Bike Night At Quaker Steak & Lube

Here in the Omaha/Council Bluffs area, Quaker Steak & Lube has a weekly motorcycle night that regularly attracts several hundred motorcycle enthusiasts for food, drinks and fun.

I had the opportunity to go to the Bike Night on Wednesday the 5th of August with some neighbors and friends of mine. We had 4 motorcycles in our convoy - my bike, a Victory, a Fat Boy, and an Ultra Classic.

The ride over was great, and the first time I'd really ridden with a group. We stayed in staggered formation the whole way from Elkhorn to Council Bluffs and had no problems.

We arrived pretty early - around 5 or so - and managed to score some good parking up front. There wasn't much of a crowd to begin with, but the parking lot was sectioned off for the motorcycles - if you had a car, you were kind of out of luck, because you had to walk a ways.

ID checks were done on the front patio, with wristbands given to those eligible. I had a kamikaze and called it a night, drinking-wise.

We went inside to eat when the band got started, but I managed to get a bunch of pictures of the event. Here they are, in no particular order:

It was a great night, Quaker Steak and Lube made a point of having enough security on hand to keep everything running smoothly, the food was good and the people were friendly. After we left (a bit early, to take advantage of the remaining daylight) we had a nice 45 minute ride through Iowa's trees.

I'm looking forward to taking the wife with me next time we go.

Family Trip To Kansas City Made Even Better By Riding My Harley There And Back

It had been a while since the family had gone anywhere together, so my wife decided that it would be a great idea to have the family drive down to Kansas City, rent three family rooms at Great Wolf Lodge and enjoy four days both there and at Worlds of Fun.

Of course, the first thing that popped into my head when she brought this idea up to me was:

Oh, hey. I could ride my new Harley down there.

Now, I wanted to ride the Harley because it would be fun, because I hadn't been on a real "long ride" before and because I wanted to see how a Harley-Davidson touring class bike really "toured."

I didn't want to ride the bike because a nearly 3-hour trip with a 5-year-old, a 3-year-old and a 8-month-old in a confined vehicle would be crazy. That wasn't on my mind at all.

I swear.

So I brought the idea up with the woman in charge, and somehow, my awesome wife agreed to let me ride the Harley down to Kansas City, following them the entire way.

On the morning of our trip, our entire party loaded up 4 vehicles with 9 people and luggage - a Durango, a mid-sized sedan, a Honda CRV and my 2009 Road King Classic. Everything went smoothly, which was a surprise in a way and wasn't a surprise in another way - my wife's a master of organization.

To say that I was looking forward to this ride was an understatement. I've never taken a long trip on a motorcycle, the longest being about an hour ride from Tecumseh to Omaha on my father-in-law's Honda Shadow Aero.

Since we started out at 9:20 on a Sunday morning, the traffic was light. That, combined with the great weather, put me in a damn good mood and I settled into the saddle of my 2009 Road King Classic for a good long ride.

I will admit that after about an hour of riding, I started to get a little sore.

After a few minutes more, I wanted to pull over for a bit.

I just couldn't get comfortable! I'd move around on the seat a bit, trying to adjust the pressure points for comfort's sake - but nothing worked for long. I tried standing on the footrests, lifting my legs, resting them on the engine guards. At most, I'd have 5 minutes of comfortable riding before I had to move again.

I think that if I had gone and picked up some decent highway footrests, I would have been a lot more comfortable on the ride down.

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My Week Of Riding From The 11th To The 17th Of July

Saturday was a good day to ride the Harley. A little overcast but with nothing falling from the sky, it was the kind of weather that makes for interesting scenery as you chug along. I took the bike to Owen and Logan's t-ball game, following behind the wife as she drove the Durango. She did not want me to do this, but she had no choice, as I am the man.

Here's the bike as it sat in the driveway, waiting for the wife to come home:

Once I got home, it was time to get ready for work.

The weather in Omaha is...mercurial.

It changes, often quickly.

Quick changes in the weather can make my ride home not fun, so that's why I check the weather before I go. If there's a significant chance for rain on my ride home, I'll take the car.

