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Posted on 04/17/2011 8:44:32 AM PDT by Grizzled Bear
I've been looking at motorcycles. I need something a bit more fuel efficient than my 1-ton pickup! There are two that I really like. One is an 09 Yamaha V-Star touring bike (not used, been sitting at the dealer) and the other is a Harley Fat Boy. Any recommendations?
First question: Are you a rider, or are you a poser?
Grizzled Bear = Harley Fat Boy
what year is the FLSTF?
i also drive a 1 ton dually Silverado and two years ago I went shopping for a good sized bike with an excellent maintenance record or at least mostly trouble free, affordable and with great fuel mileage.
I bought the Yamaha Star 1300 Tourer, much easier to buy than a traditional name brand, I don’t pose at all, the bike gets 50mpg. I love it. Its a water cooled V-twin, fuel injected, belt drive, great styling, lots of power and just plain looks cool.
GB, I fare better in Florida riding my Harley. Not sure about Texas. JMHO.
Check out the mileage they get (or don’t) you might be surprised.
Which are you more comfortable riding? Let your butt decide.
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I rode motorcycles in my early teens. That was about 30 years ago. I took a motorcycle safety course offered on a military base a few years ago with the intention of buying a bike. Had other things come up. This was a northern tier base.
I retired and moved to a warmer climate with a longer riding season and I'm looking for something primarily for a ten mile commute.
I was ready to buy an 800 cc Suzuki Boulevard; but it was already sold. My wife really wants me to get the Harley, but the Yamaha already has some accessories that I like. I'm looking at another $1000+ if I get the Harley and have them added.
The Yamaha was marked down from (IIRC) 13K to 9.
I really love my Victory Vegas
If you just want a good, dependable bike, go with the rice-grinder.
Hey, I’ve been trying to get in a work out. Besides, I’m not fat, I’m fluffy. Alright, I’ll admit it; I’m fat.
It’s a 2010.
Oh yeah, I get 45-50 mpg combined on my Softail Custom (not stock).
Commute to work: 45 miles round 4 days / week 48 weeks / year. Just under 9,000 miles per year. My 1997 S-10 gets 25 mpg. 360 gallons of gas per year. @ $3 per, that's $1,080 per year for fuel. Add in two additional oil changes per year at $30 each (I do my own maintenance). Tires last about 40k, so add the cost of 1/4 of a set of tires ($100). Total per year for commute costs: $1,240.
My Honda gets 50 mpg. 180 gallons of fuel per year @ $3 per is $540. Add in three oil changes at $50 each ($150). Tires on the Honda last about 10k, so add one set of tires per year @ $300. Total per year for commute costs: $990.
The absolute maximum you can save is $350, about the cost of the insurance you will have to pay on the bike. If you have any maintenance on the bike, it will cost 3-5 times as much as equivalent maintenance on your truck. And it will be required about twice as often.
If you want the bike, go ahead and buy the bike. But you will not save enough money on fuel to make a dent in your finances.
Just my 2¢.
K1600 CC and blow right all of them
They V-Star is Candy Apple Red. It’s a pretty bike. My wife has been looking at Trikes.
I see great deals of last years or even two year old showroom models being sold at really great prices, well below half the cost of the “other” brand.
If you want lots of power I would go with the Raider, if you want something thats new go with the Stryker(same engine as the XVS1300), I chose mine because I wanted a cruiser that was also partially a tourer and not massively overweight.
If I were to buy another bike I would probably do some serious looky see into Victory. They are ahead of the curve in many ways. But for the money Yamaha seems to have the best deal,Honda seems stuck in a rut and the others are out there but they don’t seem to have much attention.
Where I live right now in Alaska the local Craigslist is jammed with LOTS of used Harleys, I have never seen so many for sale before.
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