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To Buy or Not To Buy
Starting in 1963 …I have been thru many motorcycles and scooters,
the list is not in any order (as my memory in not in any order either)
‘88 FLHTC, ‘96 HD Nostalgia, ‘91 HD Sturgis, ‘69 FLH,
’85 HD FXRP, ‘91 HD FXRT, ‘99 Excelsior Henderson,
‘04 Honda Gold Wing, ‘99 Honda Valkyrie Interstate,
’06 HD Super Glide, ‘62 Honda Super Hawk,
‘68 Honda CB 350, ‘70 Honda CL350, ’74 Yamaha 650,
‘07 Moto Gaze Cal Vintage , ‘89 Venture Royal,
‘69 BSA Thunderbolt, ‘72 Triumph Bonneville,
‘57 Lambretta, ‘70? Cushman Truckster,
‘02 Moto Guzzi California EV.
Turning 68 in 2015 and becoming more aware of my diminishing riding skills
and the “dumbing down” of all the cage drivers with cell phones in one hand
and a big Mac in their other hand. I had decided to sell off my last ’91 FXRT
and ’06 FXDI. And just stick with my classic cars and hot rods.
My wife of 45 years said she would like to see me get a trike …
off the wall I bounced .. Really?? I wasn’t sure I would like riding a 3 wheeler …
even though we had 2 side hacks in the past, which seemed like too much work to ride,
but our 2 Boxers dogs liked riding in them.
And then the Trike price! … OMG are they serious? ..
Do people really wrap up 40 grand on a new trike I asked myself?
Better yet I asked my wife is she was willing to spend that kind of cash
and start traveling across the USA with me without 2 checked 50lb bags,
should I decide to do the “dealer tango” and buy a new one
and watch it lose 10 grand right off the top as we drive it off the lot.
Not to mention buying the accessories that it will need and the extended HD warranty.
She said she was ready and wanted to start traveling across the USA on the trike
and wasn’t concerned about losing money on it. The traveling by trike sounded
pretty good to me. I hate TSA screening and the nasty airline employees and stewardesses.
Plus super cramped airline seats and sick /coughing passengers all around you.
So off I went trying to determine who would cut me a deal on a leftover 2015 Tri Glide.
I test drove one for about 20 miles, not that much different than the sidecars that I had in
the past but it did have way more power and way more bells and whistles.
We found this leftover one in Yuba City CA. Joe Guidera and Joe Guidera Jr.
are two great HD guys and they explained trikes to me – this one had a color that
was sort of like the first Harley dresser color that we had …a candy Brandywine red.
I sat down and ordered all the accessories, saddle bags, LED luggage rack,
passenger arm rests, rear fender scuff guards, Zeppelin air seats, chrome billet flag set up,
chrome rear bumper, wheel well chrome trim, driver cup holder, mirror extensions,
luggage bag for the rear rack, chrome fender guards with LED lights, Tri-glide mud flaps,
custom hand air pump for the rear shocks, electric gloves and controller.
Luckily, I had Kuryakyn highway pegs leftover from my other Harley.
Then I had a “clear bra” put on front fender and batwing fairing and the rear fenders
I won’t give you the grand total of what we have in it, but I will say this ...
it’s a damn lot of cash and a damn lot of fun riding on it ... in the wind … stable
and we are planning a trip to Lake Louise in Canada in the spring ….
staying at the Fairmont Hotel …valet parking for sure
My only gripe is -one side is off by 1 ¾ inches .. a complaint to the factory bought back this response ..
“it’s with-in factory tolerances live with it” ..
(Mother Harley is unreal, but I understand via my stock broker / investment manager, Harley is under a great deal of stress and the volume is dropping and their market share as us old guys age out. Plus the “Polaris tribe” of Indians have circled Milwaukee and have put up tee-pees on the side of the factory)
I have made arrangements for the rear to be shimmed up to make it sit level and the factory is covering that under customer satisfaction .. go figure.
So my advice to people just finding this forum thinking about a trike … sometimes fun has huge costs …
But as my good, dearly departed buddy, “Mike Da Bike Shattuck” always said,
“We aren’t here for a LONG time .. We are here for a GOOD time!
Go buy a trike. …Just don’t tell your accountant!
Originally Posted by cruzerdog
Very common problem back then... And it looks like it might still be.. 
