To Harley Or Not To Harley, That Is The Question?

[la szum]

Thanks, MW! It was an amazing day, and much needed! Hit a Mom and Pop Harley shop 60 miles to
the South that is now on its 3rd generation of ownership, and been around 60 years. All 3 generations
were present today. Had them look over my bike since I have not had a Pro Mechanic lay eyes or hands on it.
They rolled it into their service department, had it on the lift for 90 minutes and charged me $107.

I was blown over.

Then I found a Dispo in the same town, and when I was shopping for some Flower a Singer-songwriter
who used to hire me to play guitar when he would do gigs with a full band yells, "Dave!" Had not
seen him in person in more than 5 years! He was buying Flower, too!

He had a solo Acoustic show at the Brewery this evening. So random. So cool!

After we parted I took the long way home!

 

[ᛗᛜᛜᚺDᛜᎶ Ꮤᛨᚳᚴ]

Thanks, MW! It was an amazing day, and much needed! Hit a Mom and Pop Harley shop 60 miles to
the South that is now on its 3rd generation of ownership, and been around 60 years. All 3 generations
were present today. Had them look over my bike since I have not had a Pro Mechanic lay eyes or hands on it.
They rolled it into their service department, had it on the lift for 90 minutes and charged me $107.

I was blown over.

Then I found a Dispo in the same town, and when I was shopping for some Flower a Singer-songwriter
who used to hire me to play guitar when he would do gigs with a full band yells, "Dave!" Had not
seen him in person in more than 5 years! He was buying Flower, too!

He had a solo Acoustic show at the Brewery this evening. So random. So cool!

After we parted I took the long way home!

Sounds like the day could not have gone much better! And I think it is good that you had a pro set of eyes give the bike a once over, it will set your mind in a more comfortable place for the season!! Keep on rollin' (bike and bud)!!!

 

[la szum]

Thanks! It was a priority to get it seen and touched. Now I have a timeline of scheduled
maintenance going forward, too. Oh, and 4 new strains to check out.

 

[TubeStack]

Hey, jumping in on your thread @la szum, hope that's okay and that things are getting better for you.

This seems to be where all the TGF motorbike talk is.

So I've settled on the 2024 Honda Transalp, for now. Looks perfect for what I'm seeking, Going to go check one out this afternoon!

 

[la szum]

I saw a $51,000 2024 Harley CVO yesterday.

 

[la szum]

Also a sweet ass Pan American for $21k.

 

[la szum]

Hey, jumping in on your thread @la szum, hope that's okay and that things are getting better for you.

This seems to be where all the TGF motorbike talk is.

So I've settled on the 2024 Honda Transalp, for now. Looks perfect for what I'm seeking, Going to go check one out this afternoon!

Sweet!

Look forward to hearing your thoughts on it.

 

[TSJMajesty]

I saw a $51,000 2024 Harley CVO yesterday.

Those CVO's were mid-20's in 02 when I bought my hundredth anniversary. Double in 22 years! smhid

 

[ᛗᛜᛜᚺDᛜᎶ Ꮤᛨᚳᚴ]

Those CVO's were mid-20's in 02 when I bought my hundredth anniversary. Double in 22 years! smhid

I paid $33k for my 100th Anniversary Screamin' Eagle Deuce brand now in 2003. Never the less, another 18k increase is WOW. That is almost a grand a year!! That CVO above though is right up my alley (in my dreams - I don't ride the two I have so STFU Wily) ;~))

 

[la szum]

The owner said his biggest sellers are the Trikes. They outsell everything else by a 2 to 1 margin.

Sounds like an aging demographic to me. Is Harley a legacy brand, and will young people jump
on board when all the geezers pass away?

 

[ᛗᛜᛜᚺDᛜᎶ Ꮤᛨᚳᚴ]

The owner said his biggest sellers are the Trikes. They outsell everything else by a 2 to 1 margin.

Sounds like an aging demographic to me. Is Harley a legacy brand, and will young people jump
on board when all the geezers pass away?

That amazes me because I can not imagine them having enough trikes in stock to out march the two wheeler numbers! When you looked at the inventory, did you see 50 trikes and 25 two wheelers?

 

[la szum]

He had no trikes in stock. They are sold faster than he can get them in stock. His words.

