Which bike to get? - Page 2

Bluerose · 08-09-2008, 09:31 PM

I'm unsure why you are so insistent on an HD as your first bike. It's not about what you ride so much as you do ride. I had this conversation the other day with a girl that said she would only ride a Harley but she was too short (5') no matter what I said that was her story....

Personally I found sporties top heavy and have known a few women (but definately not all) that found them to be intimidating because of it. I started on a Yamaha 650. It's a relatively light cruiser type bike. I also put on floor boards to help me get used to feel of them. It was a great starter bike I rode it for 9 months and sold it for what I purchased for even though I had thrown it on the ground more then once.

From there I moved to an HD Deluxe and then to the Ultra you can see in the little bitty picture below.

The real deal is this...as a new rider you really have no idea what you do an do not want in a cruiser. What looks good may also not be the right bike for you. Buying a less expensive metric and getting used to street riding gives you the opportunity to gain knowledge about what you want and what your riding style may be as you move up.

Do you really want to spend $7000 + to 25,000 and find out you got the wrong bike?

Are you planning on just riding locally? a Sportie might be the ticket. A bit longer rides but not a 7000 mile odessy? A Softail is Awesome (750 lbs). Have the itch to see the country top to bottom? Think touring (800 lbs). No matter what your stature you can make a bike fit your height to a certian degree. The right seat, shock adjustments, handlebars make all the difference in the world. You just need to know what you want based on how you plan to ride.

So get that metric starter bike and hang out on the forum so you get a good idea where you'll be going.

PapaTravis · 08-09-2008, 09:51 PM

A lot of people will tell a new rider to get a sporty, but IMO, it really isn't a good starter bike. It is rather top heavy (I hear), and not as easy to ride as you would think. I have ridden a softail deluxe, and that is a balanced ride. Very comfy, and very easy to handle. And, with the low seat height, you would be set. Plus, I would hate for you to buy a sporty, and then want to get a bigger bike before to long. IMO, you are best off to get the bike that you think you will end up on. Meaning, if you like the deluxe, get it now instead of trying to upgrade later. Same with the king. You can handle it, even as a new rider. Don't let the size of the bike deter you. My best advice would to be, since you have a license, would be to rent a few bikes. Take them out for a long cruise, through town, and on the road. Then you will know. That is what I did. Over the course of a few years, I rented all of the bikes I thought I would want to own. And, I saved myself money, in the long run. I really wanted a fat boy, but after renting one, I knew it was not the bike for me. I ended up with a rk custom, and I love the damn thing.

BTW, my wife rode dirt bikes as a child. After riding behind me for a year, she decided to get her own bike. We were lucky that her mom was looking for a new bike, and gavemy wife her old yamaha. It was a great bike for her to learn on, but, in the short time she has been on it, she now knows she is ready for a big HD. Now, I just have to figure out how to pay for it, LMAO.

Good luck with your search... rent, rent, rent...

sk8rod · 08-10-2008, 12:29 AM

at least with a metric it doesnt matter if you sling it down the road,, so i guess thats a point,, BUT the street bob is low, low center of gravity, easy to maneuver and stock is slow,, pretty much ideal

UglyTroll · 08-10-2008, 06:44 AM

I agree a Sportster is not the easiest bike to learn on...........contrary to popular belief, it's a lot of bike for anyone to handle. However, I'm a firm believer in getting whatever bike you're going to end up on. Why bother with a "starter bike?" Sooner or later, you're going to have to "learn" to ride the bike you end up with. Start out with a safety course to see if you even want to ride! Lots of people go buy a bike, then find out they don't really care for riding anyway! Just cause you like the back, doesn't mean you're going to like the front! The argument about dropping the bike while you're learning is silly cause sooner or later, you ARE going to drop your bike! I have to smile every time I hear somebody say "I been riding over 20 years and never dropped my bike." I rode for over 30 before my first drop! Riding a 450cc metric is not at all like riding a 883 (or bigger) HD.

