So, I wanna drive a Harley! Second opinion requested :)

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bigpurplehippo

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Hi Everyone!

I'm new to this site. I have decided to that I want have a Harley Iron 883. This is because the Iron is relatively affordable yet still good looking.


This is my plan. I was wondering if someone could comment on it, tell me what I am doing wrong!

1) Riding Gear. I only know of Doc's Leathers. Are they any good? I want some soon.
2) Driving School. I live in downtown Toronto, so I only know of the Rider Training Institute. I guess this is the only place I can go. I think I'll take both the M2 and M course before Christmas. I'm as full-time student. Is this doable?
3) Motorcycle. I chose the Harley Iron, but is there anything comparable to that? Should I get it new or used? I don't know anyone personally who knows much about motorcycles so I don't know how to answer that question. I want one for this time next year. And when I get it, I don't plan on selling it again.
4) Insurance. Does anyone know what the best plan is for me?

Again, I don't know anyone personally who knows anything about motorcycles and I would really appreciate your help!
 
A Honda Shadow Phantom is comparable. There are tons of gears. You don't have to go to Docs.
Insurance will be higher for Harleys compared to a metric cruiser.
 
There are lots of reasons not to buy a new bike, especially an expensive harley as your first.

There will be many bikes, unless you get the wrong one as your first one. Beginner bikes hold their value, and a used bike doesn't hurt nearly so bad if you lay down. Also as Lanny said, get ready to bend over on insurance.

As a student, you should get something that won't get messed with in the school parking lot, so an older uncommon bike in good running shape is a much better investment than a brand new one. Ask any of the ninja 250 owners!

Save yourself a lot of trouble and pick a handful of smaller displacement cruiser style bikes, check out kijiji ads, auto trader, GTAM classifieds, and anywhere else you might find used bikes. Ride that bike for a year (at least), establish your motorcycle insurance history, and save your cash. Once you're a more confident rider, you might change your mind about that little sporty.. but in the mean time, ride as many different types of bike as you can!!
 
Guaranteed, this will not be the last bike you own. And get insurance quotes on anything you are looking to purchase.
 
and no you can't do your m2 and your m before christmas as you need to have your m2 for a minimum of 22 months (reduced to 18 if you take another course to get the full m license)...
 
Anything in the Sportster line-up might be up your alley, if you like the looks of the Iron. Insurance wise it might be wise to stay below the 1000cc mark and stick with one of their 883s. Don't expect insurance on Harleys to be cheap, either way. As for new vs used: completely up to you. Will you be buying the bike outright or financing? On one hand buying brand new gives you piece of mind that you know the bike's history. But this being your first bike, there's a good chance you're gonna drop it once or twice, and that'd be a damn shame on a brand new Iron.

Just my humble opinion, but maybe consider getting an older Sportster (or another smaller cruiser) to learn on for a season or two.

P.S. Just read that you're a student. Harleys aren't cheap bikes to purchase, insure, or work on. Are you sure you want to take on that kind of financial burden? A smaller bike like a Ninja 250 might be more suitable, or if you're committed to cruiser styling maybe look at something like the Kawasaki Vulcan 500 or Yamaha V-Star 650. There's also the Honda Shadow 600 and 750s, as well as the Suzuki S40 (650cc) aka Suzuki Savage.
 
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I wanted a Harley when I first was shopping for bikes, I ended up buying a 250, because insurance was way too much. Decided to get something quick and small then upgrade to something larger in a few years when I have my full M.
 
Thanks so much for the great posts! This is exactly what I needed. There's lots of stuff I didn't even consider.

Um. I think my end point is a definitely customized Harley. And that might not be sometime soon, unfortunately. I probably don't have the resources to support that, I never even considered how much insurance might be. So, I think I just need to reconsider how I might start off. Short Stop - I want to buy it outright, I don't like financing very much, I'm hoping my parents might help me out a bit though. They said they were willing to pay for motorcycle school, for the sake of safety, haha.


Funniest thing happened today, I was walking around Eatons, and saw a Kawasaki motorcycle, 'Ninja' model. So, I think its a coincidence that everyone's talking about that right now. I don't know much about motorcycles, but I think I am more into the Cruisers. But if I have to be on training mode for the next few years, I don't mind that. The Ninja I saw was really dirty, haha. But if I saw a cleaner one, I might like it, even if it is used.

No one is disagreeing with me about going to driving school, so I guess that's what I'll do later this summer. :)

Does anyone have anything to say about motorcycle gear, like the jacket and helmet? Is getting the top quality, like the armour plated equipment, really necessary for safety? The big helmets seem stifling, are the half helmets ok, safety-wise and in rainy conditions? Like, I don't want to compromise safety, but some of the equipment seems too much.
 
