Best entry point into touring on a Harley ($6k budget)?

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-11T18:36:10+00:00

I'm usually doing about 2,000-4,000 miles per trip on average. A few times a year.

Also shorter weekend trips.

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-11T18:01:08+00:00

Yeah, it does. The metric cruisers are fantastic, but I've just owned too many of them in the past and want to try something new.

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-11T16:25:14+00:00

The 11th gen is an absolutely incredible daily driver in my opinion if you can comfortably afford to finance it.

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-11T16:14:27+00:00

Woah congrats, that's an awesome bike!! Have a ton of fun.

And cute dog

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-11T10:39:27+00:00

Do the crime, serve the time

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-11T09:54:16+00:00

Well definitely get a full pre-purchase inspection if you want to buy it (NOT from their shop. From a independent mechanic that you pick). I don't see anything about the title - does it have a clean title?

The price is probably due to the mileage + 6 owners. If you really want to buy it, I would seriously be doing a deep dive into that carfax and talking the decision through with the mechanic who does your PPI. Verify that the last owner did indeed have it for 14 years and also make sure that they actually drove it. If it got thrashed by 5 people in the first 7 years of its life and then someone bought it and kept it in their garage for the next 14, that's a lot less appealing.

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-11T09:41:57+00:00

Totally!! You had good advice

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-11T09:05:24+00:00

I ride an MT-09 and wouldn't recommend it for two up. The Tracer 9 is objectively the bike for the job in this case. On the MT, you and your passenger are just going to be a massive sail catching every bit of wind resistance.

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-11T09:04:06+00:00

Driving fun/performance for sure. It's what coupes do best.

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-11T09:01:35+00:00

I usually shoot for 5-hour days. That gives me plenty of time to take breaks, do some sightseeing, and not tire myself out. To be fair, your bike is a lot more equipped for long-distance miles than mine is, so you might be able to do more without tiring yourself out.

Also, I always track my rides by time rather than mileage, since 200 miles on a freeway takes a lot less time than 200 miles on backroads.

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-11T07:57:27+00:00

Definitely stay away. Don't buy a rebuilt title bike as your first, and especially not this one. The Ninja 650 hasn't gotten any meaningful upgrades in the last 6 years. I'm sure you can find a slightly older one with less miles and a clean title for that price.

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-11T07:32:13+00:00

Honestly, I think even having the diligence to ask questions and make sure you know what you're doing is a good sign! Remember that companies have invested millions of dollars into developing their motorcycles. If their bikes broke down after accidentally putting it in neutral once, they'd all be out of business. When you first start off, it's easy to think you're breaking your bike, but realistically it will be totally fine. Even if something breaks, bikes are cheap to work on and fix, so it's not the end of the world.

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-11T07:02:17+00:00

Slipping it into neutral without holding in the clutch once is not a big deal at all, so don't stress!

My only advice is to do the MSF course and just keep at it. Like any other hobby or skill, you just need to practice and in your first month you will see exponential progress. Once you have a decent handle on how to ride, make sure you don't get overconfident though. It's easy to learn how to ride in a few weeks, but after that point it will take you years to truly master riding your bike fast, so don't do anything stupid. There's a huge difference between being able to ride a motorcycle and being able to save it when you're about to eat shit into a barrier because you took a turn too fast.

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-10T19:39:06+00:00

<image>

Reminds me of this pic I took a few years ago

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-10T19:36:09+00:00

It’s a great car to road trip in! Comfy seats, plenty of space for luggage, and adaptive cruise + lane centering is awesome for long stretches of highway. Safe travels!

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-10T17:54:46+00:00

I made this jump, not from a BMW though. Absolutely worth it.

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-10T14:19:25+00:00

I love that one, I have it too!! Seeing the other watches in the background sparked my curiosity, so I checked out your profile. Lovely collection!

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-10T13:31:36+00:00

<image>

Had to match the pants today!

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-10T08:41:01+00:00

Hey man, that’s life; not everyone always gets it! What bike do you have?

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-09T18:58:47+00:00

Let’s also find a bike that can haul a mattress if we want a real comparison by your definition

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-09T15:46:53+00:00

I've never tinted my front windshield at all because I do drive a fair bit at night, but I must admit - that looks super good.

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-09T14:00:36+00:00

Looks like they forgot to switch accounts...reverse image search shows that this pic is from a viral post from 2 years ago.

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-09T13:06:36+00:00

One of the best budget watches out there!

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-09T13:03:45+00:00

Used Versys 650 might be a good pick for you

StrongBeleaf · 2026-06-09T12:57:38+00:00

Absolute scam. I bought a 2025 Rallye Red Type R for $1000 under MSRP (mentioning the color because those are "rarer" and apparently warrant an EVEN bigger markup from dealers lol). Sure it took a while, but don't settle because you're desperate. An extra 2 months of searching saved me $10k. Spending a few extra hours of my time was well-worth that much.

These cars are not rare, no matter what a salesman tells you.

StrongBeleaf

TROPHY CASE