Oddest thing you've heard at work/riding/social whatever

[ohgood]

Setup:

One of hte guys at work was talking about the new HD lineup. Pretty pictures, glossy sales book, etc.

I said, "Ya, but man, that's allot of dough to drop on just another bike."

he said, "You can ride it 100,000 miles and still get your money back out." as justification to the expense.

then added: "Sometimes you just can't afford to be cheap !"


which left me completely confuzzled.

sooooo, it's ok to spend $20,000 on two wheels, if you think you can re-sell it when it's worn out for $19,000 ? (that's delusional)

orrrrrrrr, it's ok to spend (finance) $20,000 bike when -something-about-being-cheap- ? i really didn't get this one.

sounded like a salesman mumble, so i let it go.

what have you heard that just makes you thing "WTF man ?" ?

[applecrew]

 

  Your co-worker is delusional.

HD's current promotion (ending this month):  Buy a 2009 Sporty, ride it for a year, and if you trade up at that time, HD will give you original retail price applied to your trade-up.  That's not such a bad deal... if you want to (or can afford to) drop that kind of money.  But beyond that... just try to get even close to original retail on a one-year old Sporty...  Good luck to you is all I can say, and more power to you if you can...

[Big Lou]

As an HD (and GS) enthusiast myself, I can see how it's easy to get psyched about the new Harley's coming out.  However, Im a realistic guy as well.  My way of thinking is, I don't really have to "justify" spending that kind of money on a bike.  If I want it and can afford it, why not, ya know. Im really more in to the older HD's (pans, shovels, knuckles, irons, etc).  You're right tho, you'll never get your money back out of ANY bike, but I have sold a 35 y.o. bike for 7500, and unless your selling an HD, Indian, or something with a crazy race history, that's hard to do. Everytime I get on cl tho, there is always people on there who think they can sell a 7 year old bike for more than what it cost brand new because they put a new carb and a new exhaust on it.  pfft.... I'm not paying 17000 for a 7 year old bike because you got a 19 percent interest rate when you financed it....

[Hawk996]

Another perfect psychology example.  A person justifying their purchase choice (good or bad) to themselves and / or others.  HD's do hold their value better than other bikes, but if he thinks he's going to get what he paid for it with 100,000 miles on it, I'll have what he's having....


WTF things said by a coworker:  I was quietly eating my lunch by myself and reading the sports paper.  I was eating home made chili and drinking a MT Dew.  A coworker (who I don't really care for to begin with) came right on over to my table a plopped a seat and said "my cousin used to eat a lot of chili and drink a lot of MT Dew."  "He's dead now".

WTF is wrong with people.

My cats name is Mittens...

Ha......

[bill14224]

I tried to reason with my friend Sonny a couple years ago, but was unsuccessful.  As a result, he dropped $11,000 on a '93 Softail with custom paint, 1,600 cc engine, screamin' eagle pipes, 40,000 miles, (now 48,000) and it now has a GIANT puddle of transmission fluid under it.  I also can't convince him that premium gas won't resist destabilization over the winter.  He's convinced it will.  He's also convinced that Sta-bil attacks rubber parts. (balderdash!)

The problem is Sonny has another friend who believes all kinds of old wives' tales and listens to everything he says.  Both of them barely graduated and neither of them spent 10 seconds in college, by the way, so neither of them have any technical training whatsoever.  They continue to nag me to buy a Harley, giving me the same line about how I'll get my money out of it. (if I find someone stupid enough, which is entirely possible, but not something I can live with ethically)

Meanwhile, I paid $1,200 for a '94 GS that had 13,800 miles at the time, which outperforms their Harleys in every conceivable way, gets 60 mpg, has no mechanical issues, (except the clutch cable that just broke yesterday!) and won't cost me my firstborn child to fix.  I put 5,000 carefree miles on it so far, got the seat re-upholstered, put a V&H system on it, a better chain, and so I figure I could sell it now if I wanted to for
$1,600 easy (getting almost all my money back, which torpedoes the crux of their argument) not that I would want to... the bike is perfect for me! 

How come no one carries cables locally?  I had to order one.  This is a rare time when I'm GLAD it's raining!

[dadsafrantic]

don't get an hd get a victory.  i had arlen ness himself show me one the other day.  would make an impressive 2nd or 3rd bike.  not really a first though, not skinny enough to split lanes by the bay.

[Suzuki Stevo]

HD's traditionally have had great resale value, far greater than any import bike, but right now the is a glut of HD's, at least in Washington State so it's a buyers market...if you want a HD.

[Hawk996]

I really enjoy this forum, it is a great place to discuss motorcycles, life issues and an unbeatable resource for GS500 issues.

That being said, CMON guys.  Some (very few) of you guys really need to get over yourself.  The GS500, as great of a bike as it is, is NOT the greatest thing on two wheels.  I keep reading comments like: "'my 94 GS that had 13,800 miles at the time, which outperforms their Harleys in every conceivable way".  Really, in whose world is your stock 94 GS running a 1600 cc Harley.  I've ridden HDs with big S&S motors, I've ridden 1200 Evolutions and both will eat a stock gs500 in the quarter by a tractor trailer length.  And BTW NADA lists you 94 GS500E for $1,450 in excellent condition $950 in good condition and you have to go into the antique motorcycle category to get the price.

That being said:  The stock 90's GS500's really, (big dramatic pause) kind of suck.  It is a cheaply made and mass produced bike that found a niche in the market as a perfect beginners bike.  The stock suspension sucks.  The front is severely under sprung, I've seen better rear shock and linkage setups on mountain bikes, your constantly rowing the gearbox like your crossing the Atlantic in town traffic, it's cold blooded and runs like dog oh my goodness until it gets up to operating temp, It makes 40 horse, My 2005 TRX450R will eat it... I could go on and on. 

Don't get me wrong, I like the GS's and that's why my wife and I picked one up.  She has never ridden before and the GS500E is the perfect beginner bike that she is not likely to get into trouble on and does do a lot of things very well.  It handles very well, the brakes are more than enough for the weight of the bike, its lite, easy to maintain, reliable, I could go on and on.  But, after all it is an entry level bike.  I really hope that she will fall in love with riding like myself and out grow the GS in her fist year.  Hopefully she will then want to step up to a Duke Monster, an SV650 or even a 600 rocket.

And Please, Just because I ride a VTR1000F I don't think it is a perfect bike either.  Like the GS the stock rear suspension sucks, the radiators are mounted on the sides and will fry your junk in traffic,  it gets absolutely horrible gas mileage and therefore has incredibly poor range, after 200 miles the stock seat is about as comfortable as a milk crate and the RC51, Busa, and most new 1 liter inline sport bikes will eat it in nearly every category.  In fact the only thing it does better than a 09 CBR100RR is leaving the line, but as i hit third gear I am getting passed.   But, I am not afraid to admit "it is what it is"... 

All this being said.  Just let people ride what they like.  I absolutely love the fact that most of the stereo typing is GONE...  I can show up at Sturgis or Daytona without worring that my bike is going to get tipped over and set on fire becaues it is not an HD. 

Sure I have ridden with people that have  bikes that I personally don't like, I have even ridden with people that ride scooters, I really just don't care.  Ridding is ridding, your ride is a non important personal preference.