I have it on my Allstate policy, though I guess I'm pretty much doubling up on that between it and my other health insurance.

You get a discount from all of them if you have had a "rider safety" course in the last couple years.

love the striple.

That seems high... do you ride a sportbike?

I'm pretty sure my insurance is like $150/year and I have coverage on the bike in addition to liability, etc...

The cost of maintenance, parts and gear also tend to eat the savings you'd otherwise be getting in fuel economy. Some bikes rip through a set of tires in 3k miles.

My bike is a bit cheaper than either of my cars on a per-mile basis, but the difference isn't as dramatic as I'd hope.

some seriously good looking bikes ITT.

Holy crap that's cheap. I have a clean driving record, 10+ years riding experience and I'm married and I pay something like $850 a year for liability + $200 for fire/theft (no collision).


Nice collection MSchu...whatcha got under the tarp?

I built this bobber from a stock Honda Rebel 250. Sadly, in a moment of weakness I sold it - I rarely rode it and had pangs of guilt for owning 2 motorcycles and a car.

I also have a Kawasaki VN900 (cruiser) that I ride just about everyday. I customized that one pretty heavily too and must admit it is pretty bad ass

Don't have any good pics of the VN900 to upload on this computer, but I will at some point in the near future.

A man after my own heart. Love the heat tape.

750 Aprilia Shiver. Just a naked, but it'll go a little bit.

Thanks! I love your Victory too. Awesome looking bike... Isn't this man love sweet

When I saw this thread I fully expected it to be all sport bikes because of the 2+2 demographic. I was pleasantly surprised to see a Harley in the OP.

I have no problem with sport bikes but have been a cruiser fan my whole life. Just like the aesthetic and vibe more. I like old school looking bikes best: bobbers, cafe racers, etc. Sport bikes look like they came off of the Tron movie set to me. I don't want to wear the tights CLU wears either.

To the sport bike riders: I'm just kidding. Can I ride your bike?

Someone made a comment about the chopper guy riding 30 miles from bar to bar, and I'm not sure whats wrong with that. Sounds like fun to me. Sometimes I'll ride to Pahrump get a couple of beers and head right back.

Anyone in the Vegas area who wants to go on a ride to Mt. Charleston or something, let me know...

Here's my VN900. I stripped it down and painted it with truck bedliner and a light mist of copper flake. The finish is flat but the flakes sparkle in the sun, so it is a pretty unusual look. I blacked out most of the chrome, put on mini-apes, saddlebags, and aftermarket exhaust. Next will probably be white wall tires.

Looks better without the bags obv, but, without them, I couldn't ride it everyday.

getting my M1 early next week (beginners). plans got thwarted last year to buy a bike after writing my new car off a couple of weeks after getting licensed to drive.

This thread has inspired me once again and gonna make it happen! Plus been driving my friends bike a bit. Have a new love for sports bikes. Insurance is gonna be ridic, but o well.

Sweet rides guys.

I'm about 80% sure I'm buying a used CBRF4i or CBR600RR within the next couple of months. Thankfully insurance won't be as bad as I thought. Grocery shopping is going to suck without a car though...

**** I always liked cruisers but when I saw that Victory vegas I almost came. Too expensive for me tho. Hmmm maybe I could trade my car for one.

If you only have the one vehicle why make it a sport bike?

I know its what you crave, but a cruiser would be much more practical: saddlebags, greater comfort (for you and a passenger). At least you can pick up small amounts of groceries and other odds and ends. It sucks to over-stuff a backpack and have an uncomfortably large and heavy hump stuck to your back.

This might get me flamed but I think people who ride cruisers tend to ride more often, just because it is actually convenient enough to do so.

Yeah they are great looking bikes. I've seen a low miles 2006 used for $6k on craigslist. Definitely not too expensive...considerably cheaper than a comparable Harley(where you are paying thousands for the name plate).

I'll likely end up buying a beater car in the future for everything that can't be done on the bike. I don't rely on a vehicle that much because I live within walking distance of most things that I need, so in my case a car may be as impractical as a sportbike.

Yeah maybe. My bike is a toy that I ride periodically - it's not a day to day thing. I never ride in the rain, so it's not a primary mode of transportation.

Hater

I never understood Harleys. It seems like they're always falling apart but people love them anyhow. Perhaps I have a warped conception based on limited data.

Don't get me wrong... I LOVE Harleys. They are the best looking bikes imo, and they have metal where lots of metric cruisers have plastics, etc.

But there is no way you can reasonably say that the price difference between a metric and a Harley is relative to a difference in the machine itself.

My bike is a fuel injected, liquid cooled 900cc and I got it used with 1700 miles on it for $4k.

You could get a considerably older 883 sportster for that price but it is a smaller and less capable bike than the VN900 (talking about frame size not engine size).

If money were no object, I would buy a Harley, but what can I say...I'm cheap

Plus I like tearing my bikes apart and customizing them, and that is a lot scarier of a process, when considering resale value on a $10k+ machine.

I believe the general consensus is that the AMF year (70s and early 80s) Harleys were very unreliable. The modern bikes are extremely reliable, but the bad reputation persists (similar to the legacy reputation that plagues American cars).

I believe, nowadays, just about any manufacturer of cars and bikes puts out good solid products. There will always be lemons and problems endemic to specific models, but that is true regardless of the country of origin. The VN900, for instance, has a problem with the stator failing with relatively low mileage, but it only affects a certain % of bikes.

I was just messing with you. I used to ride metric cruisers myself. The metrics come with much more value for the dollar. I also own a R1

The older harleys were trash, I can remember my dad working on his junkers daily. I will tell you though, the 2 newer Harleys that I have owned (06 night train, and current 08 streetglide) have gave me no problems what so ever. On the other hand, My R1 has been in the shop numerous times. I believe almost all bikes that are currently being built are good quailty machines. You can find a lemon in any line.

I know... but its very easy to be overly defensive on a metric cruiser.

As you know there are 2 distinct types of Harley owners: ones who like motorcycles of all shapes, size, and brands... and douchebags.

You are clearly of the former camp

BTW, I love the Streetglide. Rock on!