I Ride a Harley Davidson Road Glide
2011 Road Glide Ultra CVO
A Simple Reason
Occasionally someone will ask me why I ride a Harley Davidson motorcycle. There's really a simple reason, but I would like to explain it by telling my story.
The only motorcycle I had ever owned was a small used moped my dad bought for me when I was fourteen years old. Back then mopeds had a top speed of about 30 mph....going down hill with the wind. It was a blast riding the rural gravel roads in northeast South Dakota with my friends.
Fast forward forty-five years. I now have two sons that ride motorcycles. The excitement of riding a motorcycle again caught me by surprise!
I looked at many brands. I talked to people about the bikes they rode and asked them why did you buy that motorcycle. I was surprise at some of their answers. I heard statements like: "I bought my friends motorcycle because he wanted to get it out of his garage and it was cheap" "I wanted something with good gas mileage" "I liked the color" "I live near a dealer" "it requires almost no maintenance" or "I don't know, it just bought it one day." Any of these reasons might work for others, but for me I was looking for a more concrete reason than that. I knew I wanted a cool looking bike that handled well, provided a certain level of comfort, and offered more than just a ride around town or down a country road.
When I talked to my cousin Darrel about buying a motorcycle. He listed a number of reasons why he thought I should buy a Harley Davidson. He had owned and ridden many different brands over the years and his current bike was a Harley Davidson Ultra Classic. He gave me plenty of good reasons to buy a Harley, but the one I remember most was this one. "You will always want to own a Harley Davidson motorcycle. You might as well just go ahead and buy a Harley up front and get it done." OK, that's a good point, but I wanted a little more reason than just "You will always want a Harley..." I haven’t ridden a motorcycle since I was a boy. Why will I always want a Harley?
I e-mailed a friend whom I knew had purchased a brand new Harley Davidson Road King. He e-mailed me back with an extensive focus on the Total Riding Experience rather than just the bike alone. He was right. It is not just the bike, it is the total riding experience that one must consider.
There are a huge number of quality manufactured motorcycles available for purchase, but making a decision based only on the quality of the bike by itself may not be the best reason for buying a motorcycle. Today most motorcycles are quality built machines. Most riders feel the motorcycle they ride is of high quality or they probably would have sold or traded for something different years ago. How about cost. Some riders say you get more bang for your buck if you buy a ......... That can also be a very subjective statement. Just because buying a certain brand of motorcycle will cost more or less up front, does not make it a good buy. One should logically consider resale, access to dealers, parts and accessories. Comfort is usually a consideration if the rider plans on doing some touring. Color, styling, innovation and reputation of the manufacturer must certainly be considered.
Let me be clear about this as well, I have never spoken ill of any rider because of the model or brand of motorcycle they ride. If a person has the money, that person should have the freedom to purchase any model or brand they want. They should not have to worry about me or the government telling them what is the best bike to ride.
So here is why I made the decision to buy a Harley Davidson.
There's tradition with Harley Davidson motorcycles that is like no other motorcycle brand. People that ride Harley Davidson motorcycles do more than just ride. First of all they are passionate about their bike. They talk about the freedom and adventures they enjoy while riding their Harley. They ride for causes like Breast Cancer Research and raising money for Veterans and supporting numerous charitable organizations. They join HOG Chapters and connect monthly with other riders to promote riding safety, talk about scenic rides, encourage and support each other. Owning and riding a Harley is about community, friendship and being a part of something worthwhile.
The Harley Davidson Company itself is like family. They sponsor and support the Harley Owners Group (HOG) with events, training and networking. They encourage riders to get on their Harley and ride. Take for example "H-D World Ride." When Harley designs new models they uphold traditions with styling and overall appearance. Yet HD also designs and builds models that are totally unique. Recently new to HD is the "Make It Yours" program. Another way Harley riders can now customized their ride directly from the factory.
Most Harley owners like to customize their ride to make it somewhat unique or "special" to them. Harley Davidson makes that possible by offering thousands of options and add-ons. Is that an additional cost? Sure it is, but it's one of the reasons why I choose to buy a Harley. I want my ride to be “special.”
Maybe that is the reason I would get this question when I mentioned I was considering purchasing a motorcycle. "Are you going to buy a Harley?" This questions was almost asked 100% of the time as the first sentence out of their mouth.
So should you buy a Harley? I don't know! Buy whatever bike turns your crank, but my guess is this, sooner or later you too are going to wish you rode a Harley Davidson Motorcycle. It’s just that simple!
Lee Alberts
Here's a review of the 2011 Harley CVO Road Glide Ultra by Motorcyclist Magazine
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/firstrides/122_1010_2011_harley_davidson_cvo_road_glide_ultra/
Consider "Why Harley" from the manufacturers point of view
Click on the Picture to watch the video clip
Click on the picture to watch the video and hear what Harley Davidson has to say about their motorcycles. Yes, they are sharing their selling points. But remember it's information and when buying, "More Information is Always Better." Click Here to watch a video tour of the new Harley Davidson factory in York, PA.
You can also go to www.ridetrue.com
You can also go to www.ridetrue.com
What is the Value of a Motorcycle
Think About it after watching this short video clip
This video does not answer the question directly, but it does help start the discussion!
This video does not answer the question directly, but it does help start the discussion!