Thread: Any bikers out there? BMW vs Harley

I have been riding for over 30yrs. I would suggest starting off with a cruiser or medium sport bike to get the feel of riding. I have had everything from Harley to Honda. My friends rides a BMW. Make sure your tall enough for one of those, both feet down. I ride a Valkyrie interstate from Honda . Good luck, and Ride Safe
JimBob

Welcome! I'm on a Honda Fury at the moment. I've had a Goldwing and an FZ 6R in the last year. I'm blessed to be able to ride whatever I want, and I'm trying them all!

I can only first suggest doing lots of homework, followed by sitting on each potential bike for at least an hour. The two bikes you're interested in are worlds apart.

My only advice is to get in as cheaply as you can. I bought a motorcycle this year, after years of wanting a motorcycle. I'll be selling it in the spring, after months of having a motorcycle. Wanting, as is often the case, was much better than having. The bike itself is great, I just don't have any interest in suiting up, fiddling with saddlebags, constantly monitoring the weather, not getting seen in traffic by texting idiots, etc. That said, I'm happy I didn't go for the super duper expensive bike. And whatever I sell it for, I'll still be in better shape than if I'd have gotten something more expensive. And plus, just think how many stones I can buy with that money. :P

As a rider of 45+ years I would second the earlier post to go with something smaller than a BMW 1600GT or a Harley Cruiser for your first bike. Buying something used around 600cc to 1000cc will allow you to focus on growing your riding skills. Once you are comfortable and skilled at riding a smaller bike then you can decide if you really want/need a larger bike. Kudos for taking the rider course. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation offers many different training courses and prior to getting out on the street the first time I would take at least one more rider course through the MSF. ADVrider - Powered by vBulletin is a good forum to start reading through the winter months and you will get lots of advice and opinions with regards to types and brands of motorcycles.

As a long time owner of BMWs I am prejudiced for the brand but there are lots of excellent motorcycles available today and I would not limit myself to a BMW or Harley for my first bike. While I love my R1200GS my 1971 R75/5 if my favoriate ride.

The best vacation my wife and I ever had was a month long ride on our bikes through New Mexico, Colorado, Arizona and Utah....

A ride around the US has always been a dream of mine but as many of you pointed out, sometimes reality isn't as great as you'd expected. There's a great motorcycle expo that comes in NYC in January which I plan on checking out and hope to test ride some bikes before pulling the trigger. Given I plan on doing minimal city riding I will likely settle on a touring bike but how big/expensive is still TBD. Thanks for all the posts/pics. Always fun to see what other people are riding!

For the record, I'm happy with my Harley Forty Eight and this from a fellow who started on a 67 Bonneville.

Youtube: Hitler lost his motorcycle. Then got a BMW GS.

Hilarious video!

The BMW is one of the finest road bikes that you can own, especially for long distance rides and for the twisty's. With that said it will surprise you that I own two Harleys: Screamin Eagle Electra-Glide and a Sportster for the wife. For cruising around town or hitting the long straights the Harley is awesome. It is no speed deamon, just a lounge chair on two wheels that always gets more looks and respect than any bike I have owned. Most riders will tell you they would have 5 or more bikes if they could for every riding scenario. But when you buy a Harley you own more than a bike. You own a legend! Good riding.

Depends whether you want a motorcycle or a tractor. In the UK HDs are are called Harley Fergusons (Massey Ferguson was a popular brand of tractor). I ride a BMW, over here Harleys are popular with Bad-Ass dentists, bank managers and so on.

When you buy a BMW you have to buy map of the United States. When you buy a Harley they give you a map of the United States with the dealers listed. Because you are going to need to get it fixed!

If you want to buy a legend buy a '48 Indian instead of a Harley Forty Eight. I bought my '48 from my cousin for $100 less than a new Sportster cost him. The Indian needed some work. :-] After going to 3 dealers complaining it didn't track right he finally got one of the mechanics to admit that the frame was bent but it was within specs! He then bought a Yamaha but sold that because it was to fast and thought that he would kill himself on it before settling on a Ducati that he loves.

I hadn't had a motorcycle in about 25 years and the Indian took a little getting use to. Left hand throttle and right hand shifter along with the left foot clutch. I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to get use to although it probably wouldn't be the best choice for a beginner. LOL