OK, I thinking of getting a bike...calling all guys who know about hogs

**BWhitaker** · 04-07-2004, 03:27 PM

Ok, well i have been debating getting a nice bike for some time. First off, im not looking to get a crotch rocket (just not for me) and im also not looking to spend 25 g's on a harley but i have been looking to spend around 6000-8000 on a decent honda.

I have a few questions:

First...one can usually say about 100000-150000 miles on a car are when they are close to done (in general) but what about a bike?

Second...what are some good bikes that i could find in that money range?

**decadbal** · 04-07-2004, 03:31 PM

id rethink my view on harleys bro, you dont wanna be the guy on a honda......

**floyd_turbo** · 04-07-2004, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by decadbal

id rethink my view on harleys bro, you dont wanna be the guy on a honda......

---------------------------

its hard to compare bikes on mileage. some bikes can be beaten to **** or rode hard in a short time. u might wanna consider something like a honda shadow VT750C or VT125C... depends what features you want to have on your bike... not too sure the price range of those

**Xavier_4446** · 04-07-2004, 03:44 PM

My father has 3 harleys, and I have to say it is the only way to go. You can get you a fatboy for about 20K, or you can get you a good ultra classic for about 25K. All depends on what you want the bike for, just for short drives or for long road trips and traveling.

**5211969** · 04-07-2004, 03:44 PM

http://powersports.honda.com/motorcy...iser_standard/

**decadbal** · 04-07-2004, 03:48 PM

Originally Posted by Xavier_4446

My father has 3 harleys, and I have to say it is the only way to go. You can get you a fatboy for about 20K, or you can get you a good ultra classic for about 25K. All depends on what you want the bike for, just for short drives or for long road trips and traveling.

you must be talkin about fatboys 8 years ago, bc i have a new one and its 29k....

**BWhitaker** · 04-07-2004, 04:04 PM

man i wish that i could but i just dont have that kind of money.....

**decadbal** · 04-07-2004, 04:20 PM

look around, you dont need a brand new one, there are several places online to buy em cheaper and used......

**Tock** · 04-07-2004, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by backer123

Ok, well i have been debating getting a nice bike for some time. First off, im not looking to get a crotch rocket (just not for me) and im also not looking to spend 25 g's on a harley but i have been looking to spend around 6000-8000 on a decent honda.

I have a few questions:

First...one can usually say about 100000-150000 miles on a car are when they are close to done (in general) but what about a bike?

Second...what are some good bikes that i could find in that money range?

If you want a bike around 100k miles on it, you also want a bike with good parts availability. That's gonna limit you to either Honda or Harley.
If you'e willing to spend $6-8k, that'll get you a pretty new Honda.
http://powersports.honda.com/motorcycles/
New bikes:
$6,000 - Shadow Ace 750
7,400 - Magna
8100 - Shadow Spirit
9200 - VTX1300
And you can probably talk 'em down a few $$$, too, or maybe throw in a couple helmets, whatever.

I had a Kawasaki 500, and that thing had all sorts of acceleration, would out do any 4-wheeler for sure, and one time I had it up to 115 mph on a rural interstate (scary) with plenty more speed to offer. I'm just sayin' that a 500 cc engine is plenty for two wheels, 750 is more than enough, 1300 is just what you need to tow a house trailer behind ya, and I have no idea why they put 2000 cc (bigger than some car engines) on bikes.
I will say that if I ever get another bike, I'm gonna make sure that the tires are wider than the ones on my old Vulcan. Reason being that it's surprising how often you'll encounter 2" or 3" or 4" wide hollows in the road, and if you're not careful, you can get a tire caught, and maybe get messed up because of it. With wider tires, especially front tires, you can avoid those problems.

But for your price range, I don't see why you couldn't check out a shiny new rice burner. Just make sure you take that riders safety training class before you ride . . . usually free at your Honda dealership.