No rain in the forecast for Saturday, so I took the bike.

There was rain in the forecast for Sunday, so I took the car, despite the fact that Sunday nights are the best day for riding home. Nobody on the road, nobody out drinking on a Sunday night, perfect riding conditions.

And, of course, it didn't rain like the weatherguys said it would.

So, despite the fact that there was a slight chance of rain in the forecast for Monday, I took the bike to work.

After I got home, I noticed that my new bike was creeping towards a nice, round number. A milestone, if you will.

I didn't get a chance to ride to work that next day, and I took off Wednesday, so I just rode the bike over to my mom's house on Thursday, following the wife as she carted the kids in the Durango.

When I got there, I got there.

Just got my first bill from the Harley credit guys, and I can say with all my heart that the 2009 Road King Classic I bought was worth every penny. I'm loving each day I get to ride it.

Why I Am Buying Harley Stock

I've driven a lot of cars in my lifetime.

When I did my stint selling cars back home in California, I had an opportunity to drive a good variety of nice cars. Some of the cars I took out for a spin were considered highly desireable, and were priced in the $50,000 - $85,000 range.

Despite their price tag, despite the "awesomeness factor" of those cars, I never had as big of a smile driving them as I do every single day that I can ride my Harley.

When I ride, it's a completely different experience than when I drive - even though when I ride, I'm going over the same roads and interstates that I drove every day.

You notice things when you ride.

You see more.

You think less.

You're more "In the moment."

When I get to work and when I get home from work, I'm in a better mood if I rode my Harley than I normally am when I drive.

So what's this about buying Harley stock? Have I gone and swallowed the Harley-Davidson Kool-Aid? Am I basing what should be a logical decision on an emotional feeling?

If you follow the stock market at all, Harley-Davidson has been getting hammered by stock analysts who are warning people - especially short-term investors - to stay away from buying Harley's stock:

While the company normally does not release mid-quarter sales figures - although it did during the middle of the first quarter of 2009 - a survey by Robert W. Baird showed sales slipped again in the first part of the spring.

New motorcycle sales were down at the surveyed dealers during April and the first part of May by between 20 and 25 percent.

Dealers said they had problems with everything from the economy to the weather.

Harley said last week it was beginning another trade-in promotion through the end of August to help sales.

* On average, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect Harley to report a profit of 25 cents per share on revenue of $1.18 billion. In the same quarter last year, the company posted a profit of 76 cents per share on revenue of $1.4 billion.

* An RBC Capital Markets analyst lowered his sales estimates for motorcycle maker Harley Davidson Inc. and suggested investors "avoid" the company's shares in the short term.

* KeyBanc analyst Scott Hamann wrote to investors on Tuesday that "It is our expectation that the general economy and deteriorating employment numbers could hinder significant increases in motorcycle purchases."

Ok then. Here's some more:

RBC analyst Edward Aaron said sentiment on Harley is "very negative" on weaker second-quarter sales, which Aaron estimates will fall 25 to 30 percent, following a 10 percent first-quarter decline.

"While Harley's inventory issues are not quite as bad as other areas of recreational products, dealer inventory levels are clearly too high heading into the model-year changeover," wrote Aaron in a research note.

Harley is also expected to announce production cuts this week when it reports second-quarter results. Aaron said that Harley's high fixed-cost structure is also problematic, but restructuring efforts at its York, Penn., plant has the potential to restore investor confidence.

"In the interim, extremely weak demand and downward estimate revisions leave the stock vulnerable, in our view," he wrote.

Aaron, who rates the shares "Sector Perform," cut his price target to $16 per share from $18 per share.

With all the analysts warning people to stay away from HD stock, why would I go out and buy it, other than the fact that I'm someone who just naturally looks to go a different way than the crowd?

Harley-Davidson is a company with a hundred-year history. They've gone through problems before (AMF, anyone?) and come through. They have some of the most advanced design and manufacturing processes in the world when it comes to motorcycles. They have a brand that would cost so much to overcome by any competitor coming into the market that Harley would have to cut their own throats in order to lose market position.

