Why Big Dog?

[KnotSo]

I knew since I was a kid I wanted a chopper.
Problem was, everybody told me I was too reckless to ever think about riding a Motorcycle. I have had a need 4 spd and everything has a limit, guess I found the point just past that (every time).
Then I spotted a new style of bike at the Sun n Surf event, it was a Pro Street!
Knew I had to learn to ride and get a few miles under my ass before "stepping up".
So I bought a 1200C sporty, THEN took a riders course, rode that for 12000 miles and went shopping for a custom. Spent the better part of a year doing research and getting out and looking, touching and feeling. Saxon was nice, most looked cheap with just adequit parts. Rode a few, then rode a mastiff. Done! Fit and Finsh way above par, styling, clean lines, the "look", quality. the perfect fuel tank, polished everything, awesome paint, the 2 year warranty. I had no idea what to expect on the test ride, yet it "hooked" me, just as the dlr knew it would. The BDM is just a damn fine Scoot.
Oh yeah, this is a serious machine and it is ridden, checked, polished, yet not punished. Got other toys for the "need" thing

Big Dog represents the "Most Bang for my Buck"

See Ya!

 

[Wildthing]

I orginally was looking at getting another Harley. Went to some of the local HD stealerships and all I got was an attitude. After figuring up what it would cost to do the HD add ons I wanted and thinking about a garage full of stock HD parts that I would need to sell on Egay for almost nothing, thats when I started looking at other options. Looked at other bikes but I liked the lines and options a stock 2004 Mastiff came with. The S&S motor, the Baker 6 speed, Wide Tire, Led Functions, Hell even the kick stand is cool.
Had a few problems with the bike but Big Dog stood behind their product and always fixed the bike. Ended up selling the 04 Mastiff last Winter and picked up a new 07 Mastiff. I think it's even better than my 2004.

 

[Gas Man]

My search was much like Knots and Wild. I evern walked into a few Harley dealers and told them... "show me the best bike you have... money isn't a object!" They would show me this and that... but nothing rang my bell like the dogs. Saxon, swift, bourget, and alot of other local custom shops... Big Dogs had the fit, finish, and everything else we all love about them... and their cost was right on!

 

[Grim Reaper]

Too big for a Vespa...

 

[Wildthing]

Don't Fear the Reaper.

The song by Blue Oyster Cult?

 

[Tim]

Too big for a Vespa...

:roll:

 

[chacha]

Yeah, I see Grim is here now. :loony:

Well there goes the neighbourhood

For me, I was originally targeting a VROD with a Phat Kit. I tend to research things to death, and like most of you, I checked every other option first. Decide that BDM had their crap in one sock compaired to alot of the other companies out there. Talked to Saxon and the French bastards...realized they liked themselves very much and pretty much just had "pretty-boy" bikes. I needed something I could ride every day. Found a used 2004 Bulldog being sold by the Chief of maintaince for an aircraft carrier. Needless to say the bike was in PERFECT condition and HE thought BDM was a good outfit. I figure the guy responsible for keeping the carrier running probably knows a couple of things about reliability. :2thumbs:

Grim - I think you'd be looking real "sweet" on a nice white Vespa. Maybe with the pink leathers like Gas's wife :roll:

 

[Gas Man]

Yeah but I doubt he'll fit into her extra small chaps!

 

[Oscar Maldonado]

Intresting question for a lot of people on the site.

BUMP!

 

[PLAYR]

why big dog

i owned a completely customized vtx 1800 that pounded all other cruisers on the street. i was constantly investing in that pro street bike and i loved it. but at the end of the day, it was never going to be a chopper.
everyone said it was time for me to bump up and buy a HD, but I think those are for sheep, and i ain't one.
320,000 HDs made last year....and you can ride for months without seeing a real custom like the big dog. I walked in to the nearest big dog dealership and
when i sat on the k-9 i fell in love with the baddest bitch out there. bought it that day and haven't looked back

There are few real "american muscle" customs out there, and we got em all.

 

[T Mack]

Tired of buying Harleys trying to make them into Big Dog's..
Just buy what you really want...
Got to have a FLHTCUI for my trips tho....
One of each...
custom....
touring....

