Finally, it's time to buy a Harley

Mark Richardson

WHEELS EDITOR

Few people who know me can believe that I'm buying a Harley-Davidson. I can barely believe it myself.

I've never really bought into the company's claims that it's selling not just a bike, but the American Dream.

Several years ago, a sodden ride through the U.S. on a Deuce and a Softail proved disillusioning.

"Riding a machine with such ideals is bound to be a disappointment under adverse conditions," I wrote then, "and unfaired cruisers are no joy in the rain, no matter what the hype about `real bikers.'"

But it's true. Next spring, I'll be the proud owner of an unfaired 2008 Dyna Low Rider, paid for with my own money and no special "media discount."

I'll cruise low and slow wherever I go, waving cheerfully at police working their speed traps, my legs stretched forward and face in the wind. With luck, there'll be no rain.

Maybe it's an age thing. Honda conducted a survey recently and found that most young people equated Harleys with being an "old man's bike," though they're increasingly being ridden by old women, too.

Now that I'm 45 and a father of two boys old enough to ride pillion, I want a motorcycle that I can travel on with my sons. It must also be a motorcycle that's enjoyable to ride at legal speeds so that we can enjoy the tour, not just the corners.

And it must be a motorcycle that handles well, so that twisting roads still bring a smile to our faces.

This fall, I spent some time on a Suzuki Bandit 1250, because it's a good-looking bike that does everything well. But I was speeding in seconds – "stunting" under the new law – just to get the same satisfaction as a slower bike at legal speeds.

The new Honda Varadero adventure tourer is a temptation, and the TransAlp that will be imported for 2009 is even more so, but for now, I want a cruiser.

There are 30 different Harley models and most are uncomfortable, but I rode the Dyna Low Rider and it fitted me like a glove. It's powerful, but only if you work at it. Choice made.

I never considered Harleys before because they cost half as much again as their Japanese rivals for no more machine, but the loonie's stronger than it was a year ago and they're much more competitively priced.

I've toured the Harley factories and met Willie G. Davidson three times, so I feel more affinity for the North American machine.

And that's what it's all about. Buying a motorcycle shouldn't be just a practical decision – it's an emotional call, especially for old guys.

mrichardson@thestar.ca

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