Bluerose · 08-10-2008, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UglyTroll

I agree a Sportster is not the easiest bike to learn on...........contrary to popular belief, it's a lot of bike for anyone to handle. However, I'm a firm believer in getting whatever bike you're going to end up on. Why bother with a "starter bike?" Sooner or later, you're going to have to "learn" to ride the bike you end up with. Start out with a safety course to see if you even want to ride! Lots of people go buy a bike, then find out they don't really care for riding anyway! Just cause you like the back, doesn't mean you're going to like the front! The argument about dropping the bike while you're learning is silly cause sooner or later, you ARE going to drop your bike! I have to smile every time I hear somebody say "I been riding over 20 years and never dropped my bike." I rode for over 30 before my first drop! Riding a 450cc metric is not at all like riding a 883 (or bigger) HD.

You actually stated some of the reasons for a starter bike. Unless you happen to have a lot of money why on earth would you spend $15K + on something you THINK you might like? What if you decide riding is not for you after a couple of months and your now stuck with it?

First off not everyone is the same. It's nice if you bought a large bike and did well but not everyone can do that. I have seen way too many news stories where such and such bought his dream bike, used to ride 20 years ago, and died 2 weeks later after losing control.

A lot of women (but not all) are intimidated by the weight factor of a larger bike. The ability to lift your own bike is a real confidence builder for riding on your own. I could lift the Yamaha easily, I'm pretty sure I could have lifted the Deluxe but then I'm not that petite at 5'8" and 1XX pounds. My Ultra is a different story. I'm thinking if I have too, I'll figure out how to lift it but I am way more confident now though that it will not just go over due to lack of experience.

How do you know what type of bike you want from the get go? When I started riding I figured I would just be riding locally...couple hours here and there. Now I'm disappointed if I don't get to ride for 200 - 300 miles in a day.

Based on how I thought I would be riding, I actually thought the Yamaha might be enough. After 9 months of trying to follow hubby around on an 1800 I decided I wanted something bigger. Now I had the confidence to test ride the bigger heavier bikes.

I bought the Deluxe because I thought it would be enough and it was "pretty". After spending a LOT of money to make the bike fit my size and more functional I found I was out riding the true function of a softail.....They are OK to tour on but my back was not agreeing that it was the right bike.

After figuring out I really like to tour on my bike I reluctantly traded for something with a better suspension. I lost a mint when I traded for my Ultra but though it is not a "pretty" as my Deluxe I never looked back. I've spent a bit on the Ultra to make it more ergonomic but nothing like I spent on my Deluxe to do the same.

Don't get me wrong, the Deluxe is a great bike, but If I had to do it all over again I might have gone for the Road King. I would not however have have skipped the starter bike.

I just can't figure why everyone jumps to tell someone a 1500+cc bike that weighs over 800 lbs is the best starter bike? Though I will agree CC don't really matter if you know how to handle them but have you ever ridden something like a VTX? With out a bit of knowledge that sucker will throw you off the bike with even a minor twist of the throttle.

Saving money? Nope, can't tell me that one either. I bought the Yamaha for 3500...maybe put a couple hundred in it and sold it for 3600...9 months later. I bought my kids a Rebel and after 3 months of them figuring out they don't want to ride I sold it for the same price I bought it. The real trick is to not start customizing until you know you are on the bike you want to keep for a long time.

UglyTroll · 08-10-2008, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bluerose

You actually stated some of the reasons for a starter bike. Unless you happen to have a lot of money why on earth would you spend $15K + on something you THINK you might like? What if you decide riding is not for you after a couple of months and your now stuck with it?

First off not everyone is the same. It's nice if you bought a large bike and did well but not everyone can do that. I have seen way too many news stories where such and such bought his dream bike, used to ride 20 years ago, and died 2 weeks later after losing control.

