I crashed my 2002 Road King a week ago, on Tuesday night. Insurance adjuster was here today to look at it, and while I don't have 100% solid $$ numbers yet, the bike is totaled. That said, it is also VERY fixable. So, I'm weighing options. Do I buy it back and fix it? Or do I take the money and put a down payment on a leftover 2019 Street Glide?
My bike: I bought it in 2003 with 3,000 miles on it, so nearly new, but not quite. It now has around 116,000 miles. I built an all-bore 107" a few years - I guess about 5 - ago. Should have done that 15 years ago. I LOVE the power and the way this bike runs and rides. I've also done fairly extensive suspension work including stabilizing the swingarm to eliminate the dreaded Bagger Wobble; Ohlins rear shocks; Race Tech front springs and Intiminator valves, which were custom tuned for my bike and my weight. This bike handles extremely well for a 750 lb motorcycle. It has a very cool custom flame paint job, which is now all F-ed up and has to be redone. I have detachable tour back, fairing, backrest and the stock window - actually not stock, it's a Long Ride Shileds window. Also Mustang Wide Touring seat. And fairing lowers for winter. Along with a bunch of other "this and that" things. This bike has been with me a long time; my wife and I bought it together soon after we got married (which was in 1999) when I replaced my stroker Ironhead Sportster chopper (she promptly got her license and her own bike, then upgraded to her current ride, a 2005 Super Glide). I rode this bike from NJ to Vegas, and a bunch of other major road trips. It took me nearly 15 years to get it the way I want it, but now that it is, I love it. It does have a recurring check engine light that I can't seem to solve: It sets a code for "secondary ignition misfire, rear cylinder" at WOT and high RPM (above 5k) pretty consistently. Those are the only conditions under which it does it, and it's not noticable to the seat of the pants or the dyno for that matter. I think it might need a new control unit, but that's another story. Bottom line is, I haven't figured it out 100% despite some effort and all new ignition parts.
2019 Street Glide: The one I'm looking at has the 107 M8 motor. But that looks to be pretty easily converted to a 124 with S&S 4.25 cylinders, which apparently bolt on. T-Man offers several kits also. So there's aftermarket support to make a serious hot rod, which is important and I would definitely do. I love the color, which is a bright metallic red. I would want put a similar flame job on it as I currently have, which would look great over the stock paint (my current bike is Luxury Rich Red with silver flames). It has the Infotainment system - and built in navigation, which I REALLY liked having when I rented a '14 Limited while touring Montana a few years back. It has a 6 speed, which is something I've been planning to put in my bike for years. That was going to happen this winter - and will if I buy it back and rebuild it. I love the wheels on the 19 SG. Similar to the '14 wheels, which I was thinking about putting on my Road King for a while. I rode tested an 18 SG a year or so ago for fun, and was WAY more impressed with it than I expected to be. Handled very well, was very responsive and had gobs of power for a stock bike. Again I'd build a 124", or possibly a 128" if I stroked it, but it could still be fun for a stocker until that were to happen.
Without getting into all the details, I'll get somewhere around $8,000 for mine totaled. Buying it back will cost somewhere around $2,000. That gives me $6k to work with. By ebay shopping used bags and other parts, and doing my own work, I can put this back together and get the Baker 6 speed for that money, and possibly have a few hundred left over. OTOH, I could take the ~$8k and put it down on the leftover 19 SG - the dealer is making deals on the leftovers. I'd have a payment, which I don't currently. Plus I'd have to spend ("have to" in quotation marks, I guess) on hot rod parts, a tune, etc. Not to mention detachable tour pack, a proper seat, lowers, flame job, etc.
Thoughts???? What would you do???
Regarding the accident, I got lucky: bumps and bruises only, no major damage. I hit an extremely bumpy road surface on a bridge over a creek pretty close to my house, though I'm not THAT familiar with the road. I hit the bridge, which is in a pretty sharp curve, at 35 or so MPH, which is the recommended speed posted for the bridge, and the potholes and bumps literally bounced me off the road and into the grass by the side of the road. Once in the grass, the bike went sideways, threw me off and then bounced around and fu<ed itself all up. My neighbor came and got me, so no cops, ambulance, or tow vehicles. I'm lucky to have him as a neighbor. He and his son are also bikers, so he was pretty happy to help.
