If you're finally ready to go ahead and buy your dream bike, and you've zeroed in on a Harley Davidson, then you're probably super excited. But you are also probably inundated with a ton of information that can be confusing. There are many different types of Harley's, and there is some confusing lingo that a novice might not be familiar with. But don't worry, because it's all relatively easy to understand, and it's part of the fun of emerging yourself in the culture. So, here's some helpful info to help you pick out the perfect bike.
FL, XL, FX: What Are All These Letters?
Many models will have a two letter prefix. If you are browsing a list of bikes, it's a fast way to immediately tell the general size. So, for instance, you might not know that a Fat Boy is a big bike, but if you know that all FL bikes are large engine bikes, then you know that the FLSTF Fat Boy is a big bike. The breakdown is as follows: any FL is a large bike, and any XL is a smaller bike (such as the Sportster line). The FX are the in-between lines (such as the Super Glide) that have a big engine, but the sport-style handling.
Street, Cruiser, Sportster, Touring
Harley has a whole lot of different models, and the names can get mixed up. But the general categories should help you out. The biggest of the bikes are touring models. These are meant for people who want to ride for long distances on the highway. They will often have very large and comfortable seats, huge windshields, and space for large saddle bags. The cruisers are meant to cruise around on short trips. They are smaller than the huge touring bikes. The Sportster lines are smaller bikes, which are great for cruising around, but also have a bit of the flexibility and agileness of sports bikes, while still maintaining that classic Harley look. Finally, there are the street bikes, which are a relatively new area for Harley. Up until recently, the Sportster was the most street friendly of the line, but now Harley has designed bikes purely for street action. As such, these bikes have the sleek styling and design that you see in some of the high-end Italian and Japanese street bikes.
Best Bike For Beginners
Most people would do best to avoid the huge Harleys at first. Bikes such as the Road King and Dyna Glide are a bit too much for your first bike. Plus, if you're not looking to take huge road trips for hundreds of miles, it's a bit overkill. If you are primarily looking for a bike that is really cool looking, easy to ride, and with a low price point, you should look at the Sportster line. There are a whole lot of different models in this line. You can get a flashy, chromed out Sportster with a 1200cc engine, or you can go old school and get the Iron 833, which is a retro, blacked out, vintage-inspired throwback design.
Share10 May 2017
After going to my first auto auction, I became very interested in how dealers select the cars they're going to put on their lots. I spent a lot of time talking with local dealers, auction regulars, and others in the industry to learn the behind-the-scenes secrets to picking out the perfect auction cars and getting them lot-ready. I created this site to help others understand what goes into the process in the hopes that it would help car buyers understand what they're looking at when they hit the car lot. I hope the information here helps you better prepare for buying your next car.