Will Harley cut their own throats? Will they move their factories to Mexico? Will they screw up their designs so badly that their fans lose interest, shrug and look at their cheaper competitors' offerings?

Maybe they will. I doubt it, but it could happen.

I don't think anyone wakes up and thinks, "I want to own a piece of Pioneer Southwest Energy Partners," despite the fact that PSE has been performing pretty well and has good analyst reviews.

Buy stock in what you believe in. Buy stock in companies that treat their customers right, in companies who sell what you and your neighbor and your neighbor's neighbor and his brother want to buy. They may not have the money to buy one right now, but sooner or later

For me, that's Harley stock.

New to investing?

Here's what I do to invest in Harley-Davidson stock, easily and with the least amount of fees:

I have my Sharebuilder account set to buy a certain, small amount of Harley stock every pay period.

I use Sharebuilder because ShareBuilder is designed to make dollar-cost averaging easy by allowing you to buy in dollar amounts - dollar-based investing. When you buy stocks at a typical brokerage, you can only buy whole shares. If your chosen stock sells for $70 a share, and you have $200 to invest, then you can only buy two shares for $140 (plus commissions). The remaining $60 has to sit on the sidelines until the next month (which means it can't be working for you in your portfolio).

If you have $50 a month to invest at a typical brokerage, and the stock you've selected currently sells for $85 a share, what do you do? Either you wait until you scrape together the remaining $35 (and hope the price doesn't go higher), or you find another stock.

With ShareBuilder, dollar-based investing means you can purchase fractional shares with the entire amount of your investment dollars. Your $200 will buy you 2.857 shares of your $70 stock (without a transaction fee). Or your $50 will buy you 0.588 shares of your $85 stock, so you don't have to put off investing until tomorrow.

As a nice little bonus, if you're a member of Costco, you can sign up for Sharebuilder and get a bonus deposited into your account when you open it and make your first stock purchase.

Over time, I think investing in Harley stock with Sharebuilder will work out very well for me, because I do believe in the Harley brand. Whether or not the same thing would work for you is something for you to consider.

More Women Riding Motorcycles Than Ever

If you're like me, you've been trying to get your wife to try riding her own motorcycle for a change instead of sitting on the back of yours.

Some people manage it, others don't. For those who have succeeded in getting your wife on a motorcycle of her own, you're not alone.

I came across a great story featured in the El Paso Times this afternoon and had to share it with my readers - who may or may not be surprised by the numbers shown in the article.

Apparently the Motorcycle Industry Council has released statistics showing that more than 5.75 million women have made the move from the passenger's seat to behind the handlebars.

From the article:

Tim Buche, who represents the Motorcycle Industry Council, Specialty Vehicle Institute of America, and Motorcycle Safety Foundation, said that in 1998, the percentage of women riders in the U.S. was only 8.2 percent, but it rose to 9.6 percent in 2003 and 12.3 percent in 2008. Even more significant, of about 2.5 million people who rode motorcycles in the United States in 2008, 23 percent - or 5.75 million - were women.

Very nice! I would imagine that more of those women would be in their 40's or older, especially with the cost of entry barrier that a Harley has, but those more mature women can hopefully lead the way for their younger counterparts.

From the article:

Cindy Barba said she enjoys the independence that riding a motorcycle gives her. According to Barba, "We are a small group and we help support each other," she said. "I am a single mother, so this is my time, this is my hobby, this is my alone time. All these girls are doing the same thing. This is their time on the bike and we all share the same interest, just being out there on our own with the wind in our face."

Sounds good to me. The more people that are on the road with two wheels, the better off all motorcycle enthusiasts.

Link to Original Story: Worlds colllide: More women taking to road on motorcycles

Harley-Davidson “We Ride Free” Promotion Is Back

The popular promotion that Harley-Davidson had going on earlier on this year is back, and it looks like it's about the same as it was before.

