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I'm really glad that I read a lot of the posts here concerning what bike to get. The more I read, I realized the wisdom in getting a less powerful bike for your first.

About myself, I'm 26, 5'11" and 185-190lbs, and have been thinking about getting a motorcycle. I've never ridden a motorcycle before and I'm planning on taking the MSF course as soon as I can find an open spot.

This is the part where you'll probably laugh...the bike I was planning on getting was the H-D Night Rod Special... However, after reading all these posts, something a lot less powerful then this cruiser might be the best thing to do. So, I guess my question is...what is a good cruiser for a beginner? Are there any H-D's that are good for beginners?

Thanks for the advice in advance.

Harley's 883 Sportster is considered their entry-level bike. I'm not a cruiser guy, so I can't answer your other question. Generally 500-650's are suggested for starter cruisers.

Like Kibigari said, the 883 is considered their entry level, but honestly even it's got more power and weight than we like to recommend around here for beginners.

Not sure if you're new into the world of bikes or how you've been indoctrinated, but metric bikes are not bad (see sig) You might want to look at a Honda Shadow, a Suzuki Boulevard C50, a Kawasaki Vulcan 750, something along those lines...

As for the Night Rod Special. Now that's a sexy bike!
Wrider

I have an 883 and i love it. When you take a MSF class, you'll learn how to ride on a much smaller bike and the transition to the 883 is a bit scary at first but it's definately forgiving if you make a mistake on it. I've had my fair share of mistakes and close calls which probably would have ended up probably killing me on a bigger bike. I will agree on the weight issue though. It feels a bit heavy (i think it weighs in at a bit under 600lbs) for what it actually is when you compare it to the bigger Harleys and I think that might just because it has a relatively high center of gravity. My dad's Heritage Classic feels "lighter" to me (definately not though at 750 lbs). The sporty is very maneuverable though. I love mine and definatley recommend it.

The Sportster is OK. It's a little top-heavy and doesn't have quite that low-slung cruiser look (and if you get a pre-04 it'll vibrate your brains out), but it's a nice bike. My first 50 miles ever were on an 80s Sportster and I had no troubles. And, rather importantly for many, it's an H-D.

That said, you'd IMO be well-advised to go with one of the smaller Japanese cruisers for your first bike, though. The V-Star, Shadow, and Boulevard are, for all intents and purposes, slightly smaller and lighter versions of the H-D cruisers. Easier to handle, harder to drop, etc. And you can get one for about the same price as the 883.

Wrider wrote:Like Kibigari said, the 883 is considered their entry level, but honestly even it's got more power and weight than we like to recommend around here for beginners.

Not sure if you're new into the world of bikes or how you've been indoctrinated, but metric bikes are not bad (see sig) You might want to look at a Honda Shadow, a Suzuki Boulevard C50, a Kawasaki Vulcan 750, something along those lines...

As for the Night Rod Special. Now that's a sexy bike!
Wrider

Yeah...I agree...the Night Rod special is sexy...heh.

I have a coworker that has an 883, and he's also recommended that bike as well.

Taking the advice here, I will go check out some Japanese cruisers but will I have any issue with resale when I decide to eventually move to the night rod? It seems that the H-D's keep their value well, at least compared to the Japanese bikes.

Also, in line with the 883's...I did notice the 1200 Nightster...is there a significant difference as to riding difficulty from the 883's? I really like the blacked-out look.

lakbum wrote:I have a coworker that has an 883, and he's also recommended that bike as well.

Taking the advice here, I will go check out some Japanese cruisers but will I have any issue with resale when I decide to eventually move to the night rod? It seems that the H-D's keep their value well, at least compared to the Japanese bikes.

Also, in line with the 883's...I did notice the 1200 Nightster...is there a significant difference as to riding difficulty from the 883's? I really like the blacked-out look.

Well, I'd recommend a used bike to start with as opposed to new.

You don't want to be heartbroken when you scratch or drop your bike.

And no, resale won't be much of an issue if you buy used. Expect to take a small hit if you buy new and look to dump it in 2 years.

The nightster is a relatively quick bike and there's a definate difference in power between an 883 and 1200. I wouldn't start on a 1200.

If you want the blacked out look, you can always buy black engine cases.

lakbum wrote:Taking the advice here, I will go check out some Japanese cruisers but will I have any issue with resale when I decide to eventually move to the night rod? It seems that the H-D's keep their value well, at least compared to the Japanese bikes.

The smaller metrics keep a decent resale value; if you buy a used one, chances are when you're ready to move up you'll be able to sell it for close to what you paid for it. The guy that bought my Rebel for $2600 will be able to turn around in a year or two and sell it for $2500 easily.

You'll take the depreciation hit on buying new, but still...bikes hold reasonable resale value.

If the Harley is what makes your heart flutter, though, the 883 isn't unreasonable to start on. Lots of people do, and they manage just fine. I think it only puts out about 45 HP, right around what a Honda VLX does. Bigger engine, sure, but it's not a power crazy bike. It's top heavy, as has been pointed out, but if you spend some time doing parking lot practice you'll get the feel for it.