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Need good counsel

I own a 1996 Sportster & a 2006 Softtail FXSTI, both are reliable and fun to ride. My CLC is for trips over 200 miles or when I know its going to rain. ABS brakes, Cruise Control, & a motor that runs smoothest at 3200>4100rpm can really spoil a rider. Ride Safe :usa :usa
 
In the early '90s, I rode frequently with a buddy who had an EVO softtail (86?). I had an 1986 R65. I would constantly lose him in the curves. He would say, 'It the bike'. Once we swapped rides. I lost him again. When he caught up, he said,'I didn't know my bike could lean that far over'. We discovered it was the rider and not the bike. I was VERY impressed with the handling. I stopped bad-mouthing HDs that day. I still poke fun at the HD riders though ;)
If you like...if you want it...if you can afford it...buy it!
Luke...come over to the dark side...
 
Fellow members, I would appreciate your learned opinion and hope it'll help me make a sane decision. I'm on the verge of obtaining a new-to-me 08 Harley Davidson Fat Bob;
not to replace my beloved R1200R but as a teammate for it. Are H-Ds money pits? Has anyone had experience with this particular model? I've looked at the H-D forums but, unlike us, those guys never critique or critisize their bikes. They're in rah rah lockstep and not very informative. Anyhow, I'm asking for your advice so that I may avert a possible pitfall. Or do you think it's a good idea? Thank you all in advance for your assistance.:dunno

One of my last bikes was a 93 Victory Vegas. Before I purchased the bike I did some comparison research between Victory and H-D and most reviewers admitted that while the Victory was probably a better engineered bike overall the big disadvantage was....it wasn't a Harley.

When you contemplate a H-D purchase you are not buying engineering you're buying a lifestyle. The bikes are big, beefy, loud (if you own a Harley you have to butcher the exhaust so you can be heard 3 blocks away), under-powered for the most part considering they have a 1500 +CC engine but they make a statement.

The choice of statement is a personal thing. Does this mean you'll need to purchase a set of leather jacket and chaps, a beenie helmet (H-D rider's wouldn't be caught dead in a full faced helmet or depending on your state a helmet at all), wear bandana's with H-D logos on them and maybe pick up a couple of tats?

All joking aside...my only complaint about H-D is the attitude of some of the riders. When I'm on the road I give a thumb's up to anyone passing by, :wave even guys or gals on scooters. I figure, what the heck...anything that gets you out on the road is OK with me. Most give me the wave back except for....you guessed it, H-D riders. :(

I wish I could afford to buy a garage full of bikes but my wife keeps me in check and I'm happy for now with my K1200S. If I could you might find a K1200GT, Ducati GT 1000 and maybe a Superbike 1198 in the garage along with the K1200S but sorry to say, there wouldn't be a H-D.
cbcK1200s - Colin
:bikes
 
Surprised nobody has mentioned it - and it probably goes without saying, but you know you need a different set of tools for the Harley, right?
 
Lynn's 05 Softtail Deluxe was a good, dependable bike. I just wasn't a very compfy tourer for her. It had 39K on it when we sold it, and cost of ownership was cheaper than my 04 GT.
Hope she like the R1100S for distance travel, we haven't done a long trip yet.

For a second bike....go for it!
 
I am about to talk out of both sides of my mouth...

I know many people who have an H-D and pick one: BMW, Ducati, Triumph, a Japanese bike, Guzzi, you name it.
They enjoy their bikes. Period.

I am in Milwaukee and we are all hoping that H-D stays here. That means they need to sell some bikes.
NOt to hijack this thread, but looking to cut $54 million is a tall order without eliminating a line of bike.
 
They need to cut 54 million, so how much is the CEO cutting his salary to share the sacrifice??? How about the board of directors?

If they were serious, rather than greedy, I expect different course of actions.

Sorry, but management made the bad decisions, and now workers pay. Not right.

Not right at all.

Rod
 
Are H-Ds money pits? Has anyone had experience with this particular model? I've looked at the H-D forums but, unlike us, those guys never critique or critisize their bikes. They're in rah rah lockstep and not very informative.

First off, HD are not money pits. Do the usual service on it and it will last a long time. My current 2002 Electra Glide Classic has almost 100,000 km on it. Secondly, not sure what forum you were looking at but the HD Forums I am on, guys are very informative (mostly) and helpful. If someone is having a bad time with a bike or parts, they can be very vocal about it to the forum members.

I've owned a lot of different bikes over the last 30 years, 2 of them Harleys. Have been happy with both.

My current 02 is simple to work on, air cooled, carb instead of EFI, belt drive.
It's a very nice comfortable ride for me.
 
My last 3 bikes have all been Harleys and I can honestly say they were super reliable, didn't leak oil and were cheap to maintain. Along with the tremendous dealer network and aftermarket parts availability, they have a lot going for them. They do have their imperfections, just like our BMWs do. We have final drive issues, H-D twin cams have the cam chain tensioner issues. (btw, I have all the tools for sale to change those if anyone is interested.:))

But with all that being said, I like my RT better for what kind of riding I do in my life right now. The RT is more comfortable for the long haul and with all the creature comforts it holds, like the heated grips and seats, ABS, the on board computer, things like that are what trip my trigger now days. I do still miss the simplicity of the Harley though.

If I had the money to have another bike, I would for sure have another Harley in the stable. If you like the bike, go for it, you won't be unhappy I guarantee.

Ron
 
Of all the H-D bikes, the only ones that I would consider owning would be either the Fat-B or the Road King. IF I had a large enough garage and enough mad-money to spend so I could keep my Kawasaki sport-tourer, my R65LS, and an R100 with a sidecar rig and an H-D I would have one. Maybe someday.

I would also go for a not-too-old model with carb setup instead of EFI - I have seen a number of riders with the newer EFI pumped bikes getting stuck. Buth then again, I've seen BMWs with EFI getting stuck on the side of the road, too.
 
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