Here are the terms and conditions:

• You have to buy a new 2009 Sportster 883, 1200 or XR1200 between July 1, 2009 and August 31, 2009
• Once you buy that 2009 Sportster 883, 1200 or XR1200, you can trade in that bike at its original MSRP value towards the purchase of a Harley Big Twin motorcycle no later than one year after the date of purchase of the qualifying new motorcycle as reflected in the official purchase contract
• You must be the original owner of that vehicle.
• You need the original bill of sale, titled in your name.
• The MSRP value used for trade-in will be the factory-delivered MSRP, including factory installed options.
• Added parts and accessories, taxes, titles, licenses, set-up/prep charges, Extended Service Plans, GAP coverage and any dealer add-ons are included in this price.
• The trade-in can only be used for Harley Big Twin motorcycles, which includes all Touring, Softail, Dyna and VRSC models - but not the police models.

So you can't trade in your 2007 or 2008 Sportster anymore, but you couldn't expect HD to really keep doing that when the 2010 Harley models are right around the corner.

I found a few comments from people around the internet about their experiences during the last We Ride Free promotion. Read into them what you will.

My dealer told me, they have some fine print of 4000 miles per year, before they MIGHT ding you a bit. He said they took an '08 in with 24000 miles, and only dinged the guy $500.

I almost went for this deal.

My '08 XL1200C has 13K on it. MSRP for it is $10,385. At first the dealer tried to tell me that they would only give MSRP for a base vivid black 883. As if any fool couldn't read the HD website....

Eventually, after some arm-twisting and bluff-calling, they were going to give me full MSRP towards a Low Rider. I have always liked the FXDL: it looks classic, like a slightly larger Sportster Well, I rode it. It was not as quick, and the handling was not quite as sharp. And since I never ride two-up anyway....(wife rides her own)

So I walked. No regret. The dealer didn't exactly want the deal anyway (they even complained about the HD promotion.)

I had around 17k on my 07 XL1200C when I traded in on an 09 FLHTCU, and they took it no problem. The only issue we had was they were trying to give me msrp on a vivid black model XL1200C which was a few hundred less than the pacific blue pearl model that I had. They eventually agreed to give me the actual MSRP of my model and all was well. I searched the entire gulf coast and up into north alabama and mississippi and about the best deal I came across was at mississippi coast harley in biloxi. They were nice and got the bike I wanted for msrp out door with no freight/prep/doc fees which was better than any other dealer.... sadly enough... then I just paid sales tax when I registered the bike, which I didn't have to pay tax on the trade in allowance which saved another 700 or so.

so $9955 for a bike that was well ridden, plus about $700 off my sales tax on new bike, it worked out better than the $7k some dealers were gonna give me for the bike.... Funny enough I was actually going to trade in the bike even before this promotion after a few long days of riding the sporty around christmas, then dec 26th, the first day of promotion I was sitting at a harley dealer talking to a salesman and they mentioned about msrp trade-in.

I traded in my 08 XL1200C with almost 13K miles on it for $9895. The sales guy told me that without the promo, they would have offered me $6000 .

Love my new Heritage, and so does the wife. When I first bought the Sportster, my wife did not ride with me. Took her for a ride on the Sportster after I had it about 4 months, and she really got into it. Now we have a scoot comfortable for two and more room to carry stuff.

So if you're on the fence, thinking about buying a new Harley but you just can't swing the cash for a Dyna, Softail or Touring model right now...this could be the time to buy for you.

If you're in the Omaha area, check out Dillon Harley down on on 173rd and Maple. Ask for Jason Davis. He's one of the best guys around to talk to if you're looking for a new Harley-Davidson.
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2009 Rocker C

For most people climbing on the 2009 Softail Rocker C, you'll notice that the seat is set at a comfortable height, with most people's legs slightly bent with their feet flat on the ground.

The handlebars on the Rocker C are curved back and internally wired, putting the rider's hands into a proper chopper position. was a nice touch as well as making it easy to ride.

