Which new bike

[kcrider]

I am soon going to be buying my first bike; I've riden before, but never owned one, and I know I want a cruizer. I've been looking and reading a lot over the past year, and I've seen a few forums with comparisons between the VTX1300 and fatboy. I've mostly been looking at the fatboy, but recently noticed the new VT1300 (Interstate and Stateline). They look sharp, and have almost changed my mind. I'm looking for information on which one to get without the brand bashing. I think HD and Honda, from reading, are both great bikes, and the heritage is not as important to me as the ride, quality, and cost of ownership. By cost of ownership I mean which one costs more in the long run, not at the dealership the day I buy it. As the VT1300 is fairly new, if anyone has any praise/complaints about their experience with this bike it would be great as well. Things I'm looking at in particular are comfort over longer trips, build quality, performance and ridability...

I have sat on both, and the only complaint I have is that the Honda makes me tend to feel like I'm sitting on my junk. I will be replacing the seat though no matter which bike I get (2-up riding often), so if anyone has had the same issue with the Honda and has any experience with aftermarket seats on the Honda that would be great as well...

[12er]

read the new riders sticky and buy a small beater to learn on.

[Easy Rider 2]

Originally Posted by 12er

read the new riders sticky and buy a small beater to learn on.

As short as that comment is.......the thought is VERY improtant.

You haven't told us much about yourself but there are very few new riders out there that should be starting out on either one of those bikes.......and certainly NOT jumping ahead to two-up so quickly either.

If you are a BIG guy, then a tiny bike might not be a good starter......but a 1300 class bike probably is not a good choice even for those who are big and strong.

Can you do it ? Maybe but the odds of something really bad happening go WAY up with a big and powerful bike in the hands of a new rider.
It hasn't been that many years ago that you couldn't even buy a bike with an engine that big.....except maybe for one or two.

Sorry for the downer but it sounds to me like you are about to make 2 big mistakes: too much first bike and too confident in how quickly you'll master the necessary skills.

P.S. You should NEVER buy a bike without a test ride. New riders generally don't get test rides on new bikes. After a years experience or so, when you ride into a lot ON a bike, you are much more likely to score the test rides that you need.

P.P.S Please do read some of the other threads on here about "first bikes". Even though you think they don't apply to YOU (most everybody thinks that), the situations really aren't that different and there is a lot of good information in those old threads.

[trenttheuncatchable]

And take the MSF BRC (beginning rider course). There's also an MSF course specifically aimed at riders who haven't been on a bike in a while.

[kcrider]

Thanks for the replies. I guess I should have stated my experience a little differently. I've been riding bikes since I was a small child (on and off road), and have spent a lot of time on them. My dad's had one my whole life, and I think I've spent as much time on them as he did. Since it has been a couple years since I've riden though, I did go ahead and take the safety course - also an insurance deduction here. I've riden the big bikes, cruizers and rockets, so I'm pretty familiar with them as well...

This would just the first bike I have technically "owned"...

[Easy Rider 2]

Originally Posted by kcrider

I guess I should have stated my experience a little differently.

Yea, I guess !!

I think the Honda is the better value, by far......all things considered.
If value is your main concern, it's no contest in my mind.

Now......if other things are more important......like look and image and the availability of overpriced accessories......then the scale might tip the other way. Having a butt-load of cash floating around would help too.

[Morbo the Destroyer]

The Terminator rode a Fatboy. The original design was a tribute to the atomic bomb that destroyed Nagasaki in WWII.

So, where do your loyalties lie? Keep in mind the internment camps are still operating deep in the New Mexico desert.

[The_AirHawk]

Originally Posted by Morbo the Destroyer

So, where do your loyalties lie? Keep in mind the internment camps are still operating deep in the New Mexico desert.

What about all those facilities in and around the Denver Airport?

I won't even mention the truly disturbing, weird-ass "Art" on the walls and scattered-about.