I have a 3/4 helmet and its awful in the rain. Rain drops hurt at 80 kph. As for jackets just find a good leather jacket. Not cheap leather. Something with some weight to it and you will be fine. And there's other materials these days that are just as good or better than leather while being light and airy
 
And about that Harley. I will bet you after a year of riding you probably won't want that new iron anymore. It's a girls bike.
 
First the bike. From an insurance perspective, there doesn't seem to be any rating difference between an 883 to a 1200. I like the looks of the Iron with the cast wheels. However, I'd look at a 1200 as it's better all round performer. If you can afford the insurance and decide it's a Sportster, go used. There are plenty. And it's way cheaper than a dealership. You'll be able to find lots of used Sportsters that are a reasonable cost and already have a lot of upgrades/mods done. Pipes, AC, black or chrome bits, saddle bags, seat, windshields, manual etc. A lot of folks go through that, decide on getting a different model, the dealship won't give them much back on trade, and take a few dollars more private if they can get it. A lot of them will be well taken care of and low mileage so, I'd really take a hard look at the used market.

As for gear, don't get caught up in the HD brand. Look around. See what suits your needs and your style. I'm not the best advocate for gear as I wear minimal stuff in the best of times but, what I do wear is pretty good quality and don't mind paying for it. Just make sure it's good quality. For example, HD boots. Most entry price point are crap. The higher end boots are pretty good but, you pay a lot. I'm sure you could find something that doesn't have a logo that provides just as good protection and doesn't cost you as much. Same things goes for a helmet or anything else.


Cheers and good luck.
 
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TdotMurderer said:
And about that Harley. I will bet you after a year of riding you probably won't want that new iron anymore. It's a girls bike.
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Don't be influenced by the statement above, totally false. Many women over the years have gotten into riding and feel the Harley Sportster is a good starting platform, this is why there are many women that ride this make. Heck, I see lots of girls riding gxsr's.

The sportster is a nice bike, plenty fast enough.
 
I don't know any girls that ride a sportster, but i know at least 2 guys that do. It's a nice bike, too nice to park in a school parking lot unattended, and too nice to drop on it's side.

There are MANY beginner bikes, not just the NINJA. :)

Rebel
Marauder
CBR
Shadow
GS500

I'm sure if others chimed in here that list would be a mile long. The gist here is that a sporty 883, while not impossible to start on, probably isn't your best choice.

Buuut... a carbed 883 with the stroker kit, jetted, with some badass pipes, solo seat, tidied up, highway bars.. drool...
 
TdotMurderer said:
And about that Harley. I will bet you after a year of riding you probably won't want that new iron anymore. It's a girls bike.
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Here's a good tip OP - this is the type of advice you generally want to disregard.
 
As for gear, the only thing that law dictates you wear is a DOT approved helmet, everything else is personal preference and what you're comfortable with safety-wise. You could go as far as having an armoured jacket, leather gloves, riding boots, riding pants, etc. But then there are many riders who hop on their bikes with a t-shirt, shorts and flip-flops. It's hard to recommend gear to other riders, because you'll spend your first few seasons figuring out for yourself what you like and will probably change it up until you find what fits and is practical.

As for half-helmets - are they "good" enough? Well, let's just say that although they can be DOT approved, they certainly won't protect the lower part of your face during an impact. I use one most of the time, but I understand and accept the risks associated with it. And that goes for all gear: whether something is "good enough" is up to you, and how far you want to go in mitigating the risks.

I agree with the above posters who advise not to get too impressed with Harley gear. A lot of it is way over-priced just because it has a Harley logo.
 
Welcome to GTAM, you'll find a lot of good advice from knowledgeable people here.

bigpurplehippo said:
This is because the Iron is relatively affordable yet still good looking.
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Both reasons are wrong, IMO. Any Harley is hardly a bargain and buying a bike based on looks is one of the worst beginner mistakes. Buying new is also a waste of money, especially when we are talking about your first bike. You may know what you like to look at, but you have no clue what you will like to ride, so I suggest taking a lot of demo rides on anything that has two wheels and a motor before you decide what feels (not looks) right for you. The decision you make now will greatly influence your learning experience.

bigpurplehippo said:
1) Riding Gear. I only know of Doc's Leathers. Are they any good? I want some soon.
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Do some research. Leather is not always the safest or the most comfortable option. Doc's Leathers? Only if you don't care about impact protection at all and think assless chaps are acceptable as safety gear.

