I'm 19 and looking to get on a harley not looking for a sportster. Any sugestions on what i should be looking for?  

Maybe a Harley is right for you, but you just seem to be set on that without even looking into the other bikes available. Have you even thought of a Honda VTX?, A Triumph Rocket III or a Victory? All very good bikes. Just blindly getting a Harley says "Ya, I bought into the "life Style", now I'm a 1%er. Anybody got another patch for my vest?"

As I walked out in the streets of Sturgis,
As I walked out in Sturgis one day,
I spied a young biker all dressed in black leather,
dressed in black leather in the heat of the day.

"I can see by your outfit that you are a biker."
"I can see by your outfit that you're a biker, too."
We can see by our outfits that we are both bikers,
If you get an outfit you can be a biker, too.  

That's an awful lot of money to pay for a sound. Have you ever read the road tests comparing a Harley, Suzuki, Kawawsaki, and a Yamaha? The Yamaha comes out on top. I have a Yamaha Stratoliner. Nothing touches it in the cruiser line. It handles like a sport bike and so far has smoked every cruiser it has come upon. Harleys are a piece of cake. Even after the Harley owner has spend another $3 grand to add the Screamin Eagle package. The Stratoliner is stock except for a Roadhouse slipon. Why pay so much for a Harley and then have to turn around and put 3 more grand into to get what the other bikes have in stock form? Sure, when you tell people that you bought a bike, they will all ask "Is it a Harley"? You can say what I say, "No, it's a Yamaha. I didn't want to have to ride at the rear of the pack because I couldn't keep up". Or, when a Harley rider is next to me at a signal light and asks "What kind of bike is that and how many cc's does it have"? I reply, "If you can catch me, I'll tell you". Then I roar off into the sunset. Please take some time and check out the other bikes before you buy. You just might get more bang for your buck.

Otter  

new rider,do you have a valid motorcycle license?how many bikes have you owned?how tall are you and how much do you weigh?how much do you have to spend?  

i have to agree with all prvious responses. a HD is big investment. are you sure you're even gonna like a crusier? sure the resale is ok if you decide you don't like it but you will still take a beating.  

I'm no fan at all of Harley Davidson, and I don't care for the attitude of a lot of their riders,.....and personally I think their bikes are backmarkers, but some comments on here are no different than the ones you hear from the "group-think" Harley Nation.

The kid asked a question. The best post on here is the one asking him general questions about his size and experience. If the kids wants a Harley, let him get a Harley. Little dude, I hope you didn't get turned off and actually respond to the questions so we can help you find a bike.  

kzgh is absolutely correct - a Harley is an investment. At 19, I'm not so sure you should be making an investment like that.  Something more practical might be a better idea. You also need to consider repair costs. That HD is nice, but sometimes they suffer from reliability.  Do you have the cash flow to buy it, insure it AND maintain it?  

I agree, if you finance a 16K Harley, and your credit is good, you might get 7% for 60 months. That is $346 a month for the next 5 years, or $4152 per year (after taxes). If you are working full time (40 hrs a week), that's $2.00 per hour taken away from you, AFTER taxes are taken out.

And, as it was pointed out, that's the entrance fee. Most of my friends with Harleys tell me the average bill at the shop is about $500... every 3000 miles.  

OK, guys, let's get real...The kid wants a Harley and let us not kid ourselves that, in spite of the yo-yo's who seem to gravitate towards the brand, it IS -- how shall I say? -- in a class of its own...A couple of points: he probably SHOULD start with a Sporster, but seems to have his mind made up that he doesn't want a "gir's bike" (I put 93k on my then-brand new '91 Sporty before getting the V-Rod about a year ago and I know what I'm talking about)....Don't tell a newbie that huge curisers (like a Strato or VTX) are good machines.....Of course they are, but it's obvious he wants more bike than he (probably) can handle....Since he doesn't want a Sporty, but is hot for H-D, he should be researching which "big" Harley would suit his needs/wants/desires....No way will he be satisfied with a medium-sized Japanese cruiser -- he's determined to go "big"....So experienced bikers should be counselling him that he may be biting off more than he can chew, BUT AT LEAST LET HIM DO IT WITH THE BRAND THAT HE REALLY WANTS....And by the way, Mr. Yamaha-Strato rider, I guarnatee you you'll never leave ME on my '07 H-D Night Rod in the dust (unless you're running mitrous or a turbo/super-charger)....Bottom line: someone should be talking the kid out of a big cruiser (of any denomination) 'til he gets some legs >>> BUT, if he's bound and determined to get himself a Harley (and all the macho BS that goes with it), at least let him get his nickle's worth and get the bike he's Jones-ing for....Steve Catalano, Las Vegas, NV  

My best advice for a new rider (I was new last September and have logged 8500 miles in the last 10 months), would be start with a smaller used bike in the 750-900 range.  Two reasons....1) buying used you can get a nearly new bike at a great price that won't make you cry when you drop it.  Yes, I said "when".  Thought I would never do that until I rolled it out of the garage to ride and stepped off before I got the kickstand down.  2) A smaller bike is better to learn on.  Lighter and easier to handle at all speeds.  Get some good miles under your belt in all types of riding situations then trade up to something bigger when you are ready.  I am currently looking to unload my 750 for something in the 1300-1600 range.  I am a lot more confident in my skill now then I was 8500 miles ago.

Remember, it doesn't matter what you ride, only that you ride.  Be safe and have fun!  

gr8ital,I may be approaching it from a different point of view than you are.
I spent 30 years, always paying credit cards, car loans, and I finally got out. My last bike (GW1800), I paid cash (had to sell the previous bike to do it).

We have a credit crisis in America. As a group, we are saving -2% per year. A lot of people have decided this is lunacy.

What I am trying to encourage is actually being able to afford what you buy. I don't think I could guarantee that I would have a job in 5 years to make the final payment on the bike, and I'm in IT (desirable niche).
It should be his dream bike, not his nightmare. How much is he going to love it if the creditors are calling every month?  

The kid wants to get a Harley. Is that so bad that it could be he wants an American made product thats made by American workers instead of making an investment in workers and corporations in some other country? It's bad enough that too many Americans can't wait to buy a foreign car and send $15-20K overseas, helping to ruin the US dollar.  

starky:
The kid wants to get a Harley. Is that so bad that it could be he wants an American made product thats made by American workers instead of making an investment in workers and corporations in some other country? It's bad enough that too many Americans can't wait to buy a foreign car and send $15-20K overseas, helping to ruin the US dollar.

you must be kidding

have you actually checked wehre half the parts from a new harley are made?

i'll give you a hint - it's NOT from the states.

harleys are not acceptable first bikes for anyone. the biggest first cruiser for anyone would be either the vulcan 900 or suzuki c50/m50.

the us dollar is hardly dented by people buying foreign products, especially cars.

oh btw, toyota is opening a prius factory here.  

I'll second the motion on the vulcan 900.  I just got back into riding after a 30 year hiatus and chose the 900LT.  I couldn't be happier.  It looks good, runs good and is the perfect m/c for the riding I do.  Best of all, it didn't cost me an arm or leg.  HOWEVER,,,,,,,if money were no object, you can bet there would be a new Fat Boy setting in the garage....  

New rider wanting a Harley big twin as his first bike?

My suggestion would be that you look for some REALLY good insurance.  

You probably don't want to hear it, and will make up your own mind (and I can guess which way you'll go, I remember how I was at that age) - but the best option if you really want a Harley is to buy a Sporty, ride it for awhile to get some miles under your belt, tinker with it, then sell it and move up.