Would you buy another Big Dog??

[XTREEME]

I suspect that if they could either eliminate the engine vibrations or just put a smoother, smaller engine in and get rid of that engine/system module, a huge amount of their problems would go away to begin with.

This is a good point. I can absolutely see how the 117 can shake loose parts. I have tried the 100 smooth on a BBC, and its easy to see the difference, but that comes at a price of not having the power of the bigger motor.

They should probably provide the 100 smooth as an option for some people.

Not for me though. The 117 hard tail is the only way to go.

 

[KDF]

I already stated that I would buy another one... no question. Thought I might take a minute and explain why...

Went for a nice ride today up along a coastal town in N. Mass/S. New Hampshire. Town has about an 8 mile stretch of road that runs right along the coast with nothing but beaches and bars/restaurants on both sides. Place is packed with people today, as the weather was finally nice after about 4 days of rain. Of course the strip was packed with bikes and people milling about enjoying the day. As I came down the strip, about half way through the 8 mile stretch, a big biker hangout sits off to the side and it was full of guys/gals and their HD's. I see this coming up and laugh to myself because I know what is about to happen. Of course everyone is standing outside admiring the lineup of chrome and bikes. A big group (about 20 guys and girls are standing around the best of the bunch in the lot). They actually 'hear' my Pitbull coming before anyone really see's it. When they see it rollling down the street, it's priceless. Everyone stops talking and turns. Everyone... forgets completely about the best HD bikes they had just been admiring and stands gawking as I slowly roll by. The girls are all asking their boyfriends "what kind of a bike is that?". The looks on the faces of the Harley owning boyfriends tells it all..... I ride slowly by and smile.

THAT IS WHY WE RIDE THE DOGS.



KDF

 

[Oscar Maldonado]

Even with all the problems that I'm having lately, Why not? I think they are good bikes.

 

[Raywood]

A big group (about 20 guys and girls are standing around the best of the bunch in the lot). They actually 'hear' my Pitbull coming before anyone really see's it. When they see it rollling down the street, it's priceless. Everyone stops talking and turns. Everyone... forgets completely about the best HD bikes they had just been admiring and stands gawking as I slowly roll by. The girls are all asking their boyfriends "what kind of a bike is that?". The looks on the faces of the Harley owning boyfriends tells it all..... I ride slowly by and smile.

THAT IS WHY WE RIDE THE DOGS.
KDF

That's the way it is even when they don't shine anymore like mine!!!

 

[Cuz]

Lets see, I have 15,000 miles on mine now. The primary leaks, front brake wont bleed, EHC just replaced, speedo acting up, etc.
Yes I would buy another one. I love the bike.
I used to own a 06 Deuce and it rode like shit. I love the ride of my chopper.
I just took a 300 mile trip around east Texas and my back is not killing me and I dont fell like im 100 years old afterwards. It leaked every where but it rode bad ass.

 

[frogman]

my bd is an o7, so its to early to tell. I can do without all the polishing,but
then again,I like the feeling of blowing by a smart ass kid on a rocket and
watching his mouth hang open. and by the way, since owning this bike, I've seen more>>>>>>>> than when i was married

 

[BigDognSoCal]

Yes…with out a doubt! Big Dog makes a very awesome motorcycle and is a great value…In addition they have the best customer service in the industry…Bar none…Big Dog steps up more often than not, even when they have no obligation to do so…Beside that or in addition to that…it is the best looking and riding custom in the lot…forgettaboutit!

 

[LamboV12]

Yes - and I would do the same conversion all over again - dump the proprietary stuff and re-wire the bike.

I like the lines of the bike, the handling, S&S, Baker, etc.

 

[kickstart]

Hell YES, there is not a production bike that can even come close to BD for that matter very few customs can come close. :2thumbs:

 

[yelladog]

Have to say no my next bike will be a 09 street glide this fall need a little more comfort & dependability but will always keep the dog I have over 30 in it & I don't want to take a beaten on it

 

[Mach_1]

I love my K-9 I have only had it about 7 months now, it is my daily driver I have had very few problems with it. It replaced my 04 Hyabusa LE and I do not regret the swap one bit.

 

[Cobrafast1]

I would buy another in a heartbeat. I love me '03 Chopper. I can't imagine selling it or trading it.

 

[Road Dog]

I love my 04 chopper and have no plans on selling it. But I would have to say no I won't buy another Big Dog because of the time and money I had to spend to make my bike reliable. I also don't like things like 1-3/16 handlebars & controls, proprietary parts, EHC's, etc.

 

[CURDOG]

It will most likely depend on how well the dogs hold their resale value.

