Looks like this is the end

[xs11lover]

Looks like I'm going to sell the Copper Chopper. The reserve has been met on ebay. Guess I'll get a Harley.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/78-XS...item2c55c2500e

[cywelchjr]

What? Nooooooo. This is as kinda like Luke finding out who his father was!

You need to get another one FAST!

[mxmikie]

[IMG][/IMG]

[xs11lover]

Just kidding, I've got 2 more xs's out in the garage, and a third I have my eye on. Now if I could just sell one of the kids I could pay for it.

[Elevener]

I dont know how you could bear to sell that bike. Must be something nice in the works. Glad it worked out for ya though.

Sure wish I had looked here for XS's before I bought mine. Lots more bang for the buck.

[fredintoon]

Just kidding, I've got 2 more xs's out in the garage, and a third I have my eye on. Now if I could just sell one of the kids I could pay for it.

Hi 'lover,
I'm sure that you were only driven to sell by grim necessity.
But don't be too quick to mock Harleys.
We just returned from trailering the Flying Pumpkin to the Handhills rally in Alberta and then on to the Geezers run in BC. The oldest bike at Handhills was a 1911 Harley. 99 years old and the owner rode it 12 miles to the Last Chance Saloon in Wayne AB for a glass of lunch.
The TransCanada was packed with touring bikes and mebbe 90% of them were Harleys.
Dunno if the marque really is the best for touring or if they just have the best advertising but the %age remains.

[xs11lover]

No really, I'm not going to get a Harley,
1. The Harley thing is lost on me.
2. They only make a few that I really like.
3. They are way too much $$$$$$$$$
4. If I got one all the years spent fixin the xs would be for not.
5. I'd have to pay a Harley Tec big $$$ to fix the thing.
6. I couldn't spend more on a bike than my car, I'd bet insurance would be really high.
If I was going to ride another bike it would be a Norton, Thruimph, cb750 or maybe one of those new Suzuki m50 v twins, they look kinda cool.
If I was Europe I'd save for that new retro honda 1100 or Yamaha's xj1100r, the two new bikes I really like, that they won't send to the states.

[crazy steve]

Ok, I'll be a bit contrary... seeing how I own both.

No really, I'm not going to get a Harley,
1. The Harley thing is lost on me.
2. They only make a few that I really like.
3. They are way too much $$$$$$$$$
4. If I got one all the years spent fixin the xs would be for not.
5. I'd have to pay a Harley Tec big $$$ to fix the thing.
6. I couldn't spend more on a bike than my car, I'd bet insurance would be really high.

1. The 'Harley thing'. Real riders don't pay any attention to that. Yes, a lot of Harley owners think that writing the big checks somehow gives them 'street cred', but I ignore that, sometimes them, and enjoy the bike.

2. What they sell. Yes, I'll admit that Harley's line has gotten crowded with 'factory customs' lately, but the ability to make it what you want with aftermarket parts is nearly unlimited, and with a bit of shopping, not as expensive as you might think.

3. Cost. Yep, they cost more. But they don't depreciate to near-zero over time either like many imports, so that's the trade-off. And you'll find a nearly bottomless parts well, with overall parts costs being lower than for imports, sometimes much lower.

4. Wasted time on the XS??!! Why's that? I've got two running Harleys, and I'm still enjoying bringing my XS back to life... and will ride all of them.

5. If you can work on a XS, you can fix a Harley; waaay simpler bikes, and you'll have no trouble finding parts. Some people see that as a negative, but for a DIYer, I love it. Compared to a XS11, mine are almost maintainance-free.

6. Insurance? I can't speak directly to that, as I live in a state where it's not required so I don't buy it. But over on the Harley lists I frequent, this is discussed and costs appear to be roughly the same, with location having more to do with price instead of brand.

Harley sells the most bikes in the US, and it's not all due to hype; one glaring difference I've noticed is fit/finish. Their chrome in particular is unmatched by any import I've seen; I've seen numerous import 'cruisers' with blistered plating after as few as three years, and replacement costs were 25% or more of their current value. Every bike has it's plusses and minuses and none are perfect; the trick is finding the one that fits your needs and budget...

'78E original owner

[xs11lover]

I stand corrected.