparing the feel of a bike, and I don’t care to rev anything to 10,000+rpm!
I have no idea on insurance… I’m in Canada so I imagine it’s different here…. but I paid about the same for my last kawi as I do for my sporty, and the sporty is newer.
Now finally, not enough details about your height and type of riding etc to say whether the N is the best choice…. i think it’s a great bike for a short person that does short trips. If you’re tall &/or want long trips, I think the C would be a better choice.
Don’t get me wrong, i’m tall and do all sorts of riding, and i’d love an N, but i know i’d be happier with a C
good luck, enjoy your bike shopping, and ignore the peanut gallery

By: jack k

jack k — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:16:12 +0000

,If you sit well on a sportster there are a ton of jap bikes made through the years that would be cheaper to buy, maintain and get parts for at decent prices. I’m 6’1″ with a34″ inseam I can’t ride a Buell or a sporty or an fx with mid controls.So unless you are set on a new bike, you have a lot of options.
What ever you decide may your quest be fun, and your acquisition be an asset to your joy of living

By: Iniaz

Iniaz — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:04:55 +0000

You want to RIDE. Thats it. No image, no pretenses, no bother with repairs or non starting bikes, no oil leaks, no gangs…
Then don’t get a Harley. Get a reliable, start any time, run like the wind, no repair shop visit…. Japanese bike.

By: emucompboy

emucompboy — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:40:27 +0000

Buy what you like.
Don’t worry about the belt drive. It will last longer than a chain would.

Go to your local Harley dealer, and see if you’re okay with the weight — imagine pushing it with your feet to back it up (the dealers might let you actually try it… but might not).

By: Firecracker

Firecracker — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 13:57:38 +0000

On my ’06 Superglide Anniversary, the insurance is exactly the same as on my ’80 CB750. Liability, with riders. No collision or theft.
Maintenance has been oil changes and replacing worn out tires.
Many like the belt drive. I have not met anyone (other than myself) who doesn’t like it.

Find what you like and ride it.

By: BikerBob

BikerBob — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:34:44 +0000

Insurance on my Harley Dyna Super Glide is less than $350.00 a year. Not bad. Also, the Harley’s of today are very reliable. Mine is a 2002 and does not leak oil and has never left me stranded on the side of the road. I’ve had no problems with the belt drive either. It runs great. As far as the “image” thing goes, you create your own image. If you don’t care what other people think of you while riding (as you stated in your post) what’s the problem? Enjoy your Harley.

By: Tom B

Tom B — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 08:14:45 +0000

You have to look the cost of ownership after you own a HD
You have to be rich cause even the simple maintenance products for an HD is high priced
accessories for a HD cost 4 times as much as any other brand of bike
when the warranty is expired engine repairs will cost at least $3K
every HD Owner I talk too always talks about the big money they spend just to maintain and keep their HD on the road.

By: randy c

randy c — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 09:15:13 +0000

I like Harleys. I can say that, since I’ve owned 26 different bikes personally over the last 42 years. And ridden just about anything out there. I’n not putting down any bike, just saying that my last 5 have all been Harley’s. I’ve ridden chain driven, shaft driven and belt driven. Shafts work well, belts work great. I’ve never broken a belt. Worn a few out with high miles, yes, but never broken one. Maintenance is no different or more expensive than any other bike. Buy a good service manual (the best investment you can make for ANY bike) and do the basic maintenance yourself. It’s fun, and saves you a ton of money. Just do it at the factory recommended intervals, use factory spec supplies, fill out the report in the manual and date it, and keep your receipts. This way it will not void your warranty. I am curious as to why you would “have”to go to the 1200 sportster? It’s not a bad bike, just made more for in town and short highway hops. Although I have seen gus take em cross country, they are not made for it. My favorite bike is the Dyna wide glide. Old school looks, comfort and plenty of power. I’ve done a thousand miles at a time on one easy. Although I admit that my newest bike is an “Ultra” that is like riding an easy chair down the road at 80 mph. Yes, I finaly gave in to the comfort. My wife has a bad back, and I have a bunch of injuries,aches and pains that really get to hurting an a long trip. So, I bought the ultra. With cruise control, CD,CB,stereo and all the comforts there are on it. a 1400 mile trip is fun. At just under 6’3″ and 315lbs with bald head, long mustache and tattos galore, I really don’t give a darn what “image” I give off. I ride for me, not for image. There are some great bikes from Honda for example. I’ve owned a few goldwings and enjoyed them a lot. But I just keep going back to HD. for me, they work. If it is what you want, go for it. No reason to explain why you want it. No matter which bike you ride, there are always some loud mouth who thinks it is a poor choice and only what they ride is good. Just smile at em and ride on by.
ride safe

By: Ryde on

Ryde on — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:55:36 +0000

I love my Harleys, I’ve had lots of bikes, Jap and English .

There’s not a damn thing wrong with belt driven finals, no maintenance and they last 30-50k.

If you are going HD ,get a Big Twin, The new Dynas are pretty sweet.

The only down side to a Harley is that they are not the canyon bikes that the Japs are, but for cruising and touring they’re the greatest.