Anyway, let's hear some input. I am surprised at how tough a decision this is turning out to be. I thought I'd always have this bike. Right after the crash I thought I'll definitely buy it back, and definitely fix it, and definitely keep in indefinitely. But I'm thinking hard on the other option.....
My bike: I bought it in 2003 with 3,000 miles on it, so nearly new, but not quite. It now has around 116,000 miles. I built an all-bore 107" a few years - I guess about 5 - ago. Should have done that 15 years ago. I LOVE the power and the way this bike runs and rides. I've also done fairly extensive suspension work including stabilizing the swingarm to eliminate the dreaded Bagger Wobble; Ohlins rear shocks; Race Tech front springs and Intiminator valves, which were custom tuned for my bike and my weight. This bike handles extremely well for a 750 lb motorcycle. It has a very cool custom flame paint job, which is now all F-ed up and has to be redone. I have detachable tour back, fairing, backrest and the stock window - actually not stock, it's a Long Ride Shileds window. Also Mustang Wide Touring seat. And fairing lowers for winter. Along with a bunch of other "this and that" things. This bike has been with me a long time; my wife and I bought it together soon after we got married (which was in 1999) when I replaced my stroker Ironhead Sportster chopper (she promptly got her license and her own bike, then upgraded to her current ride, a 2005 Super Glide). I rode this bike from NJ to Vegas, and a bunch of other major road trips. It took me nearly 15 years to get it the way I want it, but now that it is, I love it. It does have a recurring check engine light that I can't seem to solve: It sets a code for "secondary ignition misfire, rear cylinder" at WOT and high RPM (above 5k) pretty consistently. Those are the only conditions under which it does it, and it's not noticable to the seat of the pants or the dyno for that matter. I think it might need a new control unit, but that's another story. Bottom line is, I haven't figured it out 100% despite some effort and all new ignition parts.
2019 Street Glide: The one I'm looking at has the 107 M8 motor. But that looks to be pretty easily converted to a 124 with S&S 4.25 cylinders, which apparently bolt on. T-Man offers several kits also. So there's aftermarket support to make a serious hot rod, which is important and I would definitely do. I love the color, which is a bright metallic red. I would want put a similar flame job on it as I currently have, which would look great over the stock paint (my current bike is Luxury Rich Red with silver flames). It has the Infotainment system - and built in navigation, which I REALLY liked having when I rented a '14 Limited while touring Montana a few years back. It has a 6 speed, which is something I've been planning to put in my bike for years. That was going to happen this winter - and will if I buy it back and rebuild it. I love the wheels on the 19 SG. Similar to the '14 wheels, which I was thinking about putting on my Road King for a while. I rode tested an 18 SG a year or so ago for fun, and was WAY more impressed with it than I expected to be. Handled very well, was very responsive and had gobs of power for a stock bike. Again I'd build a 124", or possibly a 128" if I stroked it, but it could still be fun for a stocker until that were to happen.
Without getting into all the details, I'll get somewhere around $8,000 for mine totaled. Buying it back will cost somewhere around $2,000. That gives me $6k to work with. By ebay shopping used bags and other parts, and doing my own work, I can put this back together and get the Baker 6 speed for that money, and possibly have a few hundred left over. OTOH, I could take the ~$8k and put it down on the leftover 19 SG - the dealer is making deals on the leftovers. I'd have a payment, which I don't currently. Plus I'd have to spend ("have to" in quotation marks, I guess) on hot rod parts, a tune, etc. Not to mention detachable tour pack, a proper seat, lowers, flame job, etc.
Thoughts???? What would you do???
Regarding the accident, I got lucky: bumps and bruises only, no major damage. I hit an extremely bumpy road surface on a bridge over a creek pretty close to my house, though I'm not THAT familiar with the road. I hit the bridge, which is in a pretty sharp curve, at 35 or so MPH, which is the recommended speed posted for the bridge, and the potholes and bumps literally bounced me off the road and into the grass by the side of the road. Once in the grass, the bike went sideways, threw me off and then bounced around and fu<ed itself all up. My neighbor came and got me, so no cops, ambulance, or tow vehicles. I'm lucky to have him as a neighbor. He and his son are also bikers, so he was pretty happy to help.
Anyway, let's hear some input. I am surprised at how tough a decision this is turning out to be. I thought I'd always have this bike. Right after the crash I thought I'll definitely buy it back, and definitely fix it, and definitely keep in indefinitely. But I'm thinking hard on the other option.....