 

[LUPHOLE]

Intresting question for a lot of people on the site.

BUMP!

oscar it was this forum (and i remember this thread) that tipped me over the hump to buy a bid dog. i owe the longtimers a big THANKS for their advice and comments. i enjoy my k-9 as much as the first bike i ever owned---that was almost 40 years ago and i ain't telling anybody what the first one was! (kind of like the enjoyment of a bj form monica as long as you don't look down)
after the big dog, i am afraid everything else is just camping out, chuck

 

[Raywood]

oscar it was this forum (and i remember this thread) that tipped me over the hump to buy a bid dog. i owe the longtimers a big THANKS for their advice and comments. i enjoy my k-9 as much as the first bike i ever owned---that was almost 40 years ago and i ain't telling anybody what the first one was! (kind of like the enjoyment of a bj form monica as long as you don't look down)
after the big dog, i am afraid everything else is just camping out, chuck

Glad to here this! Get some miles on that Dog and enjoy every minute of it.

 

[bearufus]

My big dog even makes me "a fat man" look cool

 

[slowrower]

Why Big Dog

Having gone from a 62 HD to a 2005 HD it was time for something that didn't feel like it would come apart over 80mph. It took me many months of looking and trying before I settled on the dog .. I had considered customs but most of them I tried felt like a steam roller on the road. BDM had the best paint, fit and finish and, they stand behind their products.

I've had no real issues or concerns and like Raywood I wouldn't hesitate to ride it cross country racking up as many miles as my ass could take.

It is my belief and based on past experiences you start modifying the motor and all your doing is throwing useable miles away and making an un-predictable, high-maintenance monster out of it -- then when things go wrong you blame the manufacturer. I did this to two perfectly good and reliable HDs for some extra HP and bragging rights .. not this one!! no cams, no carbs, no anything, I guess I've learned my lesson. Pipes and some water proofing and thats it -- sorry for the ranting!

 

[toomanybikes]

At the Carlisle summer bike show in 2005, Full House Cycles had several Big Dogs on display. Ronnie Simkhovitch gave me his card and come out and see us. A couple of weeks later and I at Full House Cycles looking at Big Dogs. For the next year I checked out various brands which was easy since an American Iron Horse/Saxon dealer opened up about two miles from my office and for a while I dealer selling Von Dutch and Bourget was about 5 miles away. I had decided that I liked the Pro Streets more than the choppers, so I started looking at the AIH Outlaw and Slammer and the Saxon and comparing them to the Mastiff. The Mastiff just seemed to fit better.
In June of 2006, at the Full House open house, there was my future Big Dog. At the time I had a hard time convincing myself that I was going to spend that money. Over the next six months I was out at Full House about once a month convincing myself that I needed that Mastiff. Finally, in January 2007, I bought the pup and the fun began. I have met some great folks over the last year and expect to meet many more.

 

[Slow Vince]

There are a lot of options out there for motorcycles... customized Harleys, other small volume manufacturers like AIH and Vengeance. What made you go with Big Dog?

Starting in 2000, I spent a lot of time (a period of years), and money on my H-D, making it comfortable for long rides. Runs clean and strong with 95", gear drive cams, roller rockers, some tuning on 44 CV, pipes.

It has only been the last couple of years that I started pondering a custom chopper - just wan't interested at first. The OCC and build-off TV shows had something to do with getting my head right, started reading reviews in Thunder Press and American Iron. Kind of liked the Saxon, but had never sat on one (or any other custom for that matter).

Two years ago, first visit to American Dream Machines in Augusta changed that. Actually sat on a Saxon, and liked the look and feel well enough, but wasn't ready to spend the money yet.

The Big Dog commercial actually drew me in...

By last year's visit to ADM, I was a lot more serious. To their credit, they spent two full daze with me while I sat on every bike in the store, and they patiently answered all my various questions, didn't try to steer me to any one bike.

The second day, my Dragon was sitting out in the rain. It kind of chose me, on the spot. Brandon rolled it in dried it off. It had just about evrerything I wanted in a bike, and it was "all there" - I wouldn't have to spend all my time ordering parts and rebuilding it. Called Primary Spousal Unit, to confirm that she wasn't shitting me up when she said it was OK to buy a chopper. Navy Son asked if it was a one night stand or a long term commitment, but the bottom line was that the damthing just felt "right", and that was all she wrote.

