HD Nightster or Yamaha V Star

[The_Duckslayer]

WOW... I have been riding bike here in the states for the last 36 +/- years. I have had... Honda 450, Honda 500, Norton 850 Comando, Honda 750, Yamaha 850 Special, Kawasaki Vulcan 850, Road Star 1700 and now another Road Star 1700. There have been more bikes I just cant remember them. I have put many miles on all of them and I have ridden for 5 summers in this area and never encountered a place where a guy thought that he was better than me cuz of the bike I was riding. I have a Road Star 1700 because I like the bike and because I can afford it. I like my bike cause I can get out on the road and N Joy the openess of it. I like my bike cause it looks dam good to me. My lil brother and my nephew ride Harleys and they look dam good to me as well. My neighbor rides a Harley and his wife rides a Roadstar. We have gone riding together and though we may give each other [PoorWordUsage] about their bikes, the fact is I do not care what kind of bike you ride and he does not care about the kind of bike that I ride. The point is we both have a passion for riding and that is what we do. The whole Ford/Chev/Dodge this is kind of the same but to not the extent that this post has gone.

The Lil Mrs got one of the new V Star 950's last month. Last week we put 1200 miles on in TX and she absolutley loves it!

ORIGINAL POSTER: Get the bike that feels good to you. You are the one that will have to ride it not the guy that you are standing next to.

Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[chuckwagon]

I ride a nightster ... it's a great bike for tooling around town making noise I guess, very very fun to ride ... But after 50 miles me arse is not happy. The suspension that comes on the bike is not very forgiving. I fab'ed up a pair of strut for it and can not really tell the difference any more. If you like nice long touring rides, go with the v star. If you like rompin around town and a long ride here or there go with the nightster! On average I put on 300 miles for weekend riding but you will want to take breaks so your rear end wake up!

[russ]

Look at the resale end of it this way, when you spend thousands less up front, you can afford to get less when/if you sell. Russ

[hunter101]

my vrod is the same, love the bike but need lots of breaks. would be nice if you could put some miles on each of them before you purchase. good luck and have fun

[Dragonsm]

In regards to whether or not the Nightster falls into the "promo" they are running right now, I believe it does. However, the "fine print" of the promo states that in order to get full MSRP trade in value back, you need to trade your sportster in on a new Dyna, Softail, VRSC, or touring model within a year of the purchase date. Otherwise, the promo goes null and void.

[machohorn]

I'll bite, I could be called a old grey beard, ask cowboy Bought my 1st harley in 82 had and have one or two at a time ever since, I also ride with people that have hondas,suzukes, yammies, even triumphs, They ride theirs for thier own reason I ride mine for my own reason. Resale pluey I own a 97 ultra and a 98 heritage, well my wife does own the 98 so resale would be not too much better then most makes that age but still not much. it is called personal chioce. in 83 sturgis you could not park any bike besides a harley on the street, now it look and feels more like family day at the state fair, kids runnin wild, every make model parked in front of the clubbers joint. What you will not find is attitudes. Go to Iowa's rally there is no security ( but there is) and you will not find anyone with a attitude,Drunken manners perhaps but those usually gat put to bed by the people that take care of things down there, You will also see every make of bike and no one slams a soul about it, Ride what ever you feel comfortable with, you don't need to justify anything to me, I will ride with anyone as long as they do not try stupid things that will make me feel unsafe.

[Bandit]

Buy whatever works for you, nobody cares what you ride anymore. I shouldn't say nobody, but anybody that's somebody won't. Wow, I must be tired, did that make sense?....Who's on first.

I have been riding for 33 years, always had Jap bikes, fastest being a Z11, biggest a 1500 Intruder. Dad always said I should get a Harley I just laughed at him and said no-way. Finally made him happy when I was 28 and have to say he was right, been riding HD's for 17 years without looking back, Although I have been thinking about a Goldwing.

For the record I love my 100'th anv. Fatboy and ya, people look. Might be just to see what is making all that racket, who knows.

[collegepaul]

"If you couldn't figure it out by looking at the dyno numbers, trust all three of us when we say the [Yamaha] Raider has tremendous go power. The Raider's bone-crushing 113ci mill can push the Vegas Jackpot's 100ci engine around like a schoolyard bully extorting lunch money, and it all but b!tch-slaps the Rocker C's 96ci lump."

--Motorcycle.com

http://www.motorcycle.com/shoot-outs/mainstream-chopper-shootout-69801.htm

[collegepaul]

"I think your confused, nobody ever said they were a performance machine. who are you talking to? and did anyone ask you if they were for performance? A cruiser is just that a slow, cool looking, cruise the strip, shiny bike." - Iron Cowboy

=================================

Who said a cruiser can't have performance also? Harley is no different with their Screamin' Eagle kit.

I agree with a previous post...forget about the brand name and find what fits and works best for you.