 

[slowrower]

I like mine so much I will be getting a 2009 or 2010 model.

As for proprietary parts that's how BDM separates themselves from the competition and offers added value. They look good, they are quite comfortable, very reliable and dam easy to work on.

I know too dam many people that have had bikes built and paid way more and got a piece of shit, had major problems getting it registered and forget insurance.

I like mine and will get another not because it looks cool, sounds cool, draws attention - I didn't buy it to satisfy an ego - I wanted something better than my HD that was easier to maintain, rode better and would not have problems and for me this was and still is it.

Motorcycles especially these are about as simple as it gets including the EHC, wiring and all. Wanna see complex, go stick your head under the hood of a modern auto or worse an expensive modern auto there is enough shit there to build a fleet of scooters.

This is not rocket science, the engineers that design, build and test motorcycles go to the same dam schools which makes the difference in parts and materials minimal at best.

As for service, there are plenty of good wrenches out there or RTFM and do it your self it doesn't get much easier.

If you drive like shit, modify it beyond its intended use, ignore the maintenance - then the expect shit to happen and stop blaming someone else and look in the mirror.

BD has sold at least 25,000 bikes - add up the folks here with problems and were looking some tiny .0X % of the total which is insignificant and can be attributed to operator error.

You want a standard production bike get and HD, Victory are whatever floats your boat. Ride them all and pick what feels right for you .. its your money just remember you can have just as much of a problem and a hell of alot more than you did with your BD.

I bet if you posed the question "would you buy another XXX" on a Victory, HD or any brand specific forum you would get far more NFW responses.

Based on the small sample size that responded to the buy again question I would say BDM comes out a winner hands down in terms of brand loyalty. If you can get 3/4's of existing buyers to return your doing a dam good job.

How many have bought the same make/model car over and over and over ... enough, my 2 cents/ :bang:

 

[BubbleHead]

Ok I got to chime in on this one. My answer is yes. Not that I'm planning on it. I was tempted on last Friday at Carlisle to trade it in on a 2008 K-9 with the chrome package and the new Vance and Hines Big Radius 2 in to 1 exhaust but after thinking about for a while I decided that I love my Chopper. I don't want to give it up for any other Big Dog or any other bike out there. My personal opinion, that's all. Beyond the small issues I've had, it's still by far the best bike I've owned and I've had many after 45 years of riding.Besides, I still like walking outside and just looking at it. Makes me smile from the inside. Know what I mean?

 

[coach]

The 03 Chopper I bought in 03 has been perfect, trouble free. I have no plans to sell it.........even thou I'm tempted with new models. If I have the money I would own one of each model and a few antiques thrown it. My biggest disappointment is seeing the resale value diminish. When I bought my last Harely in 88 for $9,500 and sold it in 02 for $12K.......that was a deal. Double we'll ever see that again.

Interestingly thou..........we attended an antique bike show in Chesnee SC this past weekend. People were getting a ton of money for rusty old pieces of shit.

 

[jwoolf]

I'd have to put a big maybe on my vote.

I'd agree that there isn't a better mfg. than big dog but, they're not cheap to repair even if you do it yourself and, without a doubt, there are more problems and issues than any other bike I've ever had.

I still love my dog though.

 

[HDLARRY]

I'm in the same boat as JWOOLF. I love the bike pro-street design and appearance but would appreciate a better electrical system. They could go a long way's toward improving it if they took a page out of the aviation/marine industries and used better, yet simpler, designed components. Components that are designed and installed properly to handle heat, vibration, water, electrical anomalies etc.

I have worked on and around industrial turbine (32-54K HP) control systems for the past 25 years. The first time I took the side covers off around my battery box I knew to expect some electrical problems in the future. Just not up to what I would consider bullet proof wiring. The concept of using the EHC is a good one for quick diagnostics of electrical problems but it just doesn't seem to hold up in the real world.

That being said I have no problems doing my own trouble shooting and thankfully my problems have been minimal. All have been covered by a warranty that has now expired. (Speedometers, EHC, handlebar switches)

Bottom line is that Bigdog is the best bike for the dollars spent but could improve around the electrical system. Would I by another one, well maybe, but I'm keeping this one for at least another 3 years. We will see what BDM has to offer after that. I will add that I don't regret my original purchase at all, would do it all over again even knowing what I know now.

 

[Mickeetwo]

Yes I would buy another. I have had my share of problems with this one....3 EHC's... 3 Speedometers... 2 Transmissions....nut on clutch basket..... and a few other minor things. But I still love the dog. Bigdog took care of all of it even when my warranty had expired. They have been more than generous with helping me out and for that I would buy another.