bigpurplehippo said:
2) Driving School. I live in downtown Toronto, so I only know of the Rider Training Institute. I guess this is the only place I can go. I think I'll take both the M2 and M course before Christmas. I'm as full-time student. Is this doable?
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Centennial Colledge, Humber Colledge, maybe even your college. There are quite a few options out there and they all adhere to the same standards, although they differ in some minor points, like the choice of bikes, for example. You cannot take the M2 exit course until at least a year after M2, so you won't get your full M license this year. Again, do your research - the MTO web site has everything you need, and so does the handbook.

bigpurplehippo said:
3) Motorcycle. I chose the Harley Iron, but is there anything comparable to that? Should I get it new or used?
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This has mostly been answered already. As far as I'm concerned, definitely used and definitely not a Harley. If I may add, I'd avoid cruisers in general. They are not good beginner bikes, unless you are severely vertically challenged.


bigpurplehippo said:
I want one for this time next year. And when I get it, I don't plan on selling it again.
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You may not plan it, but the chances are this won't be your last bike. How fast you'll overgrow it's capabilities, get bored with it, afraid of it, annoyed with it's idiosyncrasies, crash it, etc. depends on how much time/effort you invest in choosing it. My first and only consideration at this point would be to get something I can learn on most comfortably and as fast as possible.

bigpurplehippo said:
4) Insurance. Does anyone know what the best plan is for me?
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After you decide which bike you are going to buy (or pick several most likely options), call a few insurance brokers and compare. Do not buy any bike before you know how much the insurance will cost you. There is no best plan, best broker or best insurance company. What's best for me and my bike (this year) means little to nothing to anyone else not born the same year, with the same driving history and riding the same year/model bike.

bigpurplehippo said:
Again, I don't know anyone personally who knows anything about motorcycles and I would really appreciate your help!
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Again, you have a great resource here at GTAM. Ask away, but make sure to do your own leg work as well.

P.S. You mean you wanna ride a Harley? Learn the terminology as well while you are at it :)
 
I bought a 2010 iron 883

Put 3G's in extras at dealer.. Air filter, full exhaust, power commander, suspension.


Sold it after 2 months.

Looks amazing, but rode like crap. That 883cc motor just isn't powerfull enough... comparible to a 250. If you are dead set on a blacked out sportster, at least go for the nights tee (1200cc)

If I was to buy a harley again, would have to be a v-rod or a dyna

I paid about 100/mo for insurance thru state farm.

There is a blacked out version of the Honda shadow that's a decent alternative?
 
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When I got back into riding I started with a used Sportster 1200 and am glad I didn't spring for a new one because I was tired of it within a year. It was a rigid mount and did vibrate but that didn't bother me. I could do a 500 mile day and be ready for more.

I apparently wasn't the only one that got tired of the bike because the UVIP showed a fistfull of previous owners and the bike wasn't a lemon.

What I didn't like:
Top heavy and you will drop it or become a liar.
Small tank, start looking for gas every 100 km. (I found I like long tours)
Fun up to 80 KPH then the vibes and buffeting were more noticeable. Tolerable for me but not an asset. Some can't handle it.

Insurance was no big deal in my case.

Re: Girls bike etc
The 883 is the entry level HD and there are snobs that only ride with the big bores. (Read that anyway you want)
Snobs come in all makes and models including gear etc. If you are thin skinned about total acceptance you won't be happy with any vehicle or wardrobe. There are lots of decent riders out there that don't care about brands. Any rider that isn't an A-H is okay.

New vs used: There are lots of good used bikes and if you buy wisely you will minimize losses when you sell. If the bike is cheap enough and you don't finance, it keeps your insurance down by having only liability.

Bling is expensive and can become a compulsion. Virtually no payback.
 
Great posts! Haha, okay, my end point is to ride a cruiser. I think I need to do more thinking in terms of the type of motorcycle I should start with, etc. I'm probably going to start off with a used sport bike. Then move on to a used cruiser. See how that feels.

I was planning to study today, but decided to go to down to Doc's instead. Doc was a really nice guy! Some of his advice was a bit horrible though. We tried on Jackets, for example. I'm a 46. He gave me a 44 and a 48 to try on, because they were on sale, and said both of them fit me well. That was really not the case. However, I felt the need to buy stuff, and so I did.

I purchased 1) a leather jacket - $300, 2) a 3/4 helmet - $140, 3) simple leather gloves - $30. I figure that this was a decent starting point. Like, I'm just a beginner and have lots of time to figure these things out later on. Any thoughts?
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