Harley vs. Metric

Greetings All,
I bought a Harley because thats what guys my age do.  Part of me says if I show up in Sturgis on a metric, they may take off my tatoos.  But, metrics are sometimes twice the power at half the price.

I am ready to upgrade to some power.  It's a shootout, metric vs. harley? With all our stuff going overseas, I have this feeling to stay "American", but my wallet says metric.

I wish they would make a Road King for $13,000.

What say you guys?  

Harley is more overseas than it likes to advrtise. Have you looked into ordering your new Harley with a higher *** motor? I know they do have that option. That is if your really into the harley thing. I myself like the High cc metric bikes. They have come a long way. There not your dads type bike anymore.  

It is true...you get twice the bike for half the money if you go metric. Not to mention better quality. Take a look the the Yamaha Star line-up. Sounds like a Stratoliner would be a good fit for you.  

I have to agree. I faced the same delemma last year.
I purchased the Statoliner Midnight. It now has a Power Commander module, Patrick Racing intake, and a Roadhouse slip-on.  129 Ft/lb of torque and runs like crazy. Even my die-hard Harley buddies are impressed.  

last bike I bought was a 'wing. It's built in America (for another couple of months), and is made of about 60% American parts. Harley is also built in America, but, according to reports, it is less than 50% American parts.
I won't comment on the absurdities.  

12K, I highly recommend you check out Victory, they are American made by a rock solid American company- Polaris . a few years ago I sold my Fatboy & got a Victory Vegas, so far 10K trouble free miles, just change the oil & put in gas. They really handle well & have a base 100 CI. engine putting out about 84 HP !  They blew away all the bike companies in the JD power & Assoc. rating last year in all catagories.  
7 days without riding makes one weak

12K it depends on what you want to do with your bike. Boulevard cruising or Touring. Any of the v twin metrics are good and for touring I would go with a goldwing from my experiance. But remember size seems to be helpful in either situation for needed power.  

If I had deep pockets,I would buy the harley.
In this day and age of low wages and high prices,the Honda's give you an outstanding value.

My 97 Valkyrie has given me zero problems,in over 35,000 miles,and still runs like new.
I intend on buying a spare,as it's the last bike I'll ever own.  

Victory makes some stunning bikes, including the Vision. Even the Italians should be impressed with the styling. And, they have very strong motors plus 6 speed trannies.  On the humorous note, they're headquarters is Medina Minnesota. Talk about "funky cold Medina".

I just hate laying down that kind of money. They are in the 14k+ club, just like HD. Metrics are generally less than that new, and a lot cheaper even 1 or 2 years old.

My 2000 800 Drifter cost 6k new (I should have bought used), I added about 2k in bags, seat, luggage rack seat, windshield, and I got  2800 for it last year (after the stock market crash in '07). I dropped it in '03, so it had a couple of gouges, and it had 37k on it. So, it cost me  about $1000 a year.

If I'd bought it a year or 2 old, I probably would have spent half of that.  

i agree with the victory comments. i ahve an 04 vegas with 38k miles and have no problems at all. great power and brakes plus i can find my bike in the sea of harley and metric look a likes.  
if the house is a rocking don't bother knocking, just come on in...SRV

I have a HD RK.  I love it.  It cost me more, but I can live with the payment.  I had a metric before and considered the Stratoliner and Nomad before purchasing the HD.

Ride what you want and what makes you happy.  Who cares what anybody else thinks.  If they want to make your payment for you, then they can ***  Otherwise, too bad.  

So you're ready to upgrade to some power. Well, if you buy a Harley, you'll have to spend another 3 grand or so for the Screamin Eagle package to give you anything close to what the metric bikes have right out of the crate. I have a Yamaha Stratoliner S and no Harley has ever beat it (excluding the V-rod which isn't a cruiser). Of course, if you're looking for a sound, Harley can't be beat. Of course, that's an awful lot of money to spend for a sound. I prefer performance and handling. Good Luck on your choice.  

My HD handles great...

One of the reasons I did not go with the Strat is the 4.5 gallon fuel tank.  I wanted to have more range.  I couldn't see how a 1800 plus CC bike with a 4.5 gallon gas tank could have great range.  I loved the way the Stratoliner looks, but I did not find too many other cruisers that had a 6 gallon tank.  Plus I could not find a dealer that let me test a Stratoliner while the HD dealer let me check out the RK first.

If you are a pure power monger (which is great if that is what you are looking for) then I would say that a HD is definitely not the way to go.  For the money, the Stratoliner looks to be the best bang for the buck based on my research.

If you don't want to spend the money for a HD (I battled this for awhile) then take a look at the Kawasaki Nomad.  I came real close to picking up one of those as well.  

I have been a Honda rider for many years and when it came time to purchase another bike for touring; it was hard to make a change.  However, the machine I bought turned out to be an 06' Harley Ultra Classic fully loaded.  
I'm very pleased with my choice and have put on over 3000 miles since late February.  That's pretty good for life in the Midwest.

It is more about what each person likes than the brand names and where their made.  Just RIDE!
Please check out our event at www.thedamrally.com or americanbikercharities.org.
See you there!      

You'll probably not be sorry if you go back to a Harley , especially if you frequent the Rally's and Ice houses much . Harley's generally 10 to 1 everything else so peer pressure will be high .
I had the Electra Glide and its a fabulous touring machine . We enjoyed many miles of touring on it . When I decided I wanted a cruiser in 2006 , I went with the Road Star and have been pleased with my choice . I have had many Yamaha products over the years and never had a lemon .
Test drive the bikes you like , and buy the one that fits you best . Don't let peer pressure or nostalgia influence you unless those things are really important to you because you are the one paying the bills.