A lot of women (but not all) are intimidated by the weight factor of a larger bike. The ability to lift your own bike is a real confidence builder for riding on your own. I could lift the Yamaha easily, I'm pretty sure I could have lifted the Deluxe but then I'm not that petite at 5'8" and 1XX pounds. My Ultra is a different story. I'm thinking if I have too, I'll figure out how to lift it but I am way more confident now though that it will not just go over due to lack of experience.

How do you know what type of bike you want from the get go? When I started riding I figured I would just be riding locally...couple hours here and there. Now I'm disappointed if I don't get to ride for 200 - 300 miles in a day.

Based on how I thought I would be riding, I actually thought the Yamaha might be enough. After 9 months of trying to follow hubby around on an 1800 I decided I wanted something bigger. Now I had the confidence to test ride the bigger heavier bikes.

I bought the Deluxe because I thought it would be enough and it was "pretty". After spending a LOT of money to make the bike fit my size and more functional I found I was out riding the true function of a softail.....They are OK to tour on but my back was not agreeing that it was the right bike.

After figuring out I really like to tour on my bike I reluctantly traded for something with a better suspension. I lost a mint when I traded for my Ultra but though it is not a "pretty" as my Deluxe I never looked back. I've spent a bit on the Ultra to make it more ergonomic but nothing like I spent on my Deluxe to do the same.

Don't get me wrong, the Deluxe is a great bike, but If I had to do it all over again I might have gone for the Road King. I would not however have have skipped the starter bike.

I just can't figure why everyone jumps to tell someone a 1500+cc bike that weighs over 800 lbs is the best starter bike? Though I will agree CC don't really matter if you know how to handle them but have you ever ridden something like a VTX? With out a bit of knowledge that sucker will throw you off the bike with even a minor twist of the throttle.

Saving money? Nope, can't tell me that one either. I bought the Yamaha for 3500...maybe put a couple hundred in it and sold it for 3600...9 months later. I bought my kids a Rebel and after 3 months of them figuring out they don't want to ride I sold it for the same price I bought it. The real trick is to not start customizing until you know you are on the bike you want to keep for a long time.

Rose, I always enjoy your posts, here and on HDF as well. Always something constructive to offer and always respectful as well! Good on you. I have no problem with anything you said here, and respect your point of view. I do not try to discourage people from taking whatever approach they want, unless I believe it to be an unsafe path for some reason. To each his own, blah blah! Regarding having to pick up your Ultra (I hope you never have to!) I would suggest a copy of Ride Like A Pro. A lot to be learned from that video; for everyone! They even teach you how to pick up your Ultra when it falls over! And they have a very petite young thing do it. I have bad knees and a bad back courtesy of some folks in South East Asia.............anyway, I can easily pick up my EGC using the technique they teach in the video. The whole video I think gives folks a good deal of confidence, and I believe knowing the pick up technique adds to the confidence level and possibly leaves you less nervous about dropping the bike therefore making it more likely you will NOT drop it.........dunno if that makes sense, but anyway just my 2 cents!

Troll

LRonHoover · 08-10-2008, 02:33 PM

Laura,

Buy something CHEAP and USED until you've gained some experience.
The last thing you want to do is drop an expensive hawg.
There's only two kinds of people, those that HAVE dropped their bikes and those that WILL.
There is nothing more expensive than repairing what you dropped.
Buy a 'throw-away' bike first, it won't hurt as much if you screw it up.

Kingk9 · 08-10-2008, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LRonHoover

Laura,

Buy something CHEAP and USED until you've gained some experience.
The last thing you want to do is drop an expensive hawg.
There's only two kinds of people, those that HAVE dropped their bikes and those that WILL.
There is nothing more expensive than repairing what you dropped.
Buy a 'throw-away' bike first, it won't hurt as much if you screw it up.

