Most dealers rent at a very reasonable cost. Usually they will apply a rental to the purchase of new, or at least to gear. Go to a rally, HD has 4 hour trials, free. Yep, free, even your fuel. Not to many be in line first thing in the morning. They have good test rides too. Rod
Goldwings are nice but heavy as hell. Look into the BMW 1200gt and rt. You can pick one of these up for $5000.00-$10000.00 years being 2000-20007.
I bought a Goldwing because I found a really nice one for $6500. I have put over 40,000 mostly trouble free miles on it. I have heard of Goldwings lasting over 300,000 miles. I bought mine to travel with. The bike itself is just a way to get there on 2 wheels, and carry a lot of stuff. It is extremely comfortable. But it is so quiet it might as well be electric, and so smooth you can't even tell if there is a motor down there. I am not putting it down for those who like that, but I prefer a motorcycle to have a little rumble and vibration to it. Something to let me know there is an internal combustion engine down there. I have a '95 model, which dates back to '88. Technologically it is still way ahead of a new Harley, the thing is, I don't like technology on my motorcycles. I like them to be basic, simple, primitive even. Riding a motorcycle should be a very visceral experience. That is why I like vintage bikes. I like vintage cars for the same reason, and own two. A Harley would not cost me much to service, I am an auto mechanic with 36 years experience. If I can't handle the maintenance on a Harley, I'll turn in my wrenches.
Harley is one of the bikes I would not try to convince anyone to own, either you like them or you don't. I just feel good riding my Harley nothing rational about it, I like the sounds (most of the time) reminds me of ridng my old CB750F SOHC a different bike for sure but it also made me just feel good.. I put 62k miles on a 09 Road King, it was a nice bike and now I have an Electra Glide Limited. The EG is a big bike and noticeably more top heavy than the RK, for an all around big touring bike the RK is hard to beat, for supreme comfort the EG is hard to beat. IMHO
Dont. get a small garage of used bikes for the same price as an Electra Glide. Electra Glide ~ $20k - or - used R1150GS ~ $6K used Triumph Bonneville ~ $6K used Honda XR650L ~ $2K used/track prepped Suzuki SV650 ~ $4K leathers, boots, gloves, helmet, tires and a few trackdays ~ $2k so you can have an entire culture of different motorcycles in your garage....or a Harley. Hell I'd rather have any two of those bikes and the leftover money to travel for 6 months.
I'm presently tooling around AZ on a rented Street Glide. I'm 62. I didn't "get" Harley. Now I do. When I get home I'm buying a Harley. A Dyna. WTF? 7K is 7K! Lyle
As long as you are in AZ now, why don't you check with the renting dealer to see what kind of deal they can make you? I've heard that sometimes US dealers are less expensive than CA dealers. I have CA friends who keep their motorcycles in rented units near a major southern airport. Fly down in the winter, ride their bikes, store them and fly home. Repeat as often as possible until the snow melts. They seem happy.
Keep in mind, the touring Harleys ride smoother than the rest of the line. While the Dynas is great, its not quite like the touring models. After owning Dynas, Softails, and touring models, the balance, handling & ride on my Road King is the best. 09 or newer is even better!
The Road King is nice. But I feel like Im sitting on top of the bike rather than in it. To each their own!
I agree.I notice in your post you say you might go with a scooter or a trike as well. Those are a far cry from an EG. I've ridden FXR's for the last 23 years and bought an '05 Road Glide three years ago just because I had to try it. Once it got rolling it was great but at parking lot speeds, especially with the wife on the back, it was just too heavy to feel comfortable. And it was not fun to move it around in the garage. I've since sold the RG and the FXR and got me a '00 Super Glide Sport with a detatchable windshield and bags, and it's a good choice for me. Overall just more fun to ride than the big bagger. Good luck in what you decide.
