My First Ride To Work

Rode into work on Saturday.

I'd already ridden for about an hour that morning.

I made a quick stop to check out the new Dillon Yamaha/Honda/Suzuki/Kawasaki dealership that opened up today right next to the Dillon Brothers Harley-Davidson dealership.

I quickly realized a few things:

• Don't let your shirt hang open while you ride. Button it up. Sucks at highway speeds to have your shirt blowing around.
• Secure saddlebags before you go.
• I need the Detachable Solo Luggage Rack ASAP.
• If you have the Harley Profile Sunglasses/Goggles, don't forget to bring the case containing the clear lenses for the ride home at 11 at night.

Great ride home. Lots of fun. I went the long way, via surface streets and took my time.

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A 2009 Road King Classic Is Now Mine

I couldn't sleep very well Thursday night, knowing that at noon, I'd be taking possession of my brand-new 2009 Road King Classic.

So, it wasn't quite Christmas eve, but as the long hours stretched out it sure felt like it was.

I finally got some sleep, only to find myself waking up at dawn. I looked at the clock and immediately found myself thinking back to the past yearly ritual of enduring the last day of school and how it felt to watch the clock slowly mark out the passage of time. I told myself that I'd better find something to do or I'd drive myself nuts.

For a while I kept myself busy by working on a few projects and got a few things done.

I remembered that I needed to shop for some motorcycle insurance, so I looked on the Internet for some of the more-recommended motorcycle insurance companies. I called GEICO and after talking with the insurance agent for a while, signed up for motorcycle insurance through GEICO for $736 a year, which would drop to about $360 for renewal next year. I was told the amount would drop once I got a year of riding under my belt.

At the time, I didn't care about what anything cost. I just wanted to get everything done and make sure that I had no hitches when it came time to pick up the motorcycle. I was pretty much the perfect customer for anyone selling...anything.

Well, after wasting time doing this and that, the time finally came for me to head over to the dealership to finish everything. My wife dropped me off, and after making sure that I'd be OK, that the bike was OK, that everything was fine - she took the kids and headed home.

Jason Davis, using one of the 2009 Road King Classics on the floor, went over the entire bike with me, explaining each feature on the motorcycle and some general maintenance tips that'd come in handy. The guy knows his stuff and had an answer for every question I had.

Once I was in the finance office with Mark, everything went smoothly. Mark even managed to save me a bit of money. I mentioned what my insurance cost was and Mark let me know that I could save some money with a 15 minute phone call to their own insurance group. He dialed, I talked, and 15 minutes later I had a policy that was half the price as what I'd paid GEICO.

5 minutes later, I cancelled my GEICO coverage. They were nice about it, although it'll take 10-15 days to get that premium back onto my credit card.

I wrote my check, signed my name and shook everyone's hand as they handed me the keys to my new baby, who I will call, "Wheelface."

After Jason loaded 3 huge boxes of parts into my parent's Highlander, I climbed onto my new ride and took off for a little ride before heading home and showing it off to everyone. My two boys both wanted a picture with the new motorcycle as well.

Buying A Motorcycle In Omaha?

If you're in the market for a new or used Harley-Davidson or Buell, I highly recommend you give Jason Davis a call, or shoot him an e-mail. Jason kept me in the loop throughout the entire Harley-buying process, explained things to my satisfaction and helped get the ball rolling again when it had stopped briefly in the service department.

If you stop into Dillon Harley sometime, let whoever you talk to know you read about my experiences with Jason Davis and with Dillon Brothers Harley-Davidson in general.

Let me know what they say.

I'm off to ride.
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Motorcycle Financing Inquiries

I figured today was a good day to get started with my investigations regarding motorcycle financing, so I made a few calls and left a few messages with some people I know who work in banks who might be able to get me on the right path.

I basically left the same message with each of my contacts, detailing what timeframe I'm looking at (30 days or so), the manufacturer (Harley), the model (Road King Classic) and the amount I expect to finance (around $10,000).

Hopefully someone will get back with me, because I still have some questions. I've dealt with car loans numerous times, so I know the ins and outs of those kinds of loans - but how different are motorcycle loans? Are the rates higher and terms worse because motorcycles are typically considered pleasure vehicles?

Adding to the confusion is the fact that I intend to buy and title the bike in my company's name. Since my company is relatively new (less than a year old) that might be problem. Income isn't a problem at all, and putting 1/2 the price of the bike down should make things go smoothly...but who knows? If I need to just pay the entire amount up-front, I'd have to wait a month or two more, and that'd just ruin my summer.

I also want to know how long Harley-Davidson's financing approval period is and what interest rate terms I can get from them - so I can compare that financing with what my bank comes up with. I'm looking forward to that. I hate not knowing.

I have tomorrow off and the wife agreed to head on over to Dillon Brothers with me again in exchange for my help cleaning the basement. After looking through their online stock, I noticed that they had a deep turquoise/antique white Road King Classic in stock. Hopefully their website is accurate and up to date and I'll be able to see the color in person - with the wife giving the thumbs up or down.

2009 Road King Classic

The Road King Classic is distinguishable from the base model Road King by the smaller front wheel - there's a 16 inch front wheel on the RKC and a 17 inch front wheel on the RK - and the leather-style saddlebags.

With the 2009 models, Harley-Davidson redesigned the Touring model chassis, improving it considerably.

The Road Kings have a "retro cruiser" appearance and most models are equipped with a large clear windshield. Road Kings are reminiscent of big-twin models from the 1940s and '50s. This is especially apparent with the Road King Classic.

All 2009 touring models have 6 gallon fuel tanks. This gives the Road King riders a bit more distance they can go before they have to fill up compared to other Harley model riders.

The 2009 Road King (FLHRC) is available in these colors:

• Flame Blue Pearl
• Pewter Pearl
• Two-Tone Big Purple Flake - Brilliant Silver
• Two-Tone Black Ice - Blue Ice
• Two-Tone Deep Turquoise - Antique White
• Two-Tone Light Candy Root Beer - Dark Candy Root Beer
• Two-Tone Red Hot Sunglo - Smokey Gold
• Two-Tone White Gold Pearl - Pewter Pearl
• Vivid Black

The 2009 Road King Classic has a recommended MSRP of $17,999 if you order it in vivid black. The price bumps up to $18,379 if you order a solid color, and jumps to $18,699 if you get your Road King Classic in one of the two-tone color combinations.

Available Options:
Security System - $345
Upgraded Wheels - $450
ABS Option - $795

Cruise Control is standard on Harley-Davidson's touring models for 2009.

Pictures:

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