That is good advice in my opinion. You can get a good smaller used metric to tool around on until you get used to riding around on the streets. Then get your Harley. By that time, your confidence will be up, and you can better enjoy the best motorcycle on earth.

Dynachic · 08-10-2008, 05:58 PM

I am a rider from many moons ago. I started on a mini bike, then a scooter, then a Honda 90 (I think, its been a while). My first real bike was a Kawasaki 100. It was street legal and I rode all over on that thing. My next was a Yamaha 400 . I road all over northern California on that. At that point a good friend convinced me that if I could ride my bike I could ride something bigger. I tried my ex's Virago at the time. I loved it!!

Many, many years later, after not having ridden in quite some time, and living amid city dwellers and busy freeways I took it upon myself to try riding my sweetie's Sporty. I did well for someone who hadn't ridden in quite a while and had NEVER used forward controls .....BUT..... I panicked and dropped it! Slow speed but still

......... I decided I wasn't giving up, I rode before, I can do it again. We looked and looked for a bike I could ride, why he even brought a used bike that I could have had for free home! NOT. When I found my Lowrider it had mid controls (which is what I learned on), it was a Dyna (cuz I knew I would want a bigger bike too kwikly ... just my nature) and I had fallen in love with it. Now, its taking me awhile to get adjusted to riding again ......... quite a while, but I figure that I would rather be safe than sorry. My Lowrider allows me to put both feet on the ground, feel comfortable and go at my own pace. (Which means dh doesn't ride with me cuz I'm going to slow... )

I guess my point is ... try stuff out as people suggest. If I hadn't ridden all the other smaller bikes as I did when i was younger I wouldn't have known what I thought I wanted now. And take your time, go at your own speed. Don't let anyone push you into anything that doesn't feel right. You'll make the right decisions!

Shar

Bluerose · 08-10-2008, 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UglyTroll

Rose, I always enjoy your posts, here and on HDF as well. Always something constructive to offer and always respectful as well! Good on you. I have no problem with anything you said here, and respect your point of view. I do not try to discourage people from taking whatever approach they want, unless I believe it to be an unsafe path for some reason. To each his own, blah blah! Regarding having to pick up your Ultra (I hope you never have to!) I would suggest a copy of Ride Like A Pro. A lot to be learned from that video; for everyone! They even teach you how to pick up your Ultra when it falls over! And they have a very petite young thing do it. I have bad knees and a bad back courtesy of some folks in South East Asia.............anyway, I can easily pick up my EGC using the technique they teach in the video. The whole video I think gives folks a good deal of confidence, and I believe knowing the pick up technique adds to the confidence level and possibly leaves you less nervous about dropping the bike therefore making it more likely you will NOT drop it.........dunno if that makes sense, but anyway just my 2 cents!

Troll

I have the video and Mark (the West Coast RLP teacher) has offered to show me but I have been sooo busy I haven't had time to get down there.

I tried to lift the bike when I did drop it about 2 weeks after I had it. The angle of the road was not a good one and the bike didn't move at all. Thinking back I didn't try the bars. At that angle it might have just gone straight up. But it was Dark and I was in traffic so a good sumerian finally helped me get it on the wheels again.

What I need to do is get it out there, lay it down, and practice lifting (Hubby would be around of course). I venture to say hubby really needs to do the same thing with his Goldwing...that thing weighs more then mine!

BobbyJimmie · 08-12-2008, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dax

Jeez Oddster, you're gonna put a newbie rider on an RK ... What is this world coming to? !!!

Ill back OddJob on this, we have a small petite female in the club that rides a RK with apes and shes is by far one of the better riders ive met. Guess what? That was her first bike. Ive had both softtails and baggers and I honestly think my FLHX is better balanced and more maneuverable and user friendly then my Deluxe was but then again that thing had Apes on it as well. Gorgeous bike, just sucked for my 52mile each direction commute each day.

