So I went to the Harley Dealers yesterday and ..........

[HYPERR]

It might be a good idea to get a used Japanese cruiser as your first bike, that way you can concentrate on gaining road skills without having to worry about maintenance issues (for the most part) and reliability issues.

What are you implying here?

yes I was trying to start trouble...

[BRUMBEAR]

Get a Buell an XB 9 CityX if you can find one they are by far 1000 times better than any sportster the only thing they share in comon is a couple cases. The Buell is by far the funnest most usable motorcycle I have ever owned and extremly reliable also HD is honoring warrentee's for the next 7 years anyway
here is the find a buell website there are 399 left in the world get a piece of history
http://www.buell.com/en_us/tools/find-a-bike/index.asp

[Gummiente]

It might be a good idea to get a used Japanese cruiser as your first bike, that way you can concentrate on gaining road skills without having to worry about maintenance issues (for the most part) and reliability issues.

What are you implying here?

Some people just can't let go of the AMF days.

[ceemes]

It might be a good idea to get a used Japanese cruiser as your first bike, that way you can concentrate on gaining road skills without having to worry about maintenance issues (for the most part) and reliability issues.

What are you implying here?

Some people just can't let go of the AMF days.

Judging from their recent corporate decisions, one can't help but wonder if they are not slowly returning to the AMF days. HD was basically rescued from oblivion by a group of motorcycle/Harley enthusiasts (and a nice bit of protectionist aid from the US Government) back in the '80s. Now once again it seems to company is being run by bean counters with little or no passion or clue about motorcycling. Doesn't bode well for the company.

But I digress, since this is the OP's first bike, it sort of makes sense to start off with a used machine, and used Japanese cruisers such as the Honda Shadow 750 range are usually cheaper then a used Sporter and somewhat easier and cheaper to maintain IMHO that is. Got nothing against Harleys, they do make nice tractors.

And I am still amazed that a dealership salesperson actually recommended that a newbie rider actually start off on a smaller bike.......

[HYPERR]

Judging from their recent corporate decisions, one can't help but wonder if they are not slowly returning to the AMF days. HD was basically rescued from oblivion by a group of motorcycle/Harley enthusiasts (and a nice bit of protectionist aid from the US Government) back in the '80s. Now once again it seems to company is being run by bean counters with little or no passion or clue about motorcycling. Doesn't bode well for the company.

I don't like this Wandell(new CEO) guy one bit. He is a non-rider poser motorcylist wannabe who blatantly stated he could not understand why anyone would want to ride a sportbike. And this is a guy that is supposed to lure new younger buyers into Harley's rapidly aging demographics? Buell was doomed from the day Wandell set foot on Juneau Avenue. In his mind, he could not get rid of Buell fast enough.
The board handing the steering wheel to a non rider poser like Wandell is so ironic considering the company was rescued from AMF by bunch of true motorcycle enthusiasts.
I hope I'm wrong but I don't see a bright future for HD with this moron steering the wheel.

[Gummiente]

Harley Davidson, even though it makes motorcycles, is a BUSINESS first and foremost. Having it run by a group of enthusiasts worked well for a long time, but that time is coming to an end. And that means some nasty decisions have been and will continue to be made as it tries to stay afloat while the traditional customer base, um... "dies off", for want of a better term.

Every time the economy hiccups, people line up to gleefully predict the demise of Harley. And every time Harley manages to find a way to pull through and survive. They have a history of making unpopular and seemingly stupid decisions, but they're still building motorcycles and will probably continue to do so for a few years yet. Yes, it sucks that Buell and MV Augusta were never brought to their full potential. Funny, though, how the people who chest thump about Buell's demise seem to forget how much scorn and ridicule was initially heaped upon the brand in its formative years. People laughed at the very idea of a sport bike with a Harley heritage... now they're crying because it's gone. Go figure.

In the mean time, Harley still continues to sell pretty much every bike it makes (albeit in smaller numbers these past two years). Including the 883 Sportster, which I believe is what the OP of this thread was asking about.

[HYPERR]

Harley Davidson, even though it makes motorcycles, is a BUSINESS first and foremost. Having it run by a group of enthusiasts worked well for a long time, but that time is coming to an end. And that means some nasty decisions have been and will continue to be made as it tries to stay afloat while the traditional customer base, um... "dies off", for want of a better term.

Every time the economy hiccups, people line up to gleefully predict the demise of Harley. And every time Harley manages to find a way to pull through and survive. They have a history of making unpopular and seemingly stupid decisions, but they're still building motorcycles and will probably continue to do so for a few years yet. Yes, it sucks that Buell and MV Augusta were never brought to their full potential. Funny, though, how the people who chest thump about Buell's demise seem to forget how much scorn and ridicule was initially heaped upon the brand in its formative years. People laughed at the very idea of a sport bike with a Harley heritage... now they're crying because it's gone. Go figure.

In the mean time, Harley still continues to sell pretty much every bike it makes (albeit in smaller numbers these past two years). Including the 883 Sportster, which I believe is what the OP of this thread was asking about.

Gummiente, do you like this guy Wandell?

[Gummiente]

Gummiente, do you like this guy Wandell?

I don't like ANY suit.

[HYPERR]

Gummiente, do you like this guy Wandell?

I don't like ANY suit.

they don't wear suits at HD do they?

Willie G doesn't, does he?

[BRUMBEAR]

Buell will be back soon enough I am not worried about that but if I had a harley tattoo I would be a little nervous right now they might have a different feeling when they start making them in India. and Totta int. owns a piece of them a big piece cause they h-d is currtly 72% off last year and they don't own a shipping or car or music biusness