I just received my motorcycle endorsement from the DMV after taking a MSF sponsored course. I am stoked and ready to ride. I am looking for my first motorcycle and I am having a hard time deciding on a bike. I have gotten alot of negative feedback on Harly-Davison (HD). Most comments are: just unreliable bikes, vibrates, leaks oil, and so on. Yet, none have ever ridden a HD when asked. They all ride metrics. So how did they come up with this opinion? All the HD riders just say HD are the original and have better resale value. Is this true? I am just looking for some unbiased opinions of people who have ridden both American and Japanese. Any unbiased advise will be welcome. Thank you  

spdbump01:
I just received my motorcycle endorsement from the DMV after taking a MSF sponsored course. I am stoked and ready to ride. I am looking for my first motorcycle and I am having a hard time deciding on a bike. I have gotten alot of negative feedback on Harly-Davison (HD). Most comments are: just unreliable bikes, vibrates, leaks oil, and so on. Yet, none have ever ridden a HD when asked. They all ride metrics. So how did they come up with this opinion? All the HD riders just say HD are the original and have better resale value. Is this true? I am just looking for some unbiased opinions of people who have ridden both American and Japanese. Any unbiased advise will be welcome. Thank you

I think much of what you heard about HD bikes are complaints of the earlier days when Harley was in a difficult ownership position and operated by people who were not really motorcycle oriented. Altho I have not owned any HD bikes I can't really comment as to any current complaints re reliability except to say that I feel that most  all the bikes nowadays are extremely reliable given the basic maintenance that any machine deserves. I do know that my Kawi Mean Streak with 22K miles on it has been without any mechanical problems at all and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a  cruiser. As for resale value the info you have is probably correct, however the large difference in its initial cost must be considered also when compared to a metric of equal size and amenities.
I think much of the appeal of the Harleys is due to a perceived status symbol with  either a negative or positive connotation of the bad boy image or of the celebrity image.
As for me, I just wanted a reliable bike that was more or less state of the art and with satisfactory performance, image be ***  

I can't say I agree more with hot shoe, allthough it might be a good idea since you are just starting to consider getting a 250cc bike.  They'll be very forgiving and you can just sell it back once your ready for something bigger.  

Hi,i own a 2006 SuzukiGZ250 cycle i bought new from a dealer from cincinnati,ohio on rt.4 i have all the proof of purchase i pd. cash .thinking i wanted to move up from a 200cc scooter automatic to a clutch driven cyle ,So not true' i've only put 50 miles on it.i pd.3,600 for it willing to let it go for 3,000neg. its a beauty brand new , but not at a dealer price and all those taxes..i have the full warranty,manual..see to appreciate, i can send u a picture if u r interested or u know someone wh o is..im willing to trade for a nice 200cc scooter im just not a cycle gal...this is a nice cruiser bike 2 seater ,nice harley older vintage look. nice harley look fenders,large tires..give me a call 513-348-2705 or e-mail me at bkg2133@hotmail.com .ive put my ad in other places.i just started trying to sell my bike im not interested ,so im selling...  

Hot shoe hit the nail on the head as far as the complaints about HD, when they were not soley owned by Harley they had too many problems.  I ride a Sporty 1200R in my home state to commute back and forth to work, while I have acess to two touring models when I visit my inlaws.  The main reason I bought my Sporty was because compared to other bikes if kept in good condition it will have the best resale value as compared to other bikes.  But you should be looking at different things right now.  First off, I would suggest you get something bigger than a 250.  You will tire of it sooner than you think.  I also took the MSF course and the first bike I bought after it was the Sporty 1200.  THe next thing you should think about is to buy new or used.  Any new bike will cost you more, but as a new rider you will have more peace of mind riding with a machine that will have some kind of warrenty.  If you buy used, make sure you have it checked out by a qualified motorcylce mechanic.  And finally, what kind of riding are you going to do/what type of rider are you.  If you like to enjoy the scenery - riding for relaxation, a cruiser or standard is the way to go.  If you are a speed freak or like a sportier type of riding a sports bike is the better choice.  

As far as a *** bike vs an HD, both are built well and if you take care of them they will last a long time.  My buddy has 89 Kawasaki 454 that he bought last year and it still runs great.