If you really like the Harley, then why not make the trade? If you change your mind down the road, that Harley holds its value pretty well and you can always sell it. Just promise us that you won't participate in the gay pirate or the "look at me I'm a badass" persona.

__________________
When you think of the long and gloomy history of man, you will find more hideous crimes have been committed in the name of obedience than have ever been committed in the name of rebellion.
- C. P. Snow

Close the door on the way out, let the scourging begin.
(current Goldwing, sportbike on steroids).

__________________
06 DL1000
09 KLR650
95 ST1100

Assuming the bike is in good mechanical shape, that is a deal that I would probably take. And that's not because I have any affinity for Harley bikes. It's actually quite the opposite. But, if you are like me, why not give it a try? You might surprise yourself and love it. And if you don't like it, then you could probably get most or all of your $ back out of it on a re-sale.

When people ask me what I like to do in my spare time, one of the things I say is "ride motorcycles". Notice that is not, "ride motorcycles except for <insert your least favorite motorcycle brand here>". It's any motorcycle. I say forget the image or what anyone else's expectations may or may not be and take a chance. I honestly don't think you'll regret it.

I would consider a better cornering bike than a Hardley.
2011 Harley Davidson Lowside Motorcycle Crash - YouTube

__________________
2012 DL1000 Adventure (Tinkerbell)
PC-V, Smart TRE, CR8EIX plugs, Madstad bracket, Madstad 22" shield, Fork brace, 43T rear, Airhawks, Chinese mirrors, mirror extenders, RDL.

Those HDs do a great job of holding their value.
Chances are that it has low miles and an owner that realized that his midlife thing didn't work out...

On the other hand, if you'd like a 'cruiser/tourer' with a kick, try the GL1800.

I have an '03, and now that I have the suspension sorted, that is amazing!
Now that the major sag has been eliminated from the suspension, I have to be careful with the throttle when coming out of a low speed corner (particularly in town), because finishing the corner on only the rear wheel is tricky!

People say the GW is an old mans bike.
I say, "You haven't ridden one, have you?"

__________________
L2V -- not so much stuff--well I guess that i blew that one...FOR SALE

For those that counsel Goldwing, let me say that my first choice would be a GL1800. I did get one response from a guy with an '01, but he hasn't called back. One of the reasons for dumping the 'Vette is that the dear wife gets carsick in it (she says it's too close to the ground). Since she rarely gets in it I have used it mostly as a DD for a short drive to the gym. I know we would get more use out of a touring bike because we did a lot of that on a '94 GL1500 some years ago when we lived in VA. I believe the Harley can be fitted with a "throne" passenger seat like the 'Wing's so it would probably pass muster with her.

I'll follow up on the H-D and see what happens. According to one website that compiles actual sales price info directly from buyers/sellers who submit such numbers the average for that model of H-D is $10,280. That's still more than my Corvette is worth in the real world -- but I have to keep in mind that there are two things that aren't selling at all right now: Harleys and Corvettes. It seems we each have the other guy over a barrel, a motorized Mexican standoff.

Thanks for the comments, fellers.

__________________
2007 DL650
"Who the hell wants to hear actors talk?" -- Harry M. Warner, Warner Brothers, 1927

You posted that comment just in time, Mike. I was going to suggest that you keep the drop head Corvette. It's a vehicle that many guys seem to purchase, or want to purchase, when their two-wheeling days come to an end. You have the good fortune to already have one in your possession.

Is there any way that you can keep (store) the car? Or is it a requirement that your wife be compatible with your next pleasure-use vehicle? It seems incongruous to me that someone would get carsick in a low-slung car, but not on the back of a more highly dynamic device like a motorcycle. Perhaps that's a mystery of our individual biology.

The old thrill of the Kentucky Chevrolet might return. Then what?

__________________
DL1000K9
YW125A

I like the street glide model quite a bit in terms of appearance.
An '06 would be before they redesigned the frame on the touring models, which I believe was in '09. Most believe that redesign was a significant improvement in handling.
The only thing I really don't like on the Street Glide is that they used lowered suspension on it, about an inch. Doesn't sound like a lot but HD doesn't use a lot of travel to begin with and taking an inch away seemed like the wrong direction to go. Fortunately, if you didn't like it, its easy to change. This is a major advantage of HD, parts interchangability and many aftermarket options.
Basically I would want to know the miles, how its been serviced, any changes done, particularly to the engine and who did them. More HDs have been screwed up by well intended owners who fancy themselves mechanics and myriad independent shops who fancy themselves motor specialists than any other way.
I also believe the other fellow is wrong, the Street Glide does come with a stereo system. There was another stripped Electra Glide, the standard, that did not.
Otherwise I have no input on relative value. I would expect that if you try to turn it later that an '06 will have somewhat less demand than an '09 or newer but would still be a popular model.

__________________
Joe S.
'12 Concours
'11 DL650
'10 Tiger1050
'01 HD FXD
'09 HD XR1200
'79 BMW R100

A Streetglide is not a bad bike at all. Had a Softtail and later a Roadking(similar to a Streetglide with minor front suspesion dif. and no fairing). The Roadking rides well and actually handles pretty well too.
The later year (05 & 06) twin cam 88's did have cam chain tensioner issues. many went to a gear drive to replace the chain.
One thing to keep in mind, it runs HOT, especially for the passenger. There were/are some serious issues with the heat. HD went to shutting off the rear cylinder if temps got to a certian level-think that was with the 96 inch motor.
Find out if he as done any performance changes (Power Commander, the HD race tuner, etc.), if the exhaust is not stock there should have been a new (different) air cleaner - Stage 1, I think its called.
I would not look for 80000+ miles like so many V Stroms have.
Everybody should be able to say they had a Harley once.
Hey, go for it and start your t-shirt collection!

For power the GL is hard to beat no doubt. I would add one well known issue amongst HD mechanics with the twin cam. The twin cam has an inherent issue that has been around from 1999 through the newer bikes...I believe 2007.

The machine has a twin cam engine which was a vast improvement in strength and durability over the older EVO single cam design. The issue is the second cam runs on a timing chain from the first cam. A high percentage of these engines came out with timing chains that have rough outer surfaces which eat on the fiber tensioner shoe. With time the debris can accumulate in the oil pump and in severe cases the wear gets to the metal part of the tensioner with catastrophic results.

The diagnosis and repair is straight forward. This wear and subsequent failure occurs between 20,000 miles and 40,000. On my personal bike, I replaced the tensioners (there are 2) and had the original timing chains polished to stop this wear. At 35,000 miles or so, mine was in pretty bad condition. This repair cost me about $350.

Others take the opportunity to install aftermarket cams and hop up the engines at this service. Or go with noisy gear driven cams. I went stock because the bike ran very well and a Harley chasis is not up to much more hp unless you just want to go straight.

PM me if you want more info. And the newer frame is better in some ways and lesser in others. The new frame is stiffer but much cheaper to fabricate...you decide why they changed.

P.S. - I see another beat me to the timing chain. The newer Harleys are very lean and have the engine cut off feature. Your in the year range where they are not nearly as lean or hot running but are air cooled....like BMWs. Any Harley should run synthetic oil to offset the higher engine temps for sure. Stage 1 implies 3 mods, a high flow K&N filter, freer flowing exhaust, and a HD shop reflash of the ECU. This gets you around 8 to 10 hp and is far within the safety zone for the original engine design.

__________________
________________________________
2007 Blue SuperVee 1000
2002 White HD Road King Police
2000 Red Honda XR 400r
2003 Green Honda Rincon 650 ATV

If it is not broken, it can still be fixed