Yeah, I have come to a decision that I might regret later if I continue without any advice...

Just cruising though the shops today I came across a Harley dealership, stepped in and among all those pompous and rather pathetic and fat looking choppers there was one that made me drop my jaw
This one
The Harley Davidson VRSCA V-ROD

now I know this sounds stupid, but....IF I sell my mazda I can afford this, and I can live with using public transportation every time it rains or snows...I WANT that bike...


and the best thing is - while it IS a Harley, and as Harley states - it's their best piece of engineering, I was told quite strictly that the watercooled engine and the suspension was built and perfected by Porsche...
so basically it's a German Bike, which only has American name, and I can live with that, since it doesn't even look like a Harley...

the question is, IS IT WORTH IT?
I mean, are there people who only own a bike, and no car? How do you live without a 4 wheel vehicle?

Asking for advice about rain and bikes? Danowat is from the land of rain (aka England) so could probably help you better than me but imo rain isn't that much of an issue - provided theres not a massive amount of standing water and you aren't pelting it you'll be ok.

The main problem with bikes is that you'll arive cold, have to store your helmet somewhere and will never find someone willing to sit on the back. If you can deal with that then go for it.

How cold does it get it Latvia? How far is your daily commute and what is it?

TBH i think all choppers (esp a Harley) like that are bought by men in a mid-life crisis who are to much of a wuss to buy a proper bike - i should know, my Dad's one of them!

it costs 19,500 Euros here..I didn't check for Used ones yet...

and about mid-life crisis...I just don't feel like riding a superbike....ever

That's a lot of money for a bike. Seriously a lot of money. What sort of usage? In what sort of area? How're the gas prices? Are you going to buy all the safety equipment that'll keep you warm and safer? That can be up to another 1000 euros. Do you transport people and things with your car often enough? Do you plan on investing on a second helmet as minimum extra equipment for, say, your girlfriend?

All of the above are just economic and practical issues. The list can easily go on...

EDIT:
Of course - more importantly - have you had experience on a heavy motorcycle where you ride with your legs stretched out in front of you and has the potential to handle like a sofa on wheels?

1. I am prepared to pay for that, and I usually drive alone...plus the gas prices are around 1euro per liter, so that's some sort of economy comparing to a car...
and about usage - drive to work through the center of the city, and back 3-4 times a week, and riding for fun...
2. I have had a 350cc Motorbike when I was 14 (it was a Soviet Yawa) and it didn't handle at all...so I guess I have some experience...

My Suzy could take it.

Oh yeah... the use public transit when it rains? LOL I had the same idea... The bus sucks, the rain sucks, but not as bad as the bus IMO.
I'll be honest, even though I've ridden bikes for years, I didn't really
become this "biker" until fairly recent. Cough-gas prices-cough.

Yeah I don't like crotch rockets much either, It's fun to be on the freeway passing a guy on one with the engine screaming and looking like they're racing the daytona, While I lazily cruise past in fourth, sitting upright - wind in my hair and bugs in my teeth lol

@jakq
You know, I was so afraid people would think I was having a mid-life crisis getting a bike, but I've learned that you don't really see those types except on weekends in nice warm sunny weather... you're right they're wusses

Oh, back to the point, You might wanna shop around if you're looking for a bike, Yamaha makes some really good cruisers, the Warrior and the Raider are bad ass hotrod cruisers as far as sport cruisers go
My bike is a Suzuki intruder. 1400 cc.heads ported, factory exhausts replaced with drag pipes with no baffles and new jets in the carbs to take advantage of that.

anyways good luck, ride safe and helmet laws suck

Oh, forgot something... I think the people that know the most on these forums about bikes are Danowat and Forbin So I think they could offer you the most insight on things

You got the newer Intruder with styling that's much like that Harley up there (or should I say the other way around)?

As in all cases of friends that have been looking for bikes I'd agree with the "look around" tip and also say: go for the japanese bike - you'll regret it [not having bought the japanese bike] the first time you have to load it up on a truck from wherever it's broken down.

Quote from xaotik :

You got the newer Intruder with styling that's much like that Harley up there (or should I say the other way around)?

As in all cases of friends that have been looking for bikes I'd agree with the "look around" tip and also say: go for the japanese bike - you'll regret it the first time you have to load it up on a truck from wherever it's broken down.

No, mine looks like a sportster on steroids... yeah, those are real cool also. those.... they call them boulivards... and some number something now... I saw them a while back
Wait aminute... are you one of those... harley people?. My bike is a 2004 with 45k miles on it. You show me a hog that's a 2004 with that many miles, driven as hard as mine is, that doesn't live in a shop somewhere. Oh and tell me that it only cost 8 grand new?
Oh and my bike has the original driveshaft still... how many belts would that be on the harley? 2? 3?

Quote from Racer Y :

Wait aminute... are you one of those... harley people?

No no no - I meant it the other way around! You'll regret not having bought the japanese bike...

EDIT:
In fact I'm an avid supporter for japanese bikes for one very egotistical reason: I've helped hoist far too many european bikes (Italian and Austrian so far) on the back of pick-up trucks.

the thing is, the Intruder looks like any regular cruiser bike - lots of chrome, high steering...ehm...that thing which you hold in your hands...
I don't like that look, this V-Rod is just a beautiful bike that looks like no other, that's why Im interested in it (found a used one in Germany for half the price though)

Quote from squidhead :

high steering...ehm...that thing which you hold in your hands...

Not the one I'm referring to.

