steve is dead right there crook, if your rushing out to buy the bike on the off chance it might be dearer in a few months time then thats not a good reason to buy it. If you buy a bike that you dont like then that money you thought you were saving (maybe) will pale into insignificance.  You havent owned a harley for 67 years so whats the rush ? I will say this again- take 2 or 3 for a test ride and you will learn more about harleys in one afternoon than you have in your 67 years.

If you look at the wear pattern on tyres of other peoples bikes you can tell how far they lean. I have never seen a Harley tyre scrubbed out to the edges. At your time in life I think comfort should be most important. I do see a few bikes for sale because there to heavy for their owners. I suggest you go to the dealers with a mate who is licenced and can take you for the ride on different bikes, at least you get a little bit of an idea what you like. I like the Buell [xb12s] idea.

OK I'm a bit slow but I'm getting the message. I'll take my son in law down and test ride a few bikes. Cut me some slack though guys I've been hanging out for this for a long time. I just wanna do it.

I'm really warming to the Dyna Super Glide Custom. Cheaper than the Softy by a good bit ant it looks good too. Opinions?
Thanks again all.

 Hey there crook knees, I know you've been kinda set on Softys for a while, but if you want to corner hard, go a dyna Super Glide. My mateTim S.G, really CAN ride, & has had numerous makes of bikes before buying his S.G. I've been on plenty of twisty stuff with him before, and sometimes I've got a job to keep up with him.  They'd be the better handling Harley out there at the moment. My Softy is more of a cruiser, but I don't mind pushing the limit from time to time for that extra rush. 

Dyna = cheaper than a softy = more money for mods, if you want to go fast through corners buy a sporty, the lean angle difference wont slow you down a heavier bike will. (look at the battles between the Torana and the GT, Torrie quick in the corners, GT on the straights, its all relative) Why do ya reckon they have a Sporty class to race in. The Dyna has a lot of bang for your buck.

But by far the best bit is cruisin at a speed that matches your ability and just enjoying the ride.

The one thing i would add is,, cornering on a scooter is a massively different technique than on any sort of harley..  So be aware that even though you like fangin it on the scoot, a harley is a totally different experience on all the different models..

 

sorry crookneez but you may want to take a step back and have a think not wanting to destroy you dream of owning a Harley or a big bike for that but I think you you need to relax a bit an learn to ride and enjoy a motorcycle first before you get hurt or hurt some one else as I don't wish to hear about another statistic which may or not be your fault but cages are out to get all of us and if ask any Harley rider they will tell you the same thing Harleys don't handle or stop the best no matter what modal thay
are . one of my friends in his earley 40s just brought a 650vstar as his first bike which he will be keeping for a year or two before he upgrades to big us vtwin as
others have said there not light even the biggest and strongest Harley rider has almost dropped there bike buy just moving it around and as I know bones take along time to heal and at your age its something you may never recover from .

Hey Crookneez , the last couple of pieces of advice are pretty spot on ... by all means follow your dream but don`t rush it just because of the declining dollar ... there is a old saying that " if it is meant to be then it will be " ... and just on the weight thing , my 2008 Softail is 350 Kg`s give or take , one of my old Susuki`s was only 250 Kg`s and it was a big 1400 GSX ... a 100 Kg`s is a big difference and I would imagine your scooter most likely isn`t even pushing the 100 Kg mark .

I know from your post that you are concerned that if you don't do it now you never will but what about investing in a good quality Low Rider or something like that and then when you get off your restrictive license do a few rider training courses and then if for what ever reason you think it isn`t for you then you should be able to get most of your money back or even all of it depending on the market at the time because one thing is for sure as long as you don`t buy a lemon a Harley will always hold it`s value more than nearly any other bike on the planet .

Just one thing though if you did go that way try and restrain yourself from spending any money on Bling and other goodies until you are sure the Harley is for you because they can be a Bloody addictive thing ... not as bad as other addictions to be sure but the old wallet will never be the same ... one could argue that is a great form of therapy as it makes one feel good riding them and working on them and polishing them after you have spent your hard earned on some new shiny gizmo , Lol .

Anyhow Crookneez good luck with your decision ... Tim .

Yeah, also agree with the above two posts.

From experience, I can tell you it's all too easy to start thinking your a Mick Doohan when riding through the twisties....it's a great buzz, but once you start pushing it, the risk really goes up. It's surprising how many unexpected complications can arise to spoil your day. I'd say, as an inexperienced rider, you should make sure your head is in the right place and just aim to get out on your bike and enjoy it...but don't push it. Old bones are slow to heal, and it's no fun knowing your pride and joy is just a pile of scrap metal.

Other than that, I wouldn't swap my softy for anything, I know her limits, but I dig the style.

Whew, these are all things I've sort of considered, particularly old bones taking time to repair. I think, think I'm smart enough now (as an old codger) not to do stupid stuff.

Look I guess my real problem is, as many of you have said, I have no idea about what a Harley ride is. I concede my enthusiasm might have been running away with me so I've reconsidered and I'm going to do a Q-Ride here with the same bloke I did it before.

I'm also going to get my son-in-law to come down and sit me on the back of a couple of bikes and experience the whole thing. Having said that, I'm leaning towards the Dyna Super Glide at this stage.

Thanks all.

Dynas handle better than softails but they also vibrate a heap more to the extent that you need to locktite a heap of your bolts to stop parts falling off. Whilst the vibration might not be a big deal for some it is something to be aware of as the counter balanced softail engine does make for an easier and more comfortable ride IMHO.

Another Harley to consider if you want something lighter with arguably better handling, braking and performance is the vrod.

If you were down in Melbourne you cod take th old FXR ou for a test ride.

Go the Superglide , great handling bike , and good value . Get forwards fitted later if the mids are too cramped . My personal and biased opinion .

Plenty to think about Krookneez, forget about lean angles and trying to save a few dollars. Get something that you like the look of and that feels right. Whatever you choose, you will need to go easy on it for a while until you get more experienced and used to the handling of it. Rider ability affects cornering more that what bike you are on. I'm the first to admit that I can't keep up with anyone through the twisty bits, but who gives a shit! Any HD will be a big step up from the scooter, just enjoy it.

hey there crook, i think some of us might have got the wrong idea about your original post. i was a bit worried that you were thinking you could hammer through the bends but that was because you used the word leaning twice.   you have been given a fair few good advisory comments and im sure you are more informed now. what i would like to know is how lean can a 105kg,67year old be?  best of luck to you mate.

Don't mean to point out the obvious but debating whether a Softie or a Dyna handles better is like two blind guys talking about the sunset. You want a big twin that handles you have to look at the frame (forget your lean angles and so forth) and there is only one answer: FXR. Massively underrated and therefor can be picked up for a pittance. Spend the rest on your caravan crookdude...

Obviously you are pretty keen on owning a Harley and all but sold on the Super Glide.

Just do it mate, you won't regret it. However, take your time to get used to the bigger bike.