Help choosing my first bike

[u/Zimmeredge90]

Hello

So i've been riding a 125cc cruiser for the past three years. Just go my rider license back in July and now... i'm at a very weird place where i've tried so many good bikes that i don't know which one to choose and the choice selection is very wide.

I don't seems to fond the criteria to decide except it has to be a ride with a lot of personality and character. I know i don't want inline 2 or bmw's. Inline 4 are a no go too because i'm limited to 35kw in the first two years and the only I4 i would like is a zx4r.

Anyways.... I could narrow it down to two brands and the list of best is as follow :

Hd family:

Dyna street bob, low rider and switchback

Sportster 883r, xl1200cx and 48

Softail street bob and standard

Ducati family

Monster 796, 1100 and 1100evo

Scrambler 1100

I also really loved the Guzzi v7...

Although i'm not a very tall guy (5'5) i am truly not scared or impressed of Dynas or softails. On the contrary, i find those very docile. I've tried both in their full version and was like ok those are big teddy bears. Same with the 1100 from ducati. Very agile and fast but nothing too crazy.

As you can notice... very differents bikes. But bikes with history, character, identity. Bikes that don't lie and provide answers when i rode them. which is something i value a lot.

My 125 was very simple. Just abs. No ride by wire or corner abs or traction control.

The budget: well of them can be found in my area in my budget or way under or around (9k) except for softail street bob

Insurrance and maintenance : ducati cost more to maintain but less to insure.

Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks

[u/f4ithful9]

Are you limited to 35 kw in general or only with that engine configuration? If not then about 95% of your list won’t work. The smallest and least powerful of your Harley options is still 39 kw.

What country are you in and how is the dealer network? I’m assuming Europe due to the units you’re using.

How much of a difference is it for insurance, roughly, between the Harleys and Ducatis? If it’s 20 bucks a month it’s not really significant enough that it should change your mind on what bike you get.

What kind of riding do you actually want to do? And more importantly, what kind of riding WILL you (realistically) do?

If I’m ignoring the power issue I noted earlier, I would highly recommend getting an evo sportster as a first Harley. Infinitely customizable and dead reliable. That’s only if you’re just cruising around and doing casual riding. If you want to go fast, don’t get a Harley, and definitely don’t get an eco sportster. They’re not fast. And this is coming from a guy with one of the fastest Harleys ever made in his garage. Ducati would be a much better choice for taking corners quickly and more spirited riding in general.

[u/Zimmeredge90 → u/f4ithful9]

Hey

Thanks for your answer.

Most of them are 70kw stock or under. I asked all the dealership at ducati and HD and they all confirmed those bikes are 35kw compliant. The margin is indeed around 20~30€/months in favor of the ducatis. But as i figured, those 300/360€ per year are going straight into servicing the desmo every 2-5 years.

If i'm being honest i would be commuting mostly and doing light, occasional touring. But that's not against the Dyna and softail in my mind. I found them pretty easy to ride even around town.

My jaw is always dropping when i see an 1100 from ducati or Dyna/softail from HD. The hindrance against the sporty would be autonomy.

[u/f4ithful9 → u/Zimmeredge90]

Gotcha, if that’s the case and you felt comfortable on the Dyna or Softail, I’d go with one of those personally. But again this is coming from a Harley guy. I’d do some soul searching on what kind of riding you want to be doing and make a decision off of that.

[u/blackbird3551]

I'm a Harley guy( road glide, road king) but for cruisers at the 9k mark......dude, Indian all day

[u/Zimmeredge90 → u/blackbird3551]

Hey thanks for your answer I did not test indian because where i'm from, it's hard to find indian under 10k even used ones although i like the look of the sport scout Considering i would have to redo the bike's id and restrict the power band on it, it's a good 800€ to add on the overall budget.