Help me choose a motorcycle

[Palmaris]

I saw this bike today for a few seconds. Totally looked a bit different from the norm, and probably the right style of bike.

http://www.ducatiusa.com/bikes/diavel/diavel/index.do

Probably not the right price though.

I mean I only saw it for a few seconds as it was pulling into a shopping plaza, but I couldn't believe how quiet it was. I don't really appreciate the insanely loud motorcycles.

 

[cndctrdj]

The diavel is sick but pretty expensive and we'll it's just pretty epic really haha

 

[ahtoxa]

What are your guys' annual maintenance espenses like?

 

[$ub$onic]

What are your guys' annual maintenance espenses like?

Shadow= $60 for oil and filter. This year will be tires to.

Sportster= at least 300-400 a year for random crap including oil change. This year is my first year with major issues but I think I have it narrowed down to the coil pack.

Sporty is a 91 shadow is a 98

 

[Scot]

Vstrom, meh, maybe $50 for a couple oil and filter changes.

 

[rdss]

It's $404 every 5,000 miles (including the 1,000 mile service) if I take my Street Bob to the HD stealership. I plan on picking up the service manual now that I had the 1,000 mile service done and it should be about 80 bucks for full synthetic (motor, trans, primary) and a filter every 5k.

 

[$ub$onic]

It's $404 every 5,000 miles (including the 1,000 mile service) if I take my Street Bob to the HD stealership. I plan on picking up the service manual now that I had the 1,000 mile service done and it should be about 80 bucks for full synthetic (motor, trans, primary) and a filter every 5k.

I wish my Harley was serviced like that. It's been abused before I got it. Half the bolt on the primary are striped..... I have to do some work so I can change the oil and adjust the chain

 

[ahtoxa]

It's $404 every 5,000 miles (including the 1,000 mile service) if I take my Street Bob to the HD stealership. I plan on picking up the service manual now that I had the 1,000 mile service done and it should be about 80 bucks for full synthetic (motor, trans, primary) and a filter every 5k.

What has to be done every 5k miles?

 

[rdss]

What has to be done every 5k miles?

Pretty standard stuff. I can buy the tools I need to do the bigger job with the money I save doing it myself. I will probably bring it in every 3rd service just to have a certified tech look at it. If you use regular Dino oil you're changing the oil twice in 5k.

 

[ahtoxa]

So, the dealership charges 404 bucks every 5k miles to beasically just do an oil change? I see a bunch of checks on that list, which can be done at home.

 

[rdss]

You're correct. They say they do more but who really knows what they do. They said they wash the bike at the end but all they did was wipe it down with a spray polish and not very well at that (had to wash it myself afterwards...). I think between HDForums and youtube I can get it done myself and I'll just take meticulous logs and staple the parts receipt to the page and file it in my folder. I'll probably look for a certified Indy to do any real work or service on the bike once it's out of warranty (it will probably end up stage IV with a 107 conversation), it's cheaper and they actually need and want your business vs looking for the next Sons of Anarchy wanna be to walk in looking for the flat black dyna with t-bars and a cafe fairing.

 

[ahtoxa]

Gotcha. Sounds like they are no different from car dealers, really, in regards to costs and questionable checks during maintenanance periods.

 

[rdss]

Nope, not really. HD is just another large corporation looking to make money. I was happy with my HD dealer during the buying process but now only the salesman acknowledges me. I ordered a Stage I air cleaner and I'm pretty sure it sat on the shelf for a week until I called them and asked about it and got a "oh, yeah... It came in today and I was about to call you.". But, that's dealer experience, both the Harley's I've owned since '08 have been great bikes.

 

[Jcordo93]

What about a HD V-Rod (Night) Special?

This is my brothers, he loves it! I'm thinking it's a 2008. He bought it used early this year from a deal for like 11.5k (a tad over your budget). But it has an aftermarket exhaust (sounds amazing!) and the rear seat support, and whatever else..

2008 Harley-Davidson V-Rod (Night) Special - VRSCDX Specifications and Price - Motorcycle USA

That is a nice bike! I was looking into the Ducati Diavel as my next bike and that's what I was gonna recommend but this one is nice on that same level and it costs less, win win.

