Recently sold my 03 Harley FXD, great bike (except for the oil leak and the fogged up speedo and having to spend an additional $600 to make it run properly) but I got an offer I just couldn't refuse. Started looking around for a replacement, probably another Harley. Just for the hell of it I stopped down at the local Harley dealer who also happens to sell Hondas. I love Harley's but decided to check out the metrics with an open mind. Dealer just got in a Honda VTX1300C. Looked great, felt great, took it for a test ride. Holy crap! It had more power stock than my Stage 1 big twin, more torque, single crank pin, and handled just as good (actually more stable at highway speeds than my Harley FXD). Water cooled (no overheating worries), shaft drive, very comfortable, low maintenance ($15 and 15 minutes vs. $60 and 2 hours for an oil change), runs on regular gas, made in Ohio, $8600 out the door including tax and title. Hmmmmmm. $5000 less than the cheapest big twin Harley?
How can I possibly get over "It's not a Harley?" Well, I did and I love this bike. Before dissing the metrics take one of these out for a spin. Honda really paid attention this time around. It's a great alternative to mortgaging your house for an authentic V-Twin experience. As far as the old re-sale argument, yeah Harley's will always be worth more down the road but if your buying a bike for its potential resale value, your buying it for the wrong reason. Ride safe.
How can I possibly get over "It's not a Harley?" Well, I did and I love this bike. Before dissing the metrics take one of these out for a spin. Honda really paid attention this time around. It's a great alternative to mortgaging your house for an authentic V-Twin experience. As far as the old re-sale argument, yeah Harley's will always be worth more down the road but if your buying a bike for its potential resale value, your buying it for the wrong reason. Ride safe.