The Harley-Davidson Rocker C's looks are meant to take after much more expensive custom choppers, with extended front forks set at an aggressive angle and a huge 240 mm rear tire that's closely covered by the chopped rear fender.

While the Rocker C has the looks of a custom chopper, it's a refined ride and your butt and the seat will become good friends after only a few rounds of the block as you listen to the rumble of that distinct Harley-Davidson sound from the staggered exhaust pipes.

Pricing is pretty simple for this model.

For the 2009 Harley-Davidson Rocker C, you've got three choices in colors. You can have Vivid Black, Flame Blue Pearl and Crimson Red Sunglo.

This bike's MSRP is $19,499 if you get it in black and will cost you $19,844 if you order it in one of the colors.

Available Options:

Security System - $345

Pictures:

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2009 Softail Deluxe

If there's one classic-looking motorcycle in Harley-Davidson's lineup, the Softail Deluxe is it. The fenders cover classic wide whitewall tires on chrome laced steel wheels. There's a tombstone taillight on the rear fender and a whole lot of visible chrome.

For 2009, Harley-Davidson redesigned the seat on the Softail Deluxe, implementing collapsible pockets in the shell that make the seat narrower when the rider straddles the bike while it's at rest.

With just a 24.5 inch seat height, the Softail Deluxe is among the lowest riding full-sized motorcycles, making it a good choice for shorter riders.

Classic design touches include wide whitewall tires on Chrome Laced Steel wheels, tombstone tail light on the rear fender, intricate cloisonné and sparkling chrome.

Function has to follow form, and the Softail Deluxe features an easy-reach pull-back handlebar and riser package, a lowered suspension, an extended kickstand and an exclusive integrated luggage rack.

The 2009 Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe comes in a good variety of colors. Solid colors on the bike will set you back $17,794, while the two-tone colors have an MSRP of $18,104. Basic Vivid Black is $17,449.

The 2009 Softail Deluxe has these colors available:

• Vivid Black
• Flame Blue Pearl (New)
• Black Denim
• Red Hot Sunglo (New)
• Two-Tone White Gold Pearl/Pewter Pearl
• Two-Tone White Gold Pearl/Black Pearl
• Two-Tone Deep Turquoise/Antique White
• Two-Tone Red Hot Sunglo/Smokey Gold

Pictures:

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2009 Fatboy

Made famous as Arnold Schwarzenegger's ride in Terminator 2, the Fat Boy has consistently been one of Harley-Davidson's best sellers. With a 17-inch wheel in the front and a 200mm wide tire on the back, the Harley Fatboy has a look all its own and lends itself well to customization.

Priced at $15,999 in vivid black, picking a Fatboy in any of the upgrade colors will bump the price up a slight $350, bringing the total cost of the bike to $16,344.

Upgrading the Fatboy's wheels to the polished chrome aluminum set will cost you $700, and the Harley-Davidson factory security system option will run you another $345.

The 2009 Harley Fatboy comes in these colors:

• Vivid Black
• Black Pearl
• Pewter Pearl
• Flame Blue Pearl
• Black Denim
• Red Hot Sunglo

Pictures:

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2009 Softail Custom

Considered to be one of Harley-Davidson's most comfortable softail rides, the 2009 Softail Custom has classic looks combined with the functional ride that Harley riders want.

The looks are accentuated by the low ape-hangers set on a custom riser, along with the one-piece seat. The 21-inch front wheel is covered by a new low-profile fender, while the 200 mm 17-inch rear wheel brings 87.90 foot pounds of torque @ 2750 rpm to the road when you want it.

In 2007, together with the 1,584 cc, air-cooled, V-twin, DOHC engine and the addition of a standard six-speed gearbox, the Electronic Sequential Port Fuel Injection (ESPFI) system became a standard feature on the Softail Custom.

The 2009 Softail Custom comes in these colors:

• Vivid Black
• Dark Blue Pearl
• Red Hot Sunglo (New for 2009)
• Two-Tone Deep Turquoise/Antique White (New for 2009)
• Two-Tone Flame Blue Pearl/Pewter Pearl (New for 2009)

Pictures:

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