Howdy from Taylor, TX (just say Austin)

[Vroooom]

Howdy all, Just joined-up so I can start learning BEFORE I dip into the wallet.

Wife and I have been watching Sons of Anarchy and decided we want some of this life...all that riding, and partying, and shooting and drinking, and "socializing" and riding and cuss'n and fighting and riding, and being all close-nit and stuff.

Uhhh... that's my weak excuse for telling a joke.

Seriously, She's been wanting a Harley for years and we're getting close to being able to fulfill her dream. I'm a member of many other forums and find them an incredible resource for information, advice, and just general BS.

It's gonna be a hobby. A great way to have some fun. Wind in our hair, bugs in our teeth, smelling the air, tasting the pavement (rarely I hope)...basically living life OUTSIDE the bubble. (same reasons I love my Jeep).

We aren't poser wanna-be's. But we also aren't cool enough to be "real bikers" lol. Just casual riders.

Its gonna be HER bike and I might ride it every now and then. At least thats the current plan cuz I really like my Jeep. But we may end up with his and hers bikes for our next bar-b-que crawl....who can tell at this point.

We're researching options for a good starter bike. Simple enough to handle for a beginner, but not so simple that we outgrow it too soon. We dont want a crotch-rocket or a "sport" bike...we're moe into leisurely weekend cruising.....with classic chrome.

We are both VERY safety conscious and the safety course is an ABSOLUTE requirement. We wont buy a bike until AFTER the course. But I like to do lots of research before I buy. Any recommendations???

So, now you know about us.

Get to teach'n !!!

LMAO.... Oh yeah.... and I'm prone to efforts of levity and humor.

[Kenneth_Moore]

You made me throw up in my mouth with your second paragraph. I hate you.

It sounds like you want a Harley...it fits your 4-wheel M/O. If she's going to be the primary rider, you might as well get a Sportster, possibly a Low, but maybe not if she's got sticks. Where I live, the Harley dealers let you demo ride, and hook up new buyers with an on-premise class. If HD isn't at the top of the list, a cruiser type seems to fit nonetheless. There's a zillion of them to choose from.

You might want to buy used the first time; if it turns out it's a passing fancy you won't lose your ass on depreciation.

[pushrod]

Vroom,

Pack a lunch, and peruse the "New Rider" 'stickie'. Lots of good info there.

Short answer: Buy a cheap used bike that resembles what you(she) think you want. Ride it for a year. Then buy the bike you really want.

A cheap bike will not depreciate anywhere near like a new one, and you will probably drop it. However, your 'cruiser-ness' will keep you from those expensive fairings.

Good luck! Keep us posted!

[Vroooom]

Thanks folks.

Oh Yeah.... We dont buy new. We let some other sucker take the initial depreciation hit. Sux to be them.

We like to hunt used vehicles about 2-yrs old.

I've been nibbling at the "New Riders" mini-series. VERY informative and helpful.

Based on what we've read there (so far)....we're kinda hankering for a Yamaha V-Star 650. There are several on Craigslist for under $4k and its Supposed to be a high-end starter with potential for being a longer term ride. If the wife decides to upgrade to something else....I might inherit the 650 for me to feel included....who knows at this point

She loves the Harley look (and sound) but we've heard miserable stories about reliability and just like we dont wanna pay the premium for "NEW"....we also dont like the idea of overpaying just for branding. So an HD may very well be in our future at some point....we arent brand-snobs so we will likely look elsewhere for starters.

While we collect data for a future bike purchase, we are also researching gear for a much sooner aquisition. Trying to learn the lingo and get to know the various pro's and con's. At the moment, we are both planning to take the safety course at the end of October.

The "New Rider" posting is helping us learn about gear, too. And every time I read something that interests me I google it and follow that rabbit hole for a while.....learning all the way.

Keep the ideas coming.

[pushrod]

Regardless of the rep, Harley's tend to be right up with everyone else AFA reliability. The old AMF days are hard to shake (sorry!).

Something else to consider - if your bike breaks, how hard is it to find a shop that works on HD's?

I've got to throw in the suggestion for a Bonneville. Used ones are quite reasonable.

[seruzawa]

Don't forget:

5 year old Dyna that sold for $12K new now sells for around $10K.

5 year old Honda VTX1800 that sold for $12K new now sells for around $5K.


So start out used. You won't lose much if anything on a Harley.

And you don't have to dress up and act like a freak if you own a Harley. It IS optional, believe it or not.

[The_AirHawk]

Originally Posted by seruzawa

Don't forget:

5 year old Dyna that sold for $12K new now sells for around $10K.

5 year old Honda VTX1800 that sold for $12K new now sells for around $5K.


So start out used. You won't lose much if anything on a Harley.

And you don't have to dress up and act like a freak if you own a Harley. It IS optional, believe it or not.

EVERY day can be Halloween if you own a Harley!

[Vroooom]

We certainly aren't allergic to Harley Davidson. We've got nothing against them. Its just that we aren't MARRIED to that brand, either.

What we know is ABSOLUTE.....is that we want fuel injection.

[pushrod]

What's so special about fuel injection?

Many, many bikes have carbs, and run great. And- being in Texas, you won't be worrying much about icing.

[Vroooom]

Well, she bought her helmet (Shoei RF-1100) and we both signed up for the Safety Course (I'll be renting a helmet since I will rarely ride the motorcycle (NEVER without a helmet).

While not excluding anything, we are kinda liking the Yamaha V-Star 650 and the Suzuki M-50 Boulevard. Any thoughts? Whatever we get will be used and under $4k.

The salesman when she bought her Shoei said that in his personal opinion, modular helmets were not safe. His opinion was that it would be too easy to impact the face and break away the protection. Any thoughts?

The salesman was VERY knowledgable and didnt try to "sell" us on anything (which we greratly appreciated) as with the new rider pasty, the salesman recommended just using "Normal gloves and boots with ankle covering" and not to buy into the marketing mumbo-jumbo and pay premiums just because it says "Motorcycle" on it.

So, we are making slow progree...but we're getting there.