Been thinking about buying one for the last 20 years but kids and a mortgage made spending that much money on a bike feel selfish.

Now that 3 of the 4 kids have moved out of home and the 1st house is paid off I can finally afford one without feeling like I'd be doing the rest of the family out of their fair share.

Cause i like orange.

Imo the Jap bikes i owned were too clinical and uncomfortable.

The overall low running costs , sound of the Harley engine and cruizey riding style that goes with it got me in. Cool factor 10.

My real answer is in here..
http://www.hdforums.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=71&forumid=15&postid=513365&view=topic

 

My Father had a Harley when I was growing up, and have always loved them, had a couple of Jap bikes before kids and mortgages got in the way, when the time came to get a bike again, there was only one choice

The look of a Harley, the sound, the great ride,
& people look & stare when they hear it coming!

The other makes of bikes where to fast for me I wanted something slower

 I've always liked Harley's, from way back as a kid. Loved watching two of Clint Eastwoods' movies Every which way but loose, & Every which way you can, where he has run ins with the local biker group. I've loved that distinct Harley engine note, & the first time I came up close to a Harley was in my mid to late teens. The bike in question was a black Fatboy, which a family friend had detailed it, ready for a wedding. I just love cruisers, & don't care much for crotch rockets as I'd end up a cripple after an hour on one of those things, due to my lower back problems. I've had dirt bikes before, but decided that I'd end up seriously injured or worse if I continued riding way outside my limits. So it was a ten year riding absence and a fellow wok mate, who happened to have an 04 Softail, that finally caused that riding bug to bite again. Gee, I love the look of that rear fender. I ended up buying my own Softail after a year and a half of hard saving towards a stalled car restoration project. Now this was my one time opportunity of owning a Harley, without having to take out a loan, which I hate doing. Basically everything I own, I've paid for in cash, & I've only had 1 loan before, never again....... too much stress for me. Anyhow, I guess you're all tired of my ramblings, so I will leave it at that. Love my bike, and will never get rid of it under any circumstance.

Cheers, Ash.

 

 

 

 

 

Well the first shovel i owned I got for a damm good price and I was hooked from that time on.

By the time I got through lookin, it was too late and too far to walk home from the Harley dealer.

I know June that's part of life
I will never ride as fast as them boys in the 120 club
that's why I ride a evo 80 cube to put around on

For me it's the unmistakeable sound of a Harley, there are some nice looking Jap cruisers out there I like the Honda Fury and the Suzuki Intruder 1400 (which I own) but when I get on my Harley and start her and I hear that sweet music coming from the exhaust pipes I instantly have a grin from ear to ear and I'm in heaven.

                                                                                                                                                                       

I couldn't find a bike that did my assless chaps justice, so I bought a Harley. Now I have lot's of friends.......lol....

Seriously folks, I always wanted one! Even as a boy I dreamt of riding a Harley...so cooooool.....

Got old, had the coin, thought "why not!", did it, now happy. Simple really.

I couldn't find a bike that did my assless chaps justice, so I bought a Harley. Now I have lot's of friends.......lol....

Seriously folks, I always wanted one! Even as a boy I dreamt of riding a Harley...so cooooool.....

Got old, had the coin, thought "why not!", did it, now happy. Simple really.

How do you delete a post?

because i wanted to join the hog club and wear one of there back patchers

Most guys rode other bikes for years before changing to a Harley, I started riding to get one. Wanted one for years and now as an empty nester I had my chance.

Just a old dog learning new tricks. Woof Woof.

Hey there Glucky. Your not bad ass enough for the hoggies. ha

the reason i bought a harley is because im getting older and i was scaring myself on the big jap bikes. i went through the mortage thing and thought to myself, self if you dont slow down your gonna fuck yourself. so i bought a fatboy and only scrape the floorboards occasionally. i could not be happier with the bike. 20 grand well spent

Seems like a few based their decision on the same factors.

Rode sportsbikes on the road for about the last 12-15 years.. did many, many silly things on them, and one day (surprisingly wasn't doing anything stupid) got collected by a van in the city.. the hospital became home for about 3 weeks after that. The mrs and family made me promise not to ride on the road again. So I bought a race bike and took up track racing (sold it to the fam with the whole "controlled environment, no cars" etc argument)... loved racing and riding skill improved out of sight. Then landed a new job that soaked up all my time... no more mid-week practice days, limited track days, etc.. so the bike sat there for ages doing nothing. Bought a dirtbike (grew up on dirtbikes), but a shortage of mates that ride on dirt meant trips out bush were few and far between. Enter the Harley. It was the only way I could sell riding on the road again to the mrs and fam... they're slower, don't turn as fast and don't stop as well, so i'd be less likely to try silly stuff on it and would just enjoy it for cruising.. and I can honestly stand by that now that I have one. I can't say the handling is confidence inspiring through the twisty stuff, and the brakes... well they've given me a few frights already.. but the bike is just so different to anything else I've owned. Whilst the jap sportsbikes are refined and precise, the Harley is raw and it doesn't give a f**k. I don't need to be doing 250+ to get a grin from the Harley, the sound of it underneath you, the beauty of the simplistic design, the fact that I want to get on it whenever I can says it all. Horses for courses I think.. whilst the jappers are good for the track, Harley's are perfect for the road. They have so much more presence and character about them as well. The ride is just so different... instead of jumping on the bike and putting yourself in 'street race' mode, coming home surprised to be alive, sweating with your heart rate through the roof... the Harley encourages you to enjoy the ride, take it easy, and soak it all up.