 

[Thorium]

I recommend staying away from Sportsters. The dip from new to used is ridiculous, due to a flooded market with everyone having the same idea: getting into riding, thinking HD is the motorcycle to get. After a few months, they are either ready to step up, or not enjoying it as much as they thought they would.

There are better handling, more practical, and better value bikes out there.

 

[Thorium]

My recommendations on first actions:

1. Sign up for American Motorcyclist Association membership (with MoTow).

2. Sign up for a subscription to Motorcycle Consumer News (the American publication, not the British one). You won't find it on the shelves in the supermarket. Bonus: many past issues are available online in pdf

3. AMA/MSF New rider training course.

4. Start shopping gear. Save up ~$1000-1500 for gear:
- Work with someone to find a comfortable helmet that fits- snug without being tight, nor loose. No pressure points. Wear the ones that seem right around the store for 10 - 15 minutes, to let the helmet-to-head interaction show you if an all-day adventure would work.
- Boots are a must (~$120-$200). I recommend avoiding laces. Ankle protection is key. Don't worry about steel toes- great for construction, not much help for rides (or crashes).
- A decent jacket (~$300-500). given DFW temperatures, lean toward light color perforated leather. Superior protection to mesh, and better cooling than zipper-vented jackets. Go for CE protection (safety spec that includes padding in the shoulders, elbows)
- Leather pants (~$200-$400). Again, perforated leather is best. You can go with denim pants- not Levis or Wranglers or whatever, but denim designed for motorcycling. What's the difference? Better weave, better stitching (double stitched, reinforced where needed), extra layers at knees/buttocks/hips, and the cut is such that it won't ride up when sitting on a bike. If you do go the denim route, seriously consider off-road style knee protectors to wear underneath. I put a pumpkin-sized dent in the fender of a Ford Taurus with a pair of these, and walked away from the accident.
If you do go leather jacket/leather pants, try to get ones that zip together in the back. When you see the jackets and pants, you'll know what I'm talking about.
- gloves (~$100+). Same deal. Leather gauntlets are the best. Vents are decent on them.
- back protector- optional. Most jackets come with some thin form of padding in the back.
- Helmet camera (Contour, GoPro). Helps keep people honest.

 

[Thorium]

Start shopping insurance now too.

Age, driving record, and experience are determining factors for you. Then a lot of insurers classify bikes (sometimes arbitrarily), and after go by displacement. My insurance company when I first started at 24 quoted me $5000/yr for basic insurance (PL/PD) for a Kawasaki 600. State Farm works entirely off displacement- plusses and minuses to this. For instance, a "slow" air-cooled cruiser with high displacement but low compression that puts out just shy of 100 hp will cost more to insure than a screaming 600cc sportbike with 130hp ready to rip your arms off! Shop around on this, and find an agent that knows what they are talking about. Bonus points if they ride- that means they are in your camp.

 

[Thorium]

Also, I see you are looking at maintenance costs- great! TCO is key. Also consider the replacement cost of parts. Kudos for avoiding sportbikes- a scraped fairing can cost ~$600+ to replace, and often you're looking at replacing a couple due to low-speed get-offs. Not saying it will happen (and I hope it doesn't). Same thing with cruisers- a tip over will scratch (and possibly crack) clutch covers, engine covers, bend levers, etc. Which means having to drain the oil and replace the parts, at about an average of $200 for each part. This is a segue into my next post...

 

[Thorium]

For a tall guy like yourself, consider a bike that you are meant to "stretch out on". The previous mention of a KLR650 is great. A DR650 is another (although I found the DRZ-400 to be taller in the seat). The most fun I've had was on a KTM 625SMC, even though it was totally impractical (fun fact- the guy I sold it to nearly lost his license for a looooong time due to bike-related hooliganism). Plenty of bolt ons exist for the dual sports lines from after-market manufacturers. Oh, and these bikes start off as dirt bikes, which means they are designed to take a beating, and parts are ridiculously cheap. The low-end torque is ideal for city riding and twisty country roads. Supermoto conversions are easily enough done, too.

 

[Lazza]

What do you recommend as a first time bike for an older rider who is short and light (5'7", 160#)? Primary purpose is riding around town (not heavy stop-go, little interstate travel).

Thanks for the tips guys. Very interesting.


_Lazza