-Tock

**BWhitaker** · 04-07-2004, 04:30 PM

i wasnt saying i want a bike with 100000 miles...i was asking what is a general rule for the end limit for bike miles. LIke with cars, you could say 100000

**BWhitaker** · 04-07-2004, 04:32 PM

and i am not the kinda guy you will see on a crotch rocket...sorry

**HiFi** · 04-07-2004, 04:34 PM

harley sportster is like 8-9 grand, i was checking those out last year when i wanted to get a bike

**mfenske** · 04-07-2004, 04:35 PM

Originally Posted by decadbal

id rethink my view on harleys bro, you dont wanna be the guy on a honda......

True dat, I'd hate to be seen on a bike that's a third the cost and three times as reliable. Speaking of Harleys I got a joke:
What's the difference between a Harley Davidson and a Hoover vacuum?

The position of the dirtbag. J/K

Mark

**decadbal** · 04-07-2004, 04:58 PM

everyone is always jealous of harley's so they badmouth em, its ok, when honda has stood the test of time, you can make harley jokes.... its like the chopper thing..fad, and boring

**mfenske** · 04-07-2004, 05:04 PM

Dude, I'm from Wisconsin. I like Harleys. I just don't think their expense is worth it. Honda has been making bikes for nearly 50 years. How much longer do you want them to do it before you give them credit. At least they update things more than once a 1/4 century. This year's Harley Sportster is the first update since at least the early 80's. Mark

**Dude-Man** · 04-07-2004, 05:16 PM

Big ol legs knows a little about hogs..

**floyd_turbo** · 04-07-2004, 05:20 PM

Originally Posted by decadbal

everyone is always jealous of harley's so they badmouth em, its ok, when honda has stood the test of time, you can make harley jokes.... its like the chopper thing..fad, and boring

sh!t bro IMO harley has the worst customer service i've ever seen. between buying a harley and getting it in the shop... thats enough to make a normal guy lose his sh!t. i think independent bikes are partially a result of this

**floyd_turbo** · 04-07-2004, 05:22 PM

decadbal

i like your new handle

**BWhitaker** · 04-07-2004, 05:33 PM

anyone wanna help me with my miles question....

**monster.** · 04-07-2004, 07:50 PM

If a bike as more then 10,000 miles on it, thats considered alot.. Compression starts to go, seals, clutch, trans, etc. You'll end up dumping money in it to rebuild it soon.. (Comparable to say a car with 100,000 miles) First, for your very first bike, never buy a brand new bike.. You can find something used, to learn on - then if you enjoy it and ride it as much as you thought you would, then you go and lay the cash down for something really nice.. If you want a cruiser, you should be able to find an original owner, something a lil older for CHEAP (3,000 to 5,000).. Look in the paper, and here it comes again, 'do some research'

Cruisers are a dime a dozen..

Good luck

I like choppers, and no i'm not going to fork over 50,000 for a custom ride.. I'm building my own basket case this winter, for much less

**bornbad71** · 04-07-2004, 07:52 PM

Bro u might want to pm bigol'legs...........he knows all about riding big hairy hogs.hahahahaha

**decadbal** · 04-07-2004, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by floyd_turbo

decadbal

i like your new handle

thanks bro, my boys at the gym call me that....lol

**Tock** · 04-07-2004, 08:36 PM

If you'e willing to spend $6-8k, that'll get you a pretty new Honda.
http://powersports.honda.com/motorcycles/
New bikes:
$6,000 - Shadow Ace 750
7,400 - Magna
8100 - Shadow Spirit
9200 - VTX1300

Originally Posted by backer123

and i am not the kinda guy you will see on a crotch rocket...sorry

Um, check 'em out . . . these ain't no crotch rockets . . .
-Tock

**BWhitaker** · 04-07-2004, 08:45 PM

Tock,

I wasnt refering to your comment when i said i wouldnt buy a crotch rocket...someone else said i should check into them.