That particular model is a Night-Rod I believe, at least in the UK it is. Nice looking things and they sound wicked.
I'd have one in my fantasy garage.

Quote from xaotik :

Not the one I'm referring to.

Beautiful machine...

Well, i got a test-ride of the Harley on tuesday, and I will visit the Suzuki dealership afterwards...see what's what

not as bad as I expected...

I'm American, from the land of Harley Davidson. I wouldn't touch a Harley. Why? Because you can get twice the bike for half the money from Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, or Suzuki.

My 2 choices if buying a new bike today would be the Honda VTX1300 or Kawasaki Vulcan 1600. The Vulcan 1600 would probably be the most popular non-Harley and non-Sportbike around my area.

But it would be quite foolish for me to buy a bike for summer when my winter car is falling apart at 153,000 miles

You all can have your sportbikes. There's more to motorcycling than doing 0-60 mph in 0.0024 seconds, hehehe

Quote from mrodgers :

I'm American, from the land of Harley Davidson. I wouldn't touch a Harley. Why? Because you can get twice the bike for half the money from Honda, Kawasaki, Yamaha, or Suzuki.

Well, i see your point, man...but...ehm...well JUST LOOK AT IT! I really don't care what is the brand of the maker, as long as it looks like that... plus the second option is an even more powerful bike from Suzuki, at the same price if I want one used (from 2005), so the price doesn't make much difference, and I'm not a hardcore Harley fan (more than that, I really dislike any other Harley, they don't look any good to me)

Quote from mrodgers :

There's more to motorcycling than doing 0-60 mph in 0.0024 seconds, hehehe

Amen to that, I believe every man who has bought a quick superbike and uses it's power the way it was meant to be used on public roads instead of racetracks can order a tombstone in advance

If you want a big arsed cruiser, check out the Triumph Rocket III. 2300cc DOHC inline triple, 120bhp, 135mph top end.

No cruiser are my cup of tea, but Triumph have pushed the boat out recently. And being British, I have to give them a shoutout.

If you like classics, the Bonneville has been remade, which is awesome but you'll never beat a true old school Bonnie.

Really though like most have said, don't go Harley just because they are best known for choppers/cruisers. The Japs have made some good cruisers too, and for half the price of a Harley. I remember some years ago being pillion on a Honda Shadow, awesome sound and a fairly comfortable ride considering the shit roads that Norfolk has.

Quote from sidi :

i like all kinds of bikes so whether your choice is a cruiser/chopper/tourer/superbike/moped i would always give you a nod as you pass in the other direction.

Amen to that comment, this is what i love about bikers.... does not matter if your a total stranger you treat them like you know them as a friend or talk to them where there is a little gathering.

you're missing the point, I'm not going for Harley because they are "the most popular chopper brand"...

I'm going for THIS bike just because of the looks, even if it was a Taiwan piece of total crap, and I could not care less that for half that money you can get twice the bike, I DON"T WANT twice the power, cc, or even reliability...I want THAT bike...

Intruder is second on the list, that I took note of and actually have plans of trying out, and there is no Triumph dealership anywhere in Latvia

so Please, I don't want any other bike UNLESS it looks even meaner than VRSCA V-Rod, and all I see advised is either a much faster bike (which I don't need) or a fatter bike with much more chrome (which I really don't like)


@sidi that's exactly what I wanted to hear mate

Lots and lots of people in the UK use a bike as their own transport, so it's entirely plausable.

But you need to respect the conditions, and also have the correct gear to ride in every condition, there is nothing worse than riding in conditions which you don't have the correct gear for.

I rode back from Germany in torrential rain, and apart from my non-waterproof boots (I now have brought some) I was bone dry, even after 10 hours in the rain, my mates werent so lucky, someone had non waterproof leathers on, and by the time they reached Calais were close to topping themselves.

So basically, what I am saying is, ride in all weathers, but factor in about £1000 for decent wet/cold weather gear aswell, and with this type of gear, you DO get what you pay for.

As for the bike, cruisers are certainly not my choice of bike, but if it floats your boat, go for it, the V-rod certainly has a good reputation, but for gods sake get a test drive before you plonk your money down.

If you, or anyone else what any suggestions on weather gear, drop me a PM, also, if you or anyone else would like any wet/cold weather riding tips, give me a shout, believe me, its worth getting into the correct mindset for this type of riding, I have done a trackday in the wet, and believe me, you WILL come off if you don't know what you are doing.

Good luck with the bike, if you get it, just don't let the fact that you use it for everyday transport effect you enjoyment of biking

Quote from xaotik :

No no no - I meant it the other way around! You'll regret not having bought the japanese bike...

EDIT:
In fact I'm an avid supporter for japanese bikes for one very egotistical reason: I've helped hoist far too many european bikes (Italian and Austrian so far) on the back of pick-up trucks.

Doh! I'm sorry... LOL can you guess that I get static from harley riders from time to time?

Speaking of bikes, I gotta give mine a bath today.
one thing about bikes - gotta keep them clean.

About that intruder. It's a shaft drive. People say that shaft drives haven't got the instant power of a chain or belt drive at take off.
and they don't, but when you consider the amount of power going to the back wheel from that motor, that loss is almost negligible.
also on real low speed turns (2-5 kph), there's a slight wobble.
my guess is it's from the turning of the shaft, acting kind of like a gyroscope. But again, it's nothing to get too upset about.
The plus side to shaft is it's extremely low maintenance and good reliability.
well my cycle ain't going to clean itself............