BJ

Dax · 08-13-2008, 07:46 AM

Yeah, what they all said!

sk8rod · 08-13-2008, 07:52 AM

well ok Dax,, but if you could just skim over it again to fill me in

Dax · 08-13-2008, 08:35 AM

Well ... deep breath ... she said, then he said, he said, she said, jap bike, no jap bike, small bike, big bike, harley no, harley yes, watch dvd, bike down, bike up ... whew, that's all I can remember!

My recommendation: Get A Trike!

Odd Job · 08-13-2008, 10:09 AM

ditto on the ditto on the ditto, ditto!!!

BobbyJimmie · 08-13-2008, 10:57 PM

Backing up the back up to the back up?

gunner11 · 08-14-2008, 01:18 PM

I think the Deluxe would fit you fine. You will get tired of the Sportster within 6 months and want something bigger. Check out the Ride like a Pro DVD, and when you see those 110 pound women throwing Electra Glides around like toys you'll see it's about technique, not size and strength. you can always adjust the bike to suit you.

Dynachic · 08-15-2008, 07:12 PM

Gee, where'd she go

Dax · 08-15-2008, 09:32 PM

I think you all ran her off!!! Frightening array of opinions and choices in this thread. But everyone worth reading. I actually know the girl and she has gotten on here and there to read the replies and looks like her head is spinning! Last I heard from a family member is that she is probably going to get something cheaper to start with and then eventually get her Harley. So those giving that advice out have triumphed over the road kings and deluxes as starter bikes!

Hops · 08-16-2008, 07:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dax

I think you all ran her off!!!

Ease up Doods, we need all the ladies we can attract. Otherwise it will get around that this is the Hairy Back Forum

Odd Job · 08-23-2008, 11:55 PM

Whatever happened to Laura who posted this thread..anyone heard what happened to her and what bike she finally selected????

sk8rod · 08-24-2008, 02:20 AM

yeah a few posts back Dax fired up something about her...

Odd Job · 08-24-2008, 05:40 AM

Ohhh...the "get a trike" thing?? Where's Dynachic too???? Haven't heard her around the board...she needs to team up with Peeps and HB!!

sk8rod · 08-24-2008, 06:55 AM

dynachic,, you mean a chic with a dyna... ace. now thats what we need

Hops · 09-10-2008, 10:46 PM

So who scared off Laura ? Maybe she is just riding.

sk8rod · 09-11-2008, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hops

So who scared off Laura ? Maybe she is just riding.

Ben did with all his ass stories...

Sarge4life · 09-11-2008, 04:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by laura

Thanks everybody! Ill try the deluxe and the dyna as well but theyy are probably too big for me. Just 20 and I don't think I could handle much above a sportster. I took MSF course but those were a lot smaller kawa cruizers. I don't think I'm ready for a bigger bike yet.

If you can ride a Sportster, you can ride anything. A Softail holds the road much better than a Sportster. Just my opinion, but I think Sportsters are the most difficult to ride bike Harley makes. I'm not hatin' on em, but they are tall and thin and the center of gravity is different. You sit "on" a Sportster, but you sit down "in" a Softail. My wife is only 5'3" and she throws my Street Glide around like it's nothin.

sk8rod · 09-11-2008, 06:29 AM

yeah thats true,, the big motors sit down and are easy to handle..

Dynachic · 09-19-2008, 04:18 PM

I'm still here. I hope she got the bike she wanted to start with. All these opinions are enough to make ones head spin. Shoot, when I was looking we came across a new Heritage for cheap. Sorry I didn't get it instead.... but, my Dyna is just fine for me...

As an aside, we were talking the other day and i mentioned I'd love to ride the heritage some day. All I heard was "Do you think you are ready to try it?" the last time I tried his bike it was the sporty Low and I dumped it!

I'll wait a little longer or I'll try renting one the next time we head to Az.

Odd Job · 09-19-2008, 07:17 PM

Welcome back Dyna Chic!!! We're happy, at least your riding!!!