 

[TSJMajesty]

I paid $33k for my 100th Anniversary Screamin' Eagle Deuce brand now in 2003. Never the less, another 18k increase is WOW. That is almost a grand a year!! That CVO above though is right up my alley (in my dreams - I don't ride the two I have so STFU Wily) ;~))

Yeah I remember that Deuce. One was on the floor when I ordered my bike. My memory must be bad, cuz I thought they were about 5k more than my 100th, which was 20k, all in, airc.

 

[ᛗᛜᛜᚺDᛜᎶ Ꮤᛨᚳᚴ]

Yeah I remember that Deuce. One was on the floor when I ordered my bike. My memory must be bad, cuz I thought they were about 5k more than my 100th, which was 20k, all in, airc.

Here is a picture of mine (and it's brother my 2000 FLSTS - Heritage Springer Softail for which I paid $23K for brand new). Only upgrades from factory (which I did not include in my $33k) are racing ignition module, racing pipes, Arlen Ness mirrors and a seat I designed and had built by Corbin. Both of these bikes were bought in California, so maybe that added on some extra taxes and fees that you did not have on your experience ;~))

 

[duzie]

Just posting a pic of my cousins yellow bike .
He passed a year ago yesterday.

 

[TSJMajesty]

Here is a picture of mine (and it's brother my 2000 FLSTS - Heritage Springer Softail for which I paid $23K for brand new). Only upgrades from factory (which I did not include in my $33k) are racing ignition module, racing pipes, Arlen Ness mirrors and a seat I designed and had built by Corbin. Both of these bikes were bought in California, so maybe that added on some extra taxes and fees that you did not have on your experience ;~))

Yeah, there's definitely a 'locale-where-purchased' thing going on there, because I bought my '03 Electra Glide Classic in DE, and the $20k I paid also included Screamin Eagle pipes, an oil cooler, and something else that I can't recall. The dealer had a 1-time discount-when-you-purchase on any upgrades, so those items I believe added about a grand.

I also seem to remember shopping that bike at a couple other dealers, because, well, simple supply-and-demand factors. It certainly wasn't like buying a Mesa Boogie amp, where "the price is the price", no matter where you buy it.

So put all that together, and it might account for the differences. Or it could simply be my memory!

 

[TSJMajesty]

Just posting a pic of my cousins yellow bike .
He passed a year ago yesterday.
View attachment 24668

What do we got here... Lemme see how well I know my bikes...
Is that an Evo, a Triumph or BSA, and the last one a Shovelhead? Or maybe the yellow is also a Shovelhead, not sure.

 

[TubeStack]

Hey, jumping in on your thread @la szum, hope that's okay and that things are getting better for you.

This seems to be where all the TGF motorbike talk is.

So I've settled on the 2024 Honda Transalp, for now. Looks perfect for what I'm seeking, Going to go check one out this afternoon!

Just following up here. So, Ontario has a graduated licensing system and some pretty crazy issues getting insurance as a new rider, I'm learning. (I knew about the graduated licensing, but not the insurance difficulties.).

Being that it's so long since I've ridden, I'm classified as a new/beginner rider with insurance companies. In addition, I have to stay at the learner-permit level (M1) for 30 days, even though I will have taken the next level test by the end of the course next week (M2). And, there are very few companies that will insure an M1-level driver, and if they will, they'll only allow certain bikes.

So... I'm now looking at the Honda SCL500, their new Scrambler, as well as back to the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401, the latter of which I was interested in at the start of this, anyway. Transalp will have to wait, for now.

When I went to look at and sit on the Transalp (all I can do, at this point, lol), the SLC500 actually caught my eye too, and was a lot more comfortable/inviting at my returning-rider stage. Going to check it out again today, as well as the 401.

**Correction: it’s actually 60 M1/learning permit days, so basically the whole summer. **

 

[HomespunEffects]

I find riding on the street kind of boring. I like a dirt bike in the woods. Or in a big open field riding for no reason.

 

[TSJMajesty]

I find riding on the street kind of boring. I like a dirt bike in the woods. Or in a big open field riding for no reason.

In cities, I'd kind of agree. But up in the mountains, with the scenery, the temperature differences, and the twisting roads, man that's heaven for me!