Nov
25
Is the HD Softail Deluxe a good bike for me and my wife to cruise on?
Posted by admin under Motorcycles
wizard asked:
I love the old school classic look of the Harley Softail Deluxe… Don’t like the price so much. Would this be a good bike for me and my wife to comfortably cruise on 3-4 hour road trips?
I love the old school classic look of the Harley Softail Deluxe… Don’t like the price so much. Would this be a good bike for me and my wife to comfortably cruise on 3-4 hour road trips?
Are there any other motorcycle manufacturers that offer a similar bike for a lower cost? Or is Harley the only way to go?
I also lean towards the Harley because of the much love and respect that Harley riders get and enjoy.
November 26th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Very nice ride.
You get what you pay for. If you buy cheaper, you will get cheaper.
November 28th, 2008 at 11:04 am
not a bad choice for a touring cruiser…
goldwing OWNS the luxury touring market though…
edit: adam, goldwing trikes feel like cars, yes…
straight gold wings ride just as well as any other cruiser/tourer…
November 28th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
wow, proud of you mags, you said a harley is not a bad choice… but yeah, it’d be a great bike for what you want. if you want a car-like bike you could go for the goldwing, but if you want a bike that feels like a bike, while still being comfortable with badass styling, the deluxe is a great choice
November 30th, 2008 at 10:05 pm
Take a look at the Victory Kingpin. More power from a 100 cubic inch engine for 2 up riding, 6 speed tans. and oil cooled so it won’t burn you up on a hot day. Go to any Victory dealer and you can test ride one. I got rid of my Softtail Deuce for a Victory. Should have bought the Vic in the first place.
December 3rd, 2008 at 6:29 am
I had an ‘89 heritage. kept it for 12 years and rode it coast to coast and back 3 times along with many other trips. Not nearly as comfortable as the Road glide i have now but not bad. You will be limited to around 500-600 mile days max though. An FLH or FLT makes a 1000 mile day a breeze.
December 4th, 2008 at 6:59 am
It would be a great bike for you and the wife on trips that long, or even longer.
There are many bikes that will do a good job in getting you from A to B, but in my opinion, not as good as the Harley. Check out –cruisers section for some ideas.
Retail sales are struggling at the moment. Shop around with 3 or 4 different dealers for the best price. Contrary to popular belief, there are still some dealers that will negotiate on a Harley. I don’t know where you’re from, but a friend of mine (in Illinois) bought a new one from Florida. He was still money ahead by going down to get it, and ended up with a nice ‘mini’ vacation at the same time.
December 7th, 2008 at 4:10 am
A nice choice, very sharp looking. Yes, there are cheaper offerings from other manufacturers, but the harley has real chromed metal on it, the imports have chrome-like plastic bits. There is obviously more to it than chrome vs plastic, but the whole fit and finish and build quality will have many comparison points. You won’t be sorry with the harley choice, also in that you may pay $5000 more for it than a comparable import (and I mean comparable, as in, 1600-1800cc’s, and the Goldwing is more money) but the Harley will also be worth that same $5000 more than any other any time you go to sell it. So there is no more money lost there, think of it as invested. Your cost of ownership is comparable and you get the nicer bike with a much higher “cool value”
You may also want to consider a heritage classic, much the same as a deluxe, but has a windshield and bags from factory without much more expense, adding those onto a deluxe would cost much more than the difference between the 2 models, and if you want to go touring, those are pretty much essentials anyways. Or a road king might be another worth considering, then you’re getting more comparable to a goldwing and comparing apples to apples
December 8th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
It is a very good cruiser. Personanly, I think it would be a good 8-10 hr. a day cruiser. Yes they make imported looka likes but u get what u pay for.
December 11th, 2008 at 10:24 am
Anything in the HD Dyna/Softail/Tour line is fine for 2-up cruising. I’ve a buddy with a Dyna and he goes on some long daytrips w/ his girlfriend with no problems. You’ll have to look into gear if you want to drag anything along, the Softails don’t come with any luggage stock.
All the Japanese companies offer cruisers and they’re generally less than HD for the comparable size. BMW and Triumph also have cruisers, BMW will be more (and probably more comfortable), Triumph will be less and far less powerful unless you get the big Rocket III. Go to their web sites and you can see every bike they offer new.
Victory has a nice lineup that’s getting better and better reviews for quality. Their Vegas or Kingpin line will have cruisers in the same size and power range.
December 12th, 2008 at 9:35 am
First off. I have been riding 30+ years and have no respect for the current crop of posers and dweebs buying harleys nowdays. They prove that no one ever lost money by underestimating the intillegence of the average americian.
There are several other brands of bikes that sell at a premium. But bikes like the Aprilla, Ducati, BMW, KTM, really are premium bikes, but you do pay alot more for that extra bit of goodness.
But the Harley while selling at a premium isn’t like that at all. It is a clear under-performer in an under-performing class. You would have to buy a bike from china or India to get a worse bike. With a Harley you pay extra for the name and less performance.
Do you really want a HD Softtail at 21K 1600cc and 60 HP???? Hope you can hang on when this rocket takes off.
Here is a nice webpage if you care to compare the harley with modern bikes.