[VelvetJones]

Hey guys I have been a member for a while but I havent been able to get a bike because of all of my payments I have to make... bills dontchaknow. Well my truck will be paid off in January and that means its bike time. The wife has already ok'd anything I want however she is really pushing me toward Harley-Davidson due to the fact that she has tons of family in wisconsin and in the chicago area (where she is from) and everyone in her family rides a harley.

Im just not sure what to do. A 18,000$ bike is not the problem. I just am not sure of reliability concerns and other things that we have all heard about the dealers and service departments with that company.

My choices are

2007 Harley-Davidson VRSC V-Rod Night Rod Special edition. About 18,600 out the door.
2006 or 07 Warrior
2006 or 07 Hayabusa
2006 or 07 M109 Suzuki Boulevard
Something Big, comfortable and with a ton of power.

Basically Im wanting something with lots of grunt. I rode a buddies v-rod street rod and other than the mid controls it was awesome. Im 6'6" and 275 so I was cramped with the controls directly under my butt about 10 inches away. The Night rod has the forward controls. I am just worried about issues I have seen on their forums. I guess Im just looking for you guys experience if any of you have ridden these other bikes. I am doubtful on the Busa. I dont think I want to handle a monster like thay day in and day out.

Any experience you guys have on this stuff let me know. Thanks in advance
-vJ-

 

[independent_lemming]

How long of trips are you planning on taking? That Busa will break your back being as tall as you are on long trips. The HD, Warrior and M109 can all have forward controls put on them without much effort. By the way why did you exclude the RoadLiner? Just wondering, anyway its your money and your wife(her family), still will fall on your shoulders. I went through the same process of elimination and love my choice. By the way, the time and money you invest to fix up the v-rod compared to modifying the Warrior, you could buy a Busa for a spare. /emoticons/emotion-5.gif

 

[independent_lemming]

BTW GO Hogs!!!

 

[VelvetJones]

I wont be making many if any long trips. Probably couple hours 3-5 tops and that will be infrequent. I am mainly getting a bike for transportation in good weather. Cheaper on gas and all that. Plus I love to ride.

I am considering the roadliner although it seems a little heavy to me. I know its not that much bigger than the others but its enough to notice a difference. I dont want something I have to wrestle around. Its definately happening Im just reading everything I can and am probably going to make up my mind based on whats going to be the most maintainence free of them all. I like the midnight editions because of the lack of chrome. I know chrome looks cool on bikes but I would rather be riding or spending time with my family than polishing chrome. It will probably come down the the v-rod or a midnight warrior or midnight roadliner. Something I wont have to spend a ton of time keeping polished.

How bout dem hogs

 

[OhioBassFanatic]

NICE. but compair apples to apples.
Warrior is both a Sport bike AND a cruiser!

ZX14 if you dont care about crashing (or hayabusa)
Night rod if you want an expensive Warrior wanna be (plus its a harley)
Boulevard of you want a 2 wheeled couch.


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[MadMan]

VelvetJones,

First off...Welcome to the forums! Now you will probably get a lot of varies opinions here and basically this is my opinion. Do your homework! Which it looks like you have started on that path...I looked for close to two and half years before I decided on getting the Warrior. I choose several different bikes, including Harley Davidson and even the Custom Built models. After doing my homework, I narrowed it down to two bikes...The Yamaha Road Star Warrior and the Honda VTX 1800. Well...As you can tell I went with the Warrior...But before I choose the Warrior I went through all the pros and cons of both bikes and of course the Warrior just appealed to me more after a weighed out the pros and cons.

HEY! I gotta admit...I LOVE MY WARRIOR!!![^]

The choices you have listed are the same ones that I was looking at when I was searching for a street bike. Except for the Hayabusa...[/emoticons/emotion-5.gif] My wife and I had an agreement that I could not get another crotch-rocket. Which was O.K. with me...First, the H-D V-Rod...In my opinion, too expensive for a motorcycle that really has nothing to show for the price tag. Just my opinion though...I have a friend that owns a Screamin' Eagle V-Rod...$40,000.00!![:0] And for what!? Some additional shiny chrome, nice paint job and the name Harley Davidson on it. Are you paying for a name or a motorcycle!? As far as, I am considered my Warrior looks just as good, sounds just as good and rides better than my buddy's V-Rod. Not to mention...He's had to take it back to the dealership more times than I can remember.