1200 mile trip to Daytona and return to August was my first time actually riding the beast, and I'm happy as can be. It rides, feels, and looks "right".

I can't say enough for the dealer. The owner and the service tech have been really over the top, taking care of factory recalls and upgrade kits, just being there and supporting this long-distance relationship. I have had very good response from BDM also, not to mention the factory techs at "the Speed Shop" in Ormand while I was there.

So far, this has been a marriage made in heaven, I have no regrets. The bike is in transit now, and I'm looking really looking forward logging the miles on my own turf this Summer.

Yes, all bikes are going to have problems, regardless of manufacture - this goes with anything mechanical. But I'm doing everything I can to stack the deck in my favor, and this forum has been a Godsend!

 

[Cephus]

I had been checking into getting another bike for a couple years(HD, Victory, Kawasaki, Suzuki....) I googled "Big Dog"(clothing company) to find a father in-law a shirt. BD web site popped up and when I first looked at the bikes I feel in love. The first opportunity I had to buy a BD I did, and have no regrets!!!!!

 

[MN K9]

I've wanted a chopper for 30+ years. I test rode an old Triumph chopper way back then. It was terrible. I was always busy with Mustangs, trucks, and dirt bikes. I had a bunch of different small street bikes over the years. Bought my first Harley a few years ago. Spent a bunch of cash on it to make it unique.

My plan all along was to somehow find the time to build a chopper. All the bike shows on tv really got the fever going again. I started researching designs of bikes, parts and costs.

On my annual trip to the Black Hills to go rock crawling, we took the Harley's with to ride in the hills. I spotted the Big Dog sign at Black Hills Custom Cycles. I had read about the K9's in American Iron magazine. I figured I'd check them out.

I test rode a K9. WAY COOL! I wasn't real serious at the time. We talked numbers and they checked out the old HD. I went on my way and cruised around the hills on the HD.

Back at home I took the time to really price out the cost of building my own bike. I figured I couldn't build a chopper anywhere close price wise to the K9.

It took about 4 weeks. It went from wanting a K9 to NEEDING a K9! When it got to the point of losing sleep thinking about it, I figured there was only one thing to do. I sent the email that said let's do the deal.

I couldn't be happier with the bike. It doesn't hurt that it attracts a lot of attention everywhere I go. I impressed with the quality of the bike. I really like the way the bike fits me.

The only thing I'm concerned with is I should do the water proofing. Would it be too much to ask that BDM could squirt some dielectric grease in the connections while they assemble the bikes?

 

[06Mastiff_shawn]

My quest started in 02'(I think maybe 03') the Funky Monkey radio station in WA was advertising a "Mike's Hard Lemonade" Bigdog give away. I have always wanted a HD but never was financially right. So, I checked out the web site to see what a BD looked like...fell in love instantly. I made sure to enter as much as I could. There was just something about that fat rear tire, the look of the bike itself and AMERICAN MADE MUSCLE. Needless to say I didn't win and setteled for a Buell (American made)/ I enjoyed my Buell but was still obsessed with one day owning a Bigdog (yeah, I have a St. Bernard which doesn't count). I would spend countless hours at night searching ebay checking out bikes watching all the new models coming out looking at others modifications, paint jobs, custom seat, really just everything. My wife use to laugh at the time I spent just looking and daydreaming. If we were driving and we passed a BD store on the highway I had to stop and just look and sit on one. Well, prior to this deployment I sold my Buell and told myself "I was getting a BD", I just had to have one. I reality I knew there was a possibilyt I wouldn't get one. But every free moment I had I was searching the internet and came across the bike of my dreams...06' Mastiff already set up the way I wanted. Told my wife about it and next thing I knew she was moving money around, wheelin and dealin and now I own my BD. I have yet to ride it, but it is waiting for me at the dealership. I am thinking of taking my R&R flight straight to the dealer and ride it home (280 miles) what a great way to start my leave, ride home on my bike and surprise the wife and kids rolling up on my BD. Yeah, might have to stop by and get a helmet but it will be worth it. So, thats my why (excuse the needless rambling).