I bought a new E.G in 2001 and just sold it last summer. 80,000 plus miles and it never so much as even farted wrong. That was one of the most reliable and comfortable bikes I've ever owned. Last summer I took a final 3000 mile trip on her and during the trip I was on alot of out of the way roads, some with loose rocks on top and dirt shoulders. I'm pushing 61 years old and I finally noticed how much of a chore it was lifting the beast off its kickstand all day everyday as I was stopping for photos and such. When pulling over on soft shoulders I was always having to be super careful to park in a way that I had no chance of dropping it knowing what a bitch it would be to pick up alone in the middle of no where. As I've gotten older I have a lot more time to travel which includes those out of the way places. So pounding down the highway on that last trip I decided that was the end of my heavy bike days. I bought a buell uly xt for fun and a suzuki v-strom 650 for long trips to Mexico and the like. I still get to get my shit eating grin going, blasting around on the buell and the peace of mind with the lightweight simplicity of the v-strom. Already had to pick the buell up on a parking lot drop. It was a little bit of a grunt but no problem. The suzuki has been great on those dirt roads getting to small ocean front fishing villages in Mexico. Places the electra glide wouldn't have been capable of going. I realized at my age by simply adjusting the type of bikes I was riding it opened up a whole new kind of adventure. I'm really lovin it.
I have never been much of a Harley guy but 5 years ago I bought a 2000 Electra Glide, thinking my wife may rather ride passener on it than my FJR. Anyway I sold it last week, 2 days after I put it up for sale for only $400.00 less than I paid for it. Not bad resale value.
Just some thoughts on being a geezer on a Harley. I'm 63 have arthritis in both wrists and a blown out right knee. I ride an Electraglide because of these reasons. They have the best low speed handling of any large touring bike. The best kickstand in the business means it's less likely to fall over while parked. They won't fall to far. Remember most drops are at very slow or no speed. Learn to ride the rear brake and clutch in the friction zone then crank 17 foot circles. It's easy to mount from the right, step onto the right footboard and swing up and over. This is the police method, it works. BTW you don't "lift it" from the kickstand you push it up with your thigh into the seat by straightening the left leg. Had Harley's Beemer's and Wing's. While the Beemer's and Wing's have the high speed handling and power it's the Hog that's easy to ride. Um, better paint and chrome too.
Dealer can't sell me a new one. But the basic Street Glide is pretty well equally priced both sides of the border. Harley's "playing fair". Unlike Honda. F you, Honda! I am in trouble though. I really want one. Lyle
Hey Thanks yo everyone...Good comments and you all get what I'm going through. Yes I have had a Soft tail 10 years ago and it was fine just thought I wanted to go another direction. I'm almost 60 and retirement may mean I will ride a bike more...I am looking for a used harley and they either hold thier values or people just think they are worth alot used. Seams a 2010 is only 2-3K less than new? I am looking 2009-2010 Touring model. Or the new NX700x Honda????????????????????? I'm going goofy over this decision. Hap
For those of you having issues with lifting the large Harley bikes off the sidestand, try this: Rotate the handlebars fully right before you attempt to pick up the bike. You will discover that it is much, much lighter on the lift. We show this to ladies in my Riders Edge classes, and even the 98 pound petite ladies can pick up an Ultra with ease. Warning: If you do this the first time, DO NOT horse it up like you normally do or you will probably dump the bike over to the right. I've seen that happen more than once. The lift effort required is much less than you are normally expecting.
Yep, gal showed me that turning the handlebars trick for effortlessly lifting the bike off the kickstand. As for picking one up when it's fallen down, it's actually one of the easiest bikes I know to pick up. Put your backside into the seat. One hand on something on each side (like the guard and the handlebar). Push back and up, like you're trying to shove the bike sideways as well as up. The bike gently and pretty easily rises. Really.
My father had an '89 Electra Glide Sport (FLHS) for years. The thing was quite possibly the most comfortable motorcycle I have ever ridden. He called it his rolling lazy-boy. VERY comfortable saddle. Excellent ergos. Very low center of gravity. He kicked my ass every time we squared up for a 'slow race' up the driveway. Shockingly good power too when he opened it up. (His was the old 'evo' 80ci.) The belt drive was bullet proof. He never touched it. One day he knocked a few teeth off the belt blasting onto the highway off the local strip in front of me. He hobbled home swearing about the "damned thing". Then realized the belt was original, maybe 7-8 years old and way overdue for replacement. He had fueling problems for years, never did get that figured out. It left him stranded once. He finally sold it last summer as he claims he is too old to ride...