I also have another friend who had a Harley and after spending $1500.00 to get it fixed one time. He finally decided it was time to sell it...And than what does he do...Buys another Harley, only this time he says that this Harley is better. Well...All we can do is wait and see...

The Suzuki M109 is a nice bike and fast...I liked the fact that it came with a FAT rear tire. That was a plus...I didn't ever see one in person and so I was basing my opinion on what I read, heard and seen in pictures at first. Then when my local dealership got one in...I went there to check it out in person...Sorry...Just didn't click with me. Didn't really like the style, looked over-bearing and the lines just didn't flow.

Now the Busa...Totally different bike then the other ones you have listed. If you want fast then the Busa is definitely what you want. You want to carve up twisties and shred the roadway then the Busa is what you want. You want all out, in your face power then the Busa is what you want. HEY! Let's face it the Busa is built to go fast period! Some of cons for this bike is the insurance is more expensive, the ride position is not that comfortable (At least for long distance...) And you did say you wanted something comfortable...

Ok...The Warrior...It's BIG...Comfortable and has good power and can be made to have even a ton of power. It's all in what you want and how you mod one. Plenty of aftermarket stuff for the Warrior and even Yamaha offers accessories and parts for the Warrior. You can go from mild to wild in no time at all if that's what you want.

But ultimately it's up to you and what you want or need...If you do your homework, then you shouldn't have to much trouble figuring out what the best choice is for you. But in my opinion, you can't beat the Warrior...For price, reliability, looks, style, power, modding or upgrading and comfort. I'm happy that I picked the Warrior and haven't regretted it for a moment.

Wish you the best of luck...

Mark aka Mad Man

 

[RaySDF250]

Here's my advice. Take a good long look at all the bikes on your list. Problems aside, which do you get excited about most when you look at it? That's should be your top pick. Then look at the bike's reliability. If the issues are major, then forget it. But really, the bike you choose should stir your soul...

 

[Frankenstein]

Warrior - Hands down... [/emoticons/emotion-2.gif]

 

[ekmaint]

quote:Originally posted by OhioBassFanatic

NICE. but compair apples to apples.
Warrior is both a Sport bike AND a cruiser!

ZX14 if you dont care about crashing (or hayabusa)
Night rod if you want an expensive Warrior wanna be (plus its a harley)
Boulevard of you want a 2 wheeled couch.


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YUP, what he said

 

[BrocLee]

Congrats!!!... I bet you are excited to get back on 2 wheels.

For what it's worth, personally, if I could have afforded it, I would have gotten an HD Softail but I have always loved that bike. I ended up with a warrior because of price and payments. Well, actually, I will be picking it up today... Woo Hoo!!!...I am happy with my purchase, I have read some Great things about that bike. I was told it was the fastest production cruiser 4 years in a row only to be outdone but the Suzuki M109.

Best advice I can give is that if money is no object, then get what feels good to you. You will be the one riding it and paying for it for the next few years or so. If you get the extended warranty and service plan, you should have no out-of-pocket expense for at least 3 years and at that time if the bike is not exactly what you want, sell it and get something else.

Bad thing about buying a bkie vs a car.... you cannot test drive a bike before making a purchase. Although I really like what I have read about the warrior, I will never really know if it is the right bike for me till I can get on it and drive it for a while.

Hope this helps and it's not just babble, I just woke up and only had one cup o coffee... LOL.

 

[K1200S]

Warrior provides a GREAT value and there are tons of mods that can be done at reasonable prices - get the warrior!!

 

[rx_warrior]

Bike magazine 8/06 article on M109R (p.59):

"Ground clearance is horrific...better suited for roads without sharp corners...If the bike had another 10 deg of lean on it the ride would be more enjoyable...The plastic switchgear looks cheap, the gearbox is a bit clunky in the first couple of gears and the speedo is set at an awkward angle."

The only thing that impressed me about the Suz was the 240 rear tire and the gixxer R1000 brakes....in my opinion the rest is just an attempt to imitate the V-rod, and that one has been extensively covered by other here.

 

[TheZsdad]

Without knowing your previous bikes it's hard to recommend one for you. So I'll tell you why I bought my Warrior It's the best looking cruiser available. Yep love at first site. The fact that it handles well and has a ton of torque sealed the deal. BTW the V-Rod ain't a real harley and in MHO it's ugly. Plus with the Warrior comes this rockin 4M.

 

[payload]

I'd get the Warrior just to piss 'em off[/emoticons/emotion-5.gif]

The Hardly Dangerous is cool though, but you probably already know what you want.... so, get it and don't worry about pleasing anyone but you.

I just got my '06 midnight and am very pleased. Had 2 sportys and a Low rider a few years ago and then got back in the sportbike thing.

When I decided to slow it down a bit and get a "sport-cruiser" I went to H-D right away. Nothing got me going. Decided it was finally time for a Warrior.

Good choice. I'm modding and dreaming and having a ball!

Whatever you end up doing....you'll have fun. Especially on a Happybus at 180 per[:0][:0][:0]

 

[VelvetJones]

Long reply Read at your own risk eye strain and boredom are sure to ensue.

Well the bikes that I feel the most emotion from are the V-rod and the warrior. The harley issues that I have seen the most common are a fuel gauge issue where the sending unit corrodes and has to be replaced. They all have a new tank (5 gal) and new sending unit so I think thats gone. The other issue is charging and ignition trouble. Which I havent heard much of on the newer bikes 2005 and newer. They have a 2 year unlimited mile warranty and extended warranty available to I think 7 years so that would take care of that. I havent really seen any issues with the Warrior. The fact that the v-rod has around 115hp and the warrior is lacking behind that a good bit even though it makes up for it with torque. I dont want to spend thousands of dollars on a big bore engine kit. They are great but I am not made out of money. Especially on a new bike that I will buy and extended warranty for. Im not sure what Ill get, I guess Ill see what they have available when I go to get it at the beginning of next year when my truck is paid off.

Bad thing about harley is the people. I asked on the v-rod forums about the reliability issues and people got pizzed about it and started getting all upset so I got banned because I am the one that started the discussion lol. Even though I only asked if the bike was good enough to be worth nearly 20k with the problems that everyone had been talking about on their forums. They started calling me a harley hater and all kinds of other bad names. I tried to reply to the thread a couple times to say I wanst attacking them but my posts got deleted and I got banned because everyone else started being jerks. I guess they are just a little over protective and dont want anyone to imply by asking a question that there are any design and reliability issues. Its a machine there will always be a problem with anything made by man. I know no matter what I get there will be something happen because man is flawed and a machine is just a flawed creation of men.

Anyone here seen a pattern in problems with the warrior? Anything expensive that wouldnt be covered by teh warranty. I can be an ass and have camped outside of auto dealerships because they said my warranty didnt cover a repair. I bought the most expensive warranty up to 100,000 miles and it even covered if I spilled coffee on the carpet and stained it. I have heard about stealerships not wanting to warranty work because they said it was a riders fault. Thats not something Im wanting to deal with. I guess its different at every dealer. Some are good some are bad. But I always do a ton of research and ask a million questions before I do something. I get it in writing that way I can go back and have proof of what was said.

Anyone have any input IM listening.

BTW I have been a member here since 2004 and was lurking here before that so I guess you can see this is something I have been researching for a long time. I have never had a streetbike. I have had a couple 2 stroke dirtbikes that I did a little amateur racing. Just local tracks on open days not ever a sanctioned event or anything. Ive ridden bikes from a honda 250 rebel and 250 ninja to a v-rod street rod... HATE the mid controls since Im so tall and Ive ridden a busa and a few other bikes harleys, gsxr's cbr's. The TL1000R or a Ducati are my dream bikes but they arent comfy enough to ride more than 10 minutes on for me. But that sound going through the gears on a v-twin sport bike are better than sex. I dont even have a motorcycle endorsement. Ill be doing the Harley davidson MSF riders edge program before I get the bike. My insurance is with state farm and I called them dozens of times on different bikes and all were from 30$ month sv 1000 to 58 a month Ducati 999. So insurance isnt a big deal.