As far as the hondas are concerned....those are what i am looking at

**Xavier_4446** · 04-08-2004, 07:49 AM

I don't know the auctual price. Dad I think might have some pull in at the shop where he usually lives there. If you get a Harley please don't get a sportster. It is a bike made for a woman.

**Philliagorillia** · 04-08-2004, 12:25 PM

If you need any help with harleys or cstom bikes lemme know, that all i did from the time i got outta highschool until about 8 months ago when i finally quit. I worked with choppers all day long. But these guys are definetly right, stick with a harley or even a custom bike, and yes you can get a custom bike for under 10g's no joke and they are good bikes...

**decadbal** · 04-08-2004, 02:14 PM

just get a moped and be done with it.

**BWhitaker** · 04-08-2004, 04:14 PM

Yeah i was doing some research on the Honda Shadow Aero 750. Seems like a decent bike for a first one and the reviews seem good. I dont know what im going to do...so many questions and stuff.

**5211969** · 04-08-2004, 04:20 PM

[QUOTE=monster.]If a bike as more then 10,000 miles on it, thats considered alot.. Compression starts to go, seals, clutch, trans, etc. You'll end up dumping money in it to rebuild it soon.

For your info BMW motorcycles can go over 100,000 before there first scheduled maitnance.. There cylinder walls are made of Nikasil( Nickel and silicone), Torn down after 50k+ miles, showed almost no wear what so ever, the walls and rings look almost perfect. My motorcycle instructor at Motorcycle Mechanics Institute used to be a factory BMW mechanic, made 50.00hr on electrical diagnostics, that took him ten minutes to find. Then the price of labor and parts on top of it. He made alot of money..

Back on the subject. So what you're saying is that you can only get 3 oil changes out of a bike before it needs to be replaced, or high priced labor needs to be done. For that matter, You're saying that you need to rebuild things such as engine, clutch, seals, and trans work, even before the tires get worn out ? Seems to me there not worth the price you have to pay for them if you could only get 3 yrs out of them.

Where ever you heard that, you got bunk info,

As far as Harleys go. The best harley is a DEAD harley. Most of you fail to realize that every part of the electronics is made elswhere, Japan, korea. The plugs are Korean.. The only thing you can say about it truley being an American made motorcycle, is that it was assembled in U.S.A.. Oh and the Engine..WHOOHOOOO Come on guys get real. Harleys have and always will suck donkey a$$ !!!

**abstrack** · 04-08-2004, 04:24 PM

Originally Posted by decadbal

id rethink my view on harleys bro, you dont wanna be the guy on a honda......

ditto!

You could find a harley used for 8k , and I am not talking about a sportster.

**floyd_turbo** · 04-08-2004, 04:30 PM

for mileage i'd say between 60 000 - 90 000 pending on what type of bike you want and how you use the bike (long trips, highway miles...etc) in between that range she's getting broken in pretty good

**Tock** · 04-08-2004, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by backer123

Yeah i was doing some research on the Honda Shadow Aero 750. Seems like a decent bike for a first one and the reviews seem good. I dont know what im going to do...so many questions and stuff.

You could go sit on one and see how it fits. When you sit on a bike, you want your forearms paralell to the ground. The more you get away from that, the more uncomfortable the bike will be on trips.
I'm 6' 1" tall, long-ish legs and I felt cramped on the Honda cruisers, but you might not.
Um, if you're considering a bike for long trips, I'd recommend another type that allows you sit in a more upright position, else you'll find it very uncomfortable. Maybe a Nighthawk (an excellent all-around bike) or a used Pacific Coast 800 (a baby Goldwing) if you can find one. Nice thing about the PC800's is it comes with a locking trunk that'll hold 2 helmets. Just the thing for a quick trip to the grocery store, or for stashing "stuff" while stopping in a restaurant . . .
But if your cruiser will be mostly for around town, trips of 90 minutes or less, you'll be fine.

Just something else to consider . . .
-Tock