[Dragonsm]

Hmm.....I'll chime in again even though I have lack of experience with riding compared to the others. The nightster is definately a bad a$$ bike however if it rides like the sportster (same exact family) that I rode for an entire day, it'll leave you scratching your head. At first, when I hopped on to ride, I was excited and had the rush only a harley could give.....at the end of the day, I hated the sportster and how it rode....I was tired from fighting it and felt that it was to "upright" for me. I fought it all day long in the wind and was wore out. (Part of the reason why the individual who was selling it was selling it to upgrade to a heritage classic) I have sat on a Vstar 1100 and thought that was a great feeling cruiser bike......however ULTIMATELY, it is up to you.

As for "resale"......I wouldn't use that word quite as much with Harley anymore. They do fetch a nice price at times (if you can find a buyer). However, Harley as a company has become more mainstream and mass produced their bikes......and for not much more (or sometimes similar to the asking price of a used bike) you can pick up a new one. Don't base your selection on resale alone. If you do, you are setting yourself up to fail. My friend lost big on her sporty decked out to the gills. I would have purchased the bike in a heart beat if I would have felt my wife and I could have rode comfortably...however the sportster frame isn't nice for 2 up and long distance riding from what I was told and experienced. (She actually talked me out of buying it when she found out all my intentions)

I have fallen in love with the street bob and if I can make it comfortable for an afternoon ride with my wife, I'll pop the trigger. (I plan on doing a day ride of 5 models through Zylstra if I look at a harley to help me make my mind) I can't stand the typical harley bling'd out in all the chrome....the all black anti chrome "child" is what'd I'd love to own (kind of like the nightster) just to be different frome everybody and their sister here in MN.

At some point I am going to buy, and regardless of what I pick up, I have an open invitation to ride with the majority of members of the local "HOG" club. When you break it down, it isn't about what you are riding, it is about riding PERIOD! If you need a badge on your bike to ride, you have bigger issues. The local "Hog" club continuely reminded me of that!

BTW, I had to do a report on HD for my senior capstone class in college that equated to 160 pages.....they have the history, however they aren't your only choice. Mistique, reputation is on their side....but since mass production, and lack of resale, they are a lot more inline with all your other choices. Buy whatever is comfortable. (that is what I plan on doing)

As for your wife, definately get the blessing first. A nightster may be cool at first, but it is an easier sale if you can give a comfortable ride too......I have the blessing from my wife, just need to find the right deal(and a comfortable ride for her too). I even told my wife she could pick out the color to keep her included in the purchase.....(god, I hope they don't come out with a pink bike!!!!!!!)

[Mike Steckelberg]

LMAO lets put it this way, the way the economy has been hurting me I just wish I had this problem of what bike to buy, lol. I'm still riding the same bike I was when I was 16(I'm 34 now). Its a 1975 Harley XLCH, 1000cc, 4 speed, kick start only, but I tell you what I've tore down this bike and rebuilt everything on it more times than I can count. But through all the tear downs I know this bike probably better than I know myself. I love my bike and will never sell it or just let it sit in disrepair. As for long rides on a sporty been there done that and still do it. I will get a bigger bike in the future and when I do it will more than likely be a Heritage, but I will still ride my little sporty. I know I went off track here with the original post so I apologize.

[Tully]

I currently ride a 02 V-Star 1100 classic. Got it for a great price and love it. I would love to get a new street glide but for the amount of riding I get to do, I just can't justify the price. I have ridden a couple of my buddies sportsters, but at 6'3" it just felt a little "short" for me.

Tully

[Still learning]

I have a v-star 1300 08. my first bike I LOVE IT..changed the pipes to BUB's JUg Huggers .sounds great, the bike is very liquid......as turning ect..good price also...fairly fast also....Robert

[Walterwontfalter]

First, I ride a Harley, I currently own a 2001 Dyna Superglide and a 2005 Ultra Classic. I owned a 2005 Dyna Wide Glide before that and the rest of my life (previous 30 years) were spent on Honda's, Kawasaki's, Suzuki's etc. I ride with anyone and don't care what you ride. About 2 or 3 times a week i ride with a group of friends who are on their bikes... A collection of BMW's Harleys, Honda's and a Suzuki. We rib eachother and have fun but we really don't care what you are on as long as you are safe and respectful.

Now, to answer your question. Right now Harley Davidson dealerships have a deal (other than the good trade-in on sportsters) that as long as you have your motorcycle endorsement and are 18 or older you can go in and take a ride on any bike that is available. I would suggest calling your nearest dealer for both bikes and ask to take a ride before buying. If you do get the Harley, I would suggest right away buying a Sundowner seat and put it on. Your behind will thank you. It doesn't look as gorgeous but what the heck, it is comfy.

Whatever bike you buy...when you buy it, let me know. I'll ride with you and I won't give you a hard time because you don't have the kind of bike I have or want.