I guess Im just at that point where I have a short time to decide and its hard. All these bikes have so much to offer and different strengths and weaknesses. This is something I have always wanted but my parents would never let me do because it was "too dangerous" ( my son is just turned 4 and I am getting him a 4 wheeler and a dirt bike for his next birthday). Since Ive been out of my parents house since I was 18 I didnt have the finances for it. I just turned 30 and its finally time. The warrior has so many affordable upgrades and there are a ton I would put on the bike. The harley has tons of upgrades but they arent so affordable.

In the end I will probably get a bike and put pipes and pcIII on it at the dealer and then do things like the led tail like advertised here and some drag bars. That UFO system makes me want a warrior just for it. **** I wouldnt mind working something up like that for my Trans AM. Just freaking wow. Also the led wrap around turn signals I saw on here a while back. They were wrapped around the forks. That was super cool. Im not worried about a fat tire. I would rather go around corners with ease than look cool. Ive been on a bike with a 280 it was a boulevard and it was a pain in the butt to turn. Before he got that fat tire put on there I think it had a 180 or 190 and it turned 10 times easier.

Thanks again for all your advice and wisdom. Im sure it will help my final decision and the people on this board vs. the v-rod forums are reason enough to go with a yammy in the first place. Grade A forums and between you guys and the great folks on the hayabusa forums I feel bad for all the other biker forums out there because all the good ones are here and at hayabusa.org. When I do get a bike even it its not a warrior Ill still be here for the great people and Ill have pics and info about the bike and any upgrades.

Sorry for the wall-o-text. I guess there are just a million questions and thoughts going on in my head about this decision because when I get it Ill be stuck with it. I dont want to be riding one and then going "what if?" if ya know what Im saying. Would I be having more fun on Bike X or Bike Y? Once I get a bike Im going to be stuck with it for a long time. I dont want to take a huge loss on something because it wasnt what I expected. No matter where I go I will test ride whatever it is IM going to get. If they dont want to let me then Ill buy somewhere else. I wouldnt buy a car or truck without driving it and I wouldnt buy a house without going inside. I sure as **** wouldnt buy a 5 year supply of (insert food item here) if I had never tasted it and didnt know what it was like. If they want to make a sell they can have the salesman follow me on a short predetermined route or he can lead but they will let me ride the bike for 4 or 5 miles before I pay my hard earned cash for it. I know they normally dont but Ill have bank financing and will be ready to write a check for the full amount of the bike on the spot so that will help them let me have the keys for 20 or 30 minutes.

I just want to spend the time before hand making the right decision so I dont have to think about it after I have it. I can just ride and enjoy my new rocket. OOoh the triumph rocket III now thats a big motor. Im so confused but the ducati and triumph are out because the closest dealers are 4 hours away.

-vJ-

 

[metrickkruzer]

Get a Warrior! Welcome to the 4M!

 

[TheZsdad]

"Anyone here seen a pattern in problems with the warrior?"

YES the mod bug bites nearly everyone that rides a Warrior.

"Anything expensive that wouldnt be covered by teh warranty"

Yes see above. [}/emoticons/emotion-1.gif]

Here's how to decide.
Put a W for Warrior on one side of a coin and a V for Vrod on the other side. Flip the coin. W you Win, V you lose.

 

[VelvetJones]

Sounds like a plan... let me find a coin.. heads warrior tails v-rod.. of course I reserve the right to change my mind at any time between now and febuary... heh.

Heads won 2 out of 3. and I didnt look at what was up before I flipped I shook it in my hands and did it with my eyes closed until I flipped it and flip 1 and 2 were heads. Warrior it is. Now start sending me free stuff to put on it once I get it.

Oh and there better be an 07 blacked out midnight edition.

-vJ-

 

[fcwarrior]

Go for the bike that you like best not what someone else wants you to buy. If they end up being the same-great! Your in-laws will be envious of the Warrior, hopefully polite and will enjoy your company. You can't argue about a bike that looks better, handles better, performs better and is well, just better in all ways than the Hardleys. But that's just my opinion--who cares!! Some of my Hardley riding friends ask when I'm going to buy a real man's bike! I just blow by them waving:}

 

[leon]

i guess u got a decide on your STYLE first.
sport bike